NHL 2021 - Day 78

Five games on for today, beginning with...

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Connor Hellebuyck man the nets. Toronto started in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Zach Hyman and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Hyman goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Matthews and Marner. Toronto extended the lead in the second period with an Alexander Kerfoot shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Ilya Mikheyev and Morgan Rielly. Winnipeg got on the board with a Josh Morrissey power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Campbell (26 for 27 in saves), Matthews, and Hyman, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

East to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Linus Ullmark are in the creases. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on with a Curtis Lazar goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Riley Sheahan. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. Buffalo responded with a Steven Fogarty goal, assisted by Ristolainen and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres extended the lead as Casey Mittelstadt scored his second of the year, thanks to Fogarty and Bryson. Alex Lyon replaced Elliott in goal. Buffalo padded the lead with a shorthanded empty net goal by Brandon Montour goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres continued on a Montour shorthanded goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Kyle Okposo. This stood for a 6-1 win, with the three stars going to Montour, Fogarty, and Ristolainen, while Bryson and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill is mismatched with Philipp Grubauer in goal. Colorado led off in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Tyson Jost and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Nazem Kadri and Girard. Arizona replied with a Michael Bunting goal, passed from Alex Goligoski and Nick Schmaltz. Colorado shot back with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of J.T. Compher and Jacob MacDonald. The Avalanche extended the lead as Donskoi scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan Graves and Nichushkin. Ivan Prosvetov replaced Hill in goal. Colorado padded the lead on a Donskoi power play goal, his fifteenth of the season to complete his hat trick, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Coyotes got one back with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his second of the year, fueled by Lawson Crouse. Arizona pulled closer in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Bunting. The Avalanche responded with a Landeskog goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado continued in the third period with a Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Avalanche struck again with a Landeskog goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Rantanen and MacKinnon. Colorado rolled on with a Burakovsky goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Donskoi and Bellemare. This stood for a 9-3 win, with the three stars going to Donskoi, Landeskog, and Burakovsky, while Rantanen, MacKinnon, Girard, and Bunting get the honorable mentions.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Sean Walker. The Kings added on with a Lias Andersson goal, his second of the year, via Tobias Bjornfot. Vegas got on the board in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. Los Angeles replied with a Jaret-Anderson Dolan goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Athanasiou. The Kings extended the lead as Alex Iafallo scored his ninth of the season, guided in by Mikey Anderson and Anze Kopitar. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period with a Theodore goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Alex Tuch and Keegan Kolesar. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Athanasiou, Theodore, and Petersen (39 for 41 in saves).

Along to San Jose, as the Sharks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Martin Jones are in the blue paint.San Jose got going in the second period with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Ryan Donato power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Burns and Mario Ferraro. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Carson Soucy and Ryan Hartman. San Jose replied with a Nikolai Knyzhov goal, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Hertl. The Wild got one back with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Jared Spurgeon. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with an Evander Kane empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Logan Couture. The three stars were Burns, Hertl, and Knyzhov. 

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