I don't know what's been happening across the NHL the past two nights, but it's almost as if everyone jumped into a time machine (perhaps a DeLorean) and traveled back to 1985. Have you seen some of these scores? I'm talking 9-2, 8-5, 6-5, 7-3. It's crazy, like somebody went into the locker rooms across the league and shrunk down the goalie pads, or something. One night after the Penguins steamrolled the Islanders to the tune of 9-2, and four different players across the league registered hat tricks, the goal-scoring barrage continued on Friday. Let's start in Newark, where the Devils outscored the Rangers, 8-5, in a game that had to be played with empty nets.
Midway through the second period, New Jersey was sitting with a seemingly comfortable 5-1 lead, before the Rangers roared back to tie the game at the 11:18 mark of the third period, thanks to Ryan Callahan's eighth goal of the season. The Rangers actually outshot the Devils by a 16-4 margin in the third period, though, New Jersey made the best of its few opportunities, scoring on three of them. Just 11 seconds after Callahan's equalizer, Patrick Elias scored the game-winner, before Brian Gionta and Jamie Langenbrunner sealed the win.
Phil Kessel Has Arrived
Bruins forward Phil Kessel is just one goal away from matching his previous career high, and he's done this in just 29 games. The 21-year old Kessel potted his 18th of the season on Friday, as the Eastern Conference leading Bruins beat Atlanta, 7-3.
Ondrej Pavelec picked up the start in net for Atlanta, and was lifted after giving up three goals on just five shots in 17 minutes of action. Aside from Kessel, who scored his ninth goal in his past 10 games, the Bruins also received markers from Stephane Yelle, Mark Stuart (two), Zdeno Chara, Michael Ryder, and Milan Lucic.
Ilya Kovalchuk was the lone bright spot for the Thrashers (as always) picking up a goal and two assists in the loss.
Capitals Beat Ottawa, Web Producer Doesn't Have to Play
Fortunately for Capitals fans, they didn't have to rely on the services Brett Leonhardt who was filling in as the team's emergency backup netminder on Friday night. Starting goaltender Brent Johnson turned aside 32-of-33 shots in a 5-1 Washington win over the visiting Senators.
Alexander Semin, in his second game back from injury, picked up his 14th goal of the season, while Alex Ovechkin scored a pair of power play goals in the win. Mike Green and Brooks Laich also added goals for the Capitals, while Jesse Winchester ended Johnson's shutout bid at the 17:37 mark of the third period.
Odds and Ends
... Marty Turco stopped 37 shots for Dallas in a 3-1 win over Detroit. Games like this have been few and far between for Turco and the Stars, who received goals from Mike Ribeiro, Tom Wandell, and Fabian Brunnstrom. Brett Lebda scored the only goal for Detroit.
... Picking up what has become a rare start for him -- thanks to the spectacular play of Craig Anderson -- Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun made 35 saves in a 3-2 shootout win over Calgary. Rene Bourque scored both goals for the Flames in regulation, while Jay Bouwmeester and Kamil Kreps scored for the Panthers. Stephen Weiss scored the only goal in the shootout to give Florida the win.
... Thanks to a pair of third period goals, the Blackhawks pulled out a 4-3 come-from-behind win against the Avalanche on Friday night. Dustin Byfuglien scored a pair of goals for Chicago, while Craig Adams and Andrew Ladd also lit the lamp for the Blackhawks.
... Todd White scored the game-winning goal with 7:56 to play in regulation for Toronto, as the Maple Leafs defeated Buffalo, 2-1. Vesa Toskala made 24 saves for Toronto, while Jeremy Williams added the other marker in the win. Toni Lydman scored the only goal for Buffalo, which snapped a three-game winning streak.
