It's Hockey Day in Canada, so the games start early this Saturday. The first of ten is in...
Ottawa, as the Senators host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Anton Forsberg man the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Josh Manson and Sam Steel. Ottawa tied it on a Tyler Ennis goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Lassi Thomson and Thomas Chabot. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Troy Terry goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, via Ryan Getzlaf. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gibson (44 for 45 in saves), Terry, and Rakell.
Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Carter Hart are the goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Gerry Mayhew goal, his third of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Morgan Frost. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Claude Giroux. Los Angeles got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Sean Durzi and Phillip Danault. Philadelphia shot back on an Atkinson shorthanded and unassisted goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year. The Kings pulled back on an Arvidsson power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Arthur Kaliyev and Durzi. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Scott Laughton goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Atkinson and Ivan Provorov. The three stars went to Atkinson, Arvidsson, and Durzi.
Over in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Ville Husso patrol the creases. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. Winnipeg tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg added on with a Nate Schmidt power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Mark Scheifele and Connor. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with a Stastny empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Neal Pionk. The three stars were handed to Stastny, Connor, and Comrie (28 for 29 in saves).
Down in Florida, the Panthers host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Rudolfs Balcers. The Sharks added on with a Jonathan Dahlen power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Noah Gregor. Florida got on the board with a Gustav Forsling goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment. San Jose replied in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nick Bonino and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Panthers got one back in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Jonathan Huberdeau and Carter Verhaeghe. The Sharks answered with another Dahlen power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Brent Burns and Bonino. Florida pulled back with a Marchment goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Reinhart. The Panthers tied it as Huberdeau scored his seventeenth of the year, with the help of Verhaeghe and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida won with a Sam Bennett goal in overtime, his twenty-first of the campaign, made possible by Huberdeau. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Huberdeau, Marchment, and Dahlen, while Bonino, Verhaeghe, and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.
Back north, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Samuel Montembeault man the nets. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, assisted by Evan Bouchard and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his twelfth of the season, via Kris Russell and William Lagesson. Edmonton extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his thirtieth of the year, thanks to Warren Foegele. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Jake Evans. The Oilers answered with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Hyman and Zack Kassian. Edmonton padded the lead on a Hyman goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Darnell Nurse and Nugent-Hopkins. The Canadiens got one back with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman and Nick Suzuki. The Oilers responded on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, helped along by Foegele and Duncan Keith. Cayden Primeau replaced Montembeault in goal. Edmonton shot back in the third period with a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Devin Shore and Keith. The final was 7-2, and the three stars were Hyman, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Keith and Foegele get the honorable mentions.
Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Vladislav Namestnikov. Toronto tied it with a Pierre Engvall goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Jason Spezza. The Red Wings retook the lead with a Namestnikov goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Larkin and Moritz Seider. Detroit added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Robby Fabbri and Seider. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Michael Bunting goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Justin Holl and David Kampf. The Red Wings responded with a Larkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Fabbri and Lucas Raymond. Toronto got one back in the third period with a Bunting goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Auston Matthews and Holl. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Bunting goal, completing his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, with the help of Mitchell Marner and Matthews. Toronto pulled ahead with a Rasmus Sandin goal, via John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with a Marner power play empty net goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Kerfoot and Rielly. Toronto iced it at 7-4 with a Tavares empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Kampf. The three stars belonged to Bunting, Larkin, and Tavares, while Marner, Matthews, Kerfoot, Kampf, Rielly, Holl, Namestnikov, Seider, and Fabbri all get honorable mentions.
South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brett Howden goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by William Carrier. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Carrier goal, his fifth of the year, via Howden. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Ross Colton goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Corey Perry and Pat Maroon. The Lightning tied it with a Perry goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Nicolas Roy, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson and Mark Stone tallied for the Golden Knights to give them a 4-3 win over Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Colton, and the Lightning. The three stars were Howden, Carrier, and Perry.
Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the season, helped along by Seth Jarvis and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Ian Cole. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Boqvist goal, coming off of Jimmy Vesey and Janne Kuokkanen. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Raanta (24 for 25 in saves), Svechnikov, and Martinook.
Out west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jacob Bryson and Cody Eakin. The Sabres added on with a Peyton Krebs goal, his third of the year, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period as Tuch scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Krebs and Tage Thompson. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars belonging to Anderson (27 for 28 in saves), Krebs, and Tuch.
Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary won 1-0 in overtime with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Elias Lindholm. The three stars were Gaudreau, Markstrom (15 save shutout), and Demko (31 for 32 in saves).
Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.