NHL 2021 - Day 88

Another Saturday slate is on with ten games. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Craig Smith and Brad Marchand. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers took the lead with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Konecny and James van Riemsdyk. The Bruins tied it in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Smith and Charlie Coyle. Philadelphia reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Sean Couturier goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Joel Farabee and van Riemsdyk. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Konecny, van Riemsdyk, and Smith. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Anton Khudobin man the nets. Dallas began in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on with a Joel L'Esperance goal, his second of the year, guided in by Justin Dowling. Dallas extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Pavelski and Hintz. Florida got on the board in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Patric Hornqvist. The Stars replied in the third period with an unassisted Robertson goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign. This produced the 4-1 final score, with the three stars being Robertson, Hintz, and Pavelski. 

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Columbus opened in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, via Alexandre Texier and Zac Dalpe. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Jack Roslovic. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Calvin de Haan and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by David Kampf and Ryan Carpenter. Chicago took the lead in the second period with a Wyatt Kalynuk goal, passed from Pius Suter and Calvin de Haan. The Blackhawks added on with a Dylan Strome goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Kirby Dach and DeBrincat. Columbus got one back in the third period with a Patrik Laine shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Max Domi. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being DeBrincat, de Haan, and Strome.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen protect the nets. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg extended the lead as Derek Forbort scored his second of the year, thanks to Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with a Copp power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mathieu Perreault and Ehlers. Winnipeg continued with a Perreault goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (19 save shutout), Ehlers, and Copp, while Perreault gets an honorable mention.

Stateside to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Martin Necas goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Dougie Hamilton. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Filip Zadina and Troy Stecher. The Red Wings took the lead on an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Biega. The Hurricanes tied it with a Jordan Staal goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina took the lead with a Hamilton goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it again with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Red Wings pulled ahead with an Adam Erne goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Necas and Nino Niederreiter. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Larkin and Erne lifted the Red Wings 5-4 over Andrei Svechnikov and the Hurricanes. The three stars were Larkin, Erne, and Hamilton, while Necas gets an honorable mention.

North again to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the provincial rival Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Jack Campbell are between the pipes. Toronto struck first in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, assisted by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Tim Stutzle and Erik Brannstrom. The Senators tied it on an Alex Formenton shorthanded goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa took the lead with a Stutzle goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Michael Amadio. Toronto retied it on a Marner goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Matthews and Galchenyuk. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead with a Matthews goal to complete his hat trick on his thirty-first of the season, fueled by Marner and Galchenyuk. Toronto added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott. The Senators responded with a Connor Brown goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Chris Tierney and Evgenii Dadonov. The Maple Leafs countered with a Hyman empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Mikheyev and John Tavares. Ottawa grabbed one for the road on a Josh Norris goal, his eleventh of the campaign, dished from Brown and Batherson. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars given to Matthews, Marner, and Galchenyuk, while Hyman, Mikheyev, Batherson, Brown, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot faces a lesser foe in Ville Husso in goal. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Nico Sturm goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Joseph Cramarossa. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Vince Dunn and Tyler Bozak. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Suter and Marcus Johansson. The Blues tied it in the third period with Hoffman's second goal of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by Dunn and David Perron. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Brayden Schenn and Dunn. The three stars were Hoffman, Dunn, and O'Reilly.

Further along, the Nashville Predators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on with an Erik Cernak goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Gourde empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (36 save shutout), Gourde, and Colton.

Way northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Noah Hanifin and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Elias Lindholm scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Gaudreau and Giordano. The Flames padded the lead on a Giordano goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Backlund and Sam Bennett. Calgary continued with a Brett Ritchie goal, his second of the season, fueled by Bennett and Juuso Valimaki. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars given to Gaudreau, Giordano and Markstrom (17 save shutout), while Backlund and Bennett get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his eighth of the season, via Andreas Athanasiou and Mikey Anderson. San Jose tied it with a Dylan Gambrell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of John Leonard and Christian Jaros. The Kings took the lead in the second period with an Athanasiou goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Carter and Olli Maatta. Los Angeles added on with an Alex Iafallo goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Kings extended the lead as Brown scored his sixteenth of the season on the power play, going in unassisted. Josef Korenar replaced Jones in goal to start the third period. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Tomas Hertl and Ryan Donato. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Carter, Brown, and Athanasiou. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 87

Seven games on a relatively busy Friday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Semyon Varlamov are in goal. The Rangers got going in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his seventh of the season, via Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. The Rangers added on with a Colin Blackwell goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. The Islanders got on the board with an Andy Greene goal, coming off of Mathew Barzal. The Rangers shot back in the third period with a K'Andre Miller goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jacob Trouba and Panarin. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Mika Zibanejad empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Panarin, Georgiev (31 for 32 in saves), and Blackwell. 

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Dustin Tokarski are in the creases. Washington led off in the first period with a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the season, passed from Justin Schultz and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Dillon and John Carlson. Buffalo got on the board with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his third of the season, coming off of Rasmus Dahlin. Washington replied in the second period with a Schultz goal, his third of the year, helped along by Lars Eller. The Sabres pulled back on a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Rasmus Asplund and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Capitals fired back in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Schultz and Eller. Buffalo got one back with a Tage Thompson goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Ristolainen. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Schultz, Dillon, and Eller, while Ristolainen gets an honorable mention. 

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. The Penguins took the lead on a Brian Dumoulin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Cody Ceci and Sam Lafferty. The Devils tied it in the second period with a Jack Hughes goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Janne Kuokkanen and Yegor Sharangovich. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Colton Sceviour goal, his third of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Mark Jankowski. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Rust power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by McCann and Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Crosby scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Jake Guentzel and John Marino. New Jersey got one back with an unassisted Jesper Boqvist goal, his second of the year. The Devils pulled closer with a Wood goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins iced it at 6-4 with a Rust empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Guentzel and Letang. The three stars went to Rust, Crosby, and McCann, while Wood, Letang, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions. 

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jordan Binnington are the masked men. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Zach Sanford goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas and Tyler Bozak. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his third of the year, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Vince Dunn. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Carson Soucy. St. Louis replied with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. The Blues extended the lead as Sammy Blais scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Justin Faulk and David Perron. St. Louis padded the lead in the second period on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Blais and Faulk. The Blues continued with a shorthanded O'Reilly goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis struck again with a Faulk goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Thomas and Bozak. The Blues kept going in the third period when O'Reilly completed his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, with the help of Jake Walman and Blais. St. Louis piled on with an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Krug and O'Reilly. This stood for a 9-1 win, with the three stars handed to O'Reilly, Blais, and Faulk, while Schwartz, Bozak, Thomas, and Krug get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a William Carrier goal, his fourth of the year, via Nicolas Roy and Ryan Reaves. Vegas extended the lead on an unassisted Keegan Kolesar goal, his second of the season. The Golden Knights padded the lead with a Reilly Smith shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by William Karlsson. Vegas continued in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mark Stone and Brayden McNabb. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Goligoski and Conor Garland. Ivan Prosvetov replaced Hill in goal. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Dryden Hunt goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Phil Kessel and Johan Larsson. Arizona chipped closer with a Clayton Keller goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Christian Dvorak. The Golden Knights responded with a Smith goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Karlsson and Marchessault. The Coyotes fired back on a Michael Bunting goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Kessel and Schmaltz. Vegas iced it at 7-4 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, dished from Stephenson and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Smith, Marchessault, and Stephenson, while Pacioretty, Karlsson, Schmaltz, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

Further west to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and John Gibson man the nets. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Graves and Tyson Jost. The Avalanche iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Mikko Rantanen empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Nathan MacKinnon. The three stars were Johansson (28 save shutout), Nichushkin, and Gibson (33 for 34 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Martin Jones patrol the creases. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. San Jose tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his tenth of the year, via Brent Burns and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks took the lead on a Patrick Marleau goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Burns and Marcus Sorensen. San Jose added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Kings got on the board in the third period with a Jaret Anderson-Dolan goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks answered with a shorthanded Dylan Gambrell goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Evander Kane and Burns. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Tomas Hertl empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, coming off of Kane and Logan Couture. The three stars were Burns, Kane, and Balcers. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 86

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

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Alex Nedeljkovic are the young goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Trocheck goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Martin Necas and Brady Skjei. Carolina extended the lead in the third period on a Necas empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Nino Niederreiter. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Nedeljkovic (24 save shutout), Trocheck, and Necas.

To DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Ilya Samsonov make the starts in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Craig Smith. The Bruins added on with an Anton Blidh goal, going in unassisted. Boston extended the lead in the second period on a Marchand shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the season, an unassisted tally. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals got closer with an Oshie power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Bruins replied in the third period with a Smith power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Charlie Coyle and Jakub Zboril. The final held from here at 4-2, with the three stars being Smith, Marchand, and Oshie, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ilya Sorokin man the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Leo Komarov. Philadelphia got on the board with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his seventh of the year, via Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. The Islanders won 3-2 in the shootout with a Nelson tally. The three stars were Nelson, Eberle, and Sorokin (25 for 27 in saves).

Staying in New York, the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Igor Shesterkin are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Radim Zohorna goal, his second of the season, guided in by Marcus Pettersson and Kris Letang. New York tied it in the second period with a Colin Blackwell power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Kaapo Kakko. The Penguins retook the lead on a Letang goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jake Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh added on with an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Zohorna and Jason Zucker. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Zucker scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Rodrigues and Cody Ceci. The Rangers got one back on a Kevin Rooney goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Adam Fox. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Mark Jankowski empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Zach Aston-Reese. The three stars were Zucker, Zohorna, and Letang, while Rodrigues gets an honorable mention.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen are the masked men. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the season, via Mathieu Perreault and Mason Appleton. Montreal tied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Jets took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the season, guided in by Neal Pionk and Derek Forbort. Winnipeg added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Kyle Connor and Logan Stanley. The Canadiens got one back with a Paul Byron goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, passed from Jeff Petry and Kotkaniemi. The Jets countered with an Andrew Copp empty net goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Connor and Mark Scheifele. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Connor, Kotkaniemi, and Ehlers.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Joonas Korpisalo guard the cages. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Goodrow scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Gourde and Coleman. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. Columbus got on the board with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jack Roslovic and the goalie Merzlikins. The Lightning replied with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his third of the season, with a lone helper by Gourde and Coleman. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the second period with a Ross Colton goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Pat Maroon. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Roslovic goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mikhail Grigorenko and Cam Atkinson. The Lightning responded on a McDonagh goal, his fourth of the year and second of the game, helped along by Gourde and Goodrow. Columbus shot back in the third period with a Zach Werenski goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Alexandre Texier and Roslovic. The Blue Jackets pulled closer with a Max Domi goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Dean Kukan. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars going to Goodrow, Coleman, and Gourde, while McDonagh and Roslovic get the honorable mentions.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres host the New Jersey Devils. Aaron Dell and Linus Ullmark are in the blue paint. Buffalo kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Henri Jokiharju and Kyle Okposo. New Jersey tied it on a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Ty Smith and Jesper Bratt. The Devils took the lead with a Zacha power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Smith and Bratt. New Jersey added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Janne Kuokkanen and Yegor Sharangovich. The Sabres got one back on a Tage Thompson power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Brandon Montour and Colin Miller. Buffalo tied it as Jeff Skinner scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with a Jesper Boqvist goal, courtesy of Michael McLeod. New Jersey extended the lead as Sharangovich scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Hughes and Kuokkanen. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Kuokkanen, his sixth of the year, set up by Sharangovich and Hughes. The three stars were Hughes, Sharangovich, and Koukkanen, while Zacha, Bratt, and Smtih get the honorable mentions.

In Canada again, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Anton Forsberg play in goal. Edmonton got going in the second period on a Kailer Yamamoto power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Ottawa tied it on a Connor Brown goal, his twelfth of the year, via Chris Tierney and Mike Reilly. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Devin Shore goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Caleb Jones and Jujhar Khaira. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Jesse Puljujarvi, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Smith (39 for 40 in saves), Shore, and Yamamoto.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Darren Helm goal, his third of the season, fueled by Troy Stecher and Adam Erne. Nashville tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nick Cousins and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators took the lead with an Erik Haula goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Rocco Grimaldi. Nashville added on with a Cousins goal, his fourth of the year, via Colton Sissons and Haula. The Predators extended the lead as Mikael Granlund scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Ben Harpur and Ekholm in the third period. Nashville padded the lead with an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Tyler Lewington. The Predators continued with an Arvidsson penalty shot goal to complete his hat trick with his eighth of the season. Nashville struck again with a Yakov Trenin goal, his third of the year, made possible by Sissons and Harpur. This stood for a 7-1 win, with the three stars handed to Arvidsson, Haula, and Cousins, while Sissons, Ekholm, and Harpur get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Kevin Lankinen patrol the creases. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski. Chicago tied it on a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Vinnie Hinostroza and Philipp Kurashev. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Hintz and Esa Lindell. Dallas added on with a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Benn and Hintz. The Stars extended the lead as Blake Comeau scored his second of the season, thanks to Andrew Cogliano. Dallas padded the lead in the third period with a Comeau goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Hintz. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Hintz, Comeau, and Khudobin (38 for 39 in saves), while Benn gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 85

Just five games for today, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Marcus Hogberg are the goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Josh Norris goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk. The Oilers retook the lead with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, assisted by McDavid and Ethan Bear. The Senators tied it again in the third period with a Connor Brown goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Mike Reilly and Artem Zub. Edmonton regained the lead with a McDavid goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Draisaitl and Barrie. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Draisaitl empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year completing his hat trick with a lone helper by McDavid. The three stars were Draisaitl, McDavid, and Barrie. 

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jack Campbell are the masked men. Toronto opened in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Ilya Mihkeyev and Zach Hyman. Montreal tied it with a Corey Perry goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Nick Suzuki and Joel Edmundson. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a T.J. Brodie goal, fueled by Alexander Barabanov and Wayne Simmonds. Toronto added on with a Hyman goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Matthews and Mitchell Marner. The Canadiens got one back with a Perry goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Hyman, Matthews, and Perry.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Victor Rask and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Luke Johnson goal, courtesy of Kyle Rau and Carson Soucy. Minnesota extended the lead as Kevin Fiala scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Spurgeon and Rask. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The Wild replied with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche fired back on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Jacob MacDonald and Kyle Burroughs. Colorado got closer with a Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with helpers from MacKinnon and Makar. Minnesota answered with a Kaprizov power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, fueled by Fiala and Spurgeon. The Wild padded the lead in the third on a Fiala goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nick Bonino. Minnesota continued in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Zach Parise and Jordan Greenway. Jonas Johansson replaced Grubauer in goal. The Wild struck again with a Fiala power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth goal of the season, dished from Kaprizov and Rask. This made it 8-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Fiala, Kaprizov, and Spurgeon, while Rask, MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar get the honorable mentions.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington tend the twines. St. Louis began in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his third of the season, guided in by Vince Dunn and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on with a Sammy Blais goal, his fourth of the year, via David Perron and Torey Krug. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Jake Walman scored, thanks to Jordan Kyrou and Ivan Barbashev. Vegas got on the board with a Nicolas Roy goal, his second of the season, coming off of William Carrier and Ryan Reaves. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Binnington (50 for 51 in saves), Blais, and Walman.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Jonathan Quick occupy the creases. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his third of the season, coming off of Christian Fischer and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes added on with an Ilya Lyubushkin goal, via Crouse and Fischer. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jaret Anderson-Dolan goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Trevor Moore and Kale Clague. Arizona replied in the second period with a Johan Larsson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Chychrun and Phil Kessel. The Kings got one back in the third period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Clague and Sean Walker. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Drew Doughty and Blake Lizotte. The Kings pulled ahead on a Carl Grundstrom goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Moore and Doughty. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Doughty, Moore, and Clague, while Crouse, Fischer, and Chychrun get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 84

There's nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Petr Mrazek are the masked men. Florida started in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fifteenth of the season, via MacKenzie Weegar and Carter Verhaeghe. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Panthers retook the lead with a Barkov goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, assisted by Verhaeghe and Mason Marchment. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Hamilton power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Trocheck and Sebastian Aho. Carolina took the lead with an unassisted Jordan Staal goal, his eleventh of the season. The Hurricanes added on with a Staal empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Warren Foegele. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Jesper Fast empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Aho. The three stars belonged to Trocheck, Barkov, and Staal, while Aho and Verhaeghe get the honorable mentions.

Up in New York, the Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey and Ryan Pulock. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Varlamov (29 save shutout), Nelson, and Vanecek (38 for 39 in saves).

Across town, the New York Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Igor Shesterkin are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a Colin Blackwell goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Pavel Buchnevich. New York extended the lead as Panarin scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Adam Fox and Chris Kreider. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jared McCann power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Rangers replied with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Panarin and Fox. Casey DeSmith replaced Jarry in goal. New York padded the lead in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. The Penguins got one back with a Mike Matheson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Colton Sceviour and Mark Jankowski. The Rangers replied in the third period with a Kakko goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Trouba and Blackwell on the power play. Pittsburgh fired back with a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Matheson and Letang. New York countered with a Fox shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Zibanejad and Strome. The Rangers continued with a Buchnevich goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Chytil and Panarin. The Penguins chipped back with a Brian Dumoulin goal, dished from Radim Zohorna and Jankowski. The final stood at 8-4, with the three stars being Panarin, Fox, and Zibanejad, while Buchnevich, Strome, Kakko, Blackwell, Chytil, Trouba, Matheson, Letang, and Jankowski get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Joonas Korpisalo protect the nets. Columbus opened in the first period with a Zac Dalpe goal, helped along by Max Domi and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson. Columbus extended the lead on a Domi power play goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, powered by Zach Werenski and Roslovic. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Nick Foligno empty net goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Alexandre Texier. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Ross Colton goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Tyler Johnson and Pat Maroon. The Lightning got closer with a Luke Schenn goal, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Maroon. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Roslovic, Domi, and Maroon.

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Carter Hart are the goalies. Boston began in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Craig Smith and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Bergeron power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Marchand. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Travis Konecny. The Flyers tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Voracek and Ivan Provorov. Boston retook the lead in the third period with a Marchand shorthanded goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Jeremy Lauzon and Connor Clifton. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Bergeron empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Marchand and Chris Wagner. The three stars belonged to Bergeron, Marchand, and Swayman (40 for 42 in saves).

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Scott Wedgewood are set to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his third of the season, helped along by Tyce Thompson and Mikhail Maltsev. Buffalo tied it on a Rasmus Asplund goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres took the lead with a Brandon Montour goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Tage Thompson and Colin Miller. The Devils retied it on a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Travis Zajac and Pavel Zacha. New Jersey took the lead in the second period with a Zacha goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Bratt and Miles Wood. Buffalo retied it on a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his third of the year, coming off of Riley Sheahan and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres pulled ahead in the third period with a Mittelstadt power play goal, his fourth of the season, with an assist by Dahlin. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with a Rasmus Ristolainen empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Mittelstadt, Dahlin, and Zacha, while Bratt gets an honorable mention.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Thomas Greiss man the nets. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Luke Kunin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and Matt Benning. The Red Wings took the lead back with an Adam Erne goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Jon Merrill and Christian Djoos. The Predators tied it again with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Josi. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Johansen and Josi tallied to give the Predators a 3-2 win. The three stars were Josi, Granlund, and Kunin.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Kevin Lankinen are the young goalies. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Kirby Dach goal, assisted by Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Vinnie Hinostroza and Adam Boqvist. Chicago extended the lead as Alex DeBrincat scored his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas got on the board in the third period with an Andrew Cogliano shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Blake Comeau. The Stars got closer with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Esa Lindell and Comeau. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Kane empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from DeBrincat and Calvin de Haan. The three stars were Kane, DeBrincat, and Comeau.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Martin Jones tend the twines. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Danton Heinen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Max Comtois power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Jamie Drysdale and Sam Carrick. San Jose got on the board with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Labanc and Erik Karlsson. Anaheim shot back on an Isac Lundestrom goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Josh Manson and David Backes. The Ducks extended the lead as Nicolas Deslauriers scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Troy Terry and Ben Hutton. Anaheim padded the lead on a Backes empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Deslauriers and Derek Grant in the third period. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars going to Gibson (34 for 35 in saves), Deslauriers, and Backes. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 83

Seven games on today, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Carey Price are the goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his third of the season, via Jujhar Khaira. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Darnell Nurse power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Jesse Puljujarvi. Montreal got on the board with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Corey Perry and Nick Suzuki in the third period. The Canadiens tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Paul Byron. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with an Eric Staal goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Petry. The three stars were Staal, Tatar, and Anderson.

Stateside to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Dan Vladar are in the blue paint. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov. Boston tied it on a Karson Kuhlman goal, his second of the year, fueled by Charlie Coyle. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Provorov and Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Travis Sanheim goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Provorov, Sanheim, and Couturier. 

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Connor Hellebuyck draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Blake Wheeler and Logan Stanley. The Jets added on in the second period with an Adam Lowry goal, his eighth of the year, via Andrew Copp. Ottawa got on the board with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Connor Brown. Winnipeg answered with a Dubois power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, powered by Copp and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets extended the lead as Kyle Connor scored his eighteenth of the season, with the help of Mark Scheifele and Ehlers. The Senators pulled one back with a Josh Norris power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Dzingel and Mike Reilly. Ottawa got closer with a Brown goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Artem Anisimov and Evgenii Dadonov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Dubois, Copp, and Ehlers, while Brown and Dzingel get the honorable mentions. 

Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner faces a lesser foe in Ville Husso in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nick Holden and Keegan Kolesar. The Golden Knights added on with an Alec Martinez goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. St. Louis got on the board with a Tyler Bozak goal, his second of the season, via Zach Sanford. Vegas replied in the second period with another Martinez goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, courtesy of Alex Tuch and Kolesar. The Golden Knights extended the lead as William Carrier scored his third of the season, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb. Vegas chased Husso with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. Jordan Binnington replaced Husso in goal. The Golden Knights padded the lead on a Nicolas Hague goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Carrier and Nicolas Roy. This made it 6-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Martinez, Carrier, and Kolesar. 

Backtracking to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Marcus Johansson. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Samuel Girard and Devon Toews. The Avalanche took the lead with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Girard and Nazem Kadri. Colorado added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his twelfth of the year, via Burakovsky and Jacob MacDonald. The Avalanche extended the lead as J.T. Compher scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Cale Makar and Liam O'Brien. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Bjugstad goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Hartman and Ian Cole. Colorado responded on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and MacKinnon. Minnesota pulled back on a Johansson power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Suter and Hartman. The Wild got closer with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Jared Spurgeon. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars handed to MacKinnon, Hartman, and Girard, while Burakovsky, Johansson, and Bjugstad get the honorable mentions. 

To Canada once more, as the Calgary Flames bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Toronto got going in the second period with a Jason Spezza goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alexander Kerfoot and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via William Nylander and T.J. Brodie. Calgary got on the board with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. The Flames tied it in the third period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Sam Bennett. Toronto replied with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Pierre Engvall. Calgary tied it again on a Backlund shorthanded goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Lindholm. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead on a Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, powered by John Tavares and Zach Hyman. Toronto extended the lead as Tavares scored his twelfth of the year, with the help of Jake Muzzin and Nylander. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars belonging to Matthews, Backlund, and Tavares, while Nylander and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Calvin Petersen are in the creases. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his second of the season, fueled by Conor Garland and Jason Demers. The Coyotes added on with a Bunting power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Alex Goligoski. Arizona extended the lead as Derick Brassard scored his eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Los Angeles got on the board with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Coyotes replied in the second period with a Bunting power play goal, his fourth of the season to complete a hat trick, with helpers from Chychrun and Goligoski. The Kings got one back in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Kale Clague and Blake Lizotte. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Christian Dvorak empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Johan Larsson. The three stars were Bunting, Garland, and Chychrun, while Goligoski gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 82

Six games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Christopher Gibson are the backups in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Adam Erne and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings added on with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his third of the year, coming off of Luke Glendening and Vladislav Namestnikov in the second period. Detroit extended the lead as Michael Rasmussen scored his second of the season, thanks to Christian Djoos and Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Marc Staal goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Mantha. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Victor Hedman goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Cal Foote. Detroit iced it at 5-1 with a Darren Helm empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Glendening and Namestnikov. The three stars were Greiss (27 for 28 in saves), Mantha, and Glendening, while Namestnikov gets an honorable mention. 

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and MacKenzie Blackwood man the nets. New Jersey began in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nicholas Merkley and Ryan Murray. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Alex Ovechkin and Brenden Dillon. The Capitals took the lead in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his eighth of the season, via Dmitry Orlov and Justin Schultz. Washington added on with an Ovechkin power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Devils got one back with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Murray and Jack Hughes. The Capitals shot back with a Carl Hagelin shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Garnet Hathaway and Dillon. Washington extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Ovechkin and Orlov. New Jersey pulled back on a Jesper Bratt goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Pavel Zacha. The Devils got closer with a Zajac goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by Merkley and Murray. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Zajac, and Kuznetsov, while Murray, Dillon, Orlov, and Merkley get the honorable mentions. 

Back south to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Chris Driedger are the masked men. Florida got going in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Patric Hornqvist and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers added on in the third period with an unassisted Frank Vatrano goal, his thirteenth of the year. Florida extended the lead as Gustav Forsling scored his third of the season, with the help of Barkov and Weegar. This held for a 3-0 win, with the three stars given to Driedger (32 save shutout), Barkov, and Weegar.

North to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Petr Mrazek patrol the creases. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the season, assisted by Vincent Trocheck and Brett Pesce. This was the game's only goal, and the three starts of the Hurricanes' 1-0 win were Mrazek (28 save shutout), Martinook, and Oettinger (37 for 38 in saves). 

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and David Rittich draw the starts in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fourth of the season, via Auston Matthews. Calgary tied it on a Joakim Nordstrom goal, assisted by Mark Giordano and Sam Bennett. The Flames took the lead with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Mikael Backlund and Milan Lucic. The Maple Leafs retied it in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his second of the season, courtesy of John Tavares and William Nylander. Toronto took the lead in the third period with a Tavares goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Nylander and Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs added on with a Matthews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Zach Hyman. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Tavares, Matthews, and Nylander.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Anaheim started in the first period with a Sam Carrick goal, via Trevor Zegras. Arizona tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of John Hayden and Alex Goligoski. The Ducks retook the lead with a Derek Grant goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Zegras and Max Jones. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with a Chychrun goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, made possible by Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Chychrun goal to complete his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, assisted by Clayton Keller and Johan Larsson. The three stars were Chychrun, Zegras, and Carrick. 

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