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NEW YORK ISLANDERS 2 @ CAROLINA HURRICANES 3 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Al Montoya (32/35, .914 SV%) vs. Cam Ward (35/37, .946 SV%)
Combos: Matt Moulson - John Tavares - P.A. Parenteau/ Michael Grabner - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo/ Blake Comeau - Josh Bailey - Jesse Joensuu/ Michael Haley - Zenon Konopka - Matt Martin/ Travis Hamonic - Andrew MacDonald/ Radek Martinek - Jack Hillen/ Bruno Gervais - Milan Jurcina
Scratches: Gillies
Top PP times: MacDonald (5:27), Tavares (4:57), Moulson (4:29), Parenteau (4:20), Comeau (3:38)
Trending: Frans Nielsen (1G, 1A, 3:01 PP, 1 SOG) came into tonight tied with last year's point total of 38 points. In March, Michael Grabner (1G, 1A, +1, 2:28 PP, 9 SOG) had 10-6-16 in 14 GP. This month, coming into tonight, he had 3-2-5 in 8 GP. Travis Hamonic (1A, 2:25 PP, 1 SOG) hasn't chipped in many points this month like he did in February, but he did add 12 PIM in two games coming in here.
Combos: Cory Stillman - Eric Staal - Erik Cole/ Jeff Skinner - Tuomo Ruutu - Jussi Jokinen/ Jiri Tlusty - Brandon Sutter - Chad LaRose/ Drayson Bowman - Pat Dwyer - Jerome Samson/ Joni Pitkanen - Joe Corvo/ Derek Joslin - Bryan Allen/ Tim Gleason - Jay Harrison
Scratches: McBain, Bodie
Top PP times: Corvo (2:36), Pitkanen (2:24), Staal (2:05), Stillman (1:32), Gleason (1:30)
Trending: Joni Pitkanen (1G, 4 SOG) struck for the OT GWG and stopped a six-game pointless skid in the process. Jeff Skinner (1G, 1A, +2, 1:19 PP, 4 SOG) has goals in three of his past seven, while Tuomo Ruutu (1A, +1, 5 SOG) has points in three of five after having one in nine. Jussi Jokinen (1A, +1, 0:58 PP, 2 SOG) had two March points headed into this tilt. Erik Cole (1G, -1, 2 SOG) has a point in five of nine, while Cory Stillman (1A, -1, 1 SOG) had been blanked in his three prior starts and had five points on the month coming into this evening.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS 3 @ NEW JERSEY DEVILS 0
Goaltending match-up: Michal Neuvirth (33/33) vs. Martin Brodeur (9/12, .750 SV%)
Combos: Alex Ovechkin - Marcus Johansson - Mike Knuble/ Marco Sturm - Nicklas Backstrom - Alexander Semin/ Jason Chimera - Laich - Jay Beagle/ Matt Hendricks - Boyd Gordon - Matt Bradley/ Karl Alzner - John Carlson/ Jeff Schultz - Dennis Wideman/ Tyler Sloan - Scott Hannan
Scratches: Erskine, Fehr, King, Arnott, Varlamov
Top PP times: N/A
Trending: Mike Knuble (2G, 1A, +3, 4 SOG) has points in four of five and six of nine too. Dennis Wideman (1A, +1, 2 PIM, no SOG) had collected five helpers in six games before tonight. John Carlson (2A, +2, 1 SOG) had two points the last time he met the Devils and has a point in seven of his past 11 overall.
Combos: Ilya Kovalchuk - Travis Zajac - Nick Palmieri/ Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus/ David Clarkson - Jacob Josefson - Mattias Tedenby/ Adam Mair - Rod Pelley - Vladimir Zharkov/ Colin White - Anton Volchenkov/ Andy Greene - Mark Fayne/ Anssi Salmela - Henrik Tallinder
Scratches: Fraser, Steckel
Top PP times: Kovalchuk (7:30), Rolston (4:42), Zajac (4:21), Josefson (4:10), Zubrus (4:07)
Trending:
MONTREAL CANADIENS 3 @ NEW YORK RANGERS 6
Goaltending match-up: Carey Price (7/12, .583 SV%) & Alex Auld (18/19, .947 SV%) vs. Henrik Lundqvist (22/25, .880 SV%)
Combos: Michael Cammalleri - Lars Eller - Andrei Kostitsyn/ Travis Moen - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta/ Ryan White - David Desharnais - Benoit Pouliot/ Nigel Dawes - Tom Pyatt - Aaron Palushaj/ Paul Mara - P.K. Subban/ Roman Hamrlik - James Wisniewski/ Alexandre Picard - Yannick Weber
Scratches: Plekanec, Halpern, Sopel, Gill
Top PP times: Cammalleri (5:35), Wisniewski (5:16), Gomez (3:44), Gionta (3:33), Hamrlik (3:27)
Trending: P.K. Subban (1G, 6 PIM, 3:11 PP, 4 SOG) only had two helpers on the month coming in and he hadn't scored since Feb. 9. In his past 17 GP before tonight, David Desharnais (1A, -2, 2:54 PP, 2 SOG) had 13 points. Coming into tonight, James Wisniewski (1G, 1A, -1, 1 SOG) had played 32 games for each of the Habs and Isles; garnering 22 points for the former and 21 for the latter. Roman Hamrlik (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 3 SOG) had no points on the month before tonight, while Brian Gionta (1G, 1A, 4 SOG) has points in six of nine. Michael Cammalleri (1A, 1 SOG) only had three points in March before tonight.
Combos: Brandon Dubinsky - Artem Anisimov - Ryan Callahan/ Vinny Prospal - Erik Christensen - Marian Gaborik/ Wojtek Wolski - Derek Stepan - Mats Zuccarello/ Ruslan Fedotenko - Brian Boyle - Brandon Prust/ Marc Staal - Dan Girardi/ Ryan McDonagh - Mike Sauer/ Bryan McCabe - Steve Eminger
Scratches: Avery, Gilroy, Biron
Top PP times: Gaborik (5:33), Prospal (5:33), Callahan (5:33), McCabe (4:39), Girardi (3:16)
Trending: Erik Christensen (2A, +1, 2 PIM, 2:12 PP, 2 SOG) has been averaging a point-per-game in March. Artem Ansimov (1G, 1A, +1, 0:01 PP, 1 SOG) had 3-3-6 in 7 GP coming in, while Mats Zuccarello (1A, +1, 2:12 PP, no SOG) had four points in five games before tonight. Ryan Callahan (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 7 SOG) had 5-5-10 in 7 GP this month before tonight, while Marian Gaborik (1G, 1 SO)G had four points in three games before tonight. Vinny Prospal (1G, 1A, 2 SOG) has points in all eight games this month.
PHOENIX COYOTES 3 @ VANCOUVER CANUCKS 1
Goaltending match-up: Jason LaBarbera (46/47, .979 SV%) vs. Roberto Luongo (26/28, .929 SV%)
Combos: Lauri Korpikoski - Eric Belanger - Shane Doan/ Ray Whitney – Andrew Ebbett - Radim Vrbata/ Taylor Pyatt - Vernon Fiddler - Lee Stempniak/ Mikkel Boedker - Kyle Turris - Brett MacLean/ Keith Yandle - Derek Morris/ David Schlemko - Michal Rozsival/ Rostislav Klesla- Adrian Aucoin
Scratches: Hanzal, Bissonette, Ekman-Larsson
Top PP times: Doan (9:20), Yandle (9:07), Whitney (6:06), Belanger (6:06), Vrbata (5:59)
Trending: Shane Doan (1G, 1A, 5 SOG) also had a goal the last time these teams met and his point streak is at seven games now. Eric Belanger (2A, +1, no SOG) already had six points in five games before this multi-pointer and Lee Stempniak (1G, 4:36 PP, 3 SOG) has a goal in three straight. Where there's smoke there's fire? We'll see. Dude has done it before. Radim Vrbata (1G, 1A, 2 SOG) has B2B two-pointers with a point in four straight.
Combos: Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows/ Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Mikael Samuelsson/ Raffi Torres - Maxim Lapierre - Jannik Hansen/ Jeff Tambellini - Mason Raymond - Victor Oreskovich/ Dan Hamhuis - Christian Ehrhoff/ Keith Ballard - Sami Salo/ Aaron Rome - Chris Tanev
Scratches: Glass
Top PP times: Ehrhoff (6:32), D. Sedin (6:02), Kesler (5:39), H. Sedin (5:10), Samuelsson (5:06) Trending: Christian Ehrhoff (1G, 5 SOG) already had seven points in five games coming in here. Mikael Samuelsson (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 5 SOG) collected his 50th point, while Daniel Sedin (1A, 7 SOG) is up to 93 and his point streak is at eight games now.
