Saturday, February 22, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 137

We've got eleven games on for this Saturday, beginning with three matinees. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kyle Okposo. The Sabres added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Reinhart. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Evgeni Malkin goal, his nineteenth of the year. The Sabres answered with a Jeff Skinner goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Marcus Johansson and Michael Frolik. Buffalo padded the lead with another Eichel power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Dahlin and Ristolainen. The Penguins got one back with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Patric Hornqvist. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Eichel, Malkin, and Reinhart, while Ristolainen gets an honorable mention.

Across Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carter Hart are the masked men. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ivan Provorov and Justin Braun. The Flyers added on with a Laughton goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Braun. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Sean Couturier scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Jakub Voracek and Matt Niskanen. Winnipeg got on the board with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets got closer in the third period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler. The Flyers responded with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Robert Hagg and Braun. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Laughton, Braun, and Hart (27 for 29 in saves).

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Damon Severson. The Devils took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, powered by Bratt and Nikita Gusev. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal in the third period, his forty-second of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nick Jensen. New Jersey took the lead with a Severson goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Gusev and Kyle Palmieri. This made it 3-2, the final, with the htree stars being Severson, Bratt, and Gusev.

At the regular time, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes, but Reimer was injured early in the first period and Petr Mrazek came on in relief. Toronto began in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jake Muzzin and Kasperi Kapanen. Carolina tied it on a Lucas Wallmark goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, via Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Jake Gardiner. Carolina added on with a Warren Foegele goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Joel Edmundson and Jordan Staal. Mrazek later got hurt, forcing the Hurricanes to deploy emergency backup goalie David Ayres. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Sebastian Aho scored his thirty-sixth of the season on the power play, thanks to Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. The Maple Leafs got one back with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Tyson Barrie and William Nylander. Toronto pulled closer with a Pierre Engvall goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Barrie and Kapanen. Carolina answered in the third period with a Foegele goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes padded the lead with a Necas goal, his sixteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Ayres (eight for 10 in saves in relief), Necas, and Foegele, while Kapanen and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Craig Anderson play in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Paul Byron. The Canadiens added on with an unassisted Domi goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year. Montreal extended the lead as Byron scored his second of the season, thanks to Ilya Kovalchuk. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Price (30 save shutout), Domi, and Byron.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Igor Shesterkin draw the starts in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. San Jose tied it on a Joe Thornton goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Timo Meier and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Thornton power play goal, his fourth of the season and second of the game, powered by Brent Burns and Kevin Labanc. The Rangers retied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, fueled by Panarin. New York took the lead with a Fast goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Jacob Trouba and Strome. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Fast, Panarin, and Thornton, while Strome and Shesterkin (44 for 46 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Juuse Saros are the young goalies. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Colin Blackwell and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Filip Forsberg. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Nathan Gerbe and Stefan Matteau. The Blue Jackets tied it on an Eric Robinson goal, his sixth of the year, via Jakob Lilja and Vladislav Gavrikov. Columbus pulled ahead with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Markus Nutivaara and David Savard. Nashville retied it on a Colton Sissons goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Forsberg. In the shootout, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyquist were beat by Forsberg, Ellis, and Rocco Grimaldi. The three stars of the 4-3 Predators win were Forsberg, Ellis, and Sissons.

Further along to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Cameron Gaunce. Arizona tied it on a Conor Garland goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Ilya Lyubushkin and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes took the lead with a Clayton Keller goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Goligoski and Derek Stepan. Arizona added on in the second period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Gaunce and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay tied it as Brayden Point scored his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Brad Richardson goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Taylor Hall. Arizona extended the lead as Keller scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, thanks to Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Garland power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, powered by Nick Schamltz and Hall. Arizona iced it at 7-3 with a Stepan goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Garland and Keller. The three stars belonged to Keller, Garland, and Stepan, while Hall and Gaunce get the honorable mentions.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Vancouver got going in the first period with a Troy Stecher goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tyler Motte and Jay Beagle. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Matt Grzelcyk. The Canucks took the lead back with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Tyler Toffoli. Vancouver added on with an Adam Gaudette goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, via Quinn Hughes. The Canucks extended the lead as Tanner Pearson scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Loui Eriksson and Tyler Myers. Vancouver padded the lead on an Eriksson goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Horvat and Alexander Edler.. The Canucks continued in the third period on an Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Miller and Stecher. The Bruins got one back with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and forty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Torey Krug and Brad Marchand on the power play. Jaroslav Halak replaced Rask in goal. Boston got closer with a Chris Wagner goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Grzelcyk and Sean Kuraly. Vancouver answered on a Toffoli goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Miller. The Canucks kept going with another Toffoli goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by Hughes. Vancouver poured it on with a Jake Virtanen goal, his seventeenth of the year, dished rom Edler and Stecher. This made it 9-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Toffoli, Miller, and Pastrnak, while Stecher, Eriksson, Horvat, Hughes, Edler, and Grzelcyk get the honorable mentions.

Back south to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Florida Panthers. Samuel Montembeault is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Florida cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Mark Pysyk and Vincent Trocheck. Vegas tied it on a Tomas Nosek goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. The Golden Knights retied it on a William Carrier goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Chandler Stephenson. Vegas gained the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault and Paul Stastny. Florida pulled back with an Aleksi Saarela goal, his second of the season, made possible by Hoffman and Dadonov. Vegas iced it at 5-3 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Stastny and Nosek.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Jonathan Quick occupy the creases. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard with an Austin Wagner penalty shot goal, his fifth of the season. Colorado tied it on a Ryan Graves goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog and Ian Cole. The Avalanche won 2-1 with a Joonas Donskoi tally in the shootout. The three stars were Francouz (20 for 21 in saves), Graves, and Quick (30 for 31 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, February 21, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 136

An unusually busy Friday sees seven games on. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Petr Mrazek draw the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Brock McGinn goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Rangers took the lead back with a Jesper Fast goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Artemi Panarin. New York added on with a Brady Skjei goal, his eighth of the year, via Ryan Strome and Zibanejad. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period with a Panarin power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Zibanejad and Filip Chytil. The Hurricanes fired back on a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Andrei Svechnikov and Slavin. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Strome empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jacob Trouba. The three stars were Zibanejad, Panarin, and Strome, while Slavin gets an honorable mention.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Semyon Varlamov are in the creases. New York started in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Eberle goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier. Detroit got on the board with an Anthony Mantha power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mike Green and Andreas Athanasiou. New York replied with an Eberle power play goal to complete his hat trick with his thirteenth of the year, set up by Andy Greene and Barzal. The Islanders capped it at 4-1 with a Leo Komarov empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The three stars were Eberle, Barzal, and Varlamov (21 for 22 in saves).

Out west to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Nashville got going in the second period with a Mattias Ekholm goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, passed from Rocco Grimaldi and Colin Blackwell. Chicago tied it in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith on the power play. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, via Keith. The three stars belonged to DeBrincat, Crawford (42 for 43 in saves), and Keith.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Robert Thomas and Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Kyrou scored his third of the season, thanks to Thomas. The Blues padded the lead on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Vince Dunn. Anton Khudobin replaced Bishop in goal. St. Louis kept going in the third period as Parayko scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Schwartz and O'Reilly. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his third of the year, passed from Jamie Benn. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Parayko, Schwartz, and Kyrou, while O'Reilly and Thomas get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Flames added on with another Backlund goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Tobias Rieder and Matthew Tkachuk. Boston got on the board with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Calgary responded with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Elias Lindholm. The Bruins pulled back with a Bergeron goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Boston tied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Karson Kuhlman and Anders Bjork. The Bruins took the lead on a Marchand goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Marchand, and Backlund, while Pastrnak gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Mikko Koskinen are the backups in goal. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Kailer Yamamoto and Ethan Bear. Minnesota tied it on a Kevin Fiala goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Ryan Suter. The Oilers retook the lead on another Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Carson Soucy goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Alex Galchenyuk. Edmonton took the lead back with a Draisaitl goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Matt Benning and Nugent Hopkins. Minnesota retied it again on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Galchenyuk and Victor Rask. The Wild pulled ahead with a Spurgeon goal in the third period, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Suter and Zach Parise. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with a Spurgeon empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his tenth of the year, set up by Eric Staal. The three stars were awarded to Spurgeon, Nugent-Hopkins, and Suter, while Galchenyuk, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Martin Kaut. This stood for the 1-0 final, with the three stars being Francouz (26 save shutout), Compher, and Gibson (28 for 29 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 135

Eight games on for Thursday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-first of the season, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom. Montreal tied it on a Shea Weber goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Phillip Danault. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period on a Lars Eller goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Carl Hagelin and Richard Panik. The Canadiens evened it with an unassisted Brendan Gallagher goal, his twentieth of the year. Montreal pulled ahead with a Ben Chiarot goal, his eighth of the season, via Tomas Tatar in the third period. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime with a Chiarot goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, helped along by Max Domi and Jeff Petry. The three stars were Chiarot, Backstrom, and Gallagher.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Nick Foligno and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets added on with a Foligno goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Bjorkstrand and Markus Nutivaara. Philadelphia got on the board with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Travis Sanheim and Kevin Hayes. Columbus answered in the second period with a Stefan Matteau goal, via Boone Jenner and Nutivaara. The Flyers shot back on a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Michael Raffl and Matt Niskanen. Philadelphia tied it with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Sean Couturier and Konecny. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Hayes goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Konecny and Philippe Myers. The three stars went to Hayes, Konecny, and Bjorkstrand, while Foligno and Nutivaara get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the creases. San Jose started in the first period with a Tim Heed goal, via Jacob Middleton and Alexander True. New Jersey tied it on a second period Jesper Bratt goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Pavel Zacha and Nikita Gusev. The Devils took the lead in the third period with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Gusev. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Blackwood (36 for 37 in saves), Gusev, and Subban.

North to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto got going in the second period with a Jake Muzzin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Justin Holl and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and Tavares. Toronto extended the lead as Kasperi Kapanen scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Alexander Kerfoot and Muzzin. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period on a Zach Hyman goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Mitchell Marner and Muzzin. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars given to Andersen (24 save shutout), Muzzin, and Tavares.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Marcus Hogberg are the unknown goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine. The Jets took the lead with a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Neal Pionk and Laine. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Connor goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Pionk and Andrew Copp. The Jets extended the lead as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Blake Wheeler and Scheifele. Winnipeg padded the lead in the third period on a Scheifele power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year completing his hat trick, with the help of Logan Shaw and Josh Morrissey. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Scheifele, Connor, and Laine, while Pionk gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Jordan Binnington are between the pipes. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Colton Parayko. This stood for the 1-0 win, with the three stars being Binnington (14 save shutout), Raanta (45 for 46 in saves), and O'Reilly.

Southwest to Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat. Vegas tied it on an Alec Martinez goal, his second of the year, via Cody Eakin and Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Reilly Smith and Nate Schmidt. The Lightning retied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli. Vegas retook the lead with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Max Pacioretty and Martinez. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with an unassisted Ryan Reaves goal, his seventh of the year. Vegas extended the lead as Pacioretty scored his twenty-eighth of the season on the power play, with the help of Stone and Shea Theodore. Tampa Bay got one back with a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Hedman. The final remained at 5-3, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Stone, and Stamkos, while Martinez and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Quick are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, via Kurtis MacDermid. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers took the lead on a Barkov goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, courtesy of Huberdeau and Noel Acciari. The Kings tied it with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. Florida retook the lead in the second period with a Huberdeau goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Evgenii Dadonov and Aaron Ekblad. Los Angeles pulled even on a Trevor Moore goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Doughty and Blake Lizotte. The Kings took the lead with a Martin Frk goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Vilardi and Matt Roy. The Panthers tied it again with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Huberdeau and Ekblad in the third period. Los Angeles reclaimed the lead on a Ben Hutton goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Alex Iafallo and Kopitar. This held up as a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Huberdeau, Vilardi, and Doughty, while Kopitar, Barkov, and Ekblad get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 134

Six games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Robin Lehner are in the creases. New York began in the first period with a Filip Chytil goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Kaapo Kakko and Tony DeAngelo. Chicago tied it on a Dominik Kubalik goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Chris Kreider. New York added on with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from DeAngelo and Mika Zibanejad. The Blackhawks got one back with a Kubalik goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Drake Caggiula and Jonathan Toews. The Rangers countered with a Kreider goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Zibanejad and Marc Staal. New York extended the lead as Artemi Panarin scored his thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago pulled back with a Caggiula goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Toews and Alex Nylander. The Rangers shot back on a Zibanejad goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Buchnevich and Kreider. This stood for a 6-3 final score, with the three stars being Zibanejad, Kreider, and Buchnevich, while Kubalik, DeAngelo, Caggiula, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Edmonton tied it in the third period with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Ethan Bear and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Pastrnak goal, his forty-third of the campaign, fueled by David Krejci and Torey Krug. The three stars went to Pastrnak, Rask (28 for 29 in saves), and Bergeron.

Backtracking to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Dallas led off in the first period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jordan Oesterle and Nick Schmaltz. The Stars retook the lead with a Radek Faksa power play goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Perry and Gurianov. The Coyotes tied it again with a Christian Fischer goal, his sixth of the year, via Christian Dvorak and Ilya Lyubushkin. Dallas took the lead in the third period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Miro Heiskanen. The final stood from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Bishop (39 for 41 in saves), Perry, and Gurianov.

Along to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Pavel Francouz are the goalies. Colorado started in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche added on in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twentieth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Makar. Colorado extended the lead as Gabriel Landeskog scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to MacKinnon and Ryan Graves. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Francouz (27 for 28 in saves), Makar, and MacKinnon.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and John Gibson guard the cages.Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Max Jones goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Riley Stillman and Frank Vatrano. Florida added on with an Aleksi Saarela goal, coming off of Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Weegar empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, set up by Trocheck and Mike Hoffman. The three stars belonged to Trocheck, Bobrovsky (35 for 36 in saves), and Weegar.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Matt Dumba. Vancouver tied it on a Jay Beagle goal, his second of the year, guided in by Quinn Hughes and Tyler Motte. The Wild retook the lead on a Luke Kunin goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Brad Hunt and Mats Zuccarello. The Canucks tied it in the third period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Hughes. Vancouver took the lead with another Miller goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Troy Stecher and Alexander Edler. Minnesota tied it again with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Carson Soucy and Zuccarello. In the shootout, Ryan Donato, Zuccarello, and Galchenyuk tallied for the Wild to beat Elias Pettersson and Miller of the Canucks for a 4-3 win. The three stars were Galchenyuk, Miller, and Zuccarello, while Hughes gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 133

We've got seven games on a light Tuesday, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on with an Anthony Angello goal, via Sam Lafferty and Marcus Pettersson. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Jason Zucker scored his seventeenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Crosby and Rust. The Penguins padded the lead as Crosby scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, with the help of Patric Hornqvist and Jared McCann. Pittsburgh kept going with a Teddy Blueger goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Rust and Crosby. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-third of the season, guided in by William Nylander and Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Kyle Clifford goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jason Spezza and Martin Marincin. The final score stood at 5-2, with the three stars awarded to Crosby, Rust, and Jarry (34 for 36 in saves).

Across Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elviz Merzlikins and Carter Hart are the masked men. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Sean Couturier goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Claude Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead as Philippe Myers scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Travis Sanheim and Nicolas Aube-Kubel in the second period. Columbus got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Emil Bemstrom and Zach Werenski. The Flyers replied in the third period with a Konecny goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Robert Hagg and Farabee. Matiss Kivlenieks replaced Merzlikins in goal. Philadelphia padded the lead with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Konecny and Giroux. The final remained at 5-1, with the three stars given to Konecny, Giroux, and Farabee.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Montreal opened in the first period with a Nate Thompson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Paul Byron. The Canadiens added on with a Jeff Petry power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Jordan Weal. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin. Montreal replied with a Suzuki power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Weal and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alex Biega and Valtteri Filppula. Detroit tied it on a Mike Green goal, his third of the year, via Mantha and Larkin. The Red Wings pulled ahead on another Athanasiou goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with a helper from Tyler Bertuzzi. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Athanasiou, Mantha, and Larkin, while Suzuki and Weal get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Craig Anderson are the veterans in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Brandon Montour goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on with a Montour goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Rasmus Ristolainen and Victor Olofsson. Ottawa got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mike Reilly. The Senators tied it with an Artem Anisimov goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Nick Paul and Scott Sabourin. Ottawa took the lead on a Drake Batherson goal, his third of the season, fueled by Colin White and Tyler Ennis. The Senators extended the lead with an Anisimov power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Ennis and Reilly. Buffalo got one back in the second period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Johan Larsson and Montour. Ottawa countered with a Pageau goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Brady Tkachuk and Anthony Duclair. The Sabres shot back with a power play goal by Olofsson, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Rasmus Dahlin and Jack Eichel. The Senators fired back with a Pageau power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Tkachuk and Batherson. Ottawa iced it at 7-4 with a Duclair shorthanded empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Pageau. The three stars were handed to Pageau, Anisimov, and Batherson, while Duclair, Tkachuk, Ennis, Montour, Reilly, and Olofsson get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Dustin Brown goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Joakim Ryan and Anze Kopitar. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Jansen Harkins goal, his second of the year, via Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. The Jets took the lead with a Mason Appleton goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Roslovic. Winnipeg added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Kings pulled back in the third period with a Martin Frk goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Adrian Kempe and Matt Roy. The Jets replied with an Ehlers goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Scheifele and Wheeler. Los Angeles countered on a Brown goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with helpers from Roy and Kopitar. Winnipeg responded with a Laine empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Kyle Connor and Andrew Copp. The Jets iced it at 6-3 with a Wheeler goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, courtesy of Neal Pionk and Ehlers. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Ehlers, and Laine, while Roslovic, Scheifele, Brown, Kopitar, and Roy all get honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Juuse Saros are in the creases. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Justin Williams and Warren Foegele. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jarred Tinordi and Mikael Granlund. The Hurricanes took the lead with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Williams. Carolina added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Martin Necas and Erik Haula. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Sebastian Aho scored his thirty-fourth of the season, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Mrazek (28 for 29 in saves), Svechnikov, and Williams.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues host the New Jersey Devils. Louis Domingue and Jordan Binnington are between the pipes. St. Louis got going in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues added on in the third period with another Barbashev goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Sammy Blais and Oskar Sundqvist. St. Louis extended the lead as Jaden Schwartz scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Brayden Schenn and Ryan O'Reilly. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Barbashev, Binnington (17 save shutout), and Schwartz.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, February 17, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 132

Presidents Day is Monday, which leads to an early five-game slate. First up...

The Arizona Coyotes host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Antti Raanta are in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Phil Kessel. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Conor Garland goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Christian Dvorak and Taylor Hall. New York got on the board with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Andy Greene and Ryan Pulock. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Raanta (25 for 26 in saves), Garland, and Keller.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Cam Talbot are the backups in goal. Anaheim got going in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Troy Terry and Nick Ritchie. Calgary tied it on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his eleventh of the year, via Noah Hanifin and Matthew Tkachuk. The Ducks retook the lead on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist from Carter Rowney. The Flames got one back with Mangiapane's second of the game and twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Michael Stone. The Flames took the lead with a Tkachuk goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Mangiapane. Calgary extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his eighteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Flames padded the lead on a Mangiapane empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his thirteenth of the season, set up by Johnny Gaudreau. The Ducks pulled one back with a Devin Shore goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jacob Larsson and Silfverberg. The three stars of the 6-4 game were Mangiapane, Tkachuk, and Silfverberg.

In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Aaron Dell are the masked men. Florida started in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Frank Vatrano and Aaron Ekblad. San Jose tied it on a Dylan Gambrell goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Antti Suomela and Alexander True. The Panthers took the lead on a Mike Hoffman goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the season, going in unassisted. Florida added on in the third period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Denis Malgin and Ekblad. The Sharks got one back with a Kevin Labanc power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Brent Burns. The Panthers shot back with an Anton Stralman goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. San Jose pulled back with a Timo Meier goal, his twentieth of the season, with helpers from Joe Thornton and Burns. Florida iced it at 5-3 with a Vincent Trocheck empty net goal, his ninth of the year, an unassisted tally. The three stars went to Ekblad, Burns, and Stralman.

Backtracking to Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas led off in the first period with a Nick Holden goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of William Carrier and Tomas Nosek. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault and Paul Stastny. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Max Pacioretty scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to William Karlsson. Washington got on the board in the third period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Dmitry Orlov and Jakub Vrana. The Capitals got closer with an Oshie power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign and second of the game, powered by Vrana and John Carlson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Oshie, Pacioretty, and Vrana.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Pavel Francouz are the goalies. Colorado began in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning took the lead on an unassisted Cameron Gaunce goal. Tampa Bay added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Brayden Point and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Avalanche pulled back on a MacKinnon goal, his thirty-third of the year, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Cale Makar and Landeskog. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were MacKinnon, Kucherov, and Landeskog.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 131

It's Hockey Day in America, with nine games on to keep things busy all day long. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Matt Murray make the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tyler Bertuzzi. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sam Lafferty goal, his sixth of the year, via Patric Hornqvist and Andrew Agozzino. The Penguins took the lead with a Kris Letang power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Hornqvist. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with another Hornqvist goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Agozzino. The Penguins chased Howard on a Crosby goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Marcus Pettersson and Jason Zucker. Jonathan Bernier came on in relief. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Hornqvist scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Brandon Tanev and Teddy Blueger. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Hornqvist, Crosby, and Murray (27 for 28 in saves).

Along to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Alexandar Georgiev are the goalies. Boston began in the first period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Charlie Coyle goal, his fourteenth of the year. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Patrice Bergeron empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Brad Marchand. The three stars were Halak (25 for 26 in saves), Coyle, and McAvoy.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and James Reimer draw the starts in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, courtesy of Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jujhar Khaira and Darnell Nurse. The Hurricanes retook the lead in the second period with an Aho goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Slavin. The Oilers tied it on a Kailer Yamamoto power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. Edmonton took the lead on a Josh Archibald goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Benson. Carolina tied it again with another Aho goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with an Archibald goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Draisaitl. The three stars belonged to Draisaitl, Archibald, and Aho, while Slavin gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Thatcher Demko receive the starting nods in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Nick Ritchie and Jacob Larsson. The Ducks added on with a Derek Grant power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Henrique scored his twentieth of the season on the power play, thanks to Troy Terry and Hampus Lindholm. Vancouver got on the board with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Brandon Sutter. The Ducks responded in the third period with a Sam Steel goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Devin Shore. Anaheim padded the lead on a Brendan Guhle goal, his second of the year, helped along by Grant. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Henrique, Grant, and Gibson (37 for 38 in saves).

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville got going in the second period on a Craig Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Rocco Grimaldi and Nick Bonino. St. Louis tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Carl Gunnarsson and Alex Pietrangelo. The Predators retook the lead in the third period with a Kyle Turris goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Filip Forsberg. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Rinne (38 for 39 in saves), Turris, and Smith.

Northeast to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and MacKenzie Blackwood are the rising stars in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with an Andrew Peeke goal, via Sonny Milano and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets added on with a Zach Werenski goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Eric Robinson and Markus Nutivaara. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Joey Anderson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kevin Rooney and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils tied it on a Nick Merkley goal, passed from Rooney and Anderson. New Jersey took the lead with a Palmieri goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. Columbus tied it again with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Gustav Nyquist. The tie went to a shootout, where Nikita Gusev and Bratt lifted the Devils 4-3 over Dubois and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were Palmieri, Anderson, and Bratt.

In Ottawa, the Senators host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a John Klingberg goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Jamie Benn and Jason Dickinson. Ottawa tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot. The Senators took the lead on a Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Anthony Duclair and Pageau. The Stars tied it on a Stephen Johns goal, his second of the year, helped along by Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin. Ottawa regained the lead in the third period with an unassisted Tyler Ennis goal, his fourteenth of the season. Dallas tied it as Joe Pavelski scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Seguin and Heiskanen. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with an Artem Anisimov goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper by Tkachuk. The three stars went to Tkachuk, Pageau, and Seguin, while Heiskanen gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Carter Hutton protect the nets. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Johan Larsson goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Colin Miller and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Miller and Evan Rodrigues. Toronto got on the board with an Egor Korshkov goal, via Jason Spezza and Kyle Clifford. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Jake Muzzin and Mitchell Marner in the third period. Buffalo retook the lead with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres extended the lead as Kyle Okposo scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Larsson. Buffalo padded the lead on a Jimmy Vesey goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Ristolainen. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Larsson, Ristolainen, and Miller.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his third of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane and Olli Maatta. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Mason Appleton goal, his fourth of the year, via Nathan Beaulieu and Jansen Harkins. The Jets took the lead on a Jack Roslovic goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Dmitry Kulikov and Appleton. The Blackhawks retied it with a Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik. Winnipeg took the lead with a Beaulieu goal in the third period, courtesy of Patrik Laine and Kulikov. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Beaulieu, Appleton, and Kane, while Kulikov gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.