Saturday, January 22, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 95

We've got eleven games this Saturday, including a pair of matinees. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Michael Houser are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens. Philadelphia tied it on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Travis Sanheim. The Flyers took the lead with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Ivan Provorov and Cam Atkinson. The Sabres tied it again with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Tuch and Skinner. Buffalo took the lead with another Thompson power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, made possible by Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres chased Jones with a Peyton Krebs goal, with helpers from Henri Jokiharju and Mark Jankowski. Carter Hart came into the game in relief. Buffalo added on in the second period with another Krebs goal, fueled by Rasmus Asplund. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period as Skinner scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Rasmus Dahlin and Thompson. Philadelphia got one back with another Giroux power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by Travis Konecny and Atkinson. The final was 6-3, with the three stars being Krebs, Thompson, and Skinner, while Giroux, Tuch, Dahlin, and Atkinson get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Boston, as the Bruins host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Jansen Harkins goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Dominic Toninato. Boston tied it on an Oskar Steen goal, his second of the year, helped along by Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. The Jets took the lead back with an Andrew Copp goal, his eleventh of the season, via Mark Scheifele. The Bruins tied it in the second period with a Coyle goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Derek Forbort. Boston took the lead in the third period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, powered by Matt Grzelcyk and Brad Marchand. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Coyle, Pastrnak, and Rask (22 for 24 in saves). 

At the regular time, the New Jersey Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Jack LaFontaine and Jon Gillies are the unknown goalies. Carolina started in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Brendan Smith. The Hurricanes added on with an Ian Cole goal, his second of the year, passed from Martin Necas and Svechnikov. New Jersey got on the board with a Nathan Bastian goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Ryan Graves and Janne Kuokkanen. The Devils tied it on another Bastian goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, via Graves and Michael McLeod. Carolina retook the lead in the second period with a Josh Leivo goal, helped along by Tony DeAngelo and Jaccob Slavin. New Jersey tied it again on a McLeod goal, his third of the season, assisted by Andreas Johnsson and P.K. Subban. The Devils took the lead with a Johnsson goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Dawson Mercer and Pavel Zacha. The Hurricanes retied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Leivo. New Jersey gained the lead with a Jesper Bratt goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Yegor Sharangovich and Graves. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Jack Hughes scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Damon Severson and Nico Hischier on the power play. New Jersey padded the lead on a Zacha goal, his tenth of the year, with assisted provided by Mercer and Johnsson. This made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars handed out to Bastian, Johnsson, and Zacha, while McLeod, Graves, Mercer, Svechnikov, and Leivo get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a Liam O'Brien goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Loui Eriksson and Shayne Gostisbehere. New York tied it on a Jacob Trouba goal, his seventh of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The Coyotes pulled ahead again with an Andrew Ladd goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Christian Fischer and Riley Nash. Arizona added on in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Travis Boyd. The Rangers got one back on a shorthanded goal by Kreider, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Trouba. New York tied it on a Julien Gauthier goal, his third of the year, passed from Dryden Hunt and Kevin Rooney. The Rangers took the lead with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Zibanejad. New York extended the lead as Kreider scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers padded the lead in the third period as Trouba scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to K'Andre Miller and Ryan Strome. Scott Wedgewood replaced Vejmelka in goal. New York continued with Kreider completing his hat trick on his twenty-ninth of the year, with helpers from Fox and Panarin on the power play. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars awarded to Kreider, Trouba, and Zibanejad, while Panarin and Fox get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the New York Islanders bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Mitchell Marner shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Morgan Rielly. New York tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his second of the year, via Scott Mayfield. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Pierre Engvall goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto added on in the second period with a Rielly goal, his fifth of the year, passed from William Nylander and Alexander Kerfoot. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars given to Rielly, Mrazek (25 for 26 in saves), and Engvall.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Vitek Vanecek are the alliterative goalies. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his second of the season, fueled by Austin Watson and Nick Paul. The Senators added on in the second period with a Zach Sanford goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Alex Formenton. Washington got on the board in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Trevor van Riemsdyk and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals tied it on another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, via Nicklas Backstrom. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with a Backstrom goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Vanecek (20 for 22 in saves).

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Darcy Kuemper draw the starts in goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Newhook power play goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Samuel Girard and Devon Toews. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Girard and Toews. Montreal got on the board with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Suzuki power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Christian Dvorak and Mike Hoffman. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Nichushkin and Toews. The three stars were Toews, Nichushkin, and Suzuki, while Girard gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville got going in the second period with a Nick Cousins power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Philip Tomasino and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Matt Tennyson. Detroit got on the board with an Adam Erne goal, his fourth of the season, via Tyler Bertuzzi and Marc Staal. Nashville replied in the third period with a Forsberg goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Tennyson and Duchene. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with a Duchene empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Duchene, Forsberg, and Tennyson.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Kaapo Kahkonen are the Finnish goalies. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Henrik Borgstrom goal, his third of the season, fueled by Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Dylan Strome. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Zuccarello and Spurgeon in the third period. Chicago got on the board with a Borgstrom goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, via MacKenzie Entwistle and Ryan Carpenter. Minnesota tied it again with a Kevin Fiala goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jordan Greenway and Alex Goligoski. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, made possible by Greenway and Goligoski. The three stars were Borgstrom, Greenway, and Zuccarello, while Spurgeon and Goligoski get the honorable mentions.

To Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Calgary led off in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. The Flames added on with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. Edmonton got on the board with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his seventh of the season, via Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Oilers tied it on another Bouchard power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Draisaitl. Edmonton took the lead with a Brendan Perlini goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Derek Ryan and Cody Ceci. Calgary tied it again on a Hanifin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk. The Oilers took the lead on a Draisaitl goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Duncan Keith. Edmonton iced it with a Draisaitl empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Draisaitl, Hanifin, and Bouchard, while McDavid and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his seventh of the season, via Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Alex Killorn and Cal Foote. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Mathieu Joseph scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning padded the lead as Corey Perry scored his eleventh of the year, with the help of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and McDonagh. Adin Hill replaced Reimer in goal. San Jose got on the board with a Jaycob Megna goal, helped along by Ryan Merkley. Tampa Bay replied in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning continued in the third period with a Killorn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Kucherov. Tampa Bay struck again with another Colton goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, guided in by Taylor Raddysh and Sergachev. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars going to Colton, Stamkos, and Killorn, while Kucherov, Sergachev, and McDonagh. 

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Friday, January 21, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 94

Eight games on for an unusually busy Friday. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on with a Seth Jarvis goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Jesper Fast scored his ninth of the season, thanks to DeAngelo and Steven Lorentz. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider. The Hurricanes replied on an unassisted Aho goal, his seventeenth of the season. Carolina padded the lead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Svechnikov and Ian Cole. The Rangers pulled one back in the third period on a Kreider power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with helpers from Adam Fox and Zibanejad. New York got closer with a Greg McKegg goal, via Ryan Reaves and K'Andre Miller. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-3 with a DeAngelo power play goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Aho and Trocheck. The three stars were Aho, DeAngelo, and Trocheck, while Kreider, Zibanejad, and Svechnikov get the honrable mentions. 

Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his third of the season, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Columbus tied it on a Gustav Nyquist shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Boone Jenner goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Patrik Laine. The Penguins tied it on a Crosby goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. Tristan Jarry replaced DeSmith for the second period. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Mike Matheson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Dumoulin and Danton Heinen. The Penguins added on with a Crosby power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, powered by Rust and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Crosby empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign completing his hat trick, set up by Matheson and Dumoulin. The three stars were Crosby, Dumoulin, and Matheson, while Rust gets an honorable mention. 

East to New York, as the Islanders host the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. New York began in the first period with a Scott Mayfield goal, his second of the season, fueled by Adam Pelech and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with an Austin Czarnik goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Anders Lee and Mayfield. New York extended the lead in the third period as Brock Nelson scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Josh Bailey and Pelech. The Islanders padded the lead on another Nelson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Anthony Beauvillier and Bailey. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Sorokin (17 save shutout), Nelson, and Mayfield, while Pelech and Bailey get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and Alex Nedeljkovic protect the nets. Dallas opened in the first period with a Ryan Suter goal, his fourth of the season, via Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin. Detroit tied it on a Robby Fabbri goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi. The Stars took the lead back in the second period on a Joel Kiviranta goal, guided in by Heiskanen and Esa Lindell. The Red Wings retied it on a Pius Suter goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek. Detroit took the lead with an unassisted Dylan Larkin goal, his nineteenth of the year. Dallas evened the score on a Lindell goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Red Wings pulled ahead in the third period with a Bertuzzi power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. The Stars retied it on a Robertson goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Pavelski and Roope Hintz. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime on a Hintz power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Pavelski and John Klingberg. The three stars were Bertuzzi, Hintz, and Robertson, while Pavelski, Lindell, and Heiskanen get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Calen Addison. The Wild added on with a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota extended the lead as Hartman scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, thanks to Zuccarello and Kaprizov. The Wild chased Fleury in the second period with an Addison goal, his second of the year, passed from Foligno and Jon Merrill. Kevin Lankinen came on in relief. Minnesota padded the lead on a Brandon Duhaime goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kevin Fiala and Dmitry Kulikov. Chicago got on the board in the third period with a Dylan Strome goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel. This only made it 5-1, with the three stars being Hartman, Addison, and Kahkonen (35 for 36 in saves), while Foligno, Kaprizov, and Zuccarello get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Spencer Martin are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Tanner Pearson and Quinn Hughes. Florida tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau. The tie went to a shootout, where Brock Boeser's lone goal wasn't enough as the Canucks lost 2-1 to Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov, and the Panthers. The three stars were Knight (27 for 28 in saves), Reinhart, and Martin (33 for 34 in saves).

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken host the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Joey Daccord draw the starts in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Bozak shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Brandon Saad and Marco Scandella. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Pavel Buchnevich scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Torey Krug and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues padded the lead on a penalty shot goal by Colton Parayko, his fifth of the year. St. Louis continued with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Robert Thomas and Saad. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars given to Husso (27 save shutout), Saad, and Bozak.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a Derek Grant goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Isac Lundestrom and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks added on with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his seventh of the year, via Greg Pateryn and Sam Carrick. Anaheim extended the lead on another Grant goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Vinni Lettieri and Jamie Drysdale on the power play. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period on a Lettieri goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sam Steel and Jacob Larsson. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Ross Colton goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony Cirelli. Anaheim shot back on a Nicolas Deslauriers shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars given to Grant, Shattenkirk, and Lettieri. 

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Thursday, January 20, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 93

We've got nine games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Washington led off in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Alex Ovechkin and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Taylor Hall and Erik Haula. The Bruins took the lead in the second period on another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, passed from Matt Grzelcyk on the power play. The Capitals tied it again with a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Connor McMichael. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington retied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, helped along by Tom Wilson. The Bruins won 4-3 on a Charlie McAvoy power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by DeBrusk and Haula. The three stars were Pastrnak, Haula, and DeBrusk.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and Aaron Dell are in the creases. Buffalo began in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Anders Bjork and Henri Jokiharju. The Sabres added on with a Jack Quinn power play goal, powered by Dahlin and Tage Thompson. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and John Klingberg. Buffalo replied in the second period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his tenth of the season, via Victor Olofsson and Quinn. The Stars pulled one back with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Robertson and Klingberg. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Denis Gurianov and Klingberg. The Sabres took the lead with an Alex Tuch goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Dahlin and Jokiharju. The Stars tied it again in the third period with a Seguin power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with helpers from Hintz and Klingberg. Dallas took the lead with a Robertson power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, made possible by Seguin and Pavelski. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars awarded to Robertson, Seguin, and Klingberg, while Dahlin, Hintz, Quinn, and Jokiharju get honorable mentions.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Carter Hart are set to start in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Boone Jenner and Sean Kuraly. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with a Patrik Laine goal, his sixth of the year, via Jenner and Dean Kukan. Philadelphia got on the board with a Gerry Mayhew goal, passed from Rasmus Ristolainen and Scott Laughton. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Merzlikins (33 for 34 in saves), Jenner, and Laine.

Across the state, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Tristan Jarry in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Dominik Simon goal, his second of the season, fueled by Jeff Carter. Ottawa tied it on a Drake Batherson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Nick Holden. The Penguins took the lead back with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Kasperi Kapanen and Mike Matheson. Filip Gustavsson replaced Forsberg in goal after an overturned goal. Pittsburgh added on with a Matheson goal, his fourth of the year, via Brock McGinn and Teddy Blueger. The Penguins extended the lead as Sidney Crosby scored his seventh of the season on the power play, powered by Bryan Rust and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Matheson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Carter and John Marino. The Senators got one back in the the third period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Sanford and Alex Formenton. Ottawa got closer on a Josh Norris goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Bathreson and Brady Tkachuk. The Senators chipped closer on another Norris goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Erik Brannstrom and Tkachuk. The Penguins iced it at 6-4 with a Jake Guentzel empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Rust and the goalie Jarry. The three stars were Matheson, Norris, and Batherson, while Rust, Carter, and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Nashville started in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Matt Benning and Philip Tomasino. The Predators added on with a Mikael Granlund goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier. Nashville extended the lead as Ryan Johansen scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Josi. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Predators replied with a Luke Kunin goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matt Tennyson and Johansen. The Jets got closer in the third period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his tenth of the year, via Morrissey and Andrew Copp. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with a Tanner Jeannot empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Colton Sissons and Granlund. The three stars were Johansen, Granlund, and Josi, while Morrissey gets an honorable mention.

Way up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mikko Koskinen patrol the creases. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Reinhart and Brandon Montour. Florida extended the lead as Barkov scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Radko Gudas. The Panthers padded the lead on an Anthony Duclair power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Barkov and Huberdeau. Florida continued with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Owen Tippett and Anton Lundell. The Panthers kept going with a Tippett goal, his fifth of the year, with the helpers provided by Maxim Mamin and Lundell. The final stood at 6-0, with the three stars handed to Bobrovsky (40 save shutout), Barkov, and Tippett, while Huberdeau, Reinhart, and Lundell get the honorable mentions.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Kiefer Sherwood goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Iafallo and Drew Doughty. Colorado responded with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his sixth of the season, via Logan O'Connor and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche finished it at 4-1 with a Devon Toews empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Rantanen. The three stars were Rantanen, Kuemper (40 for 41 in saves), and Sherwood.

To Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Robin Lehner receive the starting nods in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Evgenii Dadonov and William Carrier. Montreal tied it on a Michael Pezzetta goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period on a William Karlsson power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. The Canadiens tied it on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Chris Wideman. Montreal took the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, helped along by Christian Dvorak and Laurent Dauphin. Vegas retied it on a Marchessault power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Karlsson and Theodore. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Theodore goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Nicolas Roy. The three stars were Theodore, Marchessault, and Karlsson.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the San Jose Sharks. Adin Hill and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Alexander Barabanov. Seattle tied it in the second period on a Carson Soucy goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Mark Giordano and Mason Appleton. The Kraken took the lead with another Soucy goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, coming off of Alexander Wennberg. Seattle added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Giordano. The Sharks got one back with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Hertl. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Soucy, Hertl, and Giordano. 

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Wednesday, January 19, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 92

Just three games on for this Wednesday, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and MacKenzie Blackwood are in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. Arizona tied it in the second period on a Dysin Mayo goal, his third of the year, guided in by Loui Eriksson and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his tenth of the season, via Eriksson and Anton Stralman. Arizona added on with a Travis Boyd goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes extended the lead in the third period as Johan Larsson scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Crouse and Phil Kessel. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Crouse, Eriksson, and Vejmelka (35 for 36 in saves).

Along to New York, as the Rangers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Toronto began in the first period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Pierre Engvall. The Maple Leafs added on with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by William Nylander and John Tavares. New York got on the board with a Ryan Reaves goal, assisted by Greg McKegg and Adam Fox. Toronto replied with a Michael Bunting goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Auston Matthews and Marner. The Rangers got one back with a Reaves goal, his second of the game, fueled by K'Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba. New York tied it on a Fox goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers gained the lead in the third period with a Strome goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Panarin. New York extended the lead as Chris Kreider scored his twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Trouba and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 with a Fox empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Zibanejad. The three stars were Fox, Reaves, and Strome, with the three stars being Marner, Panarin, Zibanejad, and Trouba. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and John Gibson make the starts in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with a Samuel Girard goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche added on with a Kadri empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, set up by J.T. Compher and Devon Toews. The final was 2-0, with the three stars being Francouz (34 save shutout), Kadri, and Girard. 

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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 91

We've got eight games on again this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Carolina opened in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Jaccob Slavin and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Nino Niederreiter. Boston got on the board with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Carolina replied with a Kotkaniemi goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Slavin and Derek Stepan. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Seth Jarvis scored his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina padded the lead with a Stepan goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jordan Martinook. Linus Ullmark replaced Rask in the second period. The Hurricanes continued in the third period with a Slavin power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by DeAngelo and Teravainen. Carolina kept going with a Svechnikov power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Sebastian Aho and DeAngelo. This stood for a 7-1 win, with the three stars being Slavin, DeAngelo, and Kotkaniemi, while Teravainen, Svechnikov, and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michael Houser and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Alex Tuch and Will Butcher. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with a Tuch empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Cozens and Jeff Skinner. The three stars were Cozens, Tuch, and Houser (43 for 44 in saves).

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Washington began in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Andrew Copp and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Cole Perfetti goal, courtesy of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Connor. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Garnet Hathaway. The Capitals tied it in the second period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the season, via Connor McMichael and Lars Eller. Washington took the lead with an Aliaksei Protas goal, his third of the year, coming off of Justin Schultz and Tom Wilson. Winnipeg tied it on a Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Adam Lowry and Scheifele. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Wilson goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Orlov. The three stars were handed to Wilson, Orlov, and Connor, while Dubois and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Carter Hart are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a Robin Salo goal, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Zach Parise. Philadelphia tied it on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Cam York and Claude Giroux. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his third of the year, via Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Pelech. The Flyers retied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Oskar Lindblom and Scott Laughton. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Giroux goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Cam Atkinson and Joel Farabee. New York tied it again with a Casey Cizikas goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Scott Mayfield and Cal Clutterbuck. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Wahlstrom scored the only tally in nine rounds for a 4-3 Islanders win. The three stars were Giroux, Cizikas, and Bailey.

Next up, the Nashville Predators host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and David Rittich are in the blue paint. Nashville got going in the second period with a Philip Tomasino power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Alexandre Carrier and Eeli Tolvanen. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver added on with a Juho Lammikko goal, his third of the year, helped along by Tyler Motte. The final was 3-1, with the three stars going to Demko (31 for 32 in saves), Boeser, and Lammikko.

Moving on to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Jake Oettinger are set to start in goal. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with a Michael Pezzetta goal, his third of the year, passed from Jake Evans and Artturi Lehkonen. Dallas got on the board with a Jacob Peterson goal, his sixth of the season, via Joe Pavelski. Montreal replied in the third period with a Toffoli shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens extended the lead as Dvorak scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars got one back with a Tyler Seguin goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Joel Hanley and Denis Gurianov. Montreal shot back on a Josh Anderson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Drouin and Rem Pitlick. Dallas pulled back on a Pavelski power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Seguin and Roope Hintz. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Dvorak, Toffoli, and Suzuki, while Seguin and Pavelski get the honorable mentions.

Way up in Calgary, the Flames host the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight is mismatched with Jacob Markstrom in goal. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rasmus Andersson power play goal, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames added on with a Blake Coleman goal, his seventh of the season, via Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Florida got one back with a Sam Bennett goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mason Marchment and Carter Verhaeghe. Calgary shot back on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Tkachuk scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Elias Lindholm and Gaudreau. Calgary padded the lead on a Monahan goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, courtesy of Gaudreau and Tkachuk. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Tkachuk, Gaudreau, and Monahan.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Cal Petersen guard the cages. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Blake Lizotte goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Kings took the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Alex Iafallo goal, his eleventh of the season. The Lightning tied it on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Hedman and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Mathieu Joseph. Los Angeles tied it again with an Arthur Kaliyev power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Sean Durzi and Rasmus Kupari. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Hedman goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Kucherov and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay added on with a Joseph goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Ryan McDonagh and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning extended the lead with a Stamkos empty net goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Killorn. The Kings got one back with a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Viktor Arvidsson. The three stars of the 6-4 game were Hedman, Kucherov, and Joseph, while Stamkos gets an honorable mention. 

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Monday, January 17, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 90

There's eight games on for a holiday Monday, so there's some matinees in the mix. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Aaron Dell are in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his second of the season, via Rasmus Dahlin and Jeff Skinner. The Sabres added on with a Skinner goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Tage Thompson in the third period. Detroit got on the board with a shorthanded Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Moritz Seider and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Robby Fabbri. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Larkin goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Nick Leddy. 

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with an Alex Newhook goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Samuel Girard and Andre Burakovsky. Minnesota got on the board with a Kevin Fiala goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Boldy. Pavel Francouz replaced Kuemper in goal. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Mats Zuccarello and Matt Dumba. Colorado retook the lead with a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. Minnesota tied it again on another Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, made possible by Zuccarello. The Avalanche won 4-3 in the shootout with a Rantanen goal. The three stars were Rantanen, Kaprizov, and MacKinnon while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Travis Boyd goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes added on with a Johan Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Phil Kessel and Dysin Mayo. Montreal got on the board with a Rem Pitlick goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Jonathan Drouin. Arizona replied in the second period with a Janis Moser goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back with a Ryan Poehling goal, his fifth of the season powered by Drouin and Jeff Petry on the power play. The Coyotes answered with a Schmaltz goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Antoine Roussel and Larsson. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Keller empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Schmaltz and Moser. The three stars were Schmaltz, Moser, and Larsson, while Keller and Drouin get the honorable mentions.

To California, as the San Jose Sharks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and James Reimer are the veterans in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his fourth of the year, via Tomas Hertl. San Jose extended the lead as Meier scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks padded the lead on a Meier goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Hertl. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. San Jose shot back on a Meier power play goal, his fourth of the game and nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Karlsson and Hertl. The Sharks continued with Meier's fifth goal of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by Hertl and Karlsson. The Kings pulled one back in the third period with a Mikey Anderson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. The final stood from here at 6-2, with the three stars handed to Meier, Hertl, and Karlsson.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken host the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Chicago got going in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his ninth of the season, via Erik Gustafsson. Seattle tied it on a Vince Dunn goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Riley Sheahan and Adam Larsson. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Brandon Hagel power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kubalik and Patrick Kane. The Kraken tied it in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kraken won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies by Donato and Joonas Donksoi. The three stars were Donato, Dunn, and Kubalik. 

Back east, the New York Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Ilya Sorokin patrol the creases. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Josh Bailey and Andy Greene. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, via Robin Salo and Cal Clutterbuck. Philadelphia took the lead with a Travis Konecny goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Travis Sanheim and Scott Laughton. New York replied in the third period on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Oliver Wahlstrom and Nelson. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Matt Martin empty net goal, set up by Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech.

Westward again to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Ville Husso are the Finnish goalies. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Roman Josi. St. Louis got on the board with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues tied it on an O'Reilly power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Torey Krug. St. Louis pulled ahead in the second period on a Schenn goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Barbashev and Colton Parayko. The Blues extended the lead as Barbashev scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, thanks to Justin Faulk and Schenn. Nashville pulled one back with a Yakov Trenin goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Tanner Jeannot and Philippe Myers in the third period. St. Louis finished it at 5-3 with a Schenn goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Barbashev and O'Reilly. The three stars belonged to Schenn, Barbashev, and O'Reilly.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Dadonov goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas extended the lead on a Nicolas Roy power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Pietrangelo and Jonathan Marchessault. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen. The Penguins got closer with a Teddy Blueger goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Brian Boyle and Mike Matheson. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period on a Zucker goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Kasperi Kapanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead as Jake Guentzel scored his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Carter and Kris Letang. The three stars went to Zucker, Dadonov, and Kapanen, while Carter and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, January 16, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 89

Just a single game on today, as the Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Ilya Samsonov tend the twines. Washington struck first in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Bo Horvat and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks took the lead with another Pettersson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, made possible by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nils Hoglander. Vancouver added on with a Horvat power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by J.T. Miller and Hughes. The Capitals got one back with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Miller empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Brock Boeser. The three stars were Pettersson, Horvat, and Miller, while Hughes and Kuznetsov get the honorable mentions. 

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