NHL 2022-23 - Day 158

There's three games on this Friday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. The Sabres added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his forty-fourth of the year, guided in by Alex Tuch. New Jersey got on the board with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Michael McLeod and Damon Severson. Buffalo answered with a Quinn goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Cozens and Peterka. Vitek Vanecek replaced Schmid in goal. The Devils fired back on a Kevin Bahl goal, his second of the season, via Jack Hughes and Erik Haula. The Sabres responded on a Tuch goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Jeff Skinner and Peyton Krebs in the second period. Buffalo extended the lead on a Tuch power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson. New Jersey got one back with a Hughes goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Jesper Bratt and Bahl. The Devils pulled closer with a Hughes power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Nico Hischier and Dougie Hamilton. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Tuch, Hughes, and Quinn, while Cozens, Peterka, and Bahl get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin faces a lesser foe in Michael Hutchinson in goal. New York began in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Hudson Fasching. Columbus tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Jack Roslovic and Boone Jenner in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead on a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri. The Blue Jackets tied it again on a Liam Foudy goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roslovic. Columbus took the lead with a Kent Johnson goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with an Eric Robinson goal, his tenth of the year, via Emil Bemstrom and Hunter McKown. New York fired back in the third period with a Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield. The Islanders tied it on a Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, with assists provided by Bo Horvar and Noah Dobson. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Jenner power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, made possible by Adam Boqvist and Gaudreau. The three stars were Jenner, Gaudreau, and Nelson, while Palmieri and Roslovic get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and J.J. Moser. The Avalanche took the lead back in the third period with a Makar goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by MacKinnon and Nichushkin. Colorado added on with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Makar and MacKinnon. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Makar, MacKinnon, and Nichushkin.

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