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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 4 @ NEW YORK ISLANDERS 3 (SO)
Goaltending match-up: Marc-Andre Fleury (35/38, .921 SV%) vs. Al Montoya (35/38, .921 SV%)
Combos: James Neal - Mark Letestu - Alex Kovalev/ Chris Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy/ Pascal Dupuis - Max Talbot - Arron Asham/ Mike Rupp - Craig Adams - Eric Godard/ Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang/ Matt Martin - Zbynek Michalek/ Deryk Engelland - Ben Lovejoy
Scratches: Niskanen, Jeffrey, Conner, Comrie, Cooke, Tangradi
Top PP times: Letang (8:02), Kovalev (6:05), Staal (5:52), Michalek (5:48), Kunitz (5:12)
Trending: Zbynek Michalek (1G, -1, 1 SOG) has points in all three April games and he’s taking advantage of his extra PP time. Kris Letang (1A, -1, 4 SOG) just needed one point to hit 50 for the season and while his pace isn’t quite what is was earlier in the campaign, that’s still a hell of a year. Eric Godard (1A, +1, 15 PIM, no PP, no SOG) scored some big PIM for his owners in his first game back in the line-up since the last time these teams did battle, pre-suspensions. Mark Letestu (1G, +1, 3:25 PP, 2 SOG) has a point in two of five starts. James Neal left this one early. Shootout: Kunitz
Combos: Matt Moulson - John Tavares - P.A. Parenteau/ Michael Grabner - Josh Bailey - Kyle Okposo/ Matt Martin - Blake Comeau - Jesse Joensuu/ Michael Haley - Zenon Konopka - Trevor Gillies/ Travis Hamonic - Ty Wishart/ Radek Martinek - James Doornbosch/ Mark Katic - Dylan Reese
Scratches: Gervais, Jucina, Hillen, MacDonald, Nielsen
Top PP times: Hamonic (8:42), Tavares (7:14), Moulson (7:08), Parenteau (7:05), Bailey (6:53)
Trending: Matt Moulson (2A, +1, 7 SOG) had 2G, 1A the last time he faced the Pens. Blake Comeau (2G, 2 PIM, 3:55 PP, 3 SOG) has a point in four of six. Michael Grabner (1A, 4:11 PP, 4 SOG) was coming off his 2G effort @BOS. Travis Hamonic (1G, 1A, 3 SOG) has points in four of 10 and he scored the GTG in the last minute, not long after the Isles had a goal waved off that maybe shouldn't have been waved off. New York also scored just after the OT buzzer sounded. Zenon Konopka (19 PIM) and Trevor Gillies (15 PIM) pulled in the massive PIM here.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 3 @ BUFFALO SABRES 4 (OT)
Goaltending match-up: Sergei Bobrovsky (25/29, .862 SV%) vs. Jhonas Enroth (16/19, .842 SV%) & Ryan Miller (8/8)
Combos: James van Riemsdyk - Mike Richards - Kris Versteeg/ Nikolay Zherdev - Claude Giroux - Jeff Carter/ Scott Hartnell - Danny Briere - Ville Leino/ Dan Carcillo - Darroll Powe - Andreas Nodl/ Braydon Coburn - Kimmo Timonen/ Andrej Meszaros - Matt Carle/ Sean O'Donnell - Danny Syvret
Scratches: Betts, Pronger, Boynton, Shelley, Leighton
Top PP times: Carle (1:31), Richards (1:17), Giroux (1:17), Meszaros (1:14), Zherdev (1:02)
Trending: Danny Briere (1G, 1A, +1, 0:43 PP, 2 SOG) was able to play here and he’ll be hoping to go on yet another great playoff run in the coming weeks. Scott Hartnell (1G, 1A, +1, 0:43 PP, 1 SOG) hadn’t done much offensive in the past few weeks. Beauty breakout season for Claude Giroux (1A, +1, 4 SOG), who came into this one only five shy of the 80-point threshold. Matt Carle (1A, -1, 3 SOG) needed two here to reach 40 and he had 11 in 18 coming in here.
Combos: Thomas Vanek - Tim Connolly - Jason Pominville/ Tyler Ennis - Brad Boyes - Drew Stafford/ Nathan Gerbe - Paul Gaustad - Mark Mancari/ Matt Ellis - Rob Niedermayer - Cody McCormick/ Chris Butler - Tyler Myers/ Shaone Morrisonn - Mike Weber/ Steve Montador - Marc-Andre Gragnani
Scratches: Leopold, Grier, Kaleta, Sekera, Hecht, Lalime
Top PP times: Butler (2:06), Pominville (2:02), Connolly (2:02), Ennis (1:56), Myers (1:54), Gragnani (1:54)
Trending: Jason Pominville (1G, +1, 3 SOG) hit the 50-point mark for the year and had 14 points in 19 GP coming in here. Tim Connolly (1A, +1, 2 SOG) had 14 points in 14 GP coming in, while Thomas Vanek (1G, 2A, +2, 1:04 PP, 3 SOG) entered this one with 70 points. He won’t hit his career high of 84 points, but this has still been a pretty decent rebound season. This was his 34th career GWG and fifth of this season. Nathan Gerbe (2G, +2, 0:18 PP, 6 SOG) had 11 points in 18 GP before tonight.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 4 @ DETROIT RED WINGS 2
Goaltending match-up: Corey Crawford (26/28, .929 SV%) vs. Jimmy Howard (25/29, .862 SV%)
Combos: Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa/ Ben Smith - Michael Frolik - Patrick Kane/ Viktor Stalberg - Ryan Johnson - Tomas Kopecky/ Bryan Bickell - Jake Dowell - Fernando Pisani/ Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook/ Niklas Hjalmarsson - Brian Campell/ Nick Leddy - Chris Campoli
Scratches: Hendry, Kruger, Brouwer, Scott, Bolland
Top PP times: Hossa, Kane, Toews, Sharp, Seabrook (0:43)
Trending: Patrick Sharp (1A, +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) has points in each of his two games back and he also reached the 70-point plateau for the season early in this game. Marian Hossa (1G, 1A, +1, 2 SOG) had two points the last time he met the Wings and had 14 points in 19 GP coming in. Patrick Kane (2A, +2, no SOG) has been helpful against Detroit throughout his young career, having already tallied 21 points in 23 GP coming in. Brent Seabrook (1G, 1A, +1, 5 SOG) came into tonight with 45 points in what has been an outstanding season. Michael Frolik (1A, +1, no PP, 3 SOG) stopped a six-game pointless skid and Brian Campbell (1G, no PP, 1 SOG) has points in B2B games after eight without one.
Combos: Johan Franzen - Pavel Datsyuk - Danny Cleary/ Jiri Hudler - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi/ Mike Modano - Justin Abdelkader - Tomas Homstrom/ Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves/ Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart/ Jonathan Ericsson - Brian Rafalski/ Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei
Scratches: Draper, Zetterberg, Kronwall
Top PP times: Lidstrom (2:44), Rafalski (2:38), Holmstrom (2:12), Modano (1:49), Hudler (1:47)
Trending: Johan Franzen (1A, 1:45 PP, 2 SOG) had 2-6-8 in 13 GP coming in here. Justin Abdelkader (1A, +2, 0:07 PP, 1 SOG) had a two-pointer to begin the month and then was blanked twice. Tomas Holmstrom (1G, +1, 1 SOG) added a late one and has points in six of nine.
FLORIDA PANTHERS 2 @ TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 4
Goaltending match-up: Scott Clemmensen (29/33, .879 SV%) vs. Dwayne Roloson (23/25, .920 SV%)
Combos: David Booth - Marty Reasoner - Sergei Samsonov/ Evgeny Dadonov - Mike Santorelli - Jack Skille/ Michal Repik - Shawn Matthias - Niclas Bergfors/ Bill Thomas - Tim Kennedy - Patrick Rissmiller/ Mike Weaver - Jason Garrison/ Clay Wilson - Joe Callahan/ Keaton Ellerby - Dmitry Kulikov
Scratches: Sulzer, Weiss, Hordichuk, Carter, Bernier, Timmins
Top PP times: Wilson (6:21), Reasoner (6:16), Samsonov (5:25), Booth (5:21), Kulikov (5:16)
Trending: Jason Garrison (1G, +1, 4:55 PP, 3 SOG) had two points the last time these teams met and Mike Santorelli (1G, 1A, +2, 2 SOG) has points in three of five. He hit 40 points here.
Combos: Simon Gagne - Steven Stamkos - Ryan Malone/ Martin St. Louis - Vincent Lecavalier - Teddy Purcell/ Sean Bergenheim - Dominic Moore - Steve Downie/ Dana Tyrell - Nate Thompson - Adam Hall/ Pavel Kubina - - Marc-Andre Bergeron/ Mike Lundin - Eric Brewer/ Mattias Ohlund - Brett Clark
Scratches: Jones, Smaby, Hedman
Top PP times: Stamkos (3:12), Lecavalier (3:12), Gagne (3:12), St. Louis (3:12), Brewer (3:02)
Trending: Vincent Lecavalier (2G, 5 SOG) has goals in three straight and has been really productive over his past three weeks. Ryan Malone (1G, 1A, +1, 1:29 PP, 3 SOG) has also found the back of the net in three in a row. Martin St. Louis. Stud. Steven Stamkos (1A, +1, 2 SOG). Ditto. Steve Downie (1A, 1:29 PP, no SOG) has a point in three of his past five.
CAROLINA HURRICANES 6 @ ATLANTA THRASHERS 1
Goaltending match-up: Cam Ward (18/19, .947 SV%) vs. Ondrej Pavelec (26/32, .813 SV%)
Combos: Cory Stillman - Eric Staal - Erik Cole/ Jeff Skinner - Tuomo Ruutu - Jussi Jokinen/ Drayson Bowman - Brandon Sutter - Chad LaRose/ Jiri Tlusty - Pat Dwyer - Jerome Samson/ Tim Gleason - Joe Corvo/ Joni Pitkanen - Jamie McBain/ Bryan Allen - Derek Joslin
Scratches: Bodie, Harrison
Top PP times: Pitkanen (6:05), McBain (5:04), Skinner (4:45), Staal (4:36), Corvo (4:34)
Trending: Jeff Skinner (1G, 2A, +2, 3 SOG) has goals in B2B games and has also scored on a pretty regular basis over the past few weeks. Cory Stillman (1A, +1, 4:00 PP, 2 SOG) had 4-10-14 in 19 GP with CAR coming in and Erik Cole (1G, +2, 4 SOG) had 12 points in 17 GP before this outing. Jamie McBain (1A, +1, no SOG) had been blanked in his past three, as had Joni Pitkanen (1G, +2, 1 SOG). Tuomo Ruutu (1G, 2A, +2, 2 PIM, 3:43 PP, 4 SOG) has points in seven of 10. Jussi Jokinen (1G, 1A, +1, 1 SOG) added a multi-pointer here, which is his first such outing since late February.
Combos: Andrew Ladd - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler/ Evander Kane - Nik Antropov - Chris Thorburn/ Eric Boulton - Rob Schremp - Anthony Stewart/ Ben Maxwell - Alexander Burmistrov - Tim Stapleton/ Johnny Odyua - Zach Bogosian/ Ron Hainsey - Dustin Byfuglien/ Andrey Zubarev - Mark Stuart
Scratches: Dvorak, Enstrom, Cormier
Top PP times: Zubarev (0:25), Bogosian (0:25), Little (0:25), Ladd (0:25), Wheeler (0:19)
Trending: The line of Bryan Little (1G, +1, 1 SOG), Andrew Ladd (1A, +1, 2 SOG) and Blake Wheeler (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) delivered the team's only goal late in the third period, which killed Cam Ward's shutout bid and the extra bonus points that might have delivered to his owners in this final weekend.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 1 @ NASHVILLE PREDATORS 4
Goaltending match-up: Steve Mason (21/25, .840 SV%) vs. Pekka Rinne (44/45, .978 SV%)
Combos: R.J. Umberger - Derick Brassard - Jakub Voracek/ Kristian Huselius - Antoine Vermette - Scottie Upshall/ Chris Clark - Samuel Pahlsson - Derek Dorsett/ Matt Calvert - Derek MacKenzie - Jared Boll/ Marc Methot - Fedor Tyutin/ Sami Lepisto - Grant Clitsome/ Jan Hejda - Anton Stralman
Scratches: Russell, Murray, Moreau, Rivet, Nash
Top PP times: Clitsome (1:08), Vermette (0:47), Stralman (0:47), Huselius (0:47), Upshall (0:33)
Trending: Derick Brassard (1G, 0:21 PP, 5 SOG) scored the only CBJ goal and has points in three of four. R.J. Umberger (1A, 0:21 PP, 3 SOG) added his 57th point of the season.
Combos: Sergei Kostitsyn - Mike Fisher - Patric Hornqvist/ Nick Spaling - David Legwand - Joel Ward/ Steve Sullivan - Blake Geoffrion - Colin Wilson/ Matt Halischuk - Jerred Smithson - Jordin Tootoo/ Ryan Suter - Shea Weber/ Shane O'Brien - Cody Franson/ Jonathon Blum - Kevin Klein
Scratches: Erat, Dumont
Top PP times: Suter (3:22), Weber (3:22), Hornqvist (3:20), Fisher (3:10), Kostitsyn (3:10)
Trending: Make that six straight games for Mike Fisher (1A, +3, no SOG) with at least a point. Patric Hornqvist (2G, 1A, +3, 9 SOG) had 11 points in nine games before this outing and Shea Weber (1A, 1 SOG) entered this evening needing three points for 50 on the year. Sergei Kostitsyn (1G, +3, 2 SOG) had reached 50 points for the first time in his career.
MINNESOTA WILD 3 @ EDMONTON OILERS 1
Goaltending match-up: Jose Theodore (28/29, .966 SV%) vs. Devan Dubnyk (24/26, .923 SV%)
Combos: Andrew Brunette - Mikko Koivu - Pierre-Marc Bouchard/ Cal Clutterbuck - Matt Cullen - Antti Miettinen/ Chuck Kobasew - Kyle Brodziak - Colton Gillies/ Eric Nystrom - Carson McMillan - Brad Staubitz/ Greg Zanon - Brent Burns/ Clayton Stoner - Jared Spurgeon/ Maxim Noreau - Drew Bagnall
Scratches: Zidlicky, Scandella, Madden, Havlat, Barker, Ortmeyer, Latendresse, Schultz
Top PP times: !!!!! Burns (22:16), Spurgeon (19:10), PMB (18:19), Noreau (17:09), Zanon (16:50) !!!!
Trending: Pierre-Marc Bouchard (3A, 2 PIM, 2 SOG) is MONEY against the Edmonton Oilers. Pretty much every time. 35 points in 37 GP coming in here over his career. Mikko Koivu (3A, 2 PIM, 1 SOG) had 33 points in 34 road games headed in here, while Brent Burns (1G, -1, 5 SOG) added to the 44 points he already had in the bank. Andrew Brunette (1G, 3 SOG) added the ENG.
Combos: Teemu Hartikainen - Chris Vande Velde - Jordan Eberle/ Magnus Paajarvi - Andrew Cogliano - Linus Omark/ Liam Reddox - Ryan O'Marra - Ryan Jones/ Steve MacIntyre - Jean-Francois Jacques - Jason Strudwick/ Taylor Chorney - Kurtis Foster/ Theo Peckham - Jim Vandermeer/ Ladislav Smid - Jeff Petry
Scratches: Hall, Horcoff, Fraser, Brule, Gilbert, Hemsky, Gagner
Top PP times: Foster (1:41), Hartikainen (1:18), Vandevelde (1:18), Eberle (1:01), Omark (0:59)
Trending: Jordan Eberle (1A, +1, 4 SOG) officially took over the team lead in points tonight, but with this team's IR run among the leaders... meh. Great season for him though. Plenty of PIM handed out tonight, with Theo Peckham (25 PIM) drawing a particularly large amount.
DALLAS STARS 3 @ COLORADO AVALANCHE 2
Goaltending match-up: Kari Lehtonen (15/17, .882 SV%) vs. Peter Budaj (25/28, .893 SV%)
Combos: Loui Eriksson - Brad Richards - Jamie Benn/ Brenden Morrow - Mike Ribeiro - Steve Ott/ Toby Petersen - Tom Wandell - Jamie Langenbrunner/ Adam Burish - Jason Williams - Brandon Segal/ Mark Fistric - Alex Goligoski/ Jeff Woywitka - Trevor Daley/ Karlis Skrastins - Stephane Robidas
Scratches: Grossman, Barch, Sutherby, Lukowich, Vincour
Top PP times: Richards (5:14), Ribeiro (4:41), Morrow (4:41), Goligoski (4:33), Eriksson (4:23)
Trending: Mike Ribeiro (1G, 1A, +1, 3 SOG) hit and passed the 70-point mark for the season and Brad Richards (1A, 4 SOG) pushed his point streak to five games, covering all April starts. Loui Eriksson (1G, +1, 2 SOG) has goals in each of his past three and he also hit 70 for the season here. Jamie Benn's (1A, 1:19 PP, 3 SOG) production since the start of March has been outstanding.
Combos: Ryan Stoa - Matt Duchene - Milan Hejduk/ David Jones - Ryan O'Reilly - Kevin Porter/ Mark Olver - Jay McClement - Daniel Winnik/ Cody McLeod - Philippe Dupuis - Brandon Yip/ Jonas Holos - Ryan Wilson/ David Koci - Ray Macias/ Ryan O'Byrne - Shawn Bell
Scratches: Liles, Johnson, Stastny, Gaunce, Hunwick, Foote
Top PP times: Duchene, Porter, Hejduk, Holos, Olver (1:19)
Trending: Brandon Yip (2G, +1, no PP, 3 SOG) has goals in B2B games now after a long stretch of nothing.
SAN JOSE SHARKS 3 @ PHOENIX COYOTES 4
Goaltending match-up: Antti Niemi (22/26, .846 SV%) vs. Ilya Bryzgalov (24/27, .889 SV%)
Combos: Multiple combos/ Douglas Murray - Dan Boyle/ Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Jason Demers/ Ian White - Niclas Wallin
Scratches: Clowe, Setoguchi
Top PP times: Boyle (4:01), Thornton (2:59), Pavelski (2:53), Marleau (2:50), Heatley (2:42)
Trending: Joe Thornton (1G, 2 SOG) scored his 1000th point on a pretty sweet move to bat the puck out of the air for San Jose's second goal. Ian White (1G, 1:10 PP, 2 SOG) had 0-8-8 in 21 GP with SJ coming in, so he finally registered his first goal. He hadn't scored with Carolina either. Dany Heatley (1G, +2, 2 SOG) scored on an absolute rocket in the third. He only had 25 goals on the season coming in here though. Not good enough Dany. Logan Couture (1A, 2 PIM, 1:17 PP, 3 SOG) had been blanked in three in a row coming in here, while Patrick Marleau (1A, -1, 4 SOG) added to the 24 points in 17 GP he had coming in here.
Combos: Ray Whitney - Eric Belanger - Shane Doan/ Lauri Korpikoski - Martin Hanzal - Radim Vrbata/ Taylor Pyatt - Vernon Fiddler - Lee Stempniak/ Kyle Turris - Andrew Ebbett - Paul Bissonnette/ Keith Yandle - Derek Morris/ Adrian Aucoin - Rostislav Klesla/ Ed Jovanovski - Michal Rozsival
Scratches: Hollweg, Miele, MacLean, Schlemko, Boedker
Top PP times: Yandle (5:26), Doan (4:35), Whitney (4:19), Vrbata (3:55), Korpikoski (2:54)
Trending: Ray Whitney (1G, +1, 3 SOG) had collected nine points in 14 GP before this outing and Radim Vrbata (1G, 1A, +1, 1 SOG) ended a five-game pointless skid here. Shane Doan (1G, 1A, +1, 4 SOG) came into this one just two points below 60 for the year and Eric Belanger (2A, +2, 2:35 PP, 1 SOG) needed and delivered a couple of points to hit 40. He had 11 points in 16 GP before tonight.
LOS ANGELES KINGS 1 @ ANAHEIM DUCKS 2
Goaltending match-up: Jonathan Quick (26/28, .929 SV%) vs. Dan Ellis (23/24, .958 SV%)
Combos: Ryan Smyth - Jarret Stoll - Dustin Brown/ Dustin Penner - Michal Handzus - Oscar Moller/ Wayne Simmonds - Brad Richardson- Kyle Clifford/ Alexei Ponikarovsky - Trevor Lewis - Kevin Westgarth/ Willie Mitchell - Drew Doughty/ Jack Johnson - Rob Scuderi/ Alec Martinez - Matt Greene
Scratches: Harrold, Kopitar, Williams, Drewiske
Top PP times: Handzus (3:13), Moller (3:09), Penner (3:09), Stoll (3:09), Doughty (2:47)
Trending: Ryan Smyth (1G, +1, 3 SOG) had nothing in four before tonight. Jarret Stoll (1A, +1, 3 SOG) has points in three of four after having only three points last month, while Dustin Brown (1A, +1, 2:01 PP, 2 SOG) had 12 points in 13 GP coming in here.
Combos: Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry/ Jason Blake - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne/ Brad Winchester - Brandon McMillan - Matt Beleskey/ Jarkko Ruutu - Kyle Chipchura - George Parros/ Lubomir Visnovsky - Toni Lydman/ Francois Beauchemin - Luca Sbisa/ Cam Fowler - Sheldon Brookbank
Scratches: Lilja, Marchant, Sutton, Sexton, Emery
Top PP times: Fowler (2:47), Visnovsky (2:47), Perry (2:34), Selanne (2:35), Getzlaf (2:25)
Trending: Teemu Selanne (2G, +2, 2 PIM, 6 SOG) came into this one needing a multi-pointer to reach 80 points. At his age! Jason Blake (2A, +1, 1:26 PP, 5 SOG) has points in three of six. Saku Koivu (1A, +1, 1 SOG) had nine points in 12 GP coming in.
