NHL 2021 - Day 21

There's eight games on today after a couple of postponements in the east. We begin with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jake Allen are the backups in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with another Anderson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Brett Kulak and Suzuki. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, courtesy of Jay Beagle and Quinn Hughes. Montreal responded with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens extended the lead as Toffoli scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shea Weber. The Canucks got one back in the third period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Hughes. Vancouver got closer on a Tanner Pearson goal, his third of the year, passed from Brock Boeser and Hughes. Montreal iced it at 5-3 with a Petry empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Toffoli. The three stars were Toffoli, Anderson, and Petry, while Suzuki and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on in the second period with a Pavelski power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Klingberg. Columnubs got on the board with a Seth Jones power play goal, with assists provided by Jack Roslovic and Nick Foligno. Dallas replied on a Benn goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pavelski. The Stars extended the lead as Denis Gurianov scored his fourth of the year on the power play, thanks to Alexander Radulov and Roope Hintz. Dallas padded the lead on a Radek Faksa goal, made possible by Blake Comeau and Andrew Cogliano. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his second of the season, helped along by Eric Robinson. Columbus got closer with a Dean Kukan goal, via Grigorenko and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Stars shot back on a Radulov empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Pavelski and Benn. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Benn, and Klingberg, while Radulov and Grigorenko get the honorable mentions.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Kevin Lankinen are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jordan Staal and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes added on with a Foegele goal, via Staal and Brady Skjei. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks tied it with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Alex DeBrincat. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Brett Pesce. Chicago retied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by DeBrincat and Kubalik. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in the shootout with a Svechnikov tally. The three stars were Staal, Svechnikov, and DeBrincat, while Kubalik gets an honorable mention.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tyler Pitlick and Drake Caggiula. St. Louis tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his second of the year, via Colton Parayko and Sammy Blais. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Justin Faulk goal, his third of the season, coming off of Blais and Vince Dunn. The Coyotes retied it with a Dvorak goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Phil Kessel on the power play. St. Louis reclaimed the lead with a Dunn goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues added on in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kyrou and Parayko. Arizona got one back with a Schmaltz goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Conor Garland and Kessel. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Dunn, Dvorak, and Kyrou, while Parayko, Blais, Schmaltz, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Laurent Brossoit receive the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Trevor Lewis shorthanded goal, set up by Mason Appleton. The Jets added on with a Derek Forbort goal, assisted by Neal Pionk and Andrew Copp. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm. Winnipeg replied with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Dylan DeMelo and Mark Scheifele. The Flames got one back in the third period on a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Tkachuk, Ehlers, and Brossoit (28 for 30 in saves).

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Logan O'Connor goal, his second of the season, guided in by Kiefer Sherwood and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his second of the year, via Joonas Donskoi in the second period. Minnesota got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Gerald Mayhew. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Grubauer (27 for 28 in saves), Nichushkin, and O'Connor.

In Canada once more, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Mikko Koskinen are in the blue paint. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his third of the season, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, coming off of McDavid and Barrie. Edmonton extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period on a Puljujarvi goal, his second of the game, fueled by Evan Bouchard and Kris Russell. Ottawa got on the board with a Cedric Paquette goal, courtesy of Thomas Chabot and Austin Watson. The Senators got closer with a Tim Stutzle goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, helped along by Derek Stepan and Artem Zub. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Puljujarvi, McDavid, and Barrie.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Sam Steel. The Ducks added on in the second period with a David Backes goal, fueled by Carter Rowney and Nicolas Deslauriers. Los Angeles got on the board with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, assisted by Michael Amadio and Drew Doughty. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with a Deslauriers empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gibson (20 for 21 in saves), Deslauriers, and Petersen (40 for 42 in saves). 

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