NHL 2017-18 Day 73

Eleven games on the 100th anniversary of the league's beginning. We begin with a couple of matinees, the first in...

Minnesota, as the Wild host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Alex Stalock draw the starts in goal. Edmonton got going in the second period with a shorthanded Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Zack Kassian. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba goal, his fourth of the year, via Mikael Granlund. The Oilers retook the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Lucic. The Wild got one back on a Dumba goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, passed from Chris Stewart and Eric Staal. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Dumba, Lucic, and Puljujarvi.

Back east, the Boston Bruins welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Michael Grabner goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Kevin Hayes and Brady Skjei. The Rangers added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Skjei in the second period. Boston got on the board with a Danton Heinen goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Zdeno Chara and David Krejci. The Bruins tied it on a Brad Marchand power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by David Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Kreider. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Skjei, and Lundqvist (33 for 35 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Scott Darling are the masked men. Carolina started in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Justin Williams and Brock McGinn. Columbus tied it on an Alexander Wennberg goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a second period Noah Hanifin goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Derek Ryan and Jeff Skinner. This stood for the eventual 2-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Darling (35 for 36 in saves), Hanifin, and Staal.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Los Angeles Kings. Darcy Kuemper and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an Oscar Fantenberg goal, his second of the season, via Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings added on with a Toffoli power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and the goalie Kuemper. New York got on the board with a Josh Bailey goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Calvin de Haan and John Tavares. The Islanders tied it on a Tavares power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Anders Lee and Bailey. New York took the lead with a Lee goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Ryan Pulock and Tavares. Los Angeles tied it again on an Anze Kopitar goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Dustin Brown and Alec Martinez. The Islanders won 4-3 with a Jordan Eberle goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Mathew Barzal. The three stars went to Tavares, Lee, and Bailey, while Toffoli gets an honorable mention.

Up north, the Ottawa Senators take it outdoors for the NHL100 Classic against the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Prince and Craig Anderson do the honors in goal. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Erik Karlsson and Tom Pyatt. The Senators added on in the third period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa iced it at 3-0 with a Nate Thompson empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Mark Stone. The three stars belonged to Anderson (28 save shutout), Pageau, and Ryan.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Gemel Smith goal, his third of the season, fueled by Remi Elie and Martin Hanzal. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with another Gostisbehere power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Voracek. The three stars were handed to Gostisbehere, Elliott (27 for 28 in saves), and Voracek.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason and Carter Hutton make spot starts in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on in the third period with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn. The final held from here at 2-0, with the three stars going to Hutton (48 save shutout), Tarasenko, and Dunn.

Backtracking to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Derek Grant goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Logan Shaw and Josh Manson. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. The Capitals tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Jakub Vrana. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with an Ovechkin goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by John Carlson. The three stars were Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Holtby (28 for 30 in saves).

Way southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Antti Raanta draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh drew first blood in the second period with a Carter Rowney shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Bryan Rust. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Phil Kessel. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Brad Richardson and Jordan Martinook. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with a Max Domi goal, his third of the year, assisted by Clayton Keller. Pittsburgh took the lead back with an Olli Maatta goal, his third of the season, passed from Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Malkin, Maatta, and Rowney.

North to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Peter Budaj and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning added on with an Anton Stralman goal, his third of the year, made possible by Tyler Johnson and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Hedman scored his third of the season, thanks to Kucherov and Jake Dotchin. The Lightning padded the lead on a Gourde goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Alex Killorn and Cory Conacher. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Nail Yakupov and Nikita Zadorov. Tampa Bay replied with another Stralman goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from Gourde and Brayden Point. The Avalanche pulled back on a Landeskog goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, passed from Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado got closer with a Landeskog power play goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, powered by Barrie and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche edged closer with a MacKinnon power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Barrie, who got a natural sock trick, and Landeskog. The Lightning countered with a Sergachev goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ondrej Palat and Stralman. Colorado got closer with a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, made possible by Zadorov and Landeskog. The final held from here at 6-5, with the three stars being Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Barrie, while Kucherov, Stralman, Hedman, Gourde, Sergachev, and Zadorov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Mike Smith guard the cages. Nashville kicked off the scoring the second period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Kyle Turris and P.K. Subban. This stood for a 2-0 win eventually, with the three stars given to Rinne (32 save shutout), Johansen, and Fiala.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 72

Five games tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Brock McGinn and Jordan Staal. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Evander Kane and Jake McCabe. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a McCabe goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kane and Eichel. The Hurricanes retied it on a Staal goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jaccob Slavin and Williams. Carolina took the lead with a Derek Ryan goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes added on with an Elias Lindholm goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Ryan and Sebastian Aho. Buffalo got one back with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with helpers from McCabe and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres tied it as Eichel completed his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, thanks to Kane, who got a sock trick. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime with a Slavin goal, his third of the campaign, fueled by Lindholm and Aho. The three stars were Eichel, Kane, and McCabe, while Slavin, Lindholm, Williams, Staal, Ryan, and Aho all get honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Steven Santini goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brian Gibbons. Dallas tied it on a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. The Devils took the lead back with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourth of the season, via Andy Greene and Gibbons. The Stars tied it again in the second period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Mattias Janmark and Lindell. New Jersey regained the lead with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Will Butcher and Pavel Zacha. The Devils added on in the third period with a Nick Lappin goal, made possible by Jimmy Hayes and Boyle. New Jersey iced it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Boyle, his second of the game and eighth of the year. The three stars were Boyle, Gibbons, and Lindell.

Along to Manhattan, where the New York Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York started in the first period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and David Desharnais. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Jussi Jokinen. The Rangers took the lead with a Kevin Hayes goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Ryan McDonagh and Michael Grabner. The Kings tied it again in the third period with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his second of the year, assisted by Gaborik and Jokinen. New York gained the lead with a Rick Nash goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers capped it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by J.T. Miller, his fifth of the year, helped along by Mats Zuccarello and Jimmy Vesey. The three stars were given to Gaborik, Nash, and Jokinen.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Jimmy Howard make the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Andreas Borgman goal, his third of the season, via Matt Martin and Dominic Moore. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, coming off of Henrik Zetterberg and Martin Frk. The Red Wings took the lead with a Trevor Daley shorthanded goal, set up by Jonathan Ericsson and Luke Glendening. Detroit added on in the third period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Daley, Howard (25 for 26 in saves), and Zetterberg.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Vancouver began in the first period with a Markus Granlund power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski. The Canucks retook the lead on another Granlund goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, both of whom earned sock tricks. The Sharks got one back with a Marcus Sorensen goal, courtesy of Justin Braun and Jannik Hansen. San Jose tied it in the third period with another Burns goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, coming off of Joel Ward. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Alexander Edler and the goalie Markstrom. The three stars were Granlund, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin, while Burns gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 71

We're back for a big day of hockey, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Washington began in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his tenth of the season, via Matt Niskanen. Boston tied it in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen. The Capitals took the lead back with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on in the third period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Christian Djoos and John Carlson. The Capitals extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Chiasson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season. The Bruins got one back with a David Krejci goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Charlie McAvoy and Jake DeBrusk. Washington answered with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his twenty-second of the season, set up by Niskanen. Boston replied with a Bergeron power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Heinen and Krejci. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Chiasson, Bergeron, and Ovechkin, while Niskanen and Heinen get the honorable mentions.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Zemgus Girgensons. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Sanheim goal, coming off of Dale Weise and Jordan Weal. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl. This stood for a 2-1 final, with the three stars handed to Elliott (19 for 20 in saves), Sanheim, and Filppula.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Columbus opened in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his second of the year, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus extended the lead as Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal with help from Werenski and Panarin. New York got on the board in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by John Tavares. The Islanders got closer with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Scott Mayfield and Calvin de Haan. New York tied it as Bailey scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Tavares and Anders Lee. The Blue Jackets reclaimed the lead on a Seth Jones goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Bjorkstrand. Columbus padded the lead with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Bjorkstrand, who gets a sock trick, and Wennberg. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Bailey power play goal to complete his hat trick on his eighth of the season, with a lone helper by Tavares, who got a sock trick. The Blue Jackets won it 6-4 with a Josh Anderson goal, his twelfth of the year, an empty net goal going in unassisted. The three stars were Bailey, Bjorkstrand, and Tavares, while Werenski, Panarin, and Wennberg get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Carey Price guard the cages. New Jersey started in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his third of the season, helped along by Andy Greene and Jesper Bratt. Montreal tied it on an Andrew Shaw goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jordie Benn and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his fourth of the campaign, via Charles Hudon and Alex Galchenyuk. The three stars went to Price (31 for 32 in saves), Plekanec, and Noesen.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jake Allen protect the nets. Anaheim got going in the second period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Rickard Rakell and Andy Welinski. The Ducks added on with a third period Kevin Roy goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead as Roy scored again, his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Derek Grant and Logan Shaw. St. Louis got on the board with a Patrik Berglund goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Magnus Paajarvi and Carl Gunnarsson. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Roy, Cogliano, and Gibson (29 for 30 in saves).

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, with a lone assist by Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifth of the season, via Lance Bouma. Chicago extended the lead as Nick Schmaltz scored his sixth of the year, helped along by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead with a Kane goal in the second period, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Schmaltz and Connor Murphy. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Tyler Myers and Bryan Little. Chicago replied with a Michal Kempny goal, passed from Brent Seabrook. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Kane, Schmaltz, and Crawford (27 for 28 in saves).

South to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Alex Stalock receive the starting nods in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the third period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Eric Staal and Nino Niederreiter. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Stalock (28 save shutout), Ennis, and Granlund.

Northwest to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Chris Tierney and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Tierney, his eighth of the season, powered by Meier and Kevin Labanc. The Flames retied it in the third period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Garnet Hathaway. San Jose retook the lead on a Donskoi goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Joe Thornton and Justin Braun. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Donskoi, Tierney, and Meier.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Laurent Brossoit are the little-known goalies. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pontus Aberg goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mattias Ekholm and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators added on with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Ekholm and Kyle Turris. Nashville extended the lead as Turris scored his seventh of the season, assisted by Craig Smith. The Predators padded the lead on a Roman Josi power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban. This produced the eventual 4-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Saros (46 save shutout), Turris, and Ekholm.

Down in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Semyon Varlamov are the veteran goalies. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Tyson Jost. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Jared McCann. The Avalanche retook the lead in the third period on a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, passed from Mark Barberio and Mikko Rantanen. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to MacKinnon, Varlamov (32 for 33 in saves), and Barkov.

Further to the south, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Antti Raanta make the starts in goal. This game saw Tampa Bay score first, with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Kucherov scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Victor Hedman. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Derek Stepan and Brendan Perlini. The Lightning answered in the third period with a Johnson goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by Point and Anton Stralman. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Point, Kucherov, and Johnson.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a James Neal goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Colin Miller and David Perron. Pittsburgh tied it on an Ian Cole goal, his second of the year, passed from Carl Hagelin and Riley Sheahan. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jon Merrill goal in the third period, assisted by Erik Haula. This gave them a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Fleury (24 for 25 in saves), Merrill, and Neal.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 70

Just four games tonight, beginning in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jaroslav Halak make the starts in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Dan Hamhuis and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, his tenth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Mattias Janmark. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Remi Elie scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Devin Shore and John Klingberg. The Stars padded the lead with a Benn goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted Julius Honka. Thomas Greiss replaced Halak in goal. Dallas kept going in the third period with a Pitlick goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with assists by Klingberg and Benn. New York got on the board with an Anders Lee goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Josh Bailey and John Tavares. The Islanders got closer with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, powered by Tavares and Bailey. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Benn, Pitlick, and Klingberg, while Lee, Tavares, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his second of the season, helped along by Mark Stone. New York tied it on a Michael Grabner goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh in the second period. The Senators took the lead back on a Cody Ceci goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Matt Duchene and Ryan. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Zack Smith goal, his second of the year, via Tom Pyatt. The Rangers got one back with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Chris Kreider and David Desharnais. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Ryan, Smith, and Anderson (27 for 29 in saves).

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Detroit got going in the second period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. Boston tied it in the third period with a Noel Acciari goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Tim Schaller. The Red Wings took the lead back on a shorthanded Dylan Larkin goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Darren Helm and Trevor Daley. The Bruins retied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Marchand goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Krug. The three stars went to Marchand, Krug, and Pastrnak.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Anders Nilsson are in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a P.K. Subban goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a shorthanded Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Subban scored his second of the night and sixth of the season, also an unassisted goal. Vancouver got on the board with an Alex Burmistrov power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and Henrik Sedin. The Predators replied with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Craig Smith and Johansen. Nashville padded the lead on a Smith goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Mattias Ekholm and Kevin Fiala. The Predators continued with a Fiala goal, his sixth of the season, via Kyle Turris and Smith. Nashville struck again on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Forsberg. The final held at 7-1, with the three stars going to Subban, Smith, and Forsberg, while Fiala and Johansen get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 69

Nine games on for this evening of hockey, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Robin Lehner are the goalies. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Marco Scandella and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on a Kyle Okposo goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Josh Gorges. Buffalo extended the lead as Evander Kane scored a power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Cody Ceci goal, his third of the year, via Mark Stone and Nate Thompson. The Senators got closer with a Derick Brassard his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ristolainen, Kane, and Okposo.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cory Schneider protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his second of the season, passed from Brian Gibbons and Blake Coleman. The Devils added on with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher. New Jersey extended the lead in the second period as Hall scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils padded the lead as Brian Boyle scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Stefan Noesen and Jimmy Hayes. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Torrey Mitchell goal, courtesy of Alec Martinez and Kurtis MacDermid. New Jersey replied with a shorthanded and unassisted Gibbons goal, his twelfth of the campaign. This produced the 5-1 final, with the three stars being Hall, Gibbons, and Schneider (16 for 17 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier. Toronto tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Zach Hyman and Ron Hainsey. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Travis Konecny goal, his fourth of the year, via Robert Hagg and Ivan Provorov. Philadelphia took the lead with a Couturier goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Scott Laughton, his fifth of the year, set up by Michael Raffl. The three stars were Couturier, Giroux, and Konecny.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces his former team and Braden Holtby in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Madison Bowey. Colorado tied it on a second period Colin Wilson goal, his third of the year, passed from Matt Nieto and Mark Barberio. The Capitals took the lead back with an unassisted John Carlson goal, his third of the season. Washington added on in the third period with a Brett Connolly goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Bowey and Kuznetsov. The Capitals extended the lead as Matt Niskanen scored his second of the season, thanks to Kuznetsov, who got a sock trick, and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche got one back on a Tyson Jost goal, his second of the year, helped along by Mikko Rantanen and Carl Soderberg. Washington finished it at 5-2 with a Devante Smith-Pelly empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Chandler Stephenson and Jay Beagle. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Bowey, and Connolly.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal Edmonton began in the first period with a Zack Kassian goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mark Letestu and Anton Slepyshev. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Michael Cammalleri and Matt Benning. Edmonton extended the lead as Benning scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Connor McDavid and the goalie Brossoit. The Oilers padded the lead with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton kept going with a shorthanded and unassisted Letestu goal, his seventh of the season. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Bobrovsky for the third period. Columbus got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Markus Nutivaara and Scott Harrington. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Jack Johnson, his second of the season, made possible by Bjorkstrand and Matt Calvert. The Oilers replied with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of McDavid, who got a sock trick, and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton iced it at 7-2 with a McDavid goal, his twelfth of the season, with helpers from Puljujarvi and Nurse. The three stars were McDavid, Letestu, and Benning, while Puljujarvi, Nurse, and Bjorkstrand get the honorable mentions.

Further along to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Allen tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Johnson empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Point. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (32 save shutout), Point, and Johnson.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Devan Dubnyk draw the starts in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, his second of the season, guided in by Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Suter. Alex Stalock replaced Dubnyk in the second period. Calgary tied it on a Micheal Ferland goal, his twelfth of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The tie went to a shootout, where Gaudreau was bested by Chris Stewart and Mikael Granlund as the Wild won 2-1. The three stars went to Gaudreau, Granlund, and Cullen.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Corey Crawford are the masked men. Chicago opened in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Jonathan Toews. Florida tied it in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Mark Pysyk. The Panthers took the lead on a Jamie McGinn goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck. The Blackhawks retied it on a Toews goal, his ninth ninth of the year, guided in by Saad and DeBrincat. Chicago won 3-2 in overtime with a Patrick Kane goal, his eleventh of the campaign, fueled by Artem Anisimov. The three stars were Toews, Saad, and DeBrincat.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Carolina started in the first period with an unassisted Marcus Kruger goal. Vegas tied it on a Deryk Engelland goal in the second period, his third of the season, via David Perron and Erik Haula. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, coming off of Jeff Skinner. The Golden Knights tied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Colin Miller and Brayden McNabb. Carolina won 3-2 in the shootout with rallies by Brock McGinn and Phillip Di Giuseppe topping Smith's for Vegas. The three stars were Smith, van Riemsdyk, and Kruger.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 68

Six games on today, beginning in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak make the starts. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Cal Clutterbuck and Jason Chimera. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Calvin de Haan and Jordan Eberle. New York extended the lead as John Tavares scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby in goal. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his third of the year, via Chandler Stephenson and Jay Beagle. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Halak (31 for 32 in saves), Ladd, and Tavares.

Across New York City, the Rangers welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ondrej Pavelec are the experienced backups in goal. Dallas got going in the second period with a Julius Honka goal, assisted by Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn. New York tied it on a third period Rick Nash goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich. The Stars won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies by Alexander Radulov and Jason Spezza topping Mats Zuccarello's lone tally for the Rangers. The three stars were Pavelec (44 for 45 in saves), Honka, and Lehtonen (24 for 25 in saves).

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Tristan Jarry are the lesser-known goalies. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Mark Barberio goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Blake Comeau empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Erik Johnson. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Bernier (39 for 40 in saves), Comeau, and Barberio.

Along to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Trevor Daley. Florida tied it on a third period Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers won 2-1 in overtime with a Mike Matheson goal, assisted by Nick Bjugstad. The three stars went to Matheson, Reimer (34 for 35 in saves), and Trocheck.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Connor Hellebuyck are the relatively young goalies. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Jets took the lead back with a second period Mathieu Perreault goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Joel Armia and Bryan Little. Winnipeg added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Tyler Myers and Perreault. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Josh Morrissey scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg padded the lead on Perreault's second of the game and ninth of the year, via Matt Hendricks. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Perreault, Hellebuyck (25 for 26 in saves), and Ehlers.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and John Gibson are the masked men. Carolina started in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Trevor van Riemsdyk. Anaheim tied it on a Derek Grant goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Logan Shaw. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Shaw goal, his second of the year, helped along by Andy Welinski and Antoine Vermette. The Hurricanes got one back with a Victor Rask goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Jeff Skinner and van Riemsdyk. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Shaw, van Riemsdyk, and Silfverberg.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 67

Just four games tonight, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Corey Crawford are in goal. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by John Hayden and Jordan Oesterle. Arizona tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his seventh of the year, via Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun. The Blackhawks took the lead back with an Artem Anisimov goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago added on with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Kane. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Anisimov, Crawford (31 for 32 in saves), and Kane.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jake Allen are the masked men. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Joel Edmundson and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Edmundson. Buffalo got on the board with an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, powered by Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane. The Sabres tied it on a Rodrigues goal, his second of the game, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and Marco Scandella. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Colton Parayko and Stastny. The three stars were handed to Tarasenko, Rodrigues, and Stastny, while Edmundson gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jake Gardiner and William Nylander. This first minute goal stood for a 1-0 win in the end, with McElhinney (41 save shutout), Hyman, and Brossoit (22 for 23 in saves) receiving the three stars.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock faces his former team and Martin Jones in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Murphy power play goal, powered by Jason Zucker and Eric Staal. The Wild added on with a Staal goal, his eleventh of the season, via Ryan Suter and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Staal scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, thanks to Murphy and Granlund. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns power play goal, his third of the season, fueled by Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks got closer in the third period with a Burns power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Joe Pavelski. San Jose tied it on a Hertl goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Dylan DeMelo and Tim Heed. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted Nino Niederreiter goal, his tenth of the year. The three stars went to Staal, Murphy, and Burns, while Granlund and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.