Chicago @ NY Rangers 1-0 - Brad Richards, who spent three seasons with the Rangers before signing a one-year contract with Chicago last summer, scored the game winner against his former team late in the third period to help the Blackhawks to a 1-0 victory. His 11th goal of the season came one period after Rangers fans were applauding him; a video montage of Richards played on the scoreboard, thanking him for his service and assistance in helping New York advance to the Stanley Cup Final last spring. In addition to Richards' heroics, Blackhawks first-year goaltender Scott Darling made 25 saves in his first start in seven games. It was his first NHL shutout. Darling made 10 saves in the third period when the Rangers began to push the pace. On the game-winner, Richards got the puck behind the Rangers net and skated uncontested below the right circle before sending a wrist shot inside the right post past Cam Talbot at 7:19. Richards scored a few seconds after Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle hit the crossbar on a 2-on-1. Talbot, who lost for the first time in the past five starts, made 30 saves and was a big reason the Rangers remained within striking distance. He stopped Patrick Sharp on a breakaway with his left pad 13:34 into the third. Each team had a few opportunities in the first period when Rangers coach Alain Vigneault opted to have his defense pair of Marc Staal and McDonagh on the ice against Chicago's top line of Toews and forwards Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Toews had a good opportunity at the right post on the power play that was denied by the glove of Talbot at 6:56. Rick Nash created a turnover and broke in 1-on-1. Despite missing a poke check, Darling made a right pad save to keep the game scoreless. Matt Hunwick appeared to sweep a shot over the line during a scramble in front of Darling at 12:00, but the referee lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle to stop play. Prior to the game, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (neck), who was cleared by doctors to begin practicing with his teammates on Tuesday, said he has no timetable when he might return to the lineup. Lundqvist, who has missed the past 21 games, will join the Rangers for practice on Friday.
Columbus @ Edmonton 4-3 SO - Curtis McElhinney made a career-high 44 saves through overtime, then stopped two more shots in the shootout to help the Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory. Ryan Johansen and Alexander Wennberg scored in the shootout for the Blue Jackets, who ended a six-game losing streak in Edmonton. Wennberg's backhander in the third round of the shootout beat Ben Scrivens, and McElhinney ended the game by stopping Derek Roy's shot. It was Wennberg's second game-deciding goal against the Oilers in five days; he also scored to give the Blue Jackets a 5-4 shootout win in Columbus last Friday. David Savard, Johansen and Mark Letestu scored in regulation for Columbus, which had to rally to force overtime after the Oilers overcame an early 2-0 deficit on goals by Roy, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov. Jordan Eberle scored in the second round of the shootout for Edmonton. Scrivens made 17 saves for the Oilers through overtime and one in the shootout. Savard opened the scoring 5:35 into the first period, taking a pass from Wennberg in the slot and snapping a shot over the shoulder of Scrivens on the Blue Jackets' first shot of the game. Johansen gave the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead at 3:50 of the second period when his long-range shot sailed through a screen and over Scrivens' shoulder. Roy cut the Blue Jackets' lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 11:00. He took a cross-crease pass from Benoit Pouliot and beat McElhinney, who was unable to slide over in time. McElhinney made 12 saves in the second period, including an acrobatic glove stop on Pouliot from in close and a play on which he was able to get a stick out and knock the puck away as Eberle attempted to step around him during a power play. Nugent-Hopkins tied the game 1:28 into the third period, finishing off a play created by Eberle in front. Eberle jumped on a loose puck in the Blue Jackets' zone, then danced around Artem Anisimov before setting up Nugent-Hopkins for a tap-in. The goal came a few seconds after Cam Atkinson hit the crossbar. Yakupov put Edmonton ahead for the first time at 9:15, taking a long rebound off the end boards following a shot from Oscar Klefbom and beating McElhinney. But Letestu tied the game at 10:09 when he was allowed room to walk in from the point and blast a shot past Scrivens. Each team had chances to win before the shootout. Klefbom nearly put the Oilers in front with just under seven minutes to go in the final period, but his shot hit the crossbar. Rookie Marko Dano nearly won it for the Blue Jackets with 30 seconds left in regulation following a turnover at center ice. He took the puck, got around Klefbom and slid the puck between Scrivens' legs but it bounced off the goal post.
Los Angeles @ Anaheim 2-3 OT - The acquisition of Ryan Kesler last summer was directly intended for the Ducks to counter the Kings' strength down the middle. They were in agreement Wednesday with how big a difference Kesler has made. Even Kesler acknowledged as much after he scored 45 seconds into overtime to give the Ducks a 3-2 win against Kings at Honda Center. Kesler has five goals and two assists in five games against Los Angeles this season, four of them wins. Kesler collected the puck behind the goal line, circled to the front of the net and scored on a wrist shot for his 200th career goal. The Ducks finished the regular-season series 4-0-1 against the Kings, who retained third place in the Pacific Division. It was the fourth time in five games between the Ducks and Kings this season that overtime was required, and Anaheim prevailed Kesler scored after Drew Doughty and Marian Gaborik collided. It was Kesler's fifth career overtime goal. Kesler was one of several world-class centers, including Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar, who had terrific games in another frenzied, physical and entertaining game between the Southern California rivals. They combined for 64 hits, 28 blocked shots and superb goaltending, by Anaheim goalie John Gibson (29 saves) and Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (23 saves).
Kings forward Justin Williams tied it 2-2 with 4:14 left in the third. He was left unchecked in front of the net, where he received Jake Muzzin's pass and put it under Gibson. Anaheim controlled most of the third and was in position for a regulation win on third-period goals by Jakob Silfverberg and Patrick Maroon.
Silfverberg gave the puck to Andrew Cogliano and went to the net to easily tap in Cogliano's rebound at 7:35. Silfverberg, who had one goal in his 27 first games, has eight goals in his past 27. Maroon tied 1-1 with a finish of a good setup 45 seconds into the third by Getzlaf, who brought the puck down the left side and backhanded a pass that Maroon put into an open net. Maroon has a goal and two assists in two games since he was scratched March 13. Anaheim has outscored Los Angeles 7-1 in the third period in the past two games, both at Honda Center, where the Kings have not won since Game 7 of last season's Western Conference Semifinal series. Carter's power-play goal was the only goal of a brisk, physical first period. His slap shot off Kopitar's drop pass deflected off Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm's stick on its way to the net at 10:12 for his 25th of the season. It came just after Kings captain Dustin Brown made a big hit on Perry to spark a scrum. It was Anaheim’s second straight come-from-behind-third-period win and second straight against the Kings. The Ducks are a League-best 28-1-7 in one-goal games. The Kings have killed 44 of their past 46 penalties.
Due to the wonders of United Airlines putting me on an earlier flight it meant I arrived into Arizona 3 hours earlier than scheduled and I could actually watch the SoCal rivalry game. All the way through the game I just had that sinking feeling the Sucks would steal this one, and so it proved.
No comments:
Post a Comment