Saturday, January 11, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 99

Eleven games are on this Saturday, including one matinee from...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Carter Hutton are in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Brandon Montour goal, his third of the season, via Rasmus Dahlin and Jack Eichel. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Troy Stecher and J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Tanner Pearson and Quinn Hughes. The Sabres tied it again with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Dahlin and Eichel. Vancouver retook the lead in the third period with a Miller goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Elias Pettersson. Buffalo tied it again with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Canucks reclaimed the lead on a Boeser goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, helped along by Christopher Tanev. Vancouver added on with a Jake Virtanen goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Tyler Motte and Adam Gaudette. The Canucks finished it at 6-3 with a Loui Eriksson empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Horvat and Pearson. The three stars were Boeser, Horvat, and Miller, while Pearson, Eichel, and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the New York Islanders host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. New York began in the first period with a Scott Mayfield goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. Boston tied it in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Anders Bjork and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a John Moore goal, his second of the season, via Danton Heinen and Charlie Coyle. The Islanders tied it again with a Barzal goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Josh Bailey. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, powered by Torey Krug and the goalie Rask. The three stars were Rask (35 for 37 in saves), Barzal, and Bergeron.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carter Hart protect the nets. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Pat Maroon goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for the game's only goal in a 1-0 Lightning win. The three stars were awarded to Vasilevskiy (23 save shutout), Maroon, and Hart (27 for 28 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Carolina opened in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes iced it at 2-0 with a Teravainen empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Reimer (41 save shutout), Teravainen, and Niederreiter.

Back north, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Marcus Hogberg in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Tomas Tatar. Ottawa tied it in the third period with a Drake Batherson goal, going in unassisted. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with an unassisted Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his fourth of the year. The three stars were Price (41 for 42 in saves), Kovalchuk, and Suzuki.

To the other national capital, as the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Louis Domingue and Braden Holtby are set to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Will Butcher and Connor Carrick. The Devils added on in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Butcher and Wayne Simmonds. New Jersey extended the lead as Blake Coleman scored a shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Travis Zajac and Andy Greene. Washington got on the board with a Jakub Vrana power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Devils shot back with another Hischier goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, made possible by Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey iced it at 5-1 with an unassisted Miles Wood empty net goal, his sixth of the year, coming in the third period. The three stars were Hischier, Domingue (33 for 34 in saves), and Butcher.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jordan Binnington are between the pipes. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Filip Chytil goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ryan Lindgren and Artemi Panarin. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues took the lead with a Vince Dunn goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Zach Sanford. St. Louis added on in the second period with a David Perron power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Pietrangelo. The Rangers got one back with a Brett Howden goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Chytil. The Blues replied with a Sanford goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Barbashev and Jacob de la Rose. St. Louis extended the lead as Jaden Schwartz scored his fifteenth of the year, with the help of Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Sanford, Pietrangelo, and Chytil, while Schenn and Barbashev get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Max Jones goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper by Ondrej Kase. Chicago tied it on an unassisted Jonathan Toews goal, his eleventh of the year. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane and Toews. Chicago added on with another Kubalik goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, via Connor Murphy and Zack Smith. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Isac Lundestrom and Max Comtois. The Blackhawks responded with an Ollia Maatta goal, his third of the year, with assists from Alex DeBrincat and David Kampf. The final remained at 4-2, with the three stars being Kubalik, Toews, and Lehner (35 for 37 in saves).

Northwest to Alberta as the Calgary Flames welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the year, via Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Ethan Bear. The Flames retied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Sean Monahan and Noah Hanifin. Edmonton retook the lead in the second period with another Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, coming off of Yamamoto. Calgary tied it again with a Dillon Dube goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone helper by Derek Ryan. The Flames took the lead with a Lindholm power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and Gaudreau. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars handed to Lindholm, Nugent-Hopkins, and Gaudreau, while Yamamoto gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Marc-Andre Fleury draw the starts in goal. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Kevin Stenlund. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Scott Harrington and Sonny Milano. Columbus extended the lead in the third period as Alexander Wennberg scored his third of the season, thanks to Stenlund and Nathan Gerbe. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Merzlikins (27 save shutout), Bemstrom, and Stenlund.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Aaron Dell are the surging backups in goal. Dallas dented the scoreboard with a Jamie Benn power play goal in the first period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen. San Jose tied it with a Brent Burns goal, his ninth of the year, via Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tomas Hertl and Burns. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Burns, Dell (27 for 28 in saves), and Marleau.

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Friday, January 10, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 98

Only three games on for Friday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Filip Hronek and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Hronek and Bertuzzi. Ottawa got on the board with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Colin White. The Senators tied it on a White power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Reilly and Tyler Ennis. The tie went to a shootout, where Larkin had the lone tally for a 3-2 Red Wings win. The three stars were Larkin, Bertuzzi, and Hronek, while White gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Petr Mrazek man the creases. Carolina began in the first period on a Warren Foegele goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Andrei Svechnikov and Jake Gardiner. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Lucas Wallmark goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead as Martin Necas scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Dzingel and Erik Haula. Adin Hill took over for Raanta in the third period. The final stayed at 3-0, with the three stars given to Mrazek (32 save shutout), Foegele, and Wallmark.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Pavel Francouz are in the blue paint. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Samuel Girard and Gabriel Landeskog. Pittsburgh tied it on a Teddy Blueger goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Dominik Kahun and John Marino. The Avalanche reclaimed the lead on a Landeskog goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Girard. The Penguins tied it on a Bryan Rust goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, via Evgeni Malkin and Kahun. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Malkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Kahun and Rust. Colorado retied it with a Matt Calvert goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cale Makar and Andre Burakovsky. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Jared McCann goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Blueger and Marino. The three stars were Blueger, Kahun, and Malkin, while Rust, Marino, Landeskog, and Girard earn the honorable mentions.

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Thursday, January 9, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 97

We've got eleven games tonight, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Pat Maroon and Cedric Paquette. The Lightning added on with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Paquette and Maroon. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Nikita Kucherov scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning padded the lead on another Kucherov goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Stamkos and Jan Rutta. This stood as the eventual 4-0 final score, with the three stars going to Vasilevskiy (25 save shutout), Kucherov, and Stamkos, while Maroon and Paquette get the honorable mentions.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jaroslav Halak are the goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-third of the year, courtesy of Joakim Nordstrom and Sean Kuraly. The Jets retook the lead with an Andrew Copp power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, powered by Josh Morrissey and Ehlers. The Bruins tied it again on a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. Boston pulled ahead with an unassisted Jake DeBrusk goal, his twelfth of the season. Winnipeg evened it with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. The Jets gained the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal in the third period, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Connor and Dmitry Kulikov. The Bruins retied it with a Pastrnak goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-fifth of the year, coming off of David Krejci and DeBrusk. Boston took the lead with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, via Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars awarded to Pastrnak, DeBrusk, and Scheifele, while Connor and Ehlers get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Noel Acciari goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on with a Mark Pysyk goal, his third of the year, fueled by Colton Sceviour and Brian Boyle. Vancouver got on the board with a Brock Boeser goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Myers and Elias Pettersson. Florida shot back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers extended the lead in the second period on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. Florida padded the lead as Acciari scored again in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Aaron Ekblad and Brett Connolly. The Canucks got one back with a Tyler Motte goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Jay Beagle and Tim Schaller. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Acciari, Huberdeau, and Bobrovsky (30 for 32 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal opened in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his eleventh of the season, via Tomas Tatar and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Artturi Lehkonen and Brett Kulak. Edmonton got on the board with a Riley Sheahan goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Joakim Nygard and Adam Larsson. The Oilers tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the third period. Edmonton took the lead with an Alex Chiasson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Josh Archibald empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. The three stars were Smith (35 for 37 in saves), Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Igor Shesterkin are the young goalies. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Adam Fox. New Jersey tied it on a Kevin Rooney shorthanded goal, set up by Pavel Zacha. The Rangers took the lead with a DeAngelo goal, his ninth of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. New York added on with a Kreider power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by DeAngelo and Zibanejad. The Devils got one back with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Damon Severson and Travis Zajac. New Jersey tied it with a Severson goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, helped along by Nikita Gusev and Zajac. The Rangers retook the lead on a DeAngelo goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with helpers from Marc Staal and Pavel Buchnevich. New York added on with a DeAngelo power play goal, his eleventh of the season completing his hat trick with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Panarin. Louis Domingue relieved Blackwood in goal. The Rangers capped it at 6-3 with a Jesper Fast goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, made possible by Strome and Panarin. The three stars were awarded to DeAngelo, Panarin, and Kreider, while Severson, Zibanejad, Strome, and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Tyler Bozak and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Bozak goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Thomas and Niko Mikkola. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin in the second period. St. Louis replied with a David Perron power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Steen scored, thanks to Thomas and Bozak. St. Louis finished it at 5-1 with a Steen empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars belonged to Steen, Thomas, and Bozak.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a Colin Blackwell goal, via Yakov Trenin. Nashville extended the lead as Matt Duchene scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Mattias Ekholm. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks got closer in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Toews and Patrick Kane. The Predators countered with a Nick Bonino empty net goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with a goalie goal by Rinne. The three stars were Rinne (29 for 31 in saves, goal for), Toews, and Duchene.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Mikael Backlund. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of the goalie Stalock. The Flames retook the lead on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Sean Monahan and Rasmus Andersson. This stood for the eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Talbot (42 for 43 in saves), Gaudreau, and Ryan.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and John Gibson tend the twines. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell. The Stars added on in the second period with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Tyler Seguin and the goalie Bishop. Dallas iced it at 3-0 with a Hintz empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Jason Dickinson. The three stars went to Bishop (27 save shutout), Hintz, and Gurianov.

Back east a little to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Malcolm Subban are the backups in goal. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the first period with an unassisted Alec Martinez goal. The Kings added on with a Ben Hutton goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Alex Iafallo. Los Angeles extended the lead as Toffoli scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Anze Kopitar. The Kings padded the lead on an Adrian Kempe goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Michael Amadio and Matt Roy. Vegas got on the board in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights got closer with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Paul Stastny and Mark Stone. Los Angeles secured a 5-2 win with an empty net goal by Kempe, his second of the game and tenth of the year, an unassisted tally on the power play. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Kempe, and Campbell (43 for 45 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Aaron Dell are the little-known goalies. San Jose got going in the second period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. The Sharks added on with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Barclay Goodrow. Columbus got on the board with a Sonny Milano goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose responded in the third period with a Brent Burns goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Labanc and Brenden Dillon. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Dell (30 for 31 in saves), Labanc, and Thornton.

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Wednesday, January 8, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 96

We're ready for a three-game day, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carter Hart protect the nets. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his ninth of the year, via Tom Wilson. The Capitals pulled ahead on a Jakub Vrana goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Michal Kempny. The Flyers evened it on a Robert Hagg goal, fueled by Michael Raffl and Philippe Myers. Philadelphia pulled ahead in the second period with a Kevin Hayes shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Hayes, Hagg, and Konecny.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Mitchell Marner. The Jets retook the lead with a Mason Appleton shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period again on a Dmytro Timashov goal, his fourth of the season, via Adam Brooks and Kasperi Kapanen. Winnipeg pulled ahead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers by Kyle Connor and Tucker Poolman. Toronto tied it in the third period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly. In the shootout, Patrik Laine, Scheifele, and Wheeler lifted the Jets 4-3 over Jason Spezza and Matthews. The three stars belonged to Scheifele, Wheeler, and Matthews.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jonathan Quick make the starts in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Alex Iafallo. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. The Stars took the lead with a Blake Comeau goal, his sixth of the season, via Lindell and Andrew Cogliano. The final remained at 2-1, with the three stars awarded to Khudobin (30 for 31 in saves), Comeau, and Lindell.

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Tuesday, January 7, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 95

Twelve games on a Tuesday begin in...

Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Andrei Vasilevski protect the nets. Vancouver opened in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Brock Boeser. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Brayden Point. The Canucks retied it with a Loui Eriksson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Bo Horvat and Christopher Tanev. Tampa Bay took the lead again with an Alex Killorn goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Carter Verhaegher goal, his third of the year, via Point and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Point. The Lightning padded the lead on an Erik Cernak goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. Tampa Bay continued in the third period with a Point goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Stamkos and Cernak. The Lightning kept going with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, dished from Mitchell Stephens. Tampa Bay struck again with a Verhaeghe power play goal to complete his hat trick with his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. The final score was 9-2, with the three stars awarded to Verhaeghe, Point, and Stamkos, while Cernak and Kucherov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and James Reimer are the goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Robert Hagg and Claude Giroux. The Flyers added on with a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jakub Voracek. Carolina got on the board with a Lucas Wallmark goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Brock McGinn and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes tied it on a Warren Foegele goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jordan Staal and Jake Gardiner. Carolina pulled ahead in the second period with a Gardiner goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Foegele. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Joel Edmundson scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Dougie Hamilton and Erik Haula. Philadelphia responded with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the season, helped along by Kevin Hayes. The Flyers evened it in the third period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Philippe Myers and Sean Couturier. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime with a Hamilton goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Hamilton, Gardiner, and Foegele.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Chris Driedger are the unknown goalies. Arizona got going in the second period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Florida tied it on a Noel Acciari goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers took the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Riley Stillman. The Coyotes retied it on an Ekman-Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Derek Stepan and Phil Kessel. Arizona took the lead with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Kessel and Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Carl Soderberg goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Jason Demers. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Lawson Crouse, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Kessel. The three stars went to Kessel, Ekman-Larsson, and Hall.

North to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ilya Samsonov draw the starts in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Rudolfs Balcers. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper from Jakub Vrana in the second period. The Capitals took the lead with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the season, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Michal Kempny. Washington added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Dmitry Orlov and Tom Wilson. The Capitals extended the lead as Oshie scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with the help of Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. Washington padded the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Jonas Siegenthaler. Marcus Hogberg replaced Anderson in goal. The Capitals continued with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with helpers from Carlson and Wilson. The final was 6-1, with the three stars going to Oshie, Ovechkin, and Carlson, while Wilson gets an honorable mention.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and MacKenzie Blackwood guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matt Martin and Leo Komarov. New Jersey tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his fifth of the year, via Miles Wood and Ben Street. The Islanders took the lead back on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Kyle Palmieri and Wayne Simmonds. New Jersey pulled ahead on a Palmieri power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Hischier and Damon Severson. New York tied it again with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, his third of the year, assisted by Michael Dal Colle. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with an Anders Lee goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Devon Toews and Mathew Barzal. The three stars were Palmieri, Hischier, and Lee.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer faces a lesser foe in Igor Shesterkin in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a J.T. Compher goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Samuel Girard and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche added on with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers tied it with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by DeAngelo and Jesper Fast. New York pulled ahead with a Brady Skjei goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin in the second period. Colorado tied it on a Compher goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin. The Rangers retook the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Fast and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-3 in the third period with a Panarin empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Zibanejad and Fast. The three stars were awarded to Panarin, Zibanejad, and Fast, while Strome, DeAngelo, Compher, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Max Domi and Ilya Kovalchuk. Detroit got on the board with a Frans Nielsen goal, his second of the season, via Givani Smith and Madison Bowey. The Red Wings tied it on a Robby Fabbri goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. Montreal retook the lead with a Victor Mete goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kovalchuk and Suzuki. Detroit tied it again with a Nielsen goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Mike Green and Darren Helm. The Red Wings took the lead with a Filip Zadina goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Adam Erne and Valtteri Filppula. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Nielsen, Suzuki, and Kovalchuk.

Moving along to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Alexander Steen and Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixth of the year, via Oskar Sundqvist. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Barclay Goodrow. St. Louis shot back with a David Perron goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Ryan O'Reilly. The Sharks got one back with a Karlsson shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Karlsson, Perron, and Binnington (29 for 31 in saves).

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, his seventh of the year, via Grzelcyk and Charlie Coyle. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. Boston replied with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins extended the lead as Chris Wagner scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Par Lindholm and Torey Krug. The Predators got one back with a power play goal by Mikael Granlund, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Mattias Ekholm and Forsberg. Boston countered with an empty net goal by David Krejci, his ninth of the season, set up by the goalie Rask. The Bruins iced it at 6-2 with a Coyle goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Brett Ritchie and Heinen. The three stars were given to Coyle, Grzelcyk, and Heinen, while Forsberg gets an honorable mention.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Adam Boqvist and Patrick Kane. Calgary tied it in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and T.J. Brodie. The Flames took the lead with another Lindholm goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, made possible by Tkachuk. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Lindholm, Talbot (31 for 32 in saves), and Tkachuk.

To Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Bryan Rust and Dominik Kahun. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jack Johnson and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Kahun power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, powered by John Marino and Juuso Riikola. Vegas got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights got closer with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Shea Theodore and Mark Stone. The Penguins fired back in the third period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Letang and Teddy Blueger. Vegas responded with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Chandler Stephenson and Nate Schmidt. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Kahun, Jarry (32 for 35 in saves), and Tanev.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Ryan Miller are the backups in goal. Anaheim tallied first in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Michael Del Zotto. Columbus tied it on an Eric Robinson goal, his fifth of the year, via Riley Nash and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Ducks took the lead back in the second period on an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus pulled ahead with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Dubois and Gustav Nyquist. The Blue Jackets added on with a Werenski empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, set up by Dubois in the third period. Anaheim got one back with a Kase goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Cam Fowler and Getzlaf. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars given to Werenski, Kase, and Dubois, while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.

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Monday, January 6, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 94

We've got four games this time, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Semyon Varlamov are in the blue paint. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Devon Toews and Michael Dal Colle. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Varlamov (32 save shutout), Lee, and Francouz (32 for 33 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Frederik Andersen are the veterans in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Adam Larsson and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Ethan Bear. Edmonton extended the lead as Kailer Yamamoto scored his second of the season, thanks to Caleb Jones and Leon Draisaitl. Michael Hutchinson replaced Andersen in goal. Toronto got on the board with a Jason Spezza goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Pierre Engvall and Kasperi Kapanen. The Oilers shot back with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifth of the season, via Joakim Nygard and Kris Russell. The Maple Leafs pulled back with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Mason Marchment and Adam Brooks. Toronto got closer on an Engvall goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Justin Holl and Kapanen. Edmonton responded in the third period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Chiasson and McDavid. The Oilers padded the lead on a McDavid goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Maple Leafs got one back with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Barrie and Mitchell Marner. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being McDavid, Draisaitl, and Chiasson, while Engvall and Kapanen get the honorable mentions.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carey Price tend the twines. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the season, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a shorthanded Wheeler goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Wheeler. Montreal got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Shea Weber and Tomas Tatar. Winnipeg shot back in the third period with an unassisted Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the year. The Canadiens pulled one back with a Chiarot goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by Tatar and Ilya Kovalchuk. This produced the 3-2 final score, with the three stars handed to Ehlers, Wheeler, and Chiarot, while Tatar got the honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jonathan Quick are the goalies. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Sean Walker and Anze Kopitar. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his second of the year, via Gustav Nyquist and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Scott Harrington goal, coming off of Sonny Milano and Nick Foligno. Columbus added on in the third period with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his third of the season, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski. The Kings got one back on a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the year, fueled by Walker and Kyle Clifford. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Nyquist empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Dubois. The three stars were Nyquist, Walker, and Dubois.

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Sunday, January 5, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 93

We've got six games on a Sunday, beginning early with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. San Jose got going in the second period with an Evander Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Timo Meier. Washington tied it on a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the year, via Brendan Leipsic and Garnet Hathaway. The Sharks retook the lead on a Kane goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson. San Jose added on with a Kane power play goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Meier. The Capitals pulled one back with a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from T.J. Oshie. The Sharks replied with a Couture empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. Washington countered on a Vrana goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and Radko Gudas. The Capitals tied it as Oshie scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington won 5-4 in overtime with an Eller goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by John Carlson and the goalie Holtby. The three stars went to Eller, Vrana, and Oshie, while Kane, Couture, and Meier get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Mitchell Stephens goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carter Verhaeghe and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his seventeenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Kucherov and Stamkos. Carolina got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Stamkos, Vasilevskiy (28 for 29 in saves), and Kucherov.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Tristan Jarry are the lesser-known goalies. Florida led off in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his eleventh of the year, via Dominik Simon and Patric Hornqvist. The Panthers retook the lead with a Brett Connolly goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Vincent Trocheck and Mike Matheson. Florida added on in the third period with a Hoffman goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Vatrano and Riley Stillman. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an Evgenii Dadonov empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Hoffman, Driedger (31 for 32 in saves), and Vatrano.

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Calgary tied it with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Andersson and Mikael Backlund. The Wild took the lead back with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Joel Eriksson Ek. The Flames tied it again with a Travis Hamonic goal, his third of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Backlund. Minnesota regained the lead on another Foligno goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Matt Dumba and Luke Kunin. Calgary evened it in the third period with a Michael Stone goal, his second of the year, passed from T.J. Brodie and Derek Ryan. The Wild pulled ahead on a Jordan Greenway goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Jared Spurgeon and Suter. The Flames equalized as Mark Giordano scored his fifth of the year on the power play, thanks to Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. In the shootout, Ryan and Dillon Dube paced the Flames to a 5-4 win over Ryan Donato of the Wild. The three stars were Gaudreau, Foligno, and Backlund, while Ryan and Suter get the honorable mentions.

South to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Corey Crawford are in the creases. Detroit started in the first period with a Filip Zadina power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings added on with a Luke Glendening goal, his sixth of the year, via Patrik Nemeth and Darren Helm. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper by Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks tied it on a Dylan Sikura goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Patrick Kane. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with an Adam Boqvist goal, his second of the year, guided in by Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Dominik Kubalik empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Zack Smith and Connor Murphy. The three stars were Sikura, Boqvist, and Strome.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and John Gibson man the nets. Anaheim struck first in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Daniel Sprong and Ryan Getzlaf. Nashville tied it on an Austin Watson goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Colin Blackwell and Yakov Trenin. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Mattias Ekholm. The Ducks tied it on a Cam Fowler goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Getzlaf and Erik Gudbranson. Anaheim took the lead on a Sprong power play goal, with assists provided by Fowler and Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Henrique power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, coming off of Sam Steel and Getzlaf. Nashville shot back in the third period with another Smith goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with helpers from Nick Bonino and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators tied it on a Grimaldi goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Roman Josi and Bonino. The Ducks won 5-4 in the shootout with tallies by Ondrej Kase and Getzlaf to top Filip Forsberg and the Predators. The three stars were Getzlaf, Henrique, and Sprong, while Fowler, Smith, Grimaldi, and Bonino get the honorable mentions.

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