Saturday, February 1, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 116

The NHL is back in earnest today with fourteen games. First up...

The New York Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Michael Dal Colle goal, his third of the year, via Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Quinn Hughes goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Christopher Tanev and Brock Boeser. Vancouver added on with a Tim Schaller goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Brandon Sutter and Adam Gaudette. The Islanders got one back with a Jordan Eberle goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Anthony Beauvillier and Devon Toews. New York tied it on a Nelsong goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Ryan Pulock and Mathew Barzal. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Hughes goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Elias Pettersson and Miller. The three stars were Hughes, Miller, and Nelson.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matiss Kivlenieks and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his third of the season, coming off of Rasmus Dahlin. Columbus tied it in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Gustav Nyquist and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Sabres won 2-1 in overtime with a Jack Eichel goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, courtesy of Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. The three stars went to Eichel, Rodrigues, and Hutton (22 for 23 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price guard the cages. Montreal led off in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Joel Armia and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Petry and Jordan Weal. Montreal extended the lead as Tomas Tatar scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Phillip Danult and Petry. The Canadiens padded the lead in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Petry and Suzuki. The three stars were Price (29 save shutout), Petry, and Suzuki in the 4-0 game.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Alex Lyon get the starts. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Matt Niskanen goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his ninth of the season, via Nikita Zadorov and Andre Burakovsky. Philadelphia answered with a Joel Farabee goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Couturier and Robert Hagg. The Avalanche pulled back on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Naxem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog. The Flyers shot back in the third period with a Farabee goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Couturier. Colorado chipped back on a Burakovsky goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Nichushkin and Zadorov. Philadelphia countered with a shorthanded and unassisted Hayes goal, his sixteenth of the year. The Flyers iced it at 6-3 with a Scott Laughton empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Niskanen. The three stars were given to Hayes, Farabee, and Couturier, while Niskanen, Burakovsky, and Zadorov get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. New York struck first in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Ryan Strome. This stood as the only goal in a 1-0 Rangers win, with the three stars awarded to Lundqvist (33 save shutout), Zibanejad, and Bernier (30 for 31 in saves).

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in provincial rivals in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Michael Hutchinson draw the starts. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Mark Borowiecki goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Dylan DeMelo and Drake Batherson. Toronto tied it on a Jason Spezza power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Rasmus Sandin and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by William Nylander and Auston Matthews in the third period. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Hutchinson (24 for 25 in saves), Marner, and Spezza.

West to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Sami Niku. The Jets added on in the second period with another Roslovic goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Dmitry Kulikov and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg extended the lead as Andrew Copp scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Roslovic and Niku. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Jaden Schwartz and Robert Thomas. The Blues got closer with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his tenth of the season, via Zach Sanford and Jay Bouwmeester. The Jets shot back with a Blake Wheeler empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Scheifele and Kyle Connor. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Patrik Laine empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers. The three stars belonged to Roslovic, Wheeler, and Niku, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Louis Domingue in goal. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Kevin Rooney goal, his third of the season. Dallas tied it on a Jason Dickinson goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, made possible by Corey Perry and Stephen Johns. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Joel Kiviranta goal, with a lone helper from Jamie Oleksiak. The Devils evened it on a Nico Hischier goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Jesper Bratt and Damon Severson. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Joe Pavelski goal, his ninth of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Esa Lindell. The three stars were Bishop (29 for 31 in saves), Pavelski, and Kiviranta.

To Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Torey Krug goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Par Lindholm and David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Krug power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Boston extended the lead as Marchand scored his twenty-second of the season on the power play, thanks to Krug and Pastrnak. The Bruins padded the lead as Pastrnak netted a power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, with assists provided by Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Carson Soucy and Eric Staal. Boston replied with an Anders Bjork goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Joakim Nordstrom. The Bruins capped it at 6-1 with a DeBrusk goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, guided in by Karson Kuhlman and Krug. The three stars were awarded to Krug, Pastrnak, and Marchand, while DeBrusk and Krejci get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Antti Raanta are in the creases. Chicago cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a Saad goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Kane and Kirby Dach in the second period. Arizona got on the board with a Brad Richardson goal, his fourth of the season, via Carl Soderberg and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes tied it with a Conor Garland goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Taylor Hall and Jason Demers. In the shootout, Jonathan Toews and Kane lifted Chicago to a 3-2 win over Arizona. The three stars were Saad, Kane, and Crawford (40 for 42 in saves).

In Nashville, the Predators welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his third of the year, via Ryan Reaves and Shea Theodore. Vegas iced it at 3-0 with a Reilly Smith empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Marchessault. The three stars were Fleury (19 save shutout), Stephenson, and Roy.

Along to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and David Rittich are the masked men. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers by Oscar Klefbom and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Zack Kassian goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Josh Archibald and Ethan Bear. Calgary got on the board with a Buddy Robinson goal, helped along by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. Edmonton replied with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers extended the lead in the second period as McDavid scored his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, with the help of Riley Sheahan. The Flames got one back on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane and Giordano. Calgary got closer with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton responded with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Yamamoto and Draisaitl. The Oilers padded the lead on a Caleb Jones goal, his second of the year, coming off of Gaetan Haas and Alex Chiasson. Edmonton continued in the third period with a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Klefbom and Draisaitl. The Oilers finished it at 8-3 with a Haas penalty shot goal, his fifth of the year. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto, while Haas, Klefbom, and Giordano get the honorable mentions.

In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Aaron Dell have the green light to play goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Kevin Shattenkirk and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Stamkos and Brayden Point in the third period. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with an Ondrej Palat empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Anthony Cirelli.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Anaheim started in the first period with a Max Jones goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Sam Steel and Ondrej Kase. The Ducks added on with a Derek Grant goal, his eleventh of the year, via Cam Fowler and Josh Manson in the second period. Anaheim extended the lead as Jacob Larsson scored his second of the season, thanks to Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. The final remained at 3-1 from here, with the three stars going to Miller (46 for 47 in saves), Grant, and Larsson.

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Friday, January 31, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 115

Seven games on as the bye weeks begin to close. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Tristan Jarry draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Matt Niskanen and Joel Farabee. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins took the lead with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Sidney Crosby and Malkin. Pittsburgh added on with a Kris Letang power play goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Crosby and Malkin. The Flyers got one back with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Niskanen. Philadelphia tied it on a Scott Laughton goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Pitlick and Kevin Hayes. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Crosby goal, his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Letang and Jared McCann. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, while Pitlick and Niskanen get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with a Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Adam Fox and Zibanejad. New York extended the lead as Artemi Panarin scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Jesper Fast and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers padded the lead on a second period Zibanejad power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by DeAngelo and Panarin. Detroit got on the board with a Robby Fabbri goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings got one back with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Trevor Daley and Fabbri. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Zibanejad, Panarin, and DeAngelo, while Kreider and Fabbri get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Vegas led off in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Marchessault goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Smith. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jordan Martinook and Sebastian Aho. Vegas added on in the third period with a Nate Schmidt goal, his fifth of the year, via Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. The Hurricanes got one back with a Brock McGinn goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Haydn Fleury and Justin Williams. Carolina tied it on a power play goal by Aho, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Jaccob Slavin and Teravainen. The Golden Knights pulled ahead with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Stastny and Shea Theodore. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Stastny, Marchessault, and Smith, while Aho and Teravainen get the honorable mentions.

Up to Ottawa, as the Senators host the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Marcus Hogberg are the goalies. Washington started in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Jakub Vrana. The Capitals added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Vrana and Dmitry Orlov. Ottawa got on the board with a second period shorthanded goal by Chris Tierney, his tenth of the season, set up by Dylan DeMelo and Connor Brown. Washington replied on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. The Senators bounced back with a Thomas Chabot goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tyler Ennis and Ron Hainsey. The Capitals responded with a Carl Hagelin shorthanded goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Lars Eller. Ottawa cut back with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Anthony Duclair and Chabot. Washington iced it at 5-3 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, guided in by Carlson. The three stars were Ovechkin, Carlson, and Vrana, while Chabot gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Torey Krug. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Rask (37 for 38 in saves), DeBrusk, and Pastrnak.

Along to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Mikko Koskinen are the backups in goal. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Caleb Jones goal, coming off of Matt Benning. St. Louis got on the board with a David Perron goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Sanford in the second period. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Robert Thomas goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Tyler Bozak. Edmonton retook the lead on another Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Josh Archibald, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Koskinen (30 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and John Gibson tend the twines. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Anthony Cirelli and Tyler Johnson. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Michael Del Zotto and Ryan Getzlaf. The Lightning retook the lead with an Erik Cernak goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Ducks tied it on a Del Zotto goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Cirelli goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jan Rutta and Pat Maroon. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Kucherov goal, his twenty-third of the year, with a lone helper by Steven Stamkos. Anaheim got one back with a Troy Terry goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Rakell and Getzlaf. This stood for the 4-3 final score, with the three stars going to Cirelli, Kucherov, and Rakell, while Del Zotto and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 114

Just three games today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Carter Hutton draw the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Marcus Johansson. Montreal tied it in the second period on an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia. The Canadiens took the lead with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. Montreal iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Tatar empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Suzuki and Armia. The three stars were Price (20 for 21 in saves), Tatar, and Suzuki, while Armia gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and MacKenzie Blackwood are in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Jarred Tinordi and Matt Duchene. New Jersey tied it on a Pavel Zacha shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Nico Hischier and Sami Vatanen. The Predators took the lead back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Kyle Turris and Viktor Arvidsson. The Devils retied it in the second period on a Zacha power play goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nikita Gusev. New Jersey took the lead on a Gusev power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Zacha and Damon Severson. Nashville evened it as Nick Bonino scored his fifteenth of the year, with the help of Craig Smith and Rocco Grimaldi. The Devils pulled ahead again with a Jesper Bratt goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher. The Predators equalized in the third period with a Duchene goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. New Jersey took the lead on a John Hayden goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper by Kevin Rooney. Nashville knotted the score on a Forsberg power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, helped along by Josi and Turris. The tie went to a shootout, where Forsberg and Duchene topped Gusev as the Predators beat the Devils 6-5. The three stars were Forsberg, Duchene, and Zacha, while Josi, Turris, and Gusev get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Adin Hill are the backup goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ben Hutton and Dustin Brown. Arizona tied it on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his eighth of the year, via Jason Demers and Carl Soderberg. The Coyotes took the lead on a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Taylor Hall and Conor Garland. The Kings tied it in the third period with an Iafallo power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with an Iafallo goal to complete his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, via Kopitar and Sean Walker. The three stars went to Iafallo, Kopitar, and Campbell (26 for 28 in saves).

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Wednesday, January 29, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 113

We've got six games this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Braden Holtby draw the starts in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his sixth of the season, via Carl Hagelin. Nashville tied it on a Jarred Tinordi goal, courtesy of Filip Forsberg. The Predators took the lead with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Forsberg and Kyle Turris. Nashville added on with a Rocco Grimaldi goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Nick Bonino. The Capitals got one back with an unassisted Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fifth of the year. Washington tied it in the second period with another Panik goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted (unofficially, an own goal by Bonino). The Capitals gained the lead with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Lars Eller and Ovechkin. The Predators retied it on a Ryan Johansen shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville pulled ahead with a Yannick Weber goal, with helpers from Dan Hamhuis and Johansen. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Johansen, Forsberg, and Panik, while Ovechkin gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Toronto opened in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Tyson Barrie. Dallas tied it on a Denis Gurianov goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by John Klingberg. The Maple Leafs took the lead back in the second period with a Zach Hyman goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Marner and Matthews. Toronto added on with a Barrie goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. The Stars got one back with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Radek Faksa and Blake Comeau. The Maple Leafs shot back in the third period on a William Nylander goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Jake Muzzin and Alexander Kerfoot. Dallas answered with a Radulov goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Miro Heiskanen and Mattias Janmark. Toronto iced it at 5-3 with a Johnsson empty net goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Matthews, Barrie, and Radulov, while Johnsson and Marner get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich faces former teammate Mike Smith in goal. Calgary began in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Milan Lucic and Travis Hamonic. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. The Flames took the lead back with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett. The Oilers retied it on an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Calgary pulled ahead again with another Mangiapane goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk and Rasmus Andersson. Edmonton tied it again in the third period on a Matt Benning goal, via Kris Russell and James Neal. The Flames won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Sean Monahan. The three stars were Mangiapane, Draisaitl, and Rittich (31 for 34 in saves).

To California, as the Los Angeles Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Tyler Toffoli, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Dustin Brown and Alec Martinez. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period with an Erik Cernak goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kucherov and Stamkos. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Stamkos empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, set up by Point and Alex Killorn. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Point.

Staying in the area, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim led off in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Troy Terry. Arizona tied it on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fifth of the year, via Lawson Crouse and Nick Schmaltz. The Ducks retook the lead with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, helped along by Ondrej Kase. Anaheim added on in the second period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his second of the year, coming off of Derek Grant and Nicolas Deslauriers. The Coyotes got one back with a Crouse goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Schmaltz and Hinostroza. The Ducks responded with a shorthanded Carter Rowney goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Grant. The final remained at 4-2, with the three stars given to Henrique, Grant, and Crouse, while Schmaltz and Hinostroza get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Martin Jones draw the starts in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Timo Meier. Vancouver tied it on a Quinn Hughes goal, his sixth of the year, via Brock Boeser and Christopher Tanev. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Vancouver pulled ahead on a Jake Virtanen power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Tanner Pearson and Adam Gaudette. The Canucks added on with a Brandon Sutter goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Jay Beagle and J.T. Miller. Vancouver capped it at 5-2 with a Pearson empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson. The three stars were Hughes, Pearson, and Markstrom (38 for 40 in saves).

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Tuesday, January 28, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 112

Just a pair of games tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Drake Batherson and Mike Reilly. The Sabres tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Zemgus Girgensons and Brandon Montour. Ottawa regained the lead on a Reilly power play goal, with helpers from Ennis and Batherson in the third period. The Senators added on with a Mark Borowiecki shorthanded empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Ottawa capped it at 5-2 with a Nikita Zaitsev empty net goal, set up by Ron Hainsey. The three stars were Ennis, Reilly, and Batherson.

Over in Calgary, the Flames bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces a lesser foe in Cam Talbot in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Robert Thomas. Calgary tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Elias Lindholm. The Flames took the lead on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Giordano. The Blues tied it again with a David Perron goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Zach Sanford and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis pulled ahead with a power play goal by Jaden Schwartz, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Brayden Schenn and Pietrangelo. Calgary tied it again in the second period on a power play goal by Monahan, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Gaudreau and Tkachuk. The Flames took the lead with a Mark Jankowski goal, his second of the season, coming off of Sam Bennett and Mikael Backlund. The Blues evened it again in the third period on a Sanford goal, his sixth of the year, via Ryan O'Reilly and Perron. The tie went to a shootout, where Perron and O'Reilly lifted the Blues to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Perron, Sanford, and Monahan, while Pietrangelo, O'Reilly, Tkachuk, Giordano, and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

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Monday, January 27, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 111

We're back after the All-Star break with a six-game day. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal began in the first period with a Jeff Petry goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Marco Scandella. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals took the lead in the second period with a Travis Boyd goal, his third of the season, via Lars Eller and Brendan Leipsic. Washington added on with a Vrana goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Canadiens got one back in the third period with a Dale Weise goal, passed from Nick Suzuki and Nick Cousins. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with a Nicklas Backstrom empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Carl Hagelin and Wilson. The three stars were Vrana, Wilson, and Oshie.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Marcus Hogberg draw the starts in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Damon Severson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Nikita Gusev. Ottawa tied it on a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson. The Devils retook the lead with a Kevin Rooney goal, his second of the season, made possible by Andy Greene and Mirco Mueller in the second period. The Senators tied it again in the third period with a Vladislav Namestnikov shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone helper by Ron Hainsey. Ottawa pulled ahead on a Chris Tierney shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Connor Brown and Dylan DeMelo. New Jersey tied it with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Bratt and Nico Hischier. The tie went to a shootout, where Gusev and Jack Hughes struck for the Devils to win 4-3. The three stars were Gusev, Bratt, and Palmieri.

Stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Toronto started in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Rasmus Sandin. Nashville tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Zach Hyman goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Mitchell Marner and Tyson Barrie. Toronto added on with a Sandin goal, via Alexander Kerfoot and Nylander in the second period. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Jason Spezza scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Justin Holl and Hyman. The Predators got one back in the third period on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Mattias Ekholm and Nick Bonino. Toronto capped it at 5-2 with an Auston Matthews empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Sandin, Nylander, and Hyman.

In Dallas, the Stars host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Nikita Kucherov and Jan Rutta. Dallas tied it on a Denis Gurianov goal, his twelfth of the year, via Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. The Stars took the lead in the third period on a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Blake Comeau. The Lightning retied it on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, passed from Victor Hedman and Kucherov. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted Benn goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Benn, Stamkos, and Kucherov.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Thatcher Demko are the backups in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Zach Sanford goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper by David Perron. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Christopher Tanev and Jake Virtanen. The Canucks took the lead on another Miller goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, fueled by Virtanen and Elias Pettersson. Vancouver iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Bo Horvat empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Loui Eriksson and Tanev. The three stars were Miller, Demko (36 for 37 in saves), and Virtanen, while Tanev gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Aaron Dell occupy the creases. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Joel Kellman. The Sharks added on with an unassisted Patrick Marleau goal, his ninth of the year. Anaheim got on the board with a shorthanded Ondrej Kase goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, set up by Erik Gudbranson. San Jose replied with Marleau's second of the game and tenth of the year, courtesy of Brenden Dillon. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period Noesen scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Erik Karlsson and Dylan Gambrell. The Ducks got one back with a Nick Ritchie power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sam Steel and Hampus Lindholm. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Marleau, Noesen, and Dell (26 for 28 in saves).

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