NHL 2021 - Day 81

Eleven games going on a Saturday, beginning with three matinees. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Jaroslav Halak man the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his third of the season, guided in by Mike Matheson. Boston tied it in the second period with an unassisted Patrice Bergeron goal, his eleventh of the year. The Bruins took the lead with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Nick Ritchie and David Krejci. The Penguins retied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Jared McCann power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Guentzel and Crosby. Boston retied it with a Brad Marchand goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins pulled ahead with a Krejci power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Marchand and Pastrnak. Boston added on with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, passed from McAvoy and Bergeron. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Cody Ceci goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jankowski and Sam Lafferty. The Bruins countered with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Ritchie. Pittsburgh pulled back with a shorthanded Crosby goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Guentzel. Boston iced it at 7-5 with a Marchand empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Charlie Coyle and McAvoy. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Crosby, while Guentzel, Jankowski, Krejci, Bergeron, Ritchie, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Pat Maroon and Andreas Borgman. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. Detroit got on the board in the third period with an Adam Erne goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Vasilevskiy (25 for 26 in saves), Point, and Colton. 

Moving along to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Juuse Saros are in the creases. Nashville opened in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons shorthanded penalty shot in the second period, his sixth goal of the year. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Luke Kunin scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Jeremy Davies and Ben Harpur. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Saros (41 save shutout), Tolvanen, and Sissons. 

At the regular time, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ilya Sorokin are the young goalies. New York drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Matt Martin and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders added on in the second period with another Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Mathew Barzal. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Claude Giroux goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers tied it on another Giroux goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Travis Konecny and Jakub Voracek. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Barzal's lone tally gave the Islanders a 3-2 win. The three stars were Beauvillier, Barzal, and Giroux.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alex Nedeljkovic draw the starts in goal. Dallas started in the first period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Blake Comeau. Carolina tied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Haydn Fleury goal, via Steven Lorentz and Jordan Martinook. The Stars retied it on a Jamie Benn power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas gained the lead in the third period with a Tanner Kero goal, his second of the year, passed from Jason Robertson and Pysyk. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kero, Pysyk, and Oettinger (41 for 43 in saves).

Further south to Florida, as the Panthers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Sergei Bobrovsky patrol the creases. Florida got going in the second period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his third of the season, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on with an Alex Wennberg goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Frank Vatrano and Patric Hornqvist. Florida extended the lead as Wennberg scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Weegar and Gustav Forsling. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Merzlikins in goal for the third period. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Michael Del Zotto and Alexandre Texier. The Panthers answered with a Vatrano goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Owen Tippett. The Blue Jackets countered with a Zach Werenski goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Riley Nash. Florida iced it at 5-2 with a Wennberg empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Wennberg, Weegar, and Vatrano.

Back up north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. New York struck first in the first period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Adam Fox. Buffalo tied it on a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his third of the year, assisted by Taylor Hall and Rasmus Dahlin. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Fox and Ryan Lindgren. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his tenth of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Tage Thompson gave the Sabres a 3-2 win. The three stars were Panarin, Fox, and Olofsson.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Carey Price are set to start in goal. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot. Montreal tied it on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Nick Suzuki and Shea Weber. The Senators took the lead back with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Nick Paul and Braydon Coburn. The Canadiens tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Victor Mete. Ottawa pulled ahead again on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Thomas Chabot and Artem Anisimov. The Senators added on with another Dadonov goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with helpers from Anisimov and Tim Stutzle. Montreal got one back with Anderson's second goal of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Suzuki and Weber. Ottawa shot back with an Alex Formenton goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Anisimov. The Senators iced it at 6-3 with a Batherson empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Mike Reilly. The three stars went to Anisimov, Dadonov, and Batherson, while Anderson, Suzuki, Weber, and Chabot get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Philipp Grubauer are in the blue paint. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Devon Toews. St. Louis tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Brayden Schenn and David Perron. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Cale Makar goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Grubauer (27 for 28 in saves), Makar, and MacKinnon.

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Nicolas Roy and Alex Tuch. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Joel Eriksson Ek and Kevin Fiala. The Wild took the lead with an Eriksson Ek goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jordan Greenway and Ryan Suter. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Eriksson Ek, Talbot (27 for 28 in saves), and Kaprizov.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick are the veteran goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Nikolai Knyzov and Evander Kane. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Labanc. The Kings tied it with a shorthanded Trevor Moore goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose took the lead back in the third period with a Dylan Gambrell goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by John Leonard. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kane, Labanc, and Gambrell. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 80

We've got six games on a Friday, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and MacKenzie Blackwood man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a John Carlson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller. New Jersey tied it on a Michael McLeod goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jesper Boqvist and Ryan Murray. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Vanecek (22 for 23 in saves), Orlov, and Carlson.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Travis Dermott goal, his second of the season, via Jason Spezza and Zach Bogosian. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Spezza's lone tally was enough for the Maple Leafs to win 2-1. The three stars were Spezza, Campbell (31 for 32 in saves), and Hellebuyck (37 for 38 in saves).

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith protect the nets. Calgary opened in the first period with a Michael Stone goal, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Milan Lucic. Edmonton tied it on a power play goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his twelfth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl. The Flames retook the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett. The Oilers tied it on a Dominik Kahun goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Kailer Yamamoto and Ethan Bear. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a McDavid power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Draisaitl. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Kahun.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jonas Johansson draw the starts in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. St. Louis tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Brayden Schenn and David Perron. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar. Colorado added on in the second period with MacKinnon's second of the game and twelfth of the year, helped along by Landeskog and Jacob MacDonald. The Blues got one back with a Perron power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Torey Krug. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Perron.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Calvin Petersen patrol the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Nikolai Knyzhov and Rudolfs Balcers. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Hertl and Balcers. San Jose iced it at 3-0 with a Balcers empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Brent Burns. The three stars belonged to Jones (30 save shutout), Balcers, and Hertl.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Anthony Stolarz are the inexperienced goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with an Alexander Volkov goal, his fourth of the season, via Max Comtois and Jamie Drysdale. Arizona tied it on a Johan Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Phil Kessel and Jordan Gross. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Derek Grant and Cam Fowler. The Coyotes tied it again with a Lane Pederson goal, courtesy of Christian Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. Arizona took the lead with a Kessel goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Gross. The Coyotes added on with a Schmaltz goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Gross. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Kessel, Gross, and Schmaltz. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 79

Nine games on for tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov made the start, but left with an injury and was replaced by Vitek Vanecek to oppose Semyon Varlamov in goal. Washington began in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Tom Wilson and Conor Sheary. New York tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Leo Komarov and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders took the lead with a Barzal goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. New York added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Josh Bailey. The Capitals shot back on a Daniel Sprong goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Lars Eller. The Islanders replied on a Barzal goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Eberle and Scott Mayfield. New York extended the lead in the second period as Casey Cizikas scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Cal Clutterbuck. Washington fired back on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Islanders responded again with an Eberle goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Barzal and Andy Greene. The Capitals pulled one back with a Carlson goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Jakub Vrana and Sprong. New York countered in the third period with a Bailey goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Anthony Beauvillier and Nick Leddy. The Islanders padded the lead as Barzal finished his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Bailey and Mayfield. This made it 8-4, the final, with the three stars awarded to Barzal, Bailey, and Eberle, while Mayfield, Carlson, and Sprong get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Andrei Vasilevskiy start in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Columbus tied it on a second period Zach Werenski goal, his fifth of the year, via Eric Robinson and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Robinson goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Domi and Werenski. The Lightning tied it on a Ross Colton goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Pat Maroon and Mathieu Joseph. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Point goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, fueled by Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Point, Robinson, and Werenski, while Domi gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Chris Driedger are in the blue paint. Detroit started in the first period with an Adam Erne goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Troy Stecher and Patrik Nemeth. Florida retied it on a Noel Acciari goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe and Keith Yandle. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Michael Rasmussen and Nemeth. The Panthers retied it with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Verhaeghe and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with an Alex Wennberg goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Gustav Forsling and Vatrano. The three stars were Vatrano, Verhaeghe, and Nemeth.

North to Boston, as the Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Dan Vladar are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Brandon Tanev and Frederick Gaudreau. The Penguins added on with a Mike Matheson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Anthony Angello and Cody Ceci. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Patrice Bergeron and Jakub Zboril. Pittsburgh shot back on a Jason Zucker goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Evan Rodrigues and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Jake Guentzel empty net goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The three stars belonged to DeSmith (30 for 31 in saves), Matheson, and Zucker.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Dustin Tokarski are in between the pipes. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Rasmus Asplund goal, his third of the season, via Jeff Skinner and Cody Eakin. New York tied it in the second period on a Colin Blackwell goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. The Rangers took the lead in the third period on a Filip Chytil goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Julien Gauthier and Jacob Trouba. The Sabres tied it with a Tage Thompson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Casey Mittelstadt and Sam Reinhart. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from Panarin and Adam Fox. The three stars were Panarin, Zibanejad, and Chytil.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Filip Gustavsson receive the starting nods in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his third of the season, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Paul Byron, his third of the year, set up by Jake Evans and Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Corey Perry scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Evans and Victor Mete. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Gallagher goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Danault and Tatar. Ottawa got on the board with a Connor Brown power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Josh Norris and Mike Reilly. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Gallagher, Evans, and Danault, while Tatar gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Kevin Lankinen protect the nets. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Jordan Staal and Nino Niederreiter. Chicago got on the board with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Wyatt Kalynuk and Calvin de Haan. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his fifth of the year, via Kirby Dach. Carolina retook the lead on another Foegele goal, his eighth of the season and second of the game, assisted by Niederreiter and Staal. Chicago retied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Connor Murphy and Mattias Janmark. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Fast goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Trocheck and Brett Pesce. The final stood from here at 4-3, with the three stars going to Foegele, Fast, and Trocheck, while Niederreiter and Staal get the honorable mentions.

Further south to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Dallas was first to score in the first period with an Esa Lindell goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Blake Comeau and Jason Dickinson. Nashville tied it on a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Yakov Trenin. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his eighth of the season, via Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. Dallas added on in the third period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Denis Gurianov and John Klingberg. Dallas iced it at 4-1 with a Miro Heiskanen empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Pavelski. The three stars were Khudobin (21 for 22 in saves), Robertson, and Pavelski.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Jordan Greenway and Jonas Brodin. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the third period with a Brayden McNabb goal, via William Carrier. The Wild tied it again with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Kaprizov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Fiala had the lone tally for a 3-2 Wild win. The three stars were Kaprizov, Fiala, and Spurgeon. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 78

Five games on for today, beginning with...

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

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

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

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

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

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NHL 2021 - Day 77

Seven games on for today, beginning with...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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NHL 2021 - Day 76

Seven games on for Monday night, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Linus Ullmark are set to start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his second of the season, made possible by Curtis Lazar and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Cody Eakin goal, his second of the year, via Tobias Rieder and Riley Sheahan. Buffalo extended the lead as Brandon Montour scored his second of the season, thanks to Tage Thompson and Taylor Hall. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Travis Sanheim. The Flyers got closer with a Claude Giroux goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia tied it as Couturier scored his tenth of the year, with the help of Ivan Provorov and Giroux. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Provorov goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Travis Konecny. The three stars went to Provorov, Giroux, and Couturier.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Anthony Angello power play goal, his second of the season, powered by John Marino and Mike Matheson. The Penguins added on with a Jared McCann goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Marino and Matheson. Casey DeSmith relieved Jarry in goal to start the second period. New York got on the board in the second period with a Matt Martin power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Mathew Barzal and Nick Leddy. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to DeSmith (19 for 20 in saves), Marino, and Matheson.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Michael Hutchinson are in the blue paint. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Josh Archibald goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Kris Russell and Jujhar Khaira. Toronto tied it with a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Zach Hyman and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Marner and Holl. The Oilers retied it in the third period with a Kyle Turris goal, his second of the year, via Adam Larsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Darnell Nurse goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Connor McDavid. The three stars were Nurse, Marner, and Holl. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. Colorado started in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon. Anaheim tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Max Comtois and Ben Hutton. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin. Colorado added on with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Cale Makar and MacKinnon. The Ducks got one back with an unassisted Troy Terry goal in the third period, his seventh of the season. The Avalanche responded with a J.T. Compher goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Logan O'Connor and Makar. Colorado extended the lead as Nichushkin scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Makar and Joonas Donskoi. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Nichushkin, Makar, and MacKinnon.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matt Roy goal, his second of the season, via Gabriel Vilardi and Jeff Carter. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Tomas Nosek goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Zach Whitecloud and William Carrier. Vegas added on with a Nicolas Hague goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Marchessault and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Alec Martinez scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Keegan Kolesar and Shea Theodore. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Lehner (24 for 25 in saves), Nosek, and Marchessault.

North to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary struck first in the first period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Winnipeg tied it on a Nate Thompson goal, his second of the year, via Dylan DeMelo and Trevor Lewis. The Jets took the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Ehlers and Connor. The Jets extended the lead as Andrew Copp scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Ehlers and Scheifele. Winnipeg padded the lead in the third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars handed to Scheifele, Ehlers, and Connor.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Martin Jones are the veteran goalies. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kevin Fiala and Ryan Hartman. San Jose tied it on a Radim Simek goal, his second of the year, passed from Ryan Donato and John Leonard. The Wild retook the lead on a Nick Bonino goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. The Sharks tied it in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Evander Kane. San Jose pulled ahead with a Karlsson goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the season, fueled by Donato and Dylan Gambrell. Minnesota tied it again with a Fiala goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Matt Dumba and Johansson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Logan Couture, Kevin Labanc, and Karlsson lifted the Sharks to a 4-3 win over Fiala and Mats Zuccarello's Wild. The three stars were Karlsson, Donato, and Fiala, while Johansson gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 75

Six games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Keith Kinkaid and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jakub Vrana. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from T.J. Oshie and Dmitry Orlov. Washington extended the lead as Wilson scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway. New York got on the board with a Colin Blackwell goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Adam Fox. The Rangers got closer with another Blackwell goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Rooney. Washington fired back with an Oshie goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Justin Schultz and Dmitry Orlov. New York responded with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Julien Gauthier and Rooney. The Rangers got closer with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, powered by Ryan Strome and Fox. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Wilson, Oshie, and Blackwell, while Orlov, Fox, and Rooney get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Calvin Pickard are in the creases. Detroit led off in the first period with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his third of the season, assisted by Darren Helm and Christian Djoos. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Cam Atkinson. The Red Wings took the lead back in the third period on a Michael Rasmussen goal, fueled by Robby Fabbri and Danny DeKeyser. Detroit added on with a Filip Hronek empty net goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings iced it at 4-1 with a Vladislav Namestnikov empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Anthony Mantha and Patrik Nemeth. The three stars belonged to Pickard (16 for 17 in saves), Rasmussen, and Svechnikov. 

Over to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Tarasenko power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Torey Krug and David Perron. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Cam Fowler goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Getzlaf and Max Jones. The Ducks tied it in the third period on an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jones. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Josh Manson goal, set up by the goalie Stolarz. The three stars were Manson, Jones, and Tarasenko.

East to Boston, as the Bruins host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New Jersey started in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Ty Smith and Jesper Bratt. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Blackwood (40 save shutout), Palmieri, and Halak (28 for 29 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Jake Oettinger are the youngsters in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and John Klingberg. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers took the lead with an Anthony Duclair penalty shot goal, his fourth of the season. Florida added on with a Huberdeau power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 in the third period with an Owen Tippett empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Huberdeau. The three stars were Huberdeau, Driedger (33 for 34 in saves), and Duclair. 

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Malcolm Subban are in the creases. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and Luke Kunin. Chicago got on the board in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane and Pius Suter. The Blackhawks tied it on another DeBrincat goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Suter. Nashville pulled ahead with a Roman Josi goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Arvidsson. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Arvidsson, DeBrincat, and Suter. 

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