Saturday, December 8, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 66

Ten games on today, beginning with a pair of matinees. The first is in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Philadelphia Flyers. Anthony Stolarz and Linus Ullmark are the backups in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Jeff Skinner. The Sabres added on with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Lawrence Pilut and Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia got on the board with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux. The Flyers tied it in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his third of the year, passed from Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Giroux goal, his eleventh of the season. The Flyers extended the lead as Wayne Simmonds scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Dale Weise goal, his third of the season, via Raffl and Giroux. The Flyers kept going with a Travis Konecny goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Giroux and van Riemsdyk. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Giroux, van Riemsdyk, and Eichel, while Raffl takes an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Vegas began in the first period with an Oscar Lindberg goal, courtesy of Tomas Nosek and Ryan Carpenter. Los Angeles tied it on a Nikita Scherbak goal, via Jake Muzzin. The Kings took the lead in the second period on a Matt Luff power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Brendan Leipsic and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Drew Doughty and Derek Forbort. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Forbort scored, with the help of Tyler Toffoli and Michael Amadio. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Nate Thompson goal, his second of the campaign, with assists from Muzzin and Amadio. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Forbort, Muzzin, and Amadio.

Back to the east, as the Boston Bruins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jaroslav Halak are the goalies. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson goal, his third of the season, courtesy of David Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on in the second period with a David Backes power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. Boston extended the lead as Krug scored, thanks to Marchand and David Krejci. The Bruins padded the lead in the third period with a Danton Heinen goal, his third of the season, made possible by Ryan Donato and John Moore. Toronto got on the board with a Travis Dermott goal, his second of the year, passed from Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. Boston replied on a Krejci goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Pastrnak and Marchand, the latter earning a sock trick. The Bruins chased Andersen with a Donato goal, his third of the year, fueled by Heinen and Krug. The Maple Leafs got one back with an Matthews goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Morgan Rielly. Toronto pulled closer with a Johnsson power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Patrick Marleau and Gardiner. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars given to Marchand, Krejci, and Krug, while Pastrnak, Heinen, Donato, Matthews, Johnsson, and Gardiner take the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Jonathan Bernier occupy the creases. Detroit started in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings added on with Niklas Kronwall goal, made possible by Larkin. New York got on the board in the second period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventh of the year, via Ross Johnston. The Islanders tied it on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. New York gained the lead in the third period with a Matt Martin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Cal Clutterbuck and Nick Leddy. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Larkin, Martin, and Pulock.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Ottawa opened in the first period on a Thomas Chabot goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Stone. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with an unassisted Jean-Sebastien Dea goal, his fourth of the year. The Senators won 2-1 in overtime with a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Stone and Chabot. The three stars were awarded to Chabot, Anderson (35 for 36 in saves), and Stone.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Louis Domingue receive the starting nods in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with an unassisted Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Tampa Bay replied with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Brayden Point and Dan Girardi. The Lightning extended the lead in the second period as Alex Killorn scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Yanni Gourde and Stamkos. Tampa Bay padded the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal, fueled by Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev. Philipp Grubauer replaced Varlamov in goal. The Lightning continued with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Braydon Coburn. Tampa Bay struck again in the third period with a Palat power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Johnson and J.T. Miller. This gave them a 7-1 win, with the three stars being Stamkos, Palat, and Johnson.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers added on with a shorthanded Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his third of the year, set up by Hayes and Fredrik Claesson. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Keith Yandle power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers tied it on a Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Yandle. New York retook the lead with a Matt Beleskey goal, with helpers from Brady Skjei and Tony DeAngelo. Florida retied it on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov. The Rangers reclaimed the lead with an unassisted Claesson goal, his second of the year. The Panthers evened it again with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Yandle and Hoffman. The tie went to a shootout, where Zibanejad, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Hayes all tallied to top Huberdeau for a 5-4 Rangers win. The three stars belonged to Claesson, Huberdeau, and Yandle, while Hoffman, Hayes, and Zibanejad take the honorable mentions.

North again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Washington drew first blood in the first period with a Brett Connolly goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, via Travis Boyd and Dmitry Orlov. Washington extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin scored his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Michal Kempny and John Carlson. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Bobrovsky in goal to start the second period. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period with a Boyd goal, coming off of Ovechkin and Nic Dowd. The three stars of the 4-0 game where Boyd, Ovechkin, and Holtby (28 save shutout).

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Adin Hill are the backups in goal. San Jose got going in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Brenden Dillon and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Logan Couture goal, his tenth of the year, via Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. San Jose extended the lead as Evander Kane scored his ninth of the season in the second period, going in unassisted. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Clayton Keller and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes got closer with a Brad Richardson goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Jakob Chychrun. Arizona tied it on a third period Richard Panik goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Richardson. The Sharks retook the lead with a Lukas Radil goal, courtesy of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun. San Jose iced it at 5-3 with a Hertl empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Couture and Meier. The three stars were handed to Couture, Hertl, and Richardson, while Meier gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Oliver Kylington goal, via Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. Nashville tied it on a Colton Sissons goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Roman Josi and Miikka Salomaki. The Flames retook the lead in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Noah Hanifin and Travis Hamonic. The Predators tied it on a Craig Smith goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, passed from Mattias Ekholm and Rocco Grimaldi. Calgary retook the lead with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Kylington. The Flames added on with an Alan Quine goal, with a lone assist by Rasmus Andersson. Calgary capped it at 5-2 with a Lindholm empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Gaudreau and Monahan. The three stars belonged to Kylington, Monahan, and Linholm, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.

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MLS Cup 2018

This is it for the 2018 MLS season, as Atlanta United FC hosts the Portland Timbers for the league championship. Jeff Attinella and Brad Guzan are in goal. Atlanta began in the thirty-ninth minute with a Josef Martinez goal. The Five Stripes added on in the fifty-fourth minute with a Franco Escobar goal, set up by Martinez and Miguel Almiron. Portland's Diego Chara took a yellow card for his eightieth minute foul. Atlanta's Chris McCann received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. Atlanta won 2-0, with Martinez named MLS Cup MVP.

We'll resume with coverage of a 24-team MLS in March 2019. Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, December 7, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 65

Four games today, beginning with...

The Dallas Stars hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ben Bishop guard the cages. San Jose started in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Joonas Donskoi. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his second of the year, via Roman Polak. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Tyler Pitlick and Radek Faksa. Dallas added on with a Brett Ritchie goal, his second of the year, guided in by Devin Shore and Jason Spezza. The Sharks got one back on a Logan Couture goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Karlsson and Brenden Dillon. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Bishop (41 for 43 in saves), Karlsson, and Ritchie.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. St. Louis got going in the second period with an Alexander Steen power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Colton Parayko and Brayden Schenn. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Allen (26 save shutout), Steen, and Hellebuyck (25 for 26 in saves).

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jujhar Khaira and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton extended the lead as McDavid scored his fifteenth of the season, with the help of Kris Russell and Kevin Gravel. Alex Stalock relieved Dubnyk at this time. Minnesota got on the board with a Marcus Foligno goal, his second of the year, fueled by Matt Hendricks and J.T. Brown. The Oilers replied in the third period with a Zack Kassian goal, his second of the season, made possible by Milan Lucic and Matt Benning. The Wild got one back with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. Edmonton shot back on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by McDavid. The Oilers padded the lead with an Alex Chiasson goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper from Khaira. Edmonton capped it at 7-2 with a Nurse goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Draisaitl and McDavid, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nurse, while Khaira gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Jake Dotchin. Carolina tied it in the second period with an unassisted Clark Bishop goal. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Brett Pesce goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on with a Justin Williams goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Bishop and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Sebastian Aho empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Teravainen. The three stars were Bishop, Teravainen, and Mrazek (18 for 19 in saves).

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Thursday, December 6, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 64

Eleven games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Anthony Stolarz in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier. Columbus tied it on a Seth Jones goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Dubinsky goal, his third of the season, assisted by Scott Harrington and Artemi Panarin. Columbus added on in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Panarin. The Flyers got one back with a Travis Sanheim goal, coming off of Giroux and Konecny. Philadelphia tied it on another Sanheim goal, his second of the game, via Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Jones goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, helped along by Cam Atkinson. The three stars went to Jones, Sanheim, and Dubinsky, while Giroux, Panarin, and Konecny get the honorable mentions.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Casey DeSmith are the underrated goalies. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Phil Kessel. New York tied it on a shorthanded Brock Nelson goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Tom Kuhnhackl and Scott Mayfield. The Penguins retook the lead with another Letang goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Bryan Rust and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh added on with a Riley Sheahan goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Jamie Oleksiak. The Penguins extended the lead on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh padded the lead as Kessel scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, thanks to Crosby and Guentzel. The Islanders got one back with an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Pulock in the third period. The Penguins countered on a Crosby goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Kessel and Guentzel, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kessel, Letang, and Crosby, while Guentzel gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Garret Sparks are the backups in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Jake Gardiner and Andreas Johnsson. Detroit tied it on a Jonathan Ericsson goal, his second of the year, via Thomas Vanek. The Red Wings took the lead with a Luke Glendening goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Niklas Kronwall and Jacob de la Rose. Detroit added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Dylan Larkin and Mike Green. The Red Wings extended the lead in the second period as Green scored his third of the season, with the help of Martin Frk and Nyquist. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Morgan Rielly and Gardiner. Toronto pulled closer with a Zach Hyman goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Igor Ozhiganov and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Johnsson goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Auston Matthews and Kapanen. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Larkin goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Nyquist. The three stars went to Nyquist, Larkin, and Green, while Kapanen, Gardiner, and Johnsson earn the honorable mentions.

Way to the south, the Florida Panthers host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Roberto Luongo are in the creases. Colorado started in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Patrik Nemeth and Nathan MacKinnon. Florida tied it on a Colton Sceviour goal, his third of the year, passed from Bogdan Kiselevich and MacKenzie Weegar. The Avalanche retook the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Carl Soderberg goal in the second period, his tenth of the season. The Panthers retied it on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Jared McCann and Mike Matheson. Colorado regained the lead in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Soderberg goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by Colin Wilson and Samuel Girard. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with a Landeskog empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Soderberg, Grubauer (33 for 35 in saves), and Landeskog.

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Colin White. Montreal tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Michael Chaput and Kenny Agostino. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Paul Byron goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Phillip Danault and Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal added on with an Andrew Shaw goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Drouin and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Senators got one back with a White power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Dzingel and Stone. The Canadiens shot back in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Tomas Tatar and Petry. Montreal iced it at 5-2 with a Byron empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Shea Weber. The three stars were handed to Byron, Petry, and Stone, while White earned an honorable mention.

To Florida again, as the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Louis Domingue in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twentieth of the season, with a lone helper from Colby Cave. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alex Killorn and Dan Girardi. Tampa Bay added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Anthony Cirelli goal, his fifth of the year. The Bruins got one back with a David Krejci goal, his third of the campaign, passed from Pastrnak and David Backes. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Cirelli, and Joseph.

Far northwest, the Calgary Flames host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Mike Smith occupy the creases. Calgary got going in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on in the third period with another Lindholm goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by Gaudreau and Giordano. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Lindholm, Smith (31 save shutout), and Gaudreau, while Giordano earns an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Washington Capitals. Pheonix Copley and Adin Hill are the little known goalies. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Christian Fischer goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Derek Stepan. Washington tied it on a Jakub Vrana goal, his ninth of the year, via Brett Connolly and Evgeny Kuznetsov in the second period. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Nick Cousins and Jordan Oesterle. The Capitals tied it on a Matt Niskanen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Travis Boyd and the goalie Copley. Washington pulled ahead in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals capped it at 4-2 with an Alex Ovechkin empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Nicklas Backstrom. The three stars were Niskanen, Burakovsky, and Copley (27 for 29 in saves).

Into Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Deryk Engelland goal, via Smith and William Karlsson. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from David Kampf and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks tied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Keith. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas tied it on a Marchessault goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible Smith and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights took the lead on an Alex Tuch goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Pacioretty. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Smith, Marchessault, and Pacioretty, while Keith gets an honorable mention.

Up in Canada again, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Alexander Edler power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nikolay Goldobin and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jake Virtanen and Antoine Roussel. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Yannick Weber and Ryan Johansen. Vancouver answered on a Virtanen goal, his ninth of the year, via Roussel and Horvat. The Canucks extended the lead as Pettersson scored his fourteenth of the season on a penalty shot earned by drawing a slash against Mattias Ekholm. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Christopher Tanev. The Predators got one back with a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and Miikka Salomaki. Nashville pulled closer with a Matt Irwin goal, with helpers from Weber and Sissons. The final remained at 5-3, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Virtanen, and Horvat, while Roussel, Sissons, and Weber take the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jonathan Quick play in goal. New Jersey cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Will Butcher. Los Angeles tied it with a Brendan Leipsic goal, his third of the year, via Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez. The Devils took the lead back in the second period with an unassisted Travis Zajac goal, his ninth of the season. The Kings retied it on an Adrian Kempe goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Drew Doughty and Austin Wagner. New Jersey regained the lead on a Palmieri goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Hall. The Devils added on with a Butcher goal, his second of the year, assisted by Miles Wood and Zajac. Los Angeles got one back with a Kyle Clifford goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey responded in the third period with a Nico Hischier goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Sami Vatanen and Hall, the latter earning a sock trick. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with a Blake Coleman empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Andy Greene and Damon Severson. The three stars belonged to Palmieri, Zajac, and Hall, while Butcher earns an honorable mention.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 63

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The St. Louis Blues hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jake Allen are the beleaguered goalies. St. Louis opened in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his third of the season, via Oskar Sundqvist and Jordan Nolan. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Chris Butler and Vince Dunn. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Darnell Nurse and Kris Russell. The Oilers tied it in the third period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his third of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Jujhar Khaira. Edmonton won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies by Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid overcoming Tyler Bozak's tally for St. Louis. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Talbot (28 for 30 in saves).

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Martin Jones play in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Kevin Labanc and Melker Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Labanc and Logan Couture. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Timo Meier scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Radim Simek and Joe Thornton. The Sharks padded the lead on a Joe Pavelski goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Meier and Thornton. Carolina got on the board with a Lucas Wallmark power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. San Jose replied with a Marcus Sorenson goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, guided in by Meier and Thornton, the latter earning a sock trick. The final remained at 5-1, with the three stars given to Meier, Thornton, and Jones (39 for 40 in saves), while Labanc gets an honorable mention.

Also, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and John Gibson tend the twines. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Brandon Montour goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Pontus Aberg and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks added on with a Daniel Sprong goal, via Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie. Chicago got on the board in the second period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Carter Rowney and Kiefer Sherwood. The Ducks iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Jakob Silfverberg, his sixth of the campaign. The three stars went to Kase, Sprong, and Gibson (25 for 27 in saves).

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Tuesday, December 4, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 62

Ten games on tonight, beginning in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thomas Greiss are the masked men. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his tenth of the season, via Brock Nelson and Johnny Boychuk. Winnipeg tied it on a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. The Jets took the lead with an Adam Lowry goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Brandon Tanev and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Nikolaj Ehlers, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hellebuyck (27 for 28 in saves), Lowry, and Trouba.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Casey DeSmith draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Derick Brassard scored his third of the season, thanks to Olli Maatta and Zach Aston-Reese. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche pulled closer with a Carl Soderberg goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matt Calvert and Ian Cole. Colorado tied it on a Matt Nieto shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Gabriel Bourque. The Penguins reclaimed the lead in the third period on a Hornqvist power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Letang and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Hornqvist goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Malkin. The Penguins kept going as Hornqvist finished his hat trick with an unassisted goal, his twelfth of the campaign. This sealed their 6-3 win, with the three stars given to Hornqvist, Malkin, and Letang.

Down south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Roberto Luongo are the veterans in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Colton Sceviour and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with a Mike Matheson goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Florida extended the lead as Huberdeau scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers padded the lead with a Hoffman power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Barkov and Yandle. Florida continued in the third period with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Barkov, who got a sock trick, and Huberdeau. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars being Luongo (33 save shutout), Hoffman, and Huberdeau, while Barkov and Yandle get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Travis Hamonic. Columbus tied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Josh Anderson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus added on with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Artemi Panarin and Seth Jones. Mike Smith replaced Rittich in goal. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Atkinson scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, again from Panarin and Jones. The Flames got one back with a Monahan power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Mark Giordano. Calgary pulled closer on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Hamonic and Monahan. The Flames tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Lindholm and Gaudreau. Calgary pulled ahead with a Noah Hanifin goal, his third of the season, made possible by Tkachuk and Mark Jankowski. The Flames padded the lead as T.J. Brodie scored his third of the year, thanks to Gaudreau. Columbus answered with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Ryan Murray. Calgary responded on a Monahan power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Giordano and Tkachuk. The Flames chased Bobrovsky with a Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, via Giordano and the goalie Smith, the former earning a sock trick. The Blue Jackets countered with Atkinson completing his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Markus Nutivaara and Murray. Calgary replied as Austin Czarnik scored his second of the campaign, with the help of Mikael Backlund. This produced the 9-6 final score, with the three stars awarded to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Atkinson, while Tkachuk, Giordano, Lindholm, Hamonic, Panarin, Jones, and Murray all get honorable mentions.

Further north, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen faces a lesser foe in Linus Ullmark in goal. Toronto cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Ron Hainsey. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his eighth of the year, via Nathan Beaulieu and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Jake Gardiner goal, his second of the season, coming off of John Tavares and Mitchell Marner. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Jack Eichel goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ristolainen and Jeff Skinner. Buffalo took the lead on another Eichel goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Reinhart. Toronto retied it as Patrick Marleau scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Morgan Rielly and Matthews. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Kasperi Kapanen and Gardiner. The three stars went to Matthews, Eichel, and Gardiner, while Reinhart and Ristolainen take the honorable mentions.

In Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Edward Pasquale and Jimmy Howard man the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings added on with a Frans Nielsen goal, his second of the year, guided in by Andreas Athanasiou. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his seventh of the season, via Ryan Callahan. The Lightning tied it on another Joseph goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, courtesy of Yanni Gourde. Detroit retook the lead with another Nielsen goal, his second of the game and third of the season, made possible by Luke Witkowski. Tampa Bay retied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper from Callahan. The Red Wings regained the lead with a Nielsen goal, completing his hat trick on his fourth of the season, coming off of Athanasiou. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Nyquist scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Larkin and Justin Abdelkader. The Lightning got one back on a J.T. Miller goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay tied it on a shorthanded Cedric Paquette goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Joseph. The tie went to a shootout, where Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov carried the Lightning over Nyquist and the Red Wings for the 6-5 win. The three stars were Nielsen, Nyquist, and Joseph, while Callahan, Larkin, and Athanasiou get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal started in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his tenth of the season, via Max Domi and Matthew Peca. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Dylan DeMelo goal, his third of the year, fueled by Mikkel Boedker and Chris Tierney. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Domi goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Drouin. Montreal added on with another Domi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Drouin and Paul Byron. The Canadiens extended the lead as Artturi Lehkonen scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Andrew Shaw. Montreal padded the lead in the third period on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Tomas Tatar. The Senators got one back on a Mark Stone goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Matt Duchene. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Domi, Drouin, and Price (28 for 30 in saves).

Westward to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Anders Nilsson are between the pipes. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Josh Leivo goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Matt Dumba and Jared Spurgeon. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period on a Tyler Motte goal, his fourth of the season, via Tim Schaller and Troy Stecher. The Wild tied it again with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Suter and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota pulled ahead with another Zucker power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Granlund and Eric Staal. This produced the 3-2 final score, with the three stars going to Zucker, Granlund, and Dubnyk (29 for 31 in saves).

South to Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Reaves power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Cody Eakin and Oscar Lindberg. Washington tied it on a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Brett Connolly. The Capitals took the lead in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Connolly and Madison Bowey. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the year, via Brayden McNabb and Nate Schmidt. Vegas took the lead with an Eakin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Lindberg and Deryk Engelland. Washington retied it with a Vrana goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, guided in by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Matt Niskanen. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Schmidt power play goal, powered by Shea Theodore. Vegas iced it at 5-3 with a Schmidt empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars were Schmidt, Eakin, and Vrana, while Connolly and Lindberg earn the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Jonathan Quick occupy the creases. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded Lawson Crouse goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Josh Archibald and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Alec Martinez goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Hill (25 for 26 in saves), Schmaltz, and Crouse.

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Monday, December 3, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 61

Three games on for this Monday night, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Keith Kinkaid are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning added on with a Point power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Tyler Johnson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to McDonagh and Kucherov. New Jersey got on the board with an Egor Yakovlev goal, coming off of Sami Vatanen and Stefan Noesen. The Lightning replied with a Yanni Gourde goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay continued in the third period against Cory Schneider with a Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers from Point and Kucherov, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 5-1, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos, while McDonagh earned an honorable mentions.

Southwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville opened in the first period with a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators retook the lead with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fifth of the campaign, passed from Craig Smith and Mattias Ekholm. This held for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Rinne (21 for 22 in saves), Fiala, and Ellis.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Anton Khudobin play in goal. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Mattias Janmark and Brett Ritchie. The Stars added on with a Ritchie goal in the third period, made possible by Janmark. Dallas extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his twelfth of the year on the power play, with the help of Gavin Bayreuther and Alexander Radulov. Edmonton got on the board with a Jujhar Khaira goal, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Chris Wideman. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Esa Lindell, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted.

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Sunday, December 2, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 60

Six games on for today, including one early one from...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington began in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his second of the year, via Nic Dowd and Dmitrij Jaskin. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Rickard Rakell and Pontus Aberg. Washington replied with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson in goal. The Capitals extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his seventh of the season in the second period, thanks to Brett Connolly. Washington padded the lead on a Dowd goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Stephenson and Jaskin. The Ducks got one back with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jacob Larsson and Getzlaf. Anaheim pulled closer with a Rakell goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Adam Henrique. The Ducks chipped closer with an Aberg power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Hampus Lindholm and Ondrej Kase. Anaheim tied it as Lindholm scored his third of the year on the power play, with the help of Ryan Kesler and Kase. The Ducks pulled ahead on an Aberg goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Getzlaf and Kiefer Sherwood. This made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars being Aberg, Getzlaf, and Lindholm, while Rakell, Kase, Kuznetsov, Stephenson, Dowd, Jaskin, and Carlson took the honorable mentions.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York led off in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mika Zibanejad and Marc Staal. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Staal goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ryan Strome and Lias Andersson. New York extended the lead as Chris Kreider scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Zibanejad and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele power play goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. The Jets got closer with a Jack Roslovic goal, his second of the season, guided in by Mathieu Perreault and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nikolaj Ehlers and Trouba. In the shootout, Patrik Laine and Scheifele lifted the Jets 4-3 over Zibanejad and the Rangers. The three stars belonged to Staal, Scheifele, and Trouba, while Zibanejad gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Corey Crawford are the veterans in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. Chicago tied it on a Jonathan Tows goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames retook the lead in the second period with a Lindholm power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Gaudreau and Monahan. Calgary added on with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Noah Hanifin and James Neal. The Blackhawks got one back with a Dylan Strome goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Alex DeBrincat and the goalie Crawford. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Lindholm, Monahan, and Gaudreau.

Backtracking to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Jonathan Bernier in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Landeskog empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The three stars were given to MacKinnon, Varlamov (24 save shutout), and Landeskog, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Carey Price protect the nets. San Jose started in the first period with an unassisted Justin Braun goal. The Sharks added on with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Erik Karlsson. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Petry goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jonathan Drouin and Andrew Shaw. San Jose replied with a Pavelski goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, passed from Burns and Logan Couture. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Jones (40 for 41 in saves), Burns, and Pavelski.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Alec Martinez goal, his second of the season, passed from Jake Muzzin and Dustin Brown. The Kings iced it at 2-0 with a Kyle Clifford empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jeff Carter. The three stars were Quick (34 save shutout), Martinez, and Mrazek (33 for 34 in saves).

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