Saturday, December 22, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 80

We've got fourteen games on today, beginning the first half of a busy weekend before the Christmas break. The first of six matinees begins in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jaroslav Halak are in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Ryan Johansen goal, his sixth of the year, via Craig Smith and Roman Josi. The Bruins retook the lead in the third period with a Bergeron power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, powered by Danton Heinen and David Pastrnak. The Predators tied it again with a Kyle Turris goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Josi and Miikka Salomaki. Boston regained the lead on a Marchand power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Pastrnak goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Marchand. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Sean Kuraly empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by McAvoy and the goalie Halak. The three stars went to Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak, while McAvoy and Josi get the honorable mentions.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Carter Hart man the creases. Columbus started in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Pierre-Luc Dubois and Artemi Panarin. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux on the power play. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Phil Varone goal, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Dale Weise. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Ryan Murray and Dubois. Columbus took the lead with another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, fueled by Scott Harrington and Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Panarin goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper from Dubois, who earned a sock trick. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a van Riemsdyk goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Atkinson, Panarin, and Dubois, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Florida led off in the first period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Huberdeau and Barkov. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars going to Luongo (33 for 34 in saves), Huberdeau, and Barkov.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Mike Smith are the overrated goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a David Perron goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Pat Maroon and Perron. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. St. Louis replied in the third period on an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ivan Barbashev and Vince Dunn. The final remained at 3-1, with the three stars given to Perron, Allen (28 for 29 in saves), and Bozak.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones guard the cages. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Alex Iafallo and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on in the third period with an Iafallo goal, his eighth of the year, via Dustin Brown and Nate Thompson. San Jose got on the board with a Lukas Radil goal, his third of the season, fueled by Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the year, helped along by Brent Burns and Karlsson. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with a Kovalchuk goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Kovalchuk, Iafallo, and Karlsson.

The last matinee is in Nevada, with the Vegas Golden Knights bringing in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his third of the season, passed from Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar. Vegas tied it on a Brandon Pirri goal, his second of the year, made possible by Alex Tuch and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Brayden McNabb and Karlsson. The Canadiens retied it on a Danault goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Jordie Benn and Gallagher. Vegas retook the lead on Pirri's second goal of the game and third of the season, coming off of McNabb. Montreal tied it on a third period goal by Danault, completing his hat trick on his fifth of the year, with helpers from Max Domi and Tatar. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime with a Paul Byron goal, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Domi and Victor Mete. The three stars were Danault, Pirri, and Domi, while Gallagher, Tatar, Karlsson, and McNabb get the honorable mentions.

At the regular times, the Buffalo Sabres host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson faces a lesser foe in Linus Ullmark in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Sam Reinhart and Lawrence Pilut. Buffalo iced it at 3-0 with a Conor Sheary empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Eichel and Reinhart. The three stars belonged to Ullmark (40 save shutout), Eichel, and Reinhart.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Curtis McElhinney are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh drew first blood in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, via Sidney Crosby and Rust. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Guentzel scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, thanks to Crosby, who earned a sock trick, and Kessel. This held up for the eventual 3-0 final score, with the three stars being Murray (39 save shutout), Guentzel, and Crosby, while Rust gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Washington Capitals. Pheonix Copley and Mike McKenna are little-known backups. Washington opened in the first period with a Brett Connolly goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Jonas Siegenthaler and Lars Eller. The Capitals added on with a Matt Niskanen goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Jakub Vrana scored an unassisted goal, his eleventh of the season. The Capitals padded the lead as Michal Kempny scored his third of the year, thanks to Connolly. This made it 4-0, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Copley (35 save shutout), Connolly, and Kempny.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Morgan Rielly. New York tied it in the second period with a Neal Pionk goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the third period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his eighth of the season, via Mitchell Marner and John Tavares. Toronto added on with a Rielly goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Johnsson and Frederik Gauthier. The Rangers got one back on a Kevin Hayes goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Filip Chytil and Pionk. The Maple Leafs replied with a Marner goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Tavares and Johnsson. New York chipped back with a Chris Kreider goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists from Hayes and Marc Staal. Toronto capped it at 5-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Marner, his second of the game and twelfth of the year. The three stars were Johnsson, Marner, and Rielly, while Tavares, Hayes, and Pionk take the honorable mentions.

Way to the southwest, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Adin Hill patrol the creases. Arizona started in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Derek Stepan and Alex Goligoski. Colorado tied it on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the year, via Sven Andrighetto and J.T. Compher. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Stepan goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Clayton Keller and Panik. Arizona added on in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Nick Schmaltz and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes extended the lead as Conor Garland scored, with the help of Mario Kempe and Ilya Lyubushkin. Pavel Francouz replaced Grubauer in goal. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Compher. Colorado pulled closer on a Kerfoot goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Matt Nieto and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche tied it as Nathan MacKinnon scored his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Nieto and Erik Johnson. Arizona regained the lead on a Brad Richardson goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes finished it at 6-4 with a Richardson empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Nick Cousins and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The three stars were given to Stepan, Kerfoot, and Richardson, while Panik, Nieto, and Compher receive honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Radulov. Minnesota tied it with a Jason Zucker goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime with a Radulov goal, his eleventh of the campaign, via John Klingberg and Mattias Janmark. The three stars went to Radulov, Bishop (30 for 31 in saves), and Dubnyk (25 for 27 in saves).

West to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mikko Koskinen are the reliable goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Connor McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period on an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Darnell Nurse and McDavid. The Lightning retied it with a Kucherov goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay pulled ahead on a J.T. Miller goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Erik Cernak and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Brayden Point and Kucherov. Edmonton got one back with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with helpers from McDavid, who got a sock trick, and Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay shot back on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, fueled by Kucherov, who earned a sock trick, and Anton Stralman. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with a Johnson empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Kucherov and Point. The three stars were Kucherov, Stamkos, and McDavid, while Johnson, Point, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Broissoit and Jacob Markstrom have the green light to play in goal. Winnipeg got going in the third period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, passed from Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. This stood for a 1-0 final score, with the three stars going to Brossoit (40 save shutout), Scheifele, and Markstrom (22 for 23 in saves).

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Friday, December 21, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 79

Three games on this Friday night, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Keith Kinkaid are the goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a shorthanded Pavel Zacha goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Brian Boyle. The Devils added on with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Thomas Chabot. New Jersey replied with a Hall power play goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Palmieri. The Devils extended the lead as Hall scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with the help of Palmieri. The Senators got one back with another Duchene goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Bobby Ryan and Christian Jaros. New Jersey responded on a Hischier goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Hall and Will Butcher. Mike McKenna replaced Anderson for the third period. The final stood for a 5-2 Devils win, with the three stars given to Hall, Palmieri, and Duchene, while Hischier gets an honorable mention.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Braden Holtby man the nets. Washington got going with a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal in the second period, his third of the season, set up by Nic Dowd. Buffalo tied it in the third period on a Johan Larsson goal, his third of the year, via Tage Thompson and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Capitals retook the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Holtby (36 for 37 in saves), Wilson, and Stephenson.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Philipp Grubauer are the backups in goal. Chicago started in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Dominik Kahun and Connor Murphy. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Alexander Kerfoot and Colin Wilson. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Delia (35 for 36 in saves), Anisimov, and DeBrincat.

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Thursday, December 20, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 78

A big twelve-game schedule goes today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jaroslav Halak are in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Torey Krug and David Backes. The Bruins added on with a Krug power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Brad Marchand and Pastrnak. Boston extended the lead in the third period as David Krejci scored his seventh of the campaign, thanks to Pastrnak and Marchand. Anaheim got on the board with a Josh Mahura goal, passed from Carter Rowney. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Krug, and Marchand.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek faces his old team and Jonathan Bernier in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Niklas Kronwall power play goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his tenth of the year, via Justin Faulk and Calvin de Haan. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nick Jensen and Kronwall. Detroit added on in the third period with a Jonathan Ericsson goal, his third of the year, made possible by Tyler Bertuzzi and Luke Glendening. The Red Wings iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted Dylan Larkin empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign. The three stars were Kronwall, Bernier (38 for 39 in saves), and Nielsen.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Carter Hart draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his ninth of the season, via Sean Couturier and Radko Gudas. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Ellis. The Flyers retook the lead with a Claude Giroux goal, his twelfth of the campaign, guided in by Travis Konecny. This stood for an eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars being Hart (31 for 32 in saves), Giroux, and Voracek.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Casey DeSmith are in the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Charlie Coyle and Jonas Brodin. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Jake Guentzel. The Penguins took the lead in the third period with another Rust goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, coming off of Guentzel again. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars awarded to Rust, DeSmith (40 for 41 in saves), and Guentzel.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto struck first in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, passed from Rielly and Kasperi Kapanen. Toronto extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Connor Brown and Rielly, the latter earning a sock trick. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Matthews and Kadri. Toronto kept going with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, assisted by Marner and Martin Marincin. James Reimer relieved Luongo in goal. Florida got on the board with a Henrik Borgstrom power play goal, helped along by Jared McCann and Frank Vatrano. The Maple Leafs answered with a Marner power play goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Matthews and Rielly. The final was 6-1, with the three stars handed to Matthews, Rielly, and Tavares, while Kadri and Marner get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus began in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Cam Atkinson penalty shot goal, his twentieth of the year coming from a Damon Severson hook. New Jersey got on the board with a Taylor Hall goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Kyle Palmieri. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves), Atkinson, and Blackwood (36 for 38 in saves).

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars host the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Dylan Sikura and David Kampf. The Blackhawks added on with an Erik Gustafsson power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, with the help of Artem Anisimov and Connor Murphy. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jamie Benn and Denis Gurianov. The Stars got closer in the third period with a Taylor Fedun goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Benn and Alexander Radulov. The Blackhawks replied on a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Kampf. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Brendan Perlini empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by DeBrincat. The three stars went to Kane, DeBrincat, and Kampf, while Benn gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and David Rittich are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Calgary tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his sixth of the year, via Matthew Tkachuk and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead on a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary added on with a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Bennett. The Lightning got one back in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Adam Erne and Kucherov. Tampa Bay tied it with an Alex Killorn goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Yanni Gourde and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Dan Girardi goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Anthony Cirelli. The Flames retied it on a Gaudreau goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay won 5-4 with shootout tallies by Victor Hedman and J.T. Miller to top Monahan's lone goal for Calgary. The three stars were Kucherov, Gaudreau, and Bennett.

Back to the south, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Jonathan Drouin. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fourth of the year, coming from Nick Schmaltz and Jakob Chychrun on the power play. The Canadiens retook the lead in the third period on a Paul Byron goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw. The final remained at 2-1, with the three stars being Price (36 for 37 in saves), Byron, and Weber.

Along to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock. Vegas got on the board with a Brandon Pirri power play goal in the second period, powered by Nate Schmidt and Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Shea Theodore and Schmidt. Vegas took the lead with a Paul Stastny goal, his second of the year, assisted by Reilly Smith and Nick Holden. The Golden Knights capped it at 4-2 with a Schmidt empty net goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Schmidt, Stastny, and Karlsson.

In Canada once more, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom are the veterans in goal. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet on a Bo Horvat power play goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and Alexander Edler. The Canucks added on with an unassisted Adam Gaudette goal, his second of the year. Vancouver extended the lead in the third period as Josh Leivo scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Markus Granlund. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn. The Canucks replied with a Jake Virtanen goal, his eleventh of the season, via Edler and Horvat. Vancouver capped it at 4-1 with a Loui Eriksson empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Virtanen. The three stars were Horvat, Virtanen, and Edler.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Martin Jones tend the twines. Winnipeg tickled the twine with an unassisted Dustin Byfuglien goal in the first period, his fourth of the season. San Jose tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joe Thornton. The Sharks pulled ahead with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Erik Karlsson. The Jets regained the lead on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Ben Chiarot. Winnipeg took the lead again on a Mason Appleton goal, coming off of Nic Petan and Brendan Lemieux. San Jose tied it again in the third period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Kane. The Jets pulled ahead in the third period on an Ehlers goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with an Ehlers empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Wheeler, who got a sock trick, and Scheifele. The three stars were Ehlers, Wheeler, and Kane, while Scheifele takes an honorable mention.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 77

Just two games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals welcoming the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington got going in the second period with a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Tom Wilson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins took the lead on a Bryan Rust goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Jake Guentzel and Crosby. This stood for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars going to Crosby, Murray (31 for 32 in saves), and Rust.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Philipp Grubauer in goal. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Jonathan Drouin. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead on a Gabriel Landeskog goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the season, passed from MacKinnon and Rantanen. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Rantanen, Grubauer (35 for 36 in saves), and MacKinnon.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 76

Eleven games on for a busy Tuesday night, the first in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Carter Hutton man the nets. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. Florida tied it in the second period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jared McCann and Mike Matheson. The Sabres retook the lead on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Reinhart and Skinner. The Panthers tied it again in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida pulled ahead when Evgenii Dadonov converted a penalty shot for his fifteenth goal of the season. The Panthers added on with a Frank Vatrano goal, his ninth of the year, via Dadonov and Henrik Borgstrom. Florida iced it at 5-2 with a Dadonov empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Barkov. The three stars went to Dadonov, Barkov, and Skinner, while Reinhart takes an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Keith Kinkaid draw the starts in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on with an unassisted Matthews goal, his seventeenth of the year. Toronto extended the lead as Patrick Marleau scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Kadri and Travis Dermott. New Jersey got on the board with a Sami Vatanen goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Brian Boyle. The Maple Leafs replied in the second period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Tavares. Toronto padded the lead on a Morgan Rielly goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Kadri, who earned a sock trick, and Connor Brown. MacKenzie Blackwood replaced Kinkaid in goal for third period. The Devils pulled one back with a Nico Hischier goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri. The Maple Leafs answered on a Tyler Ennis goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Brown and Par Lindholm. Toronto iced it at 7-2 with another Ennis goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by Jake Gardiner and Brown, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Ennis, Tavares, and Matthews, while Kadri and Brown get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, as the Rangers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Chad Johnson and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Pontus Aberg goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Ondrej Kase. New York tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, via Brett Howden and Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers took the lead on a shorthanded Kevin Hayes goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Namestnikov. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Filip Chytil empty net goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Namestnikov and Mika Zibanejad. The three stars belonged to Namestnikov, Hayes, and Georgiev (14 for 15 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Carter Hart are in the creases. Philadelphia began in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fourth of the season, via Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Dennis Cholowski power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Larkin. The Flyers retook the lead on a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the season, coming off of Travis Konecny and van Riemsdyk. Philadelphia added on with a Gostisbehere goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nolan Patrick and Michael Raffl. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Jacob de la Rose goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Martin Frk and Christoffer Ehn. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Gostisbehere, van Riemsdyk, and Hart (20 for 22 in saves).


Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Lukas Radil and Radim Simek. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Tomas Hertl and Simek. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Couture scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with the help of Hertl and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks capped it at 4-0 with an unassisted empty net goal by Radil, his second of the year. The three stars were Couture, Jones (26 save shutout), and Hertl, while Simek and Radil get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Cam Ward are the veterans in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks took the lead on an Erik Gustafsson power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. This held up for their eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Ward (30 for 31 in saves), Gustafsson, and Forsling.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. The Stars added on with a Radek Faksa goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Martin Hanzal and Tyler Pitlick in the second period. Bishop came out injured, with Anton Khudobin replacing him in goal, but Bishop returned for the third period. The final remained at 2-0, with the three stars given to Bishop (21 for 21 in saves), Benn, and Faksa.

Way up north, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Talbot are the struggling goalies. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a David Perron goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jay Bouwmeester and Brayden Schenn. Edmonton tied it in the second period on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jujhar Khaira and Caleb Jones. The Blues took the lead back in the third period on a Pat Maroon goal, his second of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas and Tyler Bozak. St. Louis added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Schenn and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues finished it at 4-1 with a Schwartz empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Schenn, who got a sock trick, and Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars belonged to Schenn, Allen (22 for 23 in saves), and Maroon.

South again to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Mario Kempe goal, via Alex Goligoski and Nick Cousins. New York tied it on a Joshua Ho-Sang goal, passed from Ryan Pulock and Valtteri Filppula. The Islanders took the lead in the second period on a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Pulock. New York added on with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Josh Bailey. This stood for an eventual 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Lehner (36 for 37 in saves), Pulock, and Nelson.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Anders Nilsson in goal. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Brayden Point. Vancouver tied it on a Tyler Motte goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Troy Stecher and Jake Virtanen. The Lightning retook the lead on a Cedric Paquette goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Danick Martel and Adam Erne. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with an Erne goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Paquette and Dan Girardi. The Canucks got one back with a Christopher Tanev goal, his second of the season, made possible by Antoine Roussel in the third period. The Lightning replied on a Steven Stamkos goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Tyler Johnson and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with an Ondrej Palat empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Kucherov and Anton Stralman. The three stars went to Paquette, Erne, and Vasilevskiy (36 for 38 in saves), while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Austin Wagner goal, his second of the season, assisted by Daniel Brickley. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Bryan Little and Josh Morrissey. The Kings retook the lead on an Alex Iafallo goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles added on with a Wagner goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Matt Luff. The Kings ended it at 4-1 with a third period empty net goal by Nate Thompson, his third of the campaign, set up by Dustin Brown. The three stars were handed to Wagner, Quick (27 for 28 in saves), and Iafallo.

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Monday, December 17, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 75

Only five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Casey DeSmith make the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with a Bryan Rust goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Nick Ritchie and Daniel Sprong. The Ducks tied it on a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his fourth of the season, via Carter Rowney and Josh Manson. Anaheim took the lead with an Ondrej Kase goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an empty net goal by Getzlaf, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Henrique and Pontus Aberg. The three stars were Henrique, Getzlaf, and Kase.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Nick Foligno goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Josh Anderson. This was the only goal in their 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Bobrovsky (28 save shutout), Foligno, and Subban (30 for 31 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price are the veterans in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by David Backes and Colby Cave. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Cave goal, coming off of Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. Boston extended the lead in the third period as David Krejci scored his sixth of the year, thanks to McAvoy. The Bruins padded the lead on a Brad Marchand power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by Pastrnak and Torey Krug. This produced the 4-0 final score, with the three stars given to Cave, Halak (22 save shutout), and McAvoy, while Pastrnak gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Maxime Lajoie power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mikkel Boedker and Drake Batherson. The Senators added on with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Mark Stone and Colin White. Ottawa extended the lead as Ryan Dzingel scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Stone. Juuse Saros replaced Rinne in goal for the second period. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Ellis and Ryan Johansen. The Predators got closer in the third period on a Craig Smith power play goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Josi and Johansen. Nashville tied it as Josi scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, with the help of Kevin Fiala and Johansen, the latter earning a sock trick. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Thomas Chabot goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Dzingel. The three stars were Dzingel, Josi, and Stone, while Johansen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventh of the season, via Brock Nelson and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, powered by Ryan Pulock and Josh Bailey. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon. New York replied with a Lee power play goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Nick Leddy and Eberle. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Valtteri Filppula empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, set up by Pulock. The three stars were Eberle, Lee, and Greiss (30 for 31 in saves), while Pulock gets an honorable mention.

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Sunday, December 16, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 74

We've got seven games today, scattered throughout the day. First up is a matinee in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his third of the season, via Pavel Buchnevich and Kevin Hayes. Vegas tied it on a Reilly Smith power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, coming off of Ma Pacioretty and Alex Tuch. The Rangers retied it on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. Vegas retook the lead on a William Carrier goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper from Tomas Nosek. New York tied it in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Hayes, who earned a sock trick. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime on a Tuch goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Stastny and Miller. The three stars were Tuch, Stastny, and Hayes, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Calvin de Haan and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Justin Faulk and Justin Williams. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Sebastian Aho scored his twelfth of the campaign, thanks to de Haan and Teuvo Teravainen. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars given to Mrazek (23 save shutout), de Haan, and Foegele.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jake Allen are between the pipes. Calgary started in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Lindholm goal, his seventeenth of the year. Calgary extended the lead as Giordano scored his sixth of the season on the power play, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk. The Flames padded the lead with an Alan Quine goal, his second of the year, via Noah Hanifin and Mark Jankowski. Jordan Binnington replaced Allen in goal. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Nolan and Vince Dunn. Calgary replied with a Gaudreau goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Derek Ryan. The Blues answered on a Tyler Bozak goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Dunn. The Flames countered with a Gaudreau empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, set up by Sean Monahan and Lindholm. Calgary continued with Quine's second of the game and third of the season on the power play, with assists provided by Austin Czarnik and T.J. Brodie. The final held at 7-2, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Quine, while Giordano, Tkachuk, and Dunn earn the honorable mentions.

East again to Boston, as the Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin. Boston tied it on a Steven Kampfer goal, via Joakim Nordstrom and David Backes. The Sabres took the lead back in the third period with an Eichel goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin. The Bruins tied it again on a Torey Krug goal, his third of the season, fueled by David Krejci and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. Buffalo retook the lead on another Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Eichel and Reinhart. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with an Eichel empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Reinhart, who got a sock trick, and Zemgus Girgensons. The three stars were Eichel, Skinner, and Reinhart, while Dahlin gets an honorable mention.

Moving along, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks added on with a Dylan Strome goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Connor Murphy and Patrick Kane. San Jose got on the board with a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the season, via Lukas Radil and Brent Burns. The Sharks tied it with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc. Chicago retook the lead on a Brendan Perlini goal, his third of the season, passed from Dylan Sikura and Brent Seabrook. Both Jones and Crawford exited the game before the end of the period, replaced by Aaron Dell and Cam Ward, respectively. San Jose tied it in the second period on an Evander Kane power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Burns and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks pulled ahead with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Justin Braun and Melker Karlsson. San Jose extended the lead as Logan Couture scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Brenden Dillon and Evander Kane. The Sharks padded the lead on a Labanc power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Burns and Tomas Hertl. San Jose capped it at 7-3 with a Hertl goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper from Couture. The three stars went to Kane, Couture, and Melker Karlsson, while Burns, Labanc, and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat and the goalie Vasilevskiy. Winnipeg tied it on a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Tyler Myers and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Adam Lowry and Josh Morrissey. The Lightning retied it with a Steven Stamkos goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Palat. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. Winnipeg tied it again on an Ehlers goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Lightning took the lead again in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Stamkos and Point. The Jets retied it once more with another Ehlers goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, assisted by Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted Scheifele goal, his twenty-first of the campaign. The three stars were Scheifele, Ehlers, and Stamkos, while Palat and Point get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jacob Markstrom man the nets. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jujhar Khaira and Adam Larsson. Vancouver tied it with an Alexander Edler power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. The Canucks took the lead on a Boeser power play goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Ben Hutton and the goalie Markstrom. Vancouver added on in the third period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Nikolay Goldobin and Boeser. The Oilers got one back on an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Horvat empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Antoine Roussel and Edler. The three stars were Boeser, Edler, and Horvat.

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