NHL 2021 - Day 118

A nine-game slate of rescheduled matches begins with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Chris Driedger are set to start in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Mason Marchment and Juho Lammikko. The Panthers added on in the second period with a shorthanded Lammikko goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida extended the lead as Carter Verhaeghe scored his eighteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Anthony Duclair and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers iced it at 4-0 with an Alex Wennberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Radko Gudas and Keith Yandle. The three stars were Lammikko, Driedger (30 save shutout), and Weegar.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by David Krejci and Brad Marchand. New York tied it in the second period with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Mathew Barzal and Nick Leddy. The Bruins took the lead back with a Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Krejci and David Pastrnak. The Islanders retied it on a Barzal goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Hall goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, fueled by Krejci and Mike Reilly. The three stars went to Hall, Krejci, and Barzal, while Marchand gets an honorable mention.

To Montreal, as the Canadiens bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jake Allen are in the creases. Montreal led off in the first period with a Jake Evans goal, his third of the season, coming off of Artturi Lehkonen and Paul Byron. Edmonton tied it on a James Neal goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ryan McLeod and Alex Chiasson. The Oilers took the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl. The Canadiens tied it on a Byron goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Lehkonen and Evans. Edmonton regained the lead with a Dominik Kahun goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Caleb Jones. Montreal tied it again with a Lehkonen goal, his seventh of the year, via Evans and Ben Chiarot. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, helped along by Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Lehkonen, and Evans, while Byron and Draisaitl get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood and Brian Elliott are the goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. The Devils added on with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Will Butcher and Yegor Sharangovich. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Hayes and Wade Allison. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Couturier and Giroux. The Flyers finished it at 4-2 with a Farabee goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, fueled by Allison and Hayes. The three stars were Farabee, Couturier, and Hayes, while Allison and Giroux receive the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Rocco Grimaldi shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Tanner Jeannot. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Yakov Trenin and Ryan Johansen. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Duchene scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Brad Richardson and Cousins. The Predators padded the lead on a Johansen power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Filip Forsberg and Dante Fabbro. Nashville iced it at 5-0 in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Jeannot goal, his fifth of the campaign. The three stars were Rinne (30 save shutout), Jeannot, and Duchene, while Johansen gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Collin Delia draw the starts in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirty-second of the season, coming off of Pius Suter. The Blackhawks added on with a Suter goal, his fourteenth of the year, via DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Dallas got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of John Klingberg and Joel Hanley. Chicago replied in the second period with a Strome goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Vinnie Hinostroza and Dominik Kubalik. The Stars shot back on a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Blackhawks responded in the third period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by David Kampf and Mike Hardman. Dallas pulled back with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Denis Gurianov and Heiskanen. The Stars tied it as Jason Dickinson scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Jason Robertson. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime with a Robertson goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Benn and Klingberg. The three stars were Robertson, DeBrincat, and Klingberg, while Heiskanen, Benn, Suter, Strome, and Hinostroza get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Matthew Highmore. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele. Vancouver replied in the third period with a Hoglander goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of J.T. Miller and Jack Rathbone. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Hoglander, Horvat, and Demko (39 for 40 in saves). 

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Calvin Petersen are between the pipes. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Justin Faulk. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Iafallo goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Gabriel Vilardi and Olli Maatta. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Faulk goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars went to Faulk, Binnington (26 for 27 in saves), and Bozak.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Vegas was first to score in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nicolas Hague and Mark Stone. Colorado tied it in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Alex Newhook. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventh of the season, via Newhook and Conor Timmins. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Newhook, Compher, and Grubauer (36 for 37 in saves). 

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