NHL 2021 - Day 43

Seven games on Wednesday, leading off with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, via Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Yanni Gourde and Pat Maroon. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Barclay Goodrow empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Killorn in the third period. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (25 save shutout), Colton, and Killorn. 

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Chris Driedger are the masked men. Dallas began in the first period with a John Klingberg goal, his third of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Jason Dickinson. The Stars added on in the third period with an Esa Lindell goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Radek Faksa and Justin Dowling. Dallas iced it at 3-0 with a Joel Kiviranta empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Pavelski. The three stars went to Khudobin (43 save shutout), Klingberg, and Pavelski. 

Way up north, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. Toronto tied it with a William Nylander goal, his sixth of the year, via Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with a Nylander goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, fueled by Matthews and Justin Holl. The three stars were Nylander, Matthews, and Hutchinson (21 for 22 in saves).

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Brian Elliott are in the creases. Philadelphia opened in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. New York tied it with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. The Flyers retook the lead with a Gostisbehere power play goal, with assists provided by Gustafsson and Giroux. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier. The Rangers pulled one back with a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Zibanejad and Ryan Strome. The Flyers replied with a Kevin Hayes goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Giroux and Philippe Myers. New York answered when Kreider completed his hat trick in the third period with his eighth of the season, fueled by Ryan Lindgren and Colin Blackwell. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Kreider, Giroux, and Gustafsson, while Gostisbehere and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his third of the season, guided in by Kirill Kaprizov and Victor Rask. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the year, via Samuel Girard and Devon Toews. The Wild took the lead back with a Zach Parise goal, his third of the season, assisted by Matt Dumba and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota added on with a Foligno shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ryan Hartman. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The Wild responded with a Hartman goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Kaprizov and Zuccarello. Minnesota extended the lead as Nico Sturm scored, thanks to Nick Bjugstad and Nick Bonino. The Wild iced it at 6-2 with a Sturm empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars were Sturm, Zuccarello, and Foligno, while Hartman and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Darcy Kuemper are the veteran goalies. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jani Hakanpaa and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Josh Mahura goal, passed from Sam Steel. Anaheim extended the lead as Max Jones scored his third goal of the year on the power play, with the help of Comtois and Fowler. Adin Hill relieved Kuemper in goal in the third period. Arizona got on the board with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his third of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jordan Oesterle. The Coyotes got closer with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Conor Garland and Phil Kessel. Arizona tied it with a Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, via Garland and Ekman-Larsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Garland and Christian Dvorak lifted the Coyotes 4-3 over Trevor Zegras and the Ducks. The three stars were Garland, Kessel, and Ekman-Larsson, while Comtois and Fowler get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to St. Louis, the Blues host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Dustin Brown and Olli Maatta. The Kings added on with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Austin Wagner and Kurtis MacDermid. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his third of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Petersen (33 for 34 in saves), Athanasiou, and Iafallo. 

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