NHL 2021 - Day 46

There's a big slate of 14 games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Sean Couturier goal, his fourth of the season, via Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his second of the year, fueled by James van Riemsdyk and Couturier. Philadelphia extended the lead as Scott Laughton scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Oskar Lindblom and Jakub Voracek. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Couturier, Elliott (23 save shutout), and Gostisbehere. 

Along to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and MacKenzie Blackwood play in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Justin Schultz and Carl Hagelin. The Capitals added on with a Daniel Sprong goal, his third of the year, passed from Brenden Dillon and John Carlson. Washington extended the lead as Lars Eller scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Conor Sheary. New Jersey got on the board with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his second of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Jack Hughes. The Devils got closer in the second period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Hischier and Ty Smith. The Capitals answered in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Carlson and Tom Wilson. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Nic Dowd empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Hagelin. The three stars were Carlson, Hagelin, and Hischier. 

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Matt Murray receive the starting nods in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Juuso Valimaki goal, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary extended the lead as Elias Lindholm scored an unassisted goal, his sixth of the year. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle. The Flames replied in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Gaudreau. Calgary padded the lead on a Mangiapane shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Backlund. The Senators pulled one back on a Colin White power play goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Paul. The Flames countered on a Tkachuk goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Backlund and Rasmus Andersson. Joey Daccord replaced Murray in goal in the third period. Ottawa got one back with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Batherson and Chabot. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Backlund, Mangiapane, and Matthew Tkachuk, while Gaudreau, Batherson, and Chabot get the honorable mentions. 

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Juuse Saros are the Finnish goalies. Columbus began in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic. Nashville tied it on a Mattias Ekholm goal in the second period, via Dante Fabbro and Filip Forsberg. The Predators took the lead with another Ekholm goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Ekholm, Saros (29 for 30 in saves), and Korpisalo (31 for 33 in saves). 

At the regular time, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Johnson and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning padded the lead on a Pat Maroon power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Johnson and Sergachev. Tampa Bay continued in the third period with a Stamkos goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Cirelli. Jake Oettinger took over in goal for Khudobin. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars going to Vasilevskiy (20 save shutout), Stamkos, and Cirelli, while Johnson and Sergachev get the honorable mentions.

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Jake Bean power play goal, with assists provided by Brett Pesce and Martin Necas. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist. The Panthers tied it on a Frank Vatrano goal, his sixth of the season, via Mason Marchment and Kevin Connauton. Carolina retook the lead with a Warren Foegele goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Pesce. Florida tied it again with a Hornqvist goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by MacKenzie Weegar and Anton Stralman. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Hamilton, Trocheck, and Necas lifted the Hurricanes 4-3 over Barkov, Hornqvist, and the Panthers. The three stars were Hornqvist, Trocheck, and Necas, while Hamilton, Pesce, and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Semyon Varlamov get the starting nods in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Oliver Wahlstrom and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eighth of the year, via Anders Lee and Scott Mayfield. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it with a Letang goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Kasperi Kapanen and Jake Guentzel. New York retook the lead with a Josh Bailey goal, his second of the season, passed from Anthony Beauvillier and Nelson. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Jared McCann goal, his third of the year, helped along by Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Letang goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Crosby. The three stars were Letang, Crosby, and Nelson.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Mike Smith protect the nets. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a William Nylander power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and John Tavares. The Maple Leads added on with a Marner goal, his tenth of the year, via Tavares and Joe Thornton. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Jason Spezza scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jimmy Vesey and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period with a Zach Hyman goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Pierre Engvall and Jake Muzzin. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Campbell (30 save shutout), Marner, and Tavares.

Backtracking to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Kaapo Kahkonen man the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Kevin Fiala and Jordan Greenway. The Wild added on with a Nico Sturm goal, his third of the year, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Matt Dumba. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Kirill Kaprizov scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Victor Rask and Ryan Suter. Los Angeles got on the board with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Kings got closer in the second period with an Austin Wagner goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Kempe power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Doughty and Kopitar. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Dumba goal, his fourth of the campaign in the final second, fueled by Mats Zuccarello and Greenway. The three stars were Dumba, Greenway, and Doughty, while Kempe and Kopitar receive the honorable mentions.

South to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier faces a lesser foe in Malcolm Subban in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Robby Fabbri and Danny DeKeyser. Chicago tied it in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Calvin de Haan and Adam Boqvist. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Darren Helm goal, via Luke Glendening and Adam Erne. Detroit added on with a Christian Djoos power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Fabbri and Filip Zadina. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Evgeny Svechnikov scored, thanks to Frans Nielsen and Valtteri Filppula. The Blackhawks fired back with a Mattias Janmark goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Boqvist. Detroit replied with Nielsen goal, fueled by Svechnikov and Filppula. Chicago chipped back with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Brandon Hagel and David Kampf. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Svechnikov, Nielsen, and Fabbri, while Filppula and Boqvist get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Antti Raanta are called on for the starts in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Graves. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Jacob MacDonald goal, via Joonas Donskoi and Burakovsky. Colorado added on in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche extended the lead as Donskoi scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Valeri Nichushkin and Girard. Colorado padded the lead with a Tyson Jost goal, coming off of Rantanen. The Coyotes got one back with a Johan Larsson goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Lawson Crouse and Jordan Oesterle. The Avalanche shot back with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare empty net goal, set up by J.T. Compher. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Donskoi, Rantanen, and Girard, while Burakovsky gets an honorable mention.

West to Anaheim, where the Ducks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his second of the season, via Cam Fowler. Vegas tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his second of the year, assisted by Shea Theodore and Keegan Kolesar. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Pietrangelo. The Ducks tied it in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Rakell and Sam Steel. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, passed from Reilly Smith and Theodore.

Northeast to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck patrol the creases. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Andrew Copp. Montreal tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Joel Armia and Ben Chiarot. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime with a Paul Stastny goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Ehlers. The three stars were Hellebuyck (40 for 41 in saves), Ehlers, and Stastny.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Devan Dubnyk handle the goaltending duties. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his third of the season, passed from Rudolfs Balcers and Dylan Gambrell. St. Louis tied it on a Marco Scandella goal, an unassisted goal. The Sharks retook the lead with an Evander Kane power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Logan Couture and Brent Burns. The Blues tied it in the second period with a Sammy Blais goal, his second of the season, helped along by Vince Dunn. San Jose took the lead back with another Meier goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Kevin Labanc on the power play. St. Louis tied it again with a Brayden Schenn goal, his tenth of the season, via David Perron. The Sharks restored the lead with Kane's second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Ville Husso replaced Binnington in goal. The Blues tied it again on a Zach Sanford goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis took the lead in the third period with a MacKenzie MacEachern shorthanded goal, set up by Sanford. San Jose retied it with a Labanc goal, his third of the year, with helpers from John Leonard and Meier. The Blues pulled ahead with an O'Reilly goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Justin Faulk. The Sharks evened the score on a Couture goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Burns and Mario Ferraro. St. Louis pulled ahead on a Scandella goal, his second of the game, made possible by Oskar Sundqvist and Mike Hoffman. This made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars going to Scandella, O'Reilly, and Sanford, while Meier, Kane, Couture, Labanc, and Burns get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 45

Just three games on this Friday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Alexandar Georgiev get the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Julien Gauthier goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Alexis Lafreniere and Chris Kreider. Boston got on the board with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. New York replied with a Colin Blackwell power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Adam Fox and Strome. The Rangers extended the lead as Kreider scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Strome. New York padded the lead in the third period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Fox and Lindgren. The Rangers kept going with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, helped along by Kevin Rooney and Brendan Smith. The Bruins pulled one back on a Marchand goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Pastrnak and Jakub Zboril. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Strome, Kreider, and Fox, while Lindgren, Marchand, and Pastrnak get the honorable mentions. 

West to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his third of the year, via Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota extended the lead as Joel Eriksson Ek scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jordan Greenway and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jeff Carter goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, passed from Andreas Athanasiou and Gabriel Vilardi. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Bjugstad, Talbot (27 for 28 in saves), and Eriksson Ek.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Hunter Miska and Adin Hill are the backups in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fourth of the year, via Kadri and Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Kadri scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Cale Makar. Arizona got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Christian Dvorak and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes got closer with a Drake Caggiula goal, courtesy of Conor Garland and Kessel. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Kadri, Rantanen, and Kessel. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 44

Ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his seventh of the season, via Jakub Zboril and Charlie Coyle. New York tied it with an Adam Pelech unassisted goal. The Islanders took the lead with a Mathew Barzal goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Nick Leddy and the goalie Varlamov. The Bruins tied it again in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jake DeBrusk and Urho Vaakanainen. New York took the lead with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Barzal and Anders Lee. New York extended the lead with a shorthanded Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eighth of the season, set up Pelech. The Islanders padded the lead as Lee scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Noah Dobson and Leddy. New York continued with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Ryan Pulock and Casey Cizikas. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars being Barzal, Lee, and Pelech, while Leddy gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. Dallas got going in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Justin Dowling and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourth of the year, via John Klingberg and Radek Faksa. Florida got on the board in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Carter Verhaeghe and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers tied it on an Anton Stralman goal, his second of the year, helped along by Mason Marchment and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida took the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Alex Wennberg and Patric Hornqvist. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Vatrano, Stralman, and Barkov.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Linus Ullmark are in the blue paint. Buffalo began in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his second of the season, fueled by Victor Olofsson. Carter Hutton replaced an injured Ullmark in the second period. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Jesper Bratt goal, guided in by Pavel Zacha. The Sabres took the lead with a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, powered by Eric Staal and Colin Miller. The Devils tied it on a Miles Wood power play goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Nikita Gusev and Ty Smith. New Jersey took the lead with a Nico Hischier goal, made possible by Zacha. Buffalo tied it again with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Taylor Hall and Rasmus Dahlin. New Jersey won 4-3 in overtime with a Zacha goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Bratt and Smith. The three stars belonged to Zacha, Bratt, and Smith.

To Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Joonas Korpisalo receive the starting nods in goal. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Calvin de Haan. The Blackhawks iced it at 2-0 with a Carl Soderberg empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Subban (27 save shutout), Kane, and Korpisalo (25 for 26 in saves).

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Curtis McElhinney are the experienced goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Brett Pesce goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, helped along by Brayden Point. The Lightning took the lead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Victor Hedman and goalie McElhinney. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Barclay Goodrow empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McElhinney (31 for 32 in saves), Gourde, and Sergachev.

North again to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Vitek Vanecek draw the starts. Washington opened in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Nick Jensen and Jakub Vrana. The Capitals added on in the third period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his fifth of the year, via Lars Eller and John Carlson. Pittsburgh got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Brandon Tanev goal, his fifth of the season. The Penguins tied the game on a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Washington took the lead on a Tom Wilson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on with a Carl Hagelin empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Washington extended the lead as Eller scored an empty net goal, his third of the campaign, with the help of Oshie and Backstrom. The final was 5-2, with the three stars given to Oshie, Carlson, and Backstrom, while Eller gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Matt Murray are the masked men. Ottawa started in the first period with a Drake Batherson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Tim Stutzle and Artem Anisimov. The Senators added on with an Erik Gudbranson goal, coming off of Chris Tierney. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Milan Lucic goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Dillon Dube and Christopher Tanev. Ottawa replied with a Connor Brown goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Senators extended the lead as Erik Brannstrom scored his second of the year, an unassisted goal. Artyom Zagidulin replaced Rittich in goal. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period on a Colin White goal, his third of the season, passed from Nick Paul. The Senators continued with a White goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Thomas Chabot and Evgenii Dadonov. This stood for a 6-1 win, with the three stars handed to White, Murray (29 for 30 in saves), and Gudbranson.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Luke Glendening goal, his second of the season, coming off of Filip Zadina and Darren Helm. Nashville tied it on a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Roman Josi and Eeli Tolvanen. The Red Wings retook the lead in the second period with a Sam Gagner goal, assisted by Bobby Ryan. The Predators tied it in the third period with an Erik Haula goal, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Luke Kunin. Detroit reclaimed the lead with another Gagner goal, his second of the game, fueled by Ryan and Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings added on with an Adam Erne goal, his second of the season, guided in by Helm and Glendening. Detroit finished it at 5-2 with a Gagner empty net goal to complete his hat trick, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gagner, Ryan, and Helm, while Glendening gets an honorable mention.

Crossing the border again, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his third of the season, via Alexander Romanov and Paul Byron. The Canadiens added on with another Armia goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Jonathan Drouin and Jeff Petry. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. Montreal responded with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Petry. The Jets fired back on a Connor goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, fueled by Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg tied it on a Wheeler goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Neal Pionk and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Nate Thompson goal, coming off of Mason Appleton and Adam Lowry. Winnipeg extended the lead as Dubois scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Copp. The Jets iced it at 6-3 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Wheeler and Copp. The three stars went to Connor, Wheeler, and Dubois, while Scheifele, Copp, Armia, and Petry get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Thatcher Demko receive the starting nods in goal. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 3-0 with a McDavid empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Kailer Yamamoto. The three stars were Smith (32 save shutout), McDavid, and Chiasson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 43

Seven games on Wednesday, leading off with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, via Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Yanni Gourde and Pat Maroon. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Barclay Goodrow empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Killorn in the third period. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (25 save shutout), Colton, and Killorn. 

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Chris Driedger are the masked men. Dallas began in the first period with a John Klingberg goal, his third of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Jason Dickinson. The Stars added on in the third period with an Esa Lindell goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Radek Faksa and Justin Dowling. Dallas iced it at 3-0 with a Joel Kiviranta empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Pavelski. The three stars went to Khudobin (43 save shutout), Klingberg, and Pavelski. 

Way up north, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. Toronto tied it with a William Nylander goal, his sixth of the year, via Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with a Nylander goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, fueled by Matthews and Justin Holl. The three stars were Nylander, Matthews, and Hutchinson (21 for 22 in saves).

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Brian Elliott are in the creases. Philadelphia opened in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. New York tied it with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. The Flyers retook the lead with a Gostisbehere power play goal, with assists provided by Gustafsson and Giroux. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier. The Rangers pulled one back with a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Zibanejad and Ryan Strome. The Flyers replied with a Kevin Hayes goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Giroux and Philippe Myers. New York answered when Kreider completed his hat trick in the third period with his eighth of the season, fueled by Ryan Lindgren and Colin Blackwell. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Kreider, Giroux, and Gustafsson, while Gostisbehere and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his third of the season, guided in by Kirill Kaprizov and Victor Rask. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the year, via Samuel Girard and Devon Toews. The Wild took the lead back with a Zach Parise goal, his third of the season, assisted by Matt Dumba and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota added on with a Foligno shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ryan Hartman. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The Wild responded with a Hartman goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Kaprizov and Zuccarello. Minnesota extended the lead as Nico Sturm scored, thanks to Nick Bjugstad and Nick Bonino. The Wild iced it at 6-2 with a Sturm empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars were Sturm, Zuccarello, and Foligno, while Hartman and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Darcy Kuemper are the veteran goalies. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jani Hakanpaa and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Josh Mahura goal, passed from Sam Steel. Anaheim extended the lead as Max Jones scored his third goal of the year on the power play, with the help of Comtois and Fowler. Adin Hill relieved Kuemper in goal in the third period. Arizona got on the board with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his third of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jordan Oesterle. The Coyotes got closer with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Conor Garland and Phil Kessel. Arizona tied it with a Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, via Garland and Ekman-Larsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Garland and Christian Dvorak lifted the Coyotes 4-3 over Trevor Zegras and the Ducks. The three stars were Garland, Kessel, and Ekman-Larsson, while Comtois and Fowler get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to St. Louis, the Blues host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Dustin Brown and Olli Maatta. The Kings added on with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Austin Wagner and Kurtis MacDermid. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his third of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Petersen (33 for 34 in saves), Athanasiou, and Iafallo. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 42

There's only six games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and MacKenzie Blackwood are the goalies. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres added on in the third period with a Rasmus Asplund goal, via Reinhart and Jack Eichel. Buffalo extended the lead as Dylan Cozens scored his third of the year, thanks to Taylor Hall and Eric Staal. New Jersey got on the board with a Nikita Gusev goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by P.K. Subban and Pavel Zacha. The Sabres iced it at 4-1 with a Cody Eakin empty net goal, set up by Kyle Okposo. The three stars were Ullmark (41 for 42 in saves), Reinhart, and Asplund.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Matt Murray are the masked men. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Drake Batherson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and Artem Zub. The Senators added on with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Batherson and Tim Stutzle. Montreal got on the board with a Shea Weber goal, his third of the season, via Jake Evans and Corey Perry. Ottawa answered in the second period with an Erik Brannstrom power play goal, with assists provided by Colin White and Connor Brown. The Canadiens got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it with a Weber goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, helped along by Phillip Danault and Brett Kulak. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Danault and Joel Edmundson. The Senators tied it again with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, courtesy of Josh Norris and Thomas Chabot. In the shootout, Stutzle and Norris lifted the Senators to a 5-4 win. The three stars belonged to Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Norris, while Batherson, Weber, and Danault get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Chicago started in the first period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Kane goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Pius Suter and Mattias Janmark. Columbus got on the board with a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets tied it in the second period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Seth Jones and Jack Roslovic. Chicago took the lead with a Brandon Hagel goal, fueled by Kane and Coderberg. Columbus tied it again on a Laine power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, guided in by Atkinson and Jones. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Duncan Keith and Soderberg. Chicago extended the lead as Adam Boqvist scored on the power play in the third period, with the help of Kane and Kubalik. The Blue Jackets got one back with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Roslovic and Gabriel Carlsson. Columbus tied it with a Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Laine. The tie lasted to a shootout, where DeBrincat had the lone tally for a 6-5 Blackhawks win. The three stars were Kane, Soderberg, and Kubalik, while Laine, Bjorkstrand, Arkinson, Roslovic, Jones, and DeBrincat get the honorable mentions.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. Washington tied it in the second period with a Richard Panik goal, his second of the year, passed from Zdeno Chara and John Carlson. The Capitals took the lead with a Conor Sheary goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Penguins retied it on a Guentzel goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by John Marino and Kasperi Kapanen. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Kapanen goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Teddy Blueger and the goalie Jarry. The three stars were Kapanen, Guentzel, and Malkin.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Mikael Granlund. The Predators added on with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Forsberg and Josi. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars going to Rinne (24 save shutout), Forsberg, and Josi.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Thatcher Demko draw the starts in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Nate Schmidt and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Myers goal, his third of the year, via Brandon Sutter. Vancouver extended the lead as Pettersson scored his eighth of the season, thanks to J.T. Miller and Jordie Benn. Edmonton got on the board with a Dominik Kahun goal, his third of the year, passed from Tyson Barrie and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers got closer in the third period with a Kahun goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, courtesy of Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Alex Chiasson. The Oilers took the lead on a Tyler Ennis goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Jujhar Khaira and Adam Larsson. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Kahun, Draisaitl, and Pettersson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 41

There's eight games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, coming off of Martin Necas and Jake Bean. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning took the lead with a Hedman goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Mikhail Sergachev and Stamkos. The Hurricanes retied it on a Fast power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Brett Pesce and Dougie Hamilton. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the third period with a Palat goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jan Rutta and Brayden Point. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with an Alex Killorn empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Erik Cernak. The three stars were Palat, Hedman, and Stamkos, while Fast gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Michael Hutchinson are the backups in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his third of the season, passed from Rasmus Andersson and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Monahan scored his third of the campaign on the power play, thanks to Tkachuk and Andersson. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Rittich (34 save shutout), Tkachuk, and Monahan, while Andersson gets an honorable mention. 

Back south, the Florida Panthers host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Chris Driedger are in the creases. Dallas started in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, courtesy of Jason Robertson. Florida tied it in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixth of the season, passed from MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers took the lead on an unassisted Keith Yandle goal, his third of the year. Florida iced it at 3-1 with an Aleksander Barkov empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Driedger (24 for 25 in saves), Yandle, and Khudobin (49 for 51 in saves). 

North to New York, as the Islanders bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Henri Jokiharju and Casey Mittelstadt. New York tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock in the second period. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Matt Martin goal, his second of the season, made possible by Andy Greene and Casey Cizikas. The Sabres retied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Dahlin. New York regained the lead with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Oliver Wahlstrom and Nick Leddy. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Varlamov (34 for 36 in saves), Pageau, and Martin. 

Out west, the St. Louis Blues host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jeff Carter and Carl Grundstrom. The Kings added on in the second period with an unassisted Dustin Brown goal, his ninth of the year. Los Angeles iced it at 3-0 with a Brown empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Quick (31 save shutout), Brown, and Vilardi. 

Moving along to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp Grubauer tend the twines. Vegas got going in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights added on with a Tuch goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, via Mark Stone. Vegas extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Karlsson and Nicolas Hague. This held for a 3-0 final score, with the three stars given to Fleury (34 save shutout), Tuch, and Karlsson.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Ducks added on with a Max Jones power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Max Comtois and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead as Fowler scored his second of the season, thanks to Ryan Getzlaf and Comtois. Arizona got on the board with a Christian Dvorak shorthanded penalty shot goal, his eighth of the year. The Coyotes got closer with a Derick Brassard goal, his third of the season, via Conor Garland and Phil Kessel. Arizona tied it as Jakob Chychrun goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Drake Caggiula and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Dvorak power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Chychrun and Keller. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Dvorak, Chychrun, and Fowler, while Comtois and Keller get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Timo Meier and Rudolfs Balcers. Minnesota tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his second of the year, guided in by Victor Rask and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild took the lead on a Kaprizov goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Zuccarello and Carson Soucy. Minnesota added on in the second period with an Ian Cole goal, via Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno. The Wild extended the lead as Foligno scored his third of the year, with the help of Hartman and Zach Parise. The Sharks got one back on a Logan Couture goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Evander Kane and Kevin Labanc. Minnesota answered with a Jonas Brodin power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Zuccarello and Rask. The Wild finished it at 6-2 with a Rask empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Cole and Zuccarello. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Rask, and Kaprizov, while Cole, Foligno, and Hartman get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 40

Just four games today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New Jersey Devils. Aaron Dell and Craig Anderson make the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with an Andreas Johnsson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Kyle Palmieri. The Devils added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Johnsson and Palmieri in the second period. Washington got on the board with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals tied it in the third period with a Carlson goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Brenden Dillon and Jakub Vrana. Washington took the lead with an Oshie power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with helpers from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Lars Eller. The Capitals extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin scored his sixth of the year on the power play, thanks to Oshie and Backstrom. New Jersey pulled back on a Nikita Gusev goal, set up by Damon Severson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Oshie, Carlson, and Johnsson, while Backstrom and Palmieri get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Matt Murray are between the pipes. Montreal started in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Josh Anderson. Ottawa tied it with a Drake Batherson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Artem Zub. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Josh Norris goal, his fourth of the season, via Nikita Zaitsev and Tkachuk. The Canadiens tied it again with a Corey Perry goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jeff Petry. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Tkachuk goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Batherson and Erik Brannstrom. The three stars were Tkachuk, Batherson, and Norris. 

Out at Lake Tahoe, the Boston Bruins are the designated hosts versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Philadelphia tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers took the lead with a Couturier goal, his third of the season, via Kevin Hayes and van Riemsdyk. The Bruins retied it with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his second of the year, passed from Marchand and Connor Clifton. Boston took the lead in the second period with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, courtesy of Nick Ritchie and Urho Vaakanainen. The Bruins added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his third of the year, thanks to Craig Smith. Boston extended the lead as Trent Frederic scored, with the help of John Moore and Clifton. The Bruins padded the lead on a Ritchie power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Moore and Smith. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Hayes and Ivan Provorov. Boston countered with Pastrnak completing his hat trick on his ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Jack Studnicka. This stood for a 7-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Pastrnak, van Riemsdyk, and Ritchie, while Marchand, Smith, Clfiton, Moore, Couturier, and Hayes get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Braden Holtby are the veteran goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jordie Benn. The Canucks added on with an Elias Pettersson goal, his sixth of the year, via Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his second of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Scheifele goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Wheeler. Winnipeg took the lead with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers. Vancouver tied it again with a Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Miller. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Dubois goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, fueled by Scheifele and Wheeler. The three stars were Dubois, Scheifele, and Pettersson, while Wheeler and Miller get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.