Saturday, March 25, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 159

This is a loaded Saturday, with 15 games on throughout the day. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Alex Killorn. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Matt Grzelcyk and Tomas Nosek. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves), Hathaway, and Bergeron. 

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Carter Hart patrol the creases. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Kieffer Bellows goal, his third of the season, made possible by Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton. The Flyers added on with a Laughton goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia iced it at 3-0 with a Tyson Foerster empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Joel Farabee and Noah Cates. The three stars were Hart (29 save shutout), Laughton, and Bellows.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Juuse Saros man the nets. Seattle began in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Brandon Tanev. The Kraken added on with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Nashville got one back with a Tyson Barrie goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Philip Tomasino and Matt Duchene. Seattle shot back with a Tolvanen goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Barrie and Tomasino. The Kraken responded with an Adam Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from McCann and Vince Dunn. Seattle extended the lead as Matty Beniers scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Dunn and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken padded the lead on an unassisted McCann goal, his thirty-fifth of the year. Seattle continued with a Bjorkstrand goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Yanni Gourde. This produced the 7-2 final score, with the three stars going to Tolvanen, McCann, and Bjorkstrand, while Duchene, Barrie, Dunn, and Tomasino get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Joonas Korpisalo receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Trevor Moore. The Kings added on in the second period with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Phillip Danault and Sean Walker. Winnipeg got on the board with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk. Los Angeles replied in the third period with a Drew Doughty goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Mikey Anderson and Doughty. The three stars were Arvidsson, Doughty, and Korpisalo (25 for 26 in saves).

Northeast to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Calgary opened in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Andrew Agozzino. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Nico Sturm goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Noah Gregor and Karlsson. San Jose took the lead on a Martin Kaut goal, his third of the season, fueled by Steven Lorentz and Oskar Lindblom. Calgary retied it on a Walker Duehr goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Trevor Lewis. The Flames pulled ahead in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Duehr and Milan Lucic. Calgary iced it at 5-3 with a Toffoli empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Duehr, Toffoli, and Karlsson.

Back east, the Florida Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Anthony Duclair and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Marc Staal. New York got on the board in the second period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers tied it on a Lafreniere goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Jacob Trouba and Tyler Motte. New York took the lead in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers extended the lead as Chytil scored his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Kakko. Florida replied on a Barkov goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Chytil, Kakko, and Lafreniere, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Filip Gustavsson are between the pipes. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Lukas Reichel goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Wild took the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Frederick Gaudreau, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Gustavsson (22 for 23 in saves), Hartman, and Reaves.

East to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Semyon Varlamov are the backups in goal. Buffalo cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ilya Lyubushkin. The Sabres iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Jeff Skinner, his thirty-first of the year, set up by Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. The three stars went to Comrie (27 save shutout), Okposo, and Varlamov (33 for 34 in saves).

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Pyotr Kochetkov start in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Martinook and Jesper Fast. Toronto got on the board with a Calle Jarnkrok goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner. The Maple Leafs tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Toronto retied it on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, guided in by Michael Bunting and Morgan Rielly. The Hurricanes shot back with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Jaccob Slavin and Necas. Carolina finished it at 5-3 with a Teuvo Teravainen empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Aho and Fast. The three stars were Aho, Matthews, and Necas, while Fast and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko faces a lesser foe in Matt Murray in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Ryan Suter goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Ty Dellandrea. Vancouver tied it on a Dakota Joshua shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Nils Aman. The Canucks took the lead with a Brock Boeser goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Filip Hronek. Vancouver added on with a Jack Rathbone goal, courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Demko (25 for 26 in saves), Boeser, and Rathbone.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Sam Montembeault have the green light to start in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Lane Pederson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kent Johnson and Jack Roslovic. Montreal tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Michael Matheson and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens took the lead with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his sixth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Kirill Marchenko goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Peeke and Gavin Bayreuther. Montreal pulled ahead in the second period with a Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Matheson and Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with another Harvey-Pinard goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Hoffman and Suzuki. Montreal extended the lead as Gallagher scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jake Evans and Ylonen. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Harvey-Pinard goal to finish his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Hoffman and Matheson. Michael Hutchinson replaced an injured Merzlikins in goal. Montreal kept going in the third period with an Alex Belzile goal, his fifth of the season, with assists from Chris Tierney and Johnathan Kovacevic. The Canadiens struck again with a Suzuki goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Kovacevic and Jordan Harris. The final held at 8-2, with the three stars being Suzuki, Harvey-Pinard, and Matheson, while Hoffman, Gallagher, Ylonen, and Kovacevic get the honorable mentions.

Stateside again, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Ottawa Senators. Dylan Ferguson and Mackenzie Blackwood are the starting goalies. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-third of the season, guided in by Tim Stutzle. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes power play goal, his fortieth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils took the lead on an unassisted Jesper Bratt goal, his thirty-first of the season. New Jersey added on with a Dawson Mercer goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Nico Hischier. The Senators got one back with a Thomas Chabot goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Stutzle and Drake Batherson. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Kastelic goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Travis Hamonic. The Devils regained the lead with a Dougie Hamilton goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Hughes and Ondrej Palat. New Jersey finished it at 5-3 with a Tomas Tatar empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Hischier and John Marino. The three stars went to Hughes, Hischier, and Stutzle.

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Casey DeSmith are given the starting nods in goal. Pittsburgh scored first in the second period with a Ryan Poehling goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Danton Heinen. The Penguins added on with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, via Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period on a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals got closer with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-second of the year, with assists provided by John Carlson and Dylan Strome. Washington tied it on a Strome goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Conor Sheary and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The Penguins reclaimed the lead with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Strome, Malkin, and Guentzel.

Westward to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Stuart Skinner occupy the blue paint. Vegas started in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Ivan Barbashev and Jonathan Marchessault. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Pavel Dorofeyev power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Phil Kessel. The Oilers retied it in the second period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his forty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Vegas regained the lead in the third period with a Marchessault goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Eichel and Shea Theodore. Edmonton tied it again with a Warren Foegele goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Darnell Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Nicolas Roy goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Eichel and Theodore. The three stars were Eichel, Marchessault, and Draisaitl, while Theodore gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and John Gibson are the veterans in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Troy Terry power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jakob Silfverberg. St. Louis tied it on a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn. The Ducks retook the lead with a Nikita Nesterenko goal, via Mason McTavish and Terry. The Blues tied it on a Sammy Blais goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Colton Parayko. St. Louis took the lead with a Schenn goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Faulk. The Blues added on in the second period with a Schenn goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, passed from Vrana and Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead as Kapanen scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Torey Krug and Blais. The Blues padded the lead on another Kapanen goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Leddy and Parayko. Anaheim got one back with a Ryan Strome goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Trevor Zegras and Max Jones. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars being Kapanen, Schenn, and Parayko, while Vrana, Blais, Terry, and Faulk get the honorable mentions. 

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Friday, March 24, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 158

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

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

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

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

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Thursday, March 23, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 157

There's 12 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Carter Hart man the nets. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Travis Sanheim and James van Riemsdyk. Minnesota tied it on an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his tenth of the year, via Frederick Gaudreau and Jake Middleton. The Flyers took the lead with a Joel Farabee goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Cam York and Noah Cates. The Wild tied it on a Matt Boldy goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota took the lead on a Marcus Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. Philadelphia tied it again with a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Farabee. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with another Boldy goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin. The Flyers tied it up with a Tyson Foerster goal, his second of the year, passed from DeAngelo and Morgan Frost. The tie lasted to a shootout, where van Riemsdyk had the lone tally for a 5-4 Flyers win. The three stars were Farabee, Boldy, and DeAngelo, while Eriksson Ek gets an honorable mention.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jeremy Swayman patrol the creases. Boston started in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Jakub Zboril. The Bruins added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Connor Clifton and Patrice Bergeron. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Denis Gurianov and Kirby Dach. Boston answered in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-ninth of the year, helped along by Bertuzzi. The Canadiens fired back on a Dach power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mike Matheson and Suzuki. The Bruins replied with a David Krejci goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Clifton and Pastrnak. The final stayed at 4-2, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Bertuzzi, and Dach, while Suzuki and Clifton get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Martin Necas. New York tied it in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Rangers took the lead in the third period with an Adam Fox goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Panarin and Zibanejad. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Shesterkin (29 for 30 in saves), Panarin, and Zibanejad.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings host the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Magnus Hellberg are set to start in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Simon Edvinsson goal, assisted by Jordan Oesterle and Filip Zadina. The Red Wings added on with a Jake Walman goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of David Perron and Dominik Kubalik. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexei Toropchenko goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Nathan Walker and Tyler Pitlick. The Blues tied it on a Brayden Schenn goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Jordan Kyrou and Robert Bortuzzo. St. Louis took the lead with a Sammy Blais goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Colton Parayko and Calle Rosen. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Hellberg in goal. The Blues extended the lead as Jake Neighbours scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Bortuzzo. Detroit got one back in the third period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Bortuzzo, Neighbours, and Blais.

South to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Toronto opened in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-third of the season, assisted by Mitch Marner and Mark Giordano. Florida tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a William Nylander goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, via John Tavares. Toronto added on with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by Giordano and Justin Holl. The Panthers got one back with a Nick Cousins goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Aleksander Barkov and Josh Mahura. The Maple Leafs replied on a Michael Bunting power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Tavares and Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Alexander Kerfoot scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Tavares and Jake McCabe. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Marner shorthanded empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, set up by David Kampf. The three stars of the 6-2 game were Matthews, Tavares, and Nylander, while Marner and Giordano get the honorable mentions.

Way up north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Mads Sogaard are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto. The Senators added on with another DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, guided in by Erik Brannstrom and Travis Hamonic. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his forty-fifth of the season, via Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Ottawa replied with a Derick Brassard goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Claude Giroux and Jakob Chychrun on the power play. The Lightning answered in the third period with a Mikhail Sergachev power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Stamkos and Kucherov. The Senators replied on a Brannstrom goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa extended the lead as Brady Tkachuk scored his thirty-first of the season on the power play, thanks to DeBrincat and Thomas Chabot. The Senators padded the lead with a Tkachuk empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, set up by Tim Stutzle. Ottawa finished it at 7-2 with an Austin Watson goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Patrick Brown. The three stars were DeBrincat, Brannstrom, and Tkachuk, while Kucherov and Stamkos get the honorable mentions.

Stateside to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Khudobin and Darcy Kuemper are the veterans in goal. Washington was first to score in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington extended the lead as Nic Dowd scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals padded the lead on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Dylan Strome and John Carlson. Washington continued in the third period with a Carlson power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Backstrom and Strome. Chicago got on the board with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, courtesy of Jason Dickinson and Tyler Johnson. The Capitals shot back on an Ovechkin goal, his forty-first of the year, an unassisted goal. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Carlson, and Backstrom, while Strome gets an honorable mention.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Morgan Geekie and Vince Dunn. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tyson Barrie and Thomas Novak. The tie went to a shootout, where Matt Duchene and Philip Tomasino tallied to give the Predators a 2-1 win. The three stars were Saros (28 for 29 in saves), Daccord (23 for 24 in saves), and Sherwood.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Vegas started in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights added on with a Michael Amadio goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Shea Theodore and Ivan Barbashev. Calgary got on the board with a Milan Lucic goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Walker Duehr. Vegas replied in the third period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Phil Kessel and Chandler Stephenson. The Flames got one back with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Roy, Amadio, and Marchessault.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Jake Oettinger patrol the creases. Dallas opened in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirty-third of the season, via Jason Robertson and Colin Miller. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-first of the year, courtesy of Jake Guentzel and Mark Friedman. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Robertson. Dallas added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov. The Penguins shot back with a Pierre-Olivier Joseph goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Danton Heinen and Ryan Poehling. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Robertson, Benn, and Pavelski.

To California, where the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Lukas Dostal are in the blue paint. Anaheim began in the first period with a Cam Fowler goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Max Jones and Troy Terry. Winnipeg tied it on a Mason Appleton goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dylan DeMelo and Adam Lowry. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nino Neiderreiter. The Ducks tied it in the third period Frank Vatrano power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Derek Grant. Winnipeg regained the lead on a Lowry goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Brenden Dillon and Neal Pionk. This produced the 3-2 final score, with the three stars given to Lowry, Connor, and Appleton.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Thatcher Demko receive the starting nods in goal. Vancouver led off in the first period with an unassisted J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-ninth of the season. The Canucks added on with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Elias Pettersson and Anthony Beauvillier. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Jacob Peterson. Vancouver replied with a Dakota Joshua goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Conor Garland and Nils Aman. The Canucks extended the lead in the second period as Garland scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Tyler Myers and Kuzmenko. The Sharks replied in the third period with a shorthanded Andrew Agozzino goal, set up by Noah Gregor. Vancouver fired back on a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Myers and Joshua. The Canucks padded the lead on a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Quinn Hughes and Miller. Vancouver iced it at 7-2 with a Sheldon Dries shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Di Giuseppe. The three stars were Miller, Kuzmenko, and Garland, while Di Giuseppe, Joshua, and Myers get the honorable mentions. 

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Wednesday, March 22, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 156

There's just two games today. First up...

The Colorado Avalanche welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirtieth of the season, via Jake Guentzel and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The Penguins added on with a Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin. Colorado got on the board with a J.T. Compher goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Valeri Nichushkin. Pittsburgh replied with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Bryan Rust and Jason Zucker. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Devon Toews power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Compher and Nathan MacKinnon. The Penguins replied with a Carter goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, courtesy of Brian Dumoulin and Chad Ruhwedel. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 on a Rust empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Carter, Guentzel, and Compher, while Rust gets an honorable mention.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Stuart Skinner man the nets. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fifty-ninth of the season, powered by Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl. Arizona tied it on a J.J. Moser power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes took the lead with a Clayton Keller goal, his thirty-third of the season, fueled by Nick Schmaltz. The Oilers tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, passed from Draisaitl. Arizona took the lead in the third period with another Keller goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Barrett Hayton and Schmaltz. Edmonton retied it on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, helped along by Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and sixtieth of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Keller and Schmaltz get the honorable mentions. 

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Tuesday, March 21, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 155

There's 13 games on the slate today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Dylan Gambrell goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ridley Greig. Boston tied it on a David Krejci power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins took the lead with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Lindholm. This held as the final score, with the three stars being Ullmark (40 for 41 in saves), Lindholm, and DeBrusk.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Nashville started in the first period with a Philip Tomasino goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Matt Duchene. The Predators added on with a Duchene goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tomasino and Jeremy Lauzon. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn. Nashville replied with a Thomas Novak goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Luke Evangelista and Tyson Barrie. The Predators extended the lead as Evangelista scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Novak and the goalie Saros. Nashville padded the lead on another Evangelista goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Kiefer Sherwood. The Predators chased Anderson with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took over in goal. The Sabres pulled one back with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his forty-third of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson. Buffalo got closer in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirtieth of the season, helped along by Alex Tuch. Nashville iced it at 7-3 with a Duchene empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, set up by McDonagh. The three stars were Duchene, Evangelista, and Novak, while Tomasion and McDonagh get the honorable mentions.

Across the border, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sam Montembeault receive the starts in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Kirby Dach goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Denis Gurianov and Justin Barron. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point power play goal, his forty-fourth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev. Montreal replied in the second period with a Mike Matheson goal, his eighth of the year, via David Savard and Suzuki. The Lightning got one back with a Patrick Maroon goal in the third period, his third of the season, coming off of Ross Colton. The final stayed at 3-2, with the three stars being Suzuki, Matheson, and Dach.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Motte goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Barclay Goodrow. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Derek Stepan and Jack Drury. The Rangers retook the lead with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. The Hurricanes retied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jesper Fast and Jordan Staal. Carolina pulled ahead on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Brent Burns and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Teravainen, Noesen, and Chatfield.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mason Shaw goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Connor Dewar and Oskar Sundqvist. New Jersey tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime with a Matt Boldy goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Boldy, Gustavsson (47 for 48 in saves), and Shaw.

Moving along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon and Carter Hart draw the starts in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe and Eetu Luostarinen. Philadelphia tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his twelfth of the year, via Noah Cates and Egor Zamula. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Brendan Lemieux. The Panthers tied it on a Brandon Montour goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Philadelphia pulled ahead with a Scott Laughton goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Tony DeAngelo and Zamula. The Flyers added on with another Sanheim goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Cates and Farabee. Philadelphia extended the lead as Ivan Provorov scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Tyson Foerster and Morgan Frost. Florida got one back with a Reinhart power play goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Barkov and Montour. The Flyers iced it at 6-3 with a Frost empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Foerster. The three stars were Sanheim, Farabee, and Frost, while Cates, Foerster, Zamula, Barkov, Montour, and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. Washington struck first in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fortieth of the season, passed from Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. The Capitals added on with a T.J. Oshie goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Martin Fehervary and Sonny Milano. Washington extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Rasmus Sandin and Aliaksei Protas. Columbus got on the board with an Eric Robinson goal, his ninth of the year, via Mathieu Olivier. The Blue Jackets got closer with an Adam Boqvist goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, made possible by Emil Bemstrom and Cole Sillinger. The Capitals answered with a Milano goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie. Columbus fired back on a power play goal by Jack Roslovic, his eighth of the season, powered by Kent Johnson and Nick Blankenburg. Washington answered with a Nick Jensen goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nic Dowd and Wilson. The Blue Jackets replied in the third period with a Boqvist goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, helped along by Lane Pederson and Robinson. Columbus tied it on a Bemstrom goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau. The Capitals regained the lead with a Jensen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, set up by the goalie Lindgren. The Blue Jackets evened it on a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, dished from Johnson and Laine. Columbus won 7-6 in overtime with a Roslovic goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Gaudreau. The three stars were Roslovic, Boqvist, and Bemstrom, while Robinson, Johnson, Gaudreau, Laine, Jensen, Oshie, Milano, and Wilson get the honorable mentions.

Back in New York, the Islanders welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Ilya Sorokin are the similarly named goalies. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Timothy Liljegren and Bobby McMann. New York tied it in the second period with a Zach Parise goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Scott Mayfield and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Islanders took the lead with a Hudson Fasching goal, his seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. New York added on with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Ryan Pulock. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period with a Mitch Marner goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Auston Matthews and Justin Holl. The Islanders replied with another Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, going in unassisted. New York extended the lead as Simon Holmstrom scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Anders Lee. The Islanders padded the lead on a Noah Dobson empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Pageau. New York continued with a Lee goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Dobson and Clutterbuck. The three stars of the 7-2 game were Clutterbuck, Lee, and Dobson, while Pageau gets an honorable mention.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg and Joel Hofer receive the starting nods in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sammy Blais and Brayden Schenn. Detroit tied it on an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by David Perron and Dylan Larkin. The Blues took the lead back on a Marco Scandella goal, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it on a Filip Zadina goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dominik Kubalik and Gustav Lindstrom. The tie went to a shootout, where Lucas Raymond had the only tally to lift the Red Wings to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Zadina, Chiasson, and Scandella.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on with a shorthanded Adam Lowry goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Morgan Barron and Neal Pionk. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Barrett Hayton goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars given to Lowry, Hellebuyck (29 for 30 in saves), and Ehlers.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Seattle started in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Daniel Sprong and Carson Soucy. Dallas tied it with a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. The Kraken took the lead back with a Sprong goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Tanev and Adam Larsson. Seattle added on in the second period with a Jared McCann goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, helped along by Jordan Eberle and Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars got one back in the third period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn and Ryan Suter. The Kraken replied with a Tanev goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Morgan Geekie and Soucy. Dallas pulled one back with a Pavelski goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Evgenii Dadonov and Benn. The Stars tied it on a Benn goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz and Heiskanen. Seattle won 5-4 in overtime with a Larsson goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by McCann and Alexander Wennberg.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his twelfth of the season, via Noah Hanifin and Dillon Dube. The Flames added on with a Troy Stecher goal, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman. Calgary extended the lead in the second period on a Rasmus Andersson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Mikael Backlund. Anaheim got on the board with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Jakob Silfverberg and Max Comtois. The Flames shot back with an Elias Lindholm power play goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Toffoli and Backlund. Calgary padded the lead on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Toffoli. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Backlund, and Vladar (19 for 20 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Jonathan Quick and Thatcher Demko are in the blue paint. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by William Karlsson. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller shorthanded penalty shot goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. Vegas answered with a Teddy Blueger goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Brett Howden and Nicolas Hague. The Canucks got one back with a Miller power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Golden Knights answered with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Alex Pietrangelo and Karlsson. Vancouver got one back in the third period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Miller and Hughes. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Karlsson, Miller, and Hughes. 

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Monday, March 20, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 154

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

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ville Husso man the nets. Florida led off in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirty-third of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett. The Panthers added on with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Tkachuk and Bennett. Detroit got on the board with a Pius Suter goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by David Perron and Jake Walman. Florida replied in the second period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov. The Red Wings got one back with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Lucas Raymond and Andrew Copp. The Panthers answered with an Eric Staal goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Anthony Duclair. Florida extended the lead as Verhaeghe scored his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the campaign on the power play, powered by Eetu Luostarinen and Tkachuk. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Verhaeghe, Tkachuk, and Bennett.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Ottawa Senators. Dylan Ferguson and Tristan Jarry are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his tenth of the season, via Claude Giroux and Ridly Greig. Pittsburgh tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The Senators retook the lead with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his twenty-first campaign, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Ferguson (48 for 49 in saves), Batherson, and Chabot. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Colorado started in the first period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, via Brad Hunt and Matt Nieto. The Avalanche added on with a Denis Malgin goal in the second period, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Valeri Nichushkin. Colorado extended the lead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his forty-seventh of the year, powered by J.T. Compher and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche padded the lead in the third period as Logan O'Connor scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Malgin and Samuel Girard. Colorado iced it at 5-0 with a Malgin goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen. The three stars belonged to Georgiev (27 save shutout), Malgin, and Rantanen.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Jack Campbell are the veteran goalies. San Jose opened in the first period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Tomas Hertl and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Edmonton tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Warren Foegele and Mattias Janmark. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Sharks tied it on a Steven Lorentz goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Andrew Agozzino and Matt Benning. San Jose pulled ahead with an Erik Karlsson goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Fabian Zetterlund and Logan Couture. Edmonton retied it with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. The Sharks regained the lead with another Karlsson goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, guided in by Barabanov and Martin Kaut. The Oilers retied it on another Ekholm goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, made possible by McDavid and Draisaitl. Edmonton won 5-4 in overtime with a Darnell Nurse goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Yamamoto and Nugent-Hopkins. The three stars were Ekholm, Karlsson, and Yamamoto, while McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Barabanov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Pheonix Copley patrol the creases. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Rasmus Kupari and Zack MacEwen. The Kings added on with a Drew Doughty goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead as Gabriel Vilardi scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Alex Iafallo. The Kings padded the lead on a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Adrian Kempe and Kopitar. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund. Los Angeles replied with a Kempe goal, his thirty-third of the year, fueled by Alexander Edler and Sean Walker. The Kings continued with Kempe's second goal of the game and his thirty-fourth of the season, made possible by Byfield and Doughty. The Flames replied with a Noah Hanifin goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, coming off of Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau. Los Angeles answered with a Mikey Anderson power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Phillip Danault and Arvidsson. The Kings kept going with a Grundstrom goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Kupari and Anderson. The final was 8-2, with the three stars given to Kempe, Grundstrom, and Doughty, while Anderson, Arvidsson, Kopitar, Byfield, and Kupari get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, March 19, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 153

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

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the young goalies. Boston started in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Jakub Zboril and Connor Clifton. Boston extended the lead as DeBrusk scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Charlie Coyle and Clifton. The Bruins padded the lead in the second period on a Hampus Lindholm goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by DeBrusk and Bergeron. Boston kept going in the third period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his forty-eighth of the season, powered by Bergeron and Marchand. The Bruins continued with a Coyle goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Charlie McAvoy and Trent Frederic. Boston finished it at 7-0 with a McAvoy goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Tyler Bertuzzi and DeBrusk. The three stars were DeBrusk, Bergeron, and Swayman (26 save shutout), while Coyle, McAvoy, Marchand, and Clifton get the honorable mentions. 

West to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau. The Wild added on with another Boldy goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek. Washington got on the board in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Rasmus Sandin. Minnesota shot back on a Ryan Reaves goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Ryan Hartman and Mason Shaw. The Wild extended the lead in the third period as Brandon Duhaime scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Oskar Sundqvist. The Capitals got one back with another Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. Minnesota replied on an unassisted Boldy goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-second of the season. Washington pulled back with a Strome goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Wilson and Ovechkin. This only made it 5-3, with the three stars going to Boldy, Ovechkin, and Strome, while Johansson and Wilson get the honorable mentions. 

Out in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Jiri Patera are the inexperienced goalies. Vegas led off in the first period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Pavel Dorofeyev and Reilly Smith. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Erik Gudbranson and Patrik Laine. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas added on with a Dorofeyev goal, his third of the year, fueled by Kessel and Pietrangelo on the power play. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Zach Whitecloud scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Brett Howden and Shea Theodore. Vegas padded the lead on an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights continued in the third period with a Paul Cotter goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Pietrangelo. Vegas struck again with an Eichel goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Liam Foudy goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Tim Berni and Laine. The final held at 7-2, with the three stars given to Eichel, Pietrangelo, and Dorofeyev, while Kessel and Laine get the honorable mentions. 

Back east, the New York Rangers host the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Jaroslav Halak are the backups in goal. New York began in the first period with a Filip Chytil goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of K'Andre Miller and the goalie Halak. The Rangers added on with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin. New York extended the lead as Tyler Motte scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jacob Trouba and Miller. The Rangers padded the lead on a Miller goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Panarin. Juuse Saros replaced Lankinen in goal. New York continued with a Panarin power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Zibanejad. The Rangers piled on with a Miller goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, guided in by Kaapo Kakko and Barclay Goodrow. New York struck again in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his thirty-second of the season, fueled by Trocheck and Trouba. This held up as the eventual 7-0 final score, with the three stars going to Miller, Halak (22 save shutout), and Panarin, while Zibanejad, Trocheck, and Trouba get the honorable mentions.

To St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck faces a lesser foe in Joel Hofer in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Nick Leddy. The Blues added on in the second period with a Nathan Walker goal, his second of the year, via Justin Faulk and Logan Brown. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Jakub Vrana scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Kapanen. This made it 3-0, with the three stars being Hofer (33 for 33 in saves), Kapanen, and Walker.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Nico Hischier and Damon Severson. The Devils tied it on another Bratt goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, via Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton. New Jersey pulled ahead on a Hischier goal, his thirtieth of the season, courtesy of Hamilton. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Nolan Foote scored, thanks to Yegor Sharangovich and Kevin Bahl. New Jersey iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Bratt, completing his hat trick on his thirtieth of the year, set up by Timo Meier. The three stars were Bratt, Hischier, and Hamilton.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia and John Gibson patrol the creases. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Pettersson power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Hughes and Miller. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Troy Terry. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Pettersson, Miller, and Hughes. 

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