Saturday, January 7, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 86

There's nine games on this Saturday, including a couple of matinees. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Alexis Lafreniere and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on with a Julien Gauthier goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Adam Fox and Barclay Goodrow. New Jersey got on the board with an unassisted Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-fifth of the season. New York fired back with a Chris Kreider goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by K'Andre Miller and Mika Zibanejad. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Hughes. New Jersey tied it on a Hughes goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Dawson Mercer and Ryan Graves. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Damon Severson goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hughes, Severson, and Bratt. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. Columbus got going in the second period with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kent Johnson and Marcus Bjork. The Blue Jackets added on with another Marchenko power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Johnson and Emil Bemstrom. Carolina got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, via Seth Jarvis and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes tied it on a Skjei power play goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Paul Stastny. Carolina pulled ahead with a Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the game, helped along by Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. Columbus retied it in the third period with a Marchenko goal, completing his hat trick on his eighth of the year, passed from Cole Sillinger. The tie went to a shootout, where Marchenko, Patrik Laine and Johnson tallied to lift the Blue Jackets 4-3 over Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen and the Hurricanes. The three stars were Marchenko, Johnson, and Pacioretty, while Skjei gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies with hyphenated names. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Brandon Duhaime goal, his fourth of the year, via Ryan Hartman and Matt Dumba. The Wild took the lead on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Calen Addison and Sam Steel on the power play. The Sabres tied it on a Tage Thompson power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Dahlin and Dylan Cozens. Buffalo took the lead back with a Dahlin goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Mittelstadt and Tyson Jost. The Sabres added on with a Cozens power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with an assist provided by Alex Tuch. Minnesota got one back with a Hartman goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Frederick Gaudreau. The Wild tied it on a Marcus Foligno goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, helped along by Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. Minnesota took the lead with an Eriksson Ek power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Addison and the goalie Fleury. Buffalo tied it again on a Dahlin goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Mittelstadt and Owen Power. The Sabres won 6-5 in overtime with an Olofsson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, with apples from Peyton Krebs and Dahlin. The three stars went to Dahlin, Olofsson, and Mittelstadt, while Cozens, Hartman, Eriksson Ek, and Addison get the honorable mentions.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg is mismatched with Ilya Samsonov in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Jake Walman goal, his third of the season, coming off of Olli Maatta and Filip Hronek. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Mitch Marner power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a John Tavares goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Calle Jarnkrok and Mark Giordano. Toronto added on in the third period with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Rielly and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Tavares scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign into an empty net, set up by Marner and Justin Holl. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Tavares, Marner, and Rielly.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Anton Forsberg are given the starting nods in goal. Seattle began in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Justin Schultz. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot. The Kraken took the lead back with a Jared McCann goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Wennberg. Seattle added on with a Schultz goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Oleksiak and Daniel Sprong. Cam Talbot replaced Forsberg in goal. The Senators got one back in the second period with a Stutzle power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it on another Stutzle goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, guided in by Chabot and Artem Zub. The Kraken retook the lead with a Sprong goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Will Borgen. Seattle extended the lead as Matty Beniers scored his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Jordan Eberle. The Kraken padded the lead in the third period with a Dunn goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Adam Larsson. Seattle continued with an Eberle goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Burakovsky and Beniers. The Senators got one back with a Stutzle goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Drake Batherson. The Kraken responded on a Burakovsky goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Eberle and Dunn. The final held at 8-4, with the three stars given to Burakovsky, Eberle, and Stutzle, while Sprong, Dunn, Schultz, Beniers, and Chabot get the honorable mentions.

To Quebec, as the Montreal Canadiens bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces his former teammate Jake Allen in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Joel Armia goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jake Evans and Evgenii Dadonov. The Blues took the lead back with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Pitlick and Nikita Alexandrov. The Canadiens tied it again on a Kirby Dach power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Christian Dvorak. Montreal took the lead in the third period with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Suzuki. St. Louis tied it on an Alexandrov goal, passed from Calle Rosen and Pitlick. The Blues gained the lead with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens tied it on another Armia goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Evans and Dadonov. Montreal pulled ahead with a Josh Anderson goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Jonathan Drouin and Johnathan Kovacevic. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Armia, Alexandrov, and Suzuki, while Evans, Dadonov, and Pitlick get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Stuart Skinner are between the pipes. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Hyman power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Barrie and Draisaitl. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Cale Makar and Evan Rodrigues. The Avalanche tied it on a Brad Hunt goal, via Rodrigues and Samuel Girard. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Makar goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of MacKinnon and the goalie Georgiev. The three stars belonged to Makar, Hyman, and MacKinnon, while Draisaitl and Rodrigues get the honorable mentions.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Logan Thompson are in the blue paint. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Blake Lizotte and Gabriel Vilardi. The Kings added on in the second period with a shorthanded Matt Roy goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Rasmus Kupari and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead as Fiala scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Sean Durzi and Vilardi. Adin Hill replaced Thompson in goal. The Kings padded the lead in the third period on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Sean Walker and Phillip Danault. Vegas got on the board with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nicolas Roy and Phil Kessel. Los Angeles answered with a Fiala empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Lizotte and Vilardi. This made it 5-1, with the three stars going to Fiala, Vilardi, and Lizotte.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and James Reimer guard the cages. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Craig Smith goal, his second of the year, via Nick Foligno and Charlie Coyle. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Barabanov and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Mario Ferraro goal, his second of the year, assisted by Matt Benning and Matt Nieto. Boston took the lead back with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Marchand and McAvoy. The Bruins extended the lead as Pastrnak scored his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, with helpers from Bergeron and Marchand. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Marchand, and Bergeron, while McAvoy gets an honorable mention. 

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Friday, January 6, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 85

We've got six games this Friday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ville Husso are the goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his sixth of the season, via Ben Chiarot and Filip Hronek. Florida tied it on a Gustav Forsling goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Eric Staal and Givani Smith. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Florida added on in the third period with an Ekblad goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Barkov and Brandon Montour. The Red Wings got one back with a Robby Fabbri goal, fueled by Hronek and Andrew Copp. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Ekblad, Barkov, and Hronek.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Thomas Novak goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Yakov Trenin. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Conor Sheary and Dmitry Orlov. The Predators pulled ahead on a Trenin goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jeremy Lauzon and Juuso Parssinen. The Capitals tied it in the second period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the year, via Erik Gustafsson and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Nashville pulled ahead in the third period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. The final was 3-2, with the three stars going to Trenin, McDonagh, and Lankinen (30 for 32 in saves).

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his second of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos. Winnipeg tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Lightning took the lead back in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Ian Cole and Cirelli. The Jets retied it on a Dubois power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, powered by Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg took the lead with a Connor power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Scheifele and Morrissey. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Morgan Barron shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Adam Lowry. The three stars were Dubois, Connor, and Morrissey, while Scheifele and Cirelli get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Alex Stalock are set to start in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Jake McCabe goal, his second of the season, via Seth Jones and Max Domi. The Blackhawks iced it at 2-0 with a Tyler Johnson empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jonathan Toews and Sam Lafferty. The three stars belonged to Stalock (22 save shutout), McCabe, and Ingram (30 for 31 in saves).

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Calgary opened in the first period with a Milan Lucic goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau. The Flames added on with a Blake Coleman goal, his seventh of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Nikita Zadorov scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Trevor Lewis. New York got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Scott Mayfield. The Flames fired back in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, coming off of Tyler Toffoli and MacKenzie Weegar. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Markstrom (24 for 25 in saves), Coleman, and Zadorov.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Anthony Stolarz draw the starts in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Matt Nieto goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Alexander Barabanov and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Steven Lorentz goal, his fourth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and Jonah Gadjovich. Anaheim got on the board with a Trevor Zegras goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of John Klingberg and Frank Vatrano. The Ducks tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mason McTavish and Colton White. San Jose retook the lead with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Kevin Labanc and Tomas Hertl. Anaheim retied it on a McTavish goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jakob Silfverberg and Simon Benoit. The Sharks pulled ahead on a Meier goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Labanc and Matt Benning. The Ducks tied it in the third period with another McTavish goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Adam Henrique. Anaheim iced it at 5-4 in overtime with a Klingberg goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Troy Terry and McTavish. The three stars were McTavish, Klingberg, and Meier, while Labanc gets an honorable mention. 

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Thursday, January 5, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 84

We've got ten games on today, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Matt Murray are set to start in goal. Seattle got going in the second period with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Jared McCann. Toronto tied it on a John Tavares power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. The Kraken took the lead back with a Dunn goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Seattle added on with a McCann goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Dunn. The Kraken extended the lead as Matty Beniers scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Jordan Eberle and Andre Burakovsky. Seattle padded the lead in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fifth of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev. The final was 5-1, with the three stars given to Dunn, McCann, and Jones (26 for 27 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in shorthanded and unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Braden Schneider goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Vitali Kravtsov. New York extended the lead as Filip Chytil scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Joel Armia goal, via Arber Xhekaj and Jake Evans. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Chytil empty net goal on the power play, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller. The three stars went to Chytil, Schneider, and Halak (17 for 18 in saves).

Stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Akira Schmid draw the starts in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. New Jersey tied it in the second period on a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Damon Severson and Erik Haula. The Devils took the lead with a Hughes goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Tomas Tatar. The Blues tied it with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brandon Saad and Justin Faulk. St. Louis gained the lead in the third period with a Saad goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Barbashev and Noel Acciari. The Blues added on with a Thomas power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Buchnevich. New Jersey pulled one back with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. St. Louis iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Thomas, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Buchnevich. The three stars were given to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Hughes, while Saad and Barbashev get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Carter Hart man the nets. Arizona started in the first period with a Michael Carcone goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Barrett Hayton. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Morgan Frost. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Hayton and Nick Schmaltz. The Flyers tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his eighth of the year, via Frost and Konecny. Philadelphia gained the lead with a Wade Allison goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton. The Flyers added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his second of the year, coming off of Hayes and Cam York. Philadelphia extended the lead as Hayes scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Konecny and Frost. The Flyers padded the lead on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Owen Tippett and Frost. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Konecny, Frost, and Hayes, while Hayton gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Pyotr Kochetkov are in the blue paint. Carolina began in the first period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Juuso Parssinen and Roman Josi. The Hurricanes pulled ahead in the second period with a Brady Skjei goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Pesce and Martin Necas. The Predators tied it on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Parssinen. Carolina took the lead back with a Jordan Staal goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook. Nashville tied it again with a Cody Glass goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators gained the lead in the third period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. Nashville iced it at 5-3 with a Colton Sissons empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Saros (64 for 67 in saves), Parssinen, and Pesce.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the season, via Emil Bemstrom. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nick Jensen and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals took the lead with a Nicolas Aube-Kubal goal, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Gavin Bayreuther goal, passed from Adam Boqvist and Bemstrom. Washington retook the lead with a Martin Fehervary goal, his third of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Alexander Alexeyev. The Capitals added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas. Washington extended the lead as Oshie scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, powered by Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals padded the lead on a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Strome and Kuznetsov. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars going to Oshie, Strome, and Kuznetsov, while Bemstrom gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Kailer Yamamoto shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by McDavid. New York got on the board with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey and Casey Cizikas. Edmonton replied with a Dylan Holloway goal, his second of the year, via Ryan McLeod and Philip Broberg. The Oilers extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. The Islanders got one back with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Scott Mayfield. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Draisaitl, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins.

Further along, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev faces a lesser foe in Collin Delia in goal. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche added on with a Samuel Girard goal, his third of the year, via Andreas Englund and Alex Newhook in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ilya Mikheyev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks tied it on a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, coming off of Elias Pettersson and Ethan Bear. Vancouver took the lead with a Brock Boeser goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Bo Horvat. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an empty net goal by J.T. Miller, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Pettersson and Ekman-Larsson. The three stars were Kuzmenko, Pettersson, and Ekman-Larsson.

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Adin Hill are the backups in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, via Paul Cotter and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Nicolas Roy. Vegas extended the lead on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Eichel. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the second period on a Stone goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Brayden McNabb and Eichel. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Ty Smith goal, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Vegas replied with a Cotter goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Kessel and Karlsson. The Penguins got one back on a Crosby goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Guentzel. The final was 5-2, with the three stars going to Eichel, Cotter, and Crosby, while Kessel, Stone, Karlsson, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Pheonix Copley are the masked men. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Alex Iafallo and Mikey Anderson. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy in the second period. The Bruins took the lead with a Marchand power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by McAvoy. The Kings tied it on a Sean Durzi goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Matt Roy and Anze Kopitar. Boston took the lead with a Trent Frederic goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brandon Carlo. The Bruins added on with another Frederic goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno and Charlie Coyle. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Frederic, Pastrnak, and Marchand, while McAvoy gets an honorable mention. 

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Wednesday, January 4, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 83

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Ville Husso man the nets. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. The Devils added on with a Hischier power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Michael McLeod scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Alexander Holtz and Miles Wood. The Devils padded the lead on a Holtz goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Wood and Damon Severson. New Jersey continued with a Hughes goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar. Detroit got on the board with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Hughes, Hischier, and Hamilton, while Holtz and Wood get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Filip Gustavsson are the backups in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Calen Addison and Marcus Foligno. The Wild added on with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Matt Boldy and Addison. Minnesota extended the lead as Addison scored his third of the season, thanks to Ryan Hartman and Boldy. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov. The Wild replied with a Sam Steel goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota padded the lead on a Kaprizov empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Addison, Kaprizov, and Boldy.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and John Gibson patrol the creases. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mason McTavish and Troy Terry. The Ducks added on with a McTavish power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler. This held up for a 2-0 win, with the three stars handed to Gibson (35 save shutout), McTavish, and Henrique. 

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Tuesday, January 3, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 82

There's eleven games on for this Tuesday slate, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ilya Samsonov are the veteran goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Brandon Saad shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Noel Acciari and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. Toronto got on the board with a Pierre Engvall goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Kerfoot and David Kampf. St. Louis answered in the second period with a Kyrou power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Schenn and Thomas. The Maple Leafs got one back with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Michael Bunting and Auston Matthews. The Blues countered with a Josh Leivo goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jake Neighbours and Acciari. Toronto answered with a Bunting goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by T.J. Brodie. St. Louis shot back on a Saad goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Schenn and Parayko. The Maple Leafs replied with a Matthews goal, his nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Nylander and Timothy Liljegren. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Bunting goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, made possible by Nylander and Mitch Marner on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Schenn lifted the Blues 6-5 over Matthews, Marner and the Maple Leafs. The three stars were Saad, Bunting, and Schenn, while Kyrou, Acciari, Parayko, Nylander, and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jake Sanderson and Claude Giroux. The Senators added on with a Tim Stutzle goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Giroux. Ottawa extended the lead as Drake Batherson scored his thirteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. The Senators iced it at 4-0 in the third period with an Austin Watson shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Travis Hamonic. The three stars were Forsberg (22 save shutout), Stutzle, and Giroux.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Spencer Knight start in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with an Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Marc Staal. Arizona got on the board with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes tied it on a Keller goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, via Juuso Valimaki. Florida retook the lead with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, fueled by Josh Mahura. Arizona tied it again with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by J.J. Moser and Jack McBain. The Panthers retook the lead with an Eric Staal goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Ryan Lomberg and Tkachuk. Florida extended the lead as Tkachuk finished his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, with the help of Sam Reinhart and the goalie Knight. The final stayed at 5-3, with the three stars handed to Tkachuk, Eric Staal, and Keller.

Back north, the New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. Carolina opened in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his fifth of the season, via Paul Stastny and Jaccob Slavin. New York tied it on a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Vitali Kravtsov and Filip Chytil. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Martin Necas goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Stastny. The Rangers tied it on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina retook the lead on a Jalen Chatfield goal, his second of the season, fueled by Teuvo Teravainen. New York tied it in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. The Rangers pulled ahead with a K'Andre Miller goal, his third of the season, helped along by Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. New York added on with a Chytil empty net goal, his ninth of the year, coming on the power play set up by Miller and Trouba. The three stars of the 5-3 game were were Zibanejad, Miller, and Trouba, while Chytil and Stastny get the honorable mentions.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Buffalo started in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano goal, his sixth of the year, via Anthony Mantha and Matt Irwin. The Sabres took the lead back with a Thompson power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens. Buffalo added on in the second period with a Thompson goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Tuch and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Capitals got one back with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington tied it in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Milano and Nick Jensen. The Capitals pulled ahead on an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with a helper from Conor Sheary. The Sabres retied it on a Tyson Jost goal, his third of the year, helped along by Casey Mittelstadt and Owen Power. Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime as Thompson completed his hat trick on his thirtieth of the campaign, with an assist provided by Tuch. The three stars were awarded to Thompson, Ovechkin, and Tuch, while Milano gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Nashville Predators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cody Glass power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Nino Niederreiter. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the year, via Filip Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead as Ekholm scored his third of the season, thanks to Mikael Granlund and Niederreiter. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got closer in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Richard. The Predators responded with a Thomas Novak goal, his third of the year, guided in by Yakov Trenin and Tanner Jeannot. Nashville padded the lead as Roman Josi scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Novak and Niederreiter. The Predators continued in the third period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Josi and Granlund. Montreal pulled one back with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Christian Dvorak. The final was 6-3, and the three stars belonged to Niederreier, Josi, and Novak, while Ekholm and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brenden Dillon goal, assisted by Dylan DeMelo and Mark Scheifele. Calgary tied it on a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fifth of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Elias Lindholm. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Flames tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Andrew Mangiapane. Winnipeg pulled ahead with a Sam Gagner goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Gagner, Morrissey, and Dillon.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Taylor Raddysh and Max Domi. Tampa Bay tied it on a Pat Maroon goal, his second of the year, assisted by Victor Hedman. The Lightning pulled ahead with an Alex Killorn goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brandon Hagel. Tampa Bay added on with a Hagel power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Nick Paul shorthanded empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Hedman. The three stars were Hagel, Hedman, and Elliott (25 for 26 in saves).

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Stuart Skinner occupy the creases. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-third of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Brett Kulak. Seattle got on the board with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Daniel Sprong and Justin Schultz. The Kraken tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Beniers and Adam Larsson. Seattle pulled ahead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Eeli Tolvanen and Schultz. The Kraken extended the lead as Jared McCann scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and Schwartz. Jack Campbell replaced Skinner in goal. Seattle iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Wennberg empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Brandon Tanev and Schwartz. The three stars went to Schwartz, Beniers, and Wennberg, while Schultz gets an honorable mention.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Spencer Martin receive the starts in goal. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brock Boeser. New York tied it in the second period with an Aatu Raty goal, his second of the year, via Ross Johnston and Matt Martin. The Islanders took the lead with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Pulock and Mathew Barzal. New York added on with a Barzal goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks pulled one back with a Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Islanders shot back with an Anders Lee goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Brock Nelson. New York extended the lead as Casey Cizikas scored his third of the season, thanks to Barzal and Parker Wotherspoon. The Islanders iced it at 6-2 with a Pageau shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Cizikas. The three stars were Barzal, Pageau, and Horvat, while Cizikas gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Pheonix Copley draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Rasmus Kupari goal, his third of the season, via Kevin Fiala. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz. The Kings retook the lead on an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield. The Stars tied it again with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Hintz. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Fiala, Hintz, and Kempe. 

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Monday, January 2, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 81

Three games on today, leading off with...

The Winter Classic at Fenway Park, where the Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Linus Ullmark got the starts in goal, but Jarry was injured and replaced by Casey DeSmith in the first period. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixth of the season, via Danton Heinen and Jeff Carter. Boston tied it in the third period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins took the lead with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of Taylor Hall and David Krejci. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to DeBrusk, Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves), and Kapanen. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen. Vegas tied it on a Michael Amadio goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nicolas Hague and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his sixth of the season, via Keegan Kolesar and Kaedan Korczak. Vegas added on with another Roy goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by William Carrier and Alex Pietrangelo. The Avalanche got one back with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Lehkonen and MacKinnon. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Roy, MacKinnon, and Rantanen, while Lehkonen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Noah Cates and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Morgan Frost goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Cam York and Farabee. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Konecny scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Kevin Hayes and Cates. The Flyers padded the lead on a Scott Laughton goal, his ninth of the year, via Hayes in the third period. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Strome goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Trevor Zegras. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Farabee, Konecny, and Cates, while Hayes gets an honorable mention. 

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Sunday, January 1, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 80

We've got five games on New Year's Day. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goalies. Carolina got going in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his third of the season, via Stefan Noesen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Dawson Mercer and Erik Haula. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a shorthanded and unassisted Sebastian Aho goal, his twelfth of the season. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Tomas Tatar. Carolina pulled ahead again with a Stepan goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, helped along by Noesen and Calvin de Haan. New Jersey retied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Bratt and Tatar. The Devils pulled ahead with a Bratt goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Graves. The Hurricanes retied it on a Martin Necas power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Aho. In the shootout, Andrei Svechnikov had the lone tally for a 5-4 Hurricanes win. The three stars were Bratt, Stepan, and Aho, while Tatar and Noesen get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on with a Zibanejad goal in the second period, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Kaapo Kakko and Braden Schneider. Florida got on the board with a Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the season, via Eric Staal and Josh Mahura. New York answered with a Chris Kreider goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Kakko and Fox. The Panthers got one back with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling. The Rangers countered in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Kreider. Florida pulled back with a Staal goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. New York fired back with a Panarin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Trocheck and Ben Harpur. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars being Zibanejad, Panarin, and Trocheck, while Kreider, Kakko, Staal, and Fox get the honorable mentions. 

Back north, the Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Anton Forsberg are the veteran goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mattias Samuelsson and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Senators retook the lead on a Jake Lucchini power play goal, powered by Derick Brassard and Giroux. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Stutzle empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Thomas Chabot. The three stars were Stutzle, Forsberg (33 for 34 in saves), and Giroux. 

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventh of the season, via Ian Mitchell. The Blackhawks added on with a Sam Lafferty goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Andreas Athanasiou. San Jose got on the board with a Jonah Gadjovich goal, his second of the season, assisted by Oskar Lindblom and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks tied it on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, passed from Matt Benning and Logan Couture. San Jose pulled ahead with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Couture and Karlsson. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Timo Meier scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Tomas Hertl and Scott Harrington. San Jose padded the lead on an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nick Bonino and Lindblom. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Karlsson, Couture, and Lindblom. 

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Seattle struck first in the first period with an Adam Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Donato and Daniel Sprong. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey. The Kraken retook the lead with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Jared McCann. Seattle added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jamie Oleksiak and Yanni Gourde. The Kraken iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Brandon Tanev empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Dunn and Gourde. The three stars were Dunn, Gourde, and Tolvanen. 

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