Saturday, March 4, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 138

There's 12 games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Eric Comrie are in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson power play goal, his forty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres took the lead with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the season, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens. Buffalo added on with an unassisted Tyson Jost goal, his sixth of the year. The Sabres extended the lead as Jack Quinn scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Thompson and Jeff Skinner. Buffalo padded the lead in the third period on a Skinner power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Perbix and Nick Paul. Tampa Bay got closer with a shorthanded Killorn goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Tanner Jeannot and Victor Hedman. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Thompson, Skinner, and Killorn. 

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg is mismatched with Ilya Sorokin in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Moritz Seider and Robby Fabbri. New York tied it in the third period with a Zach Parise goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Kyle Palmieri. The Islanders took the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Hudson Fasching and Casey Cizikas. New York added on with a Palmieri power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Noah Dobson and Brock Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead as Lee scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, with the help of Josh Bailey. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Lee, Palmieri, and Sorokin (22 for 23 in saves). 

Next up, the Boston Bruins bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Boston began in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi and Trent Frederic. The Bruins added on with a Tomas Nosek shorthanded goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, set up by Coyle. New York got on the board with an Alexis Lafreniere power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jacob Trouba and Vladimir Tarasenko. Boston replied in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Dmitry Orlov. The Bruins extended the lead as David Pastrnak scored his forty-fourth of the season, thanks to Charlie McAvoy and David Krejci. The Rangers got one back with a Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Niko Mikkola and Kaapo Kakko. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Coyle, Lafreniere, and Bergeron. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas started in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, via Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn. Colorado got on the board with a Samuel Girard goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Alex Newhook. Dallas replied with a Pavelski goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Robertson and Hintz. The Stars extended the lead in the second period as Mason Marchment scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin. Dallas padded the lead on a Radek Faksa goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Esa Lindell. Keith Kinkaid replaced Georgiev in goal. The Stars kept going in the third period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche got one back with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Girard and Logan O'Connor. Colorado got closer with a power play goal by Evan Rodrigues, his twelfth of the season, powered by Newhook and Girard. Dallas iced it at 7-3 with a Robertson empty net goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Robertson, Girard, and Pavelski, while Hintz and Newhook get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Florida Panthers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Florida struck first in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers added on with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Brandon Montour. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Kris Letang power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. Florida replied with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Barkov. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Carter Verhaeghe scored his thirty-second of the season, with the help of Tkachuk and Montour. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Verhaeghe, Barkov, and Tkachuk, while Montour gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Kaapo Kahkonen are the masked men. San Jose opened in the first period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and William Eklund. The Sharks added on with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Logan Couture and Andreas Johnsson. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano. The Capitals tied it on a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Nic Dowd. Washington gained the lead on a Matt Irwin goal, coming off of Gabriel Carlsson and Aube-Kubel. The Capitals extended the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Rasmus Sandin and Strome. Washington padded the lead in the third period with a power play goal by T.J. Oshie, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Ovechkin and Sandin. San Jose pulled one back with a Nico Sturm goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Noah Gregor and Karlsson. The Capitals replied with an Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, made possible by Tom Wilson and Carlsson. Washington continued with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Vincent Iorio and Sandin. The Capitals piled on with a Strome goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Milano. The final held at 8-3, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Sandin, and Smith, while Strome, Aube-Kubel, Milano, Carlsson, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Heading east again, the Ottawa Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his fourth of the season, via Mathieu Joseph and Jake Sanderson. Columbus tied it on a Jack Roslovic goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead back with a Tim Stutzle goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Brady Tkachuk and Jakob Chychrun. Ottawa added on in the second period with another Hamonic goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Alex DeBrincat and Sanderson. The Senators extended the lead as Chychrun scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Erik Brannstrom and Julien Gauthier. Michael Hutchinson relieved Merzlikins in goal. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Kirill Marchenko. Ottawa answered in the third period with a shorthanded Stutzle goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, set up by Joseph. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars given to Stutzle, Hamonic, and Chychrun, while Joseph and Sanderson get the honorable mentions.

Westward again to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Thatcher Demko patrol the creases. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser. Toronto tied it in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with assists provided by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Canucks took the lead with an Elias Pettersson shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers. Vancouver added on with a Miller shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Pettersson and Hughes. The Canucks extended the lead as Nils Aman scored his third of the season, thanks to Boeser and Phillip Di Giuseppe. This stood for a 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Miller, and Boeser, while Hughes gets an honorable mention.

In Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Connor Hellebuyck occupy the creases. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, coming off of Dylan DeMelo and Nino Niederreiter. The Jets took the lead with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Neal Pionk. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton pulled ahead with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg retied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Morgan Barron and Brenden Dillon. The Jets gained the lead on a Kyle Capobianco goal, his second of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler. The Oilers retied it as Draisaitl completed his hat trick on his forty-first of the year, with the help of Connor McDavid and Bouchard on the power play. Winnipeg retook the lead with a Barron goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Morrissey power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Connor and Scheifele. Edmonton replied in the third period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Devin Shore and Bouchard. Winnipeg iced it at 7-5 with a DeMelo empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov. The three stars went to Morrissey, Draisaitl, and Scheifele, while Barron, DeMelo, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Seth Jones goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Lukas Reichel. Nashville tied it on a Philip Tomasino power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Yakov Trenin and Kiefer Sherwood. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Thomas Novak and Ryan McDonagh. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Colton Sissons empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Trenin and Cole Smith. The three stars were Saros (27 for 28 in saves), Trenin, and Barrie.

Next up, the Calgary Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Minnesota got the first goal on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Matt Boldy. The Wild added on in the third period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Frederick Gaudreau and Sam Steel. Minnesota extended the lead as Boldy scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Eriksson Ek. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Gustavsson (31 save shutout), Eriksson Ek, and Boldy.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Joonas Korpisalo are between the pipes. Los Angeles initiated the scoring on a Carl Grundstrom goal, his seventh of the season, via Matt Roy and Rasmus Kupari. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. The Kings took the lead with an Adrian Kempe goal in the second period, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Quinton Byfield. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Kasperi Kapanen shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Brandon Saad. Los Angeles took the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a Fiala empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Viktor Arvidsson and Doughty. The three stars were Fiala, Doughty, and Vilardi. 

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Friday, March 3, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 137

There's five games this Friday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Elvis Merzlikins are in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Adam Boqvist and Johnny Gaudreau. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn. The Kraken took the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the season, via McCann and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period on a Boqvist goal, his third of the year, guided in by Laine and Erik Gudbranson. Seattle retook the lead with a Wennberg power play goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Dunn. The Kraken iced it at 4-2 with a Brandon Tanev empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Jaden Schwartz. The three stars were Wennberg, McCann, and Laine, while Boqvist and Dunn get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with an unassisted Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-ninth of the year. Edmonton extended the lead as Kailer Yamamoto scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers padded the lead on another Yamamoto goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Klim Kostin and Brett Kulak. David Rittich replaced Skinner in goal for the third period. Edmonton continued with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Draisaitl. Winnipeg got on the board with an Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from David Gustafsson and Saku Maenalanen. The Oilers fired back on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, guided in by McDavid and Yamamoto. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, thirty-fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Nino Niederreiter. Winnipeg got closer on a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Jonsson-Fjallby and Saku Maenalanen. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto, while McDavid and Maenalanen get the honorable mentions.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Carolina opened in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, via Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Skjei. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Slavin scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Burns and Seth Jarvis. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by J.J. Moser and Victor Soderstrom. The Hurricanes shot back on a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Svechnikov. Carolina padded the lead on an Aho power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Burns and Necas. The Hurricanes struck again in the third period on a Necas power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, coming off of Burns and Aho. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Aho, Necas, and Burns, while Slavin and Svechnikov get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Vegas, where the Golden Knights bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Adin Hill are the inexperienced goalies. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Brayden McNabb and Ivan Barbashev. New Jersey tied it on a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils took the lead with a Dawson Mercer goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with another Marchessault goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, passed from Barbashev and Jack Eichel. Vegas took the lead in the third period with an Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Marchessault. New Jersey tied it on a Miles Wood goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Jesper Boqvist. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Shea Theodore's lone tally was the difference in the Golden Knights' 4-3 win. The three stars were Marchessault, Eichel, and Barbashev.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, via Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson. Anaheim tied it on a Jayson Megna goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Comtois and Derek Grant. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Trevor Zegras. Anaheim added on with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Grant and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Canadiens got one back with a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Christian Dvorak and Drouin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Drouin, Grant, and Silfverberg. 

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Thursday, March 2, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 136

There's 10 games on for this Thursday's slate. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jeremy Swayman man the nets. Boston got going in the second period with a Dmitry Orlov power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a Jakub Lauko goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Brandon Carlo and Orlov. Boston extended the lead in the third period as Pavel Zacha scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to David Krejci and Pastrnak. The Bruins padded the lead with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his forty-third of the year, set up by Krejci and Zacha. Buffalo got on the board with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by JJ Peterka and Peyton Krebs. Boston replied with a Patrice Bergeron shorthanded empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Orlov and Carlo. The Bruins kept going with a Connor Clifton shorthanded empty net goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Garnet Hathaway and Charlie Coyle. Boston struck again with a Lauko goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Coyle and Matt Grzelcyk. This made it 7-1, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Zacha, and Krejci, while Orlov, Lauko, Coyle, and Carlo get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Ville Husso patrol the creases. Seattle started in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers. Detroit tied it on a Ben Chiarot goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Copp and Robby Fabbri. The Kraken took the lead on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Jaden Schwartz. Seattle added on with a McCann goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Vince Dunn and Eeli Tolvanen. The Red Wings got one back with an Adam Erne goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Moritz Seider and Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Filip Zadina and Gustav Lindstrom. Philipp Grubauer replaced Jones in goal. The Kraken regained the lead with a Schwartz goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Eberle and Beniers. The Red Wings tied it on a Jake Walman goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Seattle won 5-4 in overtime with a Bjorkstrand power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, powered by McCann and Justin Schultz. The three stars were McCann, Bjorkstrand, and Schwartz, while Eberle and Beniers get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Nashville began in the first period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Luke Evangelista and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a John Leonard goal, via Josi and Cody Glass. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Montour goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Ryan Lomberg and Radko Gudas. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Josi, Lankinen (30 for 31 in saves), and Leonard.

North to New York, as the Rangers host the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Jaroslav Halak draw the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider shorthanded goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Shane Pinto goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson. The Senators took the lead with a Derick Brassard goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Mathieu Joseph and Dyan Gambrell. The Rangers retied it on a Jacob Trouba goal, his fifth of the year, via Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. New York gained the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Zibanejad and Ben Harpur. Ottawa tied it again in the third period with Brassard's second goal of the game and his eleventh of the year, fueled by Claude Giroux. The Senators pulled ahead with a Giroux goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Travis Hamonic and Brady Tkachuk. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 with a Tim Stutzle empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by Tkachuk and Giroux. The three stars were Brassard, Giroux, and Tkachuk, while Zibanejad gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Tanner Jeannot and Mikhail Sergachev. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Jeff Petry goal, his fourth of the year, via Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead on another Petry goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, helped along by Jeff Carter and Danton Heinen. The Lightning tied it on a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, guided in by Alex Killorn and Sergachev. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Marcus Pettersson and Carter. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The Penguins retook the lead with a Drew O'Connor goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Josh Archibald and Kris Letang. The Lightning retied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Stamkos and Point. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime on a Zucker goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, fueled by Pettersson and Rickard Rakell. The three stars were Zucker, Stamkos, and Petry, while Carter, Pettersson, Point, and Sergachev received the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Dallas Stars. Matt Murray and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Miro Heiskanen. Chicago tied it on a Cole Guttman goal, his third of the year, via Tyler Johnson and Jarred Tinordi. The Stars retook the lead with another Hintz power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period with a Seth Jones goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas took the lead back in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Evgenii Dadonov and Wyatt Johnston. The Stars added on with an Esa Lindell empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Pavelski. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Hintz, completing his hat trick on his twenty-ninth of the campaign, with a helper from Robertson. The three stars went to Hintz, Heiskanen, and Pavelski, while Robertson gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll is mismatched with Jacob Markstrom in goal. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Mitch Marner goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Auston Matthews and David Kampf. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Woll (25 for 26 in saves), Jarnkrok, and Marner.

Next up, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Thatcher Demko are the masked men. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Vitali Kravtsov and Conor Garland. The Wild retook the lead in the second period on a Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the season, via Ryan Hartman and Ryan Reaves. The final stayed at 2-1, with the three stars given to Kaprizov, Fleury (21 for 22 in saves), and Boeser.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Pheonix Copley have the green light to start in goal. Montreal cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Josh Anderson power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Gabriel Vilardi. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Vilardi goal, his twentieth of the season, via Matt Roy and Sean Durzi. Los Angeles added on with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Quinton Byfield. The Canadiens got one back with a Denis Gurianov goal, his third of the season, passed from Mike Matheson and David Savard. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Vilardi, Kopitar, and Iafallo.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Thomas Greiss and James Reimer are the veterans in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his twelfth of the season, via Andreas Johnsson and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks added on with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Barabanov. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Colton Parayko goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Nikita Alexandrov and Josh Leivo. The Blues tied it on a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Torey Krug. St. Louis took the lead with a Logan Brown goal, coming off of Buchnevich and Parayko. The Blues extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his seventeenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kyrou and Buchnevich. San Jose got one back with a Steven Lorentz shorthanded goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, set up by Matt Benning. St. Louis replied with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alexandrov. The Blues padded the lead on a Kasperi Kapanen empty net goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Buchnevich and Schenn. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Buchnevich, Kyrou, and Parayko, while Schenn and Alexandrov get the honorable mentions. 

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Wednesday, March 1, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 135

There's six games on for this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Carter Hart man the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Artemi Panarin. Philadelphia tied it on an Owen Tippett power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Scott Laughton goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Kevin Hayes. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, fueled by Tarasenko and Vincent Trocheck. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Tarasenko goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Filip Chytil and Braden Schneider. The three stars were Tarasenko, Kreider, and Zibanejad.

Out in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Stuart Skinner are in the blue paint. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fifty-first of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Toronto tied it on a David Kampf goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Mitch Marner. The Oilers retook the lead with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and fifty-second of the season, assisted by Klim Kostin and Zach Hyman. Edmonton added on with a Hyman goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Mattias Ekholm and McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead in the second period as Kailer Yamamoto scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Cody Ceci and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton padded the lead on a Kostin goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Marner power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews. The final stayed at 5-2, with the three stars being McDavid, Hyman, and Kostin, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Barrett Hayton goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Juuso Valimaki and J.J. Moser. The Coyotes added on with a power play goal by Clayton Keller, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Valimaki and Nick Schmaltz. Dallas got on the board with a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Jason Robertson. The Stars tied it on a Tyler Seguin power play goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Evgenii Dadonov and Wyatt Johnston. Dallas pulled ahead in the third period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Colin Miller and Seguin. The Stars extended the lead on a Seguin shorthanded goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Radek Faksa. The final was 4-2, and the three stars belonged to Seguin, Valimaki, and Heiskanen.

Backtracking to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Justus Annunen are set to start in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt. The Devils added on with a Nathan Bastian goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Michael McLeod and Damon Severson. New Jersey extended the lead as Tomas Tatar scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen. The Devils replied in the second period on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from McLeod and Miles Wood. New Jersey padded the lead on a Wood power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Erik Haula and Mercer. The Avalanche pulled one back on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his forty-first of the season, helped along by Josh Manson and Alex Newhook. Colorado got closer with another MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with a helper from Bowen Byram. The Avalanche pulled closer with a J.T. Compher goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey countered with a Mercer goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Ryan Graves. Colorado pulled one back in the third period with a Nichushkin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Lehkonen and Samuel Girard. Akira Schmid relieved Vanecek in goal. New Jersey fired back on a Hischier empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Tatar and Mercer. The three stars of the 7-5 game were Mercer, Tatar, and MacKinnon, while Hischier, Wood, McLeod, Nichushkin, and Lehkonen get the honorable mentions.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and John Gibson protect the nets. Washington struck first in the first period with a Martin Fehervary goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and Dylan McIlrath. Anaheim tied it on a Troy Terry goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler. The Capitals took the lead with a Tom Wilson goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, via Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Ducks tied it on a Zegras goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Mason McTavish and Kevin Shattenkirk. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with a Wilson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by T.J. Oshie and Alexander Alexeyev. The three stars were Wilson, Zegras, and Kuemper (21 for 23 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Adin Hill patrol the creases. Vegas got going in the second period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by William Carrier and Shea Theodore. Carolina tied it on a Martin Necas goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen. The Golden Knights retook the lead with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, via Ivan Barbashev and Phil Kessel. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. Vegas took the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Michael Amadio and William Karlsson. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Eichel, Smith, and Hill (24 for 26 in saves). 

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Tuesday, February 28, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 134

There's 10 games on today, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso faces a lesser foe in Mads Sogaard in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Olli Maatta. Ottawa tied it on a Tim Stutzle penalty shot goal, his twenty-eighth of the year. The Senators took the lead on a shorthanded Austin Watson goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Dylan Gambrell. Ottawa added on with a Watson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Mark Kastelic. The Senators extended the lead as Alex DeBrincat scored his twentieth of the season on the power play, powered by Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot. Ottawa padded the lead in the second period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by DeBrincat and Stutzle. The Senators continued in the third period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Giroux and Jake Sanderson. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Stutzle, Watson, and Giroux, while DeBrincat gets an honorable mention.

Down to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russian goalies. Florida started in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Josh Mahura and Nick Cousins. The Panthers added on with an Anton Lundell goal, his ninth of the year, via Matthew Tkachuk and Marc Staal. Florida extended the lead as Eetu Luostarinen scored his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an Anthony Duclair empty net goal, set up by Eric Staal and Cousins. The three stars were Eric Staal, Cousins, and Lundell.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Craig Anderson start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Kent Johnson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nick Blankenburg and the goalie Merzlikins. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson goal, his forty-first of the year, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Jack Quinn. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Eric Robinson goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus added on in the second period with another Robinson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Sean Kuraly and Patrik Laine. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Boone Jenner scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Blankenburg and Andrew Peeke. The Sabres got one back with a Quinn goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo pulled closer with a JJ Peterka goal, his eighth of the season, coming on the power play from Owen Power and Peyton Krebs. Columbus iced it at 5-3 with a Robinson empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his eighth of the year, set up by Jenner. The three stars were Robinson, Jenner, and Quinn, while Blankenburg gets an honorable mention.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Jordan Binnington man the nets. Seattle began in the first period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his sixth of the season, via Daniel Sprong and Adam Larsson. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas shorthanded goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Pavel Buchnevich. The Kraken took the lead back with a Jared McCann goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Vince Dunn and Eeli Tolvanen. The Blues retied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Nick Leddy and Justin Faulk. Seattle retook the lead with a Geekie goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Sprong and Justin Schultz. The Kraken added on in the third period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Donato and Tolvanen. St. Louis got one back with a Buchnevich goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Thomas. Seattle iced it at 5-3 with a Brandon Tanev empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Tolvanen and Yanni Gourde. The three stars belonged to Tolvanen, Geekie, and Buchnevich, while Thomas and Sprong get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Brock McGinn and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins took the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, his seventeenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with a Bryan Rust empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Jake Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin. The three stars were Jarry (24 for 25 in saves), Zucker, and Crosby.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Filip Gustavsson tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Scott Mayfield and Otto Koivula. Minnesota tied it on a Ryan Reaves goal, courtesy of Jordan Greenway. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Frederick Gaudreau had the lone tally for a 2-1 Wild win. The three stars were Gustavsson (39 for 40 in saves), Reaves, and Sorokin (30 for 31 in saves).

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his twelfth of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with another Morrissey goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Dylan DeMelo. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. Winnipeg shot back with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Scheifele and Morrissey. The Kings got one back on a Kopitar goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, helped along by Alexander Edler and Quinton Byfield. Los Angeles tied it on another Kopitar goal, completing his hat trick with his twenty-third of the year, with the help of Doughty. The Jets retook the lead with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Morrissey and DeMelo. Winnipeg extended the lead as Stenlund scored his second of the game and fifth of the year shorthanded, set up by Adam Lowry. The Kings pulled one back in the third period with another Kopitar goal, his fourth of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Sean Durzi and Carl Grundstrom. Los Angeles tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Blake Lizotte and Alex Iafallo. The tie went to a shootout, where Adrian Kempe lifted the Kings to a 6-5 win. The three stars were Kopitar, Morrissey, and Stenlund, while Doughty, Scheifele, and DeMelo get the honorable mentions.

West to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Dan Vladar are in the creases. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fourth of the season, via Hampus Lindholm and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins added on with another Orlov goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and Patrice Bergeron. Jacob Markstrom replaced Vladar in goal for the second period. Calgary got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Rasmus Andersson. The Flames tied it on a Dillon Dube goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Toffoli and Noah Hanifin. Calgary took the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Jakob Pelletier. Boston tied it on a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Orlov and DeBrusk. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The three stars belonged to Orlov, Bergeron, and DeBrusk.

Way south to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Karel Vejmelka patrol the creases. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Travis Boyd goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes added on with a Barrett Hayton goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. Arizona extended the lead as Jack McBain scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Troy Stecher and Matias Maccelli. The Coyotes padded the lead in the third period on a Schmaltz goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Keller and Shayne Gostisbehere. Chicago got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, coming off of Philipp Kurashev and Isaak Phillips. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Schmaltz, Vejmelka (23 for 24 in saves), and Keller.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen are in the blue paint. San Jose got going in the first period with a Jacob MacDonald goal, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Kaiden Guhle goal in the third period, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens took the lead with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Rem Pitlick and Christian Dvorak. Montreal iced it at 3-1 with a Dvorak empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson. The three stars were Allen (38 for 39 in saves), Dvorak, and Ylonen. 

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Monday, February 27, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 133

We've got five games today, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg is mismatched with Cam Talbot in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Pius Suter and Oskar Sundqvist. Ottawa tied it on a Jake Sanderson power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Derick Brassard. The Red Wings retook the lead with a David Perron power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Filip Hronek. The Senators tied it on a Drake Batherson power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Thomas Chabot and Alex DeBrincat. Ottawa took the lead with a Giroux goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Dylan Gambrell and Chabot. The Senators added on with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Giroux and Artem Zub. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Chabot scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Giroux and Zub. The Senators padded the lead on a Tim Stutzle goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 6-2, and the three stars were Giroux, Chabot, and Zub. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Stuart Skinner are the young goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-ninth of the season, fueled by Leon Draisaitl. Boston tied it on a Tomas Nosek goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov. The Bruins took the lead on a Nick Foligno goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Charlie Coyle and Orlov. The Oilers retied it in the second period with another McDavid goal, his second of the game and fiftieth of the year, passed from Klim Kostin and Cody Ceci. Boston took the lead back with a Pavel Zacha goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by David Pastrnak and Derek Forbort. This stood as the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars being McDavid, Orlov, and Zacha. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Vancouver led off in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Tyler Seguin. The Canucks retook the lead with a Sheldon Dries power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Conor Garland and Christian Wolanin. Vancouver added on with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Aatu Raty and Quinn Hughes. The Stars got one back in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Wyatt Johnston and Ryan Suter. The Canucks fired back with another Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Hughes and Kuzmenko. Dallas pulled back with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Benn and Joe Pavelski. The Stars tied it in the third period as Nils Lundkvist scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Mason Marchment and Ty Dellandrea. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with a Kuzmenko goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, helped along by Beauvillier and Hughes. The three stars were Beauvillier, Kuzmenko, and Hughes, while Benn gets an honorable mention. 

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Colorado began in the first period with an unassisted Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-ninth of the season. The Avalanche added on in the second period with another Rantanen goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the year, coming off of J.T. Compher. Colorado iced it at 3-0 with a Nathan MacKinnon empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen. The three stars were Rantanen, Georgiev (31 save shutout), and MacKinnon.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Lukas Dostal occupy the creases. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Max Domi and Taylor Raddysh. Anaheim tied it on an Isac Lundestrom goal, his fourth of the year, via Troy Terry and Mason McTavish. The Ducks took the lead with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Frank Vatrano. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Domi and Johnson. Anaheim took the lead again with a Max Jones goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of McTavish and Vatrano. The Ducks added on in the third period with a Terry goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from McTavish. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Terry, McTavish, and Johnson, while Vatrano and Domi get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, February 26, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 132

There's seven games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Casey Mittelstadt and Ilya Lyubushkin. Washington tied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Jensen and T.J. Oshie. The Sabres took the lead back with a Tage Thompson goal, his fortieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals retied it on an Oshie goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Strome and Jensen. Buffalo pulled ahead in the second period on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Mattias Samuelsson and Jack Quinn. The Sabres added on with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Kyle Okposo and Tyson Jost. Buffalo extended the lead as Vinnie Hinostroza scored, thanks to Owen Power and Cozens. The Sabres padded the lead on a Cozens goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, via Quinn. Washington got one back with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-third of the year, guided in by Erik Gustafsson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals got closer on an unassisted power play goal by Sonny Milano, his tenth of the season. Buffalo shot back in the third period with a Cozens goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Hinostroza and Mittelstadt. This made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars going to Cozens, Hinostroza, and Mittelstadt, while Quinn, Oshie, Strome, and Jensen get the honorable mentions.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Marc-Andre Fleury start in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Mathieu Olivier goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Eric Robinson. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Liam Foudy goal, his second of the year, coming off of Erik Gudbranson and Emil Bemstrom. Minnesota got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Hartman. The Wild tied it on a Kaprizov power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime when Kaprizov completed his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the campaign, helped along by Calen Addison and Mats Zuccarello. The three stars were Kaprizov, Fleury (22 for 24 in saves), and Merzlikins (41 for 44 in saves).

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and David Rittich are the backups in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Bo Horvat shorthanded goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Alexander Romanov goal, his second of the year, via Casey Cizikas and Hudson Fasching. New York extended the lead as Brock Nelson scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Zach Parise. The Islanders iced it at 4-0 with an Adam Pelech empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Scott Mayfield. The three stars were Varlamov (23 save shutout), Horvat, and Romanov. 

Back east, the New York Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin patrol the creases. New York began in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. New York extended the lead as Trocheck scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Adam Fox. Pheonix Copley replaced Quick in goal. Los Angeles got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Arthur Kaliyev and Phillip Danault. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Matt Roy goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Danault. The Rangers shot back with an Artemi Panarin goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Trocheck. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Zibanejad power play goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, with assists provided by Fox and Panarin. The three stars belonged to Trocheck, Zibanejad, and Panarin, while Fox and Danault get the honorable mentions.

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Casey DeSmith man the nets. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Marcus Pettersson and Jeff Petry. Tampa Bay tied it on an Anthony Cirelli goal, his ninth of the year, via Zach Bogosian. The Lightning took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Brayden Point and Ian Cole. The Penguins tied it in the second period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Josh Archibald and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh pulled ahead on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his second of the year, guided in by Pettersson and Petry. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Letang. The Penguins padded the lead on a Jason Zucker goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Malkin and Danton Heinen. Pittsburgh kept going with a Dumoulin goal, helped along by Crosby. Tampa Bay got one back in the third period with a Point power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. This only made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars going to Malkin, Crosby, and Kucherov, while Dumoulin, Point, Petry, Letang, and Pettersson get the honorable mentions.

Out to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Connor Ingram are the former teammates in goal. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Shayne Gostisbehere shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Nick Schmaltz. Nashville tied it on a Yakov Trenin goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Philip Tomasino and Colton Sissons. The Predators took the lead with a Matt Duchene goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Cody Glass and Alexandre Carrier. Nashville added on in the second period with a Roman Josi goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Thomas Novak and Trenin. The Coyotes got one back with a Schmaltz goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Clayton Keller and Barrett Hayton. The Predators replied in the third period with a Novak goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Mikael Granlund and Duchene. Nashville extended the lead as Josi scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Novak and Duchene. The Predators padded the lead on a Glass power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Granlund and Josi. The final was 6-2, with the three stars being Josi, Novak, and Duchene, while Trenin, Schmaltz, Glass, and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Philipp Grubauer are in the blue paint. Seattle was first to score in the first period with a Vince Dunn goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. Toronto tied it on a Mark Giordano goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Timothy Liljegren and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Nylander and Justin Holl. Toronto added on with a Liljegren goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Mitch Marner and Michael Bunting. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the second period as Auston Matthews scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Marner. Martin Jones replaced Grubauer in goal. Toronto iced it at 5-1 with another Matthews goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, with helpers from Marner and Bunting. The three stars were Matthews, Liljegren, and Marner, while Nylander and Bunting get the honorable mentions. 

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