Fun fact. "Goalies Gone Wild" was the name of one of my fantasy teams this year. Then I got hit by about 35 injuries so I changed it to M*A*S*H. I blame the fact that I drafted Marian Hossa. Anyway.
It's good to be the goalie
So many shutouts. And whoda thunk Mike Brodeur would get one, not Martin? Also, I think I made a similar joke earlier in the season. So sue me.
(Note: Don't actually sue me.)
--Mike Brodeur stopped 32 shots and Henrik Lundqvist was perfect until 1:14 remaining, when Chris Campoli got the only goal Ottawa needed in a 2-0 win over the Rangers. Chris Kelly added an empty net goal a minute after Campoli scored. Also, props to Matty Carkner for giving me 12 PIMs in two hockey leagues. Atta boy, goon!
Also, the AP recap says Mike Brodeur is a distant relative of Martin, but doesn't go into greater detail. If anyone knows the extent of the blood ties, feel free to share.
--All it took to stop the unstoppable Philadelphia machine was... Vesa Toskala? Vesa Toskala? Dude makes 38 saves and ends the Flyers four-game winning streak in which they scored 20 goals. This is not a misprint. You are not drunk. (Note: You may actually be drunk.) Vesa Toskala blanked Philadelphia, 4-0, behind a goal and assist by new recall Tyler Bozak, who played in his third career game. His goal was his first and was a darn nifty play.
--Chris Mason didn't seem to have much to do, as his 19-save shutout wasn't enough to earn him one of the game's 3 Stars as St. Louis stopped the unstoppable Minnesota machine, 1-0, on a goal early in the third period by T.J. Oshie. Josh Harding's trade value, however, has gone up after his 36 saves.
--Cristobal Huet shook off his third period against Minnesota by posting his fourth shutout of the season, making 24 saves to help Chicago defeat Columbus, 3-0. Kris Versteeg's two assists helped set up goals by Brian Campbell and Dustin Byfuglien and Duncan Keith added his 10th goal to his growing Norris Trophy resume.
--And finally, Jon Quick capped off the night of the shutout with his first of the season, making 22 saves to lead Los Angeles past Anaheim, 4-0. Dustin Brown scored his 100th goal in a game that had a fun third period. Just check the box score. Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry fantasy owners, you enjoyed the PIMs night.
Remember when...
I asked if anyone would score in the New Jersey-Phoenix game? I hope not. Because seven guys did in a surprising amount of offense. The funny part is three of those guys got their third goal of the season. Eerie.
Those guys were Peter Mueller, Daniel Winnik and Zbynek Michalek for the Coyotes, with the latter two coming 1:16 apart in the third period to give Phoenix a 4-2 lead. Also scoring for the Desert Dogs was Matthew Lombardi.
(Note: Isn't Desert Dogs a better nickname? Think of the possibilities. They could have attractive ladies with large chests wearing T-shirts with "DD" on the front to promote the team. Wouldn't that get people out to the arena to watch games? I'd buy tickets and I'm on the other side of the country.)
Brian Rolston scored two goals for the Devils, and his 15th cut the gap to one late in the game, but New Jersey could not get the tying goal past Ilya Bryzgalov, who made 31 saves. Travis Zajac also scored for the Devils.
That "other" Brodeur is obviously the black sheep of the family after making just 15 saves.
In other action
--Derek Roy scored on the power play in overtime and Ryan Miller made 32 saves to lead Buffalo past Atlanta, 2-1. Ilya Kovalchuk netted the Thrashers' goal. Patrick Kaleta scored and was on the receiving end of Zach Bogosian's elbow in overtime that led to the Roy goal for Buffalo.
--Jimmy Howard stopped the unstoppable Carolina machine, making 37 saves for the Red Wings in a 3-1 victory. Drew Miller had a goal and assist and Nicklas Lidstrom scored just his second goal of the season. Henrik Zetterberg also had a goal and Valtteri Filppula had two helpers.
--Brian Gionta scored twice, Benoit Pouliot had a goal and assist and Montreal outlasted Dallas, 5-3. Carey Price got back into the cage and made 33 saves for the Habs.
--Tomas Vokoun and the Panthers bounced back from their collapse on Wednesday by handing Tampa Bay a breakdown, scoring twice in the third period for a 3-2 Florida victory. Vokoun made 28 saves, including a penalty shot by Martin St. Louis with 4:55 remaining in the third, and Rostislav Olesz scored the winner late in the third.
--Jordan Staal's career-high three assists, all in the third period, helped Pittsburgh erase a 2-0 deficit after two to earn a 3-2 win at Edmonton. Staal's third helper was a centering pass off teammate Pascal Dupuis for the game-winner. Marc-Andre Fleury made 33 saves, including several key stops early in the third period.
--And finally, Team USA is better than Team Russia. Teddy bear Tim Thomas made 41 saves and four in the shootout to help Boston knock off San Soviet Jose and Evgeni Nabokov, 2-1. Zdeno Chara had the only goal in round four of the tiebreaker. Joe Thornton scored for the Sharks and Daniel Paille netted for Boston in regulation.
Stat of the night
11,313 - Announced attendance in Atlanta, the ninth time in 22 games the Thrashers have failed to draw 12,000 fans.
Pat Quinn-ism of the night
"We have played very well against good teams this year and then find a way to disappoint ourselves."
Quote of the night
"It's hard to focus and to think about hockey when your whole country, where your parents were born, is destroyed."
Montreal forward Georges Laraque, who scored his first goal in 21 months. His mother was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and he has family still living in the disaster-plagued country.
Bonus quote
"He paid the price to win. That's not a bad thing. I'd take a bleeding nose for a win, wouldn't you?"
Phoenix coach Dave Tippett, on Winnik, who scored at the same time he was cut by a high stick. That power play led to Michalek's goal. Though Mark Fraser was given only two minutes, so either there wasn't blood or the refs botched it.
Notable games
Friday, Jan. 15 (2 games)
-Toronto (16-23-9) at Washington (28-12-6), 7 p.m. ET. How badly will Toronto fall after upsetting Philly?
-Nashville (28-16-3) at Calgary (26-15-6), 9 p.m. That Brent Sutter explosion is creeping up on us. It's coming. Oh yes, it's coming. The Flames have lost four of their last five since a five-game winning streak.
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