Saturday, January 5, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 91

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

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Anders Nilsson make the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Zack Smith. Minnesota tied it on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Luke Kunin and Zach Parise in the second period. The Senators retook the lead on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Bobby Ryan and Dylan DeMelo. The Wild tied it again with a Jordan Greenway goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal. Minnesota took the lead with another Spurgeon goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise. The Wild added on in the third period with a Parise goal, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Kunin and Coyle. Ottawa got one back with a Mark Stone goal, his twentieth of the campaign, courtesy of Cody Ceci and Christian Wolanin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Spurgeon, Parise, and Kunin, while Coyle gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Carter Hart are the inexperienced goalies. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Sanheim power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Jordan Weal and Ivan Provorov. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Sean Monahan and Noah Hanifin. The Flyers retook the lead in the third period with an unassisted Travis Konecny goal, his tenth of the season. The Flames tied it again with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Sam Bennett and Hanifin. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a T.J. Brodie goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Tkachuk. The three stars were Tkachuk, Hanifin, and Brodie.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston opened in the first period with a Chris Wagner goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Noel Acciari. The Bruins added on in the second period with a David Backes goal, his fourth of the year, passed from the goalie Rask. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with an unassisted Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his fifth of the campaign. This produced the 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Rask (31 for 32 in saves), Backes, and Ullmark (39 for 41 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Carey Price are set to start in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with an Ekholm goal, his fourth of the year, via Rocco Grimaldi and Calle Jarnkrok. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Shea Weber goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Nashville replied with another Smith goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Subban and Kevin Fiala. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted empty net goal by Viktor Arvidsson, his twelfth of the campaign, coming in the third period. The three stars were Smith, Subban, Saros (27 for 28 in saves).

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Michael Hutchinson are the former Panthers in goal. Toronto struck first in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Morgan Rielly and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs added on with a Trevor Moore goal, made possible by Igor Ozhiganov. Toronto extended the lead as Auston Matthews scored his twentieth of the year in the third period, thanks to Andreas Johnsson. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Johnsson goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Matthews. Toronto capped it at 5-0 with an Ozhiganov goal, his second of the year, via Matthews and Travis Dermott. The three stars belonged to Hutchinson (28 save shutout), Matthews, and Johnsson, while Ozhiganov gets an honorable mention.

Way to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and James Reimer are the masked men. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alexander Wennberg. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets retied it in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray. Columbus went ahead in the third period with an unassisted Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fourth of the season. Florida retied it as Aaron Ekblad scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Jared McCann and Yandle. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Seth Jones goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Artemi Panarin. The three stars were Jones, Yandle, and Dubinsky.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on with a Zach Sanford goal, his fifth of the year, via Vince Dunn and Tyler Bozak. New York got on the board in the second period with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Anders Lee and Adam Pelech. New York took the lead with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his third of the season, guided in by Cizikas and Nick Leddy. The Islanders extended the lead as Lee scored his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Devon Toews and Scott Mayfield. St. louis got one back with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with helpers from David Perron and Vladimir Tarasenko. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Lee, Cizikas, and Boychuk.

West to California, as the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Derek Forbort. The Kings added on in with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Brendan Leipsic and Jake Muzzin. Cam Talbot replaced Koskinen in goal. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown and Ilya Kovalchuk. The final held from here at 4-0, with the three stars given to Quick (16 save shutout), Doughty, and Clifford.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. San Jose replied with a second period Evander Kane power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Burns and Karlsson. The Lightning got one back with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, assisted by Mathieu Joseph and Ryan Callahan. The Sharks answered in the third period with a Kane goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, guided in by Brenden Dillon. San Jose finished it at 5-2 with a Lukas Radil goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Meier and Burns, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Kane, Burns, and Meier, while Karlsson gets an honorable mention.

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Friday, January 4, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 90

Seven games tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Matt Murray are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Olli Maatta power play goal, powered by Marcus Pettersson and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Matt Cullen goal, his fourth of the season, via Zach Aston-Reese and Jack Johnson. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Dominik Simon scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins padded the lead on a Kris Letang empty net goal in the third period, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Sidney Crosby and Cullen. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Murray (33 save shutout), Cullen, and Maatta.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Nashville began in the first period with a P.K. Subban goal, his third of the season, made possible by Mattias Ekholm and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. Detroit got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Filip Hronek. The Red Wings tied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Dennis Cholowski. Detroit took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Gustav Nyquist. Nashville tied it again with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Calle Jarnkrok. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, passed from Hronek. The three stars were Hronek, Larkin, and Vanek.

Southeast to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Justin Williams. The Hurricanes added on with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fifth of the year, via Greg McKegg and Saku Maenalanen. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as McKegg scored, with the help of Brett Pesce and Brock McGinn. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets got closer with an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Anthony Duclair and Ryan Murray. The Hurricanes won 4-2 with an Aho empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jaccob Slavin. The three stars belonged to McKegg, Aho, and Hamilton.

Southwest now to Dallas, as the Stars host the Washington Capitals. Pheonix Copley and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Radek Faksa and Alexander Radulov. Washington tied it in the second period on a Lars Eller goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Andre Burakovsky and Brooks Orpik. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime with a Seguin goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Radulov. The three stars were awarded to Seguin, Radulov, and Khudobin (36 for 37 in saves).

Northwest to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Philipp Grubauer occupy the creases. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Barrie. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Landeskog scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Erik Johnson and Rantanen. The Avalanche padded the lead in the third period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his seventh of the year, passed from J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost. Colorado continued with a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Barrie and MacKinnon, the former earning a sock trick. New York got on the board with a Ryan Strome goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche iced it at 6-1 with an unassisted Ryan Graves goal. The three stars were handed to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Barrie, while Landeskog gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Darcy Kuemper receive the starts in goal. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Kyle Palmieri. Arizona tied it on a Conor Garland goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with an unassisted Christian Fischer goal, his tenth of the season. The Devils retied it on a Blake Coleman goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Travis Zajac and Miles Wood. The tie went to a shootout, where Palmieri and Drew Stafford tallied to give the Devils a 3-2 win. The three stars were Palmieri, Coleman, and Hischier.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and John Gibson guard the cages. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Nate Schmidt goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brad Hunt and Tomas Nosek. Anaheim tied it on a Daniel Sprong power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Josh Mahura and Adam Henrique. The Ducks took the lead with a Carter Rowney goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Hampus Lindholm and Brian Gibbons. The Golden Knights tied it again with a Nosek goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Brayden McNabb. Vegas took the lead on a Max Pacioretty goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Paul Stastny and Alex Tuch. This stood for the eventual 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Nosek, Fleury (25 for 27 in saves), and Pacioretty.

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Thursday, January 3, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 89

Eight games on today, beginning with a rare midweek matinee in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Michael Hutchinson draw the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Connor Brown and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on with another Marner goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Tavares and Ron Hainsey. Minnesota got on the board with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Luke Kunin and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Spurgeon and Zach Parise. Toronto retook the lead with a William Nylander goal, coming off of Auston Matthews and Travis Dermott. Minnesota tied it again with a Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Greenway and Nino Niederreiter. The Wild edged ahead with a Parise goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Coyle. The final stood from here at 4-3, with the three stars going to Spurgeon, Parise, and Marner, while Coyle and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Michael Frolik shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Mark Jankowski. Boston tied it on a John Moore power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Matt Grzelcyk and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. The Bruins took the lead with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twelfth of the season, via David Krejci and Ryan Donato. The Flames retied it in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. Boston retook the lead on a Brad Marchand goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Krug and the goalie Halak. Calgary got one back with a Gaudreau goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Sean Monahan and Hanifin. Boston shot back with a DeBrusk goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Krejci. The Flames chipped back again with a Mikael Backlund goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson. The Bruins iced it at 6-4 with a Marchand empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by Pastrnak and Bergeron. The three stars were DeBrusk, Marchand, and Gaudreau, while Pastrnak, Bergeron, Krejci, Krug, and Hanifin get the honorable mentions.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Linus Ullmark play in the creases. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Sam Reinhart. The Sabres added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Vladimir Sobotka and Conor Sheary. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Colton Sceviour. Buffalo answered in the third period with a Reinhart goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Lawrence Pilut and Zach Bogosian. The Panthers replied on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Sabres countered with an unassisted Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year. Florida edged closer with a Barkov goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, via Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Skinner, Reinhart, and Barkov.

In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Michal Neuvirth are the substandard goalies. Carolina got going in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fourth of the season, via Teuvo Teravainen and Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes added on with a Justin Williams power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Hamilton. Carolina extended the lead as Teravainen scored his ninth of the season on the power play, thanks to Aho and Micheal Ferland. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the third period on a Warren Foegele goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Justin Faulk and Calvin de Haan. Philadelphia got on the board with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers pulled closer with a Sean Couturier goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Giroux and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia chipped closer on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. Carolina capped it at 5-3 with an unassisted Teravainen goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year. The three stars belonged to Teravainen, Hamilton, and Aho, while Giroux and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Jordie Benn goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Max Domi. This held up for the eventual 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Price (33 save shutout), Benn, and Drouin.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Robin Lehner are between the pipes. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Dominik Kahun goal, his sixth of the season, via Brandon Saad and Duncan Keith. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Anthony Beauvillier and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Barzal power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Nick Leddy and Anders Lee. The Blackhawks retied it in the third period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Toews. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Devon Toews goal, made possible by Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The three stars were Barzal, Devon Toews, and Delia (47 for 50 in saves).

West to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jake Allen guard the cages. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Robert Bortuzzo and Jaden Schwartz. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Michal Kempny and John Carlson. The Capitals took the lead in the second period with a Brett Connolly goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Lars Eller and Kempny. The Blues regained the lead on a Colton Parayko power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. St. Louis took the lead back with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Ivan Barbashev and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on in the third period with a Pietrangelo goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Perron and O'Reilly. St. Louis extended the lead as Tyler Bozak scored his sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. This produced the 5-2 final score, with the three stars given to Pietrangelo, Perron, and O'Reilly, while Kempny takes an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Stamkos and Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Ryan Callahan scored an unassisted goal, his fourth of the season. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period as Ryan McDonagh scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Point and Kucherov. Los Angeles got on the board with an Austin Wagner goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay replied with a Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, helped along by Kucherov, who got a sock trick, and Victor Hedman. The Lightning struck again in the third period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper from Callahan. The Kings got one back with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his fourth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Callahan, while Point gets an honorable mention.

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Wednesday, January 2, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 88

Six games on tonight, beginning in...

Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his second of the season, passed from Andreas Athanasiou. The Red Wings added on with a Jacob de la Rose goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Michael Rasmussen and Nick Jensen. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames tied it on a T.J. Brodie goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Gaudreau and Lindholm. Detroit retook the lead on an Athanasiou penalty shot goal after an Oliver Kylington hook, the goal being his fourteenth of the season. Calgary retied it with a Lindholm power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Gaudreau. The Flames pulled ahead in the third period with a Gaudreau power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Monahan. Calgary iced it at 5-3 with a Michael Frolik empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Mark Jankowski and Derek Ryan. The three stars were Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Athanasiou, while Monahan gets an honorable mention.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matt Cullen. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Marcus Pettersson. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Kris Letang scored his ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. New York got on the board with a Ryan Strome goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brady Skjei and Adam McQuaid. The Penguins replied with a Dominik Simon goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh padded the lead in the third period as Malkin scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Hornqvist and Simon. The Rangers pulled one back on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Fredrik Claesson and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Penguins responded with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Letang and Guentzel. Pittsburgh capped it at 7-2 against Alexandar Georgiev with a Crosby goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Letang, Malkin, and Simon, while Crosby, Guentzel, and Hornqvist get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Marcus Hogberg draw the starts in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sven Baertschi power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Alexander Edler and Bo Horvat. Ottawa tied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone. The Canucks took the lead with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Brock Boeser and Edler. Vancouver added on in the third period with another Pettersson goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, helped along by Edler, who got a sock trick, and Baertschi. The Senators got one back with a Christian Wolanin goal, fueled by Ryan Dzingel and Mikkel Boedker. Ottawa tied it with a Stone goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Dzingel and Duchene. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with Pettersson completing his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Christopher Tanev and Boeser. The three stars went to Pettersson, Stone, and Edler, while Baertschi, Dzingel, Duchene, and Boeser get the honorable mentions.

Way to the south, the Dallas Stars host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. New Jersey started in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Andy Greene and Travis Zajac. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his eighth of the season, via Tyler Pitlick and Roman Polak. Dallas added on with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Radulov and Klingberg. The Devils got one back on a Jesper Bratt goal, his third of the season, with a lone helper by Nico Hischier. The Stars answered with a Seguin goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Radulov, who got a sock trick, and Valeri Nichushkin. New Jersey replied with a Drew Stafford goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brett Seney and Will Butcher. The Devils tied it on a Brian Boyle power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Butcher and Zajac. Dallas reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Heiskanen goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Roope Hintz. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Heiskanen, Seguin, and Radulov, while Benn, Butcher, and Zajac earn the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Brent Burns. Colorado tied it with a Matt Calvert goal, his sixth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Nieto. The Sharks took the lead back with a Burns power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Pavelski. San Jose added on with an Evander Kane goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Burns and Pavelski. The Sharks extended the lead as Joonas Donskoi scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose padded the lead on a Lukas Radil goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Pavelski and Couture. The Avalanche got one back on a Tyson Jost goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado pulled closer in the third period with an unassisted Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the year. The Avalanche got closer with a Jost power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Samuel Girard and Kerfoot. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Pavelski, Burns, and Jost, while Couture and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Adin Hill are the lesser-known goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Brad Richardson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Richard Panik and Kevin Connauton. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Adam Larsson and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead on a McDavid goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Zack Kassian and Draisaitl. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a McDavid empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the year and second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Koskinen (29 for 30 in saves).

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Tuesday, January 1, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 87

Just three games to kick off 2019, but they start with the Winter Classic in...

Notre Dame Stadium, as the Chicago Blackhawks play host to the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Cam Ward are the veterans in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Brendan Perlini goal, his fifth of the season, passed from David Kampf and Dylan Sikura. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with a Dominik Kahun goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Toews. The Bruins retied it on a Bergeron power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Torey Krug. Boston pulled ahead in the third period with a Sean Kuraly goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Chris Wagner and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Brad Marchand empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by David Krejci. The three stars were Bergeron, Pastrnak, and Rask (36 for 38 in saves).

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Kevin Fiala. The Predators added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Ryan Hartman. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Arvidsson scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Ryan Ellis. The Predators iced it at 4-0 with a Rocco Grimaldi goal, his third of the year, via Zac Rinaldo. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Saros (32 save shutout), Arvidsson, and Smith.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell returns from injury, facing Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Brandon Pirri power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Cody Eakin and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights iced it at 2-0 with an Alex Tuch empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Deryk Engelland and Pirri. The three stars were Pirri, Campbell (46 for 47 in saves), and Fleury (17 save shutout).

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Monday, December 31, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 86

Thirteen games on for the last game day of 2018. We begin with two matinees, the first in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a Michal Kempny goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Nashville got on the board with a Rocco Grimaldi goal, his second of the season, assisted by Zac Rinaldo and Mattias Ekholm. Washington replied in the second period on a Chandler Stephenson goal, his fifth of the year, via Devante Smith-Pelly and the goalie Holtby. The Predators shot back with a Miikka Salomaki goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nick Bonino and Ekholm. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Roman Josi. The Predators pulled ahead with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his third of the season, helped along by Grimaldi and Craig Smith. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Ryan Ellis scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators padded the lead on an Arvidsson power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Johansen and Kevin Fiala. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Johansen, Grimaldi, and Arvidsson, while Ekholm takes an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the creases. New Jersey began in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Drew Stafford and Brett Seney. The Devils added on with a Miles Wood power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sami Vatanen and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey extended the lead as Vatanen scored on the power play in the third period, his third of the season being helped along by Wood and Damon Severson. The Devils padded the lead as Pavel Zacha scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Stefan Noesen and Steven Santini. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars given to Blackwood (25 save shutout), Wood, and Vatanen.

Later on, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Carter Hutton draw the starts in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Nick Leddy goal, his second of the season, via Mathew Barzal and Leo Komarov. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Joshua Ho-Sang and Scott Mayfield. Buffalo got on the board with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nathan Beaulieu and Casey Mittelstadt. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan Pulock empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by the goalie Lehner. The three stars were Lehner (39 for 40 in saves), Nelson, and Leddy.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Curtis McElhinney are the mediocre goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Lucas Wallmark goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with an unassisted Jordan Martinook goal in the second period, his ninth of the year. Carolina extended the lead as Andrei Svechnikov scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Clark Bishop. Michal Neuvirth replaced Hart in goal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Jakub Voracek goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Wayne Simmonds and Scott Laughton in the third period. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to McElhinney (22 for 23 in saves), Martinook, and Svechnikov.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Devan Dubnyk play in the creases. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. The Penguins pulled ahead on a Kessel goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Crosby and Zach Aston-Reese. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Kessel and Matt Cullen. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Zach Parise goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, guided in by Koivu and Mikael Granlund. They came up short at 3-2, with the three stars given to Kessel, Crosby, and Koivu.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jake Allen protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by David Perron. New York tied it on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Chris Kreider. The Rangers took the lead with a Boo Nieves goal in the second period, his second of the campaign, fueled by Ryan Strome and Kevin Shattenkirk. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (39 for 40 in saves), Nieves, and Zuccarello.

Back east, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Chris Tierney and Bobby Ryan. Columbus tied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period on a Dubois goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. Columbus added on with another Dubois goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators got one back with a Ryan goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Mark Borowiecki and Mikkel Boedker. Ottawa tied it with a Dzingel goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Matt Duchene and Dylan DeMelo. The Blue Jackets reclaimed the lead with a Werenski goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, via Atkinson and Dubois. Columbus extended the lead as Atkinson scored his twenty-fourth of the year on an empty net, set up by Panarin and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets capped it at 6-3 with an unassisted Josh Anderson empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars were Dubois, Werenski, and Dzingel, while Atkinson, Panarin, and Ryan take the honorable mentions.

Staying close, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jimmy Howard are the experienced goalies. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Luke Witkowski and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his tenth of the year, via Dylan Larkin and Justin Abdelkader. Detroit extended the lead as Thomas Vanek scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Frans Nielsen and Tyler Bertuzzi. James Reimer replaced Luongo in goal to start the second period. Florida got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Jared McCann goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Juho Lammikko and Mark Pysyk. The Panthers got closer on a Henrik Borgstrom goal, his third of the season, coming off of Frank Vatrano and Aaron Ekblad. Florida tied it as Jayce Hawryluk scored his third of the year, with the help of Colton Sceviour. The tie went into a shootout, where Jonathan Huberdeau's lone tally gave the Panthers a 4-3 win. The three stars were Hawryluk, Borgstrom, and Reimer (12 for 12 in saves in relief).

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov occupy the creases. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Sean Walker goal, via Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with a Brown goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Jake Muzzin. The three stars were Brown, Kopitar, and Walker.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and John Gibson guard the cages. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Cernak and Brayden Point. Anaheim tied it with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ondrej Kase and Josh Mahura. The Lightning won 2-1 in overtime with a Point goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The three stars were awarded to Point, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (35 for 36 in saves).

Eastward to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Brett Kulak and Jordie Benn. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Radek Faksa goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Valeri Nichushkin. The Stars pulled ahead with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Danault goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Shea Weber and Tomas Tatar. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime on a Jeff Petry goal, his eighth of the campaign, fueled by Paul Byron and Max Domi. The three stars were handed to Danault, Niemi (45 for 37 in saves), and Petry.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and David Rittich are the lesser-known goalies. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Frolik. San Jose tied it on a Lukas Radil goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Timo Meier and Logan Couture. The Flames retook the lead with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, fueled by Frolik and Tkachuk. Calgary added on with a Tkachuk power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Sharks replied with a Brent Burns power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist from Joe Pavelski. The Flames countered with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Monahan. San Jose pulled back on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl. Calgary responded with an Elias Lindholm goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Gaudreau and Monahan, the latter earning a sock trick. The Sharks answered in the third period on a Donskoi goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with helpers from Erik Karlsson and Kane. The Flames fired back with a James Neal goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Sam Bennett and Noah Hanifin. Calgary extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Lindholm and Monahan. The Flames padded the lead as Gaudreau scored again, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, with the help of Monahan and Lindholm. San Jose chipped back on a Joe Thornton power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Burns and Karlsson. The game ended 8-5, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Monahan, and Tkachuk, while Lindholm, Backlund, Frolik, Donskoi, Burns, Kane, and Karlsson take the honorable mentions.

The year ends in Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Alexander Petrovic. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his eighth of the year, via Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey. The Jets took the lead with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Andrew Copp and Jack Roslovic. The Oilers tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Darnell Nurse and Nugent-Hopkins. Winnipeg took the lead back on an unassisted Blake Wheeler goal, his sixth of the season. Edmonton tied it again in the third period with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, guided in by McDavid. The Jets regained the lead with a Lemieux goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Joe Morrow and Copp. This was good for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Lemieux, Draisaitl, and Copp, while Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, December 30, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 85

The lone game on today has the Arizona Coyotes hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper are set to start in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brandon Pirri and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, via Brad Hunt and Jonathan Marchessault. Arizona got on the board with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Vegas replied in the third period with a Cody Eakin goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Pirri scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Brayden McNabb. Vegas padded the lead on a shorthanded Ryan Carpenter goal, his second of the year, set up by Nick Holden. The final held from here at 5-1, with the three stars going to Pirri, Stastny, and Fleury (29 for 30 in saves).

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