Sunday, December 31, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 78

There's nine games on New Year's Eve, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Marc-Andre Fleury man the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon and Frederick Gaudreau. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with an Adam Lowry goal, his seventh of the year, via Mason Appleton and Dylan DeMelo. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with a Gaudreau power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Marcus Johansson and Nic Petan. The Jets retied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg pulled ahead on a Dominic Toninato goal, guided in by Brenden Dillon and Neal Pionk. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Toninato, and Namestnikov. 

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alex Lyon are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Trent Frederic goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Parker Wotherspoon. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Frederic goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Detroit got on the board with a Jake Walman goal, his ninth of the season, via Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings tied it in the second period with a Ben Chiarot goal, his third of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Joe Veleno. The Bruins took the lead back in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The Bruins extended the lead on a Jake DeBrusk empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Frederic and McAvoy. Detroit got one back with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and David Perron. Boston iced it at 5-3 with a Pavel Zacha empty net goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Pastrnak and Lindholm. The three stars were Frederic, McAvoy, and Pastrnak, while Lindholm gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson. The Senators added on with a Zack MacEwen goal, courtesy of Jacob Bernard-Docker and Thomas Chabot. Buffalo got one back with a Tage Thompson goal, his tenth of the year, via Jeff Skinner. Ottawa replied in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ridly Greig and Chabot. The Senators extended the lead as Mark Kastelic scored, thanks to Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa padded the lead on an Artem Zub empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Forsberg (45 for 46 in saves), Chabot, and MacEwen.

Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Alex Nedeljkovic receive the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the season, via Jansen Harkins and Valtteri Puustinen. The Penguins added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his third of the year, fueled by Drew O'Connor in the second period. New York got on the board in the third period with a Samuel Bolduc goal, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Eller, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Eller, Nedeljkovic (36 for 37 in saves), and Sorokin (35 for 37 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Jonas Johansson are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Cole Caufield goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens added on with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of the goalie Montembeault. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning tied it on an Austin Watson goal, his second of the year, made possible by Victor Hedman and Nick Perbix. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Calvin de Haan goal, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Hedman and Anthony Cirelli. Montreal got one back with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Juraj Slafkovsky and Michael Matheson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Kucherov, Hedman, and de Haan.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the season, via Sam Steel and Jani Hakanpaa. The Stars added on with a Ryan Suter goal, coming off of Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene. The Stars padded the lead in the second period on a Steel goal, his third of the season, helped along by Robertson and Heiskanen. Dallas continued with a Marchment power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Seguin and Nils Lundkvist. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Connor Bedard and Cole Guttman. The Stars shot back with a Roope Hintz goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Thomas Harley and Joe Pavelski. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek in goal. Dallas struck again on a Marchment goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Seguin and Duchene. The Stars kept going with Marchment completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Esa Lindell and Lundkvist. This produced the 8-1 final score, with the three stars going to Marchment, Seguin, and Steel, while Robertson, Heiskanen, Duchene, and Lundkvist get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Calen Addison. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nichushkin goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Jack Johnson and MacKinnon. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Josh Manson, his fourth of the year, set up by Devon Toews and Ryan Johansen. The three stars went to Nichushkin, MacKinnon, and Georgiev (10 for 11 in saves).

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, via Ryan Poehling and Joel Farabee. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Dennis Gilbert. The Flames pulled ahead in the third period with a Gilbert goal, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman. Calgary added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Mangiapane. The Flyers got one back with a Bobby Brink goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Cam Atkinson and Travis Konecny. The Flames replied with a Coleman empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Mangiapane. Philadelphia got one back with an Egor Zamula goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Konecny and Morgan Frost. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Coleman, Mangiapane, and Gilbert, while Konecny gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele. Anaheim tied it on a Max Jones goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Trevor Zegras. The Oilers retook the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton added on in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Darnell Nurse and Foegele. The Oilers extended the lead as Foegele scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Nurse and Connor Brown. Edmonton padded the lead on a Foegele goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, made possible by McLeod and Draisaitl. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas. The Oilers answered with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton kept going with a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the season, guided in by Draisaitl and Foegele. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars awarded to Foegele, Draisaitl, and McLeod, while Nurse gets an honorable mention. 

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