Saturday, November 10, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 39

We've got eleven games on today, including three matinees. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Carter Hutton are set to start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Nathan Beaulieu goal, his second of the season, via Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Dahlin. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Markus Granlund and Bo Horvat. The Canucks took the lead on a Jake Virtanen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Antoine Roussel. Vancouver added on in the third period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, assisted by Eriksson and Roussel. The Sabres got one back with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Buffalo tied it with a Reinhart goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Ristolainen and Dahlin. The tie went to a shootout, where Jack eichel and Casey Mittelstadt covered Granlund's tally, giving the Sabres a 4-3 win. The three stars were Reinhart, Ristolainen, and Dahlin, while Eriksson, Granlund, and Roussel earned honorable mentions.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Brian Elliott make the starts in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with an unassisted Claude Giroux goal, his seventh of the season. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Couturier scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers iced it at 4-0 with a Nolan Patrick empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Couturier. The three stars were Couturier, Giroux, and Elliott (33 save shutout).

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his third of the season, made possible by Radek Faksa. Nashville tied it with an unassisted Ryan Hartman goal in the second period, his fifth of the year. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Julius Honka and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas added on with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Denis Gurianov and Esa Lindell. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Roman Josi and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville tied it on a Yannick Weber goal, his second of the year, via Kevin Fiala and Anthony Bitetto. The Stars regained the lead with a Gurianov goal, assisted by Ben Gleason and Jamie Benn. The Predators tied it on a Roman Josi power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Johansen and Filip Forsberg. Nashville won 5-4 with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his third of the year, passed from Kyle Turris and P.K. Subban. The three stars belonged to Josi, Johansen, and Ekholm.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Boston opened in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a Pastrnak goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Bergeron and Matt Grzelcyk in the second period. Boston extended the lead as Pastrnak scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Brad Marchand and Bergeron. Toronto got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Bruins replied with another Pastrnak power play goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season in the third period, powered by Marchand and Torey Krug. Boston padded the lead with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his third of the year, fueled by David Krejci. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Halak (40 for 41 in saves), while Marchand gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Scott Darling are in the creases. Detroit struck first in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nick Jensen and Frans Nielsen. Carolina tied it with a Brock McGinn goal, his second of the year, passed from Hadyn Fleury and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his third of the year, assisted by Aho and Teravainen. The Red Wings took one back in the third period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Athanasiou and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit tied it on a Mantha goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin. The tie went to a shootout, where Nielsen carried the Red Wings to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Mantha, Nielsen, and Bernier (49 for 52 in saves), while Aho, Teravainen, and Athanasiou get the honorable mentions.

North again to Montreal, as the Canadiens bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Antti Niemi in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brad Hunt power play goal, his second of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Tomas Hyka. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Karlsson. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Charles Hudon goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Victor Mete. The Canadiens tied it on an Andrew Shaw goal, his third of the year, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi. Montreal pulled ahead with a Kotkaniemi goal, his third of the season, assisted by Artturi Lehkonen and Kenny Agostino. Vegas retied it on an Alex Tuch goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Colin Miller and Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights regained the lead with a Karlsson power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Hyka and Hunt. The Canadiens evened it with Shaw's second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Domi and Jeff Petry. Montreal pulled ahead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper by Phillip Danault. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Shaw, Kotkaniemi, and Karlsson, while Domi, Hunt, and Hyka get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Dominik Simon goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Bryan Rust and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Patric Hornqvist scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Simon and Jack Johnson. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, made possible by Crosby and Guentzel. This gave them a 4-0 lead they would hold to the end, with the three stars going to DeSmith (39 save shutout), Simon, and Crosby, while Guentzel earned an honorable mention.

Far to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his sixth of the season, via Colin White. The Senators added on with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Cody Ceci. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his third of the season, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Braydon Coburn. The Lightning tied it in the second period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his third of the year, powered by the goalie Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Coburn goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Killorn and Joseph. The Lightning extended the lead as Joseph scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, with the help of Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. Ottawa pulled back on an unassisted Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the season, coming in the third period. The Senators tied it with a White power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Tkachuk and Ryan. Ottawa regained the lead on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Duchene. The Senators secured it at 6-4 with a Mark Stone power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Duchene and Ryan. The three stars were duchene, Ryan, and Joseph, while White, Coburn, Killorn, and Tkachuk receive honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Roberto Luongo man the creases. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Denis Malgin goal, helped along by Jared McCann and Nick Bjugstad. New York tied it with a Mathew Barzal goal, his second of the season, assisted by Anders Lee. The Islanders took the lead in the second period on a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the year, via Scott Mayfield and Tom Kuhnhackl. The Panthers retied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Matheson. Florida pulled ahead in the third period on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Keith Yandle. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Troy Brouwer empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Luongo (29 for 31 in saves), Barkov, and Malgin.

Northward again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Joonas Korpisalo are the lesser-known goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Pavel Buchnevich and Vladislav Namestnikov. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones. The Rangers took the lead back in the second period with a Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Jimmy Vesey. New York added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo. The Blue Jackets took one back on a Dubois goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jones and Artemi Panarin. Columbus tied it as Nick Foligno scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Boone Jenner and Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets gained the lead with a shorthanded Alexander Wennberg goal, set up by Jones, who earned a sock trick. The Rangers evened it again with a Vesey goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Hayes and Kevin Shattenkirk. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zibanejad, Shattenkirk, and Vesey lifted the Rangers 5-4 over Atkinson, Dubois, and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were handed to Vesey, Jones, and Buchnevich, while Shattenkirk, Zibanejad, Dubois, and Atkinson all took honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jack Campbell occupy the blue paint. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the season, assisted by Austin Czarnik and Noah Hanifin. This was it for the scoring, with the game ending 1-0. The three stars were Rittch (21 save shutout), Hamonic, and Campbell (35 for 36 in saves).

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Friday, November 9, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 38

Six games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Ron Hainsey and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the year, via Patrick Marleau. Toronto extended the lead as Connor Brown scored his third of the season, thanks to Par Lindholm and Hainsey. New Jersey got on the board with a Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Blake Coleman. The Maple Leafs replied with an Andreas Johnsson goal, made possible by Jake Gardiner and Lindholm. Toronto padded the lead with a Rielly goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Kadri. The Maple Leafs continued in the third period with an unassisted Tyler Ennis goal, his second of the year. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Rielly, Kadri, and Andersen (38 for 39 in saves), while Hainsey and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Columbus opened in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nick Foligno and Alexander Wennberg. Washington tied it on a Matt Niskanen power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a third period Anthony Duclair power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Duclair, Bobrovsky (33 for 34 in saves), and Bjorkstrand.

Along to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers added on with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his third of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Frans Nielsen and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Athanasiou and Mike Green. The three stars went to Athanasiou, Larkin, and Abdelkader.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his second of the season, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the year, via Jaden Schwartz in the second period. St. Louis extended the lead as Schwartz scored his second of the season, thanks to Tyler Bozak and Alexander Steen. The Blues padded the lead with a Steen goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, guided in by Bozak and Colton Parayko. This produced the 4-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Johnson (33 save shutout), Schwartz, and Steen, while Bozak gets an honorable mention.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a Scheifele goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. Colorado got on the board in the third period with an Erik Johnson goal, passed from Carl Soderberg and Nikita Zadorov. Winnipeg replied with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his third of the season, via Wheeler, who earned a sock trick. The Avalanche pulled back with a Tyson Jost goal, his second of the year, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie. The Jets answered on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Scheifele. The three stars were given to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck (28 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and John Gibson are in the creases. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his second of the season, via Joel Eriksson Ek and Charlie Coyle. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota extended the lead as Granlund scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Zucker and Jonas Brodin. Anaheim got on the board with a Pontus Aberg power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Montour. The Wild shot back in the third period with a Brodin goal, his third of the season, guided in by Spurgeon. Minnesota padded the lead with a Granlund goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Zucker and Eric Staal. This stood for a 5-1 final, with the three stars going to Granlund, Zucker, and Brodin, while Spurgeon gets an honorable mention.

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Thursday, November 8, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 37

We've got nine games on in a somewhat busy night across the league. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jaroslav Halak are set to start in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with an unassisted by Bo Horvat goal, his eighth of the season. Boston tied it on a Matt Grzelcyk goal, passed from David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins took the lead in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug. The Canucks retied it with a Loui Eriksson goal, his second of the season, via Erik Gudbranson and Markus Granlund. Vancouver took the lead again on a Ben Hutton power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Horvat and Nikolay Goldobin. Boston retied it with a DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Krejci and Joakim Nordstrom. The Canucks retook the lead with an Eriksson power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Hutton and Brendan Leipsic. Vancouver added on with an Antoine Roussel goal, his third of the season, fueled by Granlund and Michael Del Zotto. Tuukka Rask replaced Halak in goal. The Bruins chipped back on a DeBrusk power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Krug and Brad Marchand. The Canucks countered on a Gudbranson goal, helped along by Horvat and Eriksson. Vancouver extended the lead on a shorthanded Horvat goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks padded the lead as Jake Virtanen scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Goldobin and Elias Pettersson. Boston pulled one back with a Danton Heinen power play goal, dished from Grzelcyk and Krejci, the latter earning a sock trick. Vancouver won 8-5, with the three stars going to Horvat, Eriksson, and DeBrusk, while Hutton, Gudbranson, Granlund, Goldobin, Krejci, Grzelcyk, and Krug earn the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his third of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Scott Laughton goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jori Lehtera. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes tied it in the second period on a Brad Richardson goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Michael Grabner and Vinnie Hinostroza. Arizona took the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Derek Stepan goal, his third of the season. The Coyotes extended the lead on a shorthanded Grabner goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ekman-Larsson. Brian Elliott replaced Pickard in goal. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a Laughton goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Dale Weise and Oskar Lindblom. The Flyers tied it as Weise scored, thanks to Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia won 5-4 in overtime on a Gostisbehere goal, his third of the year, via Jakub Voracek and Giroux. The three stars were given to Gostisbehere, Laughton, and Weise, while Giroux, Grabner, and Ekman-Larsson earn the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Florida got going in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Aleksander Barkov and Mike Hoffman. The Panthers added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his third of the year, assisted by Bogdan Kiselevich and Jared McCann. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist from Connor McDavid. Florida replied with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Colton Sceviour empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Trocheck and Hoffman. The three stars went to Luongo (26 for 27 in saves), Hoffman, and Trocheck.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his second of the season, via Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart. Montreal tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Max Domi and Jordie Benn. The Sabres took the lead on another Sobotka goal, his second of the game and third of the season, guided in by Rodrigues and Reinhart. The Canadiens tied it again with a Matthew Peca goal, passed from Nicolas Deslauriers and Mike Reilly. Buffalo pulled ahead again with a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Casey Mittelstadt and Marco Scandella. Montreal evened it on an Andrew Shaw goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Drouin and Domi. The Sabres gained the lead in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville. The Canadiens equalized on a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Domi, who got a sock trick, and Victor Mete. Montreal finally pulled ahead with a shorthanded Deslauriers goal, set up by Peca. Carter Hutton relieved Ullmark in goal. Buffalo found an equalizer in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with a lone helper from Eichel. The Sabres won 6-5 in overtime with an unassisted Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his second of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Skinner, Sobotka, and Domi, while Rodrigues, Reinhart, Eichel, Drouin, Peca, and Deslauriers get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Vegas started in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Colin Miller and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by William Karlsson and Brad Hunt. Vegas extended the lead as Nick Holden scored in the second period, thanks to Cody Eakin and Ruch. Ottawa got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Thomas Chabot and Mark Stone. The Senators got closer in the third period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Mark Borowiecki and Chris Tierney. Ottawa tied it as Chabot scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a William Carrier goal, his second of the year, fueled by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Reaves. Vegas took the lead with a Bellemare goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone helper from Miller. The final stood from here at 5-3, with the three stars given to Bellemare, Chabot, and Miller, while Tuch gets an honorable mention.

Way down south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. New York struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his second of the year, via Alex Killorn and Anton Stralman. The Lightning took the lead on a J.T. Miller goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Islanders retied it in the third period with a Bailey goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Adam Pelech and Mathew Barzal. Tampa Bay pulled ahead again with a Tyler Johnson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Stamkos empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Miller and Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were handed to Bailey, Miller, and Stamkos.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling faces his former team and Corey Crawford in goal. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jordan Martinook and Lucas Wallmark. The Hurricanes added on with a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Justin Williams and Wallmark. Carolina extended the lead as Phillip Di Giuseppe scored, thanks to Brock McGinn and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the second period with a Calvin de Haan goal, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Artem Anisimov and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks got closer with a David Kampf goal, his second of the year, assisted by Brandon Saad and Jan Rutta. Chicago chipped closer in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his second of the season, helped along by Brent Seabrook and Kane. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Wallmark, Kane, and de Haan.

Next up, the Dallas Stars welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Anton Khudobin are in the blue paint. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Tyler Seguin and Valeri Nichushkin. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Kevin Labanc and Logan Couture. The Stars took the lead back on a Seguin goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas added on with a Gemel Smith goal, hissecond of the year, guided in by Jason Dickinson and Miro Heiskanen. The Sharks got one back with a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventh of the season, via Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. San Jose tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Burns and Antti Suomela. The Stars pulled ahead with a Shore goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, fueled by Dillon Heatherington and Blake Comeau. This gave them a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Shore, Seguin, and Burns.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Jake Muzzin goal, with a lone assist by Alec Martinez. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, powered by Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Parise goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Koivu. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a Mikael Granlund shorthanded empty net goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, set up by Koivu, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Koivu, Dubnyk (27 for 28 in saves), and Parise.

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Wednesday, November 7, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 36

We've got only three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Braden Holtby are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jack Johnson. Washington tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Holtby (41 for 42 in saves), Carlson, and Oshie.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his second of the season, assisted by Nick Bonino and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Sissons goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and Bonino. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Matt Calvert power play goal, powered by Samuel Girard and Nathan MacKinnon. Nashville replied with a Sissons power play goal to complete his hat trick on his fourth of the season, via Kyle Turris and Kevin Fiala. The Predators extended the lead as Ryan Hartman scored an empty net goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, with the help of Bonino, who got a sock trick, and P.K. Subban. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Sissons, Bonino, and Rinne (24 for 25 in saves).

Further to the west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Ryan Miller are in the creases. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Andrew Cogliano and Jacob Larsson. The Ducks added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Josh Manson and Pontus Aberg. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. The Flames tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Mark Jankowski goal in the third period. Anaheim retook the lead with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his third of the year, passed from Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. This stood for the 3-2 final score, with the three stars handed to Miller (37 for 39 in saves), Getzlaf, and Larsson.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 35

The fifth week of the season closes up with nine games tonight, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. Montreal led off in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourth of the season, via Jordie Benn and Jeff Petry. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Kevin Hayes. The Canadiens took the lead back in the second period with a Tatar goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, passed from Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. Montreal added on with a Max Domi power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Gallagher and Petry. The Rangers got one back with a Tony DeAngelo goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Hayes and Jimmy Vesey. New York tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, fueled by Marc Staal and Hayes, the latter earning a sock trick. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Neal Pionk goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. New York padded the lead with a shorthanded Zibanejad goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov and Brady Skjei. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Zibanejad, Hayes, and Kreider, while Tatar, Gallagher, and Petry get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto started in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a Mitchell Marner goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, assisted by John Tavares and Zach Hyman. Vegas got on the board with a Cody Eakin goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Shea Theodore and Jon Merrill. Toronto iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Nazem Kadri, his fourth of the year, set up by Brown and Patrick Marleau. The three stars were Andersen (36 for 37 in saves), Brown, and Marner.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus began in the first period with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his second of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and David Savard in the second period. Columbus extended the lead as Nick Foligno scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Alexander Wennberg. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-1 with a Ryan Murray empty net goal, set up by Seth Jones and Brandon Dubinsky. The three stars were Bobrovsky (27 for 28 in saves), Nutivaara, and Foligno.

North to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jimmy Howard are the average goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Loui Eriksson and Nikolay Goldobin. The Canucks added on with a Ben Hutton goal in the second period, his third of the year, passed from Erik Gudbranson and Adam Gaudette. Detroit got on the board with a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it on a third period Gustav Nyquist goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jacob De La Rose. The tie went to a shootout, where Dylan Larkin carried the Red Wings to a 3-2 win with his lone tally. The three stars went to Howard (40 for 42 in saves), Nyquist, and Abdelkader.

In Canada again, the Ottawa Senators welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Craig Anderson are the veterans in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Nico Hischier and Andy Greene. The Devils added on with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Ben Lovejoy and Hischier. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Bobby Ryan and Chris Tierney. The Senators tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. Ottawa pulled ahead in the second period with a Colin White goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Stone and Nick Paul. The Senators chased Schneider with a Stone goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Duchene and Chabot. Keith Kinkaid came on relief. Ottawa padded the lead on a power play goal by White, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Stone and Chabot. The Senators extended the lead as Dzingel scored his sixth of the year in the third period, thanks to Stone, who earned a sock trick. New Jersey got one back with a Travis Zajac goal, his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Blake Coleman and Sami Vatanen. Anderson left the game injured, with Mike McKenna taking over in goal. Ottawa iced it at 7-3 with a Magnus Paajarvi empty net goal, set up by Tierney and Duchene, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Stone, Chabot, and White, while Duchene, Tierney, Dzingel, and Hischier get honorable mentions.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, made possible by Oscar Klefbom. Tampa Bay replied on a Gourde goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Point. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. The Oilers answered with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, powered by Ty Rattie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay countered with a Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Stamkos. The final remained at 5-2, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Gourde, while Point earns an honorable mention.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on with a Robby Fabbri goal, via David Perron and Robert Thomas. Carolina got on the board with a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, powered by Justin Williams and Lucas Wallmark. St. Louis replied with an O'Reilly power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Tyler Bozak and Tarasenko. The Blues eventually ended it at 4-1 with an O'Reilly empty net goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the campaign, set up by Alexander Steen and Bozak. The three stars belonged to O'Reilly, Johnson (38 for 39 in saves), and Tarasenko, while Bozak takes an honorable mention.

Out in California, local rivals clash with the Los Angeles Kings welcoming the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jack Campbell are between the pipes. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the year, via Alec Martinez and Trevor Lewis. Los Angeles extended the lead as Kovalchuk scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Tyler Toffoli and the goalie Campbell. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Kesler goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Marcus Pettersson and Brandon Montour. The Kings shot back in the third period with a Toffoli empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Kovalchuk and Martinez. The final stayed at 4-1, with the three stars being Kovalchuk, Toffoli, and Martinez.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Martin Jones occupy the creases. San Jose got going in the first period with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brent Burns and Joakim Ryan. The Sharks added on with a Joe Thornton goal, his second of the year, via Sorensen and Barclay Goodrow. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikko Koivu. San Jose replied with an Antti Suomela goal, his second of the year, coming off of Sorensen and Brenden Dillon. The Wild got one back in the third period with an unassisted Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the season. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Koivu and Ryan Suter. The Sharks retook the lead with a Goodrow goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Burns. The final stayed at 4-3, with the three stars going to Sorensen, Goodrow, and Burns, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

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Monday, November 5, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 34

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin faces his former mentor Tuukka Rask in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a shorthanded Radek Faksa goal, his third of the season, set up by Miro Heiskanen. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by David Krejci and Torey Krug. The three stars were Rask (24 for 25 in saves), Marchand, and Pastrnak.

Next up, the New York Islanders welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. New York opened in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Adam Pelech and Ross Johnston. Montreal tied it with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Max Domi and Noah Juulsen. The Islanders retook the lead with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Leo Komarov. New York added on with a Cizikas goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Cal Clutterbuck. The Canadiens got one back with a Domi power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, powered by Drouin and Joel Armia. Montreal tied it in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his second of the year, fueled by Juulsen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The tie went to a shootout, where Armia carried the Canadiens to a 4-3 win. The three stars were given to Domi, Drouin, and Cizikas, while Armia and Juulsen get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Matt Murray are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Will Butcher goal, guided in by Joey Anderson and Jean-Sebastien Dea. Pittsburgh tied it with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Olli Maatta and Jake Guentzel. The Devils retook the lead on a Brian Boyle goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ben Lovejoy and Dea. New Jersey added on in the second period with a Boyle power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Butcher. The Devils extended the lead as Boyle completed his hat trick on the power play with his sixth goal of the year, with the help of Taylor Hall and Butcher. Casey DeSmith replaced Murray in the third period. New Jersey padded the lead on a Travis Zajac goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Damon Severson and Marcus Johansson. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Boyle, Butcher, and Kinkaid (35 for 36 in saves), while Dea gets an honorable mention.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot faces a lesser foe in Pheonix Copley in goal. Washington began in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Devante Smith-Pelly and Travis Boyd. The Capitals added on with a Smith-Pelly goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist from Boyd. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Oscar Klefbom and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Washington shot back in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Oilers got one back on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Adam Larsson and Nugent-Hopkins. The Capitals countered with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. This led to the eventual 4-2 final, with the three stars given to Smith-Pelly, Boyd, and Carlson, while Nugent-Hopkins earns an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Calvin Pickard and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers added on with a Gostisbehere power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Giroux and Travis Konecny. Arizona got on the board in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his second of the season, via Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Philadelphia answered with a Couturier goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers extended the lead as Giroux scored his second of the game and sixth of the season in the third period, with the help of Wayne Simmonds. The Coyotes got one back on a Michael Grabner goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers by Richard Panik and Kevin Connauton. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with an Oskar Lindblom empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Nolan Patrick. The three stars went to Giroux, Gostisbehere, and Couturier.

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Sunday, November 4, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 33

Three games on tonight, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Henrik Lundqvist are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with a Neal Pionk goal, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brett Howden and Jesper Fast. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with an unassisted Conor Sheary goal, his fifth of the year. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Vesey empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, set up by Brady Skjei. The three stars were Lundqvist (39 for 40 in saves), Vesey, and Pionk.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Craig Anderson are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Thomas Chabot. The Senators added on with a Maxime Lajoie power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Dzingel and Mikkel Boedker. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Cedric Paquette goal, his second of the season, guided in by Ryan McDonagh and Adam Erne. The Lightning tied it in the third period on a Mathieu Joseph goal, coming off of Anthony Cirelli and Anton Stralman. Ottawa retook the lead with a Cody Ceci goal, his second of the year, passed from Chris Tierney and Stone. Tampa Bay retied it on a Brayden Point power play goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Tyler Johnson and McDonagh. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Yanni Gourde goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Point and McDonagh, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Point, McDonagh, and Stone.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and John Gibson are between the pipes. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fifth of the season, via Boone Jenner and Seth Jones. Anaheim tied it on a Cam Fowler goal, fueled by Rickard Rakell and Brandon Montour. The Ducks took the lead with another Fowler goal, his second of the game, guided in by Isac Lundestrom and Kiefer Sherwood. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period with another Dubois goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Brandon Dubinsky and Jones. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Fowler goal, completing his hat trick with the help of Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg. The three stars were awarded to Fowler, Dubois, and Jones.

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MLS 2018 Conference Semifinals - Leg 1

The first games of the four conference semifinals series are here, as each match is played at the lower-ranking team's field. First up...

The Columbus Crew SC host the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Zack Steffen are the gloved men. Milton Valenzuela of Columbus took a yellow card for a thirty-first minute foul. The Crew got going in the sixty-first minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, passed from Federico Higuain and Valenzuela. Sean Davis of New York took a yellow card for an eighty-eighth minute foul. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Zardes.

Out west, the Portland Timbers welcome the Seattle Sounders FC a playoff edition of the Cascadia rivalry. Stefan Frei and Jeff Attinella are between the sticks. Seattle led off in the tenth minute with a Raul Ruidiaz goal, assisted by Cristian Roldan and Victor Rodriguez. Portland tied it on a Jeremy Ebobisse goal in the seventeenth minute, made possible by Diego Valeri. The Timbers added on with a Sebastian Blanco goal in the twenty-ninth minute. The Sounders' Gustav Svensson received a yellow card for his eighty-fifth minute foul. The final stood at 2-1 for the Timbers, with Blanco as the man of the match.

Back in the east, New York City FC brings in Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Sean Johnson protect the nets. Atlanta's Eric Remedi took a yellow card for a seventh minute foul. New York City saw a yellow card for a foul by Maximiliano Moralez in the tenth minute. The Five Stripes began in the thirty-seventh minute on a Remedi goal. Alexander Ring of the Pigeons received a yellow card for his forty-first minute foul. Atlanta saw yellow cards for fouls by Hector Villalba in the forty-eighth minute and Josef Martinez in the seventy-eighth minute. The game ended in a 1-0 final score for Atlanta, with Remedi earning man of the match honors.

The first legs end with Real Salt Lake hosting Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Nick Rimando tend the nets. Salt Lake saw a yellow card for an Albert Rusnak foul in the twenty-sixth minute. Real dented the scoreboard in the fifty-first minute with a Rusnak goal, set up by Damir Kreilach. Kansas City tied it on a Diego Rubio goal in the sixtieth minute, assisted by Felipe Gutierrez. Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake had a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. Rubio of Sporting received a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul. The final held at 1-1, with Rimando earning man of the match honors for going four for five in saves.

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