Saturday, January 12, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 98

Twelve games on this Saturday, including a pair of matinees. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Drew Stafford and Pavel Zacha. The Devils added on in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got on the board with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier and Ivan Provorov. New Jersey answered in the third period with a Miles Wood goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Hischier and Blake Coleman. The Flyers got one back with a Couturier goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Jakub Voracek and van Riemsdyk, This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Hischier, van Riemsdyk, and Couturier.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. The Islanders got going in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Ryan Pulock. The Rangers tied it on a Filip Chytil goal, his seventh of the year, via Boo Nieves. The Rangers took the lead on a Mats Zuccarello goal in the third period, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Mika Zibanejad. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Zuccarello, Chytil, and Georgiev (24 for 25 in saves).

At the regular time, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Linus Ullmark are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres took the lead with a Tage Thompson goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Zemgus Girgensons and Vladimir Sobotka. The Lightning tied it again in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Sergachev and Victor Hedman. Buffalo regained the lead on a Marco Scandella goal in the third period, his third of the season, fueled by Jason Pominville and Conor Sheary. Tampa Bay evened the score with a Kucherov goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Steven Stamkos. The Lightning pulled ahead with a Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Kucherov and Hedman. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn. The three stars were Kucherov, Stamkos, and Hedman.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the third period with a shorthanded Brett Kulak goal, his second of the season, set up by Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his fifth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin and Mike Reilly. Montreal iced it at 3-0 with a Jordie Benn empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Danault. The three stars went to Price (28 save shutout), Danault, and Kulak.

Along to Ontario, as the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Michael Hutchinson in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his ninth of the season, via Sean Kuraly and Zdeno Chara. Toronto tied it in the second period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs gained the lead with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Kapanen. The Bruins tied it again with a Kuraly goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Chris Wagner and Noel Acciari. Boston pulled ahead with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Kuraly. This held up for the eventual 3-2 final score, with the three stars given to Kuraly, Kapanen, and Rask (30 for 32 in saves).

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Braden Holtby draw the starts in goal. Columbus began in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Markus Nutivaara and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Pheonix Copley replaced an injured Holtby in the second period. Washington tied it in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in overtime with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, powered by Seth Jones. The three stars belonged to Panarin, Korpisalo (32 for 33 in saves), and Atkinson.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Larkin. Minnesota tied it on a Luke Kunin goal, made possible by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker. The Red Wings retied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Anthony Mantha and Jonathan Ericsson. Detroit took the lead with another Vanek goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Ericsson and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings added on with a Bertuzzi goal in the third period, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, fueled by Larkin and Mike Green. Detroit extended the lead as Bertuzzi finished his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Nyquist and Larkin, the latter earning a sock trick. This produced the 5-2 final score, with the three stars awarded to Bertuzzi, Vanek, and Larkin, while Ericsson and Nyquist earn the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Collin Delia are in the blue paint. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone helper from Dominik Kahun. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Toews. Vegas got on the board in the second period with an Alex Tuch goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Nate Schmidt. Chicago responded with a DeBrincat power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Gustafsson. The Golden Knights pulled back with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Oscar Lindberg and Jon Merrill. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Pacioretty and Tuch. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Shea Theodore goal, his fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Brandon Pirri. The three stars were handed to Tuch, DeBrincat, and Kane, while Pacioretty and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Jaden Schwartz and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Pat Maroon goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Oskar Sundqvist and Robert Bortuzzo. Dallas got on the board in the third period with an Erik Condra goal, passed from Mattias Janmark and John Klingberg. St. Louis replied with a Tarasenko power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Sundqvist. The final stayed at 3-1, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Binnington (21 for 22 in saves), and Sundqvist.

In Canada again, the Edmonton Oilers host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot are the average goalies. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Ty Rattie. Arizona tied it on a Jordan Oesterle goal, his third of the year, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Mario Kempe. The Coyotes took the lead with a Conor Garland power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Oesterle and Alex Galchenyuk. The Oilers tied it with a Kris Russell goal, his second of the year, via Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Arizona retook the lead in the third period with a Garland power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Clayton Keller and Galchenyuk. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Garland, Oesterle, and Galchenyuk.

Into California, as the San Jose Sharks welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Tomas Hertl and Brenden Dillon. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Brent Burns goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Kevin Labanc and Justin Braun. Ottawa got on the board with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith. San Jose replied with a Joe Thornton goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Timo Meier and Burns. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Melker Karlsson empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Burns, Jones (27 for 28 in saves), and Thornton.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Jonathan Quick occupy the creases. Pittsburgh scored first with a Jake Guentzel shorthanded goal, his twenty-second of the season, set up by Sidney Crosby and Jack Johnson. Los Angeles tied it with an unassisted Jeff Carter goal, his ninth of the year. The Kings took the lead in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his tenth of the season, via Carter and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles added on with an Anze Kopitar shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Carter. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Brendan Leipsic scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Ilya Kovalchuk and Muzzin. The Penguins got one back with a Guentzel power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. Los Angeles capped it at 5-2 with a Kopitar empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Dustin Brown. The three stars were Kopitar, Carter, and Guentzel, while Muzzin gets an honorable mention.

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Friday, January 11, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 97

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

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Curtis McElhinney are set to start in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Teuvo Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin. Buffalo tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Sam Reinhart. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Justin Williams goal in the second period, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Sabres tied it again with a Jason Pominville goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Evan Rodrigues and Dahlin. Carolina pulled ahead with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Ferland. The Hurricanes added on with another Aho goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, fueled by Ferland and Teravainen. Buffalo got one back with a third period Kyle Okposo goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons and Marco Scandella. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Aho, Ferland, and Teravainen, while Dahlin gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Adam Lowry and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighth of the year, via Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg extended the lead as Bryan Little scored in the second period, his ninth goal of the season, made possible by Connor. Detroit got on the board with a Luke Glendening shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Filip Hronek and Darren Helm. The Red Wings got closer in the third period with a Dennis Cholowski power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Frans Nielsen. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Connor empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, thanks to Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. The three stars went to Connor, Wheeler, and Little.

Westward to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and David Rittich are in the creases. Florida started in the first period with an unassisted Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-first of the season. The Panthers added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and the goalie Luongo. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Frolik goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Oliver Kylington. The Flames tied it with a Mark Giordano goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Frolik and Travis Hamonic. Calgary took the lead in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Frolik. The Flames extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his twenty-fourth of the year into an empty net on the power play, with the help of Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. Florida got one back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Frank Vatrano and Aleksander Barkov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Frolik, Tkachuk, and Monahan.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Ondrej Kase and Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the year, via Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim extended the lead as Daniel Sprong scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Rickard Rakell and Getzlaf. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. The Penguins got closer with a Jake Guentzel goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Brian Bumoulin. Pittsburgh tied it on a Guentzel power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, powered by Kessel and Malkin. The Ducks retook the lead on a shorthanded Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Henrique. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Malkin and Dominik Simon. Pittsburgh pulled ahead on an unassisted Kessel goal, his eighteenth of the season. The Penguins padded the lead with another Pearson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, made possible by Malkin, who got a sock trick, and Marcus Pettersson. Pittsburgh iced it at 7-4 with a Guentzel empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-first of the campaign, with a lone assist by Sidney Crosby. The three stars were Guentzel, Malkin, and Pearson, while Kessel, Getzlaf, and Henrique get the honorable mentions.

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Thursday, January 10, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 96

Twelve games fill the schedule tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak guard the cages. Washington led off in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by T.J. Oshie. Boston tied it on a Ryan Donato goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, passed from Torey Krug and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. The Capitals retook the lead with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Tom Wilson. The Bruins tied it again in the third period on a David Krejci power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Danton Heinen and David Backes. Washington regained the lead on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Oshie and Jonas Siegenthaler. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Ovechkin, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year. The three stars were Ovechkin, Holtby (39 for 41 in saves), and Oshie.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and Keith Kinkaid draw the stars in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Ron Hainsey goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs added on with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Tavares scored his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. New Jersey got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Andy Greene and Miles Wood in the second period. The Devils got closer with a Brian Boyle goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Blake Pietila. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 on a Marner empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Tavares. The three stars went to Tavares, Marner, and Hutchinson (27 for 29 in saves).

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers bring in their crosstown rivals the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Henrik Lundqvist are the masked men. The Rangers started in the first period with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Jimmy Vesey and Filip Chytil. The Islanders tied it with a Mathew Barzal goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders took the lead on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Anders Lee and Barzal. The Rangers retied it in the second period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his second of the year, passed from Fredrik Claesson. The Islanders pulled ahead again with a Lee power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Leddy and Barzal. The Rangers evened it in the third period with a Jesper Fast goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Neal Pionk and Pavel Buchnevich. The Islanders took the lead again with a Josh Bailey goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Cal Clutterbuck and Boychuk. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Barzal, Lee, and Boychuk.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Carter Hart receive the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Radko Gudas. The Flyers added on with a van Riemsdyk goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, assisted by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Hart (37 for 38 in saves), van Riemsdyk, and Konecny.

Along to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventh of the season, via Josh Anderson and Zach Werenski. Nashville tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Mattias Ekholm and Kevin Fiala. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus added on with a Jenner goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Nick Foligno. The Predators pulled back with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville tied it on an Ekholm goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Colton Sissons and Ryan Hartman. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Panarin power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson. The three stars belonged to Panarin, Jenner, and Ekholm, while Werenski gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his eleventh of the season, via Dougie Hamilton and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Tampa Bay tied it on an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. The Lightning took the lead with a Point power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with helpers from Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay won 3-1 with a Point empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, set up by Stamkos and Alex Killorn. The three stars were Point, Vasilevskiy (26 for 27 in saves), and Stamkos.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jordan Binnington are in the blue paint. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with an Oskar Sundqvist shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by O'Reilly and Carl Gunnarsson. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Jay Bouwmeester scored his second of the season, with the help of Robby Fabbri and David Perron. Montreal got on the board with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jeff Petry. The Blues replied with a Sammy Blais goal in the third period, guided in by Sundqvist and Alex Pietrangelo. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Sundqvist, O'Reilly, and Binnington (28 for 29 in saves).

Further north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota extended the lead as Zucker scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Zach Parise and Spurgeon. Winnipeg got on the board with a Brandon Tanev goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Dmitry Kulikov and Andrew Copp. The Jets got closer in the third period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, helped along by Bryan Little and Kyle Connor. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Zucker, Spurgeon, and Dubnyk (26 for 28 in saves).

In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Cam Talbot are the struggling veterans in goal. Florida drew first blood in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his twelfth of the season, via Bogdan Kiselevich. Edmonton tied it on a Darnell Nurse goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Alex Chiasson and Connor McDavid. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period with an unassisted Denis Malgin goal, his fifth of the season. The Oilers tied it on a McDavid goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. Florida regained the lead in the third period with a Henrik Borgstrom goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Kiselevich and Mike Hoffman. Edmonton tied it again as McDavid scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Draisaitl. The tie went to a shootout, where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid scored for the Oilers to give them a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to McDavid, Nurse, and Draisaitl, while Kiselevich gets an honorable mention.

West to BC, as the Vancouver Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jacob Markstrom are the serviceable goalies. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Richard Panik goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Vinnie Hinostroza and Brad Richardson. Vancouver tied it on a Sven Baertschi goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Christopher Tanev. The Coyotes took the lead back on a Nick Cousins goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Panik and Hinostroza. The Canucks tied it again with an Adam Gaudette goal, his third of the year, fueled by Antoine Roussel and Ben Hutton. Arizona pulled ahead with a Conor Garland goal, his sixth of the season, via Alex Galchenyuk and Jakob Chychrun. Vancouver tied it again on a Baertschi goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Troy Stecher. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Panik goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, coming off of Chychrun. The three stars were Panik, Baertschi, and Chychrun, while Hinostroza gets an honorable mention.

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Ryan Reaves and Brayden McNabb. San Jose tied it with a Tomas Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the third period with a Jon Merrill goal, passed from Brandon Pirri and Alex Tuch. The Sharks tied it again on a Melker Karlsson goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Brent Burns and Kevin Labanc. San Jose pulled ahead with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Hertl and Evander Kane. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Hertl, Donskoi, and Jones (36 for 38 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Jonathan Quick are the goalies. Los Angeles finally scored first in the second period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jake Muzzin and Austin Wagner. Ottawa tied it on a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Ryan Dzingel. The Senators took the lead with a Chris Tierney goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mikkel Boedker and Rudolfs Balcers. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Christian Wolanin goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators iced it at 4-1 with a Tierney empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Zack Smith and Cody Ceci. The three stars were Tierney, Nilsson (33 for 34 in saves), and Wolanin.

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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 95

Just three games on tonight, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Collin Delia in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Kevin Fiala and Mattias Ekholm. Chicago tied it on an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Erik Gustafsson. The Predators retook the lead on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. Nashville added on with a Filip Forsberg power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Johansen. The Blackhawks got one back with a shorthanded Jonathan Toews goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Marcus Kruger and Carl Dahlstrom. Chicago tied it with an Artem Anisimov goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, fueled by Kane and Duncan Keith. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Ekholm and Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars were Forsberg, Johansen, and Ekholm, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and David Rittich are in the creases. Calgary opened in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by James Neal and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Mark Jankowski goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Sam Bennett and Mark Giordano. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his third of the year, via Matt Calvert and Tyson Jost. Calgary retook the lead in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Giordano and Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Michael Frolik scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Giordano, who got a sock trick, and T.J. Brodie. Colorado replied with a Rantanen goal, his twentieth of the season, with a lone assist by Landeskog. Calgary iced it at 5-3 with a Matthew Tkachuk empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Brodie and Derek Ryan. The three stars were Giordano, Gaudreau, and Rantanen, while Landeskog and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Down in Anaheim Ducks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and John Gibson are the goalies. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Brandon Montour and Andrew Cogliano. Ottawa tied it on a Bobby Ryan goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Dylan DeMelo and Chris Tierney. The Senators won 2-1 in overtime with a Colin White goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Mark Stone. The three stars went to Nilsson (32 for 33 in saves), White, and Ryan.

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Tuesday, January 8, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 94

Eleven games on for a busy night across the league, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his fifth of the season, passed from John Moore and Torey Krug. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Moore. Boston extended the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Bergeron and Marchand. The Bruins padded the lead with a Bergeron power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Marchand and Krug. This stood for the eventual 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Rask (24 save shutout), while Moore and Krug get the honorable mentions.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Carter Hutton are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Miles Wood and Travis Zajac. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Tage Thompson. The Sabres took the lead on a C.J. Smith goal, passed from Johan Larsson and Kyle Okposo. Buffalo added on with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Zach Bogosian and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres extended the lead on a shorthanded Jake McCabe goal, his third of the year, set up by Evan Rodrigues and Vladimir Sobotka. Buffalo padded the lead as Lawrence Pilut scored, thanks to Conor Sheary and Rasmus Ristolainen. This held up for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Hutton (20 for 21 in saves), Smith, and Pilut.

Also in New York, the Islanders bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York opened in the first period with an unassisted Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the season. Carolina tied it on a Saku Maenalanen goal, passed from Victor Rask and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Greg McKegg goal, his second of the year, made possible by Micheal Ferland and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Islanders retied it in the third period on a Devon Toews goal, his second of the season, fueled by Anders Lee and Nelson. Carolina responded with a Justin Williams goal, his tenth of the year, via McKegg. The Hurricanes added on with a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Rask. New York pulled back with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. They failed to equalize, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Nelson, McKegg, and Rask.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Matt Murray are the masked men. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Marcus Pettersson and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a Bryan Rust goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Rust scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season while shorthanded, set up by Matt Cullen and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins padded the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Riley Sheahan goal, his sixth of the year. Florida got on the board with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Aaron Ekblad and Evgenii Dadonov. Pittsburgh replied in the third period with a Crosby goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Pettersson. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Rust, Murray (36 for 37 in saves), and Crosby, while Pettersson takes an honorable mention.

Further along, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Jimmy Howard are in the creases. Montreal got going in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on with a Joel Armia goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Max Domi and Jordie Benn. Detroit got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Luke Glendening. Montreal replied in the third period with a Jeff Petry goal, his ninth of the year, via Tatar. The Red Wings got one back on an Athanasiou power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, powered by Anthony Mantha and Gustav Nyquist. The final remained at 3-2, with the three stars being Tatar, Athanasiou, and Petry.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Kucherov scored his twenty-first of the season, with the help of Johnson and Point. The Lightning padded the lead with a Point goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, via Sergachev. This produced the 4-0 final score, with the three stars being Point, Vasilevskiy (31 save shutout), and Kucherov, while Johnson and Sergachev earn honorable mentions.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers. Mike McKenna and Pheonix Copley are the lesser-known goalies. Washington struck first in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jakub Vrana. Philadelphia tied it with a Jakub Voracek goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Oskar Lindblom. The Capitals reclaimed the lead with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and John Carlson in the second period. Washington added on with an unassisted Vrana goal, his thirteenth of the year. The Capitals extended the lead as Vrana scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Travis Boyd and Carlson. The Flyers got one back in the third period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Voracek and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia pulled closer with a Claude Giroux goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Couturier and Voracek. Washington iced it with a shorthanded and unassisted empty net goal by Oshie, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Vrana, Voracek, and Oshie, while Carlson and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jake Allen protect the nets. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. The Stars added on with a Klingberg power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, powered by Radulov and Seguin. Dallas extended the lead as Seguin scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, thanks to Miro Heiskanen and Roman Polak. St. Louis got on the board with a David Perron goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Alex Pietrangelo and Carl Gunnarsson. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars belonging to Seguin, Klingberg, and Bishop (26 for 27 in saves), while Radulov gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Connor Hellebuyck receive the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Brandon Tanev and Dmitry Kulikov. The Jets added on with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon. Winnipeg replied in the second period with a shorthanded Wheeler goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Mark Scheifele and Trouba. The Jets extended the lead as Bryan Little scored his eighth of the season on the power play, with the help of Tyler Myers and Josh Morrissey. The Avalanche got one back with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Matt Calvert and Erik Johnson. Colorado got closer with a Ryan Graves goal, his second of the season, guided in by Mikko Rantanen and Soderberg. Winnipeg countered with an Andrew Copp goal in the third period, his third of the year, fueled by Brendan Lemieux and Myers. The Jets padded the lead as Scheifele scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Wheeler. The Avalanche got one back with Landeskog's second goal of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by MacKinnon and Barrie. Winnipeg capped it at 7-4 with a Trouba empty net power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Wheeler, who got a sock trick, and Scheifele. The three stars were awarded to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Landeskog, while Soderberg, MacKinnon, Barrie, Trouba, and Myers all get honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Vegas Golden Knights host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Cody Eakin goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Alex Tuch and Jon Merrill. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Brandon Pirri power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Nate Schmidt. Vegas extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored an unassisted goal, his fourteenth of the season. New York got on the board in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. The Golden Knights answered with a Ryan Carpenter empty net goal, his third of the season, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Paul Stastny. The Rangers got one back with a Jesper Fast goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Jimmy Vesey and Boo Nieves. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Marchessault, Pirri, and Eakin.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Aaron Dell are in the creases. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Marcus Sorensen penalty shot goal, his eighth of the year, thanks to a hold from Alexander Petrovic. Edmonton got on the board with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. San Jose shot back with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Tim Heed and Barclay Goodrow. The Sharks extended the lead in the second period as Kane scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Brent Burns and Timo Meier. The Oilers replied on a Milan Lucic goal, his second of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi. San Jose replied with a Burns power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Karlsson and Meier. The Sharks padded the lead in the third period on a Joe Thornton goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brenden Dillon and Lukas Radil. San Jose kept going with a Donskoi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Kane and Karlsson, the latter getting a sock trick. This sealed it at 7-2, with the three stars going to Donskoi, Kane, and Burns, while Karlsson and Meier get the honorable mentions.

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Monday, January 7, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 93

Just five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Carter Hart are the young goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jaden Schwartz and Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues added on in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis iced it at 3-0 with a David Perron empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Zach Sanford and O'Reilly. The three stars were Binnington (25 save shutout), Schenn, and O'Reilly.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Michael Hutchinson in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard with a Mattias Ekholm power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, powered by Craig Smith and Kevin Fiala. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban goal, his fourth of the year, via Matt Irwin and Nick Bonino. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Colton Sissons scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Ellis. The Predators padded the lead with a Fiala goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Sissons and Ekholm. The three stars of the 4-0 games were Rinne (18 save shutout), Ekholm, and Sissons, while Fiala gets an honorable mention.

Over in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Carey Price tend the twines. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his twelfth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (32 save shutout), Granlund, and Price (24 for 25 in saves).

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Collin Delia are the inexperienced goalies. Calgary started in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Artem Anisimov and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Kane and Gustafsson. The Flames retied it with a Monahan power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Lindholm. Calgary pulled ahead in the third period with a Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Giordano. The Flames added on with a Garnet Hathaway shorthanded empty net goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got one back with a Brandon Saad goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Anisimov and Duncan Keith. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Lindholm, while Kane, Anisimov, and Gustafsson are the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings in a battle of California. Jack Campbell and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose opened in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Dustin Brown and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Sharks took the lead back with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Karlsson and the goalies Jones. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Joe Thornton power play empty net goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, powered by Karlsson, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Karlsson, Jones (22 for 23 in saves), and Hertl.

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Sunday, January 6, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 92

We've got seven games today, spread throughout the afternoon and evening. First up...

The Ottawa Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Marcus Hogberg are in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Brock McGinn goal, his third of the year. Ottawa got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Bobby Ryan and Christian Wolanin. Carolina answered with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Victor Rask. Hogberg was replaced by Anders Nilsson in goal. The Senators replied with a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Chris Tierney. The Hurricanes countered on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Aho and McGinn. Ottawa pulled back with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, made possible by Tierney and Mikkel Boedker. The Senators tied it with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, passed from Mark Stone and Dylan DeMelo. Carolina restored their lead in the third period with a Justin Williams power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Teravainen and Faulk. The final stayed at 5-4, with the three stars given to Faulk, McGinn, and Teravainen, while Aho and Tierney get the honorable mentions.

Out in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Darcy Kuemper draw the starts in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Conor Garland power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes added on with a Mario Kempe goal, his second of the year, via Josh Archibald and Lawson Crouse. Arizona extended the lead in the second period as Conor Garland scored his second of the game and  fifth of the season, thanks to Nick Cousins and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes padded the lead with a Clayton Keller goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Derek Stepan and Jakob Chychrun. Arizona continued with a Galchenyuk goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jordan Oesterle and Alex Goligoski. Alexandar Georgiev replaced Lundqvist in the third period. The game ended 5-0, with the three stars given to Galchenyuk, Garland, and Kuemper (23 save shutout).

Up in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Malcolm Subban are the inexperienced goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Jesper Bratt and Ben Lovejoy. The Devils added on with a Lovejoy goal, made possible by Pavel Zacha and Drew Stafford. Vegas got on the board with an unassisted Ryan Reaves goal, his eighth of the year. The Golden Knights tied it on a Brayden McNabb goal, via Cody Eakin and Ryan Carpenter. Vegas took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch. This produced the eventual 3-2 final score, with the three stars going to Subban (36 for 38 in saves), Pacioretty, and McNabb.

Back in the northeast, the Detroit Red Wings host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Washington began in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his twelfth of the season, via Evgeny Kuznetsov. Detroit tied it on an unassisted Anthony Mantha goal, his tenth of the year. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Filip Hronek goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist. The Capitals retied it with a Travis Boyd goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Brett Connolly. Washington took the lead with a Michal Kempny goal, his fifth of the campaign, passed from Matt Niskanen and Kuznetsov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kempny, Kuznetsov, and Holtby (23 for 25 in saves).

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Dallas got going in the second period with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. Winnipeg tied it with an Adam Lowry goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Brandon Tanev and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead with a Tyler Myers goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Patrik Laine and Bryan Little. Winnipeg added on in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. The Jets extended the lead as Morrissey scored a shorthanded empty net goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Jacob Trouba and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg capped it at 5-1 with a Little power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Jack Roslovic and Trouba. The three stars were Hellebuyck (26 for 27 in saves), Morrissey, and Little, while Trouba gets an honorable mention.

Back east one more time as the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Casey DeSmith are between the pipes. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Dominik Simon. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Kris Letang and Bryan Rust. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period with a Chris Kunitz goal, made possible by Marcus Kruger and Carl Dahlstrom. Pittsburgh retook the lead on a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Phil Kessel and Marcus Pettersson. Chicago tied it again with a Duncan Keith goal, via Brent Seabrook and Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period with a Dylan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Kane, who got a sock trick, and Jonathan Toews. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Toews empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kane, Toews, and Ward (31 for 34 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and John Gibson are the masked men. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Zack Kassian and Caleb Jones. The Oilers added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead on a shorthanded Kyle Brodziak goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-third of the year, with a lone assist by Jones. This held up for an eventual 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (39 save shutout), Nugent-Hopkins, and Jones.

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