For a recap of the first six games, click here. Let’s take a look at what happened in Tuesday’s four late contests.
It was a wild finish in Phoenix. The Coyotes emptied the net and Ray Whitney tied the game at 2-2 with about 38 seconds left in the game, but the team took a costly penalty 25 seconds later. This opened the door for Jamie Benn to slam home the game-winning goal on the man advantage with only five seconds left, earning the suddenly streaking Stars their third win in a row. On the bright side, Rostislav Klesla scored a goal in his first goal as a ‘Yotes defenseman.
Dallas now shares an identical 34-23-6 record with the Chicago Blackhawks for seventh place in the West while Phoenix remains in fourth place with 76 points despite a disturbing four game skid.
It’s been a strange season for Martin Gerber, as he’s played pretty well in the rare instances when he’s not stuck in the minors. He made 34 saves to help the Oilers spoil things for the Predators, although Linus Omark’s latest shootout shenanigans will likely steal the headlines. Blake Geoffrion made his legendary made his Hall of Fame family members proud tonight, scoring his first career NHL goal.
Scottie Upshall’s first goal as a member of the Blue Jackets wasn’t enough to earn his new team a win. Roberto Luongo made 30 saves to and helped the Canucks earn an eight round shootout victory.
Newly-rich goalie Antti Niemi earned his 24th win with an 18-save effort, but Brian Elliot was outstanding in a losing effort, stopping 34 out of 35 shots. The Sharks have won seven games in a row and now hold a six-point lead in the Pacific Division.