NHL Minute: 2/1/13

Talk about surprising results. The worst team in the league won on Thursday night, highlighting an evening of head scratches and thought provocation.

Wake up, it's the first of the month.

THURSDAY'S RESULTS

• Buffalo Sabres 7, Boston Bruins 4 - Buffalo handed Boston its first regulation loss by scoring the game's final four goals. Sabres winger Thomas Vanek scored a hat trick (that's three goals for you beginners) and also had two assists, bumping him into first place in the NHL in total points (15).
• Washington Capitals 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 - An Alex Ovechkin power-play goal in the second period gave Washington a 2-1 lead and a probable victory, but Toronto rallied in the third to complete their quest for playoff-contention legitimacy. We must all now acknowledge Toronto as a team that could make the postseason. If you subscribe to NHL Minute and recognize the name Matt Frattin, you'll be interested to find out that he scored a legit goal.

• New York Islanders 5, New Jersey Devils 4 (OT) - The Islanders are gaining serious momentum right now, as they wrapped up a successful five-game road trip with a win over the Devils. Big man John Tavares scored two goals to give him four in his last three games, while Evgeni Nabokov stopped 28 shots. These two teams face each other again on Sunday in Long Island.
• Pittsburgh Penguins 3, New York Rangers 0 - It might be time to panic in the Garden. Penguins backup goalie Tomas Vokoun turned aside 28 shots in what head coach Dan Bylsma thought was a complete "60-minute game" for his Pittsburgh team. The Rangers were lackluster on offense and didn't have many quality chances, which prompted coach John Tortorella to at one point break up his top line of Gaborik, Richards and Nash. The next week is going to be critical for New York.
• St. Louis Blues 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 - Nothing unexpected here. Rookie sensation Vladimir Tarasenko scored his rookie-leading fifth goal of the season for the Blues, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back.
• Winnipeg Jets 3, Florida Panthers 6 - Winnipeg had a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes remaining, then the wheels fell off when they got into penalty trouble and Florida's offense rose from out of nowhere. The Panthers scored two power-play goals 1:17 apart and then threw some salt on the wound to put the game away. Jets D-man Dustin Byfuglien was out of the lineup, so I'm not surprised. I am surprised, however, that Alex Kovalev got the game-winning goal for Florida. The 39-year-old spent last year in the KHL but is now back in the States for his 19th NHL season.
• Colorado Avalanche 6, Calgary Flames 3 - I did NOT see this one coming. The game was tied 3-3 entering the third period and stayed that way until Colorado's Paul Stastny was able to score on the power play with under three minutes remaining. Stastny then scored again with a little over a minute left to put the game out of reach. You can't take late-game penalties in the NHL no matter who you're facing.
• Nashville Predators 2, Los Angeles Kings 1 (S/O) - Boring. The loss is going to sting even more for L.A. when they see that they outshot Nashville 24-14, partly because they had six power play opportunities. L.A. only converted one of them, though, and had an astounding 24 additional shots blocked by Predators skaters. Props to Nashville's defense.
• Edmonton Oilers 2, San Jose Sharks 3 (S/O) - San Jose is now the only team that has not lost in regulation or overtime. The Sharks scored the game's first two goals in the second period, lost the lead, then won in shootout. Contrary to Thursday morning's report, defenseman Dan Boyle (flu) was back in the lineup and had an instant impact, putting five of the team's 38 shots on net.

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE

• Philadelphia Flyers (2-5) at Washington Capitals (1-5-1) - (4 PT) - The Flyers should be embarrassed if they lose this game. Meanwhile, Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin has a chance to break out against one of the worst defenses in the league.
• Ottawa Senators (5-1-1) at Carolina Hurricanes (2-3) - (4 PT) - Carolina can be tough but Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson is doing enough right now to give the Senators a slight edge.
• Winnipeg Jets (3-3-1) at Tampa Bay Lightning (5-1) - (4:30 PT) - Tampa Bay should win unless Winnipeg comes out mad and crushes everyone.
• St. Louis Blues (6-1) at Detroit Red Wings (3-2-1) - (4:30 PT) (NHL Network) - Detroit has to put together a game like they did against Chicago to have a chance.
• Phoenix Coyotes (2-4-1) at Dallas Stars (2-4-1) - (5:30 PT) - This one should be physical. A slight edge goes to Dallas.
• Chicago Blackhawks (6-0-1) at Vancouver Canucks (3-2-2) - (7 PT) - Keep an eye on Vancouver's net, because there is a case to be made for either Luongo or Schneider to start.
• Minnesota Wild (4-2-1) at Anaheim Ducks (3-1-1) - (7 PT) - Both teams have been able to play well in stretches. Can either play a full game and finish the deal?