Archive for March 2015

Saturday Night Special

Oilers prove to slick for Wings

 
 


 Detroit Red Wings (2) vs Edmonton Oilers (3) ..........
The Wings were visiting Edmonton a day after dropping a 2-1 decision to the Sabres at home which snapped Detroit's four game win streak. The Oil were 8-1 in their past nine games overall and were looking to win their third straight game Saturday.
Detroit got the first powerplay of the game at 5:01 of the first as the Oilers' Matt Hendricks was sent off for hooking. It didn't take the Redwings long to convert as winger Zach Boychuk scored at 5:29 as he took a Cody Eakin pass in the slot and snapped a shot through Ilya Bryzgalov's pads. It was the Oilers who led in shots 15-9 after twenty minutes. 
Edmonton struck quickly to start the second when Brooks Laich grabbed a rebound off of Kari Ramo after the tender stopped a blast from Riley Wetmore and hammered it into the back of the Wings net. The goal came at 0:33. Edmonton increased their shot total to 27-19 after 40.
The Redwings regained the lead when rookie Colton Sceviour scored his 14th of the season at 1:30 of the third when the rookie picked up a rebound off the boards and slapped it into the top corner over Bryzgalov's shoulder. The goal originally went for a video review, the Oilers claiming tender interference but after the review it was deemed a good goal. Craig Smith got the Oilers back on even terms at 11:17 as he wristed a shot through a screen in front of Kari Ramo and the puck found it's way past Ramo. The Oilers got the go ahead goal, which turned out to be the winner from Alex Chiasson at 16:27. Again Ramo stopped the original shot but the defense failed to clear the puck and Chiasson converted on his own rebound. The Oilers out-shot the Wings 39-26 in the game.
Ilya Bryzgalov won for the 43rd time this season, putting him 5th in the league standings. 
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Alex Chiasson (Edm)........ 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 3 shots
2 - Brooks Laich (Edm).......... 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 1 shot
3 - Colton Sceviour (Det)...... 1 goal, +1, 2 shots
 
Reporting For The WCHL Network........
Peter Puck

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Saturday Night Special

Wings eek out win thanks to Eakins

 
 


 Detroit Red Wings (2) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (1) ........
The Red Wings came into Tampa on a three game losing streak and were desperate for two points if they hoped to keep distance between themselves and the Boston Bruins in the standings. Tampa was just hoping to build on next year by giving everything they had to finish this season respectfully.
The first period ended scoreless with each team with nine shots on net.
Tampa would open the games scoring as Martin Hanzal scored his 20th of the season at 9:14 when he grabbed a rebound of a Brian Boyle shot after Kari Ramo stopped two previous shots. Anton Volchenkov tied the game up for Detroit at 13:24 as Steve Mason made the original save but unintentionally kicked the puck straight out into the slot where Volchenkov wristed it home for his second of the season. Tampa led the shots on net after forty minutes 24-19. 
Cody Eakin put the 'Wings up for good at 8:34 of the third when Eakin slapped home a loose puck in a goal mouth scramble after Mike Weber was absolutely stoned by Steve Mason.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Cody Eakin (Det)........ 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 4 shots
2 - Karri Ramo (Det)....... 33 saves
3 - Martin Hanzal (Tam)..... 1 goal, 1 shot
 
Reporting For The WCHL Network.....
 
Peter Puck

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Saturday Night Special

Jackets triple up Flyers

 
 


Columbus Blue Jackets (3) vs Philadelphia Flyers (1)........
The Flyers played host to the Blue Jackets on Saturday Night at Wachovia Center, where the Flyers have not been great as of late going 4-5-0-1 in their last ten on home ice and Philly would suffer yet another loss on home ice against the 'Jackets.
Mike Richards opened the scoring for the visitors at 12:52 as he picked up a rebound off of a Marc Methot slapper and snapped it into the open side before Philly's Corey Crawford could get to it. Matt Cooke doubled Columbus' lead just before the end of the period (19:26) as Eric Nystrom hit him on the fly with a perfect pass down the wing and Cooke drilled the puck over Crawford's out-stretched glove. The Flyers led the shot clock 9-6 after twenty minutes.
In the second period the hole for the Flyers got even deeper at 11:56 as Chris Kunitz was sent in all alone on Crawford by Methot and snapped the puck five hole. The 'Jackets peepered the Flyers' net with seventeen shots in the middle frame and Crawford made several outstanding stops to keep his team from being blown out of their own rink.
Captain Ryan Getzlaf scored at 7:28 of the third to cut the deficit to two as Semyon Varlamov kicked out a Karl Alzner slapper right onto the stick of Getzlaf and the Flyers went backhand, forehand on the Jacket tender before stuffing the puck under Varlamov. That was as close Philadelphia would get as their most recent losing streak reaches two.
MOLSON'S THREE STARS:
1 - Semyon Varlamov (Clb)........ made 34 saves to win his 37th game of the year.
2 - Mike Richards (Clb)........... scored once and added an assist, had three shots on net.
3 - Chris Kunitz (Clb)............. had one goal on four shots and added two great open ice hits.

Reporting For The WCHL Network.....
Peter Puck

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