NHL 2022-23 - Day 79

We've got 12 games on to close out 2022. The action begins in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Pavel Zacha. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Tuch goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Ilya Lyubushkin. The Bruins retied it in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. Boston pulled ahead with a Marchand goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Pastrnak and Krejci. Buffalo tied it again with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with a Tuch goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Cozens. The three stars were Tuch, Cozens, and Marchand, while Pastrnak and Krejci get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Chicago led off in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his eighth of the season, via Isaak Phillips and Sam Lafferty. Columbus tied it on an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Jack Roslovic. Columbus added on with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Gaudreau and Gavin Bayreuther. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-1 with a Nyquist shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Sean Kuraly. The three stars belonged to Nyquist, Gaudreau, and Marchenko. 

Further west, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Logan Thompson are in the creases. Nashville opened in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, via Mikael Granlund and Dante Fabbro. Vegas got on the board with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Daniil Miromanov and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights tied it on a Michael Amadio goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas took the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Kolesar and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Stephenson scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Stone. Nashville got one back with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan McDonagh and Colton Sissons. The Predators tied it with a Forsberg power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with a Nicolas Hague goal, his second of the year, assisted by Stone and Stephenson. The three stars were Stephenson, Stone, and Forsberg, while Kolesar gets an honorable mention.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala. Philadelphia tied it on a Scott Laughton power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Cam York and Owen Tippett. The Kings took the lead back with a Phillip Danault goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Viktor Arvidsson. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Tippett goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Tony DeAngelo. Philadelphia pulled ahead in the third period with a Noah Cates shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Travis Konecny empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Tippett, Cates, and Ersson (27 for 29 in saves).

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. Washington started in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Conor Sheary. The Capitals added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the year, via Aliaksei Protas and Nic Dowd. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Cole Caufield power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach. Washington answered on a Dowd goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Protas and Gustafsson. The Capitals extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk and Lars Eller. The Canadiens got one back with another Caufield goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Washington answered on a Dylan Strome power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals padded the lead on an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Gustafsson and Johansson. Washington continued with a Johansson goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Kuznetsov and Martin Fehervary. The Capitals struck again with an Anthony Mantha goal, his ninth of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington kept going as Ovechkin completed his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the season, with the help of Sheary. The final held at 9-2, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Johansson, and Kuznetsov, while Caufield, Gustafsson, Dowd, Sheary, and Protas get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Boyd goal, his fourth of the season, via Clayton Keller. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Fischer goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nick Ritchie and Barrett Hayton. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning tied it with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Point and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Hedman and Kucherov. Arizona tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Lawson Crouse. The Lightning retook the lead on an unassisted Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the season. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brandon Hagel scored his fourteenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Hedman and Stamkos. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars going to Hedman, Point, and Stamkos, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington are between the pipes. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Calle Rosen goal, his fifth of the season, via Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Sam Steel. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Frederick Gaudreau and Marcus Foligno. The Blues retied it on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Kyrou. Minnesota regained the lead on another Hartman goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild added on in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Greenway empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Spurgeon. The three stars were Hartman, Spurgeon, and Greenway, while Kyrou got the honorable mention.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Magnus Hellberg start in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his third of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson. The Senators added on with a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Pius Suter goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Raymond goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Olli Maatta and Jonatan Berggren. Detroit pulled ahead on an Elmer Soderblom goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Joe Veleno and Jake Walman. The Red Wings extended the lead as Michael Rasmussen scored his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 4-2, and the three stars went to Raymond, Soderblom, and Rasmussen.

Over in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitch Marner goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Calle Jarnkrok and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on with a Pierre Engvall goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of David Kampf and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado got on the board with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Logan O'Connor and Evan Rodrigues. Toronto replied in the second period with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Tavares and Auston Matthews. The Avalanche got one back with a Devon Toews goal, his third of the season, assisted by Compher and Denis Malgin. The Maple Leafs shot back on a Matthews goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as T.J. Brodie scored his second of the season, going in unassisted. Jonas Johansson replaced Georgiev in goal. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Bunting empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Nylander. The final was 6-2, and the three stars belonged to Bunting, Matthews, and Compher, while Tavares and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

Southeast to Dallas, where the Stars host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Jake Oettinger receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose began in the first period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fifth of the season, via Matt Benning and Erik Karlsson. Dallas tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead with a Robertson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Heiskanen and Pavelski. The Sharks tied it in the second period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his third of the year, fueled by Nico Sturm and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Dallas took the lead back with a Fredrik Olofsson goal, coming off of Pavelski and Radek Faksa. The Stars added on in the third period with a Roope Hintz shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the season, set up by Jamie Benn. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with an Esa Lindell empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Pavelski, Robertson, and Heiskanen.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Jacob Markstrom play in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the season, via Tyler Toffoli. The Flames added on with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. Calgary extended the lead as Weegar scored, thanks to Chris Tanev and Nazem Kadri. Vancouver got on the board with a Sheldon Dries goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Caucks got closer in the third period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Ethan Bear. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Weegar, Coleman, and Lindholm.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Edmonton tied it in the third period with a Klim Kostin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Mattias Janmark. The Jets retook the lead on a Connor goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Pionk and Kristian Reichel. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Connor, Pionk, and Hellebuyck (31 for 32 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 78

Just four games on this Friday, beginning with a matinee in...

Anaheim, as the Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and John Gibson man the nets. Nashville led off in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Filip Forsberg. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Sam Carrick goal, his second of the year, via Urho Vaakanainen and Jayson Megna. The Predators retook the lead with an unassisted Yakov Trenin goal, his fourth of the season. Nashville added on with a Forsberg goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Juuso Parssinen and Sissons. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Thomas Novak scored his second of the season, thanks to Cole Smith and Tanner Jeannot. Nashville padded the lead on a Roman Josi power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Parssinen and Forsberg. The Predators finished it at 6-1 with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Mikael Granlund and Cody Glass. The three stars went to Forsberg, Sissons, and Parssinen. 

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. The Penguins replied with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixth of the season, via Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Rickard Rakell. The Devils retied it on a Hamilton goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Dawson Mercer and Jonas Siegenthaler. New Jersey pulled ahead on a shorthanded Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Michael McLeod and Brendan Smith. The Devils iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Hughes empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Erik Haula and Mercer. The three stars were Hamilton, Hughes, and Mercer.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Antti Raanta receive the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Burns and Martin Necas. Carolina extended the lead as Teuvo Teravainen scored his third of the season on the power play, thanks to Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the third period on a Kotkaniemi goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Brett Pesce and Jarvis. The final was 4-0, with the three stars going to Raanta (19 save shutout), Kotkaniemi, and Burns, while Jarvis gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Philipp Grubauer start in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Klim Kostin goal, his third of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead as Darnell Nurse scored his sixth of the season, thanks to McDavid and Kailer Yamamoto. Martin Jones replaced Grubauer in goal. The Oilers padded the lead on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his third of the year, courtesy of McDavid. Seattle got on the board with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Morgan Geekie and Ryan Donato. Edmonton fired back with a Kostin goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Nurse and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers continued with a Hyman power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The Kraken got one back with a Brandon Tanev goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn. Edmonton responded in the third period with a McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, going in unassisted. The final held at 7-2, with the three stars being McDavid, Hyman, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Kostin and Nurse get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 77

Eleven games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the backups in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his sixth of the season, via JJ Peterka and Owen Power. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead as Mittelstadt scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Power and Peterka. The Sabres padded the lead on a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons and Peyton Krebs. Buffalo continued with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, fueled by Tyson Jost and Victor Olofsson. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Elmer Soderblom. The Red Wings got another with a power play goal by Kubalik, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren. Detroit got closer with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Andrew Copp and Berggren. Buffalo iced it at 6-3 with an Okposo empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his sixth of the year, set up by Girgensons and Dylan Cozens. The three stars were Okposo, Mittelstadt, and Kubalik, while Peterka, Power, and Berggren get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his twentieth of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The tie went to a shootout, where Point and Alex Killorn lifted the Lightning 2-1 over Artemi Panarin and the Rangers. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (45 for 46 in saves), Point, and Shesterkin (39 for 40 in saves).

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Florida began in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on with another Barkov power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk. Montreal got on the board with an Arber Xhekaj goal, his fifth of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Evgenii Dadonov. Florida answered with a Barkov goal to complete his hat trick on his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back with a power play goal by Josh Anderson, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Xhekaj. The Panthers answered in the second period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Brandon Montour and Barkov. Florida padded the lead on a Verhaeghe goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers continued with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Barkov and Montour on the power play. Florida struck again with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett and Tkachuk. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Barkov, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe, while Montour and Xhekaj get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Garnet Hathaway. The Capitals added on with a Dylan Strome goal, his seventh of the year, via Conor Sheary and Nick Jensen. Ottawa got on the board with a Jake Sanderson goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Washington replied with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Senators got one back with a Tim Stutzle goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Claude Giroux. Ottawa tied it in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson. The Senators won 3-2 in overtime with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, coming off of Giroux. The three stars were DeBrincat, Giroux, and Stutzle.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Ilya Sorokin are set to start in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eighth of the season, via Hudson Fasching. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brock Nelson and Pageau. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marcus Bjork and Johnny Gaudreau. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Pageau, Sorokin (20 for 21 in saves), and Barzal.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Josh Leivo goal, his third of the season, via Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Max Domi. The Blues took the lead back with a Calle Rosen goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Justin Faulk. The three stars were Binnington (21 for 22 in saves), Rosen, and Leivo.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Wyatt Johnston. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Jon Merrill. The Stars took the lead back with a Johnston goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Nils Lundkvist and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas added on with a power play goal by Jamie Benn, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Seguin empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Seguin, Johnston, and Oettinger (24 for 25 in saves).

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia and Connor Hellebuyck receive the starts in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Elias Pettersson. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor. The Jets took the lead with a Pierre-Luc Dubois penalty shot goal, his seventeenth of the season. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Connor and Morrissey. The Canucks got one back with a Conor Garland goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Quinn Hughes and Kuzmenko. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with Scheifele completed his hat trick on his twenty-third of the year, an empty net goal set up by Adam Lowry. The three stars belonged to Scheifele, Connor, and Morrissey, while Kuzmenko gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Mikey Anderson. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Evan Rodrigues. The Kings took the lead back with a Phillip Danault power play goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Viktor Arvidsson and Alex Iafallo. The Avalanche tied it again with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifth of the year, via Cale Makar. Colorado pulled ahead with a Makar goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Rodrigues goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Rantanen and Makar. Los Angeles got one back in the third period with an Iafallo power play goal, his sixth of the season, with helpers from Arvidsson and Sean Durzi. The Kings tied it on a Sean Walker goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Blake Lizotte. The tie went into a shootout, where Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe lifted the Kings to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Makar, Iafallo, and Arvidsson, while Rodrigues and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

South to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Karel Vejmelka patrol the creases. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it on a Pontus Holmberg power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Conor Timmins and Pierre Engvall. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Timmins and Morgan Rielly. The Coyotes retied it on a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nick Ritchie and Shayne Gostisbehere. Toronto took the lead back with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Mark Giordano and Justin Holl. Arizona tied it on a J.J. Moser power play goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Juuso Valimaki and Barrett Hayton. The Coyotes took the lead with a Jack McBain goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Bjugstad. Arizona added on with a McBain empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Hayton. The Coyotes iced it at 6-3 with a Hayton empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McBain, Bjugstad, and Hayton, while Timmins gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Kaapo Kahkonen are the lesser-known goalies. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Kevin Labanc. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Tony DeAngelo. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period with a Hertl power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, powered by Timo Meier and Logan Couture. San Jose added on in the third period with a Labanc goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Hertl and Karlsson. The Flyers got one back with an Owen Tippett goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Nick Seeler. Philadelphia tied it on another Konecny goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with helpers from DeAngelo and Scott Laughton. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a DeAngelo goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Tippett. The three stars were Konecny, DeAngelo, and Tippett, while Hertl, Labanc, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 76

Five games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Point scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period as Brandon Hagel scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Zach Bogosian and Hedman. Montreal got on the board with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Joel Edmundson and Christian Dvorak. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Point, Vasilevskiy (25 for 26 in saves), and Hedman. 

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Vitek Vanecek tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Hampus Lindholm. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Fabian Zetterlund and Tomas Tatar. The Bruins took the lead back with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Lindholm and Brad Marchand. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Pavel Zacha empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak. The three stars were Lindholm, Ullmark (30 for 31 in saves), and Bergeron. 

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Casey DeSmith are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Drew O'Connor goal, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen and Teddy Blueger. The Penguins added on with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kapanen and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jason Zucker scored his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. The Penguins padded the lead as Zucker scored his second of the game and eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Carter and Rust. Husso was replaced by Magnus Hellberg. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Lucas Raymond and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings got another with a Joe Veleno goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Ben Chiarot and Elmer Soderblom. Detroit got closer in the third period on a Jonatan Berggren unassisted goal, his fifth of the year. The Red Wings tied it as David Perron scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, with the help of Michael Rasmussen and Raymond. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Jake Walman goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Andrew Copp. The three stars were handed to Zucker, Carter, and Raymond, while Rust and Kapanen get the honorable mentions. 

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim led off in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks added on with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Zegras and Terry. Hill was replaced by Logan Thompson in goal. Vegas got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Mark Stone goal, his sixteenth of the season. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with a Ben Hutton goal, passed from Michael Amadio and Phil Kessel. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zegras and Terry lifted the Ducks to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Henrique, Zegras, and Terry. 

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Calgary began in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Dillon Dube and Noah Hanifin. Seattle tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his eighth of the year, via Jordan Eberle and Adam Larsson. The Kraken took the lead with a Jamie Oleksiak goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper from Eberle. The Flames retied it with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary took the lead in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Andersson and Kadri. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kadri, Andersson, and Eberle. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 75

We're back in action with eleven games coming out of the holiday break. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Martin Necas goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns and Paul Stastny. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Jordan Martinook scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal. The final was 3-0, and the three stars were Raanta (24 save shutout), Necas, and Fast.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Erik Gustafsson. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Gustafsson goal, his fifth of the year, via Conor Sheary and Dylan Strome. Washington extended the lead as Lars Eller scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Anthony Mantha. The Capitals iced it at 4-0 in the third period with a Sheary shorthanded empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Kuemper (32 save shutout), Gustafsson, and Sheary.

Further north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Senators regained the lead on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Batherson and Nick Holden. The Bruins retied it on a Pavel Zacha goal in the third period his fourth of the year, passed from Hampus Lindholm and Charlie Coyle. The tie went to a shootout, where DeBrincat had the lone tally for a 3-2 Senators win. The three stars were DeBrincat, Talbot (49 for 51 in saves), and Batherson.

Back in New York, the Islanders host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Pierre-Olivier Joseph goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders pulled ahead in the second period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his sixth of the season, via Hudson Fasching and Josh Bailey. New York added on with a Bailey goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov. The Islanders extended the lead as Barzal scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted. New York padded the lead in the third period on a Lee goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nelson and Ryan Pulock. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Barzal, Lee, and Bailey, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Jordan Binnington man the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Justin Holl goal, his second of the season, via Auston Matthews and Mark Giordano. St. Louis retied it on a Calle Rosen goal, his third of the year, fueled by Logan Brown and Alexey Toropchenko. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a John Tavares goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Mitch Marner and Calle Jarnkrok. Toronto added on in the second period with a shorthanded Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Jarnkrok and Timothy Liljegren. The Blues got one back with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Brayden Schenn. St. Louis tied it on a Justin Faulk power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Jarnkrok goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Pontus Holmberg and Pierre Engvall. The Blues tied it again in the third period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Colton Parayko and Robert Thomas. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jarnkrok, Nylander, and Kyrou.

Back east a bit to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Juuse Saros are between the pipes. Dallas started in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Alexandre Carrier and Mattias Ekholm. The Stars retook the lead with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Predators tied it on a Yakov Trenin shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Cole Smith and Jeremy Lauzon. Dallas took the lead in the third period with another Hintz goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, via Benn and Joe Pavelski. The final was 3-2, with the three stars being Hintz, Benn, and Oettinger (26 for 28 in saves).

North to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Hartman and Sam Steel. The Wild added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Steel. Winnipeg got on the board with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. Minnesota replied in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Zuccarello and Spurgeon. The Wild iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Samuel Walker empty net goal, set up by Matt Boldy and Gaudreau. The three stars were Zuccarello, Spurgeon, and Gaudreau, while Steel gets an honorable mention.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman. Edmonton tied it on a Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Skinner (47 for 48 in saves), McDavid, and Barrie.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev faces a lesser foe in Connor Ingram in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller. Colorado tied it on an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Cale Makar and J.T. Compher. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nick Bjugstad. Arizona added on in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nick Ritchie and Chychrun. The Avalanche got one back on a Makar goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Compher and Devon Toews. The Coyotes replied with a J.J. Moser goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Crouse and Juuso Valimaki. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Michael Carcone scored, thanks to Crouse and Chychrun. Colorado got one back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Erik Johnson and Samuel Girard. The Coyotes finished it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Keller, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Schmaltz. The three stars were Crouse, Chychrun, and Schmaltz, while Keller, Makar, and Compher get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Spencer Martin are in the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Brock Boeser and Ilya Mikheyev. The Canucks added on with an Elias Pettersson goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Lane Pederson and Luke Schenn. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson. Vancouver replied in the second period with a Mikheyev goal, his twelfth of the year, via Andrei Kuzmenko and Tyler Myers. The Canucks extended the lead as Quinn Hughes scored, thanks to Mikheyev and Horvat. Vancouver padded the lead on a Horvat goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Boeser. The Sharks answered with a Meier goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, coming off of Karlsson. The Canucks replied with a Boeser goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Horvat and Mikheyev. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Horvat, Mikheyev, and Boeser, while Meier and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Pheonix Copley are in the creases. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Blake Lizotte. Vegas tied it on a Michael Amadio power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Brayden McNabb goal in the second period, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Brayden Pachal. The Kings tied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the season, via Viktor Arvidsson and Alex Iafallo. Los Angeles took the lead back with an Iafallo goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Arvidsson and Danault. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Danault. The three stars were Danault, Arvidsson, and Iafallo. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.