There's 11 games on this Saturday, including three matinees. First up...
The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Columbus started in the first period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Jenner power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. Columbus extended the lead as Marchenko scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, guided in by Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Laine goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Adam Boqvist and Roslovic. Stuart Skinner replaced Campbell in goal. Edmonton got on the board with a Warren Foegele goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers got closer with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Edmonton pulled closer with a McDavid shorthanded goal, his forty-seventh of the season, set up by Brett Kulak. The Oilers tied it as McDavid scored his second of the game and forty-eighth of the year, thanks to Kulak and Barrie. Columbus retook the lead in the third period with a Roslovic goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Laine and Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets continued with another Roslovic goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Gavin Bayreuther. Edmonton got one back on a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, dished from McDavid and Darnell Nurse. This only made it 6-5, with the three stars going to McDavid, Roslovic, and Laine, while Marchenko, Jenner, Gaudreau, Barrie, and Kulak get the honorable mentions.
Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Washington opened in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. New York tied it on a Barclay Goodrow goal, his tenth of the year, via Tyler Motte. The Capitals took the lead back in the second period with an Oshie goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, guided in by Dylan Strome and Gustafsson. Washington added on with a Tom Wilson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals extended the lead as Sonny Milano scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Kuznetsov and Oshie. Washington padded the lead on a Kuznetsov goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Martin Fehervary. The Rangers got one back with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. The Capitals shot back with a Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Ovechkin and Wilson. New York got one back with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from Kreider and Zibanejad. The final was 6-3, and the three stars were Kuznetsov, Oshie, and Wilson, while Ovechkin, Kreider, Gustafsson, and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.
Next up, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas and Justin Faulk. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Bryan Rust and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins took the lead with a Pettersson goal, coming off of Teddy Blueger and Drew O'Connor. The Blues tied it on a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alexey Toropchenko and Sammy Blais. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Rust goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Malkin and Jeff Petry. The three stars were Rust, Pettersson, and Malkin, while Faulk gets an honorable mention.
Northeast to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Sam Montembeault man the nets. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Derick Brassard goal, his ninth of the season, via Nick Holden and Mark Kastelic. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Mike Matheson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Justin Barron. The Canadiens took the lead with a Nick Suzuki goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Johnathan Kovacevic. The Senators tied it on a Shane Pinto goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. Ottawa pulled ahead in the third period with an Austin Watson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Travis Hamonic and Brassard. The Senators added on with a Drake Batherson goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk and the goalie Sogaard. Ottawa extended the lead as Julien Gauthier scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Holden. The final stayed at 5-2, with the three stars being Brassard, Holden, and Watson.
Stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Akira Schmid are the backups in goal. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jonas Siegenthaler goal, his third of the season, coming off of Miles Wood. The Devils added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, via Siegenthaler. New Jersey extended the lead as Dawson Mercer scored his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Nico Hischier. The Devils padded the lead on a Hischier goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from John Marino and Ryan Graves. New Jersey continued with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Siegenthaler and Michael McLeod. The Devils kept going with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. New Jersey struck again with a Nathan Bastian goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Kevin Bahl and Tomas Tatar. This made it 7-0, the final, with the three stars going to Siegenthaler, Hughes, and Hischier, while Schmid (25 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.
South again to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen patrol the creases. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a John Klingberg goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Trevor Zegras and Ryan Strome. The Ducks added on in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Strome and Zegras. Carolina got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jaccob Slavin. Anaheim fired back with a Troy Terry goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Isac Lundestrom and Cam Fowler. The Hurricanes fired back with a Brady Skjei goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Brett Pesce and Jordan Staal. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Gibson (50 for 52 in saves), Zegras, and Strome.
Way out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark faces a lesser foe in Arturs Silovs in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by David Krejci and Taylor Hall. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Jake DeBrusk and Patrice Bergeron. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Conor Garland. Boston iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by the goalie Ullmark, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves), Marchand, and Lindholm.
Back east, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ville Husso tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on with a Kucherov goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Point and Nick Paul. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Killorn empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Brandon Hagel in the third period. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (45 save shutout), Point, and Kucherov, while Killorn gets an honorable mention.
West again to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Alexandar Georgiev are between the pipes. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche added on with an Alex Newhook goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Logan O'Connor and Andrew Cogliano. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Mikko Rantanen scored his thirty-eighth of the season on the power play, powered by Nichushkin and Bowen Byram. Calgary got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche fired back on a Denis Malgin goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Josh Manson. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars given to Nichushkin, Georgiev (28 for 29 in saves), and Newhook.
To Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Laurent Brossoit draw the starts in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Michael Amadio goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore. Dallas tied it on a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Ty Dellandrea and Jamie Benn. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault. The Stars retied it on a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Jason Robertson and Benn. The tie went to a shootout, where Robertson and Hintz tallied to give the Stars a 3-2 win. The three stars were Hintz, Benn, and Robertson.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Kaapo Kahkonen are between the pipes. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a David Gust goal, assisted by Colin Blackwell and Jason Dickinson. San Jose tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jacob MacDonald and Nico Sturm. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Brett Seney goal, via Seth Jones. The Sharks tied it again with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Sturm and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Chicago gained the lead in the third period with a Max Domi goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Jake McCabe and the goalie Mrazek. San Jose tied it on an Erik Karlsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Vlasic and Logan Couture. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Philipp Kurashev had the lone tally to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 win. The three stars were Sturm, Vlasic, and Mrazek (45 for 48 in saves).
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