Saturday, May 8, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 116

The last huge day on the schedule sees 14 games. Only two are matinees, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New York Rangers. Keith Kinkaid and Tuukka Rask make the starts in goal. New York got going in the second period with a K'Andre Miller goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Justin Richards and Filip Chytil. Boston tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Brad Marchand. The Rangers tied it again with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Strome. New York took the lead with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Anthony Bitetto and Buchnevich. The Rangers added on with a Vitali Kravtsov goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Zac Jones. Boston pulled back on a Marchand power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by David Krejci. New York countered with a Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Buchnevich. The Bruins responded on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by Matt Grzelcyk and McAvoy. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and Marchand, while Strome and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michael Houser and Maxime Lagace are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Frederick Gaudreau. This stood for a 1-0 final score, with the three stars being Lagace (29 save shutout), Carter, and Houser (22 for 23 in saves). 

At the regular time, the Florida Panthers bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Florida started in the first period with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Gustav Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Luke Schenn goal, his second of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow. Florida shot back with a Wennberg goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Frank Vatrano. The Panthers extended the lead as Huberdeau scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Bennett. Florida padded the lead in the third period when Wennberg completed his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Wennberg, Huberdeau, and Bennett.

Way north to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the season, coming off of Alex Belzile. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Petry. Toronto got on the board with a Pierre Engvall goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jason Spezza and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs tied it on a William Nylander goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by John Tavares and Jake Muzzin. Toronto pulled ahead with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Auston Matthews. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Marner, Nylander, and Engvall.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon and Craig Anderson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Scott Laughton goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by James van Riemsdyk. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the year, via Anthony Mantha and Justin Schultz. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with a Conor Sheary goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Nic Dowd and Dmitry Orlov. The three stars were Sheary, Eller, and Anderson (28 for 29 in saves).

Over in New York, the Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Ilya Sorokin draw the starts in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Leo Komarov. New Jersey tied it on an Andreas Johnsson goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Matt Tennyson and Michael McLeod. The Islanders took the lead with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Oliver Wahlstrom and Nick Leddy. New York added on with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, coming off of Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Kyle Palmieri scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Wahlstrom and Adam Pelech. New York padded the lead with a Barzal goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Komarov. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars handed to Barzal, Nelson, and Wahlstrom, while Komarov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. Ottawa began in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Victor Mete and Shane Pinto. The Senators added on with a Tim Stutzle goal, his tenth of the year, via Artem Zub. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Mason Appleton goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele. Ottawa replied in the third period with a Stutzle goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Brown and Pinto. The Jets got one back with a Scheifele goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Derek Forbort. The Senators iced it at 4-2 as Stutzle finished his hat trick on a power play empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brown. The three stars went to Stutzle, Brown, and Scheifele, while Pinto gets an honorable mention.

Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Calvin Pickard and Matiss Kivlenieks play in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Dennis Cholowski and Richard Panik. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Patrik Laine and Seth Jones. The Red Wings took the lead back in the second period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Michael Rasmussen and Evgeny Svechnikov. The Blue Jackets retied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Eric Robinson and Gabriel Carlsson. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Robinson goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Nathan Gerbe. Detroit retied it on a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Filip Hronek and Christian Djoos. The Blue Jackets regained the lead on a Jack Roslovic goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jones and Laine. The Red Wings pulled even again with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Cholowski and Vrana. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Max Domi goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Bjorkstrand and Jones. The three stars belonged to Bjorkstrand, Jones, and Robinson, while Laine, Vrana, and Cholowski get the honorable mentions.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Juuse Saros are the younger goalies. Nashville was first to score in the second period with a Luke Kunin goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on in the third period with another Kunin goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Granlund and Ryan Ellis. Carolina got on the board with a Morgan Geekie goal, his third of the season, coming off of Steven Lorentz and Max McCormick. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with an Erik Haula empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Kunin, Granlund, and Saros (21 for 22 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Cam Talbot are the veteran goalies. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Josh Mahura and Josh Manson. Minnesota tied it on a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota added on with a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Nico Sturm. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his third of the season, fueled by Max Comtois and Jamie Drysdale. Anaheim tied it with a Comtois goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Rakell and Troy Terry. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Victor Rask goal, his tenth of the campaign, with assists from Matt Dumba and Zuccarello. The three stars were Kaprizov, Comtois, and Zuccarello, while Rakell gets an honorable mention.

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by William Carrier and Keegar Kolesar. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis got on the board with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas replied in the third period with another Smith power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Alec Martinez and Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Smith empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Smith, Fleury (20 for 21 in saves), and Pietrangelo.

To Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and Calvin Petersen are in the blue paint. Colorado began in the first period with a Devon Toews goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche added on with a Cale Makar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Burakovsky. Los Angeles got on the board with a Sean Walker goal, his fourth of the season, via Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo. Colorado replied in the second period with a Toews goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, coming off of Makar and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Rasmus Kupari goal, courtesy of Lias Andersson and Walker. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Toews, Makar, and Burakovsky, while Walker gets an honorable mention.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Mike Smith protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Ethan Bear and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Vancouver got on the board with an unassisted J.T. Miller goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Canucks tied it with a Travis Boyd goal, his fourth of the year, via Jimmy Vesey. Edmonton retook the lead with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by James Neal and McDavid. Vancouver tied it again with a Tyler Graovac goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jayce Hawryluk and Quinn Hughes. The Oilers reclaimed the lead with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Nurse. The final held from here at 4-3, with the three stars given to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nurse.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Alexei Melnichuk are the inexperienced goalies. Arizona opened in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. San Jose tied it with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his eighth of the year, via Alexander Chmelevski and Dylan Gambrell. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Dvorak power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, powered by Christian Fischer and Kessel. The Sharks tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose pulled ahead in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Labanc. Arizona retied it with a Jan Jenik goal, his second of the year, fueled by Fischer and Victor Soderstrom. The Coyotes pulled ahead on a Conor Garland goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun. The Sharks tied it again with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. Arizona won 5-4 in overtime with a Kessel goal, his twentieth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kessel, Dvorak, and Fischer, while Labanc gets an honorable mention. 

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Friday, May 7, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 115

Seven games on a Friday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Curtis McElhinney are the goalies. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Miro Heiskanen and Tanner Kero. The Stars added on in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Barclay Goodrow. Dallas replied with a Pavelski goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, via Hintz. The Stars extended the lead as Hintz scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Joel Kiviranta and Pavelski. Dallas padded the lead in the third period with a Kiviranta goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Pavelski and Jamie Benn. The Lightning got one back with an Alex Barre-Boulet power play goal, his third of the campaign, powered by Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Hintz, and Kiviranta. 

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Hayes. Washington tied it on a Daniel Sprong goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Anthony Mantha. The Flyers took the lead with a Wade Allison goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Oskar Lindblom and Justin Braun in the second period. Philadelphia added on with another Allison goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Philippe Myers and James van Riemsdyk. The Capitals got one back with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Brenden Dillon and Lars Eller. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Sean Couturier empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by van Riemsdyk and the goalie Elliott in the third period. The three stars were Allison, van Riemsdyk, and Elliott (28 for 30 in saves). 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Matiss Kivlenieks are in the creases. Columbus opened in the first period with a Gavin Bayreuther goal, assisted by Liam Foudy and Patrik Laine. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, coming off of Eric Robinson and Vladislav Gavrikov. Detroit got on the board with a Joe Veleno power play goal, powered by Jakub Vrana and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings tied it on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mathias Brome and Valtteri Filppula. Detroit took the lead on a Vrana goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Richard Panik and Valtteri Filppula. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Vladislav Namestnikov scored his seventh of the season, set up by Sam Gagner and Filppula. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a Namestnikov empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Filppula and Hronek. The three stars were Vrana, Filppula, and Namestnikov, while Hronek gets an honorable mention. 

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Kaapo Kahkonen are the masked men. Anaheim started in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Trevor Zegras. Minnesota tied it on a Victor Rask goal, his ninth of the year, via Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild took the lead with a Nico Sturm goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nick Bonino and Nick Bjugstad. The Ducks retied it in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Marcus Foligno. Anaheim tied it again on a Derek Grant goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Henrique and Alexander Volkov. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Kaprizov goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Henrique.

Southwest to Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Nicolas Hague and William Karlsson. St. Louis tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Tyler Bozak and Justin Faulk. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a David Perron goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Zach Sanford and Marco Scandella. St. Louis added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Bozak and Brayden Schenn. The Golden Knights got one back with an Alec Martinez goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas tied it on a Nicolas Roy goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Hague and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, passed from Alex Tuch and the goalie Lehner. The three stars were Hague, Bozak, and Marchessault.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Calvin Petersen get the starts in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Carl Grundstrom and Sean Walker. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Cale Makar and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jacob MacDonald and Devon Toews. Colorado added on with a Makar goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Burakovsky and Alex Newhook. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his tenth of the campaign, guided in by Lias Andersson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Makar, Burakovsky, and Jost.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Josef Korenar are between the pipes. San Jose was first to score in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ivan Chekhovich. Arizona got on the board with a Victor Soderstrom goal, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. The Coyotes tied it with a Garland power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jakob Chychrun. Arizona took the lead in the third period with a Phil Kessel goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Christian Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes extended the lead as Michael Bunting scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Garland. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Jan Jenik empty net goal, set up by Derick Brassard and Kessel. The three stars went to Garland, Kessel, and Soderstrom. 

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Thursday, May 6, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 114

Just six games on today, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau is mismatched with Jack Campbell in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of William Nylander and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tavares goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Jake Muzzin. Toronto extended the lead as Pierre Engvall scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jason Spezza and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Mitchell Marner goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Joe Thornton and Rasmus Sandin. Jake Allen replaced Primeau in goal in the second period. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Cole Caufield goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Corey Perry and Eric Staal. The Canadiens got one back in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Petry. Toronto shot back with an Auston Matthews goal, his fortieth of the season, assisted by Marner and Muzzin. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Marner, Tavares, and Campbell (20 for 22 in saves).

Stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Carolina started in the first period with a Martin Necas shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Jani Hakanpaa. Chicago tied it in the third period on a Riley Stillman goal, coming off of Pius Suter. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Dominik Kubalik and Wyatt Kalynuk. The three stars were DeBrincat, Delia (36 for 37 in saves), and Stillman.

Back north to Boston, as the Bruins bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman are the young goalies. Boston opened in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Charlie McAvoy power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Marchand and David Pastrnak. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Jake DeBrusk scored his fifth of the season, thanks to David Krejci and Taylor Hall. The Bruins padded the lead in the third period on a Brandon Carlo goal, his third of the year, guided in by Krejci. The Bruins won 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Swayman (15 save shutout), Marchand, and Krejci.

Along to New York, as the Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. New York tied it in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Scott Mayfield and Brock Nelson. The Devils took the lead on a Michael McLeod goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Damon Severson and Ryan Murray. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to McLeod, Blackwood (32 for 33 in saves), and Zacha.

Out in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michael Houser and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Buffalo began in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his second of the season, made possible by Riley Sheahan. Pittsburgh tied it with a Jeff Carter goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Jared McCann and Frederick Gaudreau. The Penguins took the lead with a Carter power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, powered by Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen. The Sabres retied it with a Tage Thompson goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Casey Mittelstadt. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Carter goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Marcus Pettersson and Gaudreau. Buffalo tied it again with a Caggiula goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Colin Miller and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Penguins pulled ahead again with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh added on with a McCann goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Gaudreau. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period with Carter's fourth of the game and sixteenth of the season, courtesy of McCann and Mark Friedman. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Crosby goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Letang and Jake Guentzel. The Sabres got one back with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Thompson and Ristolainen. The Penguins responded with a Kapanen goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Evgeni Malkin and Zucker. This stood for an 8-4 win, with the three stars going to Carter, McCann, and Gaudreau, while Crosby, Kapanen, Zucker, Letang, Caggiula, Thompson, and Ristolainen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his tenth of the season, via J.T. Miller and Travis Hamonic. The Canucks added on with a Jack Rathbone goal, assisted by Jayce Hawryluk. Vancouver extended the lead as Hamonic scored, with the help of Brock Boeser and Hoglander. The Canucks padded the lead on a Hawryluk goal, his second of the year, coming off of Nate Schmidt and Matthew Highmore. Mike Smith replaced Koskinen in goal. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and the goalie Smith. The Oilers got closer with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Vancouver fired back with a Tyler Graovac goal, going in unassisted. Edmonton pulled one back on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Darnell Nurse and McDavid. The Canucks replied with a Boeser goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Tanner Pearson. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Hoglander, Hawryluk, and Draisaitl, while Hamonic, Boeser, and McDavid get the honorable mentions. 

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Wednesday, May 5, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 113

Nine games on for tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev are the goalies. Washington got going in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Brenden Dillon and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals added on with another Oshie goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Nic Dowd scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to John Carlson and Orlov. New York got on the board in the third period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Filip Chytil. The Capitals fired back with an Oshie empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his twenty-first of the season, set up Carl Hagelin and Orlov. The Rangers answered on a Morgan Barron goal, via Zac Jones and Libor Hajek. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Oshie, Orlov, and Barron.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Alex Killorn. Dallas tied it with a Tyler Seguin goal, his second of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Lightning took the lead back in the second period with a Killorn power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Yanni Gourde and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay added on with a Point goal, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Stars got one back in the third period with an Andrej Sekera goal, his third of the season, via Joel Hanley and Roope Hintz. The Lightning shot back with an Erik Cernak goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Ross Colton scored an empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Mathieu Joseph and Cernak. The Lightning iced it at 6-2 with a Mikhail Sergachev empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Cernak and Johnson. The three stars went to Cernak, Point, and Killorn, while Johnson gets an honorable mention.

Way north to Ottawa, as the Senators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Anton Forsberg make the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Shane Pinto goal, via Artem Zub and Erik Brannstrom. Montreal tied it on a Joel Edmundson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Josh Norris and Brannstrom. Ottawa added on with a Nick Paul goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brannstrom. The Senators extended the lead in the third period as Connor Brown scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Zub. Ottawa padded the lead with an Alex Formenton goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Paul and Colin White. This held for a 5-1 win, with the three stars being Brannstrom, Paul, and Zub.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Elvis Merzlikins are the masked men. Nashville began in the first period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Predators took the lead back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Bjorkstrand goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Mikko Lehtonen and Vladislav Gavrikov. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Gavrikov and Lehtonen. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Bjorkstrand empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Max Domi and Atkinson. The three stars were Bjorkstrand, Gavrikov, and Atkinson, while Lehtonen gets an honorable mention.

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Talbot patrol the creases. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mattias Janmark. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. The Wild took the lead with another Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Hartman. The Golden Knights retied it on a Reilly Smith power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by William Karlsson and Alec Martinez. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Alex Tuch and Jonathan Marchessault. The three stars were Kaprizov, Hartman, and Pietrangelo.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Jordan Binnington receive the starting nods in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Justin Faulk. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Max Jones goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Sam Carrick and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Haydn Fleury goal, his third of the season, assisted by Troy Terry. The Blues retied it on a Kyle Clifford goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Ivan Barbashev. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Terry's lone tally lifted the Ducks to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Terry, Jones, and Stolarz (24 for 26 in saves).

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Andrew Copp. The Jets added on in the second period with another Lowry shorthanded goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Dylan DeMelo and Copp. Winnipeg extended the lead as Blake Wheeler scored his twelfth of the season, helped along by Neal Pionk and Lowry. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with a Wheeler power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Lowry, Wheeler, and Copp, while Hellebuyck (32 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Out in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer faces a lesser foe in Josef Korenar in goal. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Patrik Nemeth and Jacob MacDonald. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Nazem Kadri and Conor Timmins. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Evander Kane and Alexander Barabanov. The Sharks tied it again in the third period with a Hertl goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, passed from Kane and Nikolai Knyzhov. San Jose took the lead with an Erik Karlsson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Kane and Hertl. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars awarded to Hertl, Kane, and Karlsson.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Adin Hill are the backups in goal. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Conor Garland and Michael Bunting. Los Angeles tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Alex Iafallo and Sean Walker. The Kings took the lead with a Jaret Anderson-Dolan goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Andreas Athanasiou and Quinton Byfield. The Coyotes tied it with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Garland and Alex Goligoski. Los Angeles regained the lead with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Lias Andersson and Walker. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a Walker empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar. The three stars were Vilardi, Walker, and Garland. 

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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 112

Just five games today, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat shorthanded goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks added on with a Mike Hardman goal, via MacKenzie Entwistle and Patrick Kane. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Morgan Geekie and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes tied it on an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina took the lead in the third period with another Svechnikov goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Teravaianen and Aho. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Teravainen scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Sebastian Aho and Svechnikov. Chicago got one back with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, fueled by Kane and Ian Mitchell. Carolina struck again with a Martin Necas shorthanded empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-3 with a Niederreiter empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, set up by Necas and Slavin. The three stars were Svechnikov, Niederreiter, and DeBrincat, while Teravainen, Necas, Aho, Slavin, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Marcus Pettersson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jared McCann and Frederick Gaudreau. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Sidney Crosby scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Pettersson. Philadelphia got on the board with a Justin Braun goal, assisted by Wade Allison and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers got closer with a Sean Couturier goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Travis Sanheim and Claude Giroux. The Penguins replied with a Jason Zucker goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen. Philadelphia pulled one back with a Couturier goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Travis Konecny and Giroux. Pittsburgh fired back with a Crosby goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Bryan Rust and Guentzel. The Penguins continued with a Mark Friedman empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Teddy Blueger and Zach Aston-Reese. Pittsburgh iced it at 7-3 with a John Marino power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Crosby and Guentzel. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Guentzel, and Pettersson, while Malkin, Giroux, and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Michael Houser draw the starts in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Cody Eakin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Drake Caggiula. New York tied it on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his second of the season, made possible by Cal Clutterbuck and Ross Johnston. New York added on with a Clutterbuck shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres got one back with an Anders Bjork goal, his fourth of the season, via Colin Miller and Victor Olofsson. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Bjork goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, assisted by Olofsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Bjork's lone tally gave the Sabres a 4-3 win. The three stars were Bjork, Olofsson, and Clutterbuck.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Boston tied it in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by David Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins took the lead with a Taylor Hall, goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Grzelcyk and David Krejci. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his fourth of the year, via Damon Severson and Marian Studenic. Boston retook the lead with a Sean Kuraly goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Pastrnak and Mike Reilly. New Jersey tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Severson and Kevin Bahl. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Zacha goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Hughes and Will Butcher. The three stars were Zacha, Hughes, and Severson, while Pastrnak and Grzelcyk get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Thatcher Demko are between the pipes. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Nils Hoglander and Alexander Edler. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead with another Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, powered by McDavid and Tyson Barrie on the power play. Edmonton added on with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Darnell Nurse and Dominik Kahun. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period as Nurse scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Josh Archibald and Alex Chiasson. This held for a 4-1 final, with the three stars being Draisaitl, Nurse, and McDavid. 

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Monday, May 3, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 111

Another overfilled schedule tonight with 14 games, beginning with...

The New York Rangers welcoming the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Igor Shesterkin are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Nic Dowd goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway. The Capitals added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Michael Raffl and Tom Wilson. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Strome and Panarin. New York took the lead with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alexis Lafreniere and Kevin Rooney. Washington retied it on a Hathaway goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Nic Dowd. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with an unassisted Daniel Sprong goal, his twelfth of the season. Washington extended the lead as Nicklas Backstrom scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Raffl and Nick Jensen. The Capitals iced it at 6-3 with a Wilson empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by John Carlson. The three stars were Wilson, Hathaway, and Zibanejad, while Dowd, Panarin, and Raffl get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jake Allen are set to start in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Alex Galchenyuk and William Nylander. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, guided in by Jake Muzzin and Joe Thornton. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Suzuki and Petry. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Cole Caufield goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Petry and Suzuki. The three stars were Suzuki, Petry, and Caufield. 

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Spencer Knight draw the starts. Florida opened in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Owen Tippett and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on with a Nikita Gusev goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Brandon Montour. Dallas got on the board with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Florida replied on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Tippett and Grigori Denisenko. The Stars got one back with an unassisted Hintz goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Panthers countered in the second period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Denisenko and Aleksander Barkov. Jake Oettinger took over for Khudobin in goal. Dallas pulled back in the third period with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Tanner Kero and Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, coming off of Denis Gurianov and John Klingberg. Florida won 5-4 in overtime with a Barkov power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Yandle and Weegar. The three stars went to Barkov, Weegar, and Hintz, while Tippett, Denisenko, and Yandle get the honorable mentions. 

North again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Nashville got going in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan Ellis and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Johansen power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Eeli Tolvanen and Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead as Roman Josi scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Ellis and Nick Cousins. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, assisted by Jack Roslovic and Michael Del Zotto. The Blue Jackets got closer with another Bemstrom goal, via Mikhail Grigorenko and Del Zotto. Columbus tied it on a Bemstrom power play goal to complete his natural hat trick, with assists provided by Seth Jones and Roslovic. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Josi goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula and Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Josi, Bemstrom, and Forsberg, while Johansen, Ellis, Del Zotto, and Roslovic get the honorable mentions. 

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Alex Nedeljkovic man the creases. Carolina started in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes added on with a Martin Necas goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Trocheck and Jake Bean. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Sebastian Aho scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes padded the lead on an Aho power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, powered by Hamilton and Jordan Staal. Collin Delia replaced Subban in goal. Chicago got on the board with an Ian Mitchell goal, his third of the season, passed from Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks got closer in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Kubalik. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with an Aho empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Jesper Fast. The three stars belonged to Aho, Hamilton, and Kubalik, while Trocheck gets an honorable mention. 

Up to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Alex Lyon are the backups in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Joel Farabee and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his ninth of the of the year, powered by Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead as Giroux scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Konecny and Sean Couturier. The Flyers padded the lead in the second period with a Wade Allison goal, his second of the year, via Scott Laughton and Gostisbehere. Tristan Jarry replaced DeSmith in the third period. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins got closer with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by John Marino and Kasperi Kapanen. Philadelphia shot back with a Farabee goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Voracek and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers struck again on an unassisted empty net goal by Giroux, his sixteenth of the year. Philadelphia iced it at 7-2 with a Robert Hagg goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Farabee and Voracek. The three stars were given to Giroux, Farabee, and Voracek, while Gostisbehere and Konecny get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Michael Houser in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Adam Pelech goal, his fourth of the season, via Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Pelech and Kyle Palmieri. Buffalo got on the board with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jacob Bryson and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Rasmus Asplund goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart and Thompson. Buffalo took the lead with a Reinhart goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Ristolainen. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with a Reinhart empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Reinhart, Thompson, and Ristolainen, while Pelech gets an honorable mention. 

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Scott Wedgewood receive the starting nods in goal. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jakub Zboril. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twentieth of the year, via Brad Marchand. Boston extended the lead in the third period as Matt Grzelcyk scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Marchand and Bergeron. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Rask (20 save shutout), and Marchand. 

Into Canada again, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Filip Gustavsson patrol the creases. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Nick Paul. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the year, via Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler in the third period. The Senators retook the lead with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Drake Batherson and Brown. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Brown, Zaitsev, and Gustavsson (28 for 29 in saves). 

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Mark Stone and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights took the lead with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. The Wild retied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. Vegas retook the lead with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Peyton Krebs and Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Stone goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone helper from Chandler Stephenson. Minnesota pulled one back with a Bonino power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with assists provided by Spurgeon and Kirill Karpizov. Vegas answered on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Martinez and Karlsson. The Wild pulled one back in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Bonino and Victor Rask. Minnesota tied it with a Kaprizov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Fiala. The Wild won 6-5 with a Brodin goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. The three stars were Bonino, Brodin, and Kaprizov, while Fiala, Spurgeon, Stone, Martinez, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Justin Faulk. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead back in the third period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, via Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan O'Reilly empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by David Perron and Faulk. The three stars were Bortuzzo, Binnington (19 for 20 in saves), and Faulk. 

Way northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Braden Holtby are between the pipes. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Vancouver tied it with a Nate Schmidt goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by J.T. Miller and Nils Hoglander. The Oilers took the lead back in the second period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Pujlujarvi and McDavid. Edmonton added on with an unassisted McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the year. The Canucks shot back with a Miller goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers fired back with a Dominik Kahun goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver got one back in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Bo Horvat. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a McDavid empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, set up by Draisaitl and Jujhar Khaira. The three stars were McDavid, Miller, and Puljujarvi, while Draisaitl gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Darcy Kuemper are the veteran goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Christian Fischer. Los Angeles tied it with an unassisted Trevor Moore goal, his tenth of the year. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Conor Garland and Alex Goligoski. The Kings retied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles gained the lead with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Kopitar. Calvin Petersen replaced an injured Quick in the third period. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Iafallo, and Moore.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose struck first in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the season, an unassisted goal. San Jose added on with a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, passed from Hertl and Alexander Barabanov. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Graves. The Sharks answered with a Timo Meier goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brent Burns and Mario Ferraro. Colorado pulled back with a Landeskog goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone helper by MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it with an unassisted Nazem Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a Burakovsky goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Cale Makar and Rantanen. The three stars were Burakovsky, Rantanen, and Landeskog, while Kane, Hertl, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, May 2, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 110

Just one game scheduled for Sunday, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Christopher Gibson and Jonathan Bernier are in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Barclay Goodrow. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his third of the year, guided in by Yanni Gourde and Coleman. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Zadina goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Erne. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Coleman, Gibson (22 for 23 in saves), and Sergachev. 

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