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ATLANTA THRASHERS 4 @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 5
Goaltending match-up: Ondrej Pavelec (27/32, .844 SV%) vs. Jean-Sebastien Giguere (30/34, .882 SV%)
Combos: Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Niclas Bergfors/ Evander Kane - Nik Antropov - Anthony Stewart/ Freddy Modin - Alex Burmistrov - Rich Peverley/ Patrice Cormier - Tim Stapleton - Chris Thorburn/ Dustin Byfuglien - Johnny Oduya/ Brent Sopel - Arturs Kulda/ Ron Hainsey - Zach Bogosian
Scratches: Meyer, Boulton
Top PP times: Byfuglien (9:41), Bogosian (8:50), Peverley (6:35), Ladd (6:31), Antropov (6:14)
Trending: Dustin Byfuglien (1G, -1, 4 SOG) ended a 13-game pointless skid with his first period PPG, although he had a host of SOG in that time. Zach Bogosian (2A, +1, 1 SOG) has points in B2B games now, while Bryan Little (2A, -1, 4:26 PP, 3 SOG) has them in three in a row. Nik Antropov (1G, +1, 4 SOG) has points in eight of 12, while Evander Kane (1G, 4:09 PP, 3 SOG) hit the 30-point plateau here. Anthony Stewart (1A, 0:17 PP, 2 SOG) has points in four of eight. Rich Peverley (2A, +1, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) had seven points in 14 GP headed into this affair. Andrew Ladd’s (1G, 2 PIM, 5 SOG) third period marker put him at the 40-point plateau for the season and ended a period of one point in seven games.
Combos: Clarke MacArthur - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin/ Colby Armstrong - Tyler Bozak - Kris Versteeg/ Joey Crabb - Darryl Boyce - Phil Kessel/ Fredrik Sjostrom - Tim Brent - Jay Rosehill/ Francois Beauchemin - Dion Phaneuf/ Tomas Kaberle - Luke Schenn/ Mike Komisarek - Carl Gunnarsson
Scratches: Lebda, Mitchell, Gustavsson
Top PP times: Kessel (2:54), Kaberle (2:45), Versteeg (2:07), Grabovski (2:03), MacArthur (1:38)
Trending: Dion Phaneuf (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 0:21 PP, 4 SOG) has added points in five of eight now and Mikhail Grabovski (1G, 1A, +2, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) had 12 points in 16 GP before this evening. Nikolai Kulemin (1G, 1A, +2, 1 SOG) had 2G, 2A the last time he met the Thrashers. Tomas Kaberle (2A, +2, 3 SOG) has points in three of four and four of six on D. Clarke MacArthur (1G, 1A, -1, 3 SOG) had 14 points in 16 GP before tonight. Kris Versteeg (1A, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) has points in all four February starts after ending last month with nothing in six. Colby Armstrong’s (1A, 0:42 PP, no SOG) point streak is at four games. He had a five-gamer last month.
NEW YORK RANGERS 2 @ DETROIT RED WINGS 3
Goaltending match-up: Martin Biron (32/35, .914 SV%) vs. Jimmy Howard (45/47, .957 SV%)
Combos: Vinny Prospal - Erik Christensen - Marian Gaborik/ Brandon Dubinsky - Artem Anisimov - Ryan Callahan/ Wojtek Wolski - Derek Stepan - Mats Zuccarello/ Sean Avery - Brian Boyle - Brandon Prust/ Marc Staal - Dan Girardi/ Ryan McDonagh - Mike Sauer/ Michael Del Zotto - Matt Gilroy
Scratches: Drury, Eminger
Top PP times: Staal (6:06), Wolski (5:49), Callahan (4:44), Prospal (4:06), Gaborik (3:47)
Trending: Derek Stepan (1G, 2:54 PP, 2 SOG) ended a brief three-game slide here. Brandon Dubinsky (1G, 2:46 PP, 4 SOG) had just one point in five games coming in and Marian Gaborik (1A, 3 SOG) has picked up assists in five of his past six. Sean Avery (1A, 1:00 PP, 6 SOG) had one point in seven outings headed in here, but did have fights in B2B games. The Rangers are off until Friday now, at which point Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be back between the pipes with a full week of practice under his belt.
Combos: Johan Franzen - Henrik Zetterberg - Todd Bertuzzi/ Jiri Hudler - Pavel Datsyuk - Danny Cleary/ Justin Abdelkader - Valtteri Filppula - Patrick Eaves/ Kris Draper - Darren Helm - Drew Miller/ Nicklas Lidstrom - Niklas Kronwall/ Jonathan Ericsson - Brian Rafalski/ Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei
Scratches: Mursak, Holmstrom
Top PP times: Lidstrom (2:46), Rafalski (2:45), Zetterberg (2:26), Hudler (1:59), Cleary (1:59)
Trending: Pavel Datsyuk (1G, 1A, +1, 1:14 PP, 2 SOG) made his way back into the line-up for the first time since Dec. 22 and made an immediate impact. Jiri Hudler (1G, 1A, +2, 1 SOG) had 8 points in 11 GP last month and nothing in three February tilts coming in. Danny Cleary (1A, +1, 3 SOG) had been blanked in his first three starts back. Valtteri Filppula (10:22 TOI) left this one with a lower-body injury.
EDMONTON OILERS 4 @ NASHVILLE PREDATORS 0
Goaltending match-up: Devin Dubnyk (37/37, first career shutout) vs. Pekka Rinne (16/20, .800 SV%) & Anders Lindback (2/2)
Combos: Dustin Penner - Shawn Horcoff - Ales Hemsky/ Magnus Paajarvi - Sam Gagner - Linus Omark/ Taylor Hall - Andrew Cogliano - Jordan Eberle/ Liam Reddox - Colin Fraser - Ryan Jones/ Theo Peckham - Tom Gilbert/ Kurtis Foster - Jim Vandermeer/ Ladislav Smid - Jeff Petry
Scratches: Jacques, Stortini, Strudwick
Top PP times: Hemsky (2:06), Foster (2:06), Horcoff (2:04), Penner (2:00), Gilbert (1:34)
Trending: Andrew Cogliano (1G. 1A. +2, 0:02 PP, 2 SOG) opened the scoring here and had nine points in 14 GP coming in. Taylor Hall (2A, +2, 1:03 PP, 1 SOG) had five points in six games headed in here. Jordan Eberle (1A, +2, 0:57 PP, 4 SOG) had two points in his two games back before adding more here. Dustin Penner (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) has fired in goals of four of his past six games now. Ales Hemsky (1A, +1, 1 SOG) has points in B2B games after nothing in his first two back in the line-up.
Combos: Colin Wilson - David Legwand - Patric Hornqvist/ Sergei Kostitsyn - Marcel Goc - Martin Erat/ Steve Sullivan - Nick Spaling - J.P. Dumont/ Matt Halischuk - Jerred Smithson - Joel Ward/ Ryan Suter - Shea Weber/ Shane O’Brien - Kevin Klein/ Alexander Sulzer - Cody Franson
Scratches: Belak
Top PP times: Weber (7:03), Suter (6:41), Kostitsyn (5:27), Hornqvist (5:03), Erat (4:53)
Trending:
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 1 @ CALGARY FLAMES 3
Goaltending match-up: Corey Crawford (25/27, .926 SV%) vs. Miikka Kiprusoff (22/23, .957 SV%)
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/ Jordan Hendry - Nick Boynton
Scratches: Leddy, Johnson, Scott
Top PP times: Sharp (5:24), Toews (5:07), Kane (5:04), Seabrook (4:26), Keith (3:51)
Trending: Patrick Kane (1G, 2 PIM, 1 SOG) had 3G, 8A in 13 GP before tonight and had 14 points in 13 GP vs. CGY too. Troy Brouwer (1A, 3:35 PP, 2 SOG) carried eight points in eight games before tonight, while Jonathan Toews (1A, +1, 1 SOG) added to the 22 points in 22 away games he had before tonight.
Combos: Alex Tanguay - Brendan Morrison - Jarome Iginla/ Rene Bourque - Olli Jokinen - David Moss/ Curtis Glencross - Matt Stajan - Tom Kostopoulos/ Tim Jackman - Mikael Backlund - Lance Bouma/ Robyn Regehr - Jay Bouwmeester/ Adam Pardy - Anton Babchuk/ Mark Giordano - Cory Sarich
Scratches: Hagman, Staios, Mikkelson
Top PP times: Giordano (3:53), Jokinen (3:36), Bourque (3:36), Bouwmeester (3:34), Iginla (3:26)
Trending: Mikael Backlund (1G, +1, no PP, 2 SOG) has goals in two of his past three now and Lance Bouma (1A, +1, 5:50 TOI) collected his first NHL point in his second start. Curtis Glencross (1G, +1, 0:02 PP, 2 SOG) has scored in four of his past seven with points in five of those games. Quite a shot to pot Calgary's second goal. Olli Jokinen (2A, +1, 4 SOG) had 11 points in 16 GP coming in, but with a -10 rating. Rene Bourque (1G, 2 SOG) netted the ENG and ended an eight-game pointless drought. Jarome Iginla (1A, -1, 5 SOG) picked up an assist on that goal, which was his 42nd point in his 53rd career game vs. CHI.
COLORADO AVALANCHE 0 @ PHOENIX COYOTES 3
Goaltending match-up: Craig Anderson (23/26, .885 SV%) vs. Ilya Bryzgalov (25/25, B2B shutouts)
Combos: Chris Stewart - Matt Duchene - Milan Hejduk/ Kevin Porter - Paul Stastny - David Jones/ T.J. Galiardi - Ryan O'Reilly - Daniel Winnik/ Cody McLeod - Philippe Dupuis - Brandon Yip/ John-Michael Liles - Ryan O'Byrne/ Ryan Wilson - Adam Foote/ Matt Hunwick - Kevin Shattenkirk
Scratches: Cumiskey, Forsberg
Top PP times: Shattenkirk (4:40), Stastny (3:48), Duchene (3:38), Hejduk (3:32), Liles (3:03)
Trending: We want Forsberg! We want Forsberg!
Combos: Scottie Upshall - Kyle Turris - Shane Doan/ Ray Whitney - Martin Hanzal - Radim Vrbata/ Taylor Pyatt - Eric Belanger - Lee Stempniak/ Paul Bissonnette - Andrew Ebbett - Lauri Korpikoski/ Keith Yandle - Derek Morris/ Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Michal Rozsival/ Adrian Aucoin - Sami Lepisto
Scratches: Jovanovski
Top PP times: Yandle (3:17), Doan (2:57), Whitney (2:52), Vrbata (2:52), Hanzal (2:07)
Trending: Ray Whitney (2A, +1, 1 SOG) had 10 points in 12 GP before tonight, while Martin Hanzal (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) ended a brief three-game pointless spell. Radim Vrbata (2G, +1, 2 PIM, 8 SOG) has points in two of four after four without one. Scottie Upshall (1G, +1, 0:25 PP, 3 SOG) scored the last time these teams met before the All-Star break and he had nothing in three games between then and now. Kyle Turris (1A, +1, 0:25 PP, 1 SOG) had also been blanked in those games and Shane Doan (1A, +1, 1 SOG) had 28 points in 31 GP before tonight.
OTTAWA SENATORS 2 @ VANCOUVER CANUCKS 4
Goaltending match-up: Brian Elliott (26/29, .897 SV%) vs. Roberto Luongo (31/33, .939 SV%)
Combos: Nick Foligno - Jason Spezza - Daniel Alfredsson/ Milan Michalek - Peter Regin - Alex Kovalev/ Chris Kelly - Mike Fisher - Chris Neil/ Zack Smith - Jesse Winchester - Ryan Shannon/ Chris Campoli - Sergei Gonchar/ Chris Phillips - Erik Karlsson/ Filip Kuba - Brian Lee
Scratches: Carkner, Ruutu
Top PP times: Karlsson (6:20), Spezza (6:09), Gonchar (5:55), Foligno (5:45), Alfredsson (5:22)
Trending: Jason Spezza (1G, 1A, -1, 7 SOG) jumped into the box score in style, including a goal scored on a three-man breakaway. Nick Foligno (1G, -1, 2 PIM, 1 SOG) has points in seven of 11.
Combos: Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows/ Mason Raymond - Ryan Kesler - Mikael Samuelsson/ Raffi Torres - Manny Malhotra - Jannik Hansen/ Tanner Glass - Cody Hodgson - Jeff Tambellini/ Aaron Rome - Christian Ehrhoff/ Dan Hamhuis - Kevin Bieksa/ Andrew Alberts - Keith Ballard
Scratches: Tanev, Volpatti
Top PP times: Sedins (3:37), Kesler (3:37), Ehrhoff (3:15), Samuelsson (3:15)
Trending: Mikael Samuelsson (2G, 1A, +1, 5 SOG) had four different two-pointers in five tries coming in, so that's quite a hot streak he has going. Ryan Kesler (1G, 1A, +1, 1 SOG) had 2G the last time he met the Sens and Mason Raymond (3A, +2, 2:20 PP, 3 SOG) had four points in five games before tonight. Christian Ehrhoff (1A, +1, 3 SOG) had 5-9-14 in 24 home games before the puck dropped here and Alexandre Burrows' (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 2:20 PP, 3 SOG) point streak has been extended to seven games. Henrik Sedin (1A, +1, 1 SOG) had 3-8-11 in 12 GP vs. OTT coming in.
