For a recap of the Devils and Thrashers wins, click here. This post includes the Blackhawks important shootout victory against the Coyotes. Consult this recap for information about the Lightning’s win against the Rangers.
As NHL on the Fly points out, Shea Weber was almost the goat for two straight games for Nashville. He took a penalty that allowed the Dallas Stars to beat Nashville on Saturday and took one when the two teams were tied 2-2, only to assist on the Predators’ game-winner out of the box. Matt Calvert also remains hot, as he scored his 10th goal of the season in a losing cause.
Maybe in a year or two, it will matter that this game featured the top picks of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin), but tonight’s game was simply a matter of the Bruins gutting out back-to-back wins in Northwest Canada to improve their Northeast Division lead. They accomplished that mission, as they’re now six points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens with a game in hand.
The Ducks really needed this one, as Dan Ellis earned his first win as Anaheim’s goalie (and his 14th win of the season). The Ducks now have 71 points, leaving them only one point behind the logjam for the conference’s last spots.
Did this loss prompt the Blues to part ways with Brad Boyes? You would think common sense would dictate the decision more than anything else, but perhaps another regulation loss intensified their movement into “sell mode.”
Miikka Kiprusoff earned a 27-save shutout, holding especially strong in the third period as the Blues sent 14 shots his way. David Moss scored the game’s only goal in the third period to place the Flames alone in sixth place, although they’ve played one or two more games than the teams just a stride behind them.