Monday's Three Stars: Lombardi, Stewart with career nights
No. 1 Star: Matthew Lombardi(notes), Phoenix Coyotes
It was a career night for the Phoenix forward as his two goals and three assists led the way in the Coyotes' rout of the Edmonton Oilers 6-1. Lombardi, playing on the right wing instead of his normal center, was also a game-high plus-five. His first goal came with 31 seconds left in the first period and then just over a minute into the second, Lombardi fired a wrister past Jeff Deslauriers to give Phoenix a 3-0 lead. Lombardi's last two-goal game was almost a year ago, February 14, 2008 against the Coyotes while he was a member of the Calgary Flames.
No. 2 Star: Chris Stewart(notes), Colorado Avalanche
Second star, second career night for an NHL player on Monday. Stewart scored the eventual game-winner, his 18th of the season, during a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. He also assisted on two other Colorado goals and completed the Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a scrap against B.J. Crombeen(notes). Stewart is now tied for the team lead in goals with Matt Duchene(notes).
No. 3 Star: Jonas Hiller(notes), Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim netminder bounced back from a 6-4 loss at the hands of the Kings last Thursday with a 35-save performance in the second game of a home-and-home with Los Angeles that ended with the Ducks victorious, 4-2. In the process, LA's nine-game winning streak was snapped and Anaheim beat Los Angeles for the first time in seven games. Speaking of streaks, Anaheim won their 10th straight at Honda Center as Hiller won his fourth game in five starts and recorded his 24th victory of the season, a career-high.
Honorable mention: Highly-touted Toronto prospect Nazem Kadri(notes) played his first NHL game in an emergency situation after two Maple Leafs fell ill before their game against San Jose. He finished with no points, zero shots and was a minus-one ... The Leafs may have lost to the Sharks, but Phil Kessel(notes) kept up his scoring ways notching his 21st of the year and assisting on another. Kessel now has six goals in his last five games ... Tomas Kaberle(notes) recorded his 400th assist ... Anssi Salmela(notes) scored a nice shorthanded goal for the Devils tonight, but after taking this hit from Philadelphia's Jeff Carter(notes), he didn't remember it ... J.S. Giguere saw his shutout streak as a Maple Leaf end after 143:17 ... Another young Avalanche player who is producing at a high rate this season is Brandon Yip(notes) who scored twice against the Oilers. The Boston University alum now has 11 goals in 22 games this season for Colorado ... Ilya Bryzgalov(notes) stopped 33 Edmonton shots for win No. 31 on the season. He's won five of his last six starts for Phoenix ... Joining Lombardi in the plus-five club for the Coyotes was Robert Lang(notes) who also had a goal and two assists ... Radim Vrbata(notes) played in his 500th NHL game ... Just 24 seconds after Anze Kopitar(notes) cut Anaheim's lead to one, Corey Perry(notes) scored what turned out to be the insurance marker for the Ducks in their win over Los Angeles. Perry also assisted on both of Anaheim's opening goals ... Teemu Selanne(notes) scored goal No. 597.
Did you know?: Edmonton has been outscored 13-3 in the first three stops of a five-game road trip. (AP)
Dishonorable mention: Of Edmonton's six goals against, Ethan Moreau(notes) and Steve Staios(notes) finished minus-four ... Colorado's three goals in 4:09 were enough to chase St. Louis' Chris Mason(notes) after he allowed five goals on 15 shots ... Martin Brodeur(notes) allowed two Flyers goals in the final 1:36 of the second period and then allowed a Mike Richards(notes) tally with just under eight minutes left as New Jersey blew a 2-0 lead against Philadelphia.
