NHL 2021 - Day 39

We've got 12 games on for today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and MacKenzie Blackwood are the goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Colin Miller goal, his second of the season, assisted by Taylor Hall and Eric Staal. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourth of the year, via Matt Irwin and Brandon Montour. Buffalo extended the lead on a Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his third of the year, passed from Jack Hughes and Will Butcher. The Devils got closer with a P.K. Subban power play goal, with assists provided by Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Miller, and Ullmark (25 for 27 in saves). 

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek draw the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. The Rangers added on in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his second of the year, guided in by Panarin and Anthony Bitetto. New York extended the lead as Strome scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Ryan Lindgren and Pavel Buchnevich. Washington got on the board with a Dmitry Orlov goal, helped along by Nick Jensen. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Mika Zibanejad shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Buchnevich in the third period. The three stars were Strome, Panarin, and Buchnevich. 

Outdoors at Lake Tahoe, the Colorado Avalanche are the designated hosts versus the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp Grubauer tend the twines. Colorado began in the first period with a Samuel Girard goal, his second of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The game experienced an hours-long delay before resuming at night with the second period. Vegas tied it in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Alex Pietrangelo. The Avalanche retook the lead with a MacKinnon goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Devon Toews. Colorado added on with a Toews goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Golden Knights got one back with an Alex Tuch goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Zach Whitecloud. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to MacKinnon, Toews, and Rantanen in the season's longest game.

Back east, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Bernier are the veterans in goal. Florida led off in the first period with an Alex Wennberg power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Anthony Duclair and Frank Vatrano. Detroit tied it on a Patrik Nemeth goal in the second period, courtesy of Christian Djoos and Luke Glendening. The Red Wings took the lead with a Mathias Brome goal, via Dylan Larkin. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Bernier (38 for 39 in saves), Brome, and Nemeth.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Alex Nedeljkovic in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Nino Niederreiter and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Cedric Paquette scored his second of the season, thanks to Jake Bean and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-0 with a Svechnikov empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Aho and Brock McGinn. The three stars were awarded to Nedeljkovic (24 save shutout), Aho, and Svechnikov.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the San Jose Sharks. Devan Dubnyk and Jordan Binnington are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Kevin Labanc. The Sharks added on with a Logan Couture goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Labanc. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Rudolfs Balcers scored, thanks to Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. St. Louis got one back with a Brayden Schenn goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Jordan Kyrou and Mike Hoffman. The Sharks replied with a Patrick Marleau goal, courtesy of Kane. The Blues pulled back on a Zach Sanford goal, his third of the year, via Torey Krug and Schenn. St. Louis got closer with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Hoffman and Kyrou. The Blues tied it as Kyrou scored his seventh of the year, thanks to David Perron and O'Reilly. The Sharks took the lead on another Couture goal, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This held for a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Couture, Kyrou, and Kane, while O'Reilly, Schenn, Hoffman, and Labanc get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Darcy Kuemper receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. Arizona tied it on a Derick Brassard power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Phil Kessel. The Kings retook the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Trevor Moore goal, his second of the season, set up by Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. The Coyotes tied it with a Kessel power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Jordan Oesterle and Ekman-Larsson. Los Angeles regained the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Jeff Carter and Doughty. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an Iafallo empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, via Kopitar. The three stars were Iafallo, Kessel, and Doughty, while Kopitar and Ekman-Larsson get the honorable mentions.

Eastward again to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets welcoming the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Elvis Merzlikins patrol the creases. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year, coming off of Luke Kunin and Yakov Trenin. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Scott Harrington and Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets tied it with a Gabriel Carlsson goal, via Oliver Bjorkstrand. Nashville retook the lead in the third period with Jarnkrok's second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators extended the lead as Filip Forsberg scored his eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. Joonas Korpisalo replaced an injured Merzlikins in the third period. The final was 4-2, with the three stars going to Jarnkrok, Sissons, and Forsberg.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Carey Price tend the twines. Toronto drew first blood in the second period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Travis Boyd power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Joe Thornton and Matthews. Montreal got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his second of the season, helped along by Tomas Tatar and Joel Edmundson. The Canadiens tied it with a Paul Byron goal. Toronto retook the lead with a Marner goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Matthews and Zach Bogosian. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Matthews scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Rielly and Marner. Toronto padded the lead in the third period on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jason Spezza and John Tavares. Montreal got one back with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Alexander Romanov and Brendan Gallagher. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Matthews, Marner, and Rielly.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Kris Letang power play goal, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. New York tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Scott Mayfield. The Penguins tied it on a Mike Matheson goal, via Teddy Blueger and Sam Lafferty. Pittsburgh gained the lead on Letang's second goal of the game, assisted by Crosby and Jake Guentzel. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Letang, Crosby, and Matheson.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and John Gibson play in the blue paint. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Fiala scored a power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, powered by Jordan Greenway and Matt Dumba. Anaheim got on the board with a David Backes goal, his second of the season, helped along by Josh Mahura and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Wild answered with a Victor Rask goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Kaprizov and Zuccarello. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Ryan Hartman and Fiala. The three stars were Fiala, Zuccarello, and Kaprizov.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Edmonton got the first goal with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the year, via McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Calgary got on the board with an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. Edmonton countered with a McDavid power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Tyson Barrie and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers extended the lead in the second period as McDavid scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton chased Markstrom with McDavid's hat trick goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Kris Russell and Jujhar Khaira. David Rittich entered the game in goal for the Flames. The Oilers padded the lead on a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, guided in by Nurse and James Neal. Edmonton continued in the third period with a Josh Archibald goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Dominik Kahun and Draisaitl. This made it 7-1, the final, with the three stars handed to McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Koskinen (43 for 44 in saves), while Nurse and Draisaitl get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 38

Four games on this Friday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Thomas Greiss make the starts in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Juho Lammikko goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brett Connolly and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Alex Wennberg. Florida extended the lead as Patric Hornqvist scored his seventh of the year, fueled by Yandle and Huberdeau. Detroit got on the board with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Robby Fabbri. The Panthers replied with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Stralman. Jonathan Bernier took over for Griess in goal in the second period. Florida padded the lead as Aaron Ekblad scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Weegar and Anthony Duclair. The Red Wings got one back in the third period on a Valtteri Filppula goal, his second of the year, passed from Fabbri and Dylan Larkin. The Panthers answered with a Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Barkov and Yandle. Florida kept going with a Duclair goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Barkov. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars being Barkov, Hornqvist, and Yandle, while Weegar, Duclair, Huberdeau, and Fabbri get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and James Reimer are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jake Bean and Nino Niederreiter. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks tied it on an Ian Mitchell goal, his second of the year, guided in by David Kampf and Kane. Carolina retook the lead with a Martin Necas power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jake Gardiner and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Niederreiter scored his second of the game and ninth of the year on the power play, with the help of Jesper Fast and Necas. Carolina padded the lead on an unassisted empty net goal by Slavin. Chicago pulled one back with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Kane and Adam Boqvist. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Niederreiter, Necas, and Kane, while Slavin and Teravainen get the honorable mentions. 

Out in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and David Rittich man the nets. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tyson Barrie and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on with a Gaetan Haas goal in the second period, via James Neal and Alex Chiasson. Calgary got on the board with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his third of the year, passed from Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. This held for a 2-1 score, with the three stars being Smith (20 for 21 in saves), Haas, and Puljujarvi.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Thatcher Demko are set to start in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on with a Mason Appleton empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, set up by Neal Pionk. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Brossoit (29 save shutout), Scheifele, and Appleton. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 37

There's nine games set for today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jaroslav Halak get the starts in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, coming off of Jack Hughes. The Devils added on with a shorthanded Palmieri goal, his second of the game, set up by Jesper Bratt and Damon Severson. Boston got on the board with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, going in unassisted. New Jersey replied with a Pavel Zacha goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Andreas Johnsson and Will Butcher. The Bruins got one back on a Charlie McAvoy power play goal, his second of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Nick Ritchie. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Palmieri, Zacha, and Blackwood (25 for 27 in saves).

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Carter Hart start in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the season, via Michael Raffl and Kevin Hayes. New York tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Colin Blackwell, his third of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Anthony Bitetto. The Rangers took the lead in the third period on a Brendan Smith goal, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. The Flyers tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Hayes and Sean Couturier. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Kaapo Kakko and Panarin tallied, besting Couturier's lone tally as the Rangers beat the Flyers 3-2. The three stars were Panarin, Hayes, and Couturier.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Tristan Jarry are in the creases. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixth of the season, via Kasperi Kapanen. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Teddy Blueger goal, his third of the year, fueled by Mike Matheson and Zach Aston-Reese. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Jason Zucker scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Rust empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Zucker and Malkin. The three stars went to Zucker, Rust, and Jarry (31 for 32 in saves).

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and Joe Thornton. Matt Murray replaced an injured Hogberg in goal. The Maple Leafs added on with a Thornton goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Jake Muzzin and Mitchell Marner. Ottawa got on the board with a Tim Stutzle goal, his fifth of the season, via Chris Tierney. Toronto replied on a Matthews goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Marner and Thornton. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the second period as Ilya Mikheyev scored his second of the season, thanks to William Nylander and Alexander Kerfoot. Toronto padded the lead on a Marner goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Matthews and Rielly. The Senators got one back with a Connor Brown goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Matthew Peca and Mike Reilly. The Maple Leafs countered with a Nylander power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Spezza and Matthews. Ottawa pulled one back with a Drake Batherson goal, his third of the season, passed from Stutzle and Derek Stepan. Toronto shot back on a John Tavares goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Marner and Kerfoot. This produced the 7-3 final score, with the three stars awarded to Matthews, Marner, and Thornton, while Nylander, Kerfoot, Rielly, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Elvis Merzlikins are set to start in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Patrik Laine and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Max Domi goal, his third of the year, via Seth Jones and Riley Nash. Columbus iced it at 3-0 with an Eric Robinson empty net goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, set up by Mikhail Grigorenko and Andrew Peeke. The three stars were Merzlikins (32 save shutout), Atkinson, and Domi.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Vitek Vanecek are between the pipes. Washington led off in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Tom Wilson shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Conor Sheary scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Lars Eller and Justin Schultz. Buffalo got on the board with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Kyle Okposo. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vanecek (22 for 23 in saves), Wilson, and Backstrom.

In St. Louis, the Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Oskar Sundqvist and David Perron. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Noah Gregor goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nicolas Meloche and Dylan Gambrell. The Sharks took the lead with a John Leonard goal, his second of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Patrick Marleau. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Hoffman and Perron. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Perron power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Torey Krug and the goalie Binnington. The three stars belonged to Perron, Hoffman, and Binnington (30 for 32 in saves).

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Dustin Brown goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his third of the year, via Drew Doughty and Gabriel Vilardi. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes tied it on a Phil Kessel goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Pitlick and Dryden Hunt. In the shootout, Kopitar, Adrian Kempe and Vilardi topped Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak for a 3-2 Kings win. The three stars were Vilardi, Kopitar, and Schmaltz.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and John Gibson occupy the creases. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Sam Steel goal, his second of the season, helped along by Danton Heinen. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a Marcus Foligno power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Nick Bonino. The three stars were Kahkonen (16 for 17 in saves), Fiala, and Hartman. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 36

Another five-game day is on the slate, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Alex Nedeljkovic are the backups in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Brett Pesce and Brock McGinn. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and the goalie Driedger. The Panthers tied it in the third period with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Huberdeau and Patric Hornqvist. Florida took the lead with a Juho Lammikko goal, via Ryan Lomberg. Carolina tied it again with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Aleksander Barkov. The three stars were Huberdeau, Lammiko, and Wennberg. 

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen start in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Chris Tierney and Josh Norris. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his third of the season, made possible by Muzzin and T.J. Brodie. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Andersen (27 for 28 in saves), Muzzin, and Kerfoot.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and the goalie Lankinen. The Blackhawks added on in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Patrick Kane. This made it 2-0, the final, with Lankinen (29 save shutout), Kurashev, and Bernier (24 for 25 in saves) earning the three starts.

Along to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith are the masked men. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fourth of the season, via Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Ennis and Kris Russell. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. Edmonton answered in the second period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Jets got one back in the third period with a Neal Pionk goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nikolaj Ehlers and Morrissey. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Morrissey gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby faces the man he replaced, Jacob Markstrom, in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Jordie Benn goal, via Bo Horvat and Nils Hoglander. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Horvat goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Hoglander. Calgary got on the board with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mark Giordano and Juuso Valimaki. Vancouver responded with a J.T. Miller goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. The Canucks extended the lead as Nate Schmidt scored his second of the year, thanks to Miller and Boeser. Vancouver padded the lead on a Boeser goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tyler Myers. David Rittich replaced Markstrom in goal. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars handed to Boeser, Horvat, and Holtby (35 for 36 in saves), while Miller and Hoglander get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 35

There's five games on today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry are in goal. Washington got going in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his third of the season, coming off of Richard Panik and Nick Jensen. The Capitals added on with a Jakub Vrana goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Lars Eller scored his second of the season, thanks to Panik and Zdeno Chara. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his third of the year, fueled by Teddy Blueger and John Marino. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Panik, Vrana, and Eller.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Carter Hutton make the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Noah Dobson and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his sixth of the year, via Ryan Pulock and Nick Leddy. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Lee empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Bailey and Pageau. The three stars were Sorokin (20 save shutout), Lee, and Pageau, while Bailey gets an honorable mention.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Igor Shesterkin protect the nets. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Damon Severson and Janne Kuokkanen. New York tied it with a Colin Blackwell goal, his second of the year, guided in by Brett Howden. The Devils retook the lead on a Will Butcher goal, courtesy of Nick Merkley and Kuokkanen. The Rangers tied it again with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba. New Jersey regained the lead in the third period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his second of the year, guided in by P.K. Subban and Jesper Bratt. The Devils added on with a Merkley goal, made possible by Kuokkanen. New Jersey iced it at 5-2 with a Mikhail Maltsev empty net goal, set up by Kyle Palmieri. The three stars were Kuokkanen, Merkley, and Blackwood (37 for 39 in saves).

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jonathan Quick man the nets. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Jaret Anderson-Dolan power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jeff Carter and Gabriel Vilardi. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, fueled by Anderson-Dolan. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Dustin Brown scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Anze Kopitar and Mikey Anderson. The Kings iced it at 4-0 with a Drew Doughty empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Quick (28 save shutout), Anderson-Dolan, and Moore.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his third of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Brandon Saad. Vegas tied it on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Shea Theodore and William Karlsson. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Saad goal, his sixth of the season, via Joonas Donskoi and Ryan Graves. The Golden Knights retied it in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Karlsson and Reilly Smith. Colorado took the lead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Donskoi and Bowen Byram. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Saad, Donskoi, and Karlsson. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 34

Just nine games are able to be played today, beginning with a matinee in...

Arizona, as the Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper man the nets. Arizona got going in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz. This stood for the eventual 1-0 final score, with the three stars being Kuemper (24 save shutout), Keller, and Binnington (18 for 19 in saves). 

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Linus Ullmark draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Nick Leddy and Scott Mayfield. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Sam Reinhart. New York replied on a Brock Nelson power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Bailey and Oliver Wahlstrom. This stood for the eventual 3-1 final score, with the three stars going to Bailey, Varlamov (20 for 21 in saves), and Pageau.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Travis Boyd goal, his second of the year, via Jason Spezza and Zach Bogosian. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Tim Stutzle. Toronto replied in the second period with a Pierre Engvall goal, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Thornton scored his second of the year, thanks to Matthews. Toronto padded the lead on a Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. The Senators pulled one back with a Nick Paul shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Austin Watson. Ottawa got closer on an Artem Zub goal in the third period, helped along by Chris Tierney and Connor Brown. The Senators pulled within one on a Brown goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Colin White and Thomas Chabot. Ottawa tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. The Senators won 6-5 in overtime with a Dadonov goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, fueled by Chabot and Paul. The three stars were Dadonov, Matthews, and Paul, while Brown, Chabot, and Thornton get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and James Reimer are the goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixth of the season, via Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Nick Foligno and Vladislav Gavrikov. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jaccob Slavin and Brock McGinn. Columbus replied with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his third of the year, passed from Jenner and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Hurricanes countered on a Jordan Staal goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele and Jake Bean. Carolina tied it in the second period with a McGinn goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Aho. The Hurricanes pulled ahead on a Teravainen goal, his second of the season, made possible by McGinn and Jake Gardiner. Carolina extended the lead as Nino Niederreiter scored a power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Teravainen and Martin Necas. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo for the third period. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the third period on a McGinn goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Bean and Teravainen. Carolina continued with a Staal power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars handed to McGinn, Teravainen, and Staal, while Aho, Bean, and Jenner get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Erik Cernak and Ondrej Palat. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Patric Hornqvist and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, via Eetu Luostarinen. Florida added on with a Frank Vatrano penalty shot goal, his fourth of the season. The Panthers extended the lead as Anthony Duclair scored, thanks to Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The Lightning got one back with an Alexander Volkov goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan McDonagh. Florida replied on a Barkov goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Verhaeghe and Anton Stralman. Tampa Bay responded with a Volkov goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Pat Maroon and Gemel Smith. The Lightning got closer with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mathieu Joseph and Mikhail Sergachev. The Panthers answered in the third period with a Stralman goal, passed from Huberdeau and Radko Gudas. This stood for a 6-4 win, with the three stars going to Huberdeau, Barkov, and Stralman, while Verhaeghe and Volkov get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Thomas Greiss are in the blue paint. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Carl Soderberg and Nikita Zadorov. The Blackhawks added on with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brandon Hagel. Detroit got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Patrik Nemeth and Sam Gagner. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Christian Djoos goal, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Adam Erne. Chicago won 3-2 in overtime with a Kubalik goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, via Pius Suter. The three stars belonged to Kubalik, Subban (27 for 29 in saves), and Janmark. 

Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith patrol the creases. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. Edmonton tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, via Devin Shore and Evan Bouchard. The Jets took the lead back with an unassisted Kyle Connor goal, his eighth of the year. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Mason Appleton goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist from Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Connor and Paul Stastny. Mikko Koskinen replaced Smith in goal. The Oilers got one back with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his sixth of the season, with helpers from Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Edmonton pulled closer on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Darnell Nurse and Barrie. Winnipeg countered with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his third of the season, guided in by Pionk and Adam Lowry. The Oilers chipped back on Chiasson's second goal of the game, made possible by Tyler Ennis and Bouchard. Edmonton tied it in the third period with Nugent-Hopkins' second goal of the game and seventh of the year, fueled by Jesse Puljujarvi and McDavid. The Jets reclaimed the lead on a Wheeler goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Josh Morrissey and Scheifele. This stood for a 6-5 win, with the three stars awarded to Scheifele, Wheeler, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Connor, Pionk, Chiasson, McDavid, Barrie, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Further west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Tyler Myers. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. Calgary got on the board with a Milan Lucic goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Rasmus Andersson and Connor Mackey. The Flames tied it in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Andersson. Calgary pulled ahead with a Dillon Dube goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Vancouver retied it in the third period with a shorthanded Boeser goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Myers and Elias Pettersson. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Sean Monahan and Lindholm. The three stars went to Lindholm, Andersson, and Boeser, while Myers gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Martin Jones protect the nets. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Sam Steel goal, assisted by Danton Heinen and Jakob Silfverberg. San Jose tied it on a John Leonard power play goal, powered by Mario Ferraro and Timo Meier. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his second of the season, coming off of Evander Kane and Logan Couture. San Jose added on with an unassisted Couture goal, his seventh of the year. The Ducks got one back with a Max Comtois goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Couture, Labanc, and Leonard. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 33

Just a pair of games for Valentine's Day, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Lars Eller. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Mike Matheson and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead with a Brandon Tanev goal, his fourth of the season, via Cody Ceci and Teddy Blueger. The Capitals retied it in the second period on a Jakub Vrana goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh retook the lead on a Rust power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Guentzel goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Rust and Ceci. Washington got one back with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Pittsburgh responded in the third period with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his second of the year, assisted by Letang and the goalie Jarry into the empty net. The Penguins iced it at 6-3 with a Crosby empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rust, Guentzel, and Crosby, while Letang, Matheson, and Ceci get the honorable mentions. 

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas got going in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zach Whitecloud. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars given to Fleury (30 save shutout), Pacioretty, and Grubauer (23 for 24 in saves). 

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