NHL Scores And More: Tim Gleason Punches Nikolai Kulemin; ‘Fight’ Overshadows Carolina Win

When you think Hurricanes vs. Maple Leafs hockey, the first image that pops into your mind probably has something to do with Paul Maurice, who’s coached both teams. It’s likely not a bunch of ridiculous fights.

Last night in Raleigh, where they’re preparing for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, the teams combined for 57 penalty minutes, an ejection, and a controversial goal call.

The Rangers have been beaten to a pulp lately, with Brandon Dubinsky, Erik Christensen, and Alex Frolov (among others) sitting in the owner’s suite with injuries. Some, like Frolov, are out for the year, while some, like Dubinsky, are due back in a few weeks. Still, the Rangers are without these players, and as a result, they’ve lost three of their last five and are flirting with eighth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Washington Capitals, meanwhile, have already hit their rough patch this season, as the narrative would dictate. They’ve faced their adversity, they’ve come out of it, and now they’re ready to take their spot on top of the Southeast Division. Point-getters in their last five games, it’s only a matter of time before the Caps bump Tampa out of that spot.

It was billed as a matchup of two of the West’s best clubs, the pace-setting Vancouver Canucks and the surprising Dallas Stars. By the end of the night, the Canucks would vault themselves to a tie for the NHL’s best record, while the Stars would be left with a missed opportunity to put themselves in the category of the league’s elite.

The Stars did come out firing, but that didn’t matter much when Alex Burrows ripped a slap shot from the point that cleanly beat Kari Lehtonen. It was the Canucks first shot, the Canucks first goal, and alas, the Canucks first step to a blowout win.

The Boston Bruins have elevated themselves into the elite of the Eastern Conference in recent weeks, so perhaps the Los Angeles Kings can put some stock in shutting them out on Monday night by a final score of 2-0. The Kings, who have fallen off the map in the West over that same time period, have now won two straight.

This one was a goalie battle, plain and simple. Tim Thomas has to be considered the leader for the Vezina Trophy at this point with the way he’s played, but on this L.A. night, his 2010 Olympic teammate, Jonathan Quick, was just a bit better.

Believe it or not, the Calgary Flames are just four points out of the Western Conference playoffs. That’s either a sign that the West is just insane this year, or it’s a sign that the Flames three-game win streak is a bit more than a fluke.

The Flames took down a solid foe again, too. Last time they were busy beating yes, Dallas and Vancouver, while last night they made the Nashville Predators their victims. Final score: 3-1. The Preds had won three-straight of their own and had only lost two other times in the month of January.

St. Louis kept the pressure on, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to finish off their own comeback attempt as Colorado took the 4-3 win.