NHL 2017-18 Day 91

Nine games today, beginning with a pair of matinees. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Brian Elliott are the former teammates in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with an unassisted Scott Laughton goal, his seventh of the season. The Flyers added on with a Claude Giroux goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Ivan Provorov. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Jordan Weal scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jakub Voracek. The Flyers padded the lead on a Sean Couturier goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Giroux and Travis Konecny. St. Louis got on the board with an Ivan Barbashev goal, coming off of Paul Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues got closer in the third period with a Stastny goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Tarasenko and Barbashev. Philadelphia replied with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Giroux. St. Louis countered with a Colton Parayko goal, his fourth of the season, via Joel Edmundson and Alexander Steen. The Flyers iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Couturier, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, set up by Andrew MacDonald. The three stars were Couturier, Giroux, and Barbashev, while Stastny and Tarasenko get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Ben Bishop are the veteran goalies. Dallas led off in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Radulov. Dallas extended the lead as Seguin scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Radulov and Klingberg. The Stars padded the lead in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. Dallas answered on a Klingberg goal, his sixth of the year, via Seguin and Janmark. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Radulov, Seguin, and Klingberg, while Janmark gets an honorable mention.

Back to the northeast, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Thomas Vanek. The Canucks added on with a Sam Gagner power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Zach Hyman and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Travis Dermott. The tie went to a shootout, where Matthews and Bozak topped Gagner for a 3-2 Maple Leafs win. The three stars were Bozak, Matthews, and Gagner.

Stateside, the Boston Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin make the starts in goal. Boston started in the first period with a shorthanded Patrice Bergeron goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Riley Nash goal, his fifth of the year, via Kevan Miller and David Backes. Scott Darling relieved Ward in goal. Carolina got on the board with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Noah Hanifin. Boston answered on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Bergeron and Danton Heinen. The Bruins extended the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Ryan Spooner and David Krejci. Boston padded the lead on Bergeron's second of the game and fourteenth of the year, fueled by Marchand. The Bruins struck again as Bergeron completed his hat trick with his fifteenth of the season in the second period, with the help of Marchand and Pastrnak, the former earning a sock trick. Boston continued with a Bergeron goal, his fourth of the night and sixteenth of the year, made possible by Pastrnak and Marchand. This produced the eventual 7-1 final, with the three stars being Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak.

In Ontario again, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Mark Stone. The Senators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his tenth of the year, via Bobby Ryan. Ottawa extended the lead as Zack Smith scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Erik Karlsson and Johnny Oduya. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning got closer with a Slater Koekkoek goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Tyler Johnson. The Senators regained the lead with a Stone goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard and Thomas Chabot in the third period. Ottawa padded the lead on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Karlsson. The Senators iced it at 6-3 with a Dzingel goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Karlsson, who got a sock trick, and Stone. The three stars belonged to Dzingel, Stone, and Karlsson.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces his former backup Antti Raanta in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Derek Stepan and Christian Dvorak. New York tied it on a second period Jimmy Vesey goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers won 2-1 in the shootout on a lone tally by Mika Zibanejad. The three stars went to Lundqvist (38 for 39 in saves), Raanta (24 for 25 in saves), and Vesey.

Up in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Gabriel Bourque goal, via Colin Wilson and Tyson Jost. The Avalanche added on with a Patrik Nemeth goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Minnesota got on the board with an Eric Staal goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jonas Brodin and Jason Zucker. Colorado answered with a power play goal in the second period from Carl Soderberg, his eighth of the season, powered by Alexander Kerfoot. The Avalanche extended the lead as Rantanen scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon. The Wild got one back on a Staal power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Zucker and Ryan Suter. Colorado replied with a Soderberg power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Nail Yakupov and Kerfoot. The Avalanche padded the lead on a MacKinnon power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Samuel Girard and Rantanen. Colorado iced it at 7-2 with a Jost goal, his third of the year, guided in by Wilson and Bourque. The three stars went to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Staal, while Soderberg, Zucker, Bourque, Jost, Wilson, and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions.

Further to the north, the Calgary Flames welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Mike Smith protect the nets. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eleventh of the season. The Ducks tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. Calgary won 3-2 with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fifth of the campaign, via Ferland and Sean Monahan. The three stars went to Ferland, Hamilton, and Giordano.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Nashville kicked off the scoring with a first period power play goal by Roman Josi, his eighth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and P.K. Subban. Los Angeles tied it on an Adrian Kempe goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators took the lead back with a Scott Hartnell goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Ryan Johansen and Alexei Emelin. Nashville added on with an Austin Watson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Subban and Miikka Salomaki. The Kings got one back with a Trevor Lewis goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, fueled by Alex Iafallo. The Predators countered with a Watson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Ryan Ellis and Calle Jarnkrok. Los Angeles chipped back with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Tanner Pearson and Anze Kopitar. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Watson, Subban, and Hartnell.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 90

Just five games on today, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jaroslav Halak are the goalies. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Daniel Sprong goal, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Crosby and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Crosby scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Sprong and Simon. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period with Sprong's second of the game, via Justin Schultz and Crosby, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Sprong, Crosby, and Jarry (31 save shutout), while Simon gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Jimmy Howard are in the creases. Detroit led off in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Mike Green. The Red Wings added on with a Tomas Tatar goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Athanasiou and Dylan Larkin. Florida got on the board with a Mike Matheson goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jared McCann. The Panthers tied it in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov. Detroit retook the lead on an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Martin Frk and Green. The Red Wings capped it at 4-2 with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Henrik Zetterberg and Danny DeKeyser. The three stars went to Green, Howard (38 for 40 in saves), and Athanasiou.

Next up, the Ottawa Senators host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Craig Anderson draw the starts in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a shorthanded Tomas Hertl goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Logan Couture and Brent Burns. Ottawa tied it on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Mark Stone and Derick Brassard. The Sharks retook the lead on a Melker Karlsson goal, his sixth of the season, via Joakim Ryan and Jannik Hansen. San Jose added on in the second period with a Chris Tierney power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Tim Heed. The Sharks extended the lead as Burns scored his seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Couture and Joe Pavelski. The Senators got one back with a Stone power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. San Jose replied on another Hertl goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, fueled by Couture and Brenden Dillon, the former earning a sock trick. Ottawa got closer in the third period with a Brassard goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Stone and Erik Karlsson. The Senators pulled closer on a Matt Duchene goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Bobby Ryan and Hoffman. Ottawa tied it as Hoffman scored his tenth of the year, with the help of Duchene and Ryan. The Senators won 6-5 in overtime with a Duchene goal, his ninth of the campaign and second of the game, with a lone helper by Hoffman, who got a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Duchene, Hoffman, and Hertl, while Couture, Stone, Brassard, Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Ryan get the honorable mentions.

West to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, powered by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. Buffalo tied it on a Marco Scandella goal, helped along by Evan Rodrigues and Jason Pominville. The Jets took the lead back with a Jacob Trouba goal, his third of the season, coming off of Andrew Copp and Matt Hendricks. Winnipeg added on with a Wheeler power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Tyler Myers and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Sabres got one back with a Johan Larsson goal, his second of the season, via Jacob Josefson and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Jets countered on a Bryan Little goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, guided in by Trouba and Josh Morrissey. Buffalo chipped back with a Scott Wilson goal, courtesy of Rodrigues and Pominville. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Wheeler, Trouba, and Rodrigues, while Pominville gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Jeff Glass are the backups in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Marchessault goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Nate Schmidt. Chicago got on the board with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his third of the season, made possible by Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews. Vegas answered on with a Karlsson goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Smith and Schmidt. The Blackhawks pulled back on a Patrick Sharp goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Richard Panik and Gustav Forsling.  Chicago tied it on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Hinostroza and Saad. The Blackhawks pulled ahead with a Toews goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Hinostroza and Duncan Keith. The Golden Knights retied it on a Cody Eakin goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by David Perron. Vegas took the lead with an unassisted Smith goal, his eleventh of the campaign. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Smith, Karlsson, and Marchessault, while Hinostroza, Schmidt, Toews, and Saad get honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 89

Only eleven games on tonight after the Boston Bruins game with the Florida Panthers was postponed due to a blizzard in the northeast. We begin in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Brian Elliott are in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. New York tied it on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fifth of the year, via Nick Leddy and Dennis Seidenberg. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia added on with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Robert Hagg and Jordan Weal. The Flyers extended the lead as Provorov scored a power play goal, his sixth of the season, thanks to Nolan Patrick and Brandon Manning. The Islanders got one back with a Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, fueled by Shane Prince and Seidenberg. Philadelphia replied with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Couturier. New York got one back with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Leddy and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders got closer with an unassisted Ryan Pulock goal, his third of the season. The Flyers iced it at 6-4 with another Provorov goal, an empty netter for his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Giroux and Voracek. The three stars belonged to Provorov, Clutterbuck, and Couturier, while the honorable mentions go to Voracek, Giroux, Leddy, and Seidenberg.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with an unassisted Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Aho scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes padded the lead with an Aho goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Teravainen and Pesce. The three stars of the 4-0 game were Aho, Teravainen, and Ward (21 save shutout), while Pesce gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Connor Carrick and William Nylander. San Jose tied it on a Brenden Dillon goal, passed from Brent Burns and Timo Meier and The Maple Leafs took the lead back in the second period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Sharks retied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto won 3-2 with tallies by Matthews and Tyler Bozak topping Kevin Labanc in the shootout. The three stars were Matthews, Kadri, and Andersen (33 for 35 in saves).

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Canadiens won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Paul Byron. The three stars were given to Price (44 for 45 in saves), Vasilevskiy (37 for 38 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Carter Hutton are in the blue paint. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Colton Parayko. Vegas tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from James Neal and David Perron in the second period. The Blues took the lead back in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, via Vladimir Sobotka and Parayko. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Parayko, Hutton (32 for 33 in saves), and Fleury (37 for 39 in saves).

North to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Minnesota began in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on with a Daniel Winnik goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nate Prosser and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota extended the lead as Niederreiter scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Charlie Coyle and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild padded the lead with a Niederreiter goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Granlund and Koivu for the hat trick. Minnesota struck again with a Koivu goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Granlund, who got a sock trick, and Jonas Brodin. The Wild continued with a Coyle goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Zach Parise and Joel Eriksson Ek. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe. The Sabres got closer with an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville. The three stars of the 6-2 game were Niederreiter, Granlund, and Koivu, while Coyle gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac. Dallas tied it in the second period with an unassisted Alexander Radulov goal, his fifteenth of the year. The Stars took the lead with a Brett Ritchie power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Radulov. Dallas added on with a Tyler Seguin shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Jamie Benn. The Devils got one back with a Hall goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Nico Hischier and Andy Greene. The Stars answered with a Mattias Janmark goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, helped along by Martin Hanzal and Radulov. New Jersey answered on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Jesper Bratt and Hall. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Radulov, Hall, and Janmark.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith have the green light to play in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Derek Forbort goal, guided in by Anze Kopitar and Tanner Pearson. The Kings added on with a Pearson goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Dustin Brown. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The Flames tied it on a Troy Brouwer goal, his third of the year, passed from Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary took the lead on an unassisted Mark Jankowski goal, his seventh of the season. The Flames extended the lead as Monahan scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Gaudreau and Ferland. Los Angeles pulled one back on a Pearson goal, his eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. They couldn't tie it, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Monahan, Ferland, and Pearson, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Kris Russell goal, his third of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Milan Lucic. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Kesler power play goal, powered by Jakob Silfverberg and Cam Fowler. The tie was broken in the shootout, with Michael Cammalleri and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins besting Rickard Rakell for a 2-1 Oilers win. The three stars went to Talbot (33 for 34 in saves), Gibson (33 for 34 in saves), and Russell.

South to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Bernier play goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring the second period on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Tyson Jost and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Matt Nieto goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen in the third period. The three stars of the 2-0 win were Rantanen, Bernier (34 save shutout), and Nieto.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Antti Raanta are the Finnish goalies. Arizona drew first blood in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jordan Martinook. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis goal, via Scott Hartnell and Colton Sissons. The Predators retook the lead in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes retied it on a Nick Cousins power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jason Demers and Alex Goligoski. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Christian Fischer goal, his eleventh of the year, assists by Jakob Chychrun and Derek Stepan. The three stars went to Fischer, Cousins, and Duclair.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 88

Just two games on tonight across the league. We begin with...

The Detroit Red Wings welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his seventh of the season, via Anthony Mantha and Martin Frk. Ottawa tied it on an unassisted Ryan Dzingel goal in the third period, his tenth of the year. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime with an Athanasiou goal just six seconds in, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, made possible by Dylan Larkin. the three stars went to Athanasiou, Howard (33 for 34 in saves), and Anderson (33 for 35 in saves).

The other game has the New York Rangers bringing in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Henrik Lundqvist man the nets. Chicago began in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Jordan Oesterle. New York tied it on a Nick Holden goal, his third of the year, guided in by Paul Carey and Boo Nieves. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Ryan Hartman. The Rangers tied it again with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Mats Zuccarello. Chicago took the lead back in the third period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by David Kampf and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Toews empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Brandon Saad and Tommy Wingels. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Kane empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Hartman and Schmaltz. The three stars were Schmaltz, Kane, and Toews, and Hartman gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 87

Twelve games on tonight as the league returns to full action in the new year. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Ward are in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Victor Rask goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Chandler Stephenson. The Capitals took the lead with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jay Beagle and Brooks Orpik. Washington added on with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Taylor Chorney. The Hurricanes got one back with another Rask power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Justin Williams and Jeff Skinner. Carolina tied it in the third period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Derek Ryan. The Hurricanes pulled ahead with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Sebastian Aho. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Nicklas Backstrom. Washington won it 5-4 in overtime with Ovechkin's second goal of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Rask, and Orlov.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Riley Nash. New York tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins took the lead back in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Heinen. Boston added on with a Marchand goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by David Pastrnak. The Bruins extended the lead as Tim Schaller scored, his fifth of the season, thanks to Sean Kuraly and Charlie McAvoy. Boston padded the lead on an empty net goal by Noel Acciari, his fifth of the year, set up by Schaller and Kevan Miller. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Marchand, Heinen, and Schaller.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins for a battle of Pennsylvania. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Philadelphia tied it on a Jordan Weal goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Radko Gudas and Brandon Manning. The Penguins retook the lead with a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the season, via Riley Sheahan and Tom Kuhnhackl. Pittsburgh added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Ian Cole. The Penguins extended the lead as Kuhnhackl scored his second of the season, passed from Sheahan and Reaves. Michal Neuvirth replaced Elliott in goal for the third period. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Jamie Oleksiak power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Malkin and Kessel. The final held from here at 5-1, with the three stars being Kessel, Reaves, and Kuhnhackl, while Sheahan and Malkin get the honorable mentions.

North to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Cedric Paquette goal, with a lone assist by Chris Kunitz. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Vasilevskiy (30 save shutout), Paquette, and Killorn.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Carey Price are the goalies. San Jose started in the first period with a Joe Thornton goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Vlasic goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Mikkel Boedker and Kevin Labanc in the second period. Montreal got on the board with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. San Jose answered with a Timo Meier goal, his seventh of the year, via Labanc and Chris Tierney. The Sharks extended the lead as Meier scored again in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with the help of Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Meier, Vlasic, and Labanc.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Scottie Upshall. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Sami Vatanen and Jesper Bratt. The Blues took the lead back with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tage Thompson and Paul Stastny. The Devils tied it again in the third period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher. St. Louis won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Brayden Schenn and Tarasenko. The three stars were Tarasenko, Sobotka, and Hall.

Up north, the Minnesota Wild host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jared Spurgeon and Daniel Winnik. The Wild added on with another Cullen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Marcus Foligno and Gustav Olofsson. Minnesota extended the lead as Eric Staal scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Spurgeon and Tyler Ennis. Harri Sateri replaced Reimer in goal. The Wild padded the lead on another Staal goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, assisted by Ennis and Jason Zucker. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with a Charlie Coyle empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Spurgeon, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Cullen, Staal, and Spurgeon, while Ennis gets an honorable mention.

Way down south, the Dallas Stars welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ben Bishop. Dallas drew first blood in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Tyler Seguin and Devin Shore. Columbus tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventh of the year, via Matt Calvert and Lukas Sedlak. The Blue Jackets took the lead with another Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Seth Jones and Sedlak. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Bjorkstrand, Sedlak, and Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves).

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Semyon Varlamov occupy the creases. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from MacKinnon and Nikita Zadorov. Winnipeg got on the board with a Blake Wheeler power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Josh Morrissey. The Jets tied it on another Wheeler goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Laine. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with an Erik Johnson goal, his sixth of the campaign, via Rantanen. The three stars went to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Wheeler, while Laine gets an honorable mention.

Up to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the second period with an Andy Andreoff goal, his second of the season, passed from Torrey Mitchell and Oscar Fantenberg. The Kings added on in the third period with a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles extended the lead as Dustin Brown scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Anze Kopitar and Martinez. The Kings padded the lead on an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Gaborik and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles capped it at 5-0 with a Brown goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Kopitar and Tanner Pearson. The three stars went to Brown, Gaborik, and Quick (32 save shutout), while Kopitar and Martinez get the honorable mentions.

West to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Anders Nilsson draw the spot starts in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim extended the lead as Getzlaf scored in the second period, his third of the season, with the help of Lindholm and Manson. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his eighth of the year, via Getzlaf and Rakell. Jacob Markstrom relieved Nilsson in goal. Anaheim continued with a Derek Grant goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Manson, who got a sock trick, and Nick Ritchie. This stood for a 5-0 final, with the three stars given to Getzlaf, Miller (31 save shutout), and Manson, while Rakell and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators.Pekka Rinne and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas potted the first goal in the second period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Nate Schmidt and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a Shea Theodore goal, his fourth of the year, via Deryk Engelland and Tuch. Vegas iced it at 3-0 with a Jonathan Marchessault empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by David Perron and Erik Haula. The three stars went to Fleury (29 save shutout), Tuch, and Smith.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 86 - The Winter Classic

Just one game on to ring in the New Year, as the Buffalo Sabres act as hosts to the New York Rangers at Citi Field in the 2018 Winter Classic. Henrik Lundqvist and Robin Lehner man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Paul Carey goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jesper Fast and Boo Nieves. The Rangers added on with a Michael Grabner goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it on a Ristolainen goal in the third period, his second of the year, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Okposo. New York won 3-2 in overtime on a Miller power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello. The three stars went to Miller, Ristolainen, and Okposo.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 85

Eight games on the last day of 2017, beginning in the afternoon with...

The Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Malcolm Subban play in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Deryk Engelland. Vegas extended the lead as Erik Haula scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to David Perron and Colin Miller. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Connor Brown and Leo Komarov. The Golden Knights shot back with a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault. The Maple Leafs replied with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Zach Hyman. Toronto got closer in the third period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, passed from Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Vegas countered with a Marchessault goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Karlsson and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-3 with a Karlsson empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Smith and Brayden McNabb. The three stars went to Karlsson, Matthews, and Marchessault, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

West to Anaheim, where the Ducks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Anaheim started with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Antoine Vermette and Ryan Getzlaf. Arizona tied it with a Brendan Perlini power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski. The Ducks took the lead back on another Rakell goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by Getzlaf and Vermette. The Coyotes retied it on a Clayton Keller power play goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Derek Stepan. Anaheim regained the lead with a Cam Fowler goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. The Ducks added on with a Silfverberg goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Fowler and the goalie Gibson. Anaheim capped it at 5-2 with a Vermette empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. The three stars were given to Rakell, Fowler, and Vermette, while Getzlaf, Silfverberg, and Kesler get the honorable mentions.

To the east, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on with another Johnson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Point and Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning padded the lead on a Cory Conacher goal, his third of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-0 with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, powered by Hedman and Kucherov. The three stars went to Johnson, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (21 save shutout), while Point, Sergachev, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jimmy Howard are in the creases. Detroit began in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the year, via Tomas Tatar and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh got on the board with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Olli Maatta. Detroit answered with a Frans Nielsen goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Darren Helm and Mike Green. The Red Wings extended the lead as Nyquist scored his second of the game in the third period, his twelfth of the campaign helped along by Bertuzzi and Zetterberg. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars belonging to Nyquist, Howard (37 for 38 in saves), and Zetterberg, while Bertuzzi gets an honorable mention.

West again to Edmonton, where the Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Marko Dano goal, via Matt Hendricks and Ben Chiarot. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kyle Connor. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Connor scored his thirteenth of the year, on the power play, with the help of Patrik Laine and Adam Lowry. The Jets padded the lead on a Bryan Little goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg finished it at 5-0 with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by Joel Armia and Little. The three stars were Connor, Little, and Hellebuyck (35 save shutout.

Southeast to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Dallas led off in the first period with a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mattias Janmark and Alexander Radulov. The Stars added on with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his sixth of the year, via Radek Faksa. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Stephen Johns scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Janmark and Faksa. The Stars padded the lead on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. Dallas kept going in the third period with a Devin Shore goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Benn and Dam Hamhuis. The Stars capped it at 6-0 with a Pitlick goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Faksa, who got a sock trick, and Antoine Roussel. The three stars belonged to Pitlick, Faksa, and Bishop (26 save shutout), while Klingberg, Janmark, and Benn get honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Patrik Nemeth goal, his second of the season, helped along by Alexander Kerfoot and Sven Andrighetto. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his sixth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Blake Comeau. Colorado extended the lead as Soderberg scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Colin Wilson and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. Colorado kept going on another Landeskog power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, made possible by MacKinnon and Girard. Thomas Greiss replaced Halak in goal for the third period. New York got on the board with a Josh Bailey goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Brock Nelson and Scott Mayfield. The Avalanche countered with a Johnson goal, his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Landeskog and MacKinnon, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 6-1 win, with the three stars going to Landeskog, Soderberg, and MacKinnon, while Johnson and Girard get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Mike Smith are the goalies. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on with another Tkachuk power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Monahan scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. Chicago got on the board with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his second of the year, helped along by Brandon Saad and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks got closer with a Jonathan Toews goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Oesterle. Chicago tied it in the third period on a Saad goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Toews. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Giordano goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Backlund. The three stars were awarded to Tkachuk, Giordano, and Monahan, while Gaudreau, Backlund, Saad, Toews, and Oesterle all get honorable mentions.

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