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[Dark Knight]

Please post your thoughts, comments and pictures on tonight's games on this thread.

Philadelphia at Carolina
New Jersey at Pittsburgh
Buffalo at Toronto
St. Louis at Dallas
LA at Phoenix
Minnesota at Calgary

[DropThePuck]

Mika Noronen sat on the bench for most of Thursday's pre-game skate, biding his time before finally getting some shots in late in practice.

There are only two nets on a sheet of ice, and Martin Biron and Ryan Miller were filling them.
...
Noronen, who has appeared in only 168 minutes of action this season, would have to clear waivers if the Sabres tried to sneak him to Rochester of the AHL, and you can bet he'd be snatched up in a New York minute if that happened. So he continues to wait.

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[DropThePuck]

Penguins up on the Devils 1-0 midway through the 1st. PPG by Jackman from Tarnstrom and Christensen at 5:42.

Other games scoreless.

[DropThePuck]

End of 2nd, Canes and Flyers tied at 2.

Toward end of 2nd, Leafs over Sabres 3-2. Each side tallied a SHG.

Midway thru 2nd, Penguins stretch lead to 4-0 on Devils.

Blues and Stars are scoreless.

[DropThePuck]

Buffalo Sabres Thomas Vanek shoots on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour as teammate Kyle Wellwood looks on during first period NHL action in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)


Buffalo Sabres Paul Gaustad gets past Toronto Maple Leafs Tie Domi during first period NHL action in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)


Toronto Maple Leafs Alexei Ponikarovsky goes down after colliding with the net during first period NHL action against the Buffalo Sabres in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)

[DropThePuck]

Carolina Hurricanes' goaltender Cam Ward catches the shot of Philadelphia Flyers' Mike Knuble during the first period of this NHL hockey game, Thursday, Dec 29, 2005, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC.
(AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker)


Former Carolina Hurricanes Sami Kapanen shoots the winning shot for the Philadelphia Flyers past Carolina Hurricanes' goal tender Cam Ward during overtime of this NHL hockey game, Thursday, Dec 29, 2005, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC. Flyers won 4-3.
(AP Photo/ Karl DeBlaker)

[DropThePuck]

St. Louis Blues goalie Jason Bacashihua attempts to glove a puck as teammate Eric Brewer helps defend against pressure from Dallas Stars' Brenden Morrow in the first period of NHL hockey action in Dallas, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)


Dallas Stars' Mike Modano tangles with St. Louis Blues' Mike Sillinger for a loose puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005. Blues' Scott Young is at bottom right. The Stars defeated the Blues 3-0. [/i]
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)[I]

[DropThePuck]

Some final scores:
In OT, Flyers calm the Hurricanes 4-3. Kapanen from Handzus and Rathje for the winner.

In SO, Leafs stump Sabres 4-3.
SO MISSED SHOT BUF 12 KOTALIK, Wide of Net
SO GOAL TOR 13 SUNDIN, Wrist, 24 ft
SO SHOT BUF 26 VANEK, Wrist, 18 ft
SO GOAL TOR 23 PONIKAROVSKY, Backhand, 16 ft

Penguins douse the Devis 6-2.


In progress:
Stars up on the Blues 3-0 at end of 2nd.
Coyotes with a lead on Kings 3-1 in middle of 2nd.
Scoreless at midpoint of the 1st for Flames and Wild.

[DropThePuck]

Ballard coaxed Avery into a fight??


Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Ballard and Los Angeles Kings center Sean Avery fight during the first period of their hockey game Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, in Glendale, Ariz.
(AP Photo/Tom Hood)


Los Angeles Kings defenseman Nathan Dempsey interferes with Phoenix Coytoes center Mike Comrie, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, in Glendale, Ariz. At top is Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera. The Coyotes won 6-5 in overtime.
(AP Photo/Tom Hood)

[DropThePuck]

Looks like he's levitating the puck ...


Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff stares at the puck after making a save during second period NHL hockey action against Minnesota Wild in Calgary Thursday Dec. 29, 2005.
(AP Photo/Larry MacDougal, CP)


Calgary Flames Tony Amonte] is knocked to the ice by Minnesota Wild Kurtis Foster during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary Thursday Dec. 29, 2005.
(AP Photo/Larry MacDougal, CP)

[DropThePuck]

New Jersey Devils goalie Scott Clemmensen can't stop Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby from notching his second goal of the game in the third period of their hockey game, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, in Pittsburgh.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)


Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby celebrates after scoring his second goal of the game past New Jersey Devils goalie Scott Clemmensen in the third period of NHL hockey action Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, in Pittsburgh. Crosby added an assist to his two goals to lead the Penguins to a 6-2 win over the Devils.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

[DropThePuck]

Buffalo Sabres Thomas Vanek shoots on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour during third period NHL action in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005. The Maple Leafs beat the Sabres 4-3.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)


Buffalo Sabres Daniel Paille, bottom, takes down Toronto Maple Leafs Alexander Khavanov during third period NHL action in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005. The Maple Leafs beat the Sabres 4-3.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)


Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour makes a save during third period NHL action against the Buffalo Sabres in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005. The Maple Leafs beat the Sabres 4-3.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)

[DropThePuck]

It appears that the Barmy household has been having quite a few good mornings to wake up to ...

Toronto Maple Leafs Alexei Ponikarovsky skates up ice after scoring his game winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005. The Maple Leafs beat the Sabres 4-3.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)


Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour and teammate Mats Sundin celebrate their 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Toronto Thursday Dec. 29, 2005.
(AP Photo/Aaron Harris, CP)

[DropThePuck]

Keith Ballard started the game with a fight and ended it with an overtime goal.

Ballard scored a short-handed goal with 1:08 left in overtime to give the Phoenix Coyotes their second straight victory since coach Wayne Gretzky returned to the team following his mother's death, a 6-5 decision over Los Angeles on Thursday night.

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Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Curtis Joseph bobbles the puck but makes the save against Los Angeles Kings center Derek Armstrong during-second period NHL hockey action, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, in Glendale, Ariz.
(AP Photo/Tom Hood)

[DropThePuck]

There were four fights in the final 4:29 of the first period after Ryan Johnson of the Blues took a run at Stars captain Mike Modano along the left boards.

Johnson wasn't penalized, and Dallas' Steve Ott took exception, pummeling Johnson during the ensuing scrap. Three more fights broke out over the next 49 seconds as the Stars dominated the fisticuffs and built a 10-2 shots advantage for the period.

"I thought it was great," Ott said. "There were four good fights. It was kind of like old-style NHL. I guess we brought it back out."

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Tonight’s Blues-Stars game had four fights in the first period.  That’s the first time a game had four fights (and eight fighting major penalties) in one period this season.

The last time it happened in the NHL?  March 8, 2004 - Avalanche-Canucks, a game which included the infamous Todd Bertuzzi-Steve Moore incident.

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[DropThePuck]

Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury gave Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien his first victory with the Penguins _ and an encouraging glimpse at the franchise's potential.

Crosby had his second two-goal game in three games and Fleury made 44 saves to help the Penguins end a six-game losing streak with a 6-2 home victory over the slumping New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

"Marc-Andre was phenomenal and we capitalized on our chances and did a lot of good things," said Therrien, finally a winner with the Penguins after 15 days and four consecutive one-goal losses since replacing the fired Ed Olczyk.

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