Saturday, December 23, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 73

There's 14 games on today to take us into the holiday break. First up...

The Nashville Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Nashville got going in the second period with a Michael McCarron goal, his fifth of the season, via Ryan McDonagh and Philip Tomasino. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. Dallas got on the board in the third period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Esa Lindell and Roope Hintz. The Stars tied it with a Craig Smith goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. Dallas took the lead with a Jani Hakanpaa goal, going in unassisted. This made it a 3-2 win for the Stars, with the three stars going to Hakanpaa, Smith, and Dadonov.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Jiri Patera and Sergei Bobrovsky are in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, via Ivan Barbashev. Florida tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour. The Panthers took the lead with a Gustav Forsling goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Evan Rodrigues and Aleksander Barkov. The Golden Knights tied it on a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ben Hutton and Keegan Kolesar. Florida pulled ahead in the third period with a Verhaeghe power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Montour and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Barkov and Tkachuk. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Verhaeghe, Barkov, and Montour, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

At the regular time, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Daniil Tarasov are the backups in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Mitchell Marner. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Justin Danforth goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Adam Fantilli. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a John Tavares goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by T.J. Brodie and William Nylander. Toronto added on with another Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Marner and Nylander. The Maple Leafs extended the lead on a shorthanded goal by Nylander, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Matthews and Jake McCabe. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Matthews, Nylander, and Marner.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veteran goalies. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild took the lead with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Alex Goligoski and Eriksson Ek. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Pat Maroon and Frederick Gaudreau. The Bruins got one back with a Morgan Geekie goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Danton Heinen and Trent Frederic. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Eriksson Ek, Foligno, and Kaprizov.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Michael Hutchinson and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifth of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Jake Walman. New Jersey tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings took the lead on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Daniel Sprong and Christian Fischer. The Devils tied it in the third period with another Meier goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, courtesy of Luke Hughes and Dawson Mercer. New Jersey pulled ahead on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Meier, Toffoli, and Vanecek (22 for 24 in saves).

In Ottawa, the Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg draw the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Josh Norris. Pittsburgh tied it with a Lars Eller power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Reilly Smith and Kris Letang. The Senators retook the lead on a Norris goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Brady Tkachuk and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa added on in the second period with a Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Giroux and Chychrun. The Penguins got one back on a Rickard Rakell goal, with helpers from Sidney Crosby and Smith. The Senators replied with a Brannstrom goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson. Pittsburgh got one back in the third period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his third of the year, helped along by Letang and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins tied it on a Letang goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Pettersson. Ottawa won 5-4 in overtime with a Tim Stutzle goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Drake Batherson. The three stars were given to Tkachuk, Norris, and Chychrun, while Brannstrom, Letang, Giroux, Pettersson, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Charlie Lindgren are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Luke Glendening goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Victor Hedman. Washington tied it in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, coming off of Nick Jensen and Aliaksei Protas. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point and Hedman lifted the Lightning to a 2-1 win over Evgeny Kuznetsov and the Capitals. The three stars were Hedman, Vasilevskiy (32 for 33 in saves), and Lindgren (19 for 20 in saves).

Further south, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Pyotr Kochetkov are the Russian goalies. New York was first to score in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, via Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Seth Jarvis and Dmitry Orlov. The Islanders retook the lead with a Nelson goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Mike Reilly and Palmieri. New York added on with a Bo Horvat goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. The Hurricanes got one back in the second period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Michael Bunting and Andrei Svechnikov. The Islanders fired back with a Reilly goal, his second of the season, fueled by Barzal and Lee. Carolina got one back in the third period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Martin Necas and Svechnikov. New York answered with a Lee goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Noah Dobson and Horvat. The Hurricanes answered with a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Necas and Brady Skjei. The comeback fell short as the Islanders won 5-4, with the three stars being Lee, Horvat, and Nelson, while Reilly, Barzal, Palmieri, Svechnikov, and Necas get the honorable mentions.

North again to New York, as the Rangers host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Igor Shestekrin start in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Ryan Lindgren goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jonny Brodzinski and Nick Bonino. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad. Buffalo got on the board with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Greenway. The Sabres tied it in the second period with a Jack Quinn goal, his second of the year, passed from Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka. New York retook the lead with a Zibanejad goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider and Blake Wheeler. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Greenway. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Kreider goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with helpers from Zibanejad and Adam Fox. The three stars were Zibanejad, Kreider, and Greenway.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Jordan Binnington receive the starts in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Pavel Buchnevich. Chicago tied it on a Connor Bedard goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Philipp Kurashev and Isaak Phillips. The Blackhawks took the lead with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jarred Tinordi and Taylor Raddysh. Chicago added on in the second period with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Kurashev and Raddysh. The Blues got one back with a Colton Parayko goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Sammy Blais and MacKenzie MacEachern. The Blackhawks fired back with a Jason Dickinson goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Raddysh and Tinordi. Chicago extended the lead as Foligno scored a shorthanded goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, set up by Tinordi. St. Louis got one back with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Hayes and Scott Perunovich. The Blues got closer with a Jake Neighbours power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers from Justin Faulk and Hayes. St. Louis tied it as Jordan Kyrou scored his eighth of the year, with the help of Thomas and Buchnevich. The Blues took the lead with a Faulk goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist from Torey Krug. St. Louis iced it at 7-5 with an empty net goal by Kyrou, his second of the game and ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kyrou, Faulk, and Thomas, while Foligno, Buchnevich, Hayes, Raddysh, Tinordi, and Kurashev get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Lukas Dostal make the starts. Seattle led off in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jared McCann and Vince Dunn. The Kraken added on with a Dunn goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Matty Beniers and Tomas Tatar. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Seattle replied in the third period with a Tatar goal, his third of the year, helped along by Dunn and Beniers. The Ducks got one back with a Trevor Zegras goal, his second of the season, via Pavel Mintyukov and Troy Terry. The final was 3-2, with the three stars being Dunn, Tatar, and Beniers.

Backtracking to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Bowen Byram goal, his sixth of the season, via Ross Colton. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Josh Manson scored his third of the season, thanks to Fredrik Olofsson and Logan O'Connor. The Avalanche padded the lead on an Olofsson goal, his third of the year, passed from Andrew Cogliano and O'Connor. Arizona got on the board with an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Michael Carcone and Sean Durzi. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Olofsson, Georgiev (24 for 25 in saves), and O'Connor.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Thatcher Demko are between the pipes. Vancouver opened in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Ilya Mikheyev and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on with a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, via J.T. Miller and Pettersson on the power play. San Jose got on the board with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Filip Zadina and Ferraro. Vancouver reclaimed the lead in the second period on a Nils Aman goal, his second of the season, made possible by Teddy Blueger. The Canucks added on with a Sam Lafferty goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Ian Cole and Conor Garland. San Jose got one back with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Ferraro and Granlund. Vancouver replied with a Dakota Joshua goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Garland and Blueger. The Sharks pulled closer in the third period with a Jacob MacDonald goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Zadina and Jan Rutta. The Canucks answered with a Pius Suter goal, his sixth of the year, with assists from Quinn Hughes and Miller. Vancouver iced it at 7-4 with a Hughes empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kuzmenko, Pettersson, and Miller, while Blueger, Garland, Hughes, Granlund, Ferraro, and Zadina get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Quinton Byfield goal, his ninth of the season, via Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Calgary tied it on a Rasmus Andersson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane. The Kings took the lead with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jordan Spence and Phillip Danault. The Flames tied it in the second period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Yegor Sharangovich. Los Angeles pulled ahead with an Alex Laferriere goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Doughty and Mikey Anderson. The Kings added on with a Trevor Moore goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Matt Roy. Calgary got one back with a Coleman power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Adam Ruzicka and MacKenzie Weegar. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with a Byfield empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with helpers from Adrian Kempe and Kopitar. The three stars went to Byfield, Coleman, and Doughty, while Kopitar gets an honorable mention. 

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Friday, December 22, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 72

It's a four-game Friday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and James Reimer are in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his third of the season, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat. The Red Wings added on with another Kane goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by DeBrincat and Justin Holl. Philadelphia got on the board with a Bobby Brink goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Joel Farabee and Egor Zamula. Detroit replied with a Daniel Sprong power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings extended the lead as J.T. Compher scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Joe Veleno and Raymond. Detroit padded the lead on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kane and DeBrincat. The Flyers fired back in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Travis Sanheim and Zamula. Philadelphia got closer with a Morgan Frost goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Sanheim and Cam Atkinson. The Flyers pulled closer in the third period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Scott Laughton and Cam York. Philadelphia tied it on a Laughton goal, his third of the year, helped along by Farabee and Tyson Foerster. The Flyers took the lead with an Owen Tippett goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Travis Konecny and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Red Wings retied it as Larkin scored his twelfth of the year, with the help of Jeff Petry and Seider. The tie went to a shootout, where Raymond and Kane lifted the Red Wings to a 7-6 win. The three stars were given to Kane, Raymond, and DeBrincat, while Larkin, Laughton, Seider, Farabee, Sanheim, and Zamula get the honorable mentions. 

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jonathan Quick patrol the creases. New York began in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his fifth of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Zach Hyman goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Mattias Ekholm and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead on an Evander Kane goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Derek Ryan. Edmonton added on with a Warren Foegele goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Ryan McLeod and Cody Ceci. The Oilers extended the lead as McLeod scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Foegele. The Rangers got one back with a Zibanejad power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alexis Lafreniere and Kreider. New York got closer with a Will Cuylle goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being McLeod, Foegele, and Zibanejad, while Kreider gets an honorable mention. 

Back west, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his sixth of the season, via Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on in the second period with a Vilardi goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Scheifele. Winnipeg extended the lead on a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nate Schmidt and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg padded the lead in the third period with an Adam Lowry goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Mason Appleton and Niederreiter. Boston got on the board with a Brandon Carlo goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg finished it at 5-1 with a Niederreiter power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Cole Perfetti. The three stars were Niederreiter, Vilardi, and Scheifele. 

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Chicago opened in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his sixth of the season, via Connor Bedard and Isaak Phillips. The Blackhawks added on with a Jason Dickinson goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, assisted by Colin Blackwell and Louis Crevier. Montreal got on the board with a Mitchell Stephens goal, helped along by Michael Matheson and David Savard. The Canadiens tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Sean Monahan and Jake Evans. Montreal took the lead with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nick Suzuki and Jesse Ylonen. The Canadiens extended the lead in the third period as Suzuki scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Cole Caufield and Slafkovsky. Montreal iced it at 5-2 with a Savard empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Suzuki, Slafkovsky, and Savard. 

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 71

It's a 12-game Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Devon Levi start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his third of the season, coming off of Connor Clifton and Zach Benson. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Max Domi power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and Timothy Liljegren. The Sabres tied it again with an Owen Power goal, his second of the year, passed from Benson and Casey Mittelstadt. Buffalo took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Tuch. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his ninth of the year, with an assist provided by Tage Thompson. Toronto got one back with a Calle Jarnkrok shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by William Nylander and Liljegren. Buffalo answered with a Thompson goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Tuch and Skinner. Martin Jones replaced Samsonov in goal. The Sabres extended the lead on a Kyle Okposo shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Buffalo padded the lead in the third period with a Jack Quinn goal, guided in by JJ Peterka and Clifton. The Sabres continued on a Skinner goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Tuch and Thompson. Buffalo struck again with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, made possible by Peyton Krebs and Ryan Johnson. The final held at 9-3, with the three stars given to Skinner, Okposo, and Tuch, while Thompson, Benson, Clifton, and Liljegren get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starts in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his eighth of the season, via Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues added on with a Buchnevich goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Kyrou and Thomas. Florida got on the board with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dmitry Kulikov. St. Louis replied with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Marco Scandella and Brandon Saad. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Buchnevich, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, set up by Oskar Sundqvist and Thomas. The three stars were Buchnevich, Kyrou, and Thomas.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Elvis Merzlikins patrol the creases. Washington struck first in the first period with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Columbus tied it on an Cole Sillinger goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Emil Bemstrom and Johnny Gaudreau. The Capitals took the lead with a Mantha goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, guided in by Aliaksei Protas and Carlson. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with an Ovechkin goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Dylan Strome and Carlson. The three stars were Mantha, Ovechkin, and Carlson.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Samuel Ersson are in the blue paint. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Morgan Forst goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Bobby Brink and Owen Tippett. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Cole Smith shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Colton Sissons. The Flyers took the lead with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Frost. The Predators retied it on a Philip Tomasino goal, his third of the year, guided in by Tommy Novak and Filip Forsberg. Nashville took the lead with a Tomasino goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, via Sissons. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Forsberg. The three stars went to Tomasino, Sissons, and Forsberg.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Rickard Rakell and Jake Guentzel. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jack Drury and Jaccob Slavin. The tie went to a shootout, where the Penguins won 2-1 with a lone tally by Crosby. The three stars were Crosby, Nedeljkovic (23 for 24 in saves), and Kochetkov (24 for 25 in saves).

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Jiri Patera is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Paul Cotter and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his ninth of the year, via Mark Stone and Jack Eichel. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Victor Hedman and Conor Sheary. The Lightning tied it on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Hedman. Tampa Bay took the lead on a Brayden Point power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Nick Paul and Kucherov. The Lightning extended the lead as Point scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to Paul and Kucherov. Vegas got one back in the third period with a Marchessault power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, guided in by William Karlsson and Eichel. The Golden Knights tied it on a Paul Cotter goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by McNabb and Ben Hutton. The Lightning took the lead back with a Paul goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Hedman and Point. The final stood at 5-4, with the three stars going to Point, Paul, and Kucherov, while Hedman, Marchessault, Eichel, Cotter, and McNabb get the honorable mentions.

North again to New Jersey, as the Devils host the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Akira Schmid are the backups in goal. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his third of the season, guided in by Sam Gagner. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Connor McDavid. Vitek Vanecek replaced Schmid in goal. New Jersey got on the board with a Dawson Mercer goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael McLeod. The Devils tied it in the second period with a Jonas Siegenthaler goal, courtesy of Simon Nemec and Michael McLeod. New Jersey pulled ahead on a Timo Meier goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Mercer. Edmonton tied it on a McDavid goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Ekholm and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers took the lead with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton extended the lead as Adam Erne scored, thanks to Gagner. The Oilers padded the lead as Ryan McLeod scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The final was 6-3, and the three stars were Ryan McLeod, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Mercer, Ekholm, and Michael McLeod get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Scott Wedgewood are between the pipes. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dakota Joshua goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead with a Roope Hintz goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, via Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. The Canucks tied it with a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver pulled ahead with a Garland goal in the third period, his third of the season, coming off of Joshua and Blueger. Dallas tied it again with a Thomas Harley goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Robertson and Heiskanen. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Duchene goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Harley and Wyatt Johnston. The three stars belonged to Duchene, Harley, and Garland, while Joshua, Robertson, Heiskanen, and Blueger get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Filip Gustavsson protect the nets. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi. The Wild added on with a Rossi goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Zach Bogosian and Marcus Foligno. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a David Savard goal, his second of the season, guided in by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens tied it on a Suzuki power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Juraj Slafkovsky and Michael Matheson. Minnesota pulled ahead with a Brock Faber power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kaprizov and Rossi. Montreal tied it again with a Slafkovsky goal, his third of the year, passed from Savard and Matheson. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Kaprizov goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Faber. The three stars were Kaprizov, Faber, and Rossi, while Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Savard, and Matheson get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Alexandar Georgiev are the starting goalies. Colorado led off in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Cale Makar. Ottawa tied it on a Josh Norris power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Senators took the lead with a Ridly Greig goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Dominik Kubalik and Jakob Chychrun. The Avalanche tied it on another MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, fueled by Valeri Nichushkin. Ottawa retook the lead in the second period with a Jacob Bernard-Docker goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jiri Smejkal and Mark Kastelic. The Senators added on with a Batherson goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Artem Zub. Colorado got one back with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche tied it on a MacKinnon goal, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Devon Toews and Nichushkin. Colorado pulled ahead with a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, helped along by MacKinnon and Makar. The Avalanche iced it at 6-4 with a MacKinnon empty net goal, his fourth of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Nichushkin.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Lukas Dostal draw the starts in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Nick DeSimone goal, assisted by Connor Zary and Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on in the second period with a Lindholm power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich. Calgary iced it at 3-0 with an A.J. Greer empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Lindholm. The three stars belonged to Markstrom (27 save shutout), Lindholm, and DeSimone.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goalies. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Michael Kesselring goal, his third of the season, via Clayton Keller. San Jose tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Fabian Zetterlund. The Coyotes took the lead with a Keller goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Alexander Kerfoot and Sean Durzi. Arizona added on with a Kerfoot goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Durzi. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a Filip Zadina goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Mario Ferraro and William Eklund. The Coyotes fired back with a Schmaltz power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Kerfoot and Keller. Arizona extended the lead as Lawson Crouse scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad. The final stood from here at 5-2, with the three stars going to Keller, Kerfoot, and Schmaltz, while Durzi gets an honorable mention. 

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Wednesday, December 20, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 70

It's a three-game night, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Darcy Kuemper are in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his second of the season, via Aliaksei Protas. New York tied it in the second period with a Hudson Fasching goal, his second of the year, helped along by Cal Clutterbuck. The Capitals took the lead with a Joel Edmundson goal, fueled by Anthony Mantha and Lapierre. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Laurent Brossoit man the nets. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Neal Pionk goal, his second of the season, assisted by Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and David Gustafsson. Detroit tied it in the second period with an Olli Maatta goal, via Patrick Kane and Andrew Copp. The Jets took the lead on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Gabriel Vilardi and Dylan DeMelo. Winnipeg added on with a Jonsson-Fjallby goal, coming off of Dylan Samberg. The Jets extended the lead as Vilardi scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Cole Perfetti and Josh Morrissey. The Red Wings got one back with a Kane goal, his second of the year, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider. Winnipeg answered with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twelfth of the season, with helpers from Vilardi and Ehlers. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Vilardi, Ehlers, and Jonsson-Fjallby, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Seattle got going in the second period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Kraken added on in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the year, via Matty Beniers and Will Borgen. Los Angeles got on the board with a Blake Lizotte shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Daccord (43 for 44 in saves), Eberle, and Tanev. 

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Tuesday, December 19, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 69

There's 11 games on this Tuesday slate, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Linus Ullmark protect the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Frederick Gaudreau and Alex Goligoski. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of John Beecher. The Bruins took the lead with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Zacha and James van Riemsdyk. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jake Middleton and Brock Faber. Minnesota took the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Marco Rossi and Faber. Boston tied it with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Morgan Geekie and Charlie McAvoy. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek. The three stars were Kaprizov, Pastrnak, and Hartman.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Devon Levi are set to start in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. Columbus tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the year, via Adam Fantilli. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Fantilli goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Gaudreau and Ivan Provorov. Columbus added on with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Marchenko scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with the help of Yegor Chinakhov and Andrew Peeke. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Levi in goal. Columbus padded the lead as Marchenko scored his thirteenth of the year to complete his hat trick, thanks to Chinakhov and Provorov. The Blue Jackets continued with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his third of the season, fueled by Alexandre Texier and Sean Kuraly. Columbus struck again with a Kuraly goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Texier and Brendan Gaunce. The Sabres got one back with a Kyle Okposo goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Mittelstadt and Victor Olofsson. Buffalo pulled one back in the third period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Dahlin and Alex Tuch. The Sabres got closer with a Cozens goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Benson and Mittelstadt. The Blue Jackets replied with a Cole Sillinger goal, his second of the year, made possible by Werenski and Kent Johnson. Columbus kept going with a Johnson goal, his fourth of the season, dished from Sillinger and Emil Bemstrom. This stood for a 9-4 win, with the three stars going to Marchenko, Gaudreau, and Fantilli, while Johnson, Sillinger, Kuraly, Chinakhov, Texier, Werenski, Provorov, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, and Cozens get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Pyotr Kochetkov are the young goalies. Carolina began in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho. Vegas tied it on a William Carrier goal, his fourth of the year, via Brayden McNabb and Brett Howden. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook. Carolina added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Jalen Chatfield and Michael Bunting. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Bunting scored his seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Aho and Brent Burns. Carolina padded the lead in the third period with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Bunting and Aho. The Hurricanes continued with a Skjei goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Jiri Patera replaced Thompson in goal. The Golden Knights got one back with a Nicolas Hague goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Mark Stone and Jack Eichel. Vegas got closer with another Carrier goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, helped along by Howden and Michael Amadio. The three stars of the 6-3 game were Bunting, Aho, and Carrier, while Skjei and Howden get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Vitek Vanecek patrol the creases. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Michael McLeod goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Nathan Bastian and Curtis Lazar. Philadelphia tied it on a second period goal by Ryan Poehling, his third of the year, via Joel Farabee. The Devils took the lead back with a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. The Flyers tied it on another Poehling goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers won 3-2 in overtime with an Owen Tippett goal, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Poehling, Ersson (24 for 26 in saves), and Tippett.

Further south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tanner Jeannot and Haydn Fleury. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Motte goal, his second of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Brayden Point and Nick Paul. The Lightning padded the lead on another Kucherov goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, via Nick Perbix and Paul. Tampa Bay chased Binnington with a Fleury goal, made possible by Stamkos and Brandon Hagel. Joel Hofer entered in goal. The Lightning continued in the third period with a Paul power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Stamkos and Victor Hedman. St. Louis got on the board with a Justin Faulk power play goal, with assists provided by Jake Neighbours and Kevin Hayes. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars being Paul, Stamkos, and Kucherov, while Fleury gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin faces a lesser foe in Martin Jones in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Chris Kreider. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Morgan Rielly and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Rangers took the lead back with an Alexis Lafreniere power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jonny Brodzinski and Erik Gustafsson. The Maple Leafs tied it with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Matthew Knies and William Nylander. New York pulled ahead on a Braden Schneider goal, his second of the season, made possible by Gustafsson and Wheeler. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Gustafsson and Vincent Trocheck. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Zibanejad empty net goal, is second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Wheeler and Ryan Lindgren. The three stars were Zibanejad, Wheeler, and Gustafsson, while Matthews gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele and Mattias Ekholm. New York tied it in the second period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders took the lead with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson. New York added on with a Simon Holmstrom shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Sorokin (31 for 32 in saves), Horvat, and Holmstrom.

Along to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Juuse Saros are in the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Ilya Mikheyev and Pius Suter. The Canucks added on with a Nils Aman goal, going in unassisted. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, his third of the year, guided in by Luke Evangelista and Tommy Novak. Vancouver shot back on a Nils Hoglander goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. The Canucks extended the lead as Suter scored his fifth of the year, fueled by Mikheyev and Pettersson. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Hughes. Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros in goal. The Predators got one back with a Cody Glass goal, helped along by Cole Smith. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pettersson, Suter, and Hughes, while Mikheyev gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Bedard. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Sam Malinski. The Blackhawks tied it on a Lukas Reichel goal, his third of the year, guided in by Bedard and Donato. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Nick Foligno and Zaitsev. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Donato, Nichushkin, and Bedard, while Zaitsev gets an honorable mention.

To Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Connor Ingram are between the pipes. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Angus Crookshank goal, assisted by Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson. The Senators added on with a Josh Norris power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Sanderson and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead as Dominik Kubalik scored his seventh of the year, fueled by Erik Brannstrom. Karel Vejmelka replaced Ingram in goal. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Jack McBain goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Logan Cooley and Michael Carcone. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a J.J. Moser goal, his third of the year, via Matias Maccelli and Matt Dumba. Arizona tied it on a Clayon Keller goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Troy Stecher and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Michael Kesselring goal, his second of the year, passed from Zach Sanford and McBain. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to McBain, Carcone, and Sanderson.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Arthur Kaliyev and Kevin Fiala. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Fiala and Phillip Danault. Los Angeles extended the lead as Alex Laferriere scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jordan Spencer and Kopitar. The Kings padded the lead on a Trevor Lewis shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Blake Lizotte. San Jose got on the board with a Jacob MacDonald power play goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Kevin Labanc and Filip Zadina. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Fiala, and Rittich (14 for 15 in saves). 

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Monday, December 18, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 68

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

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso man the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Radko Gudas goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brett Leason and Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Pavel Mintyukov goal, his second of the year, coming off of Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry. James Reimer replaced an injured Husso in goal. Anaheim extended the lead on a Henrique power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Cam Fowler and Ryan Strome. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period on a Terry goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Urho Vaakanainen and Alex Killorn. Detroit got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, assisted by Andrew Copp and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings got closer in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit pulled closer with a DeBrincat power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Gostisbehere and Dylan Larkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Henrique, Terry, and DeBrincat, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Valtteri Puustinen and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Puustinen and Pettersson. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brock Faber and Marcus Johansson. The Wild got closer with a Jake Middleton goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Vinni Lettieri goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jon Merrill and Daemon Hunt. The Penguins retook the lead with a Crosby power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Guentzel and Malkin. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Crosby, Guentzel, and Malkin, while Puustinen and Pettersson get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Montreal got going in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Michael Matheson and Jake Evans. The Canadiens added on with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Anderson and Brendan Gallagher. Winnipeg got on the board with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Vladislav Namestnikov and Brenden Dillon. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Justin Barron goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki on the power play. The three stars were handed to Anderson, Barron, and Dvorak. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Dallas opened in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his ninth of the season, via Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment. The Stars added on with a Jason Robertson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his second of the season, assisted by Matty Beniers. Dallas replied with another Duchene goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Evgenii Dadonov. The Kraken pulled one back with a Beniers goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Tatar. Seattle tied it in the third period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Thomas Harley goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Duchene and Jamie Benn. The three stars were Duchene, Pavelski, and Beniers, while Tatar gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Calgary started in the first period with a Martin Pospisil goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Nazem Kadri and Dennis Gilbert. Florida tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Mikael Backlund shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Noah Hanifin. Calgary added on with a shorthanded Blake Coleman empty net goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Markstrom (34 for 35 in saves), Backlund, and Pospisil. 

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Sunday, December 17, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 67

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

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Joey Anderson. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Filip Hronek. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period on a Foligno power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with assists provided by Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. The Canucks tied it on a Dakota Joshua goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger. Vancouver pulled ahead on a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Miller and Tyler Myers. The Canucks added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Myers and Pius Suter. Chicago got one back in the third period with a Cole Guttman power play goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Bedard and Kurashev. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being, Miller, Foligno, and Myers, while Bedard and Kurashev get the honorable mentions. 

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Pyotr Kochetkov are the masked men. Carolina got going in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twelfth of the season, via Seth Jarvis. Washington tied it on a Martin Fehervary goal, guided in by Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. The Capitals won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The three stars were Kuemper (28 for 29 in saves), Fehervary, and Kochetkov (20 for 21 in saves0.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Akira Schmid protect the nets. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Pavel Mintyukov and Alex Killorn. The Ducks added on with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Mintyukov and Troy Terry. New Jersey got on the board with a Michael McLeod goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. Lukas Dostal replaced Gibson for the third period. Anaheim replied in the third period with a Killorn goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jackson LaCombe and Cam Fowler. The Ducks extended the lead as Terry scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Killorn and Fowler. Anaheim iced it at 5-1 with a Henrique shorthanded empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his ninth of the year, which went in unassisted. The three stars were Henrique, Killorn, and Terry, while Fowler and Mintyukov get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Colorado started in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Miles Wood scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Ross Colton and Drouin. The Avalanche padded the lead in the second period on an unassisted MacKinnon goal, his thirteenth of the year. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Mikael Granlund and Alexander Barabanov. Colorado fired back in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Caleb Jones and Andrew Cogliano. The Sharks pulled one back with a Hertl power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by William Eklund and Granlund. The Avalanche iced it at 6-2 with a MacKinnon empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were MacKinnon, Hertl, and Drouin, while Granlund gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Adin Hill patrol the creases. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Ben Hutton. Ottawa tied it on a Josh Norris power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson. Logan Thompson replaced an injured Hill. The Senators took the lead with a Ridly Greig power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Claude Giroux and Jakob Chychrun. The Golden Knights retied it on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Brett Howden and Brayden McNabb. Vegas took the lead in the second period with a Nicolas Roy power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Hutton. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Mark Stone. Vegas extended the lead as Barbashev scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Hague and Stone. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period on a William Karlsson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Stone and Eichel. Ottawa got one back on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Drake Batherson and Norris. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars going to Stone, Eichel, and Barbashev, while Norris and Hutton get the honorable mentions. 

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