NHL 2021 - Day 63

We've got seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Washington got going in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on with an Ovechkin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Backstrom scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Jakub Vrana and John Carlson in the third period. New York got on the board with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals held on for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Samsonov (21 for 22 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Daniel Vladar and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk. Pittsburgh tied it with a Brandon Tanev goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Kasperi Kapanen. The Bruins took the lead in the third period on a Trent Frederic goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jakub Zboril and Patrice Bergeron. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Vladar (34 for 35 in saves), Frederic, and Pastrnak.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jonas Johansson and MacKenzie Blackwood draw the starts in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Damon Severson and Travis Zajac. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Montour and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his second of the season, coming off of Casey Mittelstadt and Montour. The Devils tied it on a Sami Vatanen goal, fueled by Janne Kuokkanen and Ryan Murray. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Miles Wood power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and P.K. Subban. The final stood from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Wood, Vatanen, and Montour.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier man the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jesper Fast and Jake Bean. Detroit tied it on an Adam Erne power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Filip Zadina and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings took the lead with another Erne power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Hronek. The Hurricanes retied it in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Martin Necas and Dougie Hamilton. Detroit took the lead with a Robby Fabbri goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Larkin and Marc Staal. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Hronek empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Erne, Hronek, and Larkin.

Further west, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Kaapo Kahkonen are the inexperienced goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Greenway and Kevin Fiala. The Wild added on in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the year, via Carson Soucy and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota extended the lead as Jared Spurgeon scored, thanks to Ryan Suter and Nick Bonino. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kahkonen (31 save shutout), Hartman, and Zuccarello.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Jake Oettinger in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli. Dallas tied it on a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Lightning retook the lead with a Mathieu Joesph goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Pat Maroon and Ross Colton. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Point. The Stars pulled one back with a Jamie Benn goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Heiskanen and Pavelski. Dallas tied it as Alexander Radulov scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Benn and Robertson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Colton and Point lifted the Lightning 4-3 over Robertson and the Stars. The three stars were Point, Heiskanen, and Benn, while Colton, Robertson, and Pavelski get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Hunter Miska are in the blue paint. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nazem Kadri and Samuel Girard. Anaheim tied it with a Troy Terry goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Trevor Zegras and Adam Henrique. The Ducks took the lead on a Danton Heinen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ben Hutton and Henrique. The Avalanche tied it again with a Kadri goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Brandon Saad and Devon Toews. Anaheim took the lead with a Henrique goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Terry. The Ducks added on with a Derek Grant shorthanded penalty shot goal. Philipp Grubauer replaced Miska in goal in the second period. Colorado pulled back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Gabriel Landeskog and Toews. The Avalanche tied it on a Kadri goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with helpers from Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi. Colorado took the lead in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Toews and Rantanen. The Avalanche extended the lead as Girard scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado padded the lead with an empty net goal by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, his second of the year, with helpers from Kadri and Matt Calvert. The Avalanche iced it at 8-4 with a Saad power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Donskoi and Valeri Nichushkin. The three stars went to Kadri, Burakovsky, and Saad, while Rantanen, Toews, Girard, Donskoi, Henrique, and Terry get the honorable mentions. 

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