NHL 2017-18 Day 46

Thirteen games today, including five matinees. The first is in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Brian Elliott are in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Brandon Manning goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Valtteri Filppula. Calgary tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his ninth of the year, via Micheal Ferland and Sean Monahan. The Flyers took the lead with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his third of the year, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Scott Laughton. The Flames got one back with a Monahan power play goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Kris Versteeg and Mark Giordano. Calgary tied it on another Monahan power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Flyers regained the lead with a Nolan Patrick goal, his second of the season, made possible by Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flames retied it on a Monahan power play goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Gaudreau and Versteeg. The Flames won 5-4 in overtime with a Michael Frolik goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Mikael Backlund and Brodie. The three stars were Monahan, Gaudreau, and Brodie, while Versteeg and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Kari Lehtonen draw the starts. Dallas led off in the first period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jamie Benn and John Klingberg. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventh of the year, via Roussel and Esa Lindell. Edmonton got on the board with a shorthanded Drake Caggiula goal, his second of the season, set up by Connor McDavid. The Oilers tied it with a McDavid power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom. Edmonton took the lead in the second period with a Caggiula goal, his second of the game and third of the season, fueled by Darnell Nurse and McDavid. Ben Bishop replaced Lehtonen in goal. Dallas tied it on a Devin Shore goal, courtesy of Tyler Seguin. The Stars pulled ahead with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Tyler Pitlick and Jamie Oleksiak. Dallas extended the lead as Benn scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Roussel and Radulov. The Stars padded the lead with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist from the goalie Bishop. The three stars of the 6-3 game were Roussel, Benn, and McDavid, while Radulov and Caggiula get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Tom Pyatt and Johnny Oduya. Arizona tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his fourth of the year, via Jason Demers. The Senators retook the lead with a Mark Borowiecki goal in the second period, his second of the season, passed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Cody Ceci. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with a Duclair power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Duclair goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Ekman-Larsson and Derek Stepan. The three stars were awarded to Duclair, Ekman-Larsson, and Raanta (30 for 32 in saves).

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his fifth of the season, via Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. New Jersey tied it on a Brian Gibbons goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Blake Coleman and Will Butcher. The Jets retook the lead with a Patrik Laine goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little. Winnipeg added on with a Jacob Trouba goal, passed from Connor and Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Matt Hendricks scored his second of the year, thanks to Mathieu Perreault and Joel Armia. Winnipeg padded the lead with a Perreault goal, his third of the season, made possible by Hendricks and Armia. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Butcher goal, coming off of Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Hendricks, Perreault, and Armia, while Connor, Butcher, and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the matinees end with the Los Angeles Kings welcoming the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Darcy Kuemper make spot starts in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on in the third period with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, assisted by Nic Dowd and Jussi Jokinen. Los Angeles extended the lead as Andy Andreoff scored, thanks to Toffoli and Adrian Kempe. The Kings iced it at 4-0 with a Trevor Lewis empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Tanner Pearson and Nick Shore. The three stars were Kuemper (24 save shutout), Toffoli, and Brodzinski.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Chad Johnson are the goalies. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his third of the season, passed from Marcus Kruger and Brett Pesce. Buffalo tied it on a third period Evander Kane goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ryan O'Reilly. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Sebastian Aho goal, his third of the season, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Hadyn Fleury. Carolina added on with a Joakim Nordstrom empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Kruger and Jaccob Slavin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Darling (24 for 25 in saves), Kruger, and Aho.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Charlie Lindgren make the starts in goal. Toronto drew first blood in the second period with a Ron Hainsey goal, coming off of Tyler Bozak and Dominic Moore. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Patrick Marleau and the goalie Andersen. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Connor Brown scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Nikita Zaitsev and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Bozak. Toronto chased Lindgren with an Auston Matthews goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Mitchell Marner and Matt Martin. Antti Niemi made the relief appearance. The Maple Leafs capped it at 6-0 with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Bozak, and Marner, while Andersen (33 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Matt Murray tend the twines. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Gustav Forsling power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Jonathan Toews. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Matt Hunwick shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Riley Sheahan and Carl Hagelin. The Blackhawks took the lead back with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Patrick Kane. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars belonging to Crawford (35 for 36 in saves), Anisimov, and Forsling.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of John Tavares and Joshua Ho-Sang. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee goal, his tenth of the year, via Tavares and Josh Bailey. New York extended the lead in the second period as Brock Nelson scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Jason Chimera and Adam Pelech. The Islanders padded the lead in the third period with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, powered by Bailey and Mathew Barzal. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Brayden Point and Slater Koekkoek. The Lightning pulled closer with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Point and the goalie Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay got closer with a Gourde goal, his sixth of the season and second of the game, made possible by Palat and Dan Girardi. New York finished it at 5-3 with a Tavares empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Casey Cizikas and Bailey. The three stars were Lee, Gourde, and Tavares, while Bailey, Palat, and Point earn the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Braden Holtby are given the green light to play goal. Washington opened in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his tenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Capitals took the lead back with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his second of the season, helped along by Matt Niskanen and Oshie. Washington added on in the third period with a Kuznetsov power play goal, his fifth of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Oshie, Kuznetsov, and Holtby (30 for 31 in saves).

Southwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on in the second period with a Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Roman Josi and Nick Bonino. Nashville extended the lead as Anthony Bitetto scored, thanks to Smith and Kevin Fiala. The Predators padded the lead in the third period with a Mattias Ekholm power play goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Fiala and Josi. Nashville continued with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Subban and Alexei Emelin. Colorado got on the board with an Andrei Mironov goal, passed from Nikita Zadorov and Alexander Kerfoot. The Avalanche got another with a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Kerfoot and Mironov. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Smith, Mironov, and Fiala, while Josi, Subban, and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Anders Nilsson are in the blue paint. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat. St. Louis tied it on a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the year, via Paul Stastny and Scottie Upshall. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period with a shorthanded Markus Granlund goal, his third of the season, set up by Loui Eriksson and Alex Biega. Vancouver added on with a Baertschi power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Eriksson and Thomas Vanek. The Blues got one back with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Stastny and Vince Dunn. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Joel Edmundson goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Stastny, who got a sock trick, and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime on a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Jaden Schwartz and Dunn. The three stars went to Stastny, Dunn, and Baertschi, while Eriksson gets an honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Daniel O'Regan and Joel Ward. Boston tied it on a Peter Cehlarik goal, coming off of Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins took the lead with a DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Charlie McAvoy and Sean Kuraly. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Danton Heinen goal in the third period, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Kevan Miller. The three stars belonged to DeBrusk, Khudobin (36 for 37 in saves), and Cehlarik.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 45

Just two games on today, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Columbus got going in the second period with a Zach Werenski goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Bobrovsky (36 save shutout), Werenski, and Panarin.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Luke Glendening goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Darren Helm. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventh of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Victor Antipin. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader. Detroit added on with a Dylan Larkin goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Xavier Ouellet and Abdelkader. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Tatar, Abdelkader, and Howard (19 for 20 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 44

Twelve games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto won 1-0 in overtime with a William Nylander goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. The three stars were Andersen (42 save shutout), Nylander, and Schneider (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Thomas Greiss man the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ladd and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Cal Clutterbuck goal, his third of the year. Carolina got on the board with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. New York answered on a Leddy goal, his fourth of the year, via Anders Lee and Josh Bailey. The Hurricanes got one back in the second period on a Noah Hanifin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner. Carolina tied it with a Derek Ryan goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Brett Pesce and Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes took the lead on an Aho goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Teravainen and Staal. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Bailey power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Lee and Barzal. New York gained the lead with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his second of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas and Clutterbuck. The Islanders iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Jordan Eberle, his seventh of the year, set up by Barzal. The three stars were Barzal, Clutterbuck, and Bailey, while Leddy, Lee, Aho, Teravainen, and Staal get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Charles Hudon. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Brad Richardson goal, with a lone assist by Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his third of the season, guided in by Christian Fischer and Anthony Duclair. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Joe Morrow goal, his second of the year, via Tomas Plekanec. Arizona tied it again with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Dvorak and Jordan Martinook. Montreal pulled ahead with a Shea Weber goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Plekanec. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with an unassisted Derek Stepan power play goal, his third of the season. Arizona took the lead with a Fischer power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brendan Perlini and Clayton Keller. The final remained at 5-4, with the three stars being Fischer, Dvorak, and Plekanec.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Olli Maatta and Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brian Dumoulin and Bryan Rust. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Dzingel and Chris Wideman. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Riley Sheahan, set up by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The three stars were Guentzel, Hornqvist, and Murray (21 for 22 in saves).

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop faces his former team and Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Dallas tied it on an unassisted Radek Faksa goal, his fourth of the year. The Lightning retook the lead with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay added on with a shorthanded Brayden Point goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning extended the lead in the third period as Stamkos scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, assisted by Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Jake Dotchin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Sergachev and Stamkos. The Lightning continued with a Kucherov goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Hedman and Stamkos. The final held at 6-1, with the three stars awarded to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Sergachev, while Hedman gets an honorable mention.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his fifth of the season, via Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. The Flyers added on with a Couturier power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Voracek. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Joel Armia and Tyler Myers. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. In the shootout, Scheifele, Laine, and Bryan Little lifted the Jets 3-2 over Voracek and Jordan Weal of the Flyers. The three stars were Scheifele, Laine, and Couturier, while Voracek gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Nashville began in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators added on in the second period with a Roman Josi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. Nashville extended the lead as Ekholm scored his third of the year, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Dumba goal, passed from Jonas Brodin and Eric Staal. The Wild pulled closer with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. The Predators answered in the third period with an Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Johansen and Forsberg. Minnesota pulled one back with a Spurgeon goal, his third of the season, fueled by Staal and Ryan Suter. The Wild tied it on a Staal power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Marcus Foligno and Dumba. Minnesota took the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Mikko Koivu and Granlund. The Wild iced it at 6-4 with a Spurgeon empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Spurgeon, Staal, and Dumba, while Johansen, Arvidsson, Ekholm, Forsberg, and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Talbot protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Vladimir Sobotka goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Strome power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Matt Benning and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Blues retook the lead with an Alexander Steen power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, via Brayden Schenn and Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on with a Schenn goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, coming off of Scottie Upshall. The Blues extended the lead as Schenn scored again, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, thanks to Jaden Schwartz and Colton Parayko. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schenn, Pietrangelo, and Allen (29 for 30 in saves).

Back south, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer faces former Capital Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Samuel Girard and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Colin Wilson scored, thanks to MacKinnon and Rantanen. Washington got on the board with a Brett Connolly goal, his second of the season, via Tom Wilson. The Avalanche replied in the third period with a Landeskog shorthanded penalty shot goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year. Colorado padded the lead with a Rantanen power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Carl Soderberg and MacKinnon. The Capitals got one back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and John Carlson. The Avalanche capped it at 6-2 with a Landeskog power play goal to complete his hat trick, with helpers from MacKinnon and Rantanen, both of whom earned sock tricks. The three stars were Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Rantanen.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Jacob Markstrom are the inexperienced goalies. Vegas led off in the first period with a David Perron goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Nate Schmidt and Erik Haula. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, via Alex Tuch and Brendan Leipsic. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Sam Gagner and Thomas Vanek. Vegas took the lead back in the third period with a Haula goal, his sixth of the season, passed from James Neal and Schmidt. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored an unassisted goal, his fifth of the year. Vegas iced it at 5-2 with a Reilly Smith empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Marchessault and Karlsson. The three stars went to Haula, Marchessault, and Karlsson, while Schmidt gets an honorable mention.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Patrice Bergeron. Los Angeles tied it on a Drew Doughty power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Anze Kopitar. The Bruins retook the lead with a Zdeno Chara goal, his second of the season, made possible by Paul Postma and Danton Heinen. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars given to Khudobin (27 for 28 in saves), Chara, and McAvoy.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Martin Jones tend the twines. Florida got going in the second period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Connor Brickley and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jamie McGinn and Radim Vrbata. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars handed to Luongo (35 save shutout), Sceviour, and Bjugstad.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 43

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Calgary Flames. Eddie Lack and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixth of the year, via Henrik Zetterberg and Anthony Mantha. Calgary got on the board with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. Detroit answered on a Mantha power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Athanasiou and Mike Green. The Red Wings extended the lead on a Dylan Larkin shorthanded and unassisted goal, his third of the season. Detroit padded the lead in the second period as Mantha scored his second of the game and tenth of the year on the power play, with the help of Frans Nielsen and Green. The Flames got one back with a Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Ferland and Dougie Hamilton. The Red Wings replied on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Larkin. Detroit continued in the third period with an Athanasiou power play goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Larkin and Green, the latter earning a sock trick. The Red Wings capped it at 8-2 with a Luke Glendening power play goal, his fourth of the year, via David Booth and Nick Jensen. The three stars went to Athanasiou, Mantha, and Larkin, while Green, Gaudreau, and Ferland get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Corey Crawford tend the twines. New York began in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Chicago tied it in the second period with an Alex Debrincat goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Richard Panik and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz. Chicago added on with a John Hayden goal, his second of the year, passed from Cody Franson and Keith. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Anisimov scored his second of the game and eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Franson and Schmaltz. The Rangers got one back with a Kevin Hayes goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash. New York got closer with an unassisted Nash goal, his seventh of the season. Chicago replied with an Anisimov goal, completing his hat trick with his ninth of the year, fueled by Schmaltz, who got a sock trick, and Panik. The Blackhawks iced it at 6-3 with a Jonathan Toews empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Panik, who got a sock trick, and Brent Seabrook. The three stars were Anisimov, Schmaltz, and Panik, while Franson, Keith, and Nash get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Kevin Roy goal, via Nick Ritchie and Sami Vatanen. Boston tied it in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, his third of the season, assisted by Riley Nash and Jake DeBrusk. The Ducks took the lead back with a Josh Manson goal, coming off of Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. Anaheim added on with a Ritchie goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Antoine Vermette and Manson. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Derek Grant scored his fourth of the campaign, with the help of Perry. The Bruins got one back with a Noel Acciari goal, made possible by Brandon Carlo and DeBrusk. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Manson, Ritchie, and Perry, while DeBrusk gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 42

Eight games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Buffalo opened the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres added on with a Reinhart power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Marco Scandella and Kyle Okposo. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his sixth of the season, via Riley Sheahan. Buffalo replied in the second period with an unassisted Eichel goal, his fifth of the year. The Penguins pulled back with a Conor Sheary goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Hornqvist and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz. The Sabres retook the lead with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Reinhart. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Kessel goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Sheary goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, assisted by Crosby and Kris Letang. The three stars went to Sheary, Kessel, and Eichel, while Reinhart, Hornqvist, and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Charlie Lindgren man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Markus Nutivaara. Montreal tied it on a third period goal by Paul Byron, his fourth of the year, via Shea Weber and Alex Galchenyuk. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in overtime with a Zach Werenski goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. The three stars were Werenski, Bobrovsky (28 for 29 in saves), Anderson.

South to Florida, where the Panthers host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Roberto Luongo are the veterans in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers added on with another Huberdeau power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, via Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alexander Radulov and Mattias Janmark. The Stars tied it in the second period with another Benn goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, courtesy of Radulov. Dallas took the lead with a Remi Elie goal, his second of the season, passed from Jason Spezza and Martin Hanzal. Florida tied it in the third period with a Barkov goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Mike Matheson and Yandle. In the shootout, Barkov and Trocheck topped Tyler Seguin as the Panthers took a 4-3 win. The three stars were Huberdeau, Barkov, and Benn, while Trocheck, Yandle, and Radulov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville began in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kevin Fiala and Anthony Bitetto. The Predators added on with a Nick Bonino goal, his second of the year, via Roman Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. Washington got on the board in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Brett Connolly and Carlson. Nashville retook the lead with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Filip Forsberg. The Predators extended the lead as Kevin Fiala scored, thanks to Mattias Ekholm. Washington pulled one back with an Oshie goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Chandler Stephenson and Nicklas Backstrom. Nashville answered on a Miikka Salomaki goal, his second of the season, made possible by Colton Sissons and Matt Irwin. The Predators padded the lead with an Ekholm power play goal, his second of the year, with assists from Kyle Turris and Sissons. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby for the third period. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars given to Fiala, Ekholm, and Oshie, while Sissons and Carlson get the honorable mentions.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his third of the season, passed from Dmitry Kulikov and Adam Lowry. The Jets added on in the second period with a Joel Armia goal, his third of the year, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg chased Raanta with an unassisted Bryan Little goal, his second of the season. Scott Wedgewood replace Raanta in goal. The Jets extended the lead as Lowry scored his second of the year, thanks to  Patrik Laine and Tyler Myers. Arizona got on the board in the third period with an Alex Goligoski, his second of the season, made possible by Tobias Rieder. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Hellebuyck (33 for 34 in saves), Armia, and Little.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his third of the season, assisted by Eric Staal. The Wild added on with a Staal empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Jason Zucker empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Dubnyk and Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Dubnyk (30 save shutout), Staal, and Niederreiter.

West to Edmonton, where the Oilers host the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace is mismatched with Cam Talbot in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with an Oscar Klefbom shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Jujhar Khaira and Mark Letestu. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Patrick Maroon and Ryan Strome. Edmonton extended the lead as Maroon scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Leon Draisaitl and Yohann Auvitu. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period with a Matt Benning goal, his second of the year, assisted by Klefbom and Connor McDavid. Vegas got on the board with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his third of the season, helped along by Tomas Nosek and Nate Schmidt. Edmonton answered in the third period with a McDavid power play goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights replied with a James Neal goal, his tenth of the season, with assists by Colin Miller and David Perron. The Oilers shot back with another McDavid goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Draisaitl. Edmonton continued with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with helpers from Milan Lucic and Kris Russell. The Oilers piled on with a Letestu power play goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Zack Kassian and Khaira. The final held at 8-2, with the three stars handed to McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Maroon, while Klefbom, Letestu, Khaira, and Draisaitl get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Dustin Brown and Alex Iafallo. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his second of the season, via Loui Eriksson and Derrick Pouliot. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Brock Boeser and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver took the lead in the third period with a Sven Baertschi power play goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Pouliot. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars given to Henrik Sedin, Nilsson (30 for 32 in saves), and Pouliot.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 41

Two games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Scott Darling are in the creases. Carolina opened in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, assisted by Jordan Staal and Teuvo Teravainen. Dallas tied it in the second period with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his sixth of the season, via Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Teravainen power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Staal and Aho. Carolina added on with another Teravainen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Staal, the latter earning a sock trick. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Teravainen completed his natural hat trick on his sixth of the year, thanks to Staal and Aho. Carolina padded the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Elias Lindholm. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Teravainen, Staal, and Aho.

The other game has the Calgary Flames hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Mike Smith are the masked men. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Colton Parayko and Paul Stastny. Calgary tied it on a Mark Jankowski goal, his second of the year, fueled by Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames took the lead with another Jankowski goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Jaromir Jagr and Sam Bennett. The Blues retied it on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Brayden Schenn. Calgary took the lead back in the third period on a Bennett goal, made possible by Jankowski. St. Louis tied it again with a Steen goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Stastny and Joel Edmundson. The Flames regained the lead with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Blues equalized on Tarasenko's second of the game and tenth of the season, guided in by Schwartz and Schenn. Calgary pulled ahead with a Kris Versteeg goal, his third of the year, via Troy Brouwer and Curtis Lazar. The Flames added on with a Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Mark Giordano. Calgary iced it at 7-4 with a Michael Frolik empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. The three stars went to Jankowski, Tarasenko, and Gaudreau, while Bennett, Tkachuk, Schwartz, Steen, Schenn, and Stastny get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 40

Just four games on today, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Corey Crawford man the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his sixth of the season, via Jan Rutta and Patrick Kane. New Jersey tied it on a Miles Wood power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Drew Stafford and Taylor Hall. The Blackhawks retook the lead with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nick Schmaltz. Chicago added on with a Rutta power play goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Tanner Kero scored, thanks to Lance Bouma. The Devils got one back on another Wood goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Steven Santini. New Jersey got closer with an Andy Greene goal in the second period, his second of the year, courtesy of Stefan Noesen and Blake Coleman. The Devils tied it on an unassisted Nico Hischier goal, his third of the season. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Hall goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Hischier and Greene. The Devils padded the lead with a Brian Gibbons goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Wood. Chicago answered with a Kane power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Rutta and Schmaltz. Anton Forsberg replaced Crawford for the third period. New Jersey countered in the third period on a Wood power play goal to complete his hat trick on his sixth of the season, with helpers from Jesper Bratt and Hischier. This stood for a 7-5 win, with the three stars given to Wood, Rutta, and Hall, while Hischier, Kane, Schmaltz, and Greene get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jujhar Khaira goal, made possible by Iiro Pakarinen and Ryan Strome. Washington tied it on a Dmitry Orlov goal, via Tom Wilson and Madison Bowey. The Capitals won 2-1 in the shootout with a T.J. Oshie tally. The three stars were Holtby (29 for 30 in saves), Orlov, and Oshie.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and John Gibson guard the cages. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Anaheim tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, via Chris Wagner and Andrew Cogliano. The Lightning took the lead back on a J.T. Brown goal, assisted by Chris Kunitz and Ryan Callahan. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Vasilevskiy (28 for 29 in saves), Brown, and Namestnikov.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks in a battle of California. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead on a Joel Ward goal, his third of the season, passed from Barclay Goodrow and Joakim Ryan. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars being Jones (26 for 27 in saves), Ward, and Karlsson.

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