Saturday, April 9, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 168

There's twelve games on today, beginning with...

The Dallas Stars hosting the New Jersey Devils. Jake Oettinger and Nico Daws are the young goalies. Dallas got going in the second period with a Ryan Suter power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Vladislav Namestnikov and Jamie Benn. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Ty Smith goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Nico Hischier and Fabian Zetterlund. The Devils took the lead with a Hischier goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Kevin Bahl and Zetterlund. New Jersey finished it at 3-1 with a Pavel Zacha goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Jesper Boqvist. The three stars were Hischier, Zetterlund, and Daws (28 for 29 in saves). 

Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. Washington tied it on a Marcus Johansson goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals took the lead with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Johan Larsson and Nic Dowd. The Penguins retied it on a Jeff Carter goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Evan Rodrigues. Pittsburgh took the lead on a Brian Boyle goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Teddy Blueger. Washington retied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fourth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Justin Schultz. Washington added on with an empty net goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals finished it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Martin Fehervary, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Wilson and Carlson. The three stars were Wilson, Carlson, and Kuznetsov.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Florida started in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Filip Forsberg and Alexandre Carrier. The Panthers retook the lead in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment. Florida added on with an empty net goal by Jonathan Huberdeau, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Forsling empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Forsling, Knight (24 for 25 in saves), and Reinhart.

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Erik Kallgren are set to start in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Mark Giordano and Mitchell Marner. Samuel Montembeault entered the contest. The Maple Leafs added on with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-eighth of the year, via Michael Bunting and Justin Holl. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Joel Edmundson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry. Toronto replied with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Ilya Mikheyev and Alexander Kerfoot. The Canadiens got one back with a Cole Caufield goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Matthews, Tavares, and Kallgren (24 for 26 in saves).

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Zach Werenski. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings took the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Marc Staal and Mitchell Stephens. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Cole Sillinger goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Werenski and Jakub Voracek. Columbus pulled ahead in the third period with another Roslovic goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, made possible by Patrik Laine and The Blue Jackets added on with a Justin Danforth goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Roslovic and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit got one back on a Dylan Larkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Lucas Raymond and Jordan Oesterle. The Red Wings tied it on a Vrana goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with a helper from Pius Suter. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Roslovic goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Nyquist and Werenski. The three stars were Roslovic, Vrana, and Werenski, while Nyquist gets an honorable mention.

Over in New York, the Rangers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. Ottawa led off in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his seventh of the season, via Mark Kastelic and Parker Kelly. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with an Andrew Copp goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Panarin and K'Andre Miller. New York added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his forty-eighth of the year, passed from Ryan Lindgren and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers extended the lead as Ryan Strome scored his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Panarin and Lindgren. New York padded the lead in the third period with another Kreider goal, his second of the game and forty-ninth of the year, with helpers from Frank Vatrano and Justin Braun. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kreider, Panarin, and Lindgren.

Way out west, the Seattle Kraken host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Philipp Grubauer tend the twines. Calgary began in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. Seattle tied it on a Karson Kuhlman goal, his third of the year, passed from Morgan Geekie and Jared McCann. The Flames took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Hanifin and Dillon Dube. Calgary added on in the second period with a Michael Stone power play goal, his second of the year, made possible by Hanifin and Andrew Mangiapane. The Flames iced it at 4-1 in the third period on a Tyler Toffoli empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Dube and Hanifin. The three stars were Hanifin, Dube, and Markstrom (27 for 28 in saves).

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Martin Jones draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia drew first blood in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Morgan Frost and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Ronnie Attard goal, via Hayden Hodgson and Scott Laughton. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Drysdale and Cam Fowler. The Ducks tied it on a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Adam Henrique and Andrej Sustr. Anaheim took the lead with a Trevor Zegras power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Urho Vaakanainen and Drysdale. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Nate Thompson and Cam York. The Ducks gained the lead with a Zegras goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, helped along by Derek Grant. Anaheim extended the lead as Grant scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Sustr and Dominik Simon. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars going to Zegras, Grant, and Drysdale, while Sustr gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jordan Binnington are the veteran goalies. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Nick Leddy goal, his third of the season, guided in by Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Tarasenko goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Colton Parayko and Thomas. St. Louis extended the lead as Justin Faulk scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Brandon Saad and David Perron. The Blues padded the lead on another Faulk goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, made possible by Jordan Kyrou and Ivan Barbashev. St. Louis continued with a Barbashev goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Kyrou and Faulk. New York got on the board with a Brant Hutton goal, with a lone helper by Brock Nelson. The Blues shot back with a Thomas goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Faulk, Thomas, and Tarasenko, while Barbashev and Kyrou get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Mikko Koskinen are between the pipes. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Darnell Nurse. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews. The tie went to a shootout, where MacKinnon's lone tally stood for a 2-1 win. The three stars were Kuemper (49 for 50 in saves), MacKinnon, and Koskinen (33 for 34 in saves).

Next up, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Thatcher Demko are in the creases. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Alex Chiasson. The Sharks tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his eleventh of the year, via Brent Burns and Noah Gregor. Vancouver took the lead with a Chiasson goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Tyler Myers. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Luke Schenn empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Chiasson, Demko (35 for 37 in saves), and Dickinson.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Robin Lehner are in the blue paint. Vegas started in the first period with a Zach Whitecloud goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Chandler Stephenson and Brayden McNabb. Arizona got on the board with a Barrett Hayton goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael Carcone and Phil Kessel. Vegas replied in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Shea Theodore and McNabb. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the third period as McNabb scored his third of the season, thanks to Stephenson and Mattias Janmark. Vegas padded the lead on a Jake Leschyshyn goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jonas Rondbjerg. The Golden Knights kept going on a Jack Eichel goal, his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Dadonov. The final was 6-1, with the three stars being McNabb, Dadonov, and Stephenson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, April 8, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 167

We've got five games on for this Friday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Peyton Krebs and Henri Jokiharju. Florida tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres regained the lead with a Mark Pysyk goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Tage Thompson. The Panthers got one back with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Brandon Montour and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida tied it on a Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Aleksander Barkov and Giroux. The Panthers took the lead with a Sam Bennett goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Barkov and Montour. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Giroux, Reinhart, and Barkov, while Montour gets an honorable mention.

In Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Boston got going in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Tampa Bay tied it on a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his eighth of the year, via Corey Perry and Jan Rutta. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, assisted by DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. The three stars were DeBrusk, Ullmark (28 for 29 in saves), and Coyle.

Further north, the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Matt Martin and Kyle Palmieri. Carolina tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Sebastian Aho and Tony DeAngelo. The Islanders retook the lead with a Palmieri goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Zach Parise and Brock Nelson. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Palmieri, Sorokin (19 for 20 in saves), and Pageau.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Ville Husso are set to start in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Robert Thomas and Justin Faulk. Minnesota tied it on a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Tyson Jost. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his forty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Jacob Middleton goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jared Spurgeon and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Blues got one back with a Faulk goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Nick Leddy. St. Louis tied it on a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Ivan Barbashev. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Thomas goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Vladimir Tarasenko and Colton Parayko. The three stars were Thomas, Faulk, and Schenn.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Colorado started in the first period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alex Newhook and Josh Manson. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Paul Stastny. The Jets took the lead with an Ehlers goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Scheifele. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Cale Makar and Bowen Byram. Colorado pulled ahead with an Erik Johnson goal, his seventh of the season, via Newhook and Nico Sturm. The Avalanche added on with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Burakovsky and Mikko Rantanen. Winnipeg got one back with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Josh Morrissey. The Jets tied it on an Ehlers power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Stastny. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a Makar power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Rantanen and MacKinnon. The three stars were Makar, MacKinnon, and Burakovsky, while Rantanen, Newhook, Scheifele, Ehlers, and Stastny get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, April 7, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 166

There's ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York got going in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. New York iced it at 3-0 in the third period with an empty net goal by Dryden Hunt, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Zibanejad. The three stars were Shesterkin (30 save shutout), Vatrano, and Zibanejad.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with an Eric Robinson shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Vladislav Gavrikov and Sean Kuraly. Philadelphia tied it on a Kevin Connauton goal, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead with an Owen Tippett goal, his eighth of the year, via Travis Sanheim and Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia added on with a Noah Cates goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ivan Provorov. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Travis Konecny scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Morgan Frost and Sanheim. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Jones (26 for 27 in saves), Sanheim, and Tippett.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Andrew Hammond are in the creases. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Rem Pitlick and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on with a Jake Evans goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Corey Schueneman and Mike Hoffman. New Jersey got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Dawson Mercer and Damon Severson. Montreal replied with a Caufield goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Suzuki. The Devils got one back in the second period on an A.J. Greer goal, assisted by Michael McLeod and Ryan Graves. The Canadiens shot back with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Chris Wideman and Brendan Gallagher. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Wideman scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Kale Clague and Christian Dvorak. The Canadiens padded the lead as Dvorak scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Wideman and Clague. New Jersey countered on a Ty Smith goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. The Devils got closer with a Bratt goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Tatar and Hischier. Montreal pushed back with a Clague goal, his second of the year, guided in by Gallagher and Dvorak. This made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars handed to Dvorak, Wideman, and Clague, while Suzuki, Caufield, Gallagher, Bratt, Tatar, and Hischier get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Anton Forsberg are between the pipes. Nashville led off in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, via Mikael Granlund and Roman Josi. Ottawa tied it on a Mathieu Joseph goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Erik Brannstrom and Parker Kelly in the second period. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Josh Norris goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Brady Tkachuk. The Predators tied it on a Josi goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Dante Fabbro and Yakov Trenin. Nashville took the lead with a power play goal by Ryan Johansen, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Duchene and Josi. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Josi, Duchene, and Johansen.

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Antti Raanta are the veteran goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Tage Thompson goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres added on with a Tuch goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Skinner and Thompson. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. Buffalo replied on a Victor Olofsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Mattias Samuelsson. The Hurricanes answered with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Brett Pesce and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes took the lead with an Aho goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, with helpers from Svechnikov and Jarvis. Carolina extended the lead on a Staal empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Aho, Staal, and Svechnikov, while Thompson, Tuch, Jarvis, and Skinner get the honorable mentions.

Over in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Scott Wedgewood make the starts in goal. Toronto struck first in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Ilya Mikheyev and Justin Holl. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Jamie Benn and Marian Studenic. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fifty-fifth of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and John Tavares. The Stars tied it in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Toronto pulled ahead with a Morgan Rielly goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Michael Bunting. Dallas tied it on a Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan Suter and Robertson. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Nylander and T.J. Brodie. The three stars belonged to Matthews, Nylander, and Pavelski, while Robertson gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Kevin Lankinen receive the starts in goal. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ryan Donato and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken added on in the third period with an Eberle goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Riley Sheahan. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars being Grubauer (29 save shutout), Eberle, and Wennberg.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Harri Sateri are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Horvat goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Vasily Podkolzin and Conor Garland. Vancouver extended the lead as Horvat scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, thanks to Podkolzin and Garland. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Travis Boyd. The Canucks replied with a Pettersson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Chiasson and J.T. Miller. Vancouver padded the lead on a Chiasson power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Pettersson. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Horvat, Chiasson, and Pettersson, while Podkolzin and Garland get the honorable mentions.

Along to California, as the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick are the experienced goalies. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-second of the season, guided in by Evan Bouchard. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Phillip Danault. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Derek Ryan. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Bouchard goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by McDavid and Evander Kane. The Kings got one back with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Moore. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Bouchard, McDavid, and Moore.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jaycob Megna and Matt Nieto. The Flames took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. Calgary added on in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Sharks got one back in the third period on a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Timo Meier and Mario Ferraro. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Lindholm empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, set up by Tkachuk and Gaudreau. The three stars were Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Gaudreau. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 165

There's five games on today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Samsonov are in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a Martin Fehervary goal, his sixth of the season, via John Carlson and Conor Sheary. The Capitals added on with a Carlson power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Victor Hedman. Washington replied with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-third of the year, fueled by Carlson and Kuznetsov. The Lightning got one back with a Nick Paul goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Jan Rutta. The Capitals replied in the second period with a Carlson power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin. Tampa Bay got one back in the third period with a Ross Colton power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Pat Maroon. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Carlson, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Connor Hellebuyck receive the starts in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a shorthanded Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Dylan Larkin. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Nate Schmidt and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Red Wings took the lead back in the third period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Oskar Sundqvist and Kyle Criscuolo. Detroit added on with a Gagner empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, fueled by Pius Suter and Dylan Larkin. The three stars were Gagner, Greiss (33 for 34 in saves), and Larkin.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Ville Husso man the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues added on with a Justin Faulk goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Nick Leddy. Seattle got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Will Borgen and Ryan Donato. St. Louis answered in the third period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Schenn and Robert Bortuzzo. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Ryan O'Reilly empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Brandon Saad and Calle Rosen. The three stars were Husso (27 for 28 in saves), Schenn, and Faulk.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Anthony Stolarz are the goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Stone. The Flames added on in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Anaheim got on the board with a Trevor Zegras goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Vinni Lettieri and Sam Steel. Calgary replied in the third period with a Stone goal, assisted by Mangiapane. The Ducks got one back with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, set up by Gaudreau. The three stars were Stone, Gaudreau, and Mangiapane.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Vegas began in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Brayden McNabb. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks took the lead with a Brad Richardson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jason Dickinson and Conor Garland. Vancouver added on with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks extended the lead as Pettersson scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Ekman-Larsson and Miller. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on a Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Alex Chiasson. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Pettersson, Miller, and Ekman-Larsson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 164

Ten games are on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Craig Anderson man the nets. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Nino Niederreiter and Jordan Staal. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Tage Thompson. The Sabres took the lead with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Rasmus Asplund and Mattias Samuelsson. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period on a Niederreiter goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Staal and Brett Pesce. Buffalo took the lead with a Victor Olofsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres added on with a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Olofsson and Peyton Krebs. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Olofsson, Niederreiter, and Staal.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Jake Allen make the starts in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jake Evans. Ottawa tied it on an Austin Watson goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead with a Tim Stutzle power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. The Canadiens tied it on a Justin Barron goal, via Josh Anderson and Mike Hoffman. Ottawa gained the lead with a Tkachuk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Mathieu Joseph and Michael Del Zotto. Montreal tied it again with a Cole Caufield goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Hoffman and Gallagher on the power play. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with an assist provided by Norris. Ottawa added on with a Colin White goal, his third of the season, made possible by Batherson and Nick Holden. The Senators finished it at 6-3 with a Watson empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Joseph. The three stars went to Tkachuk, Batherson, and Gallagher, while Norris and Joseph get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Florida started in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Mitchell Marner shorthanded goal, his thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto added on with another Marner power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, helped along by Matthews and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Colin Blackwell scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Rielly and Pierre Engvall. Spencer Knight replaced Bobrovsky in goal. Toronto padded the lead on a Jake Muzzin goal, his third of the year, via Matthews and Marner. The Panthers got one back with Reinhart's second power play goal of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Barkov and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida pulled closer on a Radko Gudas shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Anton Lundell and Barkov. The Panthers got closer with a Claude Giroux goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Huberdeau and Sam Bennett. Florida tied it in the third period with a Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Barkov and Giroux on the power play. The Panthers pulled ahead on a Barkov goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, dished from Huberdeau. The Maple Leafs tied it with a Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Marner and Nylander. Florida won 7-6 in overtime with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, fueled by Barkov and Weegar. The three stars were Huberdeau, Barkov, and Marner, while Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Reinhart, Giroux, Weegar, and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Nico Daws are the backups in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a power play goal by Ryan Strome, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers took the lead with a Kreider goal, his forty-seventh of the season, assisted by Panarin and Adam Fox on the power play. New York added on in the third period with a Justin Braun goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Braden Schneider and Andrew Copp. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Kreider, Panarin, and Georgiev (20 for 21 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Carter Hart are the masked men. Columbus began in the first period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Carson Meyer and Eric Robinson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Meyer goal, via Zach Werenski and Robinson. Philadelphia got on the board with a Noah Cates goal, fueled by Patrick Brown. The Flyers tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Ronnie Attard and Kevin Hayes. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a Justin Danforth goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jake Bean and Sean Kuraly. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Kuraly empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Cole Sillinger and Gustav Nyquist. The three stars were Meyer, Kuraly, and Robinson.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Tristan Jarry tend the twines. Colorado led off in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Mikko Rantanen. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Marcus Pettersson and Jake Guentzel. The Avalanche took the lead back in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Alex Newhook and Devon Toews. Colorado added on with a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Burakovsky and Rantanen. The Penguins got one back on an Evan Rodrigues goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche replied in the third period with a Josh Manson goal, his fifth of the year, via Toews and Compher. Colorado extended the lead as Darren Helm scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Logan O'Connor. Pittsburgh got one back on a Guentzel goal, his thirty-third of the year, helped along by Jeff Carter and Evgeni Malkin. The Avalanche replied with an Artturi Lehkonen empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Helm and Toews. The Penguins fired back on a Mike Matheson goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle. The final was 6-4, and the three stars belonged to MacKinnon, Comphoer, and Toews, while Helm, Rantanen, Guentzel, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

In Detroit, the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins added on with a Brandon Carlo shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Derek Forbort and Patrice Bergeron. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings tied it in the second period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Adam Erne and Danny DeKeyser. Detroit pulled ahead on a Filip Zadina goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jakub Vrana and Pius Suter. The Red Wings extended the lead as Vrana scored his eighth of the year on the power play in the third period, thanks to Filip Hronek and Jake Walman. Boston got one back on a Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Charlie McAvoy and Hall. Detroit finished it at 5-3 with a Sam Gagner empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by the goalie Nedeljkovic. The three stars were handed to Vrana, Bergeron, and Hall.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Philip Tomasino. Minnesota tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov. The Predators took the lead back with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund. Nashville added on with another Johansen power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, helped along by Josi and Matt Duchene. The Predators extended the lead as Tomasino scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Josi and Ekholm. The Wild got one back with a Kaprizov power play goal, his fortieth of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Zuccarello. Nashville answered in the third period with a Duchene goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Forsberg and Mark Borowiecki. The Predators iced it at 6-2 with a Johansen empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, set up by Tomasino and Forsberg. The three stars were awarded to Johansen, Josi, and Tomasino, while Forsberg, Duchene, Kaprizov, Zuccarello, and Ekholm receive the honorable mentions.

In Dallas, the Stars bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Marian Studenic goal, his third of the season, via Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. New York tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Noah Dobson and Josh Bailey. The Stars pulled ahead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Joel Hanley and John Klingberg. The Islanders tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-third of the year, guided in by Dobson. Dallas took the lead back with a Radek Faksa shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Luke Glendening. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Faksa, Dobson, and Seguin.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and James Reimer are the veteran goalies. San Jose got going in the first period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Timo Meier. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shorthanded goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, set up by Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-first of the campaign, assisted by the goalie Smith. The three stars were Smith (31 for 32 in saves), McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, April 4, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 163

We've got four games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus opened in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twentieth of the year, via Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle and McAvoy. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek and Patrik Laine. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, with a lone helper by Hampus Lindholm. The three stars were DeBrusk, McAvoy, and Voracek. 

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Toronto started in the first period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of David Kampf. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Steven Stamkos. The Maple Leafs took the lead back in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-second of the season, made possible by Michael Bunting and Mitchell Marner. The Lightning tied it again with a Jan Rutta goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Stamkos. Toronto retook the lead on a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-third of the season, helped along by Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from T.J. Brodie and Justin Holl. Toronto extended the lead as Matthews completed his hat trick in the third period with his fifty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Marner goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Matthews. The final was 6-2, with the three stars handed to Matthews, Marner, and Stamkos.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Ivan Prosvetov and Ville Husso are the goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Calle Rosen and David Perron. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis extended the lead on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Perron and Nick Leddy. The Blues padded the lead on a Buchnevich shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Cam Dineen and Nick Ritchie. St. Louis fired back with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Thomas and Buchnevich. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Tarasenko, Buchnevich, and Thomas, while Perron gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Cal Petersen protect the nets. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings took the lead with a Kempe power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, powered by Kopitar and Sean Durzi. The Flames tied it on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary took the lead with a Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Ryan Carpenter and Michael Stone. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Kempe, and Kopitar. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, April 3, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 162

There's another nine games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Dustin Tokarski are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Mattias Samuelsson and Cody Eakin. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Claude Giroux. The Panthers took the lead on an Anton Lundell goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Mason Marchment. Florida added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Gustav Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Duclair scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The Sabres got one back with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. Buffalo got closer with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, with assists provided by Skinner and Mittelstadt. Florida finished it at 5-3 with a Weegar power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Giroux and Barkov. The three stars were Duclair, Weegar, and Skinner, while Barkov, Giroux, and Mittelstadt get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Anton Forsberg receive the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jakub Vrana and Filip Hronek. Ottawa tied it on an Artem Zub goal, his sixth of the year, via Brady Tkachuk and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Josh Norris power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Tim Stutzle and Tkachuk. Ottawa added on with another Norris goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Nick Holden and Joseph. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Hronek and Marc Staal. The Senators replied with a Norris empty net goal, his thirtieth of the year completing his hat trick, set up by Joseph and Nikita Zaitsev. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Zaitsev empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Norris, Joseph, and Zaitsev, while Tkachuk, Holden, and Hronek get the honorable mentions. 

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Islanders. Cory Schneider and Nico Daws are the goalies. New York opened in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Adam Pelech. The Islanders added on with a Pageau power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Anders Lee. New York extended the lead as Pageau scored his thirteenth of the season in the second period to complete his hat trick, with the help of Pelech and Palmieri. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Damon Severson and Janne Kuokkanen. The Devils got closer in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Dawson Mercer. The Islanders replied with a Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Pageau and Pelech. New Jersey answered with a Nico Hischier goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, made possible by Mercer and Dougie Hamilton. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pageau, Palmieri, and Pelech, while Mercer gets an honorable mention. 

Next up, the New York Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Cam York goal, his third of the season, via Nate Thompson. The Flyers added on with an Owen Tippett goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Joel Farabee scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Travis Sanheim and Oskar Lindblom. New York got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller. The Rangers got closer with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Frank Vatrano and Ryan Lindgren. New York tied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Panarin and Barclay Goodrow. The tie went to a shootout, where Hayes lifted the Flyers to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Hayes, Panarin, and Farabee.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Jordan Greenway and Alex Goligoski. The Wild added on with a Tyson Jost goal, his seventh of the year, via Jonas Brodin and Ryan Hartman. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Eriksson Ek scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, thanks to Greenway and Marcus Foligno. The Wild padded the lead in the third period as Foligno scored his twentieth of the year, with the help of Greenway and Eriksson Ek. Washington got on the board with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with a Nicolas Deslauriers empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Jared Spurgeon and Nick Bjugstad. The three stars were Eriksson Ek, Greenway, and Foligno.

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Kevin Lankinen are between the pipes. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Alex DeBrincat. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Michael Carcone goal, his second of the year, helped along by Anton Stralman. The Coyotes took the lead with a Travis Boyd goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Dysin Mayo. The Blackhawks retied it in the third period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Seth Jones and DeBrincat. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Gostisbehere power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Nick Schmaltz and Phil Kessel. The three stars were Gostisbehere, DeBrincat, and Vejmelka (29 for 31 in saves).

Out in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Vegas was first to score in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with an unassisted Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-eighth of the year. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller goal in the third period, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Shea Theodore goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Marchessault and William Karlsson.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid and Evander Kane. The Oilers added on with a McDavid power play goal, his fortieth of the year, powered by Barrie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Barrie and Brett Kulak. The Oilers padded the lead on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his thirteenth of the year, via McDavid and Kane. Anaheim got on the board with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton replied with a Kulak goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Cody Ceci and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers kept going with a Draisaitl goal, his fiftieth of the season, helped along by Kulak. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being McDavid, Barrie, and Kulak, while Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Chris Driedger patrol the creases. Seattle got on the board first in the first period with a Jared McCann shorthanded goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Alex Wennberg and Carson Soucy. The Kraken added on in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Soucy and Wennberg. Dallas got on the board with a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn and Joel Hanley. Seattle replied with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Victor Rask and Karson Kuhlman. The Kraken iced it at 4-1 with a Kuhlman empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Wennberg, Soucy, and Kuhlman. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.