NHL 2021 - Day 77

Seven games on for today, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Igor Shesterkin are the young goalies. Washington opened in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Nic Dowd goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Garnet Hathaway and Brenden Dillon. New York got on the board with an unassisted Filip Chytil goal, his sixth of the season. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fifth of the year, via Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. New York took the lead on an Adam Fox goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers extended the lead as Panarin scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Brendan Smith. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Pavel Buchnevich shorthanded empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up Lindgren. The three stars were Panarin, Fox, and Lindgren.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Zach Werenski and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets added on with a David Savard goal, coming off of Alexandre Texier and Nick Foligno. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Luke Schenn and Andreas Borgman. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with a Cam Atkinson empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Foligno. The three stars went to Merzlikins (37 for 38 in saves), Foligno, and Savard.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Carey Price draw the starts in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. The Canadiens added on with a Lehkonen goal, his third of the year, via Byron and Joel Edmundson. Montreal extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Shea Weber and Phillip Danault. Montreal padded the lead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Danault and Gallagher in the second period. This held for a 4-0 win, with the three stars handed to Price (17 save shutout), Gallagher, and Lehkonen, while Danault and Byron get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Boston Bruins host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of P.K. Subban. Boston tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by David Krejci and Craig Smith. The Devils retook the lead with a Michael McLeod goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jesper Boqvist and Ryan Murray. New Jersey added on in the second period with a Travis Zajac goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jesper Bratt and Murray. The Bruins got one back with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. The Devils replied with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston got one back in the third period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Smith and Marchand. The Bruins tied it on a Matt Grzelcyk goal, his third of the year, fueled by Smith and Krejci. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak lifted the Bruins to a 5-4 win. The three stars belonged to Smith, Krejci, and Marchand, while Murray gets an honorable mention.

South again to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Calvin Pickard and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Mason Marchment. The Panthers added on with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Anthony Duclair. Florida extended the lead as Brett Connolly scored his second of the season, thanks to Gustav Forsling. Thomas Greiss replaced Pickard in goal. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Zadina power play goal, in the second period, his fourth of the year, powered by Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek. The Panthers replied with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, helped along by Owen Tippett. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Verhaeghe, Bobrovsky (35 for 36 in saves), and Connolly.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Kevin Lankinen patrol the creases. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his sixth of the season, via Kirby Dach and Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane. Carolina got on the board with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Brady Skjei and Vincent Trocheck. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Lankinen (31 for 32 in saves), DeBrincat, and Strome.

Finally, the Nashville Predators host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Denis Gurianov and Miro Heiskanen. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Eeli Tolvanen. The Stars retook the lead with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Heiskanen and John Klingberg. The Predators tied it again in the third period with a Jarnkrok goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Luke Kunin and Mikael Granlund. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime on a Tolvanen goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Viktor Arvidsson and Alexandre Carrier. The three stars were Tolvanen, Jarnkrok, and Heiskanen. 

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