Thirteen games grace the schedule on the first Saturday of the year. We begin with...
The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Carter Hutton are in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, powered by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres added on with an Eichel power play goal, with a lone assist by Jeff Skinner. New Jersey got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri goal, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier in the second period. Buffalo replied with a Kyle Okposo goal, via Dahlin and Zemgus Girgensons. The Sabres extended the lead as Skinner scored, thanks to Marcus Johansson and Marco Scandella. Buffalo padded the lead with an Olofsson power play goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The Devils pulled one back in the third period with a Travis Zajac goal, with assists provided by Blake Coleman and Damon Severson. The Sabres countered with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, assisted by Jack McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen. Buffalo tacked on another with a Reinhart goal, his second of the game, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Olofsson, Reinhart, and Eichel, while Skinner and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.
In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Craig Anderson are set to start in goal. New York started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba. Ottawa tied it with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his second of the year, assisted by Thomas Chabot and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period on Zibanejad's second of the game and third of the season, made possible by Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin. New York added on with a Zibanejad shorthanded goal, completing his hat trick on his fourth of the year, set up by Brendan Smith. The Rangers extended the lead as Panarin scored his second of the season on the power play, thanks to Zibanejad and Buchnevich. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and Panarin.
Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, guided in by Jack Johnson and Jared McCann. The Penguins added on with a Marcus Pettersson goal, with a lone helper by Sidney Crosby. Columbus got on the board with a Zach Werenski goal, helped along by Riley Nash and Nick Foligno. Pittsburgh shot back on an unassisted McCann goal. The Penguins extended the lead as McCann scored again, thanks to Alex Galchenyuk. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Kris Letang power play goal, powered by Galchenyuk and Justin Schultz. The Penguins kept going in the third period on a Hornqvist goal, his second of the game, coming off of Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh continued with a Teddy Blueger goal, via Dominik Kahun and Brandon Tanev. The Blue Jackets pulled one back on a Gustav Nyquist goal, fueled by Nash. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars being McCann, Hornqvist, and Crosby, while Galchenyuk and Nash get the honorable mentions.
Crossing into Canada again, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Michael Hutchinson are in the blue paint. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Domi goal, via Artturi Lehkonen and Brendan Gallagher. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, passed from Trevor Moore. Toronto added on with a Moore power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by Ilya Mikheyev and Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the third period as William Nylander scored on the power play, with the help of Tyson Barrie and Kerfoot. The Canadiens got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, set up by Domi. Montreal chipped closer on a Gallagher goal, assisted by Shea Weber and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens tied it with a Jeff Petry penalty shot goal. Montreal took the lead with a Danault goal, with helpers from Gallagher and Weber. Toronto replied with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, made possible by Barrie and Mitchell Marner. The tie went to a shootout, where Paul Byron gave the Canadiens a 6-5 win. The three stars were Danault, Matthews, and Gallagher, while Domi, Weber, Kerfoot, Moore, and Barrie get the honorable mentions.
South to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Braden Holtby man the creases. Washington began in the first period wit ha Garnet Hathaway goal, via Brendan Leipsic. The Capitals added on with a T.J. Oshie goal in the second period, his second of the season, coming off of Jakub Vrana and Radko Gudas. Carolina got on the board in the third period with an Erik Haula power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jaccob Slavin goal, passed from Jordan Martinook and Warren Foegele. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Jake Gardiner goal, assisted by Svechnikov. The three stars were Svechnikov, Gardiner, and Reimer (32 for 34 in saves).
Further to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on with a Hoffman power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. Florida extended the lead as Noel Acciari scored, thanks to Colton Sceviour and Dryden Hunt. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Gemel Smith goal, passed from Luke Witkowski and Pat Maroon. The Panthers responded in the third period as Hoffman finished his hat trick on his fourth of the season, with the help of Aaron Ekblad and Brett Connolly. The Lightning answered with a Steven Stamkos goal, made possible by Victor Hedman and Kevin Shattenkirk. Tampa Bay got closer with a Mathieu Joseph goal, fueled by Yanni Gourde and Carter Verhaeghe. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Hoffman, Huberdeau, and Acciari.
Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jordan Binnington tend the twines. St. Louis struck first with a David Perron goal in the first period, coming off of Sammy Blais and Colton Parayko. Dallas tied it with a shorthanded and unassisted Mattias Janmark goal. The Stars pulled ahead in the second period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, going in unassisted. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Brayden Schenn goal, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. St. Louis took the lead with a Blais goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carl Gunnarsson and Ryan O'Reilly. The final was 3-2, with the three stars handed to Blais, Schenn, and Binnington (28 for 30 in saves).
Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Juuse Saros are between the pipes. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings added on with a Mantha goal, with a lone helper by Bertuzzi. Nashville got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal in the second period, his second of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen. The Predators tied it with a Filip Forsberg goal, his second of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and Duchene. Detroit retook the lead in the third period on a Larkin goal, coming off of Mantha and Bertuzzi. Nashville retied it with an Ekholm goal, made possible by Kyle Turris and Calle Jarnkrok. The Red Wings regained the lead on a Luke Glendening goal, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula. Detroit iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Bertuzzi, his second of the game, set up by Glendening. The three stars belonged to Bertuzzi, Mantha, and Larkin, while Glendening, Duchene, and Ekholm earn the honorable mentions.
Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, courtesy of Matt Calvert and Valeri Nichushkin. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Suter goal, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Zach Parise power play goal, coming off of Matt Dumba and Suter. Colorado retook the lead with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, made possible by Rantanen and MacKinnon. The Avalanche capped it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Ryan Graves, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Rantanen, Suter, and MacKinnon.
Down in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Darcy Kuemper receive the starting nods in goal. Boston cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars named as Halak (35 save shutout), Marchand, and Kuemper (23 for 24 in saves).
Way up north, the Calgary Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and David Rittich are the masked men. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Sean Monahan goal in the second period, his second of the season, assisted by Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. Calgary extended the lead as Gaudreau deposited an empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 3-0, and the three stars were Rittich (34 save shutout), Gaudreau, and Lindholm.
Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his second of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. Los Angeles tied it with a Dustin Brown goal, assisted by Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, with a lone helper from Kyle Clifford. The Oilers retied it on a James Neal power play goal, powered by McDavid and Klefbom. Los Angeles regained the lead on a Kopitar goal, made possible by Brown and Ben Hutton. Edmonton evened it again in the second period with a Zack Kassian goal, his seocnd of the year, fueled by Draisaitl and McDavid. The Kings pulled ahead again with a Michael Amadio goal, helped along by Clifford and Lewis in the third period. The Oilers knotted it again with a Joakim Nygard goal, courtesy of Gaetan Haas. Los Angeles retook the lead with a Drew Doughty power play goal, with assists provided by Ilya Kovalchuk and Kopitar. Edmonton tied it once again with a Darnell Nurse goal, guided in by Tomas Jurco. The Oilers pulled ahead with a Neal power play goal, his second of the game, passed from McDavid and Klefbom, each of whom earned sock tricks. The final held at 6-5, with the three stars honored as McDavid, Klefbom, and Neal, while Kopitar, Brown, Lewis, Draisaitl, and Clifford all get honorable mentions.
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and John Gibson patrol the blue paint. Anaheim started in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, via Ondrej Kase. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Logan Couture goal, passed from Erik Karlsson and Brenden Dillon. The Ducks retook the lead on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, made possible by Kase and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim added on with an unassisted Adam Henrique goal. The final remained at 3-1, with the three stars given to Gibson (35 for 36 in saves), Kase, and Henrique.
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