NHL 2023-24 - Day 77

There's nine more games on this Saturday, beginning with...

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg started in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Vladislav Namestnikov. The Jets added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Adam Lowry. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Niederreiter scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Josh Morrissey and Mason Appleton. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Hartman power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced an injured Gustavsson for the third period. The Wild got closer in the third period with a Matt Boldy goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov. The Jets responded with an Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Dominic Toninato and Morgan Barron. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Niederreiter, Hellebuyck (35 for 37 in saves), and Jonsson-Fjallby. 

To the east, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen receive the starts in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jack Quinn goal, his third of the year, fueled by Dylan Cozens and Owen Power. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Adam Fantilli goal, his eleventh of the season, via Justin Danforth and Cole Sillinger. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Zach Benson and Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Power and Tage Thompson. The three stars were Power, Skinner, and Quinn.

In Boston, the Bruins bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Linus Ullmark protect the nets. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Jack Hughes. The Devils added on in the second period with a Luke Hughes goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Toffoli and Jesper Bratt. Boston got on the board with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Boston took the lead with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins extended the lead as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his third of the year, thanks to Matt Grzelcyk and Coyle. Boston padded the lead in the third period with another Shattenkirk goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Marchand and Pastrnak on the power play. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Shattenkirk, and Marchand, while DeBrusk, Coyle, and Toffoli get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Anthony Stolarz are set to start in goal. Florida got going in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett on the power play. Montreal tied it on a Cole Caufield power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The Panthers retook the lead in the third period with a Luostarinen power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Florida added on with a Bennett goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Carter Verhaeghe on the power play, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Matthew Tkachuk and Ekblad. The three stars went to Luostarinen, Bennett, and Ekman-Larsson, while Ekblad gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers added on with a Trocheck goal, his ninth of the year, via Jacob Trouba and Lafreniere. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nick Paul. New York replied with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Trocheck and Blake Wheeler. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Panarin scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, thanks to Trocheck. New York padded the lead on a Panarin power play goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Tristan Jarry are in the creases. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Reilly Smith. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Torey Krug. The Penguins took the lead back with a Malkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Rickard Rakell. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Jansen Harkins. The Blues got one back with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Scott Perunovich. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Guentzel and Erik Karlsson. The three stars were Malkin, Guentzel, and Jarry (26 for 28 in saves).

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Nashville Predators. Yaroslav Askarov and Hunter Shepard are the inexperienced goalies. Nashville began in the first period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Dante Fabbro and Tommy Novak. The Predators added on with a Roman Josi power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. Washington got on the board with a Beck Malenstyn goal, his third of the season, guided in by Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas. The tie went to a shootout, where Nyquist and O'Reilly tallied for a 3-2 Predators win. The three stars were Askarov (26 for 28 in saves), O'Reilly, and Nyquist.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Svechnikov and Aho. Toronto got on the board with a Timothy Liljegren goal, via Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok. Carolina shot back with an Aho empty net goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Domi and Liljegren. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Aho, Svechnikov, and Liljegren, while Domi gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a Kempe goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers tied it with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper from McDavid. The tie lasted to a shootout, where McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Derek Ryan lifted the Oilers to a 3-2 win over Trevor Moore, Kempe, and the Kings. The three stars were McDavid, Kempe, and Nugent-Hopkins. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 76

We're on for nine games Friday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Lyon man the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Dylan Larkin goal, his thirteenth of the season. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Jake Walman goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Michael Rasmussen and Robby Fabbri. The Predators retied it in the second period with a Nyquist shorthanded goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville took the lead on a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, passed from Tommy Novak. Detroit tied it again in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by J.T. Compher and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings pulled ahead on a Walman goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by DeBrincat and Kane. The Predators retied it with a Nyquist goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Forsberg and Luke Schenn. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Lucas Raymond goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by DeBrincat and Walman. The three stars were Walman, Forsberg, and DeBrincat, while Nyquist and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ottawa, as the Senators welcome the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Joonas Korpisalo are in the creases. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Drake Batherson goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Brady Tkachuk. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Devils pulled ahead with a Bratt power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. New Jersey added on in the second period with an unassisted Dawson Mercer goal, his tenth of the year. The Devils extended the lead as Tyler Toffoli scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Bratt and Jack Hughes. New Jersey padded the lead in the third period with a Brendan Smith goal, helped along by Nico Hischier and Bratt. The Senators got one back with a Jacob Bernard-Docker goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Erik Brannstrom and Angus Crookshank. The Devils replied with a Luke Hughes goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Alexander Holtz and Chris Tierney. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars given to Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, and Bratt.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida started in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Aleksander Barkov and Niko Mikkola. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. New York got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Alexis Lafreniere and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers tied it on a Will Cuylle goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of K'Andre Miller. Florida retook the lead with another Reinhart goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk on the power play. New York retied it in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Mika Zibanejad, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Chris Kreider. The Panthers pulled ahead on a Verhaeghe goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Gustav Forsling and Tkachuk. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Barkov, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Elvis Merzlikins protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly. Columbus tied it on a Cole Sillinger goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Jake Bean. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, courtesy of Marner. Spencer Martin replaced Merzlikins to start the second period. Toronto added on in the second period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Timothy Liljegren and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Brendan Gaunce goal, helped along by Alexandre Texier and Damon Severson. The Maple Leafs fired back on a William Nylander power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Matthews and Rielly. Columbus got one back with a Dmitri Voronkov power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Kent Johnson goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Emil Bemstrom. Toronto reclaimed the lead on a John Tavares power play goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Nylander and Rielly. Columbus tied it again in the third period with an Adam Fantilli goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets won 6-5 in overtime with a Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Severson and Justin Danforth. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Rielly, and Matthews, while Marner, Nylander, and Severson get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Ilya Sorokin started the game, but Lindgren left with an injury and was replaced by Darcy Kuemper before a goal was scored. New York got going in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the season, fueled by Alexander Romanov and Julien Gauthier. The Islanders added on with a Noah Dobson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. New York extended the lead in the third period as Gauthier scored his third of the year, thanks to Pageau and Horvat. The Islanders padded the lead on another Gauthier goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Pageau and Samuel Bolduc. New York continued with a Pageau goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Simon Holmstrom. Washington got on the board with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the year, guided in by Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Pageau, Gauthier, and Horvat.

Way down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier and Jason Dickinson. The Blackhawks added on with a Cole Guttman goal, his third of the year, via Lukas Reichel and Connor Murphy. Dallas got on the board with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn. The Stars tied it in the second period with a Pavelski goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Nils Lundkvist and Thomas Harley. Dallas took the lead with a Hintz goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Jason Robertson. The Stars padded the lead in the third period with a Benn goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov. Chicago got one back with a Dickinson goal, his twelfth of the season, with helpers from Guttman and Alex Vlasic. The Blackhawks tied it on a Johnson power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with assists provided by Phillip Kurashev and Kevin Korchinski. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime as Hintz completed his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The three stars were Hintz, Johnson, and Pavelski, while Benn, Robertson, Dickinson, and Guttman get the honorable mentions.

North to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Josh Manson. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Devon Toews goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Valeri Nichushkin and Johansen. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Johansen, Georgiev (28 for 29 in saves), and Toews.

Westward to Anaheim, as the Ducks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and John Gibson protect the nets. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nick Schmaltz and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Matias Maccelli. This made it 2-0, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Ingram (28 save shutout), Keller, and Crouse.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Joey Daccord tend the twines. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded Travis Konecny goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Scott Laughton and Travis Sanheim. Seattle tied it in the third period with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander Wennberg. The Kraken won 2-1 in overtime with a Justin Schultz goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde. The three stars were Daccord (27 for 28 in saves), Bjorkstrand, and Schultz. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 75

It's a four-game slate this Thursday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Antti Raanta receive the starts in goal. Carolina started in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the season, via Brent Burns and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his third of the year, guided in by Aho and Burns. Montreal tied it on a Mitchell Stephens goal, his second of the season, made possible by Michael Pezzetta and Jayden Struble. The Canadiens tied it on a Mike Matheson power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and the goalie Primeau. Carolina retook the lead in the second period with a Fast goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Stefan Noesen and Jack Drury. Montreal tied it again in the third period with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead on a Svechnikov goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Brett Pesce and Aho. Carolina iced it at 5-3 with a Svechnikov power play empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the year, set up by Aho and Burns. The three stars were Svechnikov, Aho, and Fast, while Burns gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with an Egor Zamula power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tyson Foerster and Joel Farabee. The Flyers added on with a Sean Walker goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. Phildelphia extended the lead as Farabee scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Bobby Brink. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Teddy Blueger goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Dakota Joshua and Quinn Hughes. Carter Hart replaced an injured Ersson in goal. The Flyers fired back with a shorthanded Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Ryan Poehling. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Farabee, Hathaway, and Walker.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Logan Thompson guard the cages. Vegas opened in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights added on with a Michael Amadio goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev and Brayden McNabb. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Adrian Kempe and Vladislav Gavrikov. Vegas replied with a William Karlsson goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Paul Cotter and Alex Pietrangelo. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Trevor Moore goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Kopitar and Carl Grundstrom. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Karlsson, and Amadio.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner faces a lesser foe in Magnus Chrona in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his sixth of the season, via Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a Hyman goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton extended the lead as Bouchard scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Connor Brown. The Oilers padded the lead on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Warren Foegele and McLeod. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Chrona in the second period. Edmonton continued with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Nurse and Cody Ceci. This held for a 5-0 win, with the three stars going to Skinner (25 save shutout), McLeod, and Hyman, while Bouchard and Nurse get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 74

We come back out of the holiday break with 14 games. First up...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Vitek Vanecek are in the creases. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jake Bean goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brendan Gaunce and Alexandre Texier. New Jersey tied it on an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the second period with a Justin Danforth goal, his ninth of the season, via Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Mercer goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Simon Nemec. Columbus pulled ahead with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it again with a Luke Hughes goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Jack Hughes. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Timo Meier goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Mercer. The three stars were Mercer, Meier, and Luke Hughes.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. Washington got going in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Rasmus Sandin and Aliaksei Protas. New York tied it on a K'Andre Miller goal, his sixth of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers took the lead with a Panarin power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Zibanejad. New York added on with a Braden Schneider goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers extended the lead Miller scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, with the help of Chris Kreider and Blake Wheeler. New York padded the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his tenth of the year, assisted by Adam Fox and Miller. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Miller, Panarin, and Zibanejad.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrobsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Florida began in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Barkov. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Victor Hedman and Nick Perbix. Florida shot back with a shorthanded Reinhart goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, set up by Barkov and Niko Mikkola. The Lightning got one back with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Barkov, and Ekblad.

Way north to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Martin Jones are set to start in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Matthew Knies goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his sixth of the year, via Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Parker Kelly goal, his second of the season, set up by Claude Giroux. The Senators tied it on a Drake Batherson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tim Stutzle and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Ottawa took the lead in the third period with another Batherson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, passed from Vladimir Tarasenko and Travis Hamonic. The Senators iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Brady Tkachuk, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Tarasenko. The three stars were Batherson, Tarasenko, and Kelly.

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Devon Levi man the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Mason Lohrei goal, his third of the season, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic. The Bruins added on with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Coyle scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season on the power play, courtesy of DeBrusk and David Pastrnak. The Bruins padded the lead on a Morgan Geekie power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Charlie McAvoy and Marchand. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with an Erik Johnson goal, his third of the season, passed from Owen Power and Casey Mittelstadt. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Coyle, Marchand, and DeBrusk.

Also in New York, the Islanders bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Sorokin protect the nets. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins added on with a Guentzel goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Pettersson. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Guentzel scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Rakell and Letang. The Penguins padded the lead on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Reilly Smith and Letang. Pittsburgh continued on a Malkin goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, guided in by Letang and Pettersson. The Penguins kept going with a Radim Zohorna goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Valtteri Puustinen and Letang. Semyon Varlamov replaced Sorokin in goal. Pittsburgh continued in the third period with a Puustinen goal, coming off of Letang and Pettersson. The final stood at 7-0, with the three stars awarded to Letang, Guentzel, and Jarry (21 save shutout), while Pettersson, Malkin, Rakell, and Puustinen receive the honorable mentions.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer is mismatched with Filip Gustavsson in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Detroit tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Alex DeBrincat. The Wild retook the lead in the second period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a DeBrincat power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and J.T. Compher. Minnesota retook the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his tenth of the season, via Zach Bogosian and Johansson. The Wild added on with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jake Middleton. Minnesota extended the lead as Johansson scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Rossi. Detroit got one back with a Daniel Sprong goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Simon Edvinsson and Jonatan Berggren. The Wild shot back on a Kaprizov goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Dakota Mermis. The final held from here at 6-3, with the three stars going to Johansson, Kaprizov, and DeBrincat.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes added on with a Burns power play goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixth of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly. Carolina fired back on a Svechnikov goal, his third of the year, fueled by Aho. The Predators got one back with an O'Reilly power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Colton Sissons and Roman Josi. The Hurricanes fired back with a Jack Drury goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jesper Fast and Stefan Noesen. Carolina extended the lead as Jarvis scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, with the help of Michael Bunting and Aho. Yaroslav Askarov replaced Saros in goal for the third period. The final remained at 5-2, with the three stars given to Aho, Burns, and Svechnikov, while Jarvis and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twelfth of the season, via Scott Perunovich. The Blues added on in the second period with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kasperi Kapanen and Perunovich. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars handed to Hofer (39 for 40 in saves), Perunovich, and Scandella.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Karel Vejmelka handle the goaltending duties. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Jonathan Drouin goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Ross Colton and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Logan O'Connor scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Josh Manson and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche padded the lead on a MacKinnon power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Rantanen and Makar. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Matias Maccelli. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Michael Kesselring goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Sean Durzi. Arizona pulled closer with a Jason Zucker goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Durzi and Logan Cooley. The Coyotes tied it on a Durzi goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Maccelli and Crouse. Arizona won 5-4 in overtime with a Jack McBain goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Zucker and Durzi. The three stars were Durzi, Zucker, and MacKinnon, while Crouse, Maccelli, Rantanen, and Makar get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek are the veteran goalies. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Connor Bedard goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Connor Murphy and Philipp Kurashev. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Morgan Barron goal, his sixth of the year, via Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Dominic Toninato. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with a Bedard goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Vlasic and Anthony Beauvillier. The three stars were Bedard, Mrazek (37 for 38 in saves), and Barron.

Along to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Jacob Markstrom have the green light to start in goal. Seattle began in the first period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his seventh of the season, via Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. Calgary tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Yegor Sharangovich. The Kraken took the lead back in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jared McCann and Will Borgen. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Driedger (36 for 37 in saves), Wennberg, and Yamamoto.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Brett Leason goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Jamie Drysdale goal, courtesy of Mason McTavish and Ryan Strome. Anaheim extended the lead as Frank Vatrano scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to McTavish and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Ducks padded the lead on a Troy Terry goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras. Vegas got on the board in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Paul Cotter. The Golden Knights got closer with a Mark Stone power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Anaheim answered with a Leason goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from McTavish and Fowler. This held for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Leason, McTavish, and Fowler.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and David Rittich receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his seventh of the year, via Jordan Spence. The Kings took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Los Angeles added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Arthur Kaliyev and Alex Laferriere. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Adrian Kempe scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Matt Roy and Carl Grundstrom. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Kempe goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. This produced the 5-1 final score, with the three stars going to Kempe, Lewis, and Rittich (24 for 25 in saves). 

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