Saturday, February 8, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 123

There's twelve games scheduled for Hockey Day in Canada. Leading off...

The Winnipeg Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Laurent Brossoit are the goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Neal Pionk goal, his sixth of the season, via Mason Appleton and Kyle Connor. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk. The Jets retook the lead on a Connor goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Anthony Bitetto. Winnipeg added on with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Connor and Pionk. The Senators got one back with a Mikkel Boedker goal, going in unassisted. The Jets replied with another Laine power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Pionk and Blake Wheeler. Marcus Hogberg relieved Anderson. Winnipeg finished it at 5-2 with a Laine power play goal to complete his hat trick with his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Wheeler and Connor. The three stars belonged to Laine, Connor, and Pionk, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

In Boston, the Bruins welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Arizona got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the year, via Charlie McAvoy and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Torey Krug. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Bergeron. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Clayton Keller and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Coyle empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Bergeron. The three stars were Bergeron, Coyle, and Pastrnak.

At the regular time, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russian goalies. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his seventh of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Mitchell Stephens. New York got on the board with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Steven Stamkos empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Point and Kucherov. The three stars were Point, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (17 for 18 in saves).

Up north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Elvis Merzlikins are the masked men. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Boone Jenner. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-first of the season, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Grubauer (31 for 32 in saves), MacKinnon, and Kadri.

To Canada again, as the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Carey Price are between the pipes. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Alexander Kerfoot and Zach Hyman. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Marco Scandella goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Xavier Ouellet and Nate Thompson. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Nick Suzuki. The three stars went to Price (22 for 23 in saves), Kovalchuk, and Scandella.

Way back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky play in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Jack Johnson and Letang. Florida got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Frank Vatrano and Dominic Toninato. Pittsburgh replied in the second period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jared McCann and Evgeni Malkin. The Panthers got one back with a Brett Connolly goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Vincent Trocheck and Hoffman. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars belonging to Letang, Jarry (33 for 35 in saves), and Hoffman.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Mike Smith receive the starting nods in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper by Dan Hamhuis. Edmonton got on the board with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto. Edmonton took the lead with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, with assists provided by Nugent-Hopkins and Klefbom. The Oilers held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Klefbom.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Braden Holtby are in the creases. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Washington tied it with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Jakub Vrana and Nicklas Backstrom. The Flyers retook the lead in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Philadelphia added on with a Couturier goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Voracek and Justin Braun. The Flyers extended the lead as James van Riemsdyk scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Matt Niskanen and Tyler Pitlick. Philadelphia padded the lead in the third period with an Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers kept going with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Giroux. Philadelphia chased Holtby with a Giroux power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Konecny. The Capitals got one back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Oshie and Martin Fehervary. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars being Couturier, Giroux, and Konecny, while Aube-Kubel, Voracek, and Oshie earned the honorable mentions.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Damon Severson. The Devils added on with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey extended the lead as Palmieri scored his twentieth of the season, with the help of Jack Hughes and Andy Greene. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Palmieri, Blackwood (37 save shutout), and Gusev.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Colton Parayko power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Robert Thomas. The Blues added on with another Parayko goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via David Perron. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mattias Janmark and Joe Pavelski. The Stars tied it in the second period with a Roope Hintz goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Corey Perry and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Hintz goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, fueled by Heiskanen and Khudobin. The three stars were Hintz, Heiskanen, and Benn.

Over in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer faces Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas tallied first in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Shea Theodore and Nick Holden. The Golden Knights added on with a Jon Merrill goal, his second of the year, via William Carrier and Nate Schmidt. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Vegas replied in the second period with a Theodore goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Paul Stastny. The Hurricanes countered in the third period with an Aho goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Teravainen and Jake Gardiner. The Golden Knights answered on a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina fired back with an Erik Haula power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Gardiner. The Hurricanes tied it on a Haydn Fleury goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Brock McGinn and Joel Edmundson. Carolina pulled ahead with a Martin Necas power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Gardiner and Haula. Vegas retied it on a Cody Eakin goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Alex Tuch and Nate Schmidt. In the shootout, Svechnikov and Justin Williams secured the 6-5 win for the Hurricanes. The three stars went to Aho, Teravainen, and Gardiner, while Haula, Svechnikov, Theodore, and Schmidt get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. Calgary tied it with a Derek Ryan goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube. The Flames took the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund. The Canucks retied it with an Adam Gaudette goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary pulled ahead on a Dube goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, made possible by Ryan. The Flames added on in the third period with a Lucic power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Backlund and Dube. Calgary extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. The Flames iced it at 6-2 with a Tobias Rieder empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Noah Hanifin. The three stars belonged to Dube, Lucic, and Ryan, while Gaudreau and Backlund get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, February 7, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 122

Just four games going on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Alexandar Georgiev get the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Colin Miller. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Jack Eichel and Jimmy Vesey. Buffalo extended the lead in the third period as Vesey scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Eichel. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Marc Staal. The Rangers got closer with a Chris Kreider goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Kaapo Kakko and Zibanejad. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Vesey, Eichel, and Zibanejad.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jack Campbell are the goalies. Toronto led off in the first period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. Anaheim tied it with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his second of the year, via Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Matthews and Zach Hyman. Toronto added on with a Matthews goal, his fortieth of the year, fueled by Tavares and Marner. The Ducks got one back on a third period shorthanded goal by Max Jones, his seventh of the season, set up by Carter Rowney. Anaheim tied it on a Henrique power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Ondrej Kase and Troy Terry. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Jason Spezza goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Kasperi Kapanen and Jake Muzzin. The Ducks evened it again with a Derek Grant goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a Tavares power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, with helpers from Marner and Matthews. The three stars were awarded to Tavares, Matthews, and Marner, while Henrique and Fowler get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard is mismatched with Elvis Merzlikins in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Zach Werenski goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Nick Foligno and Sonny Milano. The Blue Jackets iced it at 2-0 in the third period on a Boone Jenner empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Gustav Nyquist. The three stars were Werenski, Merzlikins (16 save shutout), and Howard (42 for 43 in saves).

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ben Bishop are the alliterative goalies. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The Stars added on in the second period with a Denis Gurianov goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Miro Heiskanen and the goalie Bishop. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Ryan Suter and Marcus Foligno. The Wild tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Luke Kunin and Kevin Fiala. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with another Eriksson Ek goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Jonas Brodin and Jordan Greenway. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Eriksson Ek, Dubnyk (31 for 33 in saves), and Donato.

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Thursday, February 6, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 121

The heavy oscillation continues with twelve games today, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Pittsburgh got on the board with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang. Tampa Bay shot back with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Hedman and Ondrej Palat. The Penguins pulled back in the third period with a John Marino goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Malkin. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Kucherov shorthanded empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Hedman and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The three stars were Hedman, Kucherov, and Malkin.

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Vegas began in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. Florida tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the second period with a Stone goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, via Nate Schmidt. The Panthers tied it on a Trocheck goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Jonathan Huberdeau. Vegas gained the lead again with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Stone and Nick Holden. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Schmidt goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Paul Stastny and Reilly Smith. Vegas extended the lead as Theodore scored a shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Stastny and Jon Merrill. The Golden Knights chased Bobrovsky with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Stone and Pacioretty. Sam Montembeault took over in goal. Vegas padded the lead as Pacioretty scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, thanks to Stone and Stephenson. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars being Stone, Pacioretty, and Trocheck, while Schmidt, Theodore, Stephenson, Stastny, and Huberdeau all get honorable mentions.

Way up north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Jonas Johansson play in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Trevor Daley and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings added on with another Larkin goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Fabbri and Filip Hronek. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Conor Sheary. The Sabres tied it on a Scott Wilson goal, with a lone helper by Colin Miller. Detroit retook the lead with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Valtteri Filppula and Madison Bowey. Buffalo tied it on an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fourth of the campaign, via Rasmus Ristolainen. The tie went to a shootout, where Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou struck to secure a 4-3 win for the Red Wings. The three stars were Larkin, Fabbri, and Bertuzzi.

Into Quebec, as the Montreal Canadiens host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal started in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Tomas Tatar. Anaheim tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg second period goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Rickard Rakell and Jacob Larsson. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Ilya Kovalchuk. The Ducks tied it again in the third period with a Derek Grant goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Carter Rowney. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Petry goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Joel Armia. The three stars were Petry, Price (35 for 37 in saves), and Gallagher.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Thomas Greiss draw the starts. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Ben Hutton goal, his third of the season, coming off of Adrian Kempe and Blake Lizotte. The Kings added on with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York got on the board in the second period with a Michael Dal Colle goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy. Los Angeles replied with a Trevor Lewis goal, his third of the year, made possible by Michael Amadio and Hutton. The Islanders shot back with a Kieffer Bellows goal, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier and Derick Brassard. New York tied it in the third period as Matt Martin scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Devon Toews and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders pulled ahead with another Bellows goal, with helpers from Brassard and Anders Lee. New York iced it at 5-3 with a Lee empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Brock Nelson. The three stars belonged to Bellows, Brassard, and Hutton, while Lee gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Brian Elliott are the goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Travis Zajac and P.K. Subban. The Devils added on with a Damon Severson power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by the goalie Blackwood. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period on a Pavel Zacha shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Kevin Rooney. The Devils chased Elliott on an unassisted Miles Wood goal, his ninth of the year. Alex Lyon replaced Elliott in goal. New Jersey padded the lead as Wood scored his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, thanks to Mirco Mueller. This produced the 5-0 final score, with the three stars handed to Blackwood (46 save shutout), Wood, and Coleman.

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Marcus Hogberg are in the creases. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Andre Burakovsky. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Chris Tierney and Connor Brown. The Avalanche answered in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Tyson Jost. Colorado added on with a Cale Makar power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as J.T. Compher scored his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Makar and Ryan Graves. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Makar, Grubauer (25 for 26 in saves), and Nieto.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Jansen Harkins goal, assisted by Jack Roslovic and Andrew Copp. The Jets added on in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his twentieth of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. St. Louis got on the board with a Colton Parayko power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn. The Blues tied it on a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Ryan O'Reilly. Winnipeg retook the lead in the third period with a Copp goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Harkins. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Nikolaj Ehlers empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Dmitry Kulikov and Blake Wheeler. The three stars belonged to Harkins, Copp, and Hellebuyck (35 for 37 in saves).

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe in Alex Stalock in goal. Minnesota got going in the first period with a Brad Hunt goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Kevin Fiala and Luke Kunin. The Wild added on with a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Mikko Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead on a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Hunt and Ryan Donato. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and the goalie Markstrom. The Wild responded in the third period on a Zach Parise power play goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. The Canucks countered with an Antoine Roussel power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Tyler Myers and Alexander Edler. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Fiala, Hunt, and Parise.

To the desert, as the Arizona Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Antti Raanta have the green light to play in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Derek Stepan and Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Nick Schmaltz and Goligoski. Carolina got on the board with an Andrew Svechnikov goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Haydn Fleury and Joel Edmundson. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jaccob Slavin goal, his fifth of the year, via Ryan Dzingel and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Carolina pulled ahead with a Svechnikov goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, fueled by Sebastian Aho and van Riemsdyk. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period as Aho scored his twenty-eighth of the year, with the help of Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen. Arizona got one back with a Conor Garland goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Jakob Chychrun and Taylor Hall. Carolina iced it at 5-3 with an Aho empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Svechnikov, Aho, and Goligoski, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Cam Talbot are the backups in goal. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie. Nashville got on the board with a Dante Fabbro goal, his fifth of the year, via Roman Josi and Mikael Granlund. The Predators took the lead with a Kyle Turris goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg. Nashville added on in the second period with a Granlund power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Josi and Turris. The Flames got one back with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Granlund, Turris, and Josi.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Mikko Koskinen are in the blue paint. Edmonton tallied first in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Darnell Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Nurse. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Brenden Dillon. The Sharks tied it on an Evander Kane power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Burns and Joe Thornton. San Jose took the lead in the second period with a Maxim Letunov goal, via Erik Karlsson and Marcus Sorensen. The Sharks extended the lead as Stefan Noesen scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Alexander True and Melker Karlsson. San Jose padded the lead in the third period with Meier's second goal of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Kevin Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Edmonton got one back with an Ethan Bear goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jujhar Khaira and Riley Sheahan. The Sharks countered with a Labanc goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Meier and Thornton. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars given to Meier, Labanc, and Burns, while Thornton and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 120

There's only two games tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and Igor Shesterkin are the backups in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by William Nylander and Justin Holl. New York tied it on a Filip Chytil goal, his twelfth of the year, via Tony DeAngelo and Marc Staal. The Rangers took the lead with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Chris Kreider. New York added on with a Kreider goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Pavel Buchnevich and Zibanejad. The Maple Leafs got one back with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, coming off of Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen in the second period. The Rangers replied on a Buchnevich goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Brady Skjei. Toronto got closer in the third period with a Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Tavares and Mitchell Marner. The Rangers iced it at 5-3 with a Greg McKegg empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Buchnevich. The three stars were Matthews, Zibanejad, and Kreider, while Buchnevich and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

The other game is in Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Robin Lehner draw the starts. Chicago got going in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Kirby Dach and Patrick Kane. Boston tied it on a Sean Kuraly goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Matt Grzelcyk and Anders Bjork. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Charlie McAvoy goal, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci. The three stars were McAvoy, Kuraly, and Lehner (38 for 40 in saves).

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Tuesday, February 4, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 119

We've got thirteen games for today, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock. Dallas tied it on a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Corey Perry and Roope Hintz. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau. The Islanders tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Michael Dal Colle and Kieffer Bellows. Dallas took the lead in the third period on a John Klingberg goal, his third of the season, coming off of Joe Pavelski and Alexander Radulov. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Devon Toews and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, with a helper from Brock Nelson. The three stars went to Beauvillier, Eberle, and Barzal.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Charlie McAvoy and Anders Bjork. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and McAvoy. Boston extended the lead in the third period as David Krejci scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Sean Kuraly and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins padded the lead on a Karson Kuhlman power play goal, via Coyle and Matt Grzelcyk. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars handed to Rask (25 save shutout), Coyle, and McAvoy.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Erik Cernak. Vegas tied it on a William Carrier goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Brayden McNabb and Cody Eakin. The Lightning retook the lead on a Tyler Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Anthony Cirelli and Ondrej Palat. The Golden Knights tied it on a Paul Stastny goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault and McNabb. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Point and Kucherov. The Lightning capped it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Alex Killorn, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Ondrej Palat. The three stars belonged to Point, Kucherov, and Palat, while McNabb gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Elvis Merzlikins are the masked men. Columbus won 1-0 in overtime with a Zach Werenski goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Merzlikins (32 save shutout), Werenski, and Bobrovsky (44 for 45 in saves).

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby are the veteran goalies. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli and Matt Roy. Washington tied it in the second period with a John Carlson goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Nicklas Backstrom and Carl Hagelin. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Carter goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez. The Capitals tied it again with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by T.J. Oshie. Washington gained the lead with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the season, helped along by Carlson. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with an Ovechkin empty net goal to complete his natural hat trick, his fortieth of the year, set up by Carlson. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Carlson, and Carter.

North to Buffalo, as the Sabres bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Carter Hutton occupy the creases. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Samuel Girard goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Graves and Joonas Donskoi. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Nazem Kadri and Nikita Zadorov. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Jake McCabe and Jack Eichel. Colorado replied in the second period with a Kadri goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Valeri Nichushkin and Burakovsky. The Avalanche extended the lead as Zadorov scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Burakovsky and Nichushkin. Colorado padded the lead with a Nichushkin goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Burakovsky and Cale Makar. Jonas Johansson took over in goal. The Avalanche kept going with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars going to Burakovsky, Nichushkin, and Kadri, while Zadorov gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils host the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. New Jersey was first to score in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Jesper Bratt and Mirco Mueller. The Devils added on with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Damon Severson and Blake Coleman. New Jersey extended the lead as Bratt scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Pavel Zacha and Will Butcher. Montreal got on the board with a Joel Armia shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got closer with a Nate Thompson goal, his third of the season, made possible by Ryan Poehling. Montreal tied it as Nick Cousins scored his eight of the year, helped along by Brett Kulak and Max Domi. The Canadiens took the lead with a Christian Folin goal, with helpers from Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. The Devils retied it with a Palmieri power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Coleman and Jack Hughes. In the shootout, Ilya Kovalchuk had the lone tally for a 5-4 Canadiens win. The three stars belonged to Palmieri, Bratt, and Coleman.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marcus Hogberg are in the blue paint. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. Ottawa tied it in the second period on a Drake Batherson power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Mike Reilly and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Ducks retook the lead with an Ondrej Kase goal, his seventh of the season, via Max Jones and Sam Steel. The Senators retied it in the third period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Colin White and Reilly. In the shootout, Kase and Rakell lifted the Ducks to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Kase, Rakell, and Reilly.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Jordan Binnington play in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Sammy Blais goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Justin Faulk and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues added on in the second period with a Zach Sanford goal, his seventh of the year, via Jay Bouwmeester and Colton Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead as Parayko scored his third of the season, with the help of Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Warren Foegele and Andrei Svechnikov. The Blues replied with a Schenn power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Ryan O'Reilly. St. Louis padded the lead on another Schenn power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, guided in by Schwartz and O'Reilly. The Blues continued in the third period with a Sanford goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with helpers from Bouweesmter and O'Reilly. The Hurricanes got one back on a Brock McGinn goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina pulled closer with a Martin Necas power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists from Ryan Dzingel and Jake Gardiner. The final remained at 6-3, with the three stars given to Schenn, Sanford, and O'Reilly, while Parayko, Schwartz, and Bouwmeester get the honorable mentions.

Northward again to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg tallied first in the first period with a Mason Appleton goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Sami Niku. Nashville tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators won 2-1 in overtime with a Mikael Granlund goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Mattias Ekholm and Matt Duchene. The three stars were Saros (33 for 34 in saves), Granlund, and Bonino.

In Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Alex Stalock receive the starting nods in goal. Minnesota going in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Fiala power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, powered by Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba. Chicago got on the board with an Adam Boqvist goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Duncan Keith and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks tied it on an Olli Maatta goal, his fourth of the year, via Erik Gustafsson and Kirby Dach. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Dumba goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Suter. The three stars were Fiala, Dumba, and Stalock (27 for 29 in saves).

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Antti Raanta are the Finnish goalies. Arizona cracked the scoresheet with a Conor Garland goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Taylor Hall and Jakob Chychrun in the second period. The Coyotes added on with a shorthanded Lawson Crouse goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona iced it at 3-0 with a Christian Dvorak empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Crouse. The three stars were handed to Raanta (30 save shutout), Crouse, and Garland.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and David Rittich guard the cages. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Barclay Goodrow and Patrick Marleau. San Jose added on in the third period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Timo Meier and Thornton. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Dell (30 for 31 in saves), Thornton, and Kane.

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Monday, February 3, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 118

Three games on today, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Florida opened in the first period with a Mark Pysyk goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Mike Matheson and Denis Malgin. Michael Hutchinson relieved an injured Andersen to start the second period. Toronto tied it in the second period with a John Tavares power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Tyson Barrie. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a William Nylander goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Toronto added on in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, passed from Zach Hyman and Marner. The Panthers got one back with a Pysyk goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Matheson and Josh Brown. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman. The Panthers took the lead on a Hoffman goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Aaron Ekblad and Matheson. Florida iced it at 5-3 with a Pysyk empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Pysyk, Hoffman, and Matheson, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Henrik Lundqvist are the goalies. New York started in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Tony DeAngelo. Dallas tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with another Pavelski power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, coming off of Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Rangers retied it with a Brett Howden power play goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Brendan Lemieux and Kaapo Kakko. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Stephen Johns goal, via Jason Dickinson and Mattias Janmark. The Stars added on with a Blake Comeau goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Seguin and Radek Faksa. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Corey Perry scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Andrej Sekera and Johns. New York got one back with a Lemieux power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Adam Fox. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Pavelski, Johns, and Lemieux, while Seguin and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Bernier are the veterans in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Scott Laughton goal, his ninth of the season, via Michael Raffl and Robert Hagg. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Kevin Hayes shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. Philadelphia iced it at 3-0 with a Matt Niskanen shorthanded empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Ivan Provorov. The three stars were Hayes, Laughton, and Elliott (16 save shutout).

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Sunday, February 2, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 117

We've got three matinees this Sunday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his twelfth of the season, via Richard Panik. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sam Lafferty goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Alex Galchenyuk. The Penguins took the lead with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from John Marino and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Dominik Simon goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Jared McCann. The Capitals got one back in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Jakub Vrana and Nick Jensen. The Penguins answered with a Brandon Tanev goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Teddy Blueger and Zach Aston-Reese. Washington chipped back on an Eller goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by Carl Hagelin and Radko Gudas. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Eller, Tanev, and Murray (29 for 32 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Christopher Tanev and Quinn Hughes. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and Jake Gardiner. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Warren Foegele and Jaccob Slavin. The Canucks tied it on a Tyler Myers goal, his sixth of the year, via Brandon Sutter and Oscar Fantenberg. Carolina pulled ahead with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Foegele and Joel Edmundson. Vancouver tied it as Pettersson scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, thanks to J.T. Miller and Fantenberg. In the shootout, Teravainen and Justin Williams lifted the Hurricanes 4-3 over Pettersson and the Canucks. The three stars went to Pettersson, Teravainen, and Foegele, while Fantenberg gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Carey Price are the masked men. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists by Nick Foligno and Zach Werenski. Montreal got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki. Columbus replied with a Dubois goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back in the third period with a Max Domi goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Ben Chiarot and Nick Cousins. The Blue Jackets responded with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper by Seth Jones. The Canadiens pulled back on a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Ilya Kovalchuk and Tatar. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Dubois, Tatar, and Nyquist.

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