Saturday, March 2, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 143

Ten games on a Saturday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Edmonton started in the first period with a Zack Kassian goal, his tenth of the season, via Leon Draisaitl and Kris Russell. The Oilers added on in the second period on a Josh Currie goal, his second of the year, guided in by Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead as Draisaitl scored his fortieth of the season, thanks to McDavid. The Oilers padded the lead on an Alex Chiasson goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by McDavid, who earned a sock trick, and Russell. This stood as the eventual 4-0 final score, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Koskinen (30 save shutout), while Russell gets an honorable mention.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick are the experienced goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and the goalie Quick. The Kings added on with a Sean Walker power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles extended the lead as Ilya Kovalchuk scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Carter and Brendan Leipsic. Chicago got on the board with a Brendan Perlini goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Slater Koekkoek and Dylan Strome. The Blackhawks got closer in the second period with a Perlini goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from the goalie Crawford. Chicago tied it as Connor Murphy scored his third of the year, with the help of Chris Kunitz and John Hayden. The Kings regained the lead with a Kempe goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Jonny Brodzinski. Los Angeles padded the lead with a Leipsic goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Kovalchuk. The Kings capped it at 6-3 with a Brown goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Anze Kopitar. The three stars went to Brown, Perlini, and Kovalchuk, while Kempe, Leipsic, and Carter get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk. This held up as the only goal in the Bruins' 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Rask (20 save shutout), Marchand, and Blackwood (29 for 30 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carey Price and Matt Murray guard the cages. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Jared McCann. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Crosby and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Guentzel scored his thirtieth of the season, thanks to Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period on another Guentzel goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, passed from Crosby, who earned a sock trick, and Erik Gudbranson. Montreal got on the board with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Phillip Danault. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-1 in the third period with a McCann empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Marcus Pettersson and Guentzel. The three stars belonged to Guentzel, Crosby, and Murray (36 for 37 in saves), while McCann gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto struck first in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Martin Marincin. Buffalo tied it on a Jason Pominville goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Zemgus Girgensons and Marco Scandella. The Sabres took the lead with a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the season, via Kyle Okposo. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Morgan Rielly goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Auston Matthews and Ron Hainsey. Toronto took the lead in the second period with a Nic Petan goal, coming off of Trevor Moore. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his third of the season, fueled by Marner and Tavares. Toronto capped it at 5-2 in the third period with a Marner empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Tavares and Jake Muzzin. The three stars went to Marner, Tavares, and Andersen (35 for 37 in saves).

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his ninth of the season, via Anthony Cirelli and Dan Girardi. The Lightning added on with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Erik Cernak and Nikita Kucherov. Ottawa got on the board with an Anthony Duclair goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Brian Gibbons and Mikkel Boedker. Tampa Bay replied in the second period with a Cernak goal, his third of the year, passed from Alex Killorn and Braydon Coburn. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov scored his thirty-first of the season, thanks to Hedman and Adam Erne. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Coburn and Killorn. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars going to Cernak, Kucherov, and Hedman, while Vasilevskiy (36 for 37 in saves), Coburn, and Killorn earn the honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Samuel Montembeault are the goalies. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock McGinn goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Greg McKegg goal, his fifth of the year, via Lucas Wallmark and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Florida got on the board with a Henrik Borgstrom goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Dryden Hunt and Mark Pysyk. The Panthers tied it with a Pysyk goal, coming off of Jamie McGinn and Borgstrom. Florida pulled ahead in the third period with Borgstrom's second goal of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Jamie McGinn and Hunt. Carolina retied it on a Brett Pesce goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Nino Niederreiter. The three stars were Borgstrom, Pysyk, and Hunt, while Jamie McGinn gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jordan Binnington tend the twines. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Taylor Fedun. The Stars added on with a John Klingberg goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Blake Comeau and Mattias Janmark. St. Louis got on the board with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Oskar Sundqvist and Joel Edmundson. Dallas replied with a Benn power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Klingberg. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Benn empty net goal in the third period, completing his hat trick with his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Klingberg. The three stars were Benn, Klingberg, and Bishop (29 for 30 in saves).

Out in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Arizona got going in the first period with a Josh Archiblad goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Coyotes added on with an Ekman-Larsson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Vinnie Hinostroza and Richard Panik. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Anthony Mantha. Arizona replied in the third period with a Hinostroza goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jakob Chychrun and Panik. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Ekman-Larsson, Hinostroza, and Panik.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Mike Smith patrol the creases. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his thirtieth of the year, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Wild took the lead back on an unassisted Matt Read goal in the third period. Minnesota added on with a Ryan Suter goal, his seventh of the season, via Greenway. The Flames pulled one back on a Travis Hamonic goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Ryan Donato goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jared Spurgeon and Suter. The three stars were Suter, Greenway, and Dubnyk (35 for 37 in saves).

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Friday, March 1, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 142

Eight games on an unusually busy Friday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Sam Reinhart. Pittsburgh tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Juuso Riikola and Dominik Simon. The Sabres took the lead back on a Conor Sheary power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kyle Okposo and Brandon Montour. The Penguins retied it in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Justin Schultz and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh pulled ahead on a Crosby power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Schultz. Buffalo retied it in the third period with a Montour goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Evan Rodrigues and Sheary. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted Sheary goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign. The three stars were Sheary, Montour, and Crosby, while Schultz gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Cam Talbot and Cory Schneider draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a van Riemsdyk goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Ryan Hartman. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Damon Severson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Kenny Agostino and Travis Zajac. The Devils tied it on a Jesper Bratt goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Severson and Nico Hischier. Philadelphia retook the lead on an unassisted Travis Konecny goal, his nineteenth of the season. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Sean Couturier scored his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Giroux and Voracek. Philadelphia padded the lead on an Ivan Provorov goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Travis Sanheim and Voracek, the latter earning a sock trick. The Flyers continued with an empty net goal by Konecny, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, set up by van Riemsdyk. New Jersey got one back on a Kevin Rooney goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Bratt and Severson. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to van Riemsdyk, Konecny, and Voracek, while Severson, Bratt, and Giroux take the honorable mentions.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Thomas Greiss guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington tied it in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Michal Kempny. The Capitals took the lead on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fifth of the season, powered by T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington added on with an Oshie empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by, going in unassisted. The three stars were Holtby (20 for 21 in saves), Oshie, and Ovechkin.

Also in New York, the Rangers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Tomas Tatar and Jordie Benn. The Canadiens took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Christian Folin and Victor Mete. Montreal added on in the third period with another Armia goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brett Kulak. The Rangers got closer with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Jesper Fast and Skjei. Montreal iced it at 4-2 with an Armia empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Paul Byron and Nate Thompson to complete his hat trick. The three stars were Armia, Skjei, and Gallagher.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Curtis McElhinney are in the creases. St. Louis struck first in the first period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Vince Dunn and Robert Thomas. Carolina tied it on a Justin Williams goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Brett Pesce and Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Niederreiter and Sebastian Aho. The Blues tied it again in the second period on a Dunn goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Pat Maroon and Thomas. The Hurricanes regained the lead with an Aho shorthanded goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Teravainen and Dougie Hamilton. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with an Andrei Svechnikov empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Pesce and Faulk. The three stars were Aho, Faulk, and Dunn, while Teravainen, Niederreiter, Pesce, and Thomas get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, powered by Ryan Johansen and Ryan Ellis. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. The Jets tied it with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Nikolaj Ehlers and Kevin Hayes. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Wheeler goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Tyler Myers scored his eighth of the year into an empty net, thanks to Scheifele and Hayes. Nashville got one back with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ellis and Mikael Granlund. Winnipeg iced it on a Hayes empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Wheeler.

Back stateside, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and John Gibson protect the nets. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a William Karlsson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with an Alex Tuch goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas iced it at 3-0 in the third period with a Cody Eakin empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Carpenter. The three stars were Fleury (34 save shutout), Karlsson, and Gibson (31 for 33 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Martin Jones make the starts in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Joe Pavelski. Colorado got on the board with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Ian Cole. San Jose replied with a Sorensen goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, made possible by Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc. The Avalanche pulled back on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Landeskog and Alexander Kerfoot. The Sharks countered with a Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Labanc and Logan Couture. Colorado chipped back on a Samuel Girard goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Landeskog, who got a sock trick, and Nathan MacKinnon. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Sorensen, Pavelski, and Landeskog, while Labanc takes an honorable mention.

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Thursday, February 28, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 141

Seven games on tonight's slate, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks is mismatched with Robin Lehner in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Mitchell Marner and Ron Hainsey. New York tied it on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle. New York added on with a shorthanded Casey Cizikas goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders extended the lead as Valtteri Filppula scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Leo Komarov. New York padded the lead in the third period on a Nick Leddy goal, his second of the year, guided in by Clutterbuck and Matt Martin. The Islanders capped it at 6-1 with a Nelson goal, his twentieth of the campaign, made possible by Eberle and Ryan Pulock. The three stars were Nelson, Eberle, and Clutterbuck.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk. Columbus tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson. The Flyers retook the lead with a Travis Sanheim goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick. The Blue Jackets tied it again in the second period on an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Zach Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus pulled ahead in the third period on a Scott Harrington goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene. Philadelphia retied it on a Sanheim goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Voracek and Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Seth Jones goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone asst by Panarin. The three stars went to Panarin, Sanheim, and Voracek.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Tuukka Rask are in the blue paint. Boston got going in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Torey Krug and the goalie Rask. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Noel Acciari goal, his third of the year, via Chris Wagner. Boston extended the lead as Patrice Bergeron scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Danton Heinen and Acciari. The Bruins padded the lead on a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Heinen and Krug. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, passed from Ondrej Palat. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Acciari, Heinen, and Krug.

In Ottawa, the Senators host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Ottawa started in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, his seventh of the season, via Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal in the second period, his thirty-third of the year, helped along by Josh Currie. The Oilers took the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ty Rattie and Matt Benning. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Colby Cave goal, his second of the year, guided in by Currie. The Senators pulled back on a Mark Borowiecki goal, assisted by Christian Jaros and Colin White. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Zack Kassian empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. The three stars belonged to Currie, Koskinen (35 for 37 in saves), and Cave.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Darcy Kuemper are the lesser-known goalies. Arizona opened in the first period with a Brad Richardson goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vancouver tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Ryan Spooner. The Coyotes shot back with a Richardson goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, via Richard Panik and Vinnie Hinostroza. Arizona added on as Richardson completed his hat trick in the second period with his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Panik and Hinostroza. The Coyotes extended the lead as Alex Galchenyuk scored a power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks got one back with an Antoine Roussel goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Alex Biega and Ben Hutton in the third period. Arizona capped it at 5-2 with Richardson's fourth of the night and sixteenth of the campaign, guided in by Hinostroza and Panik, both of whom received sock tricks. The three stars were awarded to Richardson, Panik, and Hinostroza, while Ekman-Larsson gets an honorable mention.

Up in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Malcolm Subban are in the creases. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season. Florida tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead in the same way as Hoffman scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the season on the power play, with helpers from Yandle and Huberdeau. Florida added on with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Huberdeau and Barkov, the former earning the sock trick. The Golden Knights got one back in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Jonathan Marchessault and Jon Merrill. Vegas tied it on a Merrill goal, his third of the year, passed from Shea Theodore and Marchessault. The Golden Knights pulled ahead on a Colin Miller goal, his third of the season, via Nate Schmidt and Stastny. The Panthers retied it with a Barkov goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Jamie McGinn and Vincent Trocheck. Florida pulled ahead in the third period with an unassisted Huberdeau goal, his eighteenth of the season. Vegas tied it again on a Smith goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper from Theodore. In the shootout, Theodore had the only tally to give the Golden Knights a 6-5 win. The three stars were Smith, Hoffman, and Theodore, while Huberdeau, Barkov, Yandle, Stastny, Marchessault, Theodore, and Merrill get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jonathan Quick patrol the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Sean Walker and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings added on with a Brendan Leipsic power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Kopitar. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Taylor Fedun and Ben Lovejoy. The Stars tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Blake Comeau. Los Angeles retook the lead with another Kopitar goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas tied it again in the third period with a Radek Faksa goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Comeau and Lovejoy. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Roope Hintz goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. The three stars were Kopitar, Comeau, and Lovejoy.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 140

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and MacKenzie Blackwood are in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. New Jersey got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Kevin Rooney goal, his third of the campaign. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final score, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Giordano, and Rittich (19 for 20 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Toronto tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Jake Muzzin and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Zach Hyman and Ron Hainsey. Toronto added on with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs chased Koskinen with a William Nylander power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Tyler Ennis and Marleau. Anthony Stolarz came on in relief. Toronto extended the lead as Johnsson scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year on the power play, with the help of John Tavares and Marner. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period with a Tavares power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Marner and Nylander. The Oilers got one back on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone helper from Nurse. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Johnsson, Marner, and Marleau, while Nylander, Tavares, and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Alexandar Georgiev in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Anton Stralman. The Lightning added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. New York got on the board in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Jimmy Vesey and Tony DeAngelo. Tampa Bay replied with a Dan Girardi goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. The Rangers countered with a Vesey goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Fredrik Claesson and Kevin Shattenkirk. New York tied it on a Boo Nieves goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Ryan Strome and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Hedman goal, his eighth of the campaign, via Kucherov, who got a sock trick, and Stamkos. The three stars were Kucherov, Hedman, and Stamkos, while Vesey gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-third of the season, passed from Sven Andrighetto and Colin Wilson. Vancouver tied it on an Antoine Roussel goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Alex Biega and Brock Boeser. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Gabriel Landeskog. The Canucks tied it in the third period with a Josh Leivo goal, his twelfth of the year, via Ryan Spooner and Biega. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Rantanen and Carl Soderberg helped the Avalanche win 3-2 over Boeser and the Canucks. The three stars were Rantanen, Biega, and Boeser.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Dylan Strome. Anaheim tied it on a shorthanded Devin Shore goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a shorthanded Artem Anisimov goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Duncan Keith and the goalie Crawford. The Ducks tied it on a Carter Rowney goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Troy Terry goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Derek Grant. Chicago retied it on a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Toews and Gustafsson. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Patrick Kane goal, his fortieth of the campaign, with helpers from Brandon Saad and Toews. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being DeBrincat, Gustafsson, and Toews.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 139

Eleven games on for the first big game day after the trade deadline. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it on a David Krejci power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Marchand and Danton Heinen. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Krejci and Marcus Johansson. The Bruins extended the lead on a shorthanded Marchand goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Patrice Bergeron and Brandon Carlo. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Marchand, Krejci, and Halak (19 for 20 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Saku Maenalanen. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Micheal Ferland scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal and Teravainen. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Hamilton and Lucas Wallmark. Carolina continued with a Teravainen goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Ferland and Staal. The Hurricanes chased Quick with Hamilton's second goal of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Teravainen and Staal, both of whom earned sock tricks. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Brown goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, via Alex Iafallo in the third period. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Teravainen, Staal, and Hamilton, while Ferland gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Robin Lehner patrol the creases. Calgary got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. New York tied it on a Josh Bailey goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Andrew Ladd. The Flames took the lead back in the third period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary added on with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his second of the year, passed from Austin Czarnik and Mark Giordano. This produced the 3-1 final score, with the three stars being Smith (26 for 27 in saves), Lindholm, and Backlund.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Philadelphia led off in the first period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his twelfth of the season, via Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick. The Flyers added on with a Jakub Voracek goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Philippe Myers. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. Philadelphia replied in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Robert Hagg and Radko Gudas. The Sabres got one back with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary. The Flyers countered with a Travis Sanheim goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Sean Couturier. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with a Giroux empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Michael Raffl. The three stars were Giroux, van Riemsdyk, and Sanheim.

To DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Braden Holtby are between the pipes. Ottawa began in the first period with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his fifth of the season, via Brian Gibbons and Magnus Paajarvi. The Senators added on with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Cody Ceci and Christian Jaros. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Dmitry Orlov and Brett Connolly. Washington took the lead in the second period with a John Carlson power play goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead as T.J. Oshie scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Brooks Orpik and Backstrom. Washington padded the lead on a Connolly goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Andre Burakovsky and Eller. The Capitals chased Nilsson with Oshie's second of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by Orlov and Jakub Vrana. Craig Anderson replaced Nilsson in goal. Washington kept going in the third period with a Kuznetsov goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Ovechkin and Wilson. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars being Oshie, Wilson, and Connolly, while Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Orlov get the honorable mentions.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a Jared McCann goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Matt Cullen and Chad Ruhwedel. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Evgeni Malkin scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Zach Aston-Reese and Phil Kessel. Columbus got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Ryan Dzingel and Scott Harrington. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski. The Penguins answered with a McCann goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, helped along by Dominik Simon and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Jack Johnson. The three stars went to McCann, Crosby, and Murray (21 for 23 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Jordie Benn. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin. Montreal extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Phillip Danault and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens padded the lead with a Domi goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist from Drouin. Montreal kept going with a Joel Armia goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Paul Byron. Detroit got on the board with an Anthony Mantha goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Mike Green and Filip Hronek. The Canadiens shot back with another Shaw goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming off of Domi. Jonathan Bernier relieved Howard for the third period. Montreal continued with a Domi goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Drouin, who earned a sock trick, and Christian Folin. The Canadiens finished it at 8-1 with a Shaw goal to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Drouin and Domi, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Shaw, Domi, and Drouin.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jordan Binnington are the lesser-known goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues iced it at 2-0 with a Pietrangelo power play empty net goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Binnington (19 save shutout), Bozak, and Pietrangelo.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. Minnesota tied it on a second period Brad Hunt power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Donato and Eric Staal. The Jets retook the lead with a Laine goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, made possible by Ben Chiarot and Blake Wheeler. The Wild retied it in the third period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Donato and Staal. Minnesota won 3-2 with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Zach Parise. The three stars went to Donato, Staal, and Dubnyk (30 for 32 in saves).

Back stateside, the Arizona Coyotes host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Darcy Kuemper receive the starting nods in goal, but Reimer left injured early in the second period. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Lawson Crouse and Josh Archibald. Florida tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The Coyotes retook the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun. The Panthers tied it on a Jamie McGinn goal, his second of the year, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Riley Sheahan in the third period. Florida took the lead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Brouwer. Arizona tied it on a shorthanded goal by Stepan, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Nick Cousins, Alex Galchenyuk, and Vinnie Hinostroza tallied to top Huberdeau for a 4-3 Coyotes win. The three stars were Stepan, Brouwer, and Huberdeau.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the twines. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Alexander Radulov. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Nate Schmidt and Paul Stastny. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season. Vegas added on with a Schmidt empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Deryk Engelland and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Brayden McNabb goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone assist from Stastny on the way into the empty net. The three stars were Pacioretty, Schmidt, and Stastny.

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Monday, February 25, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 138

Six games on after the trade deadline passed earlier today. The first is in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cory Schneider man the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nathan Bastian goal, assisted by Connor Carrick and Egor Yakovlev. The Devils added on with a Kurtis Gabriel goal, his second of the season, via Carrick and Kevin Rooney in the second period. Montreal got on the board with a shorthanded Paul Byron goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Phillip Danault in the third period. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schneider (34 for 35 in saves), Carrick, and Bastian.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin. Toronto tied it in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Jake Muzzin and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs took the lead on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Toronto added on with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his third of the year, passed from Jake Gardiner and Trevor Moore. Linus Ullmark relieved Hutton in goal. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Tyler Ennis scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Gauthier and Morgan Rielly. The Sabres got one back with a Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Skinner and Dahlin. Buffalo got closer in the third period with an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, made possible by Jason Pominville and Rasmus Ristolainen. Toronto answered on a shorthanded Kapanen goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Connor Brown. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars being Gauthier, Kapanen, and Eichel, while Reinhart and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Braydon Coburn and Yanni Gourde. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Austin Wagner. The Kings tied it with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, helped along by Brendan Leipsic. Los Angeles took the lead on a Wagner goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Trevor Lewis and Sean Walker. Tampa Bay retied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Stamkos. In the shootout, Stamkos, Kucherov, and Victor Hedman carried the Lightning to a 4-3 win over Ilya Kovalchuk, Anze Kopitar, and the Kings. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Wagner.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Colton Sissons goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of P.K. Subban and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators took the lead with a Subban goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Calle Jarnkrok and Nick Bonino. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Alex Chiasson. In the shootout, Filip Forsberg and Brian Boyle lifted the Predators to a 3-2 win over Sam Gagner and the Oilers. The three stars belonged to Subban, Draisaitl, and Sissons.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Semyon Varlamov occupy the blue paint. Colorado got going in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Patrik Nemeth and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Tyson Barrie. Florida got on the board with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Keith Yandle and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers tied it with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Mike Hoffman. Colorado retook the lead in the third period with a Derick Brassard goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Ryan Graves and Barrie. Florida tied it again on a Hoffman goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Yandle and Weegar. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Hoffman.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Boyle and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on with an Alex Biega goal, his second of the year, via Derrick Pouliot and Ryan Spooner. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Brock Boeser and Pettersson. The Canucks padded the lead as Horvat scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year in the third period, thanks to Josh Leivo. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Markstrom (29 save shutout), Horvat, and Pettersson.

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Sunday, February 24, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 137

Six games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Pheonix Copley. New York began in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Jimmy Vesey and Mika Zibanejad. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the year, via John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals took the lead with a Michal Kempny goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Brett Connolly and Andre Burakovsky. Washington added on in the second period with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jakub Vrana and Lars Eller. The Rangers got one back with a Brady Skjei goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Connor Brickley and Lias Andersson. New York tied it in the third period with a Vesey goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals reclaimed the lead on a Nic Dowd goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Travis Boyd and Brooks Orpik. Washington extended the lead as Backstrom scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Rangers pulled back with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Tony DeAngelo. New York tied it with a Skjei goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and Zibanejad. The Capitals won 6-5 in overtime with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The three stars were Backstrom, Skjei, and Vesey, while Zibanejad gets an honorable mention.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Cam Ward are the backups in goal. Dallas led off in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Jason Dickinson. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Zuccarello scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. Chicago got on the board with a Chris Kunitz goal, his second of the year, passed from Marcus Kruger and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks pulled closer on a Drake Caggiula goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Keith and Erik Gustafsson. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Gustafsson. The Stars regained the lead on a Jason Spezza power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Radulov and John Klingberg. This sealed it at 4-3, with the three stars going to Radulov, Zuccarello, and Keith, while Gustafsson gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. San Jose opened in the first period with a Tim Heed goal, his second of the season, coming off of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Kevin Labanc. Detroit tied it on a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi. Detroit added on in the second period with a Green goal, his fifth of the year, via Abdelkader and Anthony Mantha. The Sharks got one back with a Brent Burns goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Timo Meier and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Burns. The Sharks pulled ahead with another Pavelski goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. San Jose iced it at 5-3 with a Pavelski empty net goal to cap his natural hat trick with his thirty-fifth of the year, set up by Couture. The three stars went to Pavelski, Burns, and Vlasic, while Couture, Green, and Abdelkader get the honorable mentions.

In Ottawa, the Senators host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Craig Anderson man the blue paint. Calgary started in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Thomas Chabot. The Flames took the lead back in the third period with an Austin Czarnik goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Michael Frolik and Mark Jankowski. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Czarnik, Rittich (22 for 23 in saves), and Anderson (33 for 35 in saves).

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Eric Staal and Jonas Brodin. St. Louis tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Tyler Bozak and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime with a Ryan Donato goal, his seventh of the campaign, courtesy of Zach Parise and Brodin. The three stars were Brodin, Dubnyk (27 for 28 in saves), and Donato.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Darcy Kuemper are set to start in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. Arizona tied it on a Brad Richardson goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Arizona added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk and Goligoski. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted Josh Archibald empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign. The three stars were Goligoski, Kuemper (34 for 35 in saves), and Crouse.

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