NHL Round Up - Highlighted by the Winter Classic

The big game of the afternoon was of course the 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.The Flyers played host to the New York Rangers infront of a crowd of almost 47,000. With only 2 points separating the teams at the top of the Atlantic division and a fierce rivalry between them there was more at stake here than people might have thought. This wasn’t just a showcase game, both teams wanted the points and the bragging rights over their rivals.

It was a fast and furious 1^st period without either team getting off the mark. Lundqvist was playing exceptionally well in the Rangers net and it took until 12.26 of the 2^nd period before the Flyers finally got the opening goal of the game.

It was Brayden Schenn’s 1^st NHL goal and what a game to get it in as he picked up a rebound in the crease off a Matt Carle shot and slammed it into the gaping net.

It was quickly 2-0 as Claude Giroux was sent through by Maxime Talbot and he went forehand to backhand to beat Lundqvist high over his blocker shoulder.

The Rangers took only 30 seconds though to get the score back to 2-1 as Mike Rupp snapped a shot from between the circles low past Bobrovsky who was screened by Meszaros. Rupp celebrated with a Jagr style salute which seemed to upset some of the Flyers players on the ice.

Ironically, Jaromir Jagr had seemed to pick up some sort of injury towards the end of the 1st which had limited him to only 7.06 of ice time. Most of that was through the 1^st period as he was seen very little in the 2^nd and not at all in the 3^rd.

It was the 3^rd period where things really hotted up as Mike Rupp got his 2^nd of the game at 2.41. He squeezed a puck stick side on Bobrovsky where there really didn’t seem any room to do so.

Brad Richards gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead at 5.21 of the period as he received the puck at the top of the crease on a smart pass from Dubinsky and buried the puck into the back of the net.

Both teams then continued to create chances but none better than the Flyers chance to level the game with just under 20 seconds left as they were awarded a penalty shot with Ryan McDonagh adjudged to have covered the puck with his hand in the crease. The responsibility fell to Danny Briere but Lundqvist had been outstanding all game and was once again as he saved the shot and denied us all an extra 5 minutes of this wonderful event.

The Rangers came away with the 3-2 win, extending their lead in the Atlantic Division to 4 points whilst making it a 3-0 record against the Flyers this season.

In Vancouver, the Canucks hosted the San Jose Sharks and this game needed a shoot out to decide it. Jannik Hansen gave Vancouver the lead with just under 5 minutes left in the 1^st period. He lead a 3 on 1 break out for the Canucks and although it looked like he had made a mess of it he somehow still managed to slide the puck on net and in off the San Jose defender Dan McGill who was diving in front of the net.

Vancouver edged the 1^st period without creating any clear cut chances despite having 3 powerplay opportunities.

Ben Ferriero levelled the game 94 seconds into the 2^nd period as he swept in the puck right on the doorstep as Bieksa had blocked one shot with his foot and stayed down by the side of the net.

San Jose started to create some momentum after the equaliser and Luongo fended off 6 shots on a Sharks powerplay soon after including a fantastic glove save from Thornton as the forward fired from point blank range.

Patrick Marleau gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead midway through the game. The Sharks pressure paid off as he picked up on a rebound from a Braun shot and back handed it past Luongo.

Thornton had a great chance to make it 3-1 but Luongo pulled off a pad save as the Sharks captain skated behind the Canucks defence and in on the netminder.

Hodgson then had a great chance for the Canucks as Joe Thornton gave the puck away on his own blue line and Hodgson went 1 on 1 with Niemi. The netminder managed to deflect the puck over with his arm as Hodgson tried to go high gloveside.

Vancouver had over a minute 5 on 3 at the start of the 3^rd period as Burns and DeMurs sat for 2 minutes each but despite putting 4 shots on net they couldn’t find an equaliser at that point.

They finally got the equaliser with 8.25 left as Hodgson scored on the Canucks 6^th powerplay of the game. Hamhuis got the puck out of the corner to Hodgson and he fired a one timer lower across Niemi and into the corner. Bieksa picked up the 2^nd assist on the goal to extend his point scoring streak to 16 games.

The game stayed at 2-2 as both Luongo and Niemi fended off everything thrown at them for the remainder of the period. A 5 minute OT period couldn’t separate the teams either and it was decided on penalty shots. 

Burrows went 1^st and missed as Niemi poke checked the puck away as he approached the net and then Luongo saved from Clowe as he tried to go stick side.

Hodgson went to his back hand side but Niemi saved with his blocker then Pavelski was shut out as he tried to go five hole on Luongo.

Kesler went right down the centre on Niemi and had the Sharks netminder backing into his net only to wrist the puck against the inside of the post which left Handzus with the chance to win it for San Jose. He did just that as he deked backhand to forehand and shot the puck past Luongo stick side.

In Ottawa the Senators staged a 3^rd period comeback against the New Jersey Devils to tie up the game 2-2 before taking it 3-2 in Overtime.

The Devils built a 2-0 2^nd period lead as Zubrus forced home a puck after Anderson had made a pad save on a Sykora attempt and then Clarkson tapped in a puck that Zajac had forced in behind the Senators netminder.

Spezza halved the advantaged a minute and a half into the 3^rd period as he found some speed going in on Brodeur to fire the puck past him with ease.

It was Erik Condra who tied the game on a short handed play with just over 6 minutes of the game left as he fired from the wing and the puck somehow found a way through Brodeur.

That left it to Captain Daniel Alfredsson to win it 4 minutes into the overtime period as he fired the puck high stick side from the face off circle and into the net. It was a powerplay goal as Clarkson was serving a 2 minute hooking call and the Senators picked up the extra point.

In Chicago the Blackhawks were looking for some sort of revenge on the Edmonton Oilers after being battered 9-2 in their previous meeting in Edmonton. Things didn’t go to plan though and the Oilers took the 2 points with a 4-3 win.

Chicago had taken a 1^st period lead as Toews beat Dubynk with a soft wrist shot that went straight through the Oilers goalie but 2 powerplay goals at the mid point of the 2^nd saw the Oilers turn the game around. It was a 5 minute major penalty on Daniel Carcillo for boarding that saw the Blackhawks man thrown out and the Oilers get the powerplay chances.

First it was Ryan Smyth who put in the puck after a goal mouth scramble and then Taylor Hall fired in from an acute angle to give the Oilers a lead.

Andrew Brunette levelled the game at 12.39 of the 2^nd as he tipped in a Hjalmarsson shot infront of Dubynk but Andy Sutton scored the Oilers 3^rd before the end of the period as he found himself alone infront of the Blackhawks net to fire past Corey Crawford.

Ben Eager made it 4-2 at 8.17 of the 3^rd as he swept a back handed shot across Crawford and in at the far post. This would prove to be the game winning goal and make some amends for his performance against Minnesota in the previous game.

Jimmy Hayes made it 4-3 with 4 minutes left to give the Oilers a scare towards the end but an equaliser could not be found. However, it was a 1^st NHL goal for Hayes in only his 2^nd game.

It was a low scoring affair between the LA Kings and the Colorado Avalanche as the Avs took a 2-1 win after a shoot out.

LA had taken a 2^nd period lead through a Dustin Brown goal, the forward picking up a pass from behind the net from Kopitar and backhanding through Varlamov in the Avalanche net.

Ryan O’Reilly scored his 10^th of the season to level the game in the 3^rd period as he snapped the puck in off the far post with just over 5 minutes left.

It finished 1-1 after the overtime period and Milan Hejduk was the only one to stick his penalty shot inbetween the pipes and he took the extra point for Colorado.

- Adam Yates

LOOKING FOR VICTORIES BY THE LEAFS, AVALANCHE,ISLANDERS, CAPITALS, AND SABRES TONIGHT

It is still very early in this new NHL season and guessing the outcome of games is still a roll of the dice.  Seeing that the NHL has a packed slate tonight we consulted our magic eight ball to give us some insight into what we might expect when the boys hit the ice.

The Leafs are first on our list as they take on the Flames tonight.  Reimer looks hot  so we will give this one to the Leafs.  Calgary did beat Montreal but this could have given the Flames an undeserved feeling of accomplishment.  Carey Price was like Swiss cheese and the Habs were nursing many injured players.  The Leafs don't have to contend with a serious injury issue so we will give the victory to the Leafs for this match up.  

Speaking of Montreal, they take on Colorado tonight.  Montreal will probably underestimate this team and rack up another loss.  The Avalanche are gaining strength from game to game and if they get to Price early; this game will be  a lopsided contest. If the Habs fall behind early in this game, it will shake the confidence of the team playing in front of Price. Price is like god in Montreal but he can't do it alone.  He needs help on defense and the defense needs confidence to play all three periods even if they are behind on the scoreboard.

We like the Islanders over the Rangers in a NYC match up.  Tavares should take most of the offensive load for the Islanders and a strong performance from Montoya will result in a victory for the boys from Long Island.  This game is important for the Islanders.  They have a young team and young teams are prone to momentum be it good or bad.  

Washington is taking on Ottawa in a NHL battle of capitals.  This match up doesn't seem fair to us. Ottawa is still looking to find its own footing and they could crumble easily in the face of an onslaught by the young snipers from the Capitals. Boudreau has a squad full of offensive dynamite versus a Senators bench which under performs on the best of nights.

The Penguins will confront the Sabres in what could be the tightest game of the night.  We like Buffalo in this matchup.  They had a strong start in Europe and they should rebound nicely against the Penguins which are still looking for direction.

Anyway you cut it, it is going to be a heck of a night for hockey. Enjoy boys and girls !!!

AVALANCHE AND CAPITALS ON A ROLL WHILE THE BRUINS AND CANUCKS STRUGGLE

The new NHL season has been an eye opener for many NHL fans.  The mighty Bruins have looked mediocre at best and the Canucks are feeling the heat to keep up with the Jones'.  The pressure of past successes is a problem for both these squad and unfortunately for their fans, a tumble from the top can be much more pronounced than a rise to the top.  It is really a what have you done for me lately world when it comes to NHL hockey.

Habs fans are used to irregular play from their team.  This year is no exception.  Price which looked brilliant against the Jets was very soft against the Leafs and even worse against the Flames.  Price needs to be a rock in order for the Habs to have a legitimate chance at being a presence in the competitive East.  Montreal fans want and demand better.  Heads will roll at mid season if these boys are still playing like they did against Calgary.

The Avalanche are one of the big surprises in this new season.  This young squad is racking up wins and it looks like smart moves in the net will pay off for Colorado this year. It is still very early in the year but stranger things have been known to happen; we like Colorado so far.  The Avalanche remind us of the Blackhawks squad before they made they their run for the Cup.

Finally, everyone knows by now that we are big fans of the Capitals.  This looks to us like it could be their year.  The likes of Green of Ovechkin are ready to put their names on the NHL's top prize.  This year it looks like Washington could finally get a winner.  Look out Barrack !!!  The Caps are in town !!!    

Thursday Night NHL Round Up

The Devils beat the Kings 2-1 after penalties in what was a game all about the netminders. Brodeur suffered a shoulder injury in the 1^st period that saw him replaced by Hedberg for the remainder of the game. He fended off all 16 shots he faced after Gagne had put the puck past Brodeur early on before suffering his injury. At the other end Jonathon Quick was the star of the game making 36 saves of 37 shots but failing to stop the Devils in the shootout – his first loss on them for over a season after a 10-0 record last time round.

In Long Island the New York Islanders thumped the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1, with John Tavares leading the way with a 2+2 evening. The Islanders took the 1^st period 4-1 and completed the scoring 7 minutes into the 2^nd, at which point former Islander Dwayne Roloson was pulled from the net. Tavares missed most of the 3^rd period with cramp in his quad – if he had played that period and remained on fire he could have bolstered his points production further!

The Bell Centre was another hockey arena to see a lot of 1^st period action last night. Unfortunately for the home fans it was the Calgary Flames who were amongst the goals as they took a 3-1 1^st period lead and went on to complete a 4-1 victory over the Canadiens. Miikka Kiprusoff in the Flames net winning to overtake Mike Vernon as the Flames netminder with the most wins for the franchise.

In Pittsburgh it was a much closer game as the visiting Capitals edged out the home team in OT. It was Washington’s 3^rd straight victory at the start of the season with all 3 being won in the extra OT period. Denis Wideman this time got the game winning goal on the powerplay after Washington had spent a lot of time during regulation shutting down the powerplay offense of Pittsburgh. The good news for the home team was that Malkin returned to the line up and earlier in the day it had been announced that Crosby could now take part in full contact training sessions.

Phoenix got their first win of the season at the expense of Nashville, who suffered their first defeat. Another game that was won in the 1^st period as the Coyotes took a 3-0 lead and never looked back, both teams exchanging goals in the 2^nd and 3^rd for a 5-2 Coyotes victory.

Minnesota Wild managed a 2-1 via a shoot out against the Edmonton Oilers. Both the Oilers opening games have now been decided via penalty shots with them coming out with a 1-1 record in them. Khabibulin was the star for the Oilers making 35 saves, 14 of them in the 3^rd period as the Wild outshot the visitors in that final period 14-1.

Winnipeg’s 1^st road game of the season and only game against the Blackhawks saw them narrowly defeated 4-3. The Jets had taken an early 2-0 lead in the 1^st period only to see the Blackhawks tie them 2-2 by the end of it and take a 4-2 lead by the midway point of the 2^nd. Jim Slater getting the Jets off to that flying start with his first 2 goals of the season. Winnipeg did make it 4-3 before the end of the 2^nd with Kyle Wellwood getting his first for the club but the game remained at that scoreline.

In Dallas it was Kari Lehtonen again who was star of the show as he faced a lot of rubber (38 shots to be precise) and managed to fend off 36 of them in a 3-2 win for the Stars. Dallas had taken a 3-0 lead in the 2^nd only for the Blues to make a spirited comeback and by the early stages of the 3^rd period they were only chasing a 1 goal deposit. However, that chase never came to fruition and the Stars held on for their win.

That leaves Colorado and Ottawa as the last game not covered yet here on Get Real Hockey – Hopefully I will bring you an indepth report on that game later in the day!

by Adam Yates

Tuesday and Wednesday NHL Roundup

Apart from the previously reviewed game between the Senators and Wild there was only one other game Tuesday which was the Pittsburgh home opener against the Panthers.

It was an uncomfortable win in the end for the Penguins. Malkin was missing from the line up but scoring duties were again picked up by Matt Cooke and Kris Letang. The Panthers looked well organised and tough to break down. The Penguins had a couple of lucky breaks which helped get them the win. They maintain their good start to the season.

Onto Wednesday night; where there were 3 games played.

Colorado beat Colombus 3-2 after a PS in what was a very even game by all accounts. Landeskog scored his 1^st NHL career goal with just over 40 seconds remaining in the 3^rd period to tie the game and send it to the extra period and penalties.

Carolina beat Boston 3-2 in what turned out to be the Cam Ward / Tim Thomas show with both net minders making numerous huge saves. Boston struggled on their PP and have started with only 1 goal on 18 attempts so far.

The other Stanley Cup finalist, Vancouver, was beaten 5-4 in the other game of the night against the Flyers.  Claude Giroux was the star as he put up 1+2 but the Flyers found points from all over the ice which shows the potential  of the sniper brigade they have this season.

Thursday night will see ten different matchups being played with some intriguing contests. The biggest  two games see the Canucks play the Redwings and the Capitals play the Penguins.

- Adam Yates

NHL Tonight - The Habs and Canucks Could be in for a Let Down

The Canadiens will be taking on the Flames tonight. Calgary is nowhere near Montreal in terms of talent; at least on paper. It is important for the Habs to take the Flames seriously and not get lunch bag let down.  The Montreal faithful are accustomed to the Habs letting the weaker teams get one up on them.  The Canadiens have serious injury problems right out of the gate so we think an upset could be possible here if the Flames come out swinging.  

Vancouver should have their hands full with the Red Wings tonight.  Roberto Luongo has been spotty so far this year.  He will have to be on his toes with the Wings.  Detroit never gives in and we think they will take this one from the Canucks and leave the Green Men of Vancouver green with envy.  The Sedins are scoring but it will not be enough if the Canucks are sloppy in the net.

We think the Avalanche will continue to play well tonight.  These boys are off to a strong start.  They beat Boston just a few days ago which has given them the ego boost to take on any team and win.  The Ottawa Senators will be easy picking and we think the Avalanche will get the 2 points; easily.