There's nine games on this Saturday, beginning with...
The New Jersey Devils hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrew Hammond draw the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with an unassisted Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-sixth of the year. Florida got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey shot back in the second period with a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Dawson Mercer. The Devils extended the lead as Janne Kuokkanen scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Andreas Johnsson and Ty Smith. The Panthers pulled one back with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, helped along by Brandon Montour. New Jersey replied with a Sharangovich shorthanded goal, completing his hat trick on his nineteenth of the season, set up by Nico Hischier. The Devils padded the lead on a Johnsson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Kuokkanen and Jesper Boqvist. Spencer Knight replaced Bobrovsky in goal. Florida countered in the third period with a Montour goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Anthony Duclair and Mason Marchment. The Panthers got closer on a Gustav Forsling goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Sam Reinhart. Florida chipped closer with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers tied it as Barkov scored his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, with the help of MacKenzie Weegar and Huberdeau. Florida won 7-6 in overtime with a Forsling goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Bennett. The three stars were Forsling, Barkov, and Sharangovich, while Montour, Huberdeau, Bennett, Johnsson, and Kuokkanen get the honorable mentions.
Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Colorado got going in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Nathan MacKinnon. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. The Avalanche took the lead back with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alex Newhook and Nico Sturm. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Mike Matheson goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Guentzel. Colorado retook the lead on a Devon Toews goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by MacKinnon and Rantanen. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.
At the regular time, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Minnesota led off in the first period with a power play goal by Mats Zuccarello, his twentieth of the season, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on in the second period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his fifth of the year, via Tyson Jost and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Kaprizov scored his thirty-ninth of the season, thanks to Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Fleury (37 for 38 in saves), Kaprizov, and Zuccarello.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Brian Elliott are the former teammates in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up Nick Paul. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Rem Pitlick in the second period. Tampa Bay shot back with a Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Canadiens got one back on a Corey Schueneman goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Nick Suzuki. Montreal tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Mike Hoffman. The Lightning took the lead back with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Ondrej Palat and Kucherov. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Poehling and Tyler Pitlick. Montreal won 5-4 in the shootout with a lone tally by Suzuki. The three stars were given to Suzuki, Kucherov, and Hedman.
Back north, the Boston Bruins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins is mismatched with Jeremy Swayman in goal. Boston kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Charlie McAvoy. Columbus tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Cole Sillinger and Andrew Peeke. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Justin Danforth goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Yegor Chinakhov and Sean Kuraly. The Bruins tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Haula power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Brandon Carlo and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins added on with a DeBrusk empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Marchand and McAvoy. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Charlie Coyle, his fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Bergeron and Marchand. The three stars belonged to Haula, Marchand, and DeBrusk, while Bergeron and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.
Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Carter Hart return from injury to start in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ivan Provorov and Oskar Lindblom. Toronto tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Timothy Liljegren goal, his third of the season, via Mark Giordano and Michael Bunting. The Flyers tied it again with a Provorov goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Hayes. Toronto took the lead back in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-first of the year, passed from Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Pierre Engvall shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Rielly. Philadelphia answered with a Provorov goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Patrick Brown and Zack MacEwen. Toronto replied with a Rielly goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Bunting and Marner. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as John Tavares scored his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of William Nylander. The final was 6-3, with the three stars given to Rielly, Provorov, and Marner, while Bunting and Hayes get the honorable mentions.
Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Adrian Kempe shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by Phillip Danault and Alexander Edler. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Mark Scheifele. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Kempe and Sean Durzi. Los Angeles added on with a power play goal by Gabriel Vilardi, his third of the year, powered by Jordan Spence and Kopitar. The Jets got one back with an Adam Lowry goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ville Heinola and Neal Pionk. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kempe, Kopitar, and Vilardi.
In Calgary, the Flames welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Justin Faulk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Calgary tied it on a Brett Ritchie goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Erik Gudbranson. The Blues tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn. St. Louis took the lead back with a Faulk goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by David Perron and Brandon Saad. Calgary tied it on a Hanifin goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues retook the lead with a Nathan Walker goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Thomas and Marco Scandella. St. Louis added on with an Ivan Barbashev empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists by Schenn and Faulk. The Flames got one back with a Dillon Dube goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. The Blues iced it at 6-4 with a Saad empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Pavel Buchnevich. The three stars went to Thomas, Faulk, and Hanifin, while Saad and Schenn get the honorable mentions.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Noah Gregor and Erik Karlsson. Dallas tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Tyler Seguin. The Stars gained the lead with a Jani Hakanpaa goal, his third of the season, guided in by Seguin and Namestnikov. Dallas added on with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from John Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. The Stars extended the lead as Jason Robertson scored his thirty-second of the season, thanks to Denis Gurianov and Seguin. James Reimer relieved Kahkonen in goal in the second period. The Sharks got one back in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Sasha Chmelevski and Jaycob Megna. Dallas responded in the third period with a Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Hintz and Robertson. San Jose pulled back with a John Leonard goal, assisted by Karlsson and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks got closer with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Chmelevski and Gregor. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Seguin, Pavelski, and Hintz, while Robertson, Namestnikov, Karlsson, Gregor, and Chmelevski get the honorable mentions.
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