Recap Notes: -There's the Price we know and hate. -The Lightning are 2nd in the Southeast division with just 6 wins. -Montreal...you lost to the Lightning? Really?? -Niittymaki may be the best thing the Lightning have going for them. -Not much here to recap...video is below
Canadiens Record vs. Lightning Since 2005: 10-5-0-1
Canadiens Likely Goalie: Carey Price
Lightning Likely Goalie: Antero Niittymaki
Canadiens Top Scorer: Michael Cammalleri (7 goals, 14 points)
Lightning Top Scorer: Steven Stamkos (12 goals, 17 points)
Injury Report: Tampa Bay will be without Victor Hedman (upper body) and Paul Ranger (being emo).
Montreal will be without Ryan O'Byrne (knee), Hal Gill (cement feet), Andrei Markov (sliced tendon), Matt D'Agostini (concussion) and Georges Laraque (sad because he sucks at hockey)
Preview Notes: First meeting of the season between these two powerhouses teams.
Vincent Lecavalier returns home to Montreal as Canadiens fans cry that they didn't pull off a trade for him. He would probably be the tallest player in their team and get all the neat toys. Alex Tanguay also returns to face his former team and will likely continue to be a fantasy hockey disappointment.
Price looked sharp in his last game against the Bruins, but let's be honest... Peter Budaj would look strong against the Bruins these days. Montreal is undefeated this season in shootouts/overtime.
Both teams have struggled with consistency, but hey one of them has to win today!
Recap Notes: -Spezza came back after missing to games to get 1 goal (game winner) and 2 assists. -In fantasy hockey, Spezza is still DTD and I started Getzlaf over him...my mistake. -Stamkos is, once again, a beast -Chris Neil took Victor Headman out of the game in the second -While defending Headman, Steve Downie got a penalty hat-trick (minor, major, and misconduct) -Ottawa's next game will be Saturday against the Devils
Ottawa Senators Record: 6-4-2 (2nd in the Northeast)
Tampa Bay Lightning Record: 5-4-4 (2nd in the Southleast)
Senators Record vs. Lightning Since 2005: 12-4-0-2
Senators Likely Goalie: Pascal LeClaire
Lightning Likely Goalie: Antero Niittymaki
Senators Top Scorer: Daniel Alfredsson (5 goals, 16 points)
Lightning Top Scorer: Steven Stamkos (11 goals, 16 points)
Injury Report: Ottawa will be without Anton Volchenkov (elbow) and Jesse Winchester (knee, girly first name).
Pittsburgh South Tampa Bay will be without Paul Ranger (personal reasons). Ryan Malone is questionable (bitterness over leaving the Penguins and not winning a Cup).
Preview Notes: Perhaps the legendary Gary Roberts has a future as a trainer... look what he's done with Stamkos. Stamkos trained with Roberts all summer and has been playing some great hockey (and is much harder to knock off the puck!)
This is the third meeting between the two teams this season (Ottawa won the first game 7-1, and Tampa retaliated with a 5-2 victory two weeks later). Jason Spezza will be back in the line-up tonight and is still looking for his first goal of the season.
With Ottawa struggling with injuries and the Lightning's top center (Lecavalier) playing like he's on the Maple Leafs this game might be harder to watch than a game announced by Pierre McGuire.
The two teams made a bet prior to tonight's game, and the loser will officially be the team with the laziest third jersey in hockey:
Three Stars: 1. Antero Niittymaki (40 saves, about 39 from Kessel) 2. Jonas Gustavsson (30 saves) 3. Phil Kessel (for being a brave, brave boy after getting beat up)
Final Score: Tampa Bay Lightning: 2 Toronto Maple Leafs: 1
Goalie Stats Antero Niittymaki: SV: 40 SV%: .976 GA: 1 Jonas Gustavsson: SV: 30 SV%: .938 GA: 2
Recap Notes: - Leafs lose again, but continue to get points - Still worst team in the NHL - Mattias Ohlund reminded Kessel to keep his head up - Kessel might be the NHL's Terrel Owens... think he gave up on the Bruins - But admittedly... Kessel did look good last night - Gustavsson just may be the real deal - If only there were good defenders in front of him - Ves Toskala is probably on suicide watch - Toronto announcers have trouble pronouncing players' names. A lot. - Hagman should never fight again... ever. - Kessel's wrist shot is quicker than him in bed. - Thats really fast in case you were wondering - Kessel took 10 shots (thinks he's Ovechkin!?) - Toronto's next game is Friday against the Hurricanes
Maple Leafs Likely Goalie: Jonas Gustavsson (1-2-2, GAA: 3.22)
Lightning's Likely Goalie: Antero Niittymaki (2-1-1, GAA: 2.18)
Maple Leafs Top Scorer: Niklas Hagman (6)
Lightning's Top Scorer: Steven Stamkos (10)
Injury Report: Kessel may be back for the Leafs starting tonight, we'll see.
Preview Notes: Well well well...if it isn't a team that Toronto may actually be able to beat. Not that it'll be easy for them, nothing is. Kessel should be able to provide a much needed boost, however a moderately trained monkey with downs syndrome could provide a boost to the Maple Leafs, albeit a hilarious one.
Seriously though, Toronto needs to get their asses in gear if they want any hopes of salvaging the season. Kessel seems more like the nerd that the Maple Leaf bullies would throw in a locker, but there is no denying the offense he could bring to the team. It'll be interesting to watch what transpires when he finally takes the ice.
Three Stars: 1. Steven Stamkos (2 goals, 1 assist) 2. Ryan Malone (1 goal, 2 assits) 3. David Hale (2 assists)
Final Score: Tampa Bay Lightning: 5 Ottawa Senators: 2
Goalie Stats Mike Smith: SV: 21 SV%: .913 GA: 2 Brian Elliot: SV: 22 SV%: .815 GA: 5
Recap Notes: - The Ottawa Senators forgot there was three periods, not one, and never played until the third - Chris Neil is the worst tough guy in the league. Loves hugs. - Ryan Malone loves little kids, misses Pittsburgh - St. Louis saw a fan he didn't like in the crowd on a penalty shot and fired it at him instead of Elliot - Alex Kovalev would be great again if he would play up to his skill level - That Stamkos kid is going to be good - Brian Elliot is no Pascal Leclaire. Can't believe I just typed that - That relic Alex TanGAY finally scored. Finally. - They say you are what you eat. Well Chris Neil must go down on a lot of girls 'cause he's a pussy. - Senators back in action tomorrow against the Kovalchuk-less Thrashers
Ottawa's Likely Goalie: Brian Elliot (1-0-1, GAA: 2.44)
Tampa Bay's: Likely Goalie: M. Smith (1-2-3, GAA: 3.36)
Ottawa's Top Scorer: M. Michalek (6)
Tampa Bay's: Top Scorer: S. Stamkos (7)
Injury Report: Not many, just Paul Ranger for TB, out of personal reasons, whatever that means.
Preview Notes: Well I was wrong about Elliot starting last night, but Leclaire had to leave due to illness, so lets just say I SHOULD have been right. Seeing as how Lecaire wasn't well enough to play a whole game last night, I don't see him starting tonight. This'll be Ottawa's second game in Florida, so it'll also probably be their 2nd straight win. If in fact the Sens do win, they'll overtake Buffalo and be number one in the northeast division.
Three Stars: 1. Tyler Myers 2. Martin St. Louis 3. Vincent Lecavalier
Final Score: Buffalo Sabres: 3 Tampa Bay Lightning: 2
Goalie Stats Ryan Miller: SV: 24 SV%: .923 GA: 2 Mike Smith: SV: 30 SV%: .938 GA: 2
Recap Notes: Vincent Lecavalier scored his first goal of the season and Steven Stamkos continued his goal scoring tear, but they were not enough to stop the Buffalo Sabres from rolling to another victory.
Both Ryan Miller and Mike Smith played outstanding, as Mike Smith made me look like a jerk for all the bad things I said about him in the preview.
The Lightning held a 2-1 edge late in the third, but Drew Stafford beat Mike Smith with just 17 seconds left to bring the game to overtime.
Miller and Smith continued their goalie duel late into the shoot out and in round 6 6'8" defenseman Tyler Myers beat Mike Smith for the victory.
Tampa Bay Lightning Record: 3-3-2 (3rd in Southeast)
Sabres Record vs. Lightning Since 2005: 13-3
Sabres Likely Goalie: Ryan Miller
Lightning Likely Goalie: Mike "Can't Stop a Beach Ball" Smith
Preview Notes: Both teams are coming off respective 5-2 victories (Sabres over the Panthers, Lightning over the Sharks).
The Lightning have been up and down this season, but are on a three game home win streak. Steven Stamkos (6 goals) and Ryan Malone (7 goals) are leading the charge and along with Martin St Louis (riding an eight game point streak) will test Ryan Miller early.
Miller is 5-0-1 this year and has a 1.65 GAA. Thomas Vanek is easing back into action after a brief stint on the injured list and will look to make Mike Smith's night more miserable than listening to Pierre McGuire call a game.
Buffalo will be without defenseman Andrej Sekera and winger Clarke MacArthur (flu) will be a game time decision.
The Sabres have scored 19 goals in their last four games.
In a decisive victory, the Ottawa Senators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1 last night, with a former Shark leading the way.
Milan Michalek, acquired from San Jose in the trade for Homicide Heatley, scored his first goal of the season last night. And his second. And his third. Then it was free hat night down on the ice!
Two of Michalek's goals were shorthanded. He was seen tea bagging Mike Smith and mumbling something about Smith being his bitch.
"He was flying, obviously, and he was able to find a lot of openings and he could have had a couple of more with some luck," Alfredsson said. "He's very dangerous with his speed."
Alex Kovalev, Alexandre Picard, Nick Foligno and Jarkko Ruutu, who recently gave Scott Hartnell lessons on how to bite an opponent, scored the other Ottawa goals. Ryan Malone had the Lightning's lone goal in a dismal effort.
As is customary in today's game, when a team gets down by a few on the score sheet and feels frustrated, the fists start flying.
In the second period Tampa's Matt Walker took on Chris Neil, and stood his ground against Mr. Neil:
Later in the second, Zenon Konopka, who's name sounds like a bullshit alien lord Scientologists would believe in, took on the Senators' Chris Phillips in a bout that really featured more wrestling than fighting:
Finally, in the third Steve Downie took on Matt Carkner and was promptly defeated:
The Ottawa Senators will battle the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night.
Three Stars:
