NHL 2023-24 - Day 45

We've got eight games on for a light Saturday slate. First up...

The New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Jonathan Quick start in goal. New York started in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Artemi Panarin. Boston got on the board with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Trent Frederic and James van Riemsdyk. The Bruins tied it with a Morgan Geekie goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jakub Lauko and Derek Forbort. New York pulled ahead with a Kreider shorthanded goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, set up by Jacob Trouba. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with an assist from Pavel Zacha. The Rangers retook the lead with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Vincent Trocheck and Panarin. New York extended the lead as K'Andre Miller scored his second of the season, thanks to Mika Zibanejad and Kreider. The Rangers padded the lead in the third period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, with helpers from Vesey and Barclay Goodrow. The Bruins got one back on a Coyle goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from van Riemsdyk and Geekie. New York shot back with a Panarin goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Braden Schneider and Zac Jones. This stood for a 7-4 win, with the three stars going to Kreider, Vesey, and Panarin, while Coyle, Geekie, and van Riemsdyk get the honorable mentions. 

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Pheonix Copley are the starting goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his seventh of the season, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andreas Englund. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Arthur Kaliyev and Dubois. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Trevor Lewis scored his third of the season, with the help of Jaret Anderson-Dolan. The Kings padded the lead on a Moore goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, assisted by Kevin Fiala. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Moore, Copley (18 save shutout), and Dubois.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils host the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. New Jersey led off in the first period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his sixth of the season, via Erik Haula and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brendan Smith and Dawson Mercer. New Jersey extended the lead as Nico Hischier scored his third of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt. The Devils padded the lead on a Palat goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Bratt and Hischier. Devon Levi replaced Comrie at the start of the second period. Buffalo got on the board with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. New Jersey fired back on a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Holtz and Luke Hughes. The Devils continued in the third period with a Mercer goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Hamilton and Jack Hughes. The Sabres got one back with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his second of the year, fueled by Owen Power and JJ Peterka. New Jersey fired back with a Luke Hughes power play goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The final was 7-2, with the three stars given to Toffoli, Hischier, and Luke Hughes, while Palat, Holtz, Mercer, Hamilton, and Bratt get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Tristan Jarry patrol the creases. Toronto began in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventh of the year, via Drew O'Connor and Sidney Crosby. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Matthew Knies goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Calle Jarnkrok. The Penguins tied it on a Noel Acciari goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh took the lead with an Erik Karlsson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Kris Letang and Jeff Carter. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Karlsson, Acciari, and Guentzel.

Next up, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Ilya Sorokin occupy the blue paint. The game stayed scoreless through overtime and required a shootout, where Tyson Foerster scored the lone tally in four rounds for a 1-0 Flyers win. The three stars were Ersson (25 save shutout), Sorokin (40 save "shutout"), and Foerster.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Ivan Prosvetov are in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman. Colorado answered with a MacKinnon goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being MacKinnon, Prosvetov (30 for 31 in saves), and Johansen.

To San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ty Emberson goal, via Tomas Hertl and Mike Hoffman. Vancouver tied it on a Filip Hronek goal, his second of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Hertl. The Canucks tied it again with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Miller and Hronek. San Jose pulled ahead in the third period with a Mikael Granlund goal, courtesy of Calen Addison and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks added on with a Hoffman power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Granlund and Addison. Vancouver got one back with a Boeser goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, made possible by Miller and Elias Pettersson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Hoffman, Granlund, and Boeser, while Hertl, Addison, Hronek, and Miller get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Logan Thompson protect the nets. Arizona got going in the third period with a Clayton Keller goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes added on with a Lawson Crouse empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars handed to Ingram (32 save shutout), Keller, and Crouse. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 44

The day after Thanksgiving is loaded with 15 games on the schedule. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Jeremy Swayman start in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. Detroit replied with a Robby Fabbri goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Daniel Sprong and DeBrincat. The Bruins got one back in the third period with a Danton Heinen goal, his second of the season, made possible by Charlie Coyle and Mason Lohrei. The Red Wings fired back with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Compher and Gostisbehere. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a David Perron empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were DeBrincat, Compher, and Gostisbehere.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Carter Hart man the nets. New York began in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his third of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with a Kreider goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. New York extended the lead in the second period as Zibanejad scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Wheeler and Erik Gustafsson. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nick Seeler and Cam Atkinson. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Zibanejad, Kreider, and Wheeler.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Arvid Soderblom draw the starts in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Max Domi and Mark Giordano. Chicago tied it on a Jason Dickinson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Joey Anderson. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by T.J. Brodie and Domi. Toronto added on with a Ryan Reaves goal, made possible by Jake McCabe and David Kampf. The Blackhawks got one back with a Dickinson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it in the third period as Dickinson completed his hat trick on his sixth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. The three stars were Dickinson, Domi, and Korchinski.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Akira Schmid are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau. New Jersey tied it on an Alexander Holtz goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Ondrej Palat. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Eric Robinson goal, coming off of Justin Danforth and Erik Gudbranson. This was it for the scoring in the 2-1 game, with the three stars being Merzlikins (39 for 40 in saves), Robinson, and Jenner.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Jeremy Lauzon and Gustav Nyquist. The Predators added on with a Yakov Trenin goal, his third of the year, fueled by Colton Sissons and Ryan McDonagh. Nashville extended the lead as Luke Evangelista scored his second of the season, thanks to Kiefer Sherwood and Alexandre Carrier. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Marco Scandella and Robert Thomas. The Predators replied in the second period with a Spencer Stastney goal, with helpers from Evangelista and Sherwood. Jordan Binnington replaced Hofer in goal. Nashville padded the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Forsberg and Tyson Barrie. The Predators continued with another Evangelista goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Philip Tomasino and Carrier. The Blues got one back with a Thomas goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Buchnevich and Brandon Saad. Nashville replied with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Cole Smith. St. Louis pulled one back with a Jake Neighbours power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Torey Krug and Jordan Kyrou. The Predators finished it at 8-3 with a Sherwood goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Forsberg, Evangelista, and Sherwood, while Carrier, Thomas, and Buchnevich get the honorable mentions.

East again to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Charlie Lindgren are between the pipes. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Vincent Desharnais. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. The Oilers extended the lead in the second period on an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton padded the lead on a Draisaitl power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton continued with another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Hyman and McDavid. The final held from here at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Skinner (25 save shutout), while Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and John Gibson are the veteran goalies. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with an Arthur Kaliyev power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Jordan Spence and Trevor Moore. Los Angeles extended the lead as Quinton Byfield scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Vladislav Gavrikov and Adrian Kempe. The Kings padded the lead on a Fiala goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Phillip Danault and Moore. Anaheim got on the board with a Radko Gudas goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome. Los Angeles fired back in the third period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kempe and Doughty. The Ducks got one back with an Alex Killorn power play goal, with assists provided by Mason McTavish and Troy Terry. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars going to Fiala, Kopitar, and Kempe, while Moore and Doughty get the honorable mentions.

Up in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Mackenzie Blackwood patrol the creases. San Jose got going in the second period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on with an Eklund power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Calen Addison and Hertl. Montreal got on the board with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jayden Struble and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Caufield goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Juraj Slafkovsky and the goalie Primeau. The tie went to a shootout, where Suzuki and Jesse Ylonen lifted the Canadiens to a 3-2 win over Eklund and the Sharks. The three stars were Caufield, Suzuki, and Eklund, while Hertl gets an honorable mention.

All the way east again to Buffalo, as the Sabres bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the starters in goal. Pittsburgh drew first blood in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Lars Eller goal, his third of the year, via Matt Nieto. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Victor Olofsson. The Sabres tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, passed from Rasmus Dahlin and Olofsson. Buffalo gained the lead with a Tuch goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Skinner and Casey Mittelstadt. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Tuch, Skinner, and Olofsson.

In Ottawa, the Senators host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Anton Forsberg receive the starting nods in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. New York tied it with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Brock Nelson and Alexander Romanov. The Islanders took the lead with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his second of the season, via Romanov and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. New York added on with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Palmieri and Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead as Anders Lee scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Wahlstrom. The Senators got one back with a Tim Stutzle goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mathieu Joseph. Ottawa pulled closer with a Batherson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, passed from Stutzle and Joseph. New York fired back with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Noah Dobson and Scott Mayfield. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Palmieri, Wahlstrom, and Batherson, while Nelson, Romanov, Stutzle, and Joseph get the honorable mentions. 

Stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Antti Raanta protect the nets. Carolina led off in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jack Drury and Michael Bunting. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead on a Kucherov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brandon Hagel and Mikey Eyssimont. Tampa Bay added on with a Point power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Hurricanes responded with a Bunting power play goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Andrei Svechnikov. The Lightning shot back in the third period on a Hagel goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Point and Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Luke Glendening scored his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Lightning padded the lead as Point scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, with the help of Nick Perbix and Cole Koepke. Tampa Bay continued with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Hagel and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning finished it at 8-2 with a Point power play goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, fueled by Kucherov and Stamkos. The three stars were awarded to Kucherov, Point, and Hagel, while Stamkos and Bunting get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Dylan Samberg and Mason Appleton. The Jets added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Cole Perfetti and Vladislav Namestnikov. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with an Adam Lowry shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Appleton and Samberg. The three stars were Hellebuyck (32 save shutout), Appleton, and Namestnikov.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas opened in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov. Calgary tied it on an A.J. Greer goal, his third of the year, passed from Dillon Dube and Adam Ruzicka. The Stars took the lead back with a Jason Robertson goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nils Lundkvist. The Flames tied it in the second period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane. Dallas retook the lead with a Johnston goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, guided in by Benn and Dadonov. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Matt Duchene and Robertson. Calgary got one back with a Ruzicka goal, his third of the season, made possible by Chris Tanev and Greer. The Flames tied it in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary pulled ahead with a Lindholm goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Sharangovich and Mangiapane. The Flames extended the lead as Mikael Backlund scored his third of the year, thanks to Connor Zary and Coleman. Calgary iced it at 7-4 with a Nazem Kadri empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Sharangovich. The three stars were Sharangovich, Johnston, and Lindholm, while Coleman, Ruzicka, Greer, Mangiapane, Benn, Robertson, and Dadonov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Filip Gustavsson are set to start in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Bowen Byram and Riley Tufte. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Minnesota got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Marco Rossi. The Wild tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. Colorado retook the lead in the third period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, with helpers from Andrew Cogliano and Fredrik Olofsson. They went on to win 3-2, with the three stars going to Kaprizov, MacDermid, and Nichushkin.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Joey Daccord man the nets. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Teddy Blueger goal. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Dakota Joshua goal, his third of the season, coming off of Conor Garland and Nils Aman. Seattle got on the board with a Tye Kartye goal, his third of the year, guided in by Vince Dunn. Vancouver replied in the third period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks extended the lead as Nils Hoglander scored his seventh of the year, passed from Aman. Vancouver padded the lead on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Garland and Tyler Myers. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Demko (23 for 24 in saves), Garland, and Aman. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 43

After a completely empty Tuesday, we've got 14 games for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Antti Raanta are in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Martinook and Jalen Chatfield. The Hurricanes added on with a Jack Drury goal, courtesy of Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov. Carolina extended the lead as Teuvo Teravainen scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Jarvis goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Teravainen and Chatfield. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in goal. Edmonton got on the board with a Zach Hyman goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Pyotr Kochetkov relieved an injured Raanta in goal. Carolina continued in the second period with a Martin Necas goal, his sixth of the season, via Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Skjei. The Oilers got one back on a Mattias Ekholm shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. Edmonton got closer on a Hyman goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the third period. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-3 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Brent Burns, his fifth of the year, set up by Staal. The three stars were Jarvis, Teravainen, and Hyman, while Chatfield gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, via Danton Heinen and Hampus Lindholm. Florida tied it in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Niko Mikkola. The Bruins retook the lead with a John Beecher goal, his third of the season, helped along by Jakub Lauko and Patrick Brown. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his second of the year, passed from Matthew Poitras. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Ullmark (27 for 28 in saves), Beecher, and DeBrusk.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Elvis Merzlikins patrol the creases. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Zach Werenski and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets added on with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kirill Marchenko. Columbus extended the lead as Jenner scored again the power play, his tenth of the season, with the help of Johnny Gaudreau and Werenski. Chicago got on the board with a Connor Bedard goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Philipp Kurashev and Isaak Phillips. The Blue Jackets shot back in the second period with a Cole Sillinger goal, via Werenski and Yegor Chinakhov. Columbus padded the lead on a Dmitri Vorokov goal, his third of the season, helped along by Werenski and Sillinger. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek in goal. The Blue Jackets continued with a Marchenko goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Boqvist and Ivan Provorov. Columbus kept going with a Patrik Laine goal, his third of the season, made possible by Adam Fantilli. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got closer with a Reese Johnson goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The final was 7-3, with the three stars being Jenner, Werenski, and Marchenko, while Sillinger and Boqvist get the honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek faces a lesser foe in Alex Lyon in goal. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Robby Fabbri and J.T. Compher. The Red Wings added on with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Alex DeBrincat. Detroit extended the lead as Fabbri scored his third of the season, thanks to Daniel Sprong and Joe Veleno. The Red Wings padded the lead in the second period with a Moritz Seider power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Sprong and Fabbri. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Lyon (16 save shutout), Fabbri, and Sprong.

East to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Tristan Jarry are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Mika Zibanejad. This was the only goal in a 1-0 Rangers win, with the three stars handed to Quick (32 save shutout), Lafreniere, and Jarry (35 for 36 in saves).

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jonas Johansson have the green light to start in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the season, guided in by Dylan DeMelo and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Morrissey and Kyle Connor. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning tied it in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brandon Hagel. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with an Adam Lowry goal, his third of the season, assisted by Neal Pionk and Vladislav Namestnikov. The three stars belonged to Morrissey, Lowry, and Hellebuyck (29 for 31 in saves).

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Buffalo began in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Tyson Jost and Victor Olofsson. The Sabres added on with a Zach Benson goal, courtesy of Olofsson. Washington got on the board with an Alexander Alexeyev goal, assisted by Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal in the second period, passed from Connor McMichael. Buffalo took the lead with a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, coming off of Dylan Strome and John Carlson. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Strome goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Carlson. The three stars were Strome, Carlson, and Olofsson.

Next up, the New York Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. New York was first to score in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his third of the season, coming off of Oliver Wahlstrom. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Pierre Engvall. Philadelphia got on the board with a Cam York goal, his third of the season, guided in by Owen Tippett and Ryan Poehling. New York shot back in the third period with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Engvall and Pelech. The Flyers got one back with a Joel Farabee goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonged to Nelson, Engvall, and Pelech. 

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Karel Vejmelka are the starting goalies. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone helper by Jake Neighbours. Arizona tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Matias Maccelli. The Blues retook the lead on a Colton Parayko goal, his third of the season, via Brandon Saad. The Coyotes tied it on a Jason Zucker goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Michael Carcone. Arizona took the lead in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Maccelli and Bjugstad. St. Louis tied it again with a Nick Leddy shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Kasperi Kapanen. The Blues pulled ahead with an Alexey Toropchenko shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Justin Faulk. Connor Ingram replaced Vejmelka in goal. The Coyotes tied it on a Carcone goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Alexander Kerfoot and Travis Boyd. Arizona pulled ahead on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by J.J. Moser and Clayton Keller. Joel Hofer replaced Binnington in goal. St. Louis tied it up with a Robert Thomas goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jordan Kyrou and Scott Perunovich. The Blues gained the lead in the third period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his third of the season, dished from Saad. This held for a 6-5 win, with the three stars going to Saad, Bjugstad, and Carcone, while Maccelli gets an honorable mention.

East again to Nashville, where the Predators host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville started in the first period with a Colton Sissons shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Roman Josi and Cole Smith. Calgary tied it on a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Andrew Mangiapane and Chris Tanev. The Predators retook the lead with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryan McDonagh and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville added on in the third period with an Alexandre Carrier goal, going in unassisted. The Predators extended the lead on a Juuso Parssinen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Philip Tomasino and McDonagh. The Flames pulled one back with a shorthanded Yegor Sharangovich goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDonagh, Carrier, and Saros (24 for 26 in saves).

South to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Vegas led off in the first period with a Michael Amadio power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nicolas Roy and Chandler Stephenson. Dallas tied it on a second period Roope Hintz goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Golden Knights won 2-1 with a Jack Eichel goal in overtime, his eighth of the season, fueled by Jonathan Marchessault.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Alex Newhook goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tanner Pearson and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his second of the year, passed from Jesse Ylonen and Jake Evans. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov. Montreal replied with a Mike Matheson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nick Suzuki and Justin Barron. The Ducks fired back on another McTavish goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Frank Vatrano and Tristan Luneau. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Vatrano goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by McTavish and Cam Fowler. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Newhook goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Evans. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Newhook, McTavish, and Vatrano, while Evans gets an honorable mention.

Northeast to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Alexandar Georgiev are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Anthony Beauvillier and Sam Lafferty. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Jonathan Drouin. The Avalanche took the lead with a Drouin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Cale Makar and Bowen Byram. The Canucks tied it in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. Colorado retook the lead with a Riley Tufte goal, made possible by Miles Wood and Ross Colton. The Avalanche added on with a Makar goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado extended the lead on a Rantanen empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Nathan MacKinnon and Nichushkin. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Makar, Nichushkin, and Drouin, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Joey Daccord are the backups in goal. Seattle began in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his second of the season, via Alexander Wennberg and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Yanni Gourde. Seattle extended the lead as Adam Larsson scored, thanks to Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken padded the lead on a Gourde goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Will Borgen and Bjorkstrand. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced Kahkonen in goal for the second period. Seattle continued in the second period with a McCann power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Bjorkstrand. The Kraken struck again in the third period with a Tolvanen goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Bjorkstrand and Brian Dumoulin. San Jose got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nikita Okhotiuk and Kyle Burroughs. Seattle responded with Tolvanen's second goal of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Oleksiak. The final was 7-1, with the three stars going to Tolvanen, Bjorkstrand, and Gourde, while McCann and Oleksiak get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 42

There's seven games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tyler Motte and Mikey Eyssimont. Boston tied it on a Pavel Zacha goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Nick Paul power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Pastrnak goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Mason Lohrei and Charlie McAvoy. Boston took the lead with a John Beecher goal, his second of the season, helped along by Danton Heinen and Brandon Carlo. Tampa Bay tied it on an Austin Watson fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Nick Perbix. The Bruins pulled ahead on a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of James van Riemsdyk. The Lightning tied it again with a Stamkos goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime with a Hagel goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. The three stars were Hagel, Stamkos, and Pastrnak.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with an Evander Kane goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Derek Ryan and Ryan McLeod. Florida got on the board with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour. The Panthers tied it on a Niko Mikkola goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kevin Stenlund. Edmonton pulled ahead in the second period on a McDavid penalty shot goal, his sixth of the year. Florida retied it on a Mikkola goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Verhaeghe. The Panthers pulled ahead with a Stenlund goal, his fifth of the season, via Eetu Luostarinen. Florida iced it at 5-3 with a Sam Bennett empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Stenlund. The three stars were given to Stenlund, Mikkola, and McDavid, while Verhaeghe gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Scott Wedgewood man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Erik Gustafsson. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his second of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino and Jacob Trouba. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Pavelski goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Miro Heiskanen and Hintz. Dallas pulled ahead on a Mason Marchment power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene. The Stars extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Marchment. Dallas padded the lead on a Sam Steel shorthanded empty net goal, going in unassisted. Dallas kept going with a Hintz shorthanded empty net goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Seguin. New York got one back with a Barclay Goodrow goal, courtesy of Braden Schneider and Trouba. The three stars of the 6-3 game went to Hintz, Seguin, and Pavelski, while Marchment and Trouba get the honorable mentions.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Colorado began in the first period with a shorthanded Andrew Cogliano goal, his third of the season, set up by Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Cody Glass and Philip Tomasino. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche retied it with a Devon Toews goal, his third of the season, fueled by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Colorado took the lead again with a Nichushkin power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Makar and MacKinnon. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Nyquist and Colton Sissons. The Predators took the lead on a Yakov Trenin goal, his second of the year, coming off of Cole Smith. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Forsberg, Makar, and Nyquist, while Nichushkin and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

West to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Connor Ingram patrol the creases. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Phillip Danault. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Quinton Byfield. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Moore scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Matias Maccelli. The Kings replied in the third period with a Danault goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Laferriere and Matt Roy. The three stars went to Moore, Danault, and Copley (30 for 31 in saves) in the Kings' 4-1 win.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. Seattle tied it on a Vince Dunn goal, his third of the year, via Alexander Wennberg. The Flames retook the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Andersson and Nazem Kadri. The Kraken retied it in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dunn and Yanni Gourde. Seattle pulled ahead with a Jared McCann goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper from Adam Larsson. Calgary tied it again in the third period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with an Andersson goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Mikael Backlund and Huberdeau. The three stars were Andersson, Dunn, and Huberdeau.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Thatcher Demko are in the blue paint. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Quinn Hughes goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Nils Hoglander and Anthony Beauvillier. The Canucks added on with a Sam Lafferty shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Teddy Blueger. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Calen Addison and Mikael Granlund. Vancouver answered with a J.T. Miller goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Brock Boeser and Hughes. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Hughes, Demko (27 for 28 in saves), and Lafferty. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 41

There's five games on today, including the finale of the Global Series. First up...

The Minnesota Wild face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Marc-Andre Fleury are in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Jon Merrill goal, assisted by Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Matthew Knies goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mitchell Marner and Mark Giordano. Toronto added on with a Rielly goal, his third of the season, coming off of Matthews and Marner in the third period. The Wild got one back with a Jake Middleton goal, his third of the year, passed from Marcus Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota tied it on a Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Nylander goal, his twelfth of the yea, with a lone helper from Rielly. The three stars were Nylander, Rielly, and Matthews, while Zuccarello and Marner get the honorable mentions. 

Back in North America, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin and Samuel Ersson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ryan Poehling and Cam York. Columbus tied it on an Alexandre Texier goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. The Flyers retook the lead in the second period with a Bobby Brink power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Sean Walker and Farabee. Philadelphia added on with a Poehling shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Garnet Hathaway and Walker. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Boone Jenner goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Ivan Provorov. The Flyers replied with a Travis Konecny goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Louie Belpedio. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by York, his second of the campaign, courtesy of Poehling. The three stars were Poehling, Farabee, and York, while Walker gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Ryan Graves goal, via Radim Zohorna and Drew O'Connor. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Noel Acciari goal, coming off of Matt Nieto. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Evgeni Malkin scored an empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Nedeljkovic (38 save shutout), Graves, and Acciari.

Next up, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Buffalo began in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Zach Benson and JJ Peterka. Chicago tied it on a Taylor Raddysh goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno. The Sabres retook the lead with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Dahlin and Peterka. The Blackhawks tied it on a Kurashev goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Connor Bedard and Luksa Reichel. Buffalo pulled ahead again in the third period with an Erik Johnson goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Dahlin. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Dahlin, Kurashev, and Peterka.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues visit the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Joel Hofer are the young goalies. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Scott Perunovich. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Alexey Toropchenko scored his third of the season, thanks to Justin Faulk and Kevin Hayes. Anaheim got on the board with a Mason McTavish goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Alex Killorn and Max Jones. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Hofer (30 for 31 in saves), Buchnevich, and Toropchenko. 

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