Buffalo, as the Sabres host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Robin Lehner man the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with an unassisted Joonas Donskoi goal, his third of the season. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres took the lead with a Jason Pominville goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. The Sharks retied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the year, guided in by Melker Karlsson and Timo Meier. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Logan Couture goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Justin Braun. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Couture, Tierney, and Donskoi.
At the regular time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Charlie McAvoy and Anders Bjork. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings won 2-1 at the last second of overtime with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Anze Kopitar. The three stars were Toffoli, Quick (29 for 30 in saves), and Kopitar.
Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the New York Rangers. Ondrej Pavelec and Carey Price are given the starting nods in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Paul Byron goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens added on with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. Montreal extended the lead as Danault scored his second of the season, thanks to Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber. New York got on the board in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and J.T. Miller. The Rangers got closer with a Rick Nash goal, his second of the campaign, via Miller and Mika Zibanejad. The Canadiens replied with a Max Pacioretty goal, his third of the season, helped along by Weber and Danault. New York countered in the third period with a Zibanejad goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ryan McDonagh and Nash. The Rangers tied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the season, coming off of Shattenkirk and David Desharnais. Montreal regained the lead with another Danault goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Brandon Davidson and Shaw. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Danault, Nash, and Weber, while Shaw, Shattenkirk, Miller, and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Cory Schneider are set to start in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Christian Fischer power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Christian Dvorak and Jason Demers. New Jersey tied it with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Brian Gibbons, his fifth of the year. The Devils took the lead in the second period on a Taylor Hall goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Jesper Bratt. The Coyotes retied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Mario Kempe. Arizona took the lead on an unassisted Clayton Keller goal, his eighth of the year. New Jersey retied it on a Hall power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, courtesy of Adam Henrique and Bratt. The Devils pulled ahead on a Bratt power play goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Hall and Will Butcher. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Hall, Bratt, and Gibbons.
Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson faces a lesser foe in Peter Budaj in goal. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Brandon Montour and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Montour power play goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Getzlaf. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Chris Kunitz goal, his second of the season, passed from J.T. Brown and Ryan Callahan. Anaheim responded with a Hampus Lindholm goal, via Chris Wagner and Dennis Rasmussen. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Rakell scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, thanks to Getzlaf, who got a sock trick, and Corey Perry. The final held at 4-1 from here, with the three stars handed to Rakell, Getzlaf, and Montour, while Gibson (31 for 32 in saves) gets an honorable mention.
North again to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen are the veteran goalies. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Auston Matthews and Josh Leivo. Philadelphia tied it with a Brandon Manning goal, made possible by Scott Laughton and Taylor Leier. The Flyers took the lead on a Jakub Voracek goal, his second of the year, guided in by Radko Gudas and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Travis Konecny and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Kadri goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Connor Broan and Ron Hainsey. The Flyers answered on a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Voracek and Manning. This produced the eventual 4-2 final, with the three stars being Voracek, Manning, and Kadri.
South once more to Florida, where the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Detroit was first to score in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha. Florida tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers took the lead with a Dadonov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad. The Red Wings retied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Jonathan Ericsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nyquist won it 3-2 for the Red Wings. The three stars were Nyquist, Dadonov, and Athanasiou.
Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, coming off of Colton Parayko and Paul Stastny. The Blues added on in the second period with a Scottie Upshall goal, passed from Joel Edmundson and Dmitrij Jaskin. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Edmundson scored his third of the season, thanks to Kyle Brodziak and Upshall. Columbus got on the board with a Matt Calvert goal, his third of the year, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander Wennberg. The Blues replied with a Brodziak goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Jaskin and Upshall. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Upshall, Edmundson, and Brodziak, while Allen (36 for 37 in saves) and Jaskin get the honorable mentions.
Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Juuse Saros draw the starts in goal. New York began in the first period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, passed from Kevin Fiala and Mattias Ekholm. The Islanders regained the lead on a Pulock power play goal, powered by Beauvillier and Brock Nelson. New York added on with another Eberle goal, his second of the game, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as John Tavares scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Anders Lee. New York padded the lead on another Tavares goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, via Lee and Eberle. The Islanders continued as Tavares completed his hat trick with his ninth of the campaign, with the help of Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey on the power play. The Predators got one back with a Craig Smith goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Ekholm and Colton Sissons. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Tavares, Eberle, and Pulock, while Beauvillier, Nelson, Lee, and Ekholm get the honorable mentions.
Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. Minnesota tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his second of the year, via Matt Cullen and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild took the lead with a Mikko Koivu goal in the third period,. his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Mike Reilly and Kyle Quincey. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Dubnyk (29 for 30 in saves), Koivu, and Winnik.
Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his second of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado extended the lead as Rantanen scored his second of the game and third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Avalanche padded the lead as MacKinnon scored his second of the game and third of the year, with the help of Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. Colorado chased Forsberg with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Rocco Grimaldi and Tyson Barrie. Corey Crawford took over in relief. Chicago got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his third of the year, assisted by Michal Kempny and John Hayden. The Blackhawks got closer on an Artem Anisimov goal, his third of the season, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and Kempny. The Avalanche shot back in the third period with a Grimaldi goal, fueled by Erik Johnson and Andrighetto. Chicago got one back with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma. This only made it 6-3, with the three stars awarded to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Grimaldi, while Andrighetto and Kempny get the honorable mentions.
Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic. Washington got on the board with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, passed from John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals tied it in the second period on a Lars Eller goal, courtesy of Madison Bowey and Ovechkin. Washington took the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Ovechkin, who earned a sock trick, and Bowey. The Capitals extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his second of the night and third of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Jay Beagle empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Eller. The three stars went to Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Bowey, while Eller gets an honorable mention.
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