Saturday, December 14, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 74

We're set to go on a fourteen-game day, beginning with four matinees. First up...

The New York Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Michael Dal Colle goal, his second of the season, via Anthony Beauvillier. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Jack Eichel. The Islanders retook the lead with a third period Jordan Eberle goal, his third of the season, passed from Brock Nelson and Beauvillier. The Sabres tied it again with an Eichel power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Rasmus Ristolainen. New York won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted Beauvillier goal, his tenth of the campaign. The three stars were Beauvillier, Eichel, and Eberle.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Anders Nilsson make the starts in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Logan Brown and Nikita Zaitsev. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Murray and Gustav Nyquist. The Senators took the lead back with a Duclair goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Artem Anisimov and Ron Hainsey. Ottawa added on with an unassisted Connor Brown goal in the second period, his fifth of the year. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Eric Robinson. Columbus tied it as Texier scored again, his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Dubois and Robinson. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Duclair power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign completing his hat trick, powered by Thomsa Chabot and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars went to Duclair, Texier, and Dubois, and Robinson gets an honorable mentions.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and John Gibson are the masked men. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Ryan Strome. Anaheim got on the board with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks tied it in the second period with a Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Adam Henrique and Rakell. New York retook the lead in the third period with a Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, coming off of Tony DeAngelo. Anaheim tied it again with a Lindholm power play goal, with a lone assist provided by Rakell. In the shootout, the Ducks won 4-3 as Ondrej Kase and Silfverberg topped Zibanejad. The three stars were Lindholm, Rakell, and Zibanejad, while Silfverberg gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and David Rittich are in the blue paint. Carolina got going in the second period with a Brock McGinn goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jordan Martinook and Julien Gauthier. The Hurricanes added on with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Carolina extended the lead on a shorthanded Warren Foegele goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Martinook and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-0 with a Foegele shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Teravainen. The three stars belonged to Reimer (32 save shutout), Foegele, and Martinook, while Teravainen gets an honorable mention.

Way southeast, the Nashville Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Pekka Rinne patrol the creases. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Austin Watson goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dan Hamhuis and Dante Fabbro. Dallas tied it with a shorthanded Blake Comeau goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jason Dickinson and Esa Lindell. The Stars took the lead with a Roope Hintz goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Justin Dowling and Alexander Radulov. Dallas added on with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, courtesy of Radulov and Tyler Seguin. The Stars extended the lead as Andrew Cogliano scored his second of the year, an unassisted goal. This stood for the eventual 4-1 final score, with the three stars being Khudobin (37 for 38 in saves), Radulov, and Hintz.

Further along, the Florida Panthers bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Charlie McAvoy and David Krejci. The Bruins added on with a Krejci goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, fueled by DeBrusk and Torey Krug. Boston extended the lead on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Krug. Florida got on the board with a Mark Pysyk goal in the third period, his second of the year, via Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle. The Panthers got closer with a Yandle goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Ekblad. The Bruins finished it at 4-2 with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, assisted by Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The three stars were awarded to Pastrnak, Krejci, and DeBrusk, while Krug, Marchand, Yandle, and Ekblad get the honorable mentions.

Back in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Pierre Engvall and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kerfoot and Engvall. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. Toronto responded with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by Dmytro Timashov. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Mitchell Marner power play empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Zach Hyman. The three stars went to Kerfoot, Engvall, and Andersen (36 for 37 in saves).

To Florida again, as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russians in goal. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov. The Capitals retook the lead in the third period on a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Richard Panik and Dmitry Orlov. Washington added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Brendan Leipsic and Radko Gudas. The Lightning got one back with a Jan Rutta goal, assisted by Killorn and Yanni Gourde. The Capitals shot back with a T.J. Oshie goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Tom Wilson empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Oshie and Backstrom. The three stars went to Oshie, Backstrom, and Killorn.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Alex Stalock have the green light to play in goal. Philadelphia drew first blood in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Morgan Frost. Minnesota tied it with a Zach Parise goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato. The Wild took the lead on an Eric Staal goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Jonas Brodin and Ryan Suter. Minnesota added on in the second period with an unassisted Staal power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year. The Wild capped it at 4-1 with a Carson Soucy empty net goal in the third period, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Brodin. The three stars belonged to Staal, Brodin, and Parise.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price are between the pipes. Detroit cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Dylan Larkin and Mike Green. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Green power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Andreas Athanasiou and Valtteri Filppula. Montreal got on the board with a Tomas Tatar shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Shea Weber and Joel Armia. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Green, Bernier (42 for 43 in saves), and Bertuzzi.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tristan Jarry are in the blue paint. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with an Austin Wagner goal, his third of the season, coming off of Adrian Kempe and Blake Lizotte. The Kings added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Sean Walker and Matt Luff. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Bryan Rust goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it on a Rust power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Guentzel and Letang. Pittsburgh pulled ahead in the third period with a Teddy Blueger goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Rust and Letang. The Penguins extended the lead as Jack Johnson scored his second of the year, with the help of Jared McCann and Guentzel. Los Angeles got one back with a Kyle Clifford goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. The Kings tied it as Michael Amadio scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Walker and Clifford. Pittsburgh won 5-4 with a lone tally by Rust in the shootout. The three stars belonged to Rust, Guentzel, and Letang, while Walker and Clifford get the honorable mentions.

In St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. Chicago got going in the second period with a Brandon Saad goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jonathan Toews and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks added on in the third period with another Saad goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Toews. Chicago extended the lead as Patrick Kane scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Dylan Strome. St. Louis got on the board with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Robert Thomas. The Blues got closer with another Bozak goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, again set up by Thomas. St. Louis tied it on a Jacob de la Rose goal, his second of the year, passed from Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues took the lead with a Justin Faulk goal, his second of the season, coming off of Thomas. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars handed to Bozak, Thomas, and Saad, while Toews gets an honorable mention.

Further to the west, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Darcy Kuemper are set to start in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his third of the season, coming off of Michael McLeod and Miles Wood. Arizona tied it on an Alex Goligoski power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Vinnie Hinostroza. The Devils took the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from McLeod and Wood. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars named as Blackwood (31 for 32 in saves), McLeod, and Wood.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe in Aaron Dell in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Timo Meier goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson. Vancouver got on the board with a Jake Virtanen goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Adam Gaudette and Christopher Tanev. San Jose added on with an empty net goal by Kane, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Logan Couture and Barclay Goodrow. The Canucks got one back with a Bo Horvat goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Couture empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone helper by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars went to Kane, Couture, and Dell (33 for 35 in saves).

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Friday, December 13, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 73

Just two games on this Friday, beginning with...

The Dallas Stars hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Dallas led off in the first period with a Taylor Fedun goal, his second of the season, passed from Alexander Radulov and Esa Lindell. Vegas tied it in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Chandler Stephenson goal, his fifth of the season, via Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. The Stars retied it with a Jamie Benn goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper from Tyler Seguin. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Pacioretty goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Theodore and Stone. The three stars were Pacioretty, Theodore, and Stone.

The other game sees the Colorado Avalanche host the New Jersey Devils. Louis Domingue and Pavel Francouz are the backups in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Mark Barberio in the second period. MacKenzie Blackwood replaced Domingue in goal due to injury. New Jersey got on the board with a Mirco Mueller goal, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Wayne Simmonds. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with a MacKinnon empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Mikko Rantanen and Matt Nieto. The three stars were Francouz (37 for 38 in saves), MacKinnon, and Nichushkin.

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Thursday, December 12, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 72

We're back up to twelve games today, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with a Devon Toews power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Eberle and Josh Bailey. Florida got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mark Pysyk and Brett Connolly. New York iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an unassisted empty net goal by Lee, his ninth of the year. The three stars were Greiss (32 for 33 in saves), Eberle, and Lee.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on with an unassisted Stamkos goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year. The Bruins got one back with an Anders Bjork goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by John Moore and Zdeno Chara. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Point.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark are the backups in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper by Kyle Turris. Buffalo tied it on a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Rasmus Ristolainen. The Predators took the lead back with a Colton Sissons goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Ryan Ellis. The Sabres tied it again in the second period on a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Sam Reinhart and Colin Miller. Buffalo pulled ahead on another Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, passed from Henri Jokiharju and Rasmus Dahlin. Nashville retied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok. The Sabres regained the lead with a third period goal by Victor Olofsson, his thirteenth of the campaign, assisted by Brandon Montour and Reinhart. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Eichel, Reinhart, and Olofsson.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Tristan Jarry patrol the creases. Pittsburgh won 1-0 in overtime with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. The three stars were Rust, Jarry (17 save shutout), and Korpisalo (31 for 32 in saves).

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Detroit started in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Filip Zadina and Filip Hronek. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Fabbri scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Zadina. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Nathan Beaulieu and Mark Scheifele. The Jets got closer with another Connor goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Patrik Laine and Scheifele. The Red Wings responded with a Zadina power play goal, with assists provided by Hronek and Fabbri. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a Hronek empty net goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, set up by Patrik Nemeth and the goalie Bernier. The three stars were Fabbri, Zadina, and Connor, while Hronek and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis opened in the first period with a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jacob de la Rose and Oskar Sundqvist. Vegas tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights took the lead on a William Carrier goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Reaves and Nate Schmidt. The Blues tied it again in the second period with a Sundqvist goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis took the lead on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Blues added on with a Robert Thomas goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Colton Parayko and Ryan O'Reilly. This held for the eventual 4-2 final score, with the three stars being Sundqvist, Schwartz, and Thomas.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Kaapo Kahkonen draw the starts in goal. Edmonton struck first in the first period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his third of the season, assisted by Sam Gagner and James Neal. Minnesota tied it on a Jordan Greenway goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Carson Soucy and Luke Kunin. The Wild took the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Eric Staal and Mats Zuccarello. The Oilers retied it with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Klefbom. Minnesota retook the lead on a Marcus Foligno goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Hartman and Victor Rask. The Wild added on with a Ryan Donato goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Soucy. Edmonton pulled back in the third period with a Gaetan Haas goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist from Adam Larsson. The Oilers evened it with a McDavid goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Ethan Bear and Darnell Nurse. Minnesota regained the lead with a Staal goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Zucker and Ryan Suter. The Wild extended the lead as Kunin scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Greenway and Joel Eriksson Ek. Edmonton got one back on a Neal goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, fueled by Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars handed to Kunin, Staal, and Soucy, while Zucker, Greenway, McDavid, Klefbom, and Neal get the honorable mentions.

Across to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and David Rittich protect the nets. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Mitchell Marner and Tyson Barrie. Calgary tied it with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the year, passed from Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Marner goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tavares and Cody Ceci. The Flames tied it again with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Mikael Backlund. Calgary pulled ahead on a Michael Frolik goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tobias Rieder. The Flames added on with another Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Hamonic and Monahan. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Hamonic, and Monahan, while Tavares and Marner get the honorable mentions.

Down in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Michael Grabner goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Brad Richardson and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Coyotes added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his sixth of the year, via Jordan Oesterle and Hinostroza. Arizona extended the lead as Richardson scored, thanks to Jakob Chychrun and Hinostroza. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Dominik Kubalik. The Coyotes replied with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Christian Dvorak. The Blackhawks pulled one back in the third period with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Erik Gustafsson. Arizona capped it at 5-2 with a Keller goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, made possible by Dvorak and Carl Soderberg. The three stars went to Keller, Hinostroza, and Richardson, while Dvorak gets an honorable mention.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the Americans in goal. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Matt Luff goal, via Tyler Toffoli and Matt Roy. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Toffoli. Anaheim got on the board with a Derek Grant power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Jakob Silfverberg and Max Comtois in the third period. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Quick (36 for 37 in saves), Toffoli, and Carter.

North to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Jacob Markstrom receive the starting nods in goal. Vancouver won 1-0 in overtime with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Brock Boeser. The three stars were Markstrom (43 save shutout), Pettersson, and Mrazek (25 for 26 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Martin Jones are set to start in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Tomas Hertl goal, his eleventh of the season. New York tied it in the second period with a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Filip Chytil and Greg McKegg. The Rangers took the lead with an Artemi Panarin goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Ryan Strome and Brady Skjei. The Sharks tied it again with a Logan Couture goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Timo Meier. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Brenden Dillon goal, passed from Kevin Labanc and Joe Thornton. New York retied it on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Panarin. The Rangers pulled ahead with another Zibanejad goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Chris Kreider and Fast. New York added on with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, fueled by Chytil and Kreider. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 with a Panarin empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Panarin, Zibanejad, and Fast, while Kreider and Chytil get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, December 11, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 71

Just three games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Braden Holtby are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by John Carlson in the second period. The Capitals took the lead with another Oshie goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. The Bruins tied it on a Sean Kuraly goal in the third period, his third of the year, fueled by Torey Krug. Washington retook the lead with a Carlson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Oshie, Carlson, and Holtby (30 for 32 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Cayden Primeau are the lesser-known goalies. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Cousins power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Max Domi and Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Tatar goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. Ottawa got on the board with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Tyler Ennis and Thomas Chabot. The Senators tied it on a Connor Brown goal, his fourth of the year, via Tkachuk. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Ben Chiarot goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Domi. The three stars were Domi, Chiarot, and Tkachuk.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Pavel Francouz are in the creases. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matt Calvert goal, his sixth of the season, via Valeri Nichushkin and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and J.T. Compher. Colorado extended the lead as Rantanen scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Nazem Kadri and Calle Rosen. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. The final was 3-1, with the three stars being Rantanen, Francouz (32 for 33 in saves), and Calvert.

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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 70

Twelve games are on tonight on a busy schedule. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tristan Jarry are in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. Montreal tied it on a Tomas Tatar power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, powered by Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jeff Petry. Montreal added on with a Shea Weber goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Armia. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Gallagher empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Armia, Price (33 for 34 in saves), and Gallagher.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on with a Killorn goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, via Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak. Florida got on the board in the third period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Vasilevskiy (27 for 28 in saves), Killorn, and Stamkos.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Linus Ullmark draw the starts in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Victor Olofsson and Brandon Montour. St. Louis tied it on a Troy Brouwer goal, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Robert Thomas. The Sabres took the lead with a Johan Larsson goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, fueled by Zach Bogosian and Jimmy Vesey. The Blues tied it in the third period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of David Perron and Tyler Bozak. Buffalo retook the lead with a Jack Eichel goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Reinhart and Olofsson. The Sabres added on with an empty net goal by Zemgus Girgensons, his fifth of the season, set up by Larsson and Henri Jokiharju. Buffalo extended the lead as Eichel scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year into an empty net, with the help of Girgensons. The three stars belonged to Reinhart, Olofsson, and Larsson, while Eichel and Girgensons get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Juuse Saros are the struggling goalies. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Jarnkrok empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Forsberg and Roman Josi. The three stars were Saros (24 for 25 in saves), Forsberg, and Jarnkrok.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Eric Comrie and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Adam Lowry goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Andrew Copp. Connor Hellebuyck briefly replaced Brossoit due to equipment trouble. Detroit tied it on a Christoffer Ehn goal, courtesy of Filip Zadina. Brossoit reentered the game. The Jets took the lead back on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg added on with a Copp goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Josh Morrissey and Tucker Poolman. The Jets extended the lead as Patrik Laine scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Kyle Connor and Luca Sbisa. Winnipeg padded the lead in the third period on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Wheeler. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Wheeler, Copp, and Brossoit (15 for 15 in saves).

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Kaapo Kahkonen are in the blue paint. Anaheim started in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jakob Silfverberg and Sam Carrick. The Ducks added on with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ondrej Kase and Ryan Getzlaf. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourth of the season, via Victor Rask and Marcus Foligno. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Zach Parise and Kevin Fiala. The tie went to a shootout, where Rakell and Max Comtois scored for the Ducks in their 3-2 win. The three stars were Rakell, Fowler, and Donato.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Roope Hintz and Alexander Radulov. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars given to Bishop (26 save shutout), Faksa, and Pavelski.

Over in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta earn the starting nods in goal. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Zac Rinaldo. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Derek Ryan. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Rinaldo scored his second of the season, thanks to Frolik. The Flames padded the lead on a Sean Monahan goal, his tenth of the year, via Mikael Backlund and Travis Hamonic. Arizona got on the board with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary shot back in the third period with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Rasmus Andersson. The Coyotes got one back with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Rinaldo, Frolik, and Talbot (46 for 48 in saves).

In Canada again, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes added on with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jake Gardiner and Lucas Wallmark. Carolina extended the lead as Ryan Dzingel scored his sixth of the season on the power play, thanks to Niederreiter. Edmonton got on the board with a Zack Kassian goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Caleb Jones and Connor McDavid. The Oilers got closer in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Edmonton tied it as Kassian scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with the help of McDavid and Joakim Nygard. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the season, fueled by Andrei Svechnikov and Warren Foegele. Carolina padded the lead with another Aho power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Svechnikov and Teravainen. The Hurricanes continued with a Hamilton goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Aho, Svechnikov, and Hamilton, while Teravainen, Niederreiter, McDavid, and Kassian get the honorable mentions.

Along to BC, as the Vancouver Canucks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from John Tavares and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tavares goal, his eleventh of the year, via Cody Ceci and Mitchell Marner. Vancouver got on the board with a Josh Leivo goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tanner Pearson and Bo Horvat in the third period. Toronto replied with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with helpers from Holl and Marner. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Zach Hyman empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tavares, Andersen (38 for 39 in saves), and Holl, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nate Schmidt and Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights added on with a Deryk Engelland goal, via Alex Tuch. Vegas extended the lead as William Karlsson scored a shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Smith. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period as Max Pacioretty scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Mark Stone. Vegas continued with a Ryan Reaves goal, his third of the year, helped along Paul Stastny and William Carrier. Chicago got on the board with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Alex Nylander and Adam Boqvist. The three stars were Smith, Fleury (28 for 29 in saves), and Engelland.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles lit the lamp in the first period with a Dustin Brown goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Tyler Toffoli and Matt Roy. The Kings added on in the second period with a Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, via Roy and Michael Amadio. New York got on the board with an Artemi Panarin power play goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko. Los Angeles iced it at 3-1 with an Adrian Kempe empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Blake Lizotte. The three stars went to Quick (29 for 30 in saves), Toffoli, and Roy.

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Monday, December 9, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 69

Four games on Monday night, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Curtis McElhinney are in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Ross Johnston goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ryan Pulock. The Islanders added on with a Josh Bailey shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Casey Cizikas. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony Cirelli. New York shot back with an unassisted Brock Nelson goal, his tenth of the year. The Islanders extended the lead as Nelson scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle. New York capped it at 5-1 with a Lee power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Bailey and Mathew Barzal. The three stars were Nelson, Bailey, and Lee.

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Braden Holtby man the creases. Columbus led off in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Alexandre Texier. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Ryan Murray goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Eric Robinson. Washington got on the board in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom. Columbus replied with a Riley Nash goal, his second of the year, via Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Sonny Milano and Seth Jones. The Capitals pulled back on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with an Atkinson empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Atkinson, Ovechkin, and Nash.

Further north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Anders Nilsson are the goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Dylan DeMelo and Thomas Chabot. The Senators added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Chris Tierney. Boston got on the board with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Ottawa replied with a Tierney goal in the second period with a Tierney goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Vladislav Namestnikov and Duclair. The Senators extended the lead as Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his sixteenth of the season, a shorthanded empty net goal with the help of Namestnikov and Ron Hainsey. The Bruins got one back with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Pastrnak and Marchand. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Duclair empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, set up by DeMelo and Tierney.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich faces a lesser foe in Pavel Francouz in goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Graves goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Joonas Donskoi and J.T. Compher. Calgary tied it on a Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Oliver Kylington and Dillon Dube in the second period. The Avalanche took the lead back on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Graves and Matt Nieto. The Flames tied it again with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Elias Lindholm. Calgary pulled ahead on an Andrew Mangiapane goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, coming off of Tkachuk and Lindholm. The Flames added on with a Michael Frolik goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Tobias Rieder and Mark Jankowski. Colorado got one back with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Matt Calvert and Ian Cole. The Avalanche tied it as Donskoi scored his thirteenth of the year, with the help of MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky. Calgary won 5-4 in overtime with a Sean Monahan goal, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Dube and Giordano. The three stars went to Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Giordano, while Dube, MacKinnon, Donskoi, and Graves get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, December 8, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 68

Five games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Kyle Connor and Mathieu Perreault. Anaheim tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Rickard Rakell. The Jets retook the lead with an Adam Lowry goal in the second period, his third of the season, coming off of Andrew Copp and Perreault. The Ducks retied it in the third period on a Devin Shore goal, helped along by Troy Terry and Ryan Getzlaf. Winnipeg regained the lead on a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The three stars were Scheifele, Perreault, and Lowry.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones are Sergei Bobrovsky are the struggling goalies. Florida started in the first period with a Keith Yandle power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Barkov goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov and Huberdeau. San Jose got on the board with a Kevin Labanc power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane. Florida replied in the second period with a Mike Matheson goal, coming off of Aaron Ekblad and Frank Vatrano. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Brett Connolly scored his fourteenth of the year on the power play, with the help of Mike Hoffman and Yandle. Florida iced it at 5-1 with a Vatrano empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by MacKenzie Weegar and Ekblad. The three stars went to Barkov, Yandle, and Vatrano, while Huberdeau and Ekblad get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Calvin de Haan. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Toews. Arizona got on the board with a Christian Fischer goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Christian Dvorak and Nick Schmaltz. Chicago replied with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Connor Murphy and Toews. The Coyotes got one back in the second period with a Conor Garland power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Carl Soderberg and Schmaltz. Arizona tied it on a Soderberg power play goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel. In the shootout, Schmaltz and Garland tallied to lift the Coyotes 4-3 over Kane and the Blackhawks. The three stars were Schmaltz, Garland, and Toews, while Soderberg and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Malcolm Subban are the backups in goal. New York began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Marc Staal and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his seventh of the year, via Ryan Strome and Ryan Lindgren. New York extended the lead in the second period on a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Strome and Adam Fox. The Rangers padded the lead as Jesper Fast scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Trouba and Brady Skjei. New York continued in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Kaapo Kakko and Panarin. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars being Georgiev (38 save shutout), Trouba, and Panarin, while Strome gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his third of the season, helped along by Marco Scandella. The Sabres added on with a Johan Larsson goal, his third of the year, passed from Rasmus Asplund and Jimmy Vesey. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Riley Sheahan goal, coming off of Joakim Nygard and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers tied it with a Nygard power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nurse and Gaetan Haas. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Colin Miller goal, set up by Marcus Johansson and Jack Eichel. The three stars were Miller, Nygard, and Nurse.

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