National Hockey League Game Capsules (Tuesday, March 9th)

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National Hockey League Game Capsules
(Tuesday, March 9th)

Final Score: Toronto 4, Boston 3 (OT)

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Nikolai Kulemin scored with 49.7 seconds left in overtime, as Toronto tripped up Boston in a 4-3 final from Air Canada Centre. Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski broke out on a 2-on-1 following an end-to-end sequence that featured several scoring chances for both sides. Grabovski carried down the left wing and slid a pass into the slot for Kulemin. A back-checking Michael Ryder went down to take away the pass and disrupted the play, but also took out his own goalie Tim Thomas, and Kulemin fired into a wide open net. Wayne Primeau, Carl Gunnarsson and Luca Caputi scored for the Maple Leafs in regulation for only their second win in the last seven games. Jonas Gustavsson stopped 26-of-29 shots to get the win. Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm and Mark Recchi got the goals for Boston, which has lost two straight. Tim Thomas made several big stops but wound up on the wrong end of a 26-save effort.

Final Score: Calgary 4, Detroit 2

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Rene Bourque assisted on the tying goal early in the third period and scored the game-winner less than two minutes later, as the Calgary Flames edged the Detroit Red Wings, 4-2, at Joe Louis Arena. Jarome Iginla posted a goal and an assist for the Flames, who moved one point ahead of Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with 32 calendar days remaining in the regular season. Daymond Langkow also tallied for the Flames, who have won three straight games. Miikka Kiprusoff made 28 saves in the victory. Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk scored for the Red Wings, who saw their two-game win streak halted and are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Detroit will also host Minnesota and Buffalo on its current three-game homestand. Jimmy Howard allowed three goals on 31 shots in the loss.

Final Score: Nashville 2, Atlanta 1

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Ryan Suter and Colin Wilson scored to propel the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena. Suter's tally came on a power play early in the first period, while Wilson's goal occurred with just a little over a minute remaining in the opening frame. Dan Ellis stopped 30 shots for the Predators, who stopped a two-game skid. Nik Antropov scored the lone goal for the Thrashers, who have dropped three in a row. His 17th of season came just 29 seconds into the second period. Goaltender Johan Hedberg recorded 30 saves. Nashville's Barry Trotz became just the seventh coach in NHL history to record 400 wins with one team.

Final Score: Philadelphia 3, NY Islanders 2

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Simon Gagne was credited with the game- winning power-play goal with 6:06 remaining in regulation, as the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the New York Islanders, 3-2, at Wachovia Center. Claude Giroux and Jeff Carter also scored for the Flyers, who have won two straight and earned at least one point in four of their first five games following the Olympic break (3-1-1). The Flyers have now defeated the Islanders 15 consecutive times, which marks the longest active stretch of victories by one team over any single opponent in the league. Michael Leighton turned aside 23 shots for Philadelphia. Rookie John Tavares and Kyle Okposo scored for the Islanders, who are fading from the playoff race and have now dropped three straight. Dwayne Roloson allowed three goals on 35 shots in the loss.

Final Score: Montreal 5, Tampa Bay 3

Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Mathieu Darche scored a pair of goals to help the Montreal Canadiens defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3, at the Bell Centre. Scott Gomez had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens, who have won three in a row. Glen Metropolit and Benoit Pouliot also scored for Montreal, which got 28 saves from Jaroslav Halak. Steven Stamkos scored a goal and dished out an assist for the Lightning, who have dropped six of seven. Martin St. Louis and Matt Walker also lit the lamp in defeat. Antero Niittymaki gave up four goals on 13 shots before being pulled near the midway point of the second. Mike Smith turned aside 14-of-15 shots in relief.

Final Score: Florida 3, Minnesota 2 (SO)

St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Cory Stillman forced overtime with a third- period equalizer, then snuck a shot inside the left post for the lone score in the shootout, as Florida downed Minnesota, 3-2, to snap a seven-game winless stretch in the series. Stillman scored with 9:20 to go in regulation and capped the fourth round of the shootout with the game-winner to build off of Michael Frolik's third-period tally and complete the comeback from down two for Florida's third straight win. Tomas Vokoun's outing was relatively uneventful playing behind a stingy Panther defense corps that allowed a franchise record-low 11 shots by the Wild. The Panthers won their first road game since January 14, snapping a six-game losing streak away from home, and toppled Minnesota for only the second time in the team's history. Florida won on Minnesota's home ice for the first time with its only other win in the series coming back on February 7, 2001.

Final Score: Vancouver 6, Colorado 4

Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Mikael Samuelsson recorded his first NHL hat trick and Jannik Hansen scored a controversial goal late in the third period to help the Canucks rally to beat the Colorado Avalanche, 6-4, at the Pepsi Center. Samuelsson had a four-point night, and all three of Samuelsson's tallies came the second period as the Canucks won for the fourth time in five games. Hansen's game-winner came as a rebound popped off goalie Craig Anderson and trickled under the arm of the forward. The puck then came out and hit on the back of Anderson for the score. Daniel Sedin had a goal and two assists, while Roberto Luongo made 23 saves in the win as Vancouver came back from a three-score deficit. Matt Duchene had two goals for the Avalanche, who have lost four of six. Craig Anderson racked up 26 saves in the losing effort.

Final Score: Ottawa 4, Edmonton 1

Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Chris Kelly registered a goal and an assist to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mike Fisher, Matt Cullen and Milan Michalek also scored for the Senators, who opened their three-game Western Canada road trip by putting the brakes on a three-game winless skid. Brian Elliott made 18 saves in the victory. Fernando Pisani scored the only goal for the Oilers, who saw their brief two-game win streak halted and lost for the eighth time in their last 11 games overall. Jeff Deslauriers allowed four goals on 39 shots in the loss.

Final Score: Columbus 5, Anaheim 2

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Mathieu Garon was strong with 36 saves to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Fedor Tyutin, Jakub Voracek and Antoine Vermette all recorded a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets, who halted a five-game winless skid. Derek Dorsett and Derick Brassard each added a goal in the victory. Lubomir Visnovsky and Ryan Getzlaf scored for the Ducks, who remained without a win (0-3-1) since the Olympic break and will continue their seven-game homestand on Friday against Nashville. Jonas Hiller allowed three goals on 20 shots but was pulled in the second period. Curtis McElhinney, who was acquired last week from Calgary for Vesa Toskala, turned aside seven shots in relief. Ducks forward Bobby Ryan assisted on both goals.