Saturday, March 24, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 165

Twelve games on a busy Saturday, beginning with two matinees. The first is in...

Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Shea Theodore. The tie went to a shootout, where Gabriel Landeskog gave the Avalanche the 2-1 win on his lone tally. The three stars went to Varlamov (39 for 40 in saves), Landeskog, and Fleury (29 for 30 in saves).

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Martin Jones are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Brenden Dillon goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Chris Tierney and Timo Meier. The Sharks added on with a Jannik Hansen goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Barclay Goodrow. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Stone goal, his third of the season, made possible by Micheal Ferland and Chris Stewart. San Jose replied in the second period with a shorthanded Evander Kane goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Tierney. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Justin Braun scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson. San Jose padded the lead on another Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Dillon. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kane, Dillon, and Jones (37 for 38 in saves), while Tierney gets an honorable mention.

At the regular time, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Carey Price are set to start in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jacob De La Rose. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist from Backstrom. Washington added on with another Wilson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, made possible by Backstrom, who got a natural sock trick, and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead in the second period as Jay Beagle scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Dmitry Orlov and Alex Chiasson. The Canadiens got one back with a Charles Hudon goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Jordie Benn and Logan Shaw. Washington replied in the third period with another Kuznetsov power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, guided in by Backstrom and Carlson. The Capitals padded the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Jerabek and Burakovsky. Montreal chipped back with Hudon's second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Mike Reilly and Shaw. The Canadiens edged closer on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Galchenyuk. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars belonging to Backstrom, Wilson, and Kuznetsov, while Hudon, Carlson, Burakovsky, Galchenyuk, and Shaw get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Keith Kinkaid are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his eighteenth of the season, assist by Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller. The Devils added on in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Brayden Point. This led to the 2-1 final score, with the three stars given to Kinkaid (35 for 36 in saves), Palmieri, and Hischier.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Chicago got going in the second period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Patrick Sharp and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Jordan Oesterle and Jan Rutta. New York got on the board in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-third of the season, guided in by Anders Lee and Thomas Hickey. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with an unassisted Brent Seabrook empty net goal, his sixth of the year. The three stars were Forsberg (31 for 32 in saves), Saad, and Kane.

Along to Manhattan, as the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Mats Zuccarello. New York extended the lead as Neal Pionk scored in the second period, with the help of Vesey and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers padded the lead on a Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Kreider and Pionk. Linus Ullmark relieved Lehner in goal. New York continued with a Vesey power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Spooner and Hayes. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with helpers from Kyle Okposo and Ryan O'Reilly. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Vesey, Pionk, and Zibanejad, while Hayes, Kreider, and Georgiev (43 for 44 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Mike Condon receive the green light to play in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Valentin Zykov. Ottawa tied it with a Bobby Ryan goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Ryan Dzingel and Erik Karlsson. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Brock McGinn goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, via Klas Dahlbeck and Jordan Staal. Carolina added on in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Zykov. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Di Giuseppe. The Senators got one back on a Thomas Chabot goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Magnus Paajarvi. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Staal empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Justin Williams and Elias Lindholm. The three stars were Di Giuseppe, Zykov, and Ward (34 for 36 in saves), while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Anthony Mantha in the second period. The Red Wings gained the lead with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his third of the season, via Danny DeKeyser and Henrik Zetterberg. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a Connor Brown goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Travis Dermott and Morgan Rielly. Detroit pulled ahead in the third period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Luke Witkowski and Niklas Kronwall. Toronto evened it on a William Nylander goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, made possible by Patrick Marleau and Mitchell Marner. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Kadri, Andersen (38 for 41 in saves), and Nylander.

Far to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and James Reimer are making spot starts in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Richard Panik and Derek Stepan. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Panik power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Stepan and Keller. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Jamie McGinn and Keith Yandle. The Panthers tied it on another Trocheck goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, via Mark Pysyk and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida took the lead on a Denis Malgin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Colton Sceviour and Maxim Mamin. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a McGinn power play empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Aleksander Barkov and Trocheck. The three stars were awarded to Trocheck, McGinn, and Keller, while Panik and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Patrik Berglund and Kyle Brodziak. The Blues added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz. Columbus got on the board with an unassisted Cam Atkinson goal, his nineteenth of the campaign. This produced the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars given to Allen (33 for 34 in saves), Tarasenko, and Steen.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Nashville got started in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Filip Forsberg. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Marcus Foligno and Daniel Winnik. The Wild took the lead with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Jason Zucker and Ryan Murphy. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Zucker goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Eric Staal. The Wild capped it at 4-1 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Zucker, Dubnyk (19 for 20 in saves), and Niederreiter.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot are the solid goalies. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the first period with an unassisted Pontus Aberg goal, his fourth of the season. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Ty Rattie and Adam Larsson. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jake Muzzin goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter. Edmonton replied in the second period with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Anton Slepyshev and Andrej Sekera. The Kings got one back with a Carter goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Tobias Rieder and Pearson. They couldn't even it up, as the Oilers won 3-2, and the three stars went to McDavid, Carter, and Pearson.

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MLS 2018 Week 4

A new, shorter week of MLS is here with six games. We begin with...

The New England Revolution hosting New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Matt Turner are in goal. New England began in the eleventh minute with a Diego Fagundez goal, via Wilfried Zahibo. Ismael Tajouri of New York City had a yellow card for a dive in the thirty-fourth minute. The Revolution's Scott Caldwell took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the forty-third minute. New York City tied it in the fifty-first minute with a Tajouri goal, made possible by Saad Abdul-Salaam and Jesus Medina. New England regained the lead in the sixty-third minute with a Juan Agudelo goal, assisted by Cristian Penilla and Zahibo. Claude Dielna of the Revolution had a yellow card for a seventieth minute foul. New York City tied it again on another Tajouri goal in the seventy-fifth minute, courtesy of Yangel Herrera. Abdul-Salaam of New York City received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The match ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Tajouri.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas welcomes the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Jimmy Maurer make the starts in goal. Dallas saw a yellow card for a foul by Matt Hedges in the eighth minute. Dallas led off in the thirty-sixth minute with a Roland Lamah goal, assisted by Jacori Hayes. Lawrence Olum of Portland had a yellow card for his forty-fourth minute foul. The Timbers tied it in the forty-seventh minute on a Sebastian Blanco goal, via Fanendo Adi. In the seventy-fifth minute, Olum took a second yellow card for a handball, putting Portland down to ten men, while Dallas' Lamah received a yellow card for a foul. The Timbers' Diego Chara had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Maurer, who went five for six in saves.

Back up in Columbus, the Crew SC brings in DC United. David Ousted and Jon Kempin play in goal. Lalas Abubakar of Columbus had a yellow card for a foul in the third minute. The Crew started in the twentieth minute with a Milton Valenzuela goal, passed from Cristian Martinez and Artur. DC tied it on a Yamil Asad goal, coming off of Luciano Acosta in the thirtieth minute. Columbus replied in the fortieth minute with a Ricardo Clark goal, assisted by Federico Higuain. The Crew added on with a Pedro Santos goal in the forty-second minute, courtesy of Martinez and Higuain. Valenzuela had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-second minute for Columbus. The final held at 3-1, with the man of the match being Martinez for his pair of assists.

Next up, the New York Red Bulls host Minnesota United FC. Matthew Lampson is mismatched with Luis Robles in goal. New York opened in the fifteenth minute on an Alex Muyl goal, via Kyle Duncan. The Red Bulls' Marc Rzatkowski took a yellow card for not retreating in the thirty-eighth minute. Collen Warner of Minnesota had a yellow card for his thirty-ninth minute foul. New York added on in the forty-second minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, coming off of Tim Parker and Sean Davis. Ibson of Minnesota took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-fifth minute. The Red Bulls extended the lead in the seventy-eighth minute as Wright-Phillips scored again, thanks to Muyl. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match honors given to Wright-Phillips for his brace.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids welcome Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Tim Howard are the similarly named keepers. Colorado struck first in the fifth minute with a Dominique Badji goal, made possible by Edgar Castillo and Jack Price. The Rapids added on with a Joe Mason goal in the eighth minute, via Tommy Smith. Price of Colorado took a yellow card for a foul in the fifteenth minute. Kansas City got on the board in the fifty-seventh minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal. The Rapids saw yellow cards for Niki Jackson not retreating in the sixty-fifth minute and time wasting by the keeper Howard in the seventy-ninth minute. Sporting tied it in stoppage time with a Diego Rubio goal, set up by Khiry Shelton and Gerso Fernandes. Kansas City's Ilie Sanchez received a yellow card two minutes later for a foul. The game ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Rubio for the late equalizer.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Stefan Marinovic protect the nets. Rolf Feltscher of Los Angeles had a yellow card for time wasting in the fifty-third minute. The final remained 0-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for a two-save clean sheet.

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Friday, March 23, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 164

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Linus Ullmark are the backups in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jacob De La Rose and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron empty net goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Jonathan Drouin and Charles Hudon. Montreal iced it at 3-0 with a Brendan Gallagher empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, coming off of Logan Shaw. The three stars were Niemi (35 save shutout), Lehkonen, and Ullmark (21 for 22 in saves).

Along to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Matt Murray are the alliterative goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Jamie Oleksiak and Jake Guentzel. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Will Butcher power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Damon Severson and Taylor Hall. The Devils took the lead with a Blake Coleman goal, his eleventh of the season, via Drew Stafford and Pavel Zacha. New Jersey added on with a Nico Hischier goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from John Moore and Hall. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Crosby. Pittsburgh tied it on a Phil Kessel goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Derick Brassard and Conor Sheary. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hall goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hischier. The three stars were Hall, Hischier, and Crosby.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Berglund shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Kyle Brodziak in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with a Sam Gagner goal, his eighth of the season, via Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. St. Louis replied in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Jaden Schwartz. The Blues extended the lead as Dmitrij Jaskin scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Berglund, Allen (19 for 20 in saves), and Tarasenko.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Anaheim started in the first period with a Derek Grant power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Marcus Pettersson. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Scheifele goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. The Ducks retied it in the third period with an unassisted Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the year. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Scheifele. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas opened in the first period with an Esa Lindell goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Curtis McKenzie and Jason Dickinson. The Stars added on with a second period shorthanded goal by Jamie Benn, his twenty-eighth of the year, set up by Tyler Seguin and Stephen Johns. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Riley Nash. The Bruins tied it as Tim Schaller scored a shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, with the help of Marchand and Kevan Miller. Boston won 3-2 with a Pastrnak goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, via Marchand and David Krejci. The three stars were Pastrnak, Marchand, and Rask (40 for 42 in saves).

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Thursday, March 22, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 163

Ten games on a busy night of games, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Elias Lindholm and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Hurricanes added on with a Valentin Zykov goal, passed from Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. Arizona got on the board with an Alex Goligoski goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Brad Richardson. The Coyotes tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Carolina retook the lead on a Di Giuseppe goal in the second period, his third of the year, guided in by Lindholm and Skinner. Arizona pulled even with a Josh Archibald goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Max Domi. The Coyotes went ahead on a Nick Cousins goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Christian Fischer and Dylan Strome. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Aho and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Arizona reclaimed the lead with a Goligoski power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Keller and Stepan. Carolina tied it as Zykov scored his second of the game in the third period, thanks to Slavin and Teravainen. The Hurricanes won 6-5 with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, fueled by Di Giuseppe and Slavin, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Zykov, Skinner, and Di Giuseppe, while Slavin, Teravainen, Aho, Lindholm, Goligoski, Keller, and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Christopher Gibson in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his third of the season, via Braydon Coburn and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Chris Kunitz and Mikhail Sergachev. New York got on the board with a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and John Tavares. Tampa Bay replied with a Victor Hedman goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning struck again with a shorthanded goal by Point, his twenty-eighth of the season, set up by Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh. The Islanders countered with another Pulock power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Anthony Beauvillier and Eberle. New York got closer with an Anders Lee goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Josh Bailey. Tampa Bay answered on a J.T. Miller goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Coburn. The Lightning extended the lead as Sergachev scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Gourde and Point on the power play. Jaroslav Halak replaced Gibson in goal. Tampa Bay padded the lead on another Miller power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Hedman. The Islanders chipped back with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Bailey and Tavares. New York got closer with a Beauvillier goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Eberle, who gets a sock trick. The Islanders edged closer on another Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Johnny Boychuk and Mathew Barzal. This only made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars belonging to Miller, Beauvillier, and Point, while Sergachev, Hedman, Coburn, Cirelli, Gourde, Lee, Pulock, Eberle, Bailey, and Tavares all get honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Alex Lyon are the unknown goalies. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Andrew MacDonald and Claude Giroux. New York tied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Jesper Fast and Neal Pionk. The Flyers took the lead back in the second period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Giroux and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia added on with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, coming off of Radko Gudas and Giroux, the latter earning a sock trick. The Rangers got one back with a Fast goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Sproul and Chris Kreider. The Flyers shot back in the third period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his second of the year, made possible by Nolan Patrick and MacDonald. New York pulled one back with a Fast goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, guided in by Rob O'Gara and John Gilmour. This only made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Konecny, Fast, and Giroux, while MacDonald gets an honorable mention.

West to Ohio, as the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus got going in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Sonny Milano goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Matt Calvert and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus extended the lead as Seth Jones scored his fifteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Atkinson and Dubois. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-0 with a Thomas Vanek empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. The three stars were given to Bobrovsky (33 save shutout), Atkinson, and Dubois.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Washington dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Brett Connolly goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jakub Vrana. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Grubauer (39 save shutout), Connolly, and Howard (25 for 26 in saves).

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Craig Anderson occupy the creases. Edmonton began in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Pontus Aberg and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ty Rattie. Ottawa got on the board with a Matt Duchene power play goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Cody Ceci and Thomas Chabot. Edmonton replied with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as Rattie scored his third of the season, thanks to McDavid and Nurse. Edmonton padded the lead on a Caggiula power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assisted provided by Milan Lucic and Aberg. The Senators got one back with a Filip Chlapik goal, coming off of Marian Gaborik and Bobby Ryan. The Oilers capped it at 6-2 with a McDavid goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Nugent-Hopkins and Nurse, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were McDavid, Caggiula, and Nurse, while Nugent-Hopkins, Aberg, and Rattie get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Toronto struck first in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with a lone assist by P.K. Subban. The Maple Leafs got the lead back with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Rielly and van Riemsdyk. Toronto added on with an unassisted William Nylander goal, his sixteenth of the year. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Marner scored his twentieth of the season on the power play in the third period, thanks to Rielly, who got a sock trick, and Tyler Bozak. Toronto padded the lead on a Jake Gardiner goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Connor Brown and Bozak. The Predators got one back with a Scott Hartnell goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, via Mike Fisher and Austin Watson. They still lost 5-2, with the three stars being Rielly, van Riemsdyk, and Marner, while Bozak gets an honorable mention.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jean-Francois Berube draw the starts in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Edler goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brendan Leipsic and Henrik Sedin. Chicago tied it on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. The Canucks took the lead back with a Henrik Sedin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Sam Gagner. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Nikolay Goldobin and Troy Stecher. The Canucks extended the lead as Edler scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, with the help of Horvat and Goldobin. Anton Forsberg relieved Berube in goal. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Darren Archibald. The Blackhawks got one back with a Matthew Highmore goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist from Brandon Saad. This produced the 5-2 final, with the three stars given to Edler, Horvat, and Markstrom (39 for 41 in saves), while Henrik Sedin and Goldobin get the honorable mentions.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his thirtieth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown. The Kings took the lead with a Jake Muzzin goal, his seventh of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Nate Thompson. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, powered by Brown and Muzzin. The Kings extended the lead in the second period as Tobias Rieder scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Drew Doughty and the goalie Quick. Los Angeles chased Varlamov with a Kopitar goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Thompson and Derek Forbort. Jonathan Bernier replaced Varlamov in goal. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with an unassisted Kopitar goal, his fourth of the night and thirty-third of the season. Los Angeles capped it at 7-1 with a Rieder goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with helpers from Jeff Carter and Christian Folin. The three stars went to Kopitar, Rieder, and Muzzin, while Brown and Thompson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Martin Jones are the goalies. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his eleventh of the year, via Paul Martin and Jannik Hansen in the second period. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime with an unassisted Logan Couture goal, his thirty-first of the campaign. The three stars were Jones (24 for 25 in saves), Couture, and Subban (42 for 44 in saves).

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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 162

Four games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex Goligoski and Brendan Perlini. Buffalo tied it on a Jordan Nolan goal, his third of the year, via Evan Rodrigues and Nathan Beaulieu. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Derek Stepan power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on in the third period with a Richard Panik goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Keller and Stepan. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Max Domi empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jakob Chychrun. The three stars were Stepan, Raanta (29 for 30 in saves), and Keller.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Casey DeSmith in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-first of the season, made possible by Carl Hagelin. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Malkin and Phil Kessel. Montreal got on the board with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his twelfth of the season, via Paul Byron and Jordie Benn. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a shorthanded Nikita Scherbak goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Charles Hudon and Brett Lernout. Montreal gained the lead with a Jacob De La Rose goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brendan Gallagher. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. The Penguins took the lead with a Derick Brassard power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Guentzel and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Guentzel goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Kessel and Crosby. The three stars were given to Guentzel, Crosby, and Malkin, while Kessel gets an honorable mention.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Jake Allen play in the creases. Boston opened in the first period with a Ryan Donato power play goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Alexander Steen and Brayden Schenn. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. The three stars were awarded to Schwartz, Allen (21 for 22 in saves), and Donato.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Mike Smith guard the cages. Anaheim started in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Andrew Cogliano goal, his eighth of the season. The Ducks added on in the second period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Francois Beauchemin and Adam Henrique. Anaheim extended the lead as Hampus Lindholm scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. David Rittich replaced Smith in goal. The Ducks padded the lead with a Beauchemin goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Corey Perry and Getzlaf in the third period. The three stars were Beauchemin, Gibson (29 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 161

Eleven games on tonight for a busy schedule. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Scott Darling are in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Brock McGinn goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on a Drake Caggiula goal, his tenth of the year, via Leon Draisaitl and Pontus Aberg. The Oilers took the lead with a Matt Benning goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. Edmonton added on with a Ryan Strome goal, his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Hurricanes answered with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Justin Faulk and Jordan Staal. The Oilers shot back in the second period with an Aberg goal, his third of the year, guided in by Draisaitl. Carolina countered with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Aho and Elias Lindholm. Edmonton answered on a Yohann Auvitu goal, his third of the year, made possible by Draisaitl, who earned a sock trick, and Aberg. The Oilers extended the lead as Draisaitl scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Jesse Puljujarvi and Auvitu. Edmonton capped it at 7-3 in the third period with a Puljujarvi goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Milan Lucic and Strome. The three stars went to Draisaitl, Aberg, and Puljujarvi, while Aho, Auvitu, and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray returns to face a lesser foe in Christopher Gibson in goal. New York started in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with an Adam Pelech goal, his third of the year, via Tanner Fritz and Andrew Ladd. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard. New York answered in the third period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Barzal and John Tavares. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Jordan Eberle empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Tavares and Ryan Pulock. The three stars were Barzal, Gibson (36 for 37 in saves), and Tavares.

Also in New York, the Rangers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Columbus led off in the first period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Ian Cole and Mark Letestu. New York got on the board with a shorthanded Kevin Hayes goal, his twenty-first of the season, set up by Jesper Fast. Columbus shot back with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Panarin and Nick Foligno. The Rangers got one back with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blue Jackets countered with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Cam Atkinson and Foligno. New York chipped back on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brady Skjei and Ryan Sproul. Columbus capped it at 5-3 with a Panarin empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Cole. The three stars went to Panarin, Foligno, and Cole.

In DC, the Washington Capitals host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Dallas began in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Lars Eller and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals took the lead with an unassisted Matt Niskanen goal, his sixth of the season. The Stars retied it on a Radulov goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. Washington regained the lead with an Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fourth of the season, with helpers from John Carlson and Oshie. Dallas tied it again with a Benn goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead in the third period with a Carlson goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Eller and Ovechkin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Carlson, and Oshie, while Eller, Radulov, Benn, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard are the former teammates in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Darren Helm. The Red Wings added on with a shorthanded Luke Glendening goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Trevor Daley. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit chased Mrazek with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, passed from Martin Frk and Larkin. The Flyers got one back with a Matt Read goal in the third period, assisted by Scott Laughton and Jori Lehtera. Philadelphia tied it on a Gostisbehere power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jakub Voracek and Giroux. The Red Wings regained the lead on a Larkin goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Anthony Mantha. The Flyers tied it again with a Travis Konecny goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Couturier and Giroux, the latter earning a sock trick. The tie went to a shootout, where Frans Nielsen's lone tally gave the Red Wings the 5-4 win. The three stars belonged to Larkin, Giroux, and Gostisbehere, while Couturier gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Florida struck first in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Micheal Haley. Ottawa tied it on a Patrick Sieloff goal, passed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tom Pyatt. The Panthers retook the lead on a Keith Yandle goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers extended the lead as Jared McCann scored his eighth of the year, with the help of Jamie McGinn. Mike Condon replaced Anderson in goal. The Senators got one back with an unassisted Marian Gaborik goal, his eleventh of the season. Florida answered on a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Yandle and McCann. The Panthers padded the lead with a Bjugstad goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Dadonov and Barkov. Florida finished it at 7-2 in the third period with a McGinn goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Vatrano and McCann. The three stars were awarded to McCann, Vatrano, and Yandle, while Bjugstad, McGinn, Dadonov, and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Connor Carrick. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri. Toronto extended the lead on an unassisted Zach Hyman goal, his fourteenth of the season. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Victor Hedman goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Adam Erne. The Lightning pulled closer with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead as Alex Killorn scored his fourteenth of the campaign, thanks to Anthony Cirelli and Gourde. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to van Riemsdyk, Gourde, and Killorn.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Eric Comrie are the inexperienced goalies. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Anze Kopitar and Dion Phaneuf. Winnipeg tied it on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime with another Connor goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, made possible by Bryan Little and Josh Morrissey. The three stars belonged to Connor, Comrie (16 for 17 in saves), and Campbell (36 for 38 in saves).

Stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Colorado tied it on an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Colin Wilson and Samuel Girard in the second period. The Avalanche took the lead with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Colorado added on with a Barrie power play goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Rantanen and MacKinnon. The Avalanche extended the lead with an Erik Johnson empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Colorado padded the lead as Kerfoot scored his seventeenth of the campaign, thanks to Gabriel Bourque and David Warsofsky. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Varlamov (44 for 45 in saves), Kerfoot, and Rantanen, while MacKinnon and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Vegas, as the Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with a Cody Eakin goal, his tenth of the year, via Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch. Vegas extended the lead as Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Tomas Nosek and Ryan Reaves. Malcolm Subban relieved Fleury at the start of the second period. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the second period on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula and Nate Schmidt. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Derrick Pouliot and Alex Biega. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Subban (22 for 23 in saves in relief), Eakin, and Marchessault.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Eric Fehr goal, his third of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Brent Burns. New Jersey tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his thirty-second of the year, helped along by Drew Stafford. The Sharks retook the lead with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Burns. San Jose added on with a Jannik Hansen goal, via Dylan DeMelo and Barclay Goodrow. The Sharks extended the lead as Goodrow scored his seventh of the year in the second period, thanks to Brenden Dillon. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider in goal. San Jose padded the lead on a Logan Couture goal, his thirtieth of the season, with a lone assist by Dillon. The Sharks continued with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Burns, who got a sock trick, and Chris Tierney. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Patrick Maroon and Stafford. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Goodrow, Burns, and Dillon, while Stafford gets an honorable mention.

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Monday, March 19, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 160

Five games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Thomas Vanek. Boston tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, coming off of Torey Krug and Danton Heinen in the second period. The Bruins took the lead with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by David Pastrnak and Kevan Miller. Boston added on with a Rick Nash power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Donato and Marchand. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Sonny Milano goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Ryan Murray and Nick Foligno. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Vanek goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Markus Nutivaara and Jenner. The Blue Jackets gained the lead with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Foligno. The Bruins retied it on a David Krejci goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Donato and Heinen. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Murray and Alexander Wennberg. The three stars were Vanek, Jenner, and Donato, while Foligno, Murray, Marchand, and Heinen get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Linus Ullmark make the starts in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Mike Fisher goal, his second of the season, via Miikka Salomaki and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johanen goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Forsberg scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Arvidsson and Kyle turris. The Predators iced it at 4-0 with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Alexei Emelin and Colton Sissons. The three stars were Rinne (35 save shutout), Forsberg, and Arvidsson.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Antti Niemi are in the creases. Florida began in the first period with an unassisted Aaron Ekblad goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Mark Pysyk and Nick Bjugstad. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Luongo (28 save shutout), Ekblad, and Barkov.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jake Muzzin and Doughty. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Murphy. The Wild tied it on an Eric Staal goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, via Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba. Minnesota took the lead in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. Los Angeles retied it on a Brown goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Doughty, who got a sock trick, and Anze Kopitar. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with another Carter goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Adrian Kempe and the goalie Quick. The three stars belonged to Carter, Brown, and Doughty.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Antti Raanta protect the nets. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Richard Panik goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. Calgary tied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Mark Giordano and Chris Stewart. The Flames took the lead with a Sean Monahan goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Hamilton. The Coyotes tied it again on a Max Domi goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona retook the lead in the third period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Domi and Brendan Perlini. The Coyotes added on with an empty net goal by Ekman-Larsson, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Domi empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Christian Dvorak and Stepan. The three stars went to Ekman-Larsson, Domi, and Hamilton, while Raanta (42 for 44 in saves) and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, March 18, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 159

Eight games spread throughout the afternoon and evening today. The first is in...

Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Colorado opened in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Zadorov. The Avalanche added on with a Blake Comeau goal, his twelfth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Matt Nieto. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as MacKinnon scored his thirty-seventh of the season, thanks to Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Detroit got on the board with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Martin Frk and Luke Glendening. The Avalanche responded in the third period with another MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, helped along by Comeau and Landeskog. Colorado capped it at 5-1 with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Samuel Girard and Rantanen. The three stars were MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Comeau, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas got going in the second period with a Colin Miller power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, via James Neal. Vegas extended the lead as Karlsson scored his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas padded the lead when Karlsson completed his natural hat trick on his thirty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Schmidt. This stood for the 4-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Karlsson, Fleury (42 save shutout), and Schmidt.

To the east, the New York Islanders host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Carolina started in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Joakim Nordstrom and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes added on with an unassisted Lee Stempniak goal, his third of the year. New York tied it in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Pulock and John Tavares. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Tavares and Mathew Barzal. Carolina retook the lead with a Rask goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Nordstrom and Slavin. New York evened it in the third period on another Lee power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Bailey and Tavares, the latter earning a sock trick. The Hurricanes pulled ahead again on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the season, made possible by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Rask, Slavin, and Nordstream, while Lee, Tavares, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-third of the year, passed from Travis Boyd and John Carlson. The Flyers reclaimed the lead with an Oskar Lindblom goal, with a lone helper from Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Radko Gudas and Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead as Wayne Simmonds scored his twenty-second of the year in the third period, thanks to Robert Hagg and Gudas. The Capitals got one back with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his sixth of the season, via Jakub Vrana. Philadelphia shot back on an unassisted Simmonds goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year. Washington chipped back with a Carlson goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. The Flyers answered on a Voracek empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Couturier. The final stayed at 6-3, with the three stars being Simmonds, Gudas, and Carlson, while Voracek and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

South to the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Al Montoya and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with an unassisted Ty Rattie goal, his second of the season. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Brayden Point. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with another Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, guided in by Stamkos and J.T. Miller. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Domingue (29 for 30 in saves), and Stamkos.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen faces a lesser foe in Jean-Francois Berube in goal. Chicago began in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Nick Schmaltz and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Tomas Jurco and Jordan Oesterle. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexander Steen power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Vince Dunn and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues tied it on a Dunn power play goal, his fifth of the year, via Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn. Chicago took the lead back with a David Kampf goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Vinnie Hinostroza and Keith. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Kyle Brodziak and Dunn. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a DeBrincat goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Jurco. The Blues pulled even on a Pietrangelo goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Dunn, the latter earning a sock trick. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Patrik Berglund goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Steen and Pietrangelo, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Pietrangelo, Dunn, and DeBrincat, while Steen, Jurco, and Keith get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets, but Bishop left injured midway through the first period, replaced by Kari Lehtonen. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his forty-second of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick. The Jets took the lead back with a Ben Chiarot goal, his second of the season, coming off of Joel Armia and Adam Lowry. Winnipeg added on with another Laine goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Paul Stastny. The Stars pulled back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Wheeler empty net goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Andrew Copp and Mark Scheifele. The three stars went to Laine, Wheeler, and Hellebuyck (28 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the season. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. New Jersey got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, powered by Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall. Anaheim replied in the third period with a Brandon Montour power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Devils got one back with a Patrick Maroon goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Sami Vatanen and Stefan Noesen. The Ducks replied with a Rakell goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Cam Fowler and Marcus Pettersson. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars went to Rakell, Getzlaf, and Montour.

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MLS 2018 Week 3

Nine games again this week, eight of them on Saturday. Leading off...

DC United hosts the Houston Dynamo. Chris Seitz and David Ousted are the veteran goalies. Houston's Eric Alexander took a yellow card for a first minute foul. Luciano Acosta of DC had a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-second minute. The Dynamo began in the thirtieth minute with an Alberth Elis goal. Houston added on in the thirty-first minute on a Mauro Manotas goal, via Elis and Darwin Ceren. DC got on the board in the fiftieth minute with a Darren Mattocks goal, made possible by Yamil Asad. Joseph Mora of DC had a yellow card for an eighty-third minute foul. DC tied it in stoppage time on an Acosta goal, helped along by Frederic Brillant and Paul Arriola. This made it a 2-2 game, with the man of the match being Elis.

Next up, the Philadelphia Union welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Andre Blake are in the six-yard boxes. Columbus had a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul by Artur. Philadelphia saw a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul by Alejandro Bedoya. The Crew's Federico Higuain took a yellow card for his seventy-eighth minute foul. Keegan Rosenberry of the Union received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The final was 0-0, with the man of the match being Blake for his three-save clean sheet.

In the west, Minnesota United FC brings in the Chicago Fire. Richard Sanchez and Matthew Lampson are the inexperienced goalies. Minnesota got going in the fifty-fifth minute on an Ibson goal. Chicago tied it with an Elliot Collier goal in the fifty-ninth minute. Kevin Ellis of the Fire had a yellow card for his sixtieth minute foul. Minnesota regained the lead in the sixty-sixth minute with a Sam Nicholson goal, passed from Ethan Finlay and Miguel Ibarra. Tony Tchani of Chicago received a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. Mason Toye of Minnesota received a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Minnesota won 2-1, with Nicholson the man of the match for the winner.

In Canada, the Montreal Impact host Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Evan Bush are the gloved men. Montreal saw a yellow card for a foul by Samuel Piette in the thirty-second minute. Toronto's Michael Bradley had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the thirty-fifth minute. Ken Krolicki of the Impact took a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul. Montreal led off in the forty-first minute on a Jeisson Vargas goal, assisted by Ignacio Piatti. The Impact's Vargas had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-third minute. In stoppage time, Montreal saw yellow cards for a Victor Cabrera foul and dissent by Marco Dondadel. The final held at 1-0 Impact, with Vargas named man of the match.

Back stateside, New York City FC welcomes Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Sean Johnson are the keepers. Cristian Higuita of Orlando City took a yellow card for a twenty-seventh minute foul. In the twenty-eighth minute, New York City's Rodney Wallace received a yellow card for a foul. Alexander Ring of New York City received a yellow card for his fifty-fourth minute foul. New York City dented the scoreboard in the sixty-second minute on an Ismael Tajouri goal. New York City added on in the seventy-fourth minute with a Maximiliano Moralez goal, passed from Jesus Medina and Saad Abdul-Salaam. Thomas McNamara of New York City took a yellow card for a handball in the eighty-third minute. Orlando City saw a yellow card for a Richie Laryea foul in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Tajouri.

Down in Georgia, Atlanta United FC brings in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Brad Guzan are between the posts. Vancouver went down to ten men in the thirteenth minute went Kendall Waston took a straight red card for violent conduct, while teammate Efrain Juarez had a yellow card for dissent. Atlanta opened with a fifteenth minute Josef Martinez penalty kick goal. Atlanta's Jeff Larentowicz took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Atlanta added on in the fifty-eighth minute with an own goal by the Whitecaps' Aaron Maund. Jose Aja of Vancouver took a yellow card for his sixtieth minute foul. Atlanta extended the lead as Martinez scored in the sixtieth minute, thanks to Miguel Almiron. Yordy Reyna of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a seventy-second minute foul. Vancouver got on the board in the eighty-fifth minute with an Erik Hurtado goal, made possible by Jordon Mutch. Atlanta capped it at 4-1 with a Martinez goal in the eighty-eighth minute, completing his hat trick with helpers from Andrew Carleton and Julian Gressel. The man of the match was Martinez.

Northwest to Kansas City, where Sporting hosts the San Jose Earthquakes. Andrew Tarbell and Tim Melia protect the nets. Daniel Salloi of Kansas City had a yellow card for a twenty-first minute foul. Sporting started in the twenty-fifth minute on an Ilie Sanchez penalty kick goal. San Jose tied on a Valeri Qazaishvili goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Yefferson Quintana took a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-ninth minute for the Earthquakes. Kansas City regained the lead in the fifty-sixth minute on a Graham Zusi goal, assisted by Roger Espinoza. Sporting added on in the sixty-eighth minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal, coming off of Salloi and Johnny Russell. San Jose got one back with a Chris Wondolowski goal in stoppage time, made possible by Magnus Eriksson. This only made it 3-2, with the man of the match being Gutierrez.

Saturday ends in Utah, with Real Salt Lake welcoming the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Nick Rimando tend the twines. Salt Lake struck first in the fourth minute on an Albert Rusnak penalty kick goal. Real had yellow cards for fouls by Damir Kreilach in the thirty-seventh minute and Brooks Lennon in the forty-third minute. Salt Lake saw yellow cards for time wasting by Demar Phillips in the fifty-ninth minute and dissent by Corey Baird in the eighty-eighth minute. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Rimando for his four-save clean sheet.

Finally, FC Dallas brings in the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Jimmy Maurer are the goalies. Dallas was first to score in the twentieth minute with a Roland Lamah goal, via Michael Barrios and Mauro Diaz. Seattle went down to ten men in the thirty-seventh minute as Clint Dempsey took a straight red card for violent conduct. Gustav Svensson of the Sounders had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Dallas added on in the fifty-eighth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, set up by Lamah. Dallas extended the lead as Lamah scored his second of the game in the sixty-third minute, assisted by Anton Nedyalkov. In the sixty-fifth minute, Nedyalkov and Kelvin Leerdam each received yellow cards. The Sounders also saw yellow cards for fouls by Kim Kee-Hee in the seventy-sixth minute and Lamar Neagle in the eighty-ninth minute. The final held at 3-0, with Lamah awarded man of the match honors.

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