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CAROLINA HURRICANES 1 @ PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 2
Goaltending match-up: Cam Ward (23/25, .920 SV%) vs. Brian Boucher (31/32, .969 SV%)
Combos: Sergei Samsonov - Eric Staal - Erik Cole/ Jeff Skinner - Tuomo Ruutu - Chad LaRose/ Jiri Tlusty - Brandon Sutter - Pat Dwyer/ Zach Boychuk - Ryan Carter - Troy Bodie/ Jamie McBain - Brett Carson/ Tim Gleason - Joe Corvo/ Ian White - Jay Harrison
Scratches: Pitkanen, Jokinen
Top PP times: McBain (5:37), Staal (5:37), Corvo (4:52), Skinner (4:40), Ruutu (4:08)
Trending: Tuomo Ruutu (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG) hadn't scored since Jan 13. Chad LaRose (1A, +1, 2 PIM, no PP, 6 SOG) broke a seven-game pointless skid.
Combos: James van Riemsdyk - Mike Richards - Nikolay Zherdev/ Scott Hartnell - Danny Briere - Ville Leino/ Andreas Nodl - Claude Giroux - Jeff Carter/ Darroll Powe - Blair Betts - Dan Carcillo/ Matt Carle - Chris Pronger/ Kimmo Timonen - Braydon Coburn/ Andrej Meszaros - Sean O'Donnell
Scratches: Bartulis, Shelley
Top PP times: Pronger (4:53), Timonen (4:44), Carter (4:38), Leino (4:33), Richards (4:26)
Trending: Jeff Carter (1G, 5 SOG) had a hat trick the last time he faced the Canes and had 24 points in 22 GP against them in all before tonight. Mike Richards (1A, 2 PIM, no SOG) had 9-20-29 in 27 home GP headed in here, while Chris Pronger (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) had tallied 6A in 7 GP - all in two games - since returning to active duty coming into this one. Danny Briere (1G, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) had 2G, 1A the last time he skated vs. CAR, but he had no points in three games since his All-Star game appearance. Claude Giroux (1A, 4:11 PP, 2 SOG) had 30 of his 50 points at home coming in. Scott Hartnell (1A, 3:56 PP, no SOG) had nothing in three before tonight.
LOS ANGELES KINGS 1 @ PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Jonathan Quick (24/26, .923 SV%) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (32/33, .970 SV%)
Combos: Andrei Loktionov - Anze Kopitar - Dustin Brown/ Ryan Smyth - Jarret Stoll - Justin Williams/ Kyle Clifford - Michal Handzus - Wayne Simmonds/ Alexei Ponikarovsky - Trevor Lewis - Kevin Westgarth/ Willie Mitchell - Drew Doughty/ Rob Scuderi - Jack Johnson/ Alec Martinez - Matt Greene
Scratches: Harrold, Richardson, Drewiske
Top PP times: Johnson (4:25), Doughty (3:30), Handzus (3:03), Kopitar (3:03), Loktionov (2:57), Williams (2:57)
Trending: Ryan Smyth (1A, 2:53 PP, 2 SOG) had five points in six starts coming in here after a period of five without one. Justin Williams (1A, 1 SOG) was coming off that three-pointer @CGY, but only had two points in seven tries before that. Jarret Stoll (1G, -1, 2:39 PP, 1 SOG) had been blanked in his three February outings coming in.
Combos: Pascal Dupuis - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy/ Michael Rupp - Max Talbot - Chris Conner/ Brett Sterling - Dustin Jeffrey - Nick Johnson/ Ryan Craig - Joe Vitale - Craig Adams/ Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang/ Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek/ Alex Goligoski - Deryk Engelland
Scratches: Lovejoy, Cooke, Godard
Top PP times: Johnson (2:32), Michalek (2:07), Goligoski (2:06), Martin (1:54), Letang (1:53)
Trending: Jordan Staal (1G, +1, 1:46 PP, 5 SOG) collected his third GWG of the season already, although his point contributions had been sparse lately. Pascal Dupuis (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 1:18 PP, 3 SOG) has helpers in three of five. Brett Sterling (1G, +1, 1:23 PP, 2 SOG) scored on the first game of his call-up. His last NHL start came in '08-9 with Atlanta. Dustin Jeffrey (1A, +1, 0:57 PP, 1 SOG) has points in five of eight, but left this game injured. Nick Johnson (1A, +1, 3 SOG) played his first game of '10-11 at this level.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS 2 @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 1 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Johan Hedberg (31/32, .969 SV%) vs. James Reimer (37/39, .949 SV%)
Combos: Ilya Kovalchuk - Travis Zajac - Nick Palmieri/ Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus/ Vladimir Zharkov - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby/ Adam Mair - Rod Pelley - David Clarkson/ Colin White - Mark Fraser/ Henrik Tallinder - Mark Fayne/ Andy Greene - Anssi Salmela
Scratches: Sestito, Volchenkov, Brodeur
Top PP times: Kovalchuk (4:01), Zubrus (2:27), Zajac (2:23), Clarkson (2:23), Rolston (2:05)
Trending: Ilya Kovalchuk (1G, +1, 4 SOG) collected his second winner in the past three games and he has points in all six February games with a +7 rating in that time. Dainius Zubrus (1G, +1, 4 SOG) has goals in four of six this month. Patrik Elias (1A, 2 PIM, 1:59 PP, 3 SOG) had drawn blanks in his last three games, but was really hot before that period.
Combos: Nikolai Kulemin - Mikhail Grabovski - Phil Kessel/ Joffrey Lupul - Tyler Bozak - Clarke MacArthur/ Colby Armstrong - Darryl Boyce - Kris Versteeg/ Fredrik Sjostrom - Tim Brent - Joey Crabb/ Keith Aulie - Dion Phaneuf/ Tomas Kaberle - Luke Schenn/ Mike Komisarek - Brett Lebda
Scratches: Sjostrom, Gunnarson, Gustavsson
Top PP times: Kaberle (4:30), Bozak (4:20), Lupul (4:09), Lebda (4:01), Grabovski (3:36)
Trending: Nikolai Kulemin (1G, 3:10 PP, 4 SOG) pushed his goal streak to four games and his point streak to six. He had seven points in five games coming in. Mikhail Grabovski (1A, 3 SOG) had a pair of two-pointers on the month coming in, while Phil Kessel (1A, +1, 3:45 PP, 5 SOG) has helpers in B2B games after seven games with one point. This was Joffrey Lupul's (-1, 2 PIM, 18:03 TOI, 3 SOG) first game with the Leafs, where he'll see a more prominent role than he did with the Ducks.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS 4 @ MONTREAL CANADIENS 3 (SO)
Goaltending match-up: Mikko Koiskinen (37/40, .925 SV%, first NHL win) vs. Alex Auld (30/33, .909 SV%)
Combos: Matt Moulson - John Tavares - P.A. Parenteau/ Michael Grabner - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo/ Rob Schremp - Josh Bailey - Jesse Joensuu/ Matt Martin - Zenon Konopka - Trevor Gillies/ Travis Hamonic - Andrew MacDonald/ Milan Jurcina - Jack Hillen/ Radek Martinek - Bruno Gervais
Scratches: Wishart, Colliton, Poulin
Top PP times: Okposo (3:26), Tavares (3:09), Moulson (3:09), MacDonald (2:59), Hamonic (2:40)
Trending: John Tavares (1G, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) had four points in his four February outings headed in. Michael Grabner (2G, +2, 2:12 PP, 6 SOG) scored the last time he faced the Habs and he's been producing well over his past three weeks, especially in the goal department. Frans Nielsen (2A, +2, 2:30 PP, 2 SOG) had a couple of helpers in his last clash against Montreal. Kyle Okposo scored the only goal of the shootout to win.
Combos: Max Pacioretty - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta/ Andrei Kostitsyn - Scott Gomez - Lars Eller/ Benoit Pouliot - David Desharnais - Ryan White/ Tom Pyatt - Jeff Halpern - Travis Moen/ James Wisniewski - Roman Hamrlik/ Jaroslav Spacek - P.K. Subban/ Yannick Weber - Alexandre Picard
Scratches: Darche, Gill
Top PP times: Wisniewski (3:04), Subban (2:37), Plekanec (2:05), Gionta (2:05), Gomez (1:44)
Trending: Max Pacioretty (1G, 2 PIM, 1:34 PP, 7 SOG) had 2-3-5 in 4 GP coming in and had nine points in eight tries overall headed in. Benoit Pouliot (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 0:29 PP, 2 SOG) ended a seven-game pointless skid. Tomas Plekanec (1G, 4 SOG) had 14 points in 16 outings headed into this one, including 57 SOG.
BUFFALO SABRES 3 @ FLORIDA PANTHERS 2 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Ryan Miller (24/26, .923 SV%) vs. Tomas Vokoun (24/27, .889 SV%)
Combos: Thomas Vanek - Jochen Hecht - Jason Pominville/ Tyler Ennis - Tim Connolly - Drew Stafford/ Nathan Gerbe - Paul Byron - Cody McCormick/ Rob Niedermayer - Paul Gaustad - Mike Grier/ Andrej Sekera - Tyler Myers/ Jordan Leopold - Chris Butler/ Shaone Morrisonn - Mike Weber
Scratches: Montador, Kaleta, Rivet
Top PP times: Pominville (2:03), Leopold (1:57), Connolly (1:57), Stafford (1:57), Vanek (1:57), Myers (1:57)
Trending: Thomas Vanek (1G, +2, 2 SOG) had scored 12 times in 21 prior attempts against the Panthers. Tyler Myers (1G, 1A, +2, 4 SOG) had five points in seven games coming in and this was his fifth GWG of the season. He had one last year in his Calder campaign. Mike Weber (1G, +1, 3 SOG) had 2A in his last game, while Jason Pominville (2A, +2, no SOG) reached the 30-point plateau with an assist on Buffalo's opening goal and had 14 points in 15 GP before this outing. Jochen Hecht (1A, +2, 1:56 PP, 2 SOG) had points in four of six to end last month, but then nothing in three before this outing.
Combos: Chris Higgins - Stephen Weiss - Jack Skille/ David Booth - Mike Santorelli - Steve Bernier/ Rostislav Olesz - Marty Reasoner - Radek Dvorak/ Darcy Hordichuk - Scott Timmins - Bill Thomas/ Bryan Allen - Dennis Wideman/ Jason Garrison - Mike Weaver/ Dmitry Kulikov - Keaton Ellerby
Scratches: Stillman
Top PP times: Wideman (1:39), Garrison (1:39), Bernier (0:54), Booth (0:54), Santorelli (0:54)
Trending: Jack Skille (-1. 17:45 TOI, 0:45 PP, 2 SOG) made his debut for the Panthers after being dealt from Chicago. Dennis Wideman (2A, -1, 1 SOG) has points in three straight and he came into tonight just three points shy of the 30-point plateau for the season. Steve Bernier (1G, 4 SOG) has points in four of five now.
