NHL 2023-24 - Day 40

It's a 13-game Saturday, beginning in Sweden once again. First up...

The Ottawa Senators face the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Anton Forsberg draw the starts in goal. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Marco Rossi goal, his sixth of the season, via Brock Faber and Mats Zuccarello. Ottawa tied it on an Erik Brannstrom goal in the third period, passed from the goalie Forsberg and Travis Hamonic. The tie went to a shootout, where Josh Norris gave the Senators a 2-1 win with the lone tally. The three stars were Forsberg (24 for 25 in saves), Gustavsson (30 for 31 in saves), and Brannstrom.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Carter Hart are set to start in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with an Owen Tippett power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Travis Sanheim and Cam Atkinson. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Tyson Foerster power play goal, with assists provided by Sanheim and Tippett. Vegas got on the board with a William Karlsson goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights tied it on a Marchessault goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel. Philadelphia retook the lead on a Sean Walker goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nick Seeler and Sean Couturier. Vegas tied it again with a Marchessault power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Mark Stone and Theodore. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Couturier goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Couturier, Marchessault, and Tippett, while Sanheim and Theodore get the honorable mentions. 

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Kevin Lankinen are the backups in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Yakov Trenin goal, via Colton Sissons. The Predators added on with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his third of the year, fueled by Connor Bedard and Seth Jones. Nashville responded with a Cole Smith goal, his third of the season, passed from Philip Tomasino and Michael McCarron. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Jason Dickinson. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Trenin. The three stars were Smith, Trenin, and Lankinen (29 for 31 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jonas Johansson are the alliterative goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a shorthanded Derek Ryan goal, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Cody Ceci. The Oilers added on with a James Hamblin goal, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. The Lightning tied it in the second period with another Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Sergachev and Darren Raddysh. Edmonton retook the lead on a Ryan goal, his second of the game, guided in by Warren Foegele and Mattias Ekholm. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his third of the season, helped along by Mikey Eyssimont and Sergachev. The Oilers pulled ahead on an Evan Bouchard goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nugent-Hopkins. The Lightning evened it with a Stamkos power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Point. Tampa Bay gained the lead with a Luke Glendening goal, his second of the year, passed from Calvin de Haan and Raddysh. The Lightning iced it at 6-4 with a Sergachev empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Nick Paul. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Sergachev, and Ryan, While Stamkos, Point, Raddysh, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Boston Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jeremy Swayman man the nets. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Charlie McAvoy power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a Trent Frederic goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Pavel Zacha scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Hampus Lindholm and David Pastrnak. Montreal got on the board with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his second of the year, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook. The Bruins shot back on a Frederic goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, passed from Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. Boston padded the lead with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Marchand and Pastrnak. The Canadiens got one back with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, his second of the season, guided in by Christian Dvorak and Slafkovsky. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Frederic, Coyle, and Pastrnak, while Slafkovsky and Marchand get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Antti Raanta are the veterans in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Erik Karlsson. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Brent Burns goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Andrei Svechnikov. The Penguins tied it on a Crosby goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Kris Letang and Bryan Rust. Carolina took the lead with a Jarvis goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Slavin and Burns. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Jarvis on the power play, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Aho and Teravainen. The three stars were Jarvis, Burns, and Crosby, while Aho, Teravainen, and Slavin get the honorable mentions.

North again to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a power play goal by Artemi Panarin, his ninth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Erik Gustafsson. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler. The Rangers took the lead back with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his second of the season, guided in by Braden Schneider and Zac Jones. The Devils tied it on a Ondrej Palat power play goal, via Jesper Bratt and Tyler Toffoli. New Jersey pulled ahead in the third period with an Erik Haula goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Hughes and Hamilton. New York tied it again with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with a lone assist from Trocheck. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Vesey goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Tyler Pitlick and Trocheck. New York added on with a Blake Wheeler empty net goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Panarin, Vesey, and Trocheck, while Hughes and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Laurent Brossoit are in the blue paint. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his third of the season, via J.J. Moser and Alexander Kerfoot. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Neal Pionk and Brenden Dillon. The Jets took the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Josh Morrissey. The Coyotes retied it in the second period with a Matt Dumba goal, his second of the year, fueled by Travis Boyd and Nick Schmaltz. Winnipeg pulled ahead again with a Kyle Connor goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Scheifele and Dillon. The Jets added on in the third period with a Morrissey goal, his second of the year, helped along by Scheifele and Connor. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Mason Appleton, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Nino Niederreiter. The three stars were Connor, Scheifele, and Morrissey, while Dillon gets an honorable mention.

Further west, the Calgary Flames welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Martin Pospisil goal, his third of the season, fueled by Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary. New York tied it on a Hudson Fasching goal, guided in by Cal Clutterbuck and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson. New York added on with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames got one back with a Blake Coleman goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Nick DeSimone and Jonathan Huberdeau. Calgary tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Zary. The Islanders reclaimed the lead with a Nelson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Palmieri. The Flames tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. The tie went to a shootout, where Horvat and Oliver Wahlstrom lifted the Islanders 4-3 over Sharangovich and the Flames. The three stars were Nelson, Palmieri, and Zary.

Eastward to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Charlie Lindgren are set to start in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, guided in by Boone Jenner and Damon Severson. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano goal, his third of the year, assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Hendrix Lapierre. The Capitals took the lead with a Protas goal, his second of the season, passed from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Lapierre. Washington added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dylan Strome. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period with an Ivan Provorov goal, made possible by Cole Sillinger. The Capitals fired back with a Lapierre goal, courtesy of Milano and Protas. Columbus got one back with a Justin Danforth goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Sean Kuraly and Zach Werenski. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Protas, Lapierre, and Milano.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Seguin scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, with the help of Marchment and Esa Lindell. Colorado got on the board with a Miles Wood goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ross Colton and Cale Makar. The Avalanche got one back with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Makar and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Avalanche took the lead with a Rantanen goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Devon Toews and Nichushkin. Colorado padded the lead with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his second of the year, via Joel Kiviranta and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche iced it at 6-3 with a Colton empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Makar. The three stars went to Nichushkin, Rantanen, and Makar, while Seguin, Colton, and Marchment get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Vancouver led off in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his eleventh of the season, via Tyler Myers and Phillip Di Giuseppe. Seattle tied it in the second period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, courtesy of Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken took the lead with a Eberle goal, his second of the year, passed from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Justin Schultz. The Canucks tied it on a Quinn Hughes goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson. Seattle pulled ahead again in the third period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the year, coming off of Will Borgen and Eeli Tolvanen. The Kraken added on with a Beniers goal, his third of the season, helped along by Eberle. Vancouver got one back with a Nils Hoglander goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Myers. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Eberle, Beniers, and Myers.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Cam Talbot occupy the creases. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Quinton Byfield power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with a Blake Lizotte goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Kempe shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Kings padded the lead as Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Arthur Kaliyev and Jordan Spence. Los Angeles continued in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Phillip Danault and Drew Doughty. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his third of the year, fueled by Sammy Blais and Nick Leddy. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kempe, Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), and Lizotte. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 39

There's three games on this Friday, beginning with the second NHL Global Series game in Sweden with...

The Detroit Red Wings playing host to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Alex Lyon draw the starts in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Daniel Sprong penalty shot goal, his fifth of the season. The Red Wings added on with a Lucas Raymond goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Alex DeBrincat. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by William Nylander and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Nylander power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Tavares. Toronto pulled ahead on a Tavares goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Bertuzzi and Nylander. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Tavares, Nylander, and Bertuzzi. 

Across the Atlantic, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie faces his former team and Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Neal Pionk. The Jets added on with a Mason Appleton goal, his fifth of the year, via Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry. Buffalo got on the board with an Alex Tuch goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg fired back with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Niederreiter and Namestnikov. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a JJ Peterka goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and Zach Benson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ehlers, Niederreiter, and Namestnikov. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and John Gibson are the former teammates in goal. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, courtesy of Anton Lundell. The Panthers added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Lundell and Nick Cousins. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Adam Henrique and Cam Fowler. They couldn't find an equalizer, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Stolarz (33 for 34 in saves), Lundell, and Ekman-Larsson. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 38

There's nine games on this Thursday, including the first of four Global Series games. First up...

The Ottawa Senators play host to the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Joonas Korpisalo start in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Stutzle and Claude Giroux. Ottawa extended the lead as Jake Sanderson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Josh Norris. The Senators padded the lead on a Norris goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, made possible by Mathieu Joseph and Tarasenko. Detroit got on the board with a Lucas Raymond goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings got closer with a David Perron goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Olli Maatta and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit pulled closer with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Gostisbehere and J.T. Compher. The Red Wings tied it on a Gostisbehere goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Compher and Maatta. Ottawa won 5-4 in overtime with a Stutzle goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Batherson and Sanderson. The three stars went to Stutzle, Gostisbehere, and Tkachuk, while Sanderson, Norris, Batherson, Tarasenko, Compher, and Maatta get the honorable mentions. 

Back in North America, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus got going in the second period with a Damon Severson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dmitri Voronkov and Ivan Provorov. Arizona tied it on a Barrett Hayton goal, his second of the year, assisted by Michael Kesselring and Matt Dumba. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Logan Cooley power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Sean Durzi and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Lawson Crouse goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Nick Bjugstad. The Blue Jackets got one back with another Severson goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Zach Werenski and Alexandre Texier. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Severson, Crouse, and Ingram (39 for 41 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill faces a lesser foe in Cayden Primeau in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alex Newhook goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The Canadiens added on with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, assisted by Newhook and Suzuki. Vegas got on the board with a Brett Howden shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Keegan Kolesar. Montreal shot back with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights answered with a Brayden McNabb goal, coming off of Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Michael Amadio. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Ylonen goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with helpers from Michael Pezzetta and Gustav Lindstrom. The Golden Knights retied it with a Theodore power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Eichel and Mark Stone. Vegas pulled ahead on an Eichel power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Theodore and Stone. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Stone scored a power play goal, his fifth of the year, with the help of William Karlsson and Theodore. Montreal got one back with a Justin Barron goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Cole Caufield and Matheson. This made it a 6-5 final, with the three stars being Theodore, Eichel, and Stone, while Ylonen, Newhook, Matheson, and Suzuki get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry patrol the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jake Guentzel. New Jersey tied it on a Curtis Lazar shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Erik Haula. The Penguins took the lead back with a Rust goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. The Devils retied it on a Haula goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Dougie Hamilton and Tomas Nosek. New Jersey pulled ahead in the third period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Luke Hughes and Lazar. The Devils added on with an Alexander Holtz goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dawson Mercer and Ondrej Palat. New Jersey extended the lead as Tyler Toffoli scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Bratt and Hughes. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Lazar, Bratt, and Hughes, while Rust and Haula get the honorable mentions.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Petr Mrazek start in goal. Chicago started in the first period with a Lukas Reichel power play goal, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Kevin Korchinski. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Brayden Point, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, coming off of Point and Steven Stamkos. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Corey Perry goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jason Dickinson and Boris Katchouk. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Hedman goal, his fourth of the season, via Erik Cernak and Point. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Brandon Hagel, his eighth of the year, set up by Sergachev. The three stars were Point, Hedman, and Sergachev.

Further along, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Vancouver struck first in the first period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Calgary tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his third of the year, via A.J. Greer and Elias Lindholm. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Dillon Dube goal, his third of the season, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary added on with a Noah Hanifin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Blake Coleman and Lindholm. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his third of the season, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Coleman. The Canucks got one back with a Nils Hoglander goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Sam Lafferty. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Lindholm empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Lindholm, Huberdeau, and Coleman.

In Seattle, the Kraken host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Philipp Grubauer are the veterans in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson. Seattle tied it on a Matty Beniers power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Vince Dunn and Kailer Yamamoto. The Kraken took the lead with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. New York took the lead in the third period with a Noah Dobson power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Barzal and Kyle Palmieri. Seattle tied it on a Yamamoto power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Jaden Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen. The tie went to a shootout, where Bjorkstrand, Eberle, and Yamamoto lifted the Kraken to a 4-3 win over Horvat and Oliver Wahlstrom. The three stars were Yamamoto, Barzal, and Eberle.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Talbot tend the twines. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the season, passed from Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. The Kings added on in the second period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Fiala and Drew Doughty. Florida got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Talbot (30 for 31 in saves), Fiala, and Kopitar.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his second of the season, via Nico Sturm and Filip Zadina. The Sharks added on in the second period with a William Eklund goal, his third of the year, passed from Nikita Okhotiuk. San Jose extended the lead as Givani Smith scored, thanks to Luke Kunin and Ryan Carpenter. Jordan Binnington replaced Hofer in goal. The Sharks padded the lead on a Kunin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Smith and Carpenter. San Jose kept going with a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Zadina and Okhotiuk. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Justin Faulk and Robert Thomas. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Hoffman, Kunin, and Smith, while Carpenter, Zadina, and Okhotiuk get the honorable mentions

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 37

There's four games on this Wednesday slate, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Pyotr Kochetkov start in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with an Owen Tippett goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Morgan Frost and Louie Belpedio. The Flyers added on with a Travis Konecny goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Nick Seeler and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia extended the lead as Ryan Poehling scored in the second period, thanks to Sean Walker and Scott Laughton. Carolina got on the board with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tony DeAngelo and Jack Drury. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Hart (31 for 32 in saves), Konecny, and Poehling.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken took the lead with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his second of the season, coming off of Vince Dunn and Tye Kartye. Seattle added on with an Alexander Wennberg goal, passed from Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Oilers got one back in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton tied it on a Kane goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Kane goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the year, set up by Zach Hyman and Bouchard. The three stars were Kane, Bouchard, and Draisaitl.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Samuel Girard goal, via Jack Johnson and Tomas Tatar. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Devon Toews and Cale Makar. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Carrick goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Radko Gudas and Brock McGinn. Colorado fired back with a Fredrik Olofsson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Logan O'Connor and Joel Kiviranta. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Ross Colton scored his fifth of the year, thanks to O'Connor and Miles Wood. Colorado padded the lead with another Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The Ducks got one back on a Max Jones goal, guided in by Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg. The Avalanche responded with a Kiviranta goal, with helpers from Girard and the goalie Georgiev. Colorado continued on an Andrew Cogliano goal, made possible by Kiviranta and Johnson. The Avalanche piled on with a Toews goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Makar and MacKinnon. This stood for an 8-2 win, with the three stars going to Nichushkin, Kiviranta, and Makar, while Toews, MacKinnon, Johnson, Girard and O'Connor get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period with a Pierre Engvall power play goal, powered by Oliver Wahlstrom and Sebastian Aho. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko. New York shot back with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifth of the season, via Barzal. The Canucks pulled one back on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Miller and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver tied it in the third period with a Filip Hronek power play goal, guided in by Hughes and Boeser. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Hughes goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Miller and Boeser. The three stars were Boeser, Miller, and Hughes, while Barzal gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 36

We've got nine games on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Devon Levi man the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, via Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Poitras. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Pavel Zacha and McAvoy. Boston extended the lead as Brandon Carlo scored, thanks to Pastrnak and Zacha. The Bruins padded the lead in the second period on an Oskar Steen goal, coming off of Jakub Lauko. Boston continued on a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, powered by Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Buffalo got on the board with a Victor Olofsson goal, made possible by Owen Power and Dylan Cozens. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Levi in goal. The Sabres got closer in the third period with another Olofsson goal, guided in by JJ Peterka and Casey Mittelstadt. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Olofsson, and McAvoy, while Zacha gets an honorable mention.

In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Sam Montembeault are in the creases. Calgary got going in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his third of the season, coming off of Connor Nikita Zadorov. Montreal tied it on a Gustav Lindstrom goal, helped along by Christian Dvorak and Juraj Slafkovsky. The Flames took the lead with a Zary goal, his third of the year, assisted by Rasmus Andersson and Martin Pospisil. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Zary, Markstrom (33 for 34 in saves), and Kadri.

Stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren are in the blue paint. Washington began in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Sonny Milano. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Connor McMichael empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin. Washington extended the lead as Beck Malenstyn scored, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars handed to Lindgren (35 save shutout), Strome, and Malenstyn.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Elvis Merzlikins are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighth of the season, via Marcus Pettersson and Kris Letang. Columbus tied it on a Kirill Marchenko goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, courtesy of Erik Gudbranson and Zach Werenski. The Penguins retied it in the second period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Vinnie Hinostroza and Crosby. Pittsburgh pulled ahead in the third period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. Columbus tied it again on an Alexandre Texier goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth. The Penguins pulled ahead on a Crosby goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Karlsson and Guentzel. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Crosby empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his tenth of the season, set up by Bryan Rust. The three stars were Crosby, Karlsson, and Guentzel.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Arizona led off in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Barrett Hayton. Dallas tied it with an Esa Lindell goal, assisted by Nils Lundkvist and Joe Pavelski. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Coyotes tied it on a Jason Zucker power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser. Arizona pulled ahead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Sean Durzi. Dallas retied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his third of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene and Ryan Suter. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime on a Duchene goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Seguin. The three stars went to Duchene, Seguin, and Hintz.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventh of the season, via Alexandre Carrier and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators added on with a Roman Josi power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and O'Reilly. Anaheim got on the board with a Cam Fowler goal, his second of the season, guided in by Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish. The Ducks tied it on a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, assisted by Troy Terry and Urho Vaakanainen. Anaheim pulled ahead with an Adam Henrique goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Vaakanainen and Gudas. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Vaakanainen, Gudas, and O'Reilly.

To St. Louis, as the Blues host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Jordan Binnington are set to start in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the season, made possible by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues added on with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his third of the year, fueled by Torey Krug and Justin Faulk. St. Louis extended the lead as Jakub Vrana scored his second of the season, thanks to Krug and Kevin Hayes. The Blues padded the lead with an empty net goal by Kasperi Kapanen, his third of the year, set up by Buchnevich. St. Louis continued with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, guided in by Brayden Schenn. The final was 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Binnington (30 save shutout), Kyrou, and Krug, while Buchnevich gets an honorable mention.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twelfth of the season, via Josh Morrissey and Alex Iafallo. The Jets added on with a Cole Perfetti power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Connor and Morrissey. New Jersey got on the board with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt. The Devils tied it on a John Marino goal, helped along by Curtis Lazar and Luke Hughes. Winnipeg took the lead back with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his third of the year, coming off of Perfetti and Dylan Samberg. The Jets extended the lead as Connor scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with the help of Mark Scheifele and Morrissey on the power play. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Morgan Barron goal, his third of the year, with assists by Vladislav Namestnikov and Neal Pionk. New Jersey got one back with a Dawson Mercer power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Dougie Hamilton and Erik Haula. The Jets finished it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Ehlers, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Mason Appleton and Morrissey. The three stars were Connor, Morrissey, and Ehlers, while Perfetti gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Mackenzie Blackwood receive the starts in goal. Florida drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, via Givani Smith and Jan Rutta. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk. The Sharks retied it in the third period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Fabian Zetterlund and Mikael Granlund. San Jose took the lead with a Luke Kunin goal, his third of the year, fueled by Danil Gushchin and Granlund. Florida retied it on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers pulled ahead with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Uvis Balinskis and Steven Lorentz. Florida added on with a Barkov empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Verhaeghe and Reinhart. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Tkachuk, while Barkov and Granlund get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 35

We've got two games this Monday, beginning with...

The Edmonton Oilers welcoming the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Stuart Skinner are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his third of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat and Ryan Pulock. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Darnell Nurse. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. Edmonton added on with a McDavid power play goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Draisaitl. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with an Evander Kane empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl. The three stars were Draisaitl, McDavid, and Skinner (32 for 33 in saves). 

The other game is the Seattle Kraken bringing in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Joey Daccord man the nets. Seattle led off in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, via Vince Dunn and Alexander Wennberg. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Avalanche took the lead with a Ross Colton power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Tomas Tatar and Toews. Colorado added on in the third period with a Cale Makar goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tatar and Caleb Jones. The Avalanche extended the lead as Jonathan Drouin scored, thanks to MacKinnon and Rantanen. Colorado padded the lead on a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Makar and MacKinnon. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars going to Rantanen, Makar, and MacKinnon, while Toews and Tatar get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 34

There's five games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Florida began in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, via Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues. Chicago tied it on a Jason Dickinson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Lukas Reichel and Connor Murphy. The Panthers took the lead with a Reinhart power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Ekman-Larsson. The Blackhawks retied it on a Connor Bedard goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida regained the lead in the second period on another Reinhart goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with helpers from Gustav Forsling and Rodrigues. Chicago tied it again with a Bedard goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Seth Jones. The Panthers pulled ahead again in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Reinhart and Tkachuk. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Bedard, and Ekman-Larsson, while Tkachuk and Rodrigues get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Dallas led off in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Radek Faksa goal. Minnesota got on the board with a Brandon Duhaime goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas shot back with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. The Wild got one back with a Vinni Lettieri goal, his second of the year, made possible by Marco Rossi and Jonas Brodin. The Stars fired back in the second period with a Wyatt Johnston power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Duchene and Seguin. Dallas extended the lead as Dadonov scored his fourth of the year on the power play, thanks to Johnston and Nils Lundkvist. Minnesota pulled one back with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. The Stars responded in the third period with a Robertson power play goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. Dallas padded the lead on another Robertson power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Heiskanen and Roope Hintz. The Stars finished it at 8-3 with a Johnston shorthanded goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Benn. The three stars were given to Johnston, Robertson, and Heiskanen, while Duchene, Seguin, and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Over in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Jake Allen protect the nets. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his second of the season, passed from J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver extended the lead as Dakota Joshua scored his second of the season, thanks to Garland and Filip Hronek. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Michael Matheson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Josh Anderson. The Canucks shot back with a Brock Boeser empty net goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Joshua and Tyler Myers. The Canadiens fired back with an Arber Xhekaj goal, with helpers from Jordan Harris and the goalie Allen. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Phillip Di Giuseppe empty net goal, his third of the year, made possible by Miller and Boeser. The three stars were Boeser, Garland, and Joshua, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

To New York, as the Rangers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jonathan Quick start in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Justin Danforth goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Zach Werenski. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Erik Gustafsson and Blake Wheeler. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets tied it again with an Adam Fantilli goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dmitri Voronkov. Columbus pulled ahead on a Sean Kuraly goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Alexandre Texier and Gudbranson. New York tied it in the third period with another Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Kreider and Panarin. The Rangers won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally from Lafreniere. The three stars were Lafreniere, Kreider, and Panarin, while Gudbranson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Ilya Lyubushkin and Ryan Strome. San Jose tied it on a Luke Kunin goal, his second of the year, guided in by Tomas Hertl and William Eklund. The Ducks retook the lead with a Vatrano power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, powered by Cam Fowler and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov. The Ducks extended the lead as Radko Gudas scored his second of the season, thanks to Strome and Vatrano. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Vatrano, Strome, and Gibson (25 for 26 in saves). 

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