Saturday, March 5, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 133

We're set for 10 games this Saturday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ilya Sorokin are the goalies. New York led off in the first period with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Noah Dobson. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Robert Thomas goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Jordan Kyrou. This only made it 2-1, with the three stars going to Nelson, Sorokin (27 for 28 in saves), and Wahlstrom. 

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Martin Jones are the backups in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Travis Sanheim and Kevin Hayes. Chicago tied it in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Dylan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Dominik Kubalik. The Flyers retied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Joel Farabee. Chicago retook the lead with an unassisted Dylan Strome goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season. Philadelphia tied it again in the third period with a Derick Brassard goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Atkinson and Farabee. The Flyers gained the lead with an Atkinson goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, made possible by Farabee. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Atkinson, Farabee, and Strome.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Scott Wedgewood are the masked men. Arizona opened in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere. The Coyotes added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Gostisbehere and Schmaltz. Arizona extended the lead as Schmaltz scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Matias Maccelli goal, assisted by Phil Kessel and Gostisbehere. Ottawa got on the board with a Parker Kelly goal, his third of the year, guided in by Thomas Chabot and Nikita Zaitsev. The Senators got closer with a Josh Norris power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Chabot and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa pulled closer on a Kelly goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Connor Brown and Chabot. The Senators tied it in the third period with an Alex Formenton goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Stutzle and Adam Gaudette. Ottawa pulled ahead on a Nick Paul goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Nick Holden and Zach Sanford. Arizona retied it on another Keller goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, coming off of Schmaltz. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Lawson Crouse power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Keller and Schmaltz. Arizona continued with a Gostisbehere goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Schmaltz and Mayo. The Coyotes struck again with a Dysin Mayo goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Keller and Schmaltz. The final was 8-5, with the three stars going to Schmaltz, Keller, and Gostisbehere, while Kelly, Chabot, Mayo, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Florida Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Sergei Bobrovsky make starts in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Mason Marchment goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by MacKenzie Weegar and Aleksander Barkov. Detroit tied it on a Robby Fabbri goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Danny DeKeyser and Gustav Lindstrom. The Panthers took the lead back with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Barkov on the power play. Florida added on with an Anton Lundell power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour. The Panthers extended the lead in the second period as Bennett scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Jonathan Huberdeau and Weegar. Florida padded the lead on a Lucas Carlsson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe and Barkov. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Greiss in goal. The Panthers continued with another Lundell goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Frank Vatrano and Reinhart. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Joe Veleno. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars being Lundell, Barkov, and Bennett, while Reinhart and Weegar get the honorable mentions.

Up north, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Elvis Merzlikins are set to start in goal. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Columbus tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins tied it in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Marchand. Columbus retook the lead with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Boston tied it in the third period with a Craig Smith goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Connor Clifton and Nick Foligno. The Bruins took the lead on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Voracek power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Laine and Sean Kuraly. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pastrnak's lone tally gave the Bruins a 5-4 win. The three stars were Marchand, Laine, and Voracek.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Tanner Pearson and Travis Hamonic. Toronto tied it on a John Tavares power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Canucks regained the lead with a Hamonic goal, his second of the season, via Brad Hunt and Bo Horvat. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Nicholas Robertson goal, coming off of William Nylander and Tavares. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs took the lead with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, with helpers from Timothy Liljegren and Michael Bunting. The Canucks tied it again in the third period with a Pearson goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Tyler Myers and Boeser. Vancouver took the lead on an Alex Chiasson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Horvat and Vasily Podkolzin. The Canucks iced it at 6-4 with a Tyler Motte empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Elias Pettersson. The three stars were Pearson, Miller, and Boeser, while Hamonic, Horvat, Matthews, and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Vitek Vanecek patrol the creases. Washington kicked off in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Nic Dowd and Nick Jensen. Seattle got on the board with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his second of the season, assisted by Riley Sheahan and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken tied it in the second period with a Colin Blackwell goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Mason Appleton and Adam Larsson. Washington regained the lead on a Conor Sheary power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Wilson and Ovechkin. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period on an Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with the help of John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Sheary empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ovechkin, Sheary, and Wilson.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Cole Caufield goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Leon Draisaitl. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Chris Wideman. The Oilers tied it on a Ryan McLeod goal, his sixth of the year, via Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard in the second period. Montreal took the lead with a Suzuki power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Wideman and Caufield. The Canadiens added on with an Artturi Lehkonen shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Brett Kulak and Suzuki. Montreal extended the lead as Mike Hoffman scored his eleventh of the campaign into an empty net, helped along by Gallagher and Ben Chiarot. The final was 5-2, with the three stars being Suzuki, Caufield, and Gallagher, while Wideman gets an honorable mention.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Michael McCarron goal, his third of the season, fueled by Philip Tomasino and Dante Fabbro. The Predators tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville extended the lead as Matt Luff scored his second of the season, thanks to Tomasino and Josi. The Predators padded the lead on a Luff goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Tomasino and McCarron. Nashville continued in the third period with a Duchene goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators struck again with a McCarron goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Luff and Josi. Zach Sawchenko replaced Stalock in goal. Nashville kept going with a Yakov Trenin goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators piled on with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by McCarron and Josi. The final held at 8-0, with the three stars awarded to McCarron, Luff, and Duchene, while Josi and Tomasino get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. Daniel Vladar is mismatched with Darcy Kuemper in goal. Colorado got going in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Avalanche retook the lead with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Newhook and Nichushkin. The Flames tied it again with a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Tkachuk and Nikita Zadorov. Calgary took the lead in the second period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Gaudreau and Tkachuk. Colorado tied it again with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Kadri and Cale Makar. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Gaudreau goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Lindholm. The three stars were Lindholm, Gaudreau, and Tkachuk, while Kadri and Nichushkin get the honorable mentions. 

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Friday, March 4, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 132

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

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, via Marcus Pettersson and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Crosby goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Staal goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Ethan Bear. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The three stars were Staal, Crosby, and Guentzel.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Detroit tied it on a Robby Fabbri goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Moritz Seider and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Lightning retook the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Sergachev power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Hedman and Ross Colton. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Steven Stamkos power play goal into an empty net, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Kucherov and Hedman. The three stars were Hedman, Kucherov, and Elliott (22 for 23 in saves).

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Elvis Merzlikins receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Trevor Moore. Columbus tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Sean Kuraly. Columbus added on with a Justin Danforth goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Max Domi and Kuraly. The Kings got one back on an unassisted Dustin Brown goal in the third period, his seventh of the season. Los Angeles tied it with another Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with an Arvidsson goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the campaign, guided in by Phillip Danault. The three stars belonged to Arvidsson, Brown, and Kuraly.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Craig Anderson man the nets. Buffalo began in the first period with a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Kyle Okposo. Minnesota tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon. The Sabres took the lead again in the second period with an Okposo power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mittelstadt and Dahlin. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Frederick Gaudreau and Alex Goligoski. Minnesota pulled ahead with a Kaprizov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Spurgeon and Matt Boldy. Buffalo tied it again on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone helper from Tage Thompson. The Sabres pulled ahead with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo added on with a Victor Olofsson empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Peyton Krebs. The Wild got one back with a Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, via Fiala and Jonas Brodin. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Skinner, Okposo, and Mittelstadt, while Kaprizov, Dahlin, Fiala, and Spurgeon get the honorable mentions.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Igor Shesterkin are between the pipes. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Andreas Johnsson. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Filip Chytil goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Ryan Lindgren. New York added on in the third period with a Kreider goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, passed from Zibanejad and Adam Fox. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Shesterkin (32 for 33 in saves), Kreider, and Zibanejad.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Dallas started in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Ryan Suter and Joe Pavelski. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Andrew Copp and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Stars retook the lead with another Robertson goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Thomas Harley. The Jets tied it again in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-third of the year, passed from Evgeny Svechnikov and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg took the lead on a Stastny goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Dylan DeMelo. Dallas tied it again with a Denis Gurianov goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Jamie Benn and Suter. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Robertson unassisted goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the campaign. The three stars were Robertson, Stastny, and Suter.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and John Gibson occupy the creases. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas tied it on a Ben Hutton goal, his second of the year, via Michael Amadio and Evgenii Dadonov. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. The Ducks retied it on a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Cam Fowler and Derek Grant. Vegas took the lead again on a Nicolas Roy goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights added on with another Roy goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, coming off of Alex Pietrangelo and Amadio. Vegas extended the lead as Amadio scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier. Anaheim got one back with a Trevor Zegras power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell and Jamie Drysdale. The Ducks pulled closer on a Terry power play goal in the third period, his twenty-eighth of the season, guided in by Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk. The final stood at 5-4, with the three stars handed to Roy, Amadio, and Fowler. 

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Thursday, March 3, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 131

It's another nine-game day this time. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Carter Hart are the goalies. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. The Flyers retook the lead on a Patrick Brown goal, his third of the season, assisted by Zack MacEwen and Max Willman. The Wild tied it again on a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia took the lead in the second period on a Travis Konecny goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Laughton. Minnesota tied it again with another Hartman goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Calen Addison. The Flyers regained the lead on a power play goal by James van Riemsdyk, his twelfth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Keith Yandle. The Wild tied it once more with a Matthew Boldy goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Fiala. Minnesota took the lead with a Jonas Brodin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Dmitry Kulikov. The final was 5-4, with the three stars given to Hartman, Fiala, and Laughton.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his twelfth of the season, via Kasperi Kapanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jake Guentzel and Malkin. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Pat Maroon. Pittsburgh replied with a Brock McGinn goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Evan Rodrigues. The Penguins extended the lead as Malkin scored in the third period, his tenth of the season, with the help of Heinen. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Guentzel empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Kris Letang and Crosby. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Malkin, Heinen, and Crosby, while Guentzel gets an honorable mention.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a power play goal by Mason Marchment, his twelfth of the season, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Sam Bennett. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Hornqvist power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Marchment and Bennett. Florida extended the lead as Ryan Lomberg scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Frank Vatrano and Eetu Luostarinen. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars given to Bobrovsky (18 save shutout), Marchment, and Hornqvist, while Bennett gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. Washington started in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Martin Fehervary goal, his fourth of the year, via Conor Sheary and Garnet Hathaway. Washington extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin scored his thirty-third of the season on the power play, thanks to John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period on a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Sheary and Justin Schultz. The final was 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Vanecek (36 save shutout), Sheary, and Kuznetsov.

Up in New York, the Islanders welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Noah Dobson goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Andy Greene. Vancouver tied it on a Brad Hunt goal, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. The Islanders tied it on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. New York took the lead in the third period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Vancouver tied it on a Nils Hoglander goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Conor Garland and Hughes. The Canucks pulled ahead with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Bo Horvat. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars handed to Hughes, Podkolzin, and Hoglander.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his second of the season, passed from Philipp Kurashev and Ryan Carpenter. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Caleb Jones. The Oilers tied it again on an Evander Kane goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. Chicago pulled ahead with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on a Evander Kane goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, fueled by McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Patrick Kane and Seth Jones. The three stars were Evander Kane, Patrick Kane, and Draisaitl, while McDavid gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames host the Montreal Canadiens. Andrew Hammond is mismatched with Jacob Markstrom in goal. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his twelfth of the season, via Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Montreal tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nick Suzuki and Artturi Lehkonen. The Flames retook the lead in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary added on with a Mangiapane shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Tyler Toffoli and the goalie Markstrom. The Canadiens got one back with a Suzuki power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Cole Caufield. Montreal tied it on a Ben Chiarot goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Hoffman and Suzuki. The Canadiens took the lead on a Hoffman goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Laurent Dauphin and Chiarot. The Flames tied it again on an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Mangiapane and Rasmus Andersson. Montreal won 5-4 in overtime with a Chiarot goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Rem Pitlick and Hoffman. The three stars were Hoffman, Chiarot, and Suzuki, while Mangiapane gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Karel Vejmelka are the Czech goalies. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Devon Toews goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Arizona tied it on a Loui Eriksson goal, his second of the year, via Antoine Roussel and Janis Moser. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars given to Vejmelka (42 for 43 in saves), Schmaltz, and Eriksson.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Trent Frederic and Derek Forbort. The Bruins added on in the second period with another Smith goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Frederic. Vegas got on the board with a Jack Eichel goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Boston replied in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirtieth of the year, fueled by Frederic and Erik Haula. The Bruins extended the lead as Smith completed his hat trick on his ninth of the season, guided in by Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo. The Golden Knights got one back with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone helper by Alex Pietrangelo. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, set up by Haula. The three stars were Smith, Pastrnak, and Frederic, while Haula gets an honorable mention. 

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Wednesday, March 2, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 130

Four games on for this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jacob Bryson power play goal, powered by Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. Toronto tied it on a Rasmus Sandin goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Michael Bunting and Mitchell Marner. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Rasmus Asplund and Rasmus Dahlin. Buffalo added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period as Skinner scored his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo padded the lead as Kyle Okposo scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Cozens and Mark Pysyk. The final stood from here at 5-1, with the three stars being Anderson (29 for 30 in saves), Cozens, and Skinner.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York started in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Adam Fox. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, his twelfth of the year, via Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba. St. Louis got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Brandon Saad and David Perron. The Blues tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis pulled ahead on a Perron goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by O'Reilly and Colton Parayko. New York retied it in the third period on a Patrik Nemeth goal, guided in by Strome and Dryden Hunt. The Rangers took the lead on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Fox and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Panarin, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Fox. The three stars were Panarin, Fox, and Strome, while O'Reilly and Perron get the honorable mentions.

Further south to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Trevor Moore. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Luke Glendening goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Michael Raffl and Radek Faksa. The Kings took the lead on an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles added on with a Kaliyev power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, powered by Sean Durzi and Dustin Brown. The Stars got one back with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. Dallas tied it on a Ryan Suter goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Joel Kiviranta and Jacob Peterson. The Stars took the lead on an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Suter and Jamie Benn. This made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Suter, Kaliyev, and Radulov.

Out in Seattle, the Kraken host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros faces a lesser foe in Chris Driedger in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Philip Tomasino goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael McCarron and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Josi and Ryan Johansen. Seattle got on the board with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fifth of the season, via Marcus Johansson and Kole Lind. The Kraken tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Morgan Geekie. Seattle took the lead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Colin Blackwell and Vince Dunn. Nashville retied it on another Duchene goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro. The Kraken retook the lead in the third period with a Blackwell shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Gourde. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars given to Blackwell, Gourde, and Duchene, while Josi gets an honorable mention. 

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Tuesday, March 1, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 129

Nine games are on the slate Tuesday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Ottawa started in the first period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Thomas Chabot and Connor Brown. The Senators added on with a Zach Sanford goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Colin White and Brady Tkachuk. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his tenth of the season, via Brayden Point. The Lightning tied it on a Point goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Jan Rutta. Tampa Bay took the lead in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Point. The Lightning extended the lead as Corey Perry scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Pat Maroon and Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his third of the season, fueled by Point. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Point, Kucherov, and Stamkos.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Carter Hart protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton iced it at 3-0 with a McDavid empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The three stars were Koskinen (39 save shutout), Draisaitl, and McDavid.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. New Jersey opened the scoring in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Jake Christiansen goal, coming off of Cole Sillinger and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek and Jack Roslovic. Columbus added on in the second period with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Patrik Laine and Voracek. The Devils got one back with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Damon Severson and Michael McLeod. The Blue Jackets answered in the third period with a Laine goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Jenner and Gabriel Carlsson. New Jersey pulled one back on a Pavel Zacha goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Laine, Jenner, and Voracek.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Teuvo Teravainen. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Carter Rowney goal, his fourth of the year, via Sam Gagner and Adam Erne. The Red Wings took the lead with a Michael Rasmussen goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, passed from Jordan Oesterle and Filip Zadina. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Jesper Fast goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce. Carolina took the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ian Cole and Nino Niederreiter. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Tyler Bertuzzi and Moritz Seider. The three stars were Raymond, Larkin, and Rasmussen.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli. The Flames added on with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Calgary answered with a Lindholm goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Toffoli scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary padded the lead on a Backlund empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Mangiapane and Noah Hanifin. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Tkachuk, and Lindholm, while Backlund, Mangiapane, and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nate Schmidt and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with a Schmidt goal, his fourth of the year, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Svechnikov. Winnipeg extended the lead as Adam Lowry scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Dylan DeMelo. The Jets padded the lead on a Mark Scheifele goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Dubois and Connor. Montreal got on the board with a Josh Anderson goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jeff Petry. The Canadiens got closer with another Anderson power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Montreal pulled closer on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jake Evans. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with an Anderson goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, with a helper from Ryan Poehling. Winnipeg retook the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Neal Pionk and Paul Stastny on the power play. The Jets continued in the third period with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by Blake Wheeler on the power play. Winnipeg struck again on a Dubois power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Scheifele and Wheeler. Andrew Hammond replaced Montembeault in goal. The Jets kept going with a Stastny power play goal, his thirteenth of year, dished from Lowry and Copp. The final stood at 8-4, with the three stars handed to Scheifele, Dubois, and Anderson, while Connor, Lowry, Copp, Stastny, Svechnikov, Schmidt, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Cale Makar and Devon Toews. New York tied it on a Ryan Pulock goal, courtesy of Zach Parise and Josh Bailey. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Toews goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Andre Burakovsky and Makar. The Islanders retied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Parise and Cal Clutterbuck. New York took the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his sixth of the year, via Andy Greene and Pageau. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Toews. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a Burakovsky goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Kadri. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Erik Johnson, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Toews, Burakovsky, and Makar, while Pageau, Kadri, and Parise get the honorable mentions.

To Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his sixth of the season, via Brett Howden. Zach Sawchenko replaced an injured Reimer in goal. San Jose tied it on a Noah Gregor goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano in the second period. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Vegas added on in the third period with a Smith goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Karlsson and Marchessault. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Smith, Lehner (16 for 17 in saves), and Karlsson, while Marchessault gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Trevor Zegras. Boston tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his second of the year, fueled by Brandon Carlo and Tomas Nosek. The Ducks took the lead back with an Isac Lundestrom goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Cam Fowler and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Troy Terry and Getzlaf. The Bruins got one back in the second period with a Carlo goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nosek and Foligno. Boston tied it in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by Taylor Hall and Erik Haula. The Ducks won 4-3 with a Zegras power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Jamie Drysdale and Getzlaf. The three stars were Zegras, Getzlaf, and Foligno, while Carlo and Nosek get the honorable mentions. 

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Monday, February 28, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 128

There's just three games on this Monday, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Nico Daws are the goalies. New Jersey opened with a Jack Hughes goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Dawson Mercer and Hughes. New Jersey extended the lead on a Mercer power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Bo Horvat and Travis Hamonic. The Devils replied with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Ryan Graves. New Jersey padded the lead as Graves scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Sharangovich. The Devils chased Halak with a Bratt goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Pavel Zacha and Hischier. Thatcher Demko relieved Halak in goal. The Canucks got one back with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Brad Hunt and J.T. Miller. New Jersey shot back in the third period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Boqvist and Tomas Tatar. This stood for a 7-2 win, with the three stars given to Mercer, Sharangovich, and Bratt, while Hughes, Graves, Boqvist and Hischier get the honorable mentions.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Mitchell Marner and Rasmus Sandin. Washington tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a William Nylander goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot. Toronto added on with a Justin Holl goal, his second of the year, guided in by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Vitek Vanecek replaced Samsonov in the second period. The Capitals got one back in the second period with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Carlson. Washington tied it in the third period with a Wilson shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Martin Fehervary. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Sandin goal, his third of the season, helped along by Holl and Tavares. Toronto iced it at 5-3 with a Pierre Engvall empty net goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Ilya Mikheyev. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. Boston struck first in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with another DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston extended the lead as DeBrusk completed his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins padded the lead on a Bergeron power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Marchand. Boston continued with a Taylor Hall, goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Pastrnak and McAvoy. The Bruins struck again in the third period with an Erik Haula power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith. Boston kept going on a Haula goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Hall and DeBrusk. This made it 7-0, with the three stars awarded to DeBrusk, Haula, and Bergeron, while Swayman (34 save shutout), Hall, Marchand, Pastrnak, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, February 27, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 127

There's eight games on for a busy Sunday. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina opened in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Andrei Svechnikov and Jalen Chatfield. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Teravainen and Svechnikov. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Teravainen, Svechnikov, and Andersen (29 for 30 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. Dallas started in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Radek Faksa and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on with a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Thomas Harley in the second period. Buffalo got on the board with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson. Dallas replied with a Raffl goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Dallas extended the lead in the third period on a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn. The Sabres got one back with a Cody Eakin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Robert Hagg. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Raffl, Oettinger (38 for 40 in saves), and Hintz.

North to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Robert Thomas. St. Louis extended the lead on a David Perron power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Blues padded the lead as Perron scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars given to Binnington (30 save shutout), Perron, and Schenn.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Scott Wedgewood draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his sixth of the season, via Nathan Beaulieu and Nate Schmidt. Arizona tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his third of the year, assisted by Vladislav Kolyachonok and Loui Eriksson. The Jets retook the lead with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Beaulieu and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Coyotes retied it on a Barrett Hayton goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nick Ritchie and Chychrun. Arizona took the lead with a Ritchie goal in the second period, his third of the season, guided in by Eriksson and Hayton. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny. The Jets took the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-first of the season, helped along by Svechnikov and Dubois. Winnipeg added with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, set up by Neal Pionk. The three stars were handed to Connor, Svechnikov, and Dubois, while Beaulieu, Hayton, Ritchie, Chychrun, and Eriksson get the honorable mentions in 5-3 game.

Back east, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Elvis Merzlikins are set to start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Jack Roslovic and Jakub Voracek. Pittsburgh tied it on a Chad Ruhwedel goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period on a Roslovic goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins tied it on a Malkin power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Kris Letang and Rust. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Malkin, Rust, and Roslovic.

Next up, the New York Rangers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko faces a lesser foe in Alexandar Georgiev in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Myers goal, helped along by Miller and Matthew Highmore. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Juho Lammikko scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Luke Schenn. The Canucks padded the lead on a Highmore power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Myers. New York got on the board in the third period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers got closer with a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with an Elias Pettersson empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by the goalie Demko. The three stars were Miller, Myers, and Highmore. 

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Anthony Stolarz are set to start in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Noah Dobson goal, his ninth of the season, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Ross Johnston and Cal Clutterbuck in the second period. New York extended the lead in the third period as Andy Greene scored his second of the season, thanks to Johnston and Cizikas. The Islanders padded the lead with a Kieffer Bellows goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Oliver Wahlstrom and Sebastian Aho. The three stars of the 4-0 game were Sorokin (34 save shutout), Cizikas, and Johnston.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and James Reimer tend the twines. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Logan Couture and Noah Gregor. Seattle tied it on a Morgan Geekie goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Ryan Donato and Austin Czarnik. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Scott Reedy goal, helped along by Jasper Weatherby. San Jose added on in the third period with a Jonah Gadjovich power play goal, powered by Weatherby and Brent Burns. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Reimer (39 for 40 in saves), Weatherby, and Reedy. 

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