NHL 2023-24 - Day 59

There's 12 games on this Saturday slate, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Boston opened in the first period with an unassisted David Pastrnak goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Bruins added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the year, via Trent Frederic. Boston extended the lead in the second period on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jason Zucker and Juuso Valimaki. The Coyotes got closer with a Michael Carcone goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins replied with a Danton Heinen goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Matthew Poitras and Frederic. Arizona shot back in the third period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad. Boston answered with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, fueled by Morgan Geekie and Jake DeBrusk. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Frederic, and Heinen. 

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Dustin Wolf draw the starts in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a shorthanded Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Blake Coleman and Ilya Solovyov. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes. The Devils took the lead with a Bratt goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey added on in the third period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Flames got one back on a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with a Hischier empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Hischier, Bratt, and Meier.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Vegas started in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brett Howden and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights added on with a Whitecloud goal, his second of the year, via William Carrier and Nicolas Roy. Dallas got on the board with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Jani Hakanpaa. Vegas shot back with a Mark Stone goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the second period as Roy scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Stone. Vegas padded the lead in the third period on a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his second of the year, helped along by William Karlsson and Paul Cotter. The Golden Knights continued with a Cotter goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brayden McNabb. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Stone, Roy, and Whitecloud while Cotter gets an honorable mention. 

Northeast to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. Washington began in the first period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Martin Fehervary and John Carlson. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his sixth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Rasmus Sandin. Washington extended the lead as Tom Wilson scored his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals padded the lead on a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the year, passed from Beck Malenstyn. This was good for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Lindgren (31 save shutout), Milano, and Mantha.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Ilya Samsonov start in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with a David Kampf goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Conor Timmins. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. Toronto extended the lead as Matthews scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Nylander and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Noah Gregor shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Calle Jarnkrok. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Matthews, Samsonov (19 save shutout), and Nylander.

Across the border, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Devon Levi are the young goalies. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jayden Struble goal, guided in by Johnathan Kovacevic on the power play. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael Matheson and Sean Monahan. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the year, via Tage Thompson. The Sabres tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Connor Clifton. The Canadiens won in the shootout with tallies from Jesse Ylonen, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky for a 3-2 win over Owen Pwer and Victor Olofsson. The three stars were Primeau (46 for 48 in saves), Suzuki, and Struble.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Alex Lyon receive the starting nods in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Vladimir Tarasenko. Detroit tied it on a Patrick Kane power play goal, with assists provided by Alex DeBrincat and the goalie Lyon. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with a Tarasenko power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Chychrun and Giroux. Ottawa added on with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Mathieu Joseph. The Senators extended the lead as Tim Stutzle scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Drake Batherson and Artem Zub. James Reimer replaced Lyon in goal for the third period. Ottawa padded the lead on a Jake Sanderson empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Tarasenko, Giroux, and Chychrun.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his third of the year, coming off of Fiala and Phillip Danault. New York got on the board in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, via Mike Reilly and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders tied it on another Lee goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by Scott Mayfield and Bo Horvat. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Fiala, Lee, and Pageau.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his third of the season, via Nikita Zaitsev and Cole Guttman. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex Vlasic goal, assisted by Louis Crevier and MacKenzie Entwistle. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Jason Dickinson scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Zaitsev and Connor Murphy. St. Louis got on the board with a shorthanded Oskar Sundqvist goal, his third of the season, set up by Nick Leddy. The final stood from here at 3-1, with the three stars being Zaitsev, Mrazek (39 for 40 in saves), and Vlasic.

Along to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart faces a lesser foe in Ivan Prosvetov in goal. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Tyson Foerster. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his eleventh of the year, via Josh Manson and Devon Toews. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Bobby Brink. Philadelphia added on with a Travis Sanheim goal, his third of the year, fueled by Morgan Frost and Tippett. The Avalanche got one back with a Manson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Johansen. The Flyers countered with a Konecny penalty shot goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year. Philadelphia extended the lead as Joel Farabee scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Brink and Sanheim. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Konecny, Tippett, and Sanheim, while Manson and Brink get the honorable mentions.

Further on, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Nick Perbix and Tanner Jeannot. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel. Seattle got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Will Borgen in the second period. The Kraken tied it on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jordan Eberle. Seattle pulled ahead in the third period with a Jared McCann power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Eberle. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nick Paul goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Cirelli and Kucherov. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Hagel and Darren Raddysh. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Cirelli, and Hagel, while Eberle gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Thatcher Demko are in the creases. Vancouver got the first goal in the first period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Elias Pettersson and Ian Cole. The Canucks added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, via Pettersson and Lafferty. Carolina got on the board with a Jordan Martinook goal, coming off of Jesper Fast and Jaccob Slavin. Vancouver shot back with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander. The Hurricanes got one back with a Brady Skjei power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting. Carolina tied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Jack Drury and Brent Burns. The Canucks retook the lead with a Pettersson goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Mikheyev and Filip Hronek. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Mikheyev, and Lafferty.  

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 58

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

The Florida Panthers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Valtteri Puustinen. Florida tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his third of the season, fueled by Evan Rodrigues and Lundell. Florida iced it at 3-1 with an Aleksander Barkov empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Sam Reinhart. The three stars went to Lundell, Bobrovsky (26 for 27 in saves), and Luostarinen.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Jet Greaves are the backups in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Pavel Buchnevich. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on an Adam Fantilli goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Kent Johnson and Emil Bemstrom. Columbus added on in the third period with a Chinakhov goal, his fourth of the year, via Marchenko and Voronkov. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Chinakhov scored on the power play, his second goal of the game and fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues got one back with a Thomas goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Alexandre Texier, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Justin Danforth. The three stars went to Chinakhov, Marchenko, and Thomas, while Voronkov gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Stuart Skinner are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Matt Boldy goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brock Faber and Marcus Johansson. The Wild took the lead with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Boldy and Johansson. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nugent-Hopkins and Bouchard. Minnesota retook the lead with a Connor Dewar goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Ryan Hartman and Faber. Edmonton tied it again with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period with a Bouchard power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with assists provided by Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Bouchard, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl, while McDavid, Boldy, Johansson, and Faber get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 57

There's 13 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi is mismatched with Linus Ullmark in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a JJ Peterka goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Dylan Cozens. The Sabres added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Connor Clifton. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Hampus Lindholm. Buffalo shot back in the third period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Owen Power. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Levi (29 for 30 in saves), Thompson, and Olofsson.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Ville Husso man the nets. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Klim Kostin goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his fourth of the year, via Daniel Sprong. Detroit extended the lead as Rasmussen scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Ben Chiarot and Andrew Copp. The Red Wings padded the lead with a Lucas Raymond goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Chiarot and Robby Fabbri. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Blackwood in goal. San Jose got one back on a Tomas Hertl shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by William Eklund and Jan Rutta. The Sharks got closer on a Fabian Zetterlund shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Rutta and Mikael Granlund. San Jose pulled closer with a Nico Sturm goal, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Kyle Burroughs. The Sharks tied it on another Sturm goal, helped along by Justin Bailey and Kevin Labanc. Detroit retook the lead with a Dylan Larkin goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Raymond and Fabbri. San Jose tied it on a Hertl goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with assists from Granlund and Alexander Barabanov. The Sharks won 6-5 in overtime with a Granlund goal, his third of the campaign, dished from Zetterlund. The three stars were Granlund, Hertl, and Sturm, while Zetterlund, Rutta, Rasmussen, Raymond, Fabbri, and Chiarot get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Sam Montembeault are the masked men. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Drew Doughty goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Byfield goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Byfield scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Kopitar and Kevin Fiala on the power play. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with a Trevor Moore goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Fiala and Doughty. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (24 save shutout), Byfield, and Kopitar, while Doughty and Fiala get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ottawa, where the Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his ninth of the year, via Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a David Kampf goal, his second of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Jake McCabe. Toronto added on in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Max Domi and Nicholas Robertson. The Senators got one back with a Jacob Bernard-Docker goal, guided in by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. Martin Jones replaced an injured Woll in goal. The Maple Leafs fired back with a William Nylander goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by McCabe and Brodie. Ottawa got one back on a Claude Giroux goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Jake Sanderson. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being McCabe, Brodie, and Nylander.

Stateside, the New York Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Noah Dobson. Columbus tied it on an Emil Bemstrom goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead with a Fantilli goal, his sixth of the year, via Johnson and Zach Werenski. The Islanders tied it on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Hudson Fasching and Casey Cizikas. New York took the lead with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Scott Mayfield and Mike Reilly. The Islanders added on with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brock Nelson and Barzal. Columbus got one back in the third period with a Fantilli goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, fueled by Bemstrom and Jake Bean. New York shot back with a Barzal goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Bo Horvat. The Islanders extended the lead as Horvat scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Julien Gauthier. New York padded the lead on another Horvat goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Barzal and Samuel Bolduc. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars given to Barzal, Horvat, and Fantilli, while Bemstrom and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. Nashville tied it on a Juuso Parssinen power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Philip Tomasino and Ryan McDonagh. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville added on with a McDonagh goal, going in unassisted. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Josi scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Cole Smith. Nashville padded the lead on a Yakov Trenin empty net goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Kiefer Sherwood. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Josi, McDonagh, and Saros (32 for 33 in saves).

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Charlie Lindgren receive the starting nods in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Aliaksei Protas goal, his third of the season, coming off of Connor McMichael and Nick Jensen. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his ninth of the year, via Sam Steel and Miro Heiskanen. The Capitals took the lead back in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Tom Wilson and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Washington added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Phillips and Protas. The Stars got one back with a Mason Marchment goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Matt Duchene. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson. The Capitals pulled ahead on a Strome power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Anthony Mantha and Alex Ovechkin. The Stars tied it again on another Hintz goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, fueled by Robertson and Joe Pavelski. The tie went to a shootout, where Robertson's lone tally lifted the Stars to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Robertson, Hintz, and Strome, while Protas gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Chicago cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a power play goal by Philipp Kurashev, his fifth of the season, powered by Connor Bedard and Tyler Johnson. The final stayed at 1-0, with the three stars going to Mrazek (37 save shutout), Kurashev, and Dostal (24 for 25 in saves).

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Connor Ingram patrol the creases. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Joel Farabee goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Cam Atkinson and Cam York. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Matias Maccelli and Jason Zucker. Philadelphia replied in the second period on a shorthanded Konecny goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Nick Seeler. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as York scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Travis Sanheim and Nicolas Deslauriers. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars given to Konecny, York, and Hart (25 for 26 in saves).

North to Calgary, as the Flames host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Dustin Wolf are the young goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jaccob Slavin and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes added on with a Michael Bunting goal, his sixth of the year, via Dmitry Orlov and Martin Necas. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames tied it on a Connor Zary goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Adam Ruzicka and Nazem Kadri. Calgary took the lead on a Coleman shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Yegor Sharangovich. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Coleman, Zary, and Wolf (30 for 32 in saves).

South again to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. The Jets added on in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Devon Toews and Sam Malinski. Winnipeg fired back on a Morrissey goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dylan Samberg and Nino Niederreiter. The Avalanche answered with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his second of the season, made possible by MacKinnon and Bowen Byram. The Jets iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Connor, Morrissey, and MacKinnon.

In Canada once more, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Casey DeSmith are set to start in goal. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Brock Boeser and Tyler Myers. The Canucks added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his second of the year, via Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to DeSmith (26 save shutout), Hoglander, and Blueger.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. New Jersey began in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Marino and Nico Hischier. Seattle tied it on a Tye Kartye goal, his fifth of the year, via Alexander Wennberg and Andre Burakovsky in the second period. The Devils retook the lead on a Simon Nemec goal, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Jonas Siegenthaler. This was it for the offense, with the final standing at 2-1. The three stars went to Schmid (38 for 39 in saves), Nemec, and Palat. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 56

We've got a four-game Wednesday on tap, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Kucherov power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Hedman and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Tanner Jeannot scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Mikey Eyssimont. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his tenth of the year, via Sidney Crosby. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (23 for 24 in saves), and Hedman.

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida began in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Niko Mikkola and Sam Reinhart. Dallas tied it on a Radek Faksa goal, his second of the year, via Sam Steel and Thomas Harley. The Panthers retook the lead with a Reinhart goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Rodrigues. Florida added on in the second period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Sam Bennett and Mikkola. The Stars got one back in the third period with a Mason Marchment power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jani Hakanpaa and Wyatt Johnston. The Panthers took the lead back with a Barkov goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Rodrigues and Reinhart. Florida padded the lead on a Rodrigues power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Aaron Ekblad. The Stars got one back on a Harley power play goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Marchment. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Rodrigues, Reinhart, and Barkov, while Harley, Marchment, and Mikkola get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Vegas opened with a Zach Whitecloud goal, via Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar. St. Louis tied it on a Jake Neighbours goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas. The Blues took the lead with a Kevin Hayes goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Torey Krug and Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis added on with a Kyrou goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Golden Knights got one back with a Jack Eichel goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Eichel. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Kolesar goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Brayden McNabb and Kaedan Korczak. Vegas extended the lead as Michael Amadio scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Chandler Stephenson and Barbashev on the power play. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-3 with a Karlsson empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Nicolas Hague. The three stars went to Eichel, Kolesar, and Karlsson, while Barbashev gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Stuart Skinner are the young goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Warren Foegele. The Oilers added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Mattias Janmark and Bouchard. Antti Raanta replaced Kochetkov in goal. The Oilers padded the lead on another Hyman goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. Edmonton continued in the second period with a Foegele goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Janmark. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jaccob Slavin. The Oilers countered on a Hyman goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season, assisted by McDavid. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Hyman, McDavid, and Janmark, while Foegele and Bouchard get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 55

There's eight games on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Anton Forsberg man the nets. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artem Zub and Claude Giroux. The Senators added on with a Giroux goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jacob Bernard-Docker and Josh Norris. New York got on the board in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. Ottawa replied with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Drake Batherson. The Rangers countered with a K'Andre Miller goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Alexis Lafreniere and Panarin. The Senators answered with a Batherson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Tarasenko. Ottawa extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with the help of Zub and Erik Brannstrom. The Senators padded the lead in the third period on a Tarasenko empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Batherson and Brannstrom. The final was 6-2, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Tkachuk, and Batherson, while Giroux, Panarin, Zub, and Brannstrom get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Adam Boqvist and Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Gaudreau goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus extended the lead as Mathieu Olivier scored, thanks to David Jiricek and Adam Fantilli. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Roy and Trevor Moore. The Kings got closer with another Danault goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Vladislav Gavrikov and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles tied it on an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Gavrikov. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Drew Doughty goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The three stars were Danault, Gavrikov, and Gaudreau.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Eric Comrie draw the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on with a Robby Fabbri goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Copp and David Perron. Detroit extended the lead on a Moritz Seider power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Fabbri and Alex DeBrincat. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his third of the year, guided in by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jeff Petry. Buffalo got on the board with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens. The Sabres got closer in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jeff Skinner and JJ Peterka. Buffalo chipped closer on a Skinner power play goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit iced it at 5-3 with a Larkin empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, an unassisted shorthanded goal. The three stars were Fabbri, Larkin, and Skinner.

In New York, the Islanders bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. New York began in the first period with a Julien Gauthier goal, his second of the season, coming off of Simon Holmstrom and Bo Horvat. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifth of the year, via Anthony Duclair. The Islanders took the lead back in the second period with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Noah Dobson and Horvat. New York added on in the third period with a shorthanded Mike Reilly goal, set up by Holmstrom. The Islanders extended the lead on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Reilly and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Sharks got one back with a Kevin Labanc goal, fueled by Nikita Okhotiuk. San Jose got closer with a Hertl goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, passed from Mikael Granlund and William Eklund. The Sharks tied it as Hertl completed his hat trick on his seventh of the year, with the help of Eklund and Alexander Barabanov. San Jose won 5-4 in overtime with an Eklund goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hertl, Eklund, and Reilly, while Horvat and Holmstrom get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros faces a lesser foe in Arvid Soderblom in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his third of the season, via Seth Jones. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Luke Evangelista goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Juuso Parssinen. The Predators took the lead with a Mark Jankowski goal, assisted by Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro. The Blackhawks tied it on a Jason Dickinson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Foligno and Alex Vlasic. Chicago pulled ahead on a Foligno goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Joey Anderson and Jones. Nashville retied it on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Gustav Nyquist, O'Reilly, and Forsberg lifted the Predators to a 4-3 win over Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks. The three stars were Foligno, O'Reilly, and Forsberg, while Jones gets an honorable mention.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, his second of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin and Josh Manson. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Logan O'Connor scored his fourth of the season, thanks to MacKinnon and Drouin. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Carrick shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks got closer with a Leo Carlsson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Troy Terry and Cam Fowler. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to MacKinnon, Drouin, and O'Connor.

Up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Dan Vladar are between the pipes. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his third of the season, via Matt Boldy. The Wild added on in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota extended the lead as Boldy scored his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Dustin Wolf replaced Vladar in goal. Calgary got on the board with a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixth of the year, passed from MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. The Wild replied with a Boldy power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon. The Flames got one back with a Connor Zary goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ilya Solovyov and Nazem Kadri in the third period. Minnesota answered with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Marcus Johansson. The final was 5-2, with the three stars going to Boldy, Kaprizov, and Gustavsson (28 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. New Jersey drew first blood in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jonas Siegenthaler. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson. The Devils retook the lead with an Erik Haula goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jack Hughes. New Jersey added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kevin Bahl. The Devils extended the lead as Michael McLeod scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Nathan Bastian and Curtis Lazar. The Canucks got one back on a Dakota Joshua goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger. New Jersey countered with a Luke Hughes power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Jack Hughes. Vancouver got one back in the third period with a Boeser goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Miller. The Canucks pulled closer on a Sam Lafferty goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Quinn Hughes and Pettersson. Vancouver tied it on a Nils Hoglander goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Quinn Hughes and Boeser. The Devils regained the lead on a Bratt goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, passed from Nico Hischier and Bahl. This held for a 6-5 win, with the three stars being Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Boeser, while Bahl, Miller, Quinn Hughes, and Pettersson get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 54

We've got six games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Carter Hart man the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Philadelphia tied it on a Tyson Foerster goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, assisted by Travis Konecny and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with a Sean Couturier goal, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The three stars were Hart (31 for 32 in saves), Konecny, and Couturier.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Erik Cernak and Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Luke Glendening scored his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning padded the lead on a Cirelli goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Vasilevskiy (25 save shutout), Cirelli, and Kucherov.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Sam Montembeault are in the blue paint. Montreal opened in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Josh Anderson and Jake Evans. The Canadiens added on with a Tanner Pearson goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, fueled by Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. Montreal extended the lead on a Monahan power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Seattle got on the board with a Jared McCann goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. The Kraken got closer in the third period with a Dunn power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Eeli Tolvanen and Matty Beniers. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with an Anderson empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Monahan, Anderson, and Dunn.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Laurent Brossoit are set to start in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with an Ehlers goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, coming off of Scheifele and Connor. Carolina got on the board with a Martin Necas goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Stefan Noesen and Jalen Chatfield. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Brossoit (42 for 43 in saves), Ehlers, and Connor, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Connor Ingram are the masked men. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Logan Cooley power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Sean Durzi. The Coyotes added on with a Michael Carcone goal, his twelfth of the year, via Josh Brown and Jason Zucker. Arizona chased Kuemper with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Keller and Alexander Kerfoot. Charlie Lindgren replaced Kuemper in goal. The Coyotes extended the lead as Schmaltz scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, with the help of Keller and Michael Kesselring. Arizona padded the lead on a Zucker goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Kerfoot. The Coyotes kept going in the second period with a shorthanded Nick Bjugstad goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Kerfoot and J.J. Moser. The final held at 6-0, with the three stars being Schmaltz, Keller, and Kerfoot, while Zucker and Ingram (26 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Logan Thompson are between the pipes. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Colton Parayko and Oskar Sundqvist. Vegas tied it in the third period on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Jonathan Marchessault. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Robert Thomas and Parayko. The three stars were Binnington (33 for 34 in saves), Parayko, and Buchnevich. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 53

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

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Marc-Andre Fleury are the goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Marco Rossi goal, his seventh of the season, via Brock Faber and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild added on with a Rossi power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, powered by Frederick Gaudreau and Faber. Minnesota extended the lead as Zuccarello scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Kirill Kaprizov and Alex Goligoski. The Wild padded the lead in the second period with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. Chicago got on the board in the third period with a Taylor Raddysh power play goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Tyler Johnson and Connor Bedard. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rossi, Zuccarello, and Faber.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Quick are set to start in goal. San Jose started in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his sixth of the season, via Kyle Burroughs. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. The Sharks retook the lead on a Ryan Carpenter goal, coming off of Jan Rutta. The Rangers retied it with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. New York pulled ahead with a Zibanejad goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Chris Kreider and Jonny Brodzinski. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Jacob MacDonald power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Labanc and Mike Hoffman. The Rangers reclaimed the lead on a Will Cuylle goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nick Bonino and Jacob Trouba. New York added on with a Panarin goal to complete his hat trick with his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Trocheck and Brodzinski in the third period. The Rangers extended the lead as K'Andre Miller scored his fourth of the year, helped along by Panarin and Trouba. The Sharks pulled one back with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Duclair. San Jose got closer on an Alexander Barabanov goal, with helpers from Calen Addison and Tomas Hertl. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars given to Panarin, Zibanejad, and Trocheck, while Duclair, Trouba, and Brodzinski get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Boston, the Bruins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin and Jeremy Swayman are the masked men. Columbus got going in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mathieu Olivier and Zach Werenski. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, via Danton Heinen and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins took the lead with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, courtesy of Charlie McAvoy and James van Riemsdyk on the power play. Boston added on with a Marchand power play goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, powered by Pavel Zacha and McAvoy. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Marchand, McAvoy, and Swayman (24 for 25 in saves). 

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the Finnish goalies. Nashville led off in the first period with an unassisted Filip Forsberg goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Predators added on with a Yakov Trenin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Colton Sissons and Cole Smith. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Victor Olofsson penalty shot goal, his third of the campaign. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars handed to Saros (34 for 35 in saves), Trenin, and Forsberg. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexander Georgiev and Cam Talbot patrol the creases. Colorado began in the first period with a Josh Manson goal, fueled by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Quinton Byfield goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Mikey Anderson and Adrian Kempe. The Kings took the lead with another Byfield goal in the third period, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Kempe and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles added on with a Trevor Moore goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Carl Grundstrom. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with a Drew Doughty empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by the goalie Talbot. The three stars were Byfield, Talbot (20 for 21 in saves), and Kempe. 

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