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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 5 @ MONTREAL CANADIENS 2
Goaltending match-up: Marc-Andre Fleury (20/22, .909 SV%) vs. Carey Price (31/36, .861 SV%)
Combos: Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - Pascal Dupuis/ Matt Cooke - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy/ Michael Rupp - Max Talbot - Chris Conner/ Arron Asham - Mark Letestu - Craig Adams/ Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang/ Paul Martin - Milan Michalek/ Alex Goligoski - Deryk Engelland
Scratches: Lovejoy, Crosby
Top PP times: Malkin (9:19), Letang (9:19), Kunitz (6:30), Staal (5:15), Martin (4:51)
Trending: Jordan Staal (1G, 2A, 2 SOG) delivered his first box score appearance in six tries since making his season debut and he really made a splash doing it. Evgeni Malkin (1A, 7 SOG) has a point in four of six this month. Alex Goligoski (2G, 1A, 4 PIM, 4:28 PP, 3 SOG) had five points in four games headed in, while Kris Letang (1G, 2A, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) had five in five January starts and has been a beast all season for his poolies. Chris Kunitz (1A, +1, 3 SOG) had that hat trick vs. TB as his only output in six tries headed in here and Tyler Kennedy (1G, -1, 2:51 PP, 5 SOG) had three points in six starts before this evening.
Combos: Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta/ Benoit Pouliot - Tomas Plekanec - Mathieu Darche/ Jeff Halpern - Travis Moen - Andrei Kostitsyn/ Lars Eller - David Desharnais - Tom Pyatt/ Roman Hamrlik - James Wisniewski/ Hal Gill - P.K. Subban/ Jaroslav Spacek - Yannick Weber
Scratches: Cammalleri, Picard
Top PP times: Wisniewski (3:54), Darche (2:49), Subban (2:33), Desharnais (2:27), Pacioretty (2:25)
Trending: P.K. Subban (1A, +1, 5 PIM, no SOG) has points in three of five this month and he fought Mark Letestu. Tomas Plekanec (1G, +1, 1:47 PP, 4 SOG) carried 18 points in 21 GP vs. PIT coming in here with points in four of his past six overall. Benoit Pouliot (1A, +1, 6 PIM, 0:10 PP, no SOG) has points in three of four after eight without one.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS 0 @ TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 3
Goaltending match-up: Semyon Varlamov (35/38, .921 SV%) vs. Dwayne Roloson (23/23)
Combos: Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - Mike Knuble/ Jason Chimera - Marcus Johansson - Eric Fehr/ Brooks Laich - Mathieu Perreault - Jay Beagle/ Matt Hendricks - Dave Steckel - Boyd Gordon/ Scott Hannan - Mike Green/ Karl Alzner - John Carlson/ Jeff Schultz - Tom Poti
Scratches: Erskine, Semin, Sloan
Top PP times: Green (2:10), Ovechkin (1:56), Backstrom (1:28), Laich (1:28), Knuble (1:28)
Trending:
Combos: Martin St. Louis - Steven Stamkos - Ryan Malone/ Simon Gagne - Vincent Lecavalier - Sean Bergenheim/ Teddy Purcell - Dominic Moore - Steve Downie/ Dana Tyrell - Nate Thompson - Adam Hall/ Randy Jones - Pavel Kubina/ Mattias Ohlund - Mike Lundin/ Brett Clark - Victor Hedman
Scratches: Ritola, Smaby
Top PP times: St. Louis (5:54), Stamkos (5:52), Lecavalier (5:33), Gagne (4:34), Kubina (4:03)
Trending: Victor Hedman (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 3:36 PP, 4 SOG) ended a five-game pointless spell here and had five points last month. This year? So-so option. Long term? Still a projected stud. Steve Downie (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 2:57 PP, 2 SOG) has points in B2B games after three without one when he first came back. He had 15 PIM in that time though. Simon Gagne (1G, +1, 3 SOG), who has been a disaster this season through injury and poor results, converted his second period breakaway to score only his fourth goal of the season. Maybe that'll start something good. Vincent Lecavalier (1A, +1, 4 SOG) had nine points in 13 GP before this one got underway. Sean Bergenheim (1G, 1A, +2, 3:23 PP, 2 SOG) had nothing in four coming in.
COLORADO AVALANCHE 0 @ CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 4
Goaltending match-up: Peter Budaj (27/31, .871 SV%) vs. Corey Crawford (24/24)
Combos: David Jones - Matt Duchene - Tomas Fleischmann/ Kevin Porter - Paul Stastny - Milan Hejduk/ T.J. Galiardi - Ryan O'Reilly - Daniel Winnik/ Brandon Yip - Philippe Dupuis - Greg Mauldin/ John-Michael Liles - Ryan O'Byrne/ Ryan Wilson - Adam Foote/ Matt Hunwick - Kevin Shattenkirk
Scratches: Holos, Koci, McLeod
Top PP times:
Trending: Liles (3:02), Yip (3:01), Shattenkirk (2:52), Porter (2:38), Wilson (2:18)
Combos: Troy Brouwer - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane/ Tomas Kopecky - Patrick Sharp - Marian Hossa/ Bryan Bickell - Dave Bolland - Fernando Pisani/ Viktor Stalberg - Jake Dowell - Jack Skille/ Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook/ Niklas Hjalmarsson - Brian Campbell/ Nick Leddy - Jordan Hendry
Scratches: Johnson, Boynton, Scott
Top PP times: Bolland 1:35), Campbell (1:28), Hossa (1:24), Keith (1:18), Kopecky (1:12)
Trending: Patrick Kane (1A, +1, 0:50 PP, 5 SOG) is riding a five-game point streak now and is heating up when his team needs him. Duncan Keith (1A, +4, 2 SOG) ended an eight-game pointless drought and Brent Seabrook (2A, +4, 0:50 PP, 2 SOG) has points in B2B games after four without one. Troy Brouwer (1G, +1, 0:36 PP, 1 SOG) had nadda in January before tonight and Dave Bolland (1G, 1A, +2, 4 SOG) scored his first goal vs. COL in 10 tries. He has markers in B2B games and points in seven of 11. Fernando Pisani (1G, 1A, +2, 0:38 PP, 1 SOG) has a point in five of 10.
ST. LOUIS BLUES 4 @ ANAHEIM DUCKS 7
Goaltending match-up: Ty Conklin (17/24, .708 SV%) vs. Jonas Hiller (30/34, .882 SV%)
Combos: Vladimir Sobotka - David Backes - Matt D'Agostini/ Brad Winchester - Jay McClement - Brad Boyes/ Alex Steen - Patrik Berglund - B.J. Crombeen/ Chris Porter - Philip McRae - Ryan Reaves/ Roman Polak - Carlo Colaiacovo/ Eric Brewer - Erik Johnson/ Barret Jackman - Alex Pietrangelo
Scratches: Strachan, Janssen
Top PP times: Steen (6:16), Johnson (4:05), Berglund (3:54), Pietrangelo (3:34), Winchester (3:18)
Trending: David Backes (2G, +1, 2:56 PP, 3 SOG) also scored the last time he met the Ducks and he has goals in four of five. Vladimir Sobotka (2A, +1, 5 PIM, 2:45 PP, no SOG) had 10 points in 12 GP before tonight. Alex Pietrangelo (1A, 3:34 PP, 4 SOG) had one point in eight games coming in and Erik Johnson (1A, +2, 6 SOG) has points in four of nine after stopping a four-game pointless skid here. Carlo Colaiacovo (4:58 TOI) took a puck to the face and did not return. This was the third NHL game for Ryan Reaves (1G, +1, 1:18 PP, 1 SOG) and he notched his first goal later in the third period. Brad Boyes (1G, 2:38 PP, 2 SOG) netted one after that and has points in four straight and eight of 10.
Combos: Matt Beleskey - Bobby Ryan - Corey Perry/ Jason Blake - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne/ Brandon McMillan - Maxim Lapierre - Joffrey Lupul/ Dan Sexton - Todd Marchant - George Parros/ Toni Lydman - Lubomir Visnovsky/ Luca Sbisa - Andy Sutton/ Andreas Lilja - Cam Fowler
Scratches: Brookbank, Mara, Chipchura
Top PP times: Fowler (4:54), Visnovsky (4:00), Selanne (3:03), Perry (2:46), Koivu (2:36)
Trending: Bobby Ryan (3G, 1A, 2 PIM, 1:24 PP, 4 SOG) has goals in each of his past three, including two different multi-goal games. His hat trick goal came via a sweet tip at the side of the net early in the third period. He has two tricks this season and three total in his career. Corey Perry (1G, 1A, +1, 3 SOG) entered this evening on pace for a point-per-game season. Lubomir Visnovsky (1G, 2A, +2, 2 SOG) came into tonight with 21 points in 23 GP at home. Teemu Selanne (2A, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) has been averaging a point-per-game or so this season and had 53 points in 68 GP vs. STL coming in. Joffrey Lupul (1A, -1, 10 PIM, 1:14 PP, 1 SOG) has points in five of seven. Saku Koivu (1A, +1, 1 SOG) had five points in six tilts before tonight. Cam Fowler (2A, no SOG) had a three-assist effort a few games back as his only output in seven games. Matt Beleskey (1A, 7 PIM, no PP, 2 SOG) had three points in four games before adding more here.
