Saturday, December 16, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 66

It's a 13-game Saturday slate, beginning with one matinee as...

The Minnesota Wild host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Filip Gustavsson man the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, via Marcus Foligno and Pat Maroon. Vancouver tied it in the second period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland. The tie went to a shootout, where the Wild won 2-1 with a lone tally by Mats Zuccarello. The three stars were Gustavsson (35 for 36 in saves), DeSmith (30 for 31 in saves), and Gaudreau. 

East to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman guard the cages. Boston got going in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Matthew Poitras. New York tied it in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers won 2-1 in overtime with a Trocheck goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Erik Gustafsson. The three stars were given to Trocheck, Shesterkin (22 for 23 in saves), and Swayman (31 for 33 in saves).

Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Daniil Tarasov play in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli. The Devils added on with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Dawson Mercer and Alexander Holtz. Columbus got on the board with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau. New Jersey replied on a Toffoli goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jesper Bratt. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Yegor Chinakov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrew Peeke and Dmitri Voronkov. The Devils shot back with a Hughes power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Bratt and Nico Hischier. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Hischier scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Bratt. Columbus got one back on an Alexandre Texier goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with a Hughes empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hughes, Bratt, and Hischier, while Toffoli gets an honorable mention.

In Montreal, the Canadiens host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joel Armia goal, his fourth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher and Kaiden Guhle. The Canadiens added on with a Josh Anderson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Justin Barron and Sean Monahan. Montreal extended the lead as Anderson scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Monahan and Barron. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Cole Caufield goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. New York got on the board in the third period with a Brock Nelson shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Noah Dobson. The Islanders got one back with another Nelson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Dobson. New York pulled closer with a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Dobson. Montreal iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Christian Dvorak, his second of the year, courtesy of Suzuki. The three stars were Anderson, Nelson, and Dobson, while Monahan, Barron, and Suzuki get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Samuel Ersson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Cam York goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster. Ville Husso replaced an injured Lyon in the second period. The final held at 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Ersson (34 save shutout), York, and Husso (18 for 18 in saves in relief).

To Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Martin Jones are the veteran goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Matthew Knies goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Max Domi. The Maple Leafs added on with a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Nicholas Robertson and Domi. Toronto extended the lead as Bobby McMann scored, with the help of Tyler Bertuzzi and Pontus Holmberg. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the second period on a Domi goal, his second of the season, assisted by Knies and Marner. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Jarry in goal. Toronto kept going with a John Tavares power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs continued with a Noah Gregor power play goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Bertuzzi and Conor Timmins. Toronto struck again with a Nylander goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Bertuzzi and Jake McCabe. The final stood at 7-0, with the three stars handed to Domi, Knies, and Jones (38 save shutout), while Nylander, Marner, and Bertuzzi get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Ivan Prosvetov is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Vladislav Gavrikov power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Alex Iafallo and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Iafallo scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Jets answered with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Morrissey. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Namestnikov and Mason Appleton. The Avalanche got one back with a Jack Johnson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Valeri Nichushkin and MacKinnon. The Jets finished it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Ehlers, his tenth of the year, set up by Scheifele. The three stars were Vilardi, Namestnikov, and Ehlers, while Scheifele, Iafallo, Morrissey, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin. The Predators retook the lead with a Philip Tomasino goal, his second of the season, made possible by Cole Smith. Nashville added on in the third period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Alexandre Carrier and Michael McCarron. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Saros (21 for 22 in saves), Tomasino, and Trenin.

Along to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Jordan Binnington are in the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Mason Marchment goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene. The Stars added on with a Ty Dellandrea goal, via Sam Steel and Radek Faksa. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Kevin Hayes. The Blues tied it on a Kyrou goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Torey Krug and Robert Thomas. St. Louis took the lead with a Hayes goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Alexey Toropchenko and Krug. Dallas tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Colton Parayko goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Kyrou and Thomas. The three stars were Kyrou, Hayes, and Thomas, while Krug gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his tenth of the season, via Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes added on with a Liam O'Brien goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Logan Cooley. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars going to Vejmelka (28 save shutout), Keller, and O'Brien.

North to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Dan Vladar in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with an A.J. Greer goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Flames added on with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his eighth of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman. Calgary extended the lead as Yegor Sharangovich scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Jordan Oesterle and Elias Lindholm. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning got closer with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Flames replied with a Connor Zary goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Oesterle. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Oesterle, Kucherov, and Sharangovich.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Calvin Pickard receive the starting nods in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers added on with a Brandon Montour goal, courtesy of Verhaeghe and Bennett. Florida extended the lead as Aleksander Barkov scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Sam Reinhart and Ekman-Larsson. Edmonton got on the board with a Zach Hyman goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Panthers shot back with a Bennett power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Montour and the goalie Bobrovsky. Florida padded the lead in the third period with another Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Verhaeghe, Bennett, and Montour, while Ekman-Larsson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Joey Daccord guard the cages. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Devin Shore and Vince Dunn. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Moore goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe in the second period. The Kraken tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Ryker Evans and Jared McCann. The tie went to a shootout, where Kempe, Arthur Kaliyev, Trevor Lewis and Carl Grundstrom lifted the Kings to a 4-3 win over Kailer Yamamoto, Yanni Gourde and Matty Beniers. The three stars went to Talbot (17 for 19 in saves), Kempe, and Daccord (36 for 38 in saves). 

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Friday, December 15, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 65

There are six games on this Friday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Jonathan Quick are the backups in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Brett Leason goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ilya Lyubushkin. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Adam Fox and Blake Wheeler. New York added on with a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Fox. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Zibanejad scored his ninth of the season on the power play, thanks to Panarin. New York finished it at 5-1 with an Adam Edstrom goal, fueled by Barclay Goodrow and Braden Schneider. The three stars were Kreider, Zibanejad, and Panarin, while Fox gets an honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Antti Raanta man the nets. Nashville opened in the first period with a Juuso Parssinen goal, his sixth of the season, via Tommy Novak. Carolina tied it on a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jack Drury and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his second of the season, coming off of Michael Bunting. The Predators tied it in the second period with a Roman Josi goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. Carolina retook the lead with a Jaden Chatfield goal, his third of the season, assisted by Bunting and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Seth Jarvis and Noesen. Nashville pulled one back with an O'Reilly power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Josi. Carolina replied with an unassisted Necas goal, his ninth of the year. The Predators countered with a Tyson Barrie goal, guided in by Cole Smith and Philip Tomasino. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, his second of the season, made possible by Luke Evangelista and Parssinen. The Predators won 6-5 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Josi and O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Forsberg, and Josi, while Parssinen, Necas, Noesen, and Bunting get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. New York got going in the second period with an Alexander Romanov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. The Islanders added on with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his ninth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Boston got on the board with a Morgan Geekie power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Geekie. New York retook the lead in the third period with a Horvat power play goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brock Nelson and Mike Reilly. Boston tied it again on a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Shattenkirk and Pastrnak. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Nelson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Horvat and Barzal. The Bruins pulled even with a Mason Lohrei goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Charlie Coyle and Pastrnak lifted the Bruins to a 5-4 win over Holmstrom and the Islanders. The three stars were Pastrnak, Horvat, and van Riemsdyk, while Geekie, Nelson, Barzal, and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jakob Chychrun and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators added on with a Drake Batherson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Chychrun and Tim Stutzle. Scott Wedgewood replaced an injured Oettinger. Dallas got on the board with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Ottawa shot back with a Josh Norris goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and Chychrun. The Stars fired back on an Esa Lindell goal, his third of the season, helped along by Matt Duchene. The Senators countered in the second period with another Batherson goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Brady Tkachuk and Stutzle. Dallas got one back with a shorthanded Thomas Harley goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Radek Faksa. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov. Dallas took the lead with a Duchene goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Duchene, Batherson, and Chychrun, while Stutzle gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Connor Ingram are set to start in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and J.J. Moser. The final held at 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Ingram (21 save shutout), Maccelli, and Kahkonen (23 for 24 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Logan Thompson patrol the creases. Buffalo cracked the scoresheet in the second period on a Dylan Cozens goal, his fifth of the season, via Casey Mittelstadt. Vegas tied it on an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with a Jack Eichel goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Paul Cotter. The Sabres retied it on a Mittelstadt goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Cozens and Connor Clifton. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Zach Benson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson. The Sabres added on with a Tuch goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Benson. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with a Mittelstadt empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin. The three stars were Mittelstadt, Tuch, and Benson, while Cozens gets an honorable mention.

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Thursday, December 14, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 64

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

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Samuel Ersson start in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Bobby Brink goal, his fifth of the season, via Marc Staal and Morgan Frost. Washington tied it on a Connor McMichael goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Aliaksei Protas and Anthony Mantha. The Capitals took the lead on a Tom Wilson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and T.J. Oshie. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Joel Farabee goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Ryan Poehling. Washington took the lead back with a Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Protas and Wilson. Philadelphia tied it on an Owen Tippett goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Frost. The tie went to a shootout, where Sean Couturier and Brink lifted the Flyers to a 4-3 win over Oshie and the Capitals. The three stars were Brink, Strome, and Wilson, while Frost and Protas get the honorable mentions.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Columbus began in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his sixth of the season, via Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Johnson goal, his second of the year, passed from Andrew Peeke. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Justin Danforth scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Ivan Provorov and David Jiricek. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Provorov and Jiricek. Columbus continued with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Chinakhov and Zach Werenski. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Auston Matthews and William Lagesson. The Maple Leafs got another with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Bobby McMann. Toronto got closer with a Jake McCabe power play goal, with assists provided by Conor Timmins and Nicholas Robertson. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Matthews goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Nylander and Marner. Toronto tied it on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, fueled by Marner and Tavares. The Blue Jackets won 6-5 in overtime with a Johnson goal, his second of the game and third of the year, made possible by Werenski and Danforth. The three stars were Johnson, Matthews, and Marner, while Chinakhov, Danforth, Werenski, Provorov, Jiricek, Nylander, and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Ville Husso are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jack Drury goal, his fourth of the season, via Stefan Noesen and Martin Necas. Detroit tied it on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Andrew Copp and Jonatan Berggren. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jesper Fast and Brett Pesce. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Staal, Kochetkov (25 for 26 in saves), and Drury.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Filip Gustavsson are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Connor Zary. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Sharangovich. The Wild tied it on a Marco Rossi goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Marcus Johansson. The tie went to a shootout, where Mats Zuccarello and Boldy lifted the Wild to a 3-2 win over Sharangovich and the Flames. The three stars were Boldy, Sharangovich, and Rossi.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Justin Faulk and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues added on in the second period with another Thomas goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, via Faulk and Torey Krug. St. Louis extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Nick Leddy and Kasperi Kapanen. Ottawa got on the board with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Drake Batherson and Jakob Chychrun. The Blues replied in the third period with a Buchnevich goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Kyrou and Thomas. The Senators pulled one back with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ridly Greig and Chychrun. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Chychrun, while Faulk gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Stuart Skinner guard the cages. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Motte goal, fueled by Darren Raddysh and Mikey Eyssimont. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Darnell Nurse shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Derek Ryan. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton took the lead with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Evan Bouchard and Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay tied it on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Haydn Fleury and Conor Sheary. The Lightning pulled ahead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Stamkos completed his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, with a helper from Sheary. The Oilers got one back on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Bouchard and McDavid. The Lightning replied with an Anthony Cirelli empty net goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Stamkos, his fourth of the game and fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Calvin de Haan. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Nugent-Hopkins, while McDavid, Sheary, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

To Seattle, as the Kraken bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Joey Daccord are the goalies. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Will Borgen. The Kraken added on with another Yamamoto goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. Chicago got on the board with a Taylor Raddysh goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier. Seattle replied with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Ryker Evans. The Kraken extended the lead as Tye Kartye scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Borgen and Brandon Tanev. Seattle padded the lead on an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Yanni Gourde and Bjorkstrand. The Kraken continued in the third period with a Jared McCann power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Evans and Bjorkstrand. Seattle kept going with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Devin Shore and Brian Dumoulin. Petr Mrazek replaced Soderblom in goal. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars given to Yamamoto, Bjorkstrand, and Evans, while Borgen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Conor Garland. The Canucks added on with a Dakota Joshua goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Teddy Blueger. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Joshua scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canucks padded the lead on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The final stayed at 4-0, with the three stars going to Demko (36 save shutout), Joshua, and Kuzmenko. 

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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 63

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

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Sam Montembeault are in goal. Montreal started in the first period with an unassisted David Savard goal. The Canadiens added on with a Jayden Struble goal, his second of the season, via Michael Pezzetta and Jesse Ylonen. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Drew O'Connor. Montreal shot back on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The Penguins got one back in the second period with a power play goal by Jake Guentzel, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Crosby and Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Crosby power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, helped along by Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin. The tie went to a shootout, where Kris Letang, Crosby, Lars Eller and Jansen Harkins lifted the Penguins to a 4-3 win over Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Monahan and the Canadiens. The three stars were Crosby, Karlsson, and Monahan.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his third of the season, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his seventh of the year, via Erik Haula and Alexander Holtz. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a Jack Hughes goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Jesper Bratt and the goalie Vanecek. The three stars went to Hughes, Vanecek (24 for 25 in saves), and Mercer.

Along to New York, as the Islanders host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov are the veteran goalies. New York got going in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Hudson Fasching. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the year, via Cal Clutterbuck and Noah Dobson. Anaheim got on the board with a Troy Terry power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Pavel Mintyukov and Leo Carlsson. The Ducks tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Urho Vaakanainen and Brett Leason. Anaheim pulled ahead in the third period with a Sam Carrick goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Bo Horvat and Dobson. The Islanders took the lead with a Simon Holmstrom shorthanded goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars were Dobson, Holmstrom, and Barzal.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Ivan Prosvetov are the backups in goal. Colorado led off in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his eleventh of the year, via Fredrik Olofsson and Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Miles Wood scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Sam Malinski. Buffalo got on the board with a Zach Benson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka. The Avalanche shot back in the third period with a Malinski goal, coming off of Jack Johnson and Jonathan Drouin. Colorado padded the lead on a Nichushkin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Nichushkin, Malinski, and Rantanen, while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield. The Kings added on with an Alex Laferriere goal, his third of the year, passed from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets tied it on an Ehlers goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Vilardi and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg took the lead with a Scheifele goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Vilardi and Ehlers. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Vilardi scored his second of the year, thanks to Dylan DeMelo. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Ehlers. The three stars were Vilardi, Ehlers, and Scheifele. 

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Tuesday, December 12, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 62

We've got a 10-game Tuesday on, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Igor Shesterkin are set to start in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by William Nylander and Noah Gregor. The Maple Leafs added on with a Conor Timmins goal, via Calle Jarnkrok and Max Domi. New York got on the board with a Blake Wheeler goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto replied with a Jarnkrok goal, his seventh of the season, passed from John Tavares. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Mitchell Marner scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Matthews and William Lagesson. The Rangers got one back in the second period on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. New York got closer with a Wheeler goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Zibanejad and Jacob Trouba. Toronto replied in the third period with a Marner power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Matthews. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, passed from Nylander and Jake McCabe. Toronto iced it at 7-3 with a David Kampf empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by T.J. Brodie and Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Marner, and Jarnkrok, while Wheeler, Zibanejad, and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Joonas Korpisalo man the nets. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his seventh of the season, via Erik Brannstrom and Claude Giroux. Carolina tied it on a Martin Necas power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brady Skjei and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Tony DeAngelo and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on with a Seth Jarvis goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Aho and Dmitry Orlov. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Aho scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Brett Pesce and Skjei. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Aho, Skjei, and Kochetkov (30 for 31 in saves).

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Valtteri Puustinen. Arizona tied it on a Lawson Crouse power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Zucker and Juuso Valimaki. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Matias Maccelli power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Crouse and Nick Bjugstad. The Penguins tied it on a shorthanded Jeff Carter goal, his second of the year, set up by Drew O'Connor. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Carter power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Reilly Smith. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Guentzel empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Marcus Pettersson. The three stars went to Guentzel, Carter, and Crouse.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Jordan Binnington are the veteran goalies. St. Louis started in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich and Kasperi Kapanen. Detroit tied it on a Jake Walman goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings took the lead with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his second of the season, via Jeff Petry and Daniel Sprong. The Blues tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko. St. Louis took the lead with another Hayes goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. Detroit retied it on a Moritz Seider goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Michael Rasmussen. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Marco Scandella shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Joe Veleno and Patrick Kane. Detroit gained the lead on a Robby Fabbri goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Raymond and Andrew Copp. The Red Wings iced it at 6-4 with a Rasmussen shorthanded empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Veleno. The three stars went to Raymond, Rasmussen, and Hayes, while Veleno gets an honorable mention.

In Nashville, the Predators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Carrier and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a second period goal from Michael McCarron, his fourth of the year, assisted by Luke Schenn and Cole Smith. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his fourth of the year, via Travis Konecny and Couturier. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan O'Reilly and Roman Josi. The three stars were Forsberg, McCarron, and Nyquist.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Stuart Skinner are set to start in goal. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Connor Bedard goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixth of the year, via Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers took the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Derek Ryan. Edmonton added on in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Cody Ceci and Gagner. The Oilers extended the lead on a Zach Hyman power play goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, powered by McDavid and Bouchard. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Gagner, McDavid, and Bouchard.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Brandon Hagel. Vancouver tied it on an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Miller and Nils Hoglander. Vancouver added on with another Boeser goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, passed from Hughes and Filip Hronek. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 when Boeser completed his hat trick in the third period on an empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Hughes. The three stars were Boeser, Hughes, and Miller.

Across the border, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joey Daccord are between the pipes. Seattle got going in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Will Borgen and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Kraken added on with a Bellemare goal in the third period, his third of the year, via Ryker Evans and Yamamoto. Seattle extended the lead as Alexander Wennberg scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Borgen and Tye Kartye. The Kraken padded the lead on an empty net goal by Eeli Tolvanen, his seventh of the year, set up by Vince Dunn. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Daccord (24 save shutout), Yamamoto, and Bellemare, while Borgen gets an honorable mention.

South to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf and Logan Thompson draw the starts. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his seventh of the season, via Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Vegas tied it on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil. The Golden Knights tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Stone. Calgary took the lead again with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Elias Lindholm. Vegas tied it on a Stone power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by William Karlsson and Marchessault. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Stephenson and Marchessault. The Flames retied it on a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Kadri. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in overtime with a Stone goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, fueled by Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Stone, Sharangovich, and Marchessault, while Karlsson, Stephenson, and Kadri get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goalies. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Justin Bailey goal, via Mike Hoffman and Jan Rutta. Winnipeg tied it on a Brenden Dillon goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a William Eklund power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Eklund, Blackwood (36 for 37 in saves), and Bailey. 

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Monday, December 11, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 61

There's four games this Monday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Devon Levi start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Eric Robinson and Connor Clifton. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Michael Kesselring goal, via Logan Cooley and Milos Kelemen. The Sabres took the lead back with an Eric Robinson goal, his second of the year, passed from Okposo and Clifton. Buffalo added on with a Peyton Krebs goal, his second of the season, made possible by Okposo and Robinson. The Sabres extended the lead as JJ Peterka goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. The Coyotes got one back with a Michael Carcone shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Dahlin, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Okposo, Robinson, and Dahlin, while Clifton gets an honorable mention.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and William Nylander. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Noah Dobson. The Islanders took the lead with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Cal Clutterbuck and Hudson Fasching. New York added on in the second period with a Palmieri goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nelson and Dobson. The Maple Leafs pulled one back on a Tavares goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Conor Timmins and Jake McCabe. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Tavares and Nylander. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Bo Horvat goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Dobson. The three stars went to Dobson, Tavares, and Palmieri, while Nelson and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Robby Fabbri and Christian Fischer. Dallas tied it on a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with an Esa Lindell goal, his second of the season, made possible by Sam Steel and Jani Hakanpaa. Dallas added on in the second period with a Robertson goal, his ninth of the year, via Lindell and Roope Hintz. The Stars extended the lead as Matt Duchene scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Joel Hanley and Tyler Seguin. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Jonatan Berggren goal, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere and Olli Maatta. Detroit got closer in the third period with a Joe Veleno power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Alex DeBrincat and Gostisbehere. Dallas shot back on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Hintz and Heiskanen. The Stars iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Heiskanen, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Steel. The three stars were given to Heiskanen, Robertson, and Lindell, while Hintz, Steel, and Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Alexandar Georgiev are the goalies. Calgary started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Blake Coleman. Colorado tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, guided in by Ross Colton and Fredrik Olofsson. The Avalanche took the lead on a Cale Makar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon in the second period. The Flames tied it on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Kadri and Dennis Gilbert. Calgary took the lead with a Coleman goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Mikael Backlund and Gilbert. Colorado responded with a Ben Meyers goal, helped along by Andrew Cogliano and Sam Malinski. The Flames fired back with a Connor Zary goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by MacKenzie Weegar. Calgary added on with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. Ivan Prosvetov replaced Georgiev in goal. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Colton goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Josh Manson and Bowen Byram. Colorado tied it on a Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Valeri Nichushkin and Makar. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a MacKinnon goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists from Nichushkin and Rantanen. This stood for a 6-5 win, with the three stars going to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Coleman, while Makar, Colton, Nichushkin, Kadri, and Gilbert get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, December 10, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 60

A busy eight-game Sunday begins early with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Jet Greaves are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his third of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Columbus tied it on a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kirill Marchenko and Erik Gudbranson. The Panthers took the lead back with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Reinhart and Forsling. Florida added on with a Barkov power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by Sam Bennett and Reinhart. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his sixth of the season, via Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski. The Panthers replied on a Matthew Tkachuk empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Niko Mikkola. Florida iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Eetu Luostarinen, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Barkov and Reinhart. The three stars went to Reinhart, Barkov, and Forsling. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Calvin Pickard make the starts in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Brett Kulak. The Oilers added on in the second period with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as Connor McDavid scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Evander Kane. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Nico Hischier and Ondrej Palat. The Oilers finished it at 4-1 with a Kane empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Kane, and Pickard (26 for 27 in saves). 

Back east, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Arvid Soderblom are in the creases. Chicago got going in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Connor Bedard. Washington tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventh of the year, via Connor McMichael. The Capitals took the lead on a Dylan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Joel Edmundson and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on with a Nic Dowd goal, his third of the year, fueled by Beck Malenstyn and Nick Jensen. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Dowd scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Malenstyn. The Blackhawks got one back on a Connor Murphy goal, passed from Bedard and Kurashev. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Dowd, Malenstyn, and Kurashev, while Bedard gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. Nashville opened in the first period with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Sissons goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Dante Fabbro and Josi. Montreal got on the board with a Jake Evans goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Sissons, Saros (36 for 37 in saves), and Josi. 

Stateside to New York, as the Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Jonathan Quick start in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino. Los Angeles got on the board with a Phillip Danault power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. New York replied with a Jonny Brodzinski power play goal, fueled by Trocheck and Adam Fox. The Rangers extended the lead as Will Cuylle scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Trocheck and Brodzinski. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Trocheck, Brodzinski, and Quick (25 for 26 in saves). 

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Troy Terry and Max Jones. The Ducks added on in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jakob Silfverberg and Radko Gudas. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Brenden Dillon. The Jets tied it on a Morgan Barron goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Josh Morrissey and David Gustafsson. Winnipeg took the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, coming off of Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored an empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Nikolaj Ehlers. The three stars were Morrissey, Vilardi, and Hellebuyck (25 for 27 in saves). 

Up in Seattle, the Kraken host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Joey Daccord are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild added on in the third period with a Marco Rossi goal, his ninth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Joel Eriksson Ek empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Ryan Hartman. The three stars were Gustavsson (24 save shutout), Boldy, and Rossi.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jiri Patera receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mario Ferraro goal, via Kyle Burroughs and Mikael Granlund. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Ben Hutton. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Mark Stone. Vegas added on in the third period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Kaedan Korczak. The Sharks shot back on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Granlund and the goalie Kahkonen. The Golden Knights replied with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, helped along by Stephenson and Zach Whitecloud. The tie went to a shootout, where Eichel and Marchessault lifted Vegas to a 5-4 win over San Jose. The three stars were Marchessault, Hoffman, and Stephenson, while Granlund gets an honorable mention. 

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