Farewell

Hello all,

It's been a long time coming, but it's time for me to retire this blog. When I started back in 2010, this was a way for me to explore my passions. It quickly became focused on just one thing: detailed written accounts of hockey scoring plays from games. Over time, it helped me earn a contract job at RotoWire, which has blossomed into something that would take up as much time as a full-time job for most people. I get to cover games, I'm more on top of the news than I've ever been, and they even let me ramble on once a week on my Hutch's Hockey column. 

None of that would be possible if I hadn't decided at all of 15 years old to try my hand with blogging. Keeping up with the NHL in particular, as well as the KHL, MLB, MLS, NFL, NWSL, and EPL at various times, instilled in me a relentless work ethic, something I didn't even know I had when I started. This blog took me through high school, college, and most of my 20s. 

That said, it was always a labor of love. While it kept me busy, it didn't bring in money. Outside of a few shots at opinion pieces and analysis, it very rarely drew much outside attention at all. I've kept up with both work and this blog over time, but after a challenging 2024, I no longer have the energy to keep at the pace. I must put into things where I am getting something back in return, and so this blog, this space, this 14-year journal, has run its course. 

If you're reading this now or if you've read something here before, thank you. You were part of me doing something to achieve my dreams. If you want to follow along with what I'm doing, check out myself and all of my colleagues on RotoWire's NHL team, or follow me at @OutsiderSports0 on Twitter and @outsidersports.bsky.social on Bluesky.

Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 7

It all ends in Florida, as the Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starts in goal. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his eleventh of the postseason, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell. Edmonton tied it on a Mattias Janmark goal, his fourth of the playoffs, via Cody Ceci. The Panthers regained the lead in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his tenth of the postseason, assisted by Verhaeghe and Dmitry Kulikov. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars being Verhaeghe, Bobrovsky (23 for 24 in saves), and Reinhart. The Panthers won the Stanley Cup by a 4-3 margin, but the Oilers' Connor McDavid was named the playoff MVP. 

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Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 6

The series heads to Edmonton for Game 6, where the Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Warren Foegele goal, his third of the postseason, via Leon Draisaitl and Brett Kulak. The Oilers added on in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourth of the playoffs, coming off of Mattias Janmark and Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his sixteenth of the postseason, thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Florida got on the board in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighth of the playoffs, helped along by Carter Verhaeghe and Dmitry Kulikov. The Oilers shot back with a Ryan McLeod empty net goal, his fourth of the postseason, set up by Foegele. Edmonton iced it at 5-1 with a Darnell Nurse empty net goal, his second of the playoffs, with a lone assist by the goalie Skinner. The three stars were Foegele, Henrique and Hyman. The series is tied at 3, and there will be Game 7 in Florida on Monday. 

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Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 5

The series returns to Florida for Game 5 as the Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Sergei Bobrovsky are between the pipes. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his fifteenth of the playoffs, powered by Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid in second period. Edmonton extended the lead as McDavid scored his seventh of the postseason, helped along by Warren Foegele and Bouchard. Florida got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his sixth of the playoffs, courtesy of Evan Rodrigues. The Oilers shot back with a Corey Perry power play goal, with assists provided by McDavid and Bouchard. The Panthers answered with a Rodrigues goal, his seventh of the postseason, passed from Brandon Montour and Sam Bennett. Florida got closer in the third period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his second of the playoffs, with a lone helper from Tkachuk. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a McDavid empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the postseason, an unassisted goal. The three stars were McDavid, Bouchard, and Tkachuk, while Rodrigues gets an honorable mention. The series heads north again with Florida ahead 3-2. 

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Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 4

Again from Edmonton, the Oilers host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Mattias Janmark shorthanded goal, his third of the postseason, set up by Connor Brown. The Oilers added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his third of the playoffs, courtesy of Janmark and Mattias Ekholm. Florida got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Gustav Forsling and Anton Lundell. Edmonton fired back with a Dylan Holloway goal, his fourth of the playoffs, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Brett Kulak. The Oilers extended the lead in the second period as Connor McDavid scored his sixth of the postseason, thanks to Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton padded the lead on a Darnell Nurse goal, coming off of McDavid and Hyman. Anthony Stolarz replaced Bobrovsky in goal. The Oilers continued with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his seventh of the playoffs, powered by Draisaitl and McDavid. Edmonton kept going with a Holloway goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, with helpers from McDavid and Corey Perry. The Oilers piled one with a Ryan McLeod goal, his third of the playoffs, helped along by Holloway and Warren Foegele. The final stood at 8-1, with the three stars being McDavid, Holloway, and Janmark, while Draisaitl and Hyman get the honorable mentions. The Panthers remain ahead 3-1 in the series as the series shifts back to Florida. 

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Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 3

The series has shifted to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner are the masked men. Florida started in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his ninth of the postseason, via Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Adam Henrique. The Panthers retook the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourth of the postseason, assisted by Eetu Luostarinen. Florida added on with a Sam Bennett goal, his seventh of the playoffs, passed from Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers extended the lead as Barkov scored his seventh of the postseason, thanks to Evan Rodrigues and Reinhart. The Oilers pulled one back in the third period with a Philip Broberg goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton got closer with a Ryan McLeod goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Brett Kulak and McDavid. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Barkov, Reinhart, and McDavid. The Panthers lead the series 3-0. 

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Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 2

It's another game from Florida with the Panthers hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Edmonton began in the first period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Florida tied it on a Niko Mikkola goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Anton Lundell and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Panthers took the lead with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fifth of the postseason, going in unassisted. Florida added on with a Rodrigues power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the playoffs, powered by Lundell and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Aaron Ekblad, set up by Sam Bennett. The three stars were Rodrigues, Lundell, and Bobrovsky (18 for 19 in saves). The Panthers leave home ahead 2-0 in the series. 

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Stanley Cup Finals 2024 - Game 1

The Stanley Cup Finals begin in Florida, as the Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Florida began in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his tenth of the postseason, via Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fourth of the playoffs, passed from Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour. Florida iced it at 3-0 in the third period with an Eetu Luostarinen empty net goal, his second of the postseason, set up by Barkov. The three stars were Bobrovsky (32 save shutout), Verhaeghe, and Barkov. The Panthers established a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 42

The Western Conference Finals are in Edmonton for Game 6, as the Oilers host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his fourteenth of the playoffs, coming off of McDavid and Bouchard. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Mason Marchment goal, his third of the postseason, helped along by Tyler Seguin and Chris Tanev. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being McDavid, Skinner (34 for 35 in saves), and Bouchard. The Oilers won the series 4-2 and will face the Florida Panthers for the Stanley Cup. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 41

It's in Florida tonight, as the Panthers host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida led off in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his sixth of the postseason, coming off of Evan Rodrigues. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his third of the playoffs, via Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. New York got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Tarasenko, Bennett, and Bobrovsky (23 for 24 in saves). The Panthers won the series 4-2 and will head to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 40

It's back to Dallas for Game 5, as the Stars host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, powered by Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Leon Draisaitl and Bouchard. Edmonton extended the lead as Philip Broberg scored, thanks to Adam Henrique and Evander Kane. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his ninth of the postseason, assisted by Thomas Harley and Logan Stankoven. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Nugent-Hopkins, Bouchard, and Broberg. The Oilers are ahead 3-2 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 39

We're back in New York with the Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York got going in the second period with a Chris Kreider shorthanded goal, his eighth of the postseason, set up by Mika Zibanejad. Florida tied it on a Gustav Forsling goal, his fourth of the playoffs, assisted by Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers took the lead with an Anton Lundell goal in the third period, his third of the postseason, via Eetu Luostarinen. Florida added on with a Bennett empty net goal, his fifth of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Rangers got one back with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eighth of the postseason, with a lone helper by Zibanejad. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Bennett, Zibanejad, and Lundell. The Panthers head home leading the series 3-2. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 38

We're in the west again as the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Stuart Skinner are between the pipes. Dallas began in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his ninth of the postseason, via Jamie Benn and Thomas Harley. The Stars added on with an Esa Lindell goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Miro Heiskanen and Benn. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan McLeod goal, courtesy of Corey Perry and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers tied it with an Evan Bouchard goal, his sixth of the postseason, assisted by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded Mattias Janmark goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Connor Brown. The Oilers extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his tenth of the postseason, thanks to Zach Hyman and McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Mattias Ekholm, his fourth of the playoffs, helped along by McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Benn, and Janmark. The series is tied at 2-2 heading back to Dallas. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 37

It's Game 4 in the east, with the Florida Panthers hosting the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. New York led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, powered by Artem Panarin and Adam Fox. Florida tied it in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his fourth of the playoffs, via Gustav Forsling and the goalie Bobrovsky. The Panthers took the lead on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his ninth of the postseason, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The Rangers retied it on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his seventh of the playoffs, coming off of Fox and Panarin. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, assisted by Barkov and Brandon Montour. The three stars were Barkov, Panarin, and Fox. The series is tied at 2-2 heading back to New York. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 36

We're up in Edmonton for Game 3 of the Oilers versus the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his thirteenth of the postseason, via Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a McDavid goal, his fourth of the playoffs, going in unassisted. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin. The Stars tied it with a Robertson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, made possible by Hintz. Dallas took the lead with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his eighth of the postseason, assisted by Logan Stankoven and Jamie Benn. Edmonton tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Connor Brown. The Stars regained the lead with a Robertson goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the postseason, with helpers from Seguin and Esa Lindell. Dallas iced it at 5-3 with a Miro Heiskanen empty net goal, his sixth of the playoffs, set up by Benn. The three stars were Robertson, Hintz, and Seguin, while Benn and McDavid get the honorable mentions. The Stars took a 2-1 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 35

The Eastern Conference Finals shift to Florida on Sunday as the Panthers host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Florida struck first in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixth of the postseason, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. New York tied it on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fifth of the playoffs, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers took the lead with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Braden Schneider and Will Cuylle. The Panthers tied it again with another Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the playoffs, helped along by Carter Verhaeghe. New York retook the lead in the second period with a Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and sixth of the postseason, passed from K'Andre Miller and Trouba. The Rangers added on with a shorthanded Goodrow goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Trocheck and Ryan Lindgren. Florida got one back in the third period with a Barkov goal, his sixth of the postseason, fueled by Verhaeghe and Niko Mikkola. The Panthers tied it on a Gustav Forsling goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Tkachuk and Evan Rodrigues. New York won 5-4 in overtime with an Alexander Wennberg goal, via Lindgren and Kaapo Kakko. The three stars were Lafreniere, Goodrow, and Reinhart, while Trocheck, Lindgren, Trouba, Barkov, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe get the honorable mentions. The Rangers are ahead 2-1 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 34

The action's in Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jake Oettinger patrol the creases. Dallas began in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen. Edmonton tied it on a Connor Brown goal, coming off of Cody Ceci and Warren Foegele. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Mason Marchment goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Ryan Suter and Sam Steel. Dallas added on with an Esa Lindell empty net goal, his second of the postseason, set up by Benn and Johnston. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Benn, Oettinger (28 for 29 in saves), and Johnston. The series is tied at 1-1 heading to Edmonton. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 33

It's time for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York started in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his seventh of the postseason, via Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Florida tied it on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his eighth of the playoffs, powered by Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell. The Rangers won 2-1 in overtime with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his fourth of the postseason, assisted by Trocheck and Jacob Trouba. The three stars were Trocheck, Goodrow, and Shesterkin (26 for 27 in saves). The Rangers tied the series at 1-1 before it heads to Florida. 

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NHL 2024 Playoffs - Day 32

We've got another series debut Thursday, with the Dallas Stars welcoming the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his ninth of the postseason, via Brett Kulak and Zach Hyman. The Oilers added on with a Hyman goal, his twelfth of the playoffs, assisted by Connor McDavid. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourth of the postseason, passed from Jamie Benn. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Seguin goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, coming off of Evgenii Dadonov and Jason Robertson. Edmonton won 3-2 in double overtime with a McDavid goal, his third of the postseason, helped along by Evan Bouchard. The three stars went to McDavid, Hyman, and Seguin. The Oilers opened a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 31

The Conference Finals begin in the east this Wednesday, with the New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. Florida led off in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Verhaeghe goal, his seventh of the playoffs, going in unassisted. Florida iced it at 3-0 with a Sam Bennett empty net goal, his third of the postseason, set up by Tkachuk. The three stars were Bobrovsky (23 save shutout), Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe. The Panthers start the series up 1-0. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 30

The final game of the second round is in Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs are in goal. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Cody Ceci goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Brett Kulak and Dylan Holloway. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his eleventh of the playoffs, guided in by Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead on a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Conor Garland goal, his third of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Canucks pulled closer with a Filip Hronek goal, made possible by Quinn Hughes and Elias Lindholm. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Nugent-Hopkins, Bouchard, and Hyman. The Oilers won the series 4-3 and will face the Stars in the Western Conference Finals. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 29

It's a one-game Saturday, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner are in the blue paint. Edmonton started in the first period with a Dylan Holloway goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Vancouver tied it on a Nils Hoglander goal, via Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period with a Zach Hyman goal, his tenth of the playoffs, assisted by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton added on with a Bouchard goal, his fifth of the postseason, passed from McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period as Nugent-Hopkins scored his third of the playoffs, thanks to McDavid and Bouchard. Edmonton padded the lead on an Evander Kane goal, his fourth of the postseason, guided in by Draisaitl. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Bouchard, Nugent-Hopkins, and McDavid, while Draisaitl gets an honorable mention. The series is tied at 3-3, with the series heading back to Vancouver for Game 7. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 28

We're back with two games this Friday. First up...

The Boston Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jeremy Swayman are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, via Jake DeBrusk and Parker Wotherspoon. Florida tied it in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe. The Panther won 2-1 with a Gustav Forsling goal in the third period, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Lundell and Matthew Tkachuk. The three stars were Lundell, Forsling, and Bobrovsky (22 for 23 in saves). The Panthers won the series 4-2 and will face the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alexandar Georgiev tend twines. Colorado got going in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Cale Makar. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Evgenii Dadonov and Tyler Seguin. The Stars won 2-1 in double overtime on a Matt Duchene goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Joe Pavelski. The three stars were Duchene, Oettinger (29 for 30 in saves), and Georgiev (36 for 38 in saves). The Stars won the series 4-2 and will head to the Western Conference Finals. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 27

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

The Carolina Hurricanes welcoming the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina began in the first period with a Martin Necas goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Jordan Martinook and Dmitry Orlov. The Hurricanes added on with a Seth Jarvis power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. New York answered with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his sixth of the postseason, made possible by Artemi Panarin. Carolina shot back with an Aho goal, his fourth of the playoffs, guided in by Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin. The Rangers replied in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic. New York tied it on a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Panarin and Trocheck. The Rangers took the lead with a Kreider goal to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the postseason, fueled by Ryan Lindgren and Roslovic. New York iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Barclay Goodrow, his third of the playoffs, set up by K'Andre Miller. The three stars were Kreider, Panarin, and Trocheck, while Roslovic, Aho, and Svechnikov get the honorable mentions. The Rangers won the series 4-2 and will play in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Arturs Silovs are the backups in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Vincent Desharnais. Vancouver tied it on a Carson Soucy goal, going in unassisted. The Oilers retook the lead on a Mattias Janmark goal, helped along by Connor Brown and Brett Kulak. The Canucks tied it in the second period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, an unassisted goal. Vancouver took the lead in the third period on a J.T. Miller goal, his third of the playoffs, via Elias Lindholm and Elias Pettersson. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Miller, Di Giuseppe, and Soucy. The Canucks are ahead 3-2 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 26

There's just one game on today, as the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, via Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson. Colorado tied it on an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his sixth of the postseason, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Robertson and Pavelski. The Avalanche retied it on a Makar power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Jonathan Drouin and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado pulled ahead in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Zach Parise and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Makar goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, going in unassisted. Dallas got one back with a Logan Stankoven goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Esa Lindell. Colorado replied with a MacKinnon goal, his fourth of the postseason, passed from Lehkonen. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Makar, MacKinnon, and Lehkonen, while Pavelski and Robertson get the honorable mentions. The Stars remain ahead 3-2 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 25

We've got two games this Tuesday. First up...

The Florida Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Boston opened in the first period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. Florida tied it in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifth of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Bruins retook the lead with a McAvoy goal, passed from Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. The final stood from here at 2-1, with the three stars being McAvoy, Swayman (28 for 29 in saves), and Geekie. The Panthers remain ahead 3-2 in the series.

Across the continent, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Arturs Silovs and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, powered by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off Mattias Ekholm. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Conor Garland goal, his second of the postseason, via Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. The Canucks tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his eighth of the playoffs, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Edmonton retook the lead with a Bouchard goal, his fourth of the postseason, helped along by Evander Kane. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Bouchard, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins. The series is tied at 2-2 heading back to Vancouver. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 24

There's two more games today, beginning with...

The New York Rangers welcoming the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin patrol the creases. New York got going in the second period with a Jacob Trouba shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, via Dmitry Orlov. The Hurricanes pulled ahead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourth of the postseason, assisted by Brady Skjei and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Carolina added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Jack Drury and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Necas empty net goal, his third of the postseason, set up by Jalen Chatfield and Drury. The three stars were Andersen (20 for 21 in saves), Necas, and Drury. The Rangers are still ahead 3-2 in the series. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Dallas struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Wyatt Johnston goal, his sixth of the postseason, set up by Sam Steel. The Stars added on with a Johnston power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and seventh of the playoffs, powered by Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead as Heiskanen scored his fourth of the postseason, thanks to Logan Stankoven and Robertson. Colorado got on the board with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his second of the playoffs, helped along by Jonathan Drouin. The Stars fired back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Mason Marchment and Heiskanen. Dallas iced it at 5-1 with a Steel empty net goal, with helpers from Johnston and Tyler Seguin. The three stars were Johnston, Heiskanen, and Robertson, while Steel gets an honorable mention. The Stars head home ahead 3-1 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 23

We're back with a two-game Sunday. First up...

The Boston Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jeremy Swayman man the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Jake DeBrusk and James van Riemsdyk. The Bruins added on with a Brandon Carlo goal, his third of the playoffs, going in unassisted. Florida got on the board in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, via Evan Rodrigues and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers tied it in the third period with a Sam Bennett goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Lundell and Rodrigues on the power play. Florida pulled ahead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by Kyle Okposo and Vladimir Tarasenko. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Lundell, Rodrigues, and Barkov. The Panthers head home with a 3-1 series lead. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner are in the blue paint. Edmonton began in the first period with a Mattias Ekholm power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks took the lead with a Boeser goal, his sixth of the postseason, via J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers. Vancouver added on with a Boeser goal, his second of the game and seventh of the playoffs, helped along by Pius Suter. The Oilers got one back with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his seventh of the postseason, courtesy of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. The Canucks fired back with a Lindholm power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, fueled by Miller and Hughes. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in goal in the third period. Edmonton got one back on a Bouchard goal, his third of the postseason, with helpers from Ekholm and Draisaitl. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Boeser, Lindholm, and Miller, while Hughes, Draisaitl, Ekholm, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions. The Canucks grabbed a 2-1 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 22

We're back with two games on a Saturday. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Carolina opened in the first period with an unassisted Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his third of the postseason. The Hurricanes added on with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fourth of the playoffs, via Teuvo Teravainen and Tony DeAngelo. New York got on the board with a Will Cuylle goal, assisted by Kaapo Kakko and Erik Gustafsson. Carolina shot back with a Sebastian Aho goal, his third of the postseason, passed from Jake Guentzel and Brent Burns. The Rangers got one back in the second period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Braden Schneider and Jimmy Vesey. New York tied it in the third period on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fourth of the postseason, fueled by Mika Zibanejad and Jacob Trouba. The Hurricanes regained the lead with a Brady Skjei power play goal, powered by Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Teravainen, Skjei, and Aho. The Rangers are still ahead 3-1 in the series. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. Dallas started in the first period with a Logan Stankoven goal, courtesy of Miro Heiskanen. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov and Sam Steel. Dallas added on with a Seguin empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, set up by Matt Duchene. The Stars extended the lead as Stankoven scored an empty net goal, his second of the game, thanks to Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Seguin, Stankoven, and Oettinger (29 for 30 in saves). The Stars took a 2-1 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 21

It's another two-game day on Friday. First up...

The Boston Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Florida began in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his second of the postseason, via Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Sam Bennett and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Florida extended the lead as Carter Verhaeghe scored his sixth of the postseason on the power play, thanks to Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period with a Brandon Montour power play goal, his third of the playoffs, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Barkov. Boston got on the board with a Jakub Lauko goal, helped along by Jake DeBrusk and John Beecher. The Bruins got closer with a DeBrusk goal, his fifth of the postseason, made possible by Mason Lohrei and David Pastrnak. Florida shot back with a Sam Reinhart empty net goal, his fourth of the playoffs, set up by Tkachuk and Montour. The Panthers finished it at 6-2 with a power play goal by Rodrigues, his second of the game and third of the postseason, with helpers from Ekman-Larsson and Eetu Luostarinen. The three stars were Rodrigues, Tkachuk, and Montour, while Barkov, DeBrusk, and Ekman-Larsson get the honorable mentions. The Panthers are ahead 2-1 in the series. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs patrol the creases. Vancouver led off in the first period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his sixth of the postseason, assisted by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his fifth of the playoffs, coming off of Carson Soucy and Nikita Zadorov. The Oilers retied it on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by McDavod and Draisaitl. Vancouver regained the lead with a Zadorov goal, his fourth of the playoffs, made possible by Miller. Edmonton tied it in the third period with a McDavid goal, his second of the postseason, guided in by Zach Hyman and Draisaitl. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with an Evan Bouchard goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Draisaitl. The three stars were Draisaitl, McDavid, and Zadorov, while Miller gets an honorable mention. The series is tied at 1-1 heading to Edmonton. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 20

There's two games this Thursday. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Pyotr Kochetkov receive the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Dmitry Orlov and Andrei Svechnikov. New York tied it in the second period on a shorthanded Chris Kreider goal, his fourth of the playoffs, set up by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers took the lead in the third period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes tied it on a Svechnikov goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Sebastian Aho and Brady Skjei. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Panarin goal, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Trocheck. The three stars were Panarin, Svechnikov, and Trocheck. The Rangers lead the series 3-0 with a chance to advance in Game 4.

The other game sees the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas started in the first period with a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on in the second period with a Hintz goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Nils Lundkvist and Mason Marchment. Dallas extended the lead on a Heiskanen power play goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and Hintz. The Stars padded the lead with a shorthanded Tyler Seguin goal, set up by Thomas Harley. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Joel Kiviranta goal, with helpers from Josh Manson and Ross Colton. The Avalanche got closer with a Brandon Duhaime goal, helped along by Andrew Cogliano. Colorado pulled closer on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his ninth of the playoffs, passed from Artturi Lehkonen and Casey Mittelstadt. Dallas iced it at 5-3 with an Esa Lindell empty net goal, courtesy of Hintz. The three stars were Heiskanen, Hintz, and Seguin. The series is tied at 1-1 heading to Denver. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 19

We're back for another two-game Wednesday. First up...

The Florida Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sergei Bobrovsky are in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, via Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand. Florida tied it in the second period with a Steven Lorentz goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Brandon Montour. The Panthers pulled ahead on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad. Florida added on with a Gustav Forsling goal, fueled by Anton Lundell and Montour. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Eetu Luostarinen scored, thanks to Barkov and Reinhart. Florida padded the lead on a Barkov power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Reinhart. The Panthers iced it at 6-1 with a shorthanded Montour goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Barkov and Reinhart. The three stars were Barkov, Montour, and Reinhart. The series is tied at 1-1 heading up to Boston. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs are set to start in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, coming off of Draisaitl. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Dakota Joshua goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Ian Cole and Elias Lindholm. Edmonton answered with a Cody Ceci goal, made possible by Derek Ryan and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers extended the lead as Hyman scored his second of the game and ninth of the postseason, thanks to Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid. The Canucks got one back with a Lindholm goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Joshua and Carson Soucy. Vancouver pulled closer with a J.T. Miller goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Brock Boeser and Soucy. The Canucks tied it on a Nikita Zadorov goal, his third of the playoffs, passed from Teddy Blueger and Nils Hoglander. Vancouver pulled ahead on a Conor Garland goal, with helpers from Joshua and Zadorov. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Joshua, Zadorov, and Hyman, while Lindholm, Soucy, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions. The Canucks established a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 18

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

The New York Rangers welcoming the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin patrol the creases. New York led off in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, coming off of K'Andre Miller and Alex Wennberg. Carolina tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his second of the postseason, via Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Brady Skjei and Aho. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Lafreniere goal, his second of the game, passed from Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Carolina retook the lead with another Guentzel goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, helped along by Aho and Tony DeAngelo. New York tied it in the third period on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his third of the playoffs, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Panarin. The Rangers won 4-3 in double overtime with a Trocheck power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, with assists provided by Mika Zibanejad and Panarin. The three stars were Panarin, Trocheck, and Aho, while Lafreniere and Guentzel get the honorable mentions. The Rangers leave home with a 2-0 series lead. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas began in the first period with a Ryan Suter goal, made possible by Matt Duchene. The Stars added on with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Benn scored his second of the playoffs on the power play, with the help of Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eighth of the postseason, powered by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche pulled closer with a Makar power play goal, his third of the playoffs, with helpers from Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado tied it on a MacKinnon goal in the third period, his third of the postseason, fueled by Rantanen and Makar. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a Miles Wood goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Andrew Cogliano and Samuel Girard. The three stars were Makar, Nichushkin, and MacKinnon, while Benn and Rantanen get the honorable mentions. The Avalanche established a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 17

There's one game on this Monday. The Florida Panthers host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sergei Bobrovsky are in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the postseason, assisted by Aleksander Barkov. Boston tied it on a Morgan Geekie goal, his third of the playoffs, via Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. The Bruins pulled ahead on a Mason Lohrei goal, guided in by Parker Wotherspoon and Zacha. Boston added on with a Brandon Carlo goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as Justin Brazeau scored, thanks to James van Riemsdyk and Lohrei. Boston iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by Jake DeBrusk empty net goal, his fourth of the playoffs, set up by Brad Marchand. The three stars were Lohrei, Zacha, and Swayman (38 for 39 in saves). The Bruins established a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 16

The second round begins and the first round ends on this two-game day. First up...

The New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his second of the postseason, via Jack Roslovic and Adam Fox. Carolina tied it on a Jaccob Slavin goal, helped along by Sebastian Aho and Jake Guentzel. The Rangers took the lead back with a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, powered by Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck. New York added on with a Trocheck power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, with assists provided by Zibanejad and Kreider. The Hurricanes got one back in the third period with a Martin Necas goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Jordan Martinook and Dmitry Orlov. The Rangers countered with an Artemi Panarin goal, his third of the postseason, made possible by Alexis Lafreniere. Carolina responded with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fourth of the playoffs, fueled by Aho and Brent Burns. The final held from here at 4-3, with the three stars going to Zibanejad, Trocheck, and Kreider, while Aho gets an honorable mention. The Rangers established a 1-0 series lead with the win. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas started in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fourth of the postseason, going in unassisted. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Brett Howden goal, guided in by Michael Amadio and William Karlsson. The Stars retook the lead in the third period on a Radek Faksa goal, fueled by Craig Smith and Thomas Harley. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Oettinger (22 for 23 in saves), Faksa, and Johnston. The Stars won the series 4-3 and will face the Avalanche in the second round. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 15

It's just a single game for Saturday, with the Boston Bruins hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Jeremy Swayman are in goal. Toronto got going in the third period with a William Nylander goal, his third of the postseason, via Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi. Boston tied it on a Hampus Lindholm goal, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Justin Brazeau. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a David Pastrnak goal, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Lindholm and Brandon Carlo. The three stars were Lindholm, Pastrnak, and Swayman (30 for 31 in saves). The Bruins won the series 4-3 and will face the Panthers in the second round. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 14

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

The Nashville Predators welcoming the Vancouver Canucks. Arturs Silovs and Juuse Saros start in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Pius Suter goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Silovs (28 save shutout), Suter, and Saros (28 for 29 in saves). The Canucks won the series 4-2 and will face the Oilers in the second round. 

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Adin Hill tend the twines. Vegas got going in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights iced it at 2-0 with a Mark Stone empty net goal, his third of the playoffs, set up by William Karlsson and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Hill (23 save shutout), Hanifin, and Oettinger (28 for 29 in saves). The series heads to Dallas once more tied at 3-3. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 13

There's just one game tonight, as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Joseph Woll guard the cages. Toronto got going in the second period with a William Nylander goal, made possible by Timothy Liljegren and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nylander goal, his second of the game, set up by Matthew Knies and Rielly. Boston got one back with a Morgan Geekie goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and James van Riemsdyk. The three stars were Nylander, Woll (22 for 23 in saves), and Rielly. The series will head back to Boston once more tied at 3-3. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 12

There's two games this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Dallas Stars welcoming the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Vegas opened in the first period with a Mark Stone power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel. Dallas tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Logan Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston. The Stars took the lead with a Matt Duchene power play goal, with helpers from Johnston and Tyler Seguin. The Golden Knights retied it on a William Carrier goal, passed from Ivan Barbashev and Brayden McNabb. Dallas pulled ahead in the second period with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Johnson, Robertson, and Duchene. The Stars leave home this time with a 3-2 series lead. 

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton started in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Brett Kulak and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Laferriere goal, coming off of Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy. The Kings took the lead in the second period with a Blake Lizotte goal, helped along by Viktor Arvidsson and Andreas Englund. The Oilers tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fourth of the playoffs, powered by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton took the lead with another Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, made possible by McDavid and Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his seventh of the playoffs, with helpers from Nugent-Hopkins and Bouchard. Los Angeles got one back in the third period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his fourth of the postseason, guided in by Roy and Kevin Fiala. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Draisaitl, Bouchard, and McDavid, while Nugent-Hopkins and Roy get the honorable mentions. The Oilers won the series 4-1 and will face the Canucks or the Predators in the second round. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 11

We've got four games this Tuesday. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Jeremy Swayman are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Jake McCabe goal, via Mitchell Marner and Max Domi. Boston tied it on a Trent Frederic goal, his third of the postseason, courtesy of Pat Maroon. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with a Matthew Knies goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by John Tavares and Ilya Lyubushkin. The three stars were Knies, Woll (28 for 29 in saves), and McCabe. The Bruins remain ahead 3-2 in the series as it shifts back to Toronto.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Frederik Andersen are the veterans in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his second of the postseason, passed from Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, powered by Jarvis and Brent Burns. New York got on the board with a Mike Reilly power play goal, with assists provided by Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson. Carolina replied with an Evgeny Kuznetsov penalty shot goal, his second of the playoffs. The Islanders got one back in the second period on a Nelson goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock. New York tied it on a Casey Cizikas goal, helped along by Barzal and Pulock. The Hurricanes retook the lead in the third period with a Jack Drury goal, assisted by Brady Skjei and Martin Necas. Carolina extended the lead as Stefan Noesen scored his third of the playoffs, thanks to Skjei and Kuznetsov. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Jarvis empty net goal, his third of the postseason, going in unassisted. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Jarvis, Kuznetsov, and Skjei, while Nelson, Barzal, and Pulock get the honorable mentions. The Hurricanes won the series 4-1 and will face the Rangers in the second round.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his third of the postseason, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his seventh of the playoffs, passed from Devon Toews and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche pulled ahead in the second period with a Yakov Trenin goal, via Josh Manson and Andrew Cogliano. The Jets retied it on a Josh Morrissey power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi. Colorado retook the lead with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fifth of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. Winnipeg tied it again in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Colin Miller. The Avalanche regained the lead on a Rantanen goal, with helpers from Toews and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on with another Rantanen goal, helped along by MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Manson, his second of the playoffs, set up by Casey Mittelstadt. The three stars went to Rantanen, Toews, and Manson, while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention. The Avalanche won the series 4-1 and will face either the Stars or the Golden Knights in the second round.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Arturs Silovs receive the starts in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his second of the postseason, via Quinn Hughes. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi power play goal, powered by Filip Forsberg and Tyson Barrie. The Predators took the lead with an Alexandre Carrier goal, passed from Gustav Nyquist. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Carrier, Forsberg, and Josi. The Canucks remain ahead 3-2 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 10

There are two games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Florida got going in the second period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Aleksander Barkov and Niko Mikkola. The Panthers added on with a Barkov shorthanded goal, set up by Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Victor Hedman goal, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. Florida fired back in the third period with a Barkov goal, his second of the game, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Verhaeghe. The Panthers extended the lead as Evan Rodrigues scored, thanks to Kevin Stenlund and Vladimir Tarasenko. Florida padded the lead on a Verhaeghe empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, with a lone assist by Tkachuk. The Panthers iced it at 6-1 with a Mikkola empty net goal, with helpers from Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. The three stars were Verhaeghe, Barkov, and Mikkola, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention. The Panthers won the series 4-1 and will face either the Bruins or the Maple Leafs in the second round. 

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Logan Thompson guard the cages. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, courtesy of Brayden McNabb and Brett Howden. Dallas tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, via Ryan Suter. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the second period with a Jack Eichel goal, his third of the postseason, passed from Jonathan Marchessault and Ivan Barbashev. The Stars tied it on a Wyatt Johnston power play goal, his third of the playoffs powered by Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin. Dallas took the lead with a Ty Dellandrea goal, coming off of Craig Smith and Sam Steel. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Roope Hintz empty net goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The three stars were Johnston, Dadonov, and Dellandrea. The series is tied at 2-2 heading back to Dallas. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 9

There's four more games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Colorado Avalanche hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Colorado started in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Casey Mittelstadt. Winnipeg tied it on a Nate Schmidt goal, coming off of Mason Appleton and Josh Morrissey. The Avalanche took the lead with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the playoffs, powered by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on with a Makar goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Avalanche extended the lead as Nichushkin scored another power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, with the help of Lehkonen and MacKinnon. Colorado iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by Nichushkin to complete his hat trick on his sixth of the postseason, set up by Mikko Rantanen. The three stars were Nichushkin, Lehkonen, and Makar, while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention. The Avalanche leave home ahead 3-1 in the series.

East to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Arturs Silovs is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by J.T. Miller and Carson Soucy. Nashville tied it on a Mark Jankowski goal, via Jeremy Lauzon and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly. Nashville added on in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh. The Canucks got one back with another Boeser goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, with helpers from Elias Lindholm and Miller. Vancouver tied it as Boeser finished his hat trick with his fourth of the playoffs, thanks to Miller and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime on a Lindholm goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Conor Garland. The three stars were Boeser, Lindholm, and Miller. The Canucks head home leading the series 3-1.

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. New York led off in the first period with an unassisted Kaapo Kakko goal. Washington tied it on a Martin Fehervary goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome. The Rangers took the lead back with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his third of the playoffs, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The Capitals retied it in the second period with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, coming off of Alexander Alexeyev. New York regained the lead with a Panarin power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Zibanejad and Adam Fox in the third period. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net power play goal by Jack Roslovic, his second of the playoffs, set up by Alexis Lafreniere and Jacob Trouba.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner faces a lesser foe in David Rittich in goal. Edmonton got going in the second period with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. This held for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Skinner, Bouchard, and Rittich (12 for 13 in saves). The Oilers head home carrying a 3-1 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 8

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

The New York Islanders hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Jake Guentzel. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, via Adam Pelech and Bo Horvat in the second period. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, with assists provided by Noah Dobson and Anders Lee. The Hurricanes retied it on a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas. New York won 3-2 in double overtime on a Barzal goal, his second of the game, assisted by Robert Bortuzzo and Horvat. The three stars were Barzal, Horvat, and Pageau. The Hurricanes will head home up 3-1 in the series.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning added on with a Hagel shorthanded goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Point scored his second of the postseason, thanks to Nikita Kucherov and Hedman. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Matthew Tkachuk and Anton Lundell. The Lightning answered with a Hagel goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, via Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony Cirelli. The Panthers got one back with a Sam Reinhart goal, his third of the playoffs, courtesy of Brandon Montour and Tkachuk. Florida pulled closer with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen. Tampa Bay replied with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, with helpers from Kucherov and Point. The Lightning padded the lead on a Nick Paul power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Kucherov and Hedman. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars given to Stamkos, Hagel, and Point, while Hedman, Kucherov, and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions. The Panthers are still ahead 3-1 in the series.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Ilya Samsonov are in the blue paint. Boston led off in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, via Mason Lohrei. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand power play goal in the second period, his third of the postseason, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle. Boston extended the lead as David Pastrnak scored his second of the playoffs, thanks to Marchand and Pavel Zacha. Joseph Woll replaced Samsonov in goal. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Mitchell Marner goal, coming off of Ilya Lyubushkin and Tyler Bertuzzi. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Marchand, Swayman (25 for 26 in saves), and Pastrnak. The Bruins head home leading the series 3-1.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Logan Thompson are between the pipes. Dallas began in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, courtesy of Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on in the second period with a Heiskanen goal, via Tyler Seguin and Evgenii Dadonov. Vegas got on the board with a Brayden McNabb goal, his second of the postseason, passed from Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights tied it with a shorthanded Jack Eichel goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by McNabb. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with another Johnston goal, coming off of Robertson and Ryan Suter. The three stars were Johnston, Heiskanen, and McNabb, while Robertson gets an honorable mention. The Golden Knights are still ahead 2-1 in the series. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 7

We're back to four games for Friday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Charlie Lindgren are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a John Carlson goal, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Martin Fehervary. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his second of the postseason, passed from Mika Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic. The Rangers took the lead with a Barclay Goodrow shorthanded goal, set up by Vincent Trocheck and Jacob Trouba. New York added on in the second period with a Trocheck power play goal, his second of the playoffs powered by Zibanejad and Adam Fox. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Trocheck, Shesterkin (28 for 29 in saves), and Zibanejad. The Rangers are on the precipice of advancing with a 3-0 series lead.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Juuse Saros man the nets. Vancouver began in the first period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, powered by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, with assists provided by Miller and Hughes. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Luke Evangelista goal, made possible by Jason Zucker and Alexandre Carrier. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Miller, Hughes, and DeSmith (29 for 30 in saves). The Canucks lead the series 2-1. 

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Colorado opened in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Josh Manson and Casey Mittelstadt. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, fueled by Dylan DeMelo and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets took the lead on a Josh Morrissey power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Mark Scheifele and Sean Monahan. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Colorado took the lead with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his third of the playoffs, made possible by Rantanen and MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his third of the postseason, helped along by Mittelstadt and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Ross Colton scored, thanks to Mittelstadt and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche iced it at 6-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Toews, set up by Andrew Cogliano. The three stars were MacKinnon, Mittelstadt, and Toews, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention. The Avalanche pulled ahead 2-1 in the series.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his fifth of the postseason, via Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton extended the lead on a Connor McDavid power play goal, powered by Evan Bouchard and Draisaitl. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Drew Doughty goal, his second of the postseason, guided in by Quinton Byfield and Mikey Anderson. The Oilers replied with a Kane goal, helped along by Cody Ceci and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period with a Hyman power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the playoffs, fueled by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers kept going with another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The final was 6-1, with the three stars handed to Draisaitl, Hyman, and McDavid, while Nugent-Hopkins and Kane get the honorable mentions. The Oilers have a 2-1 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 6

There's just two games on today due to travel. First up...

The Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Florida opened in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his second of the postseason, via Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning pulled ahead with a Tyler Motte goal, helped along by Tanner Jeannot. The Panthers retied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Brandon Montour. Florida pulled ahead with a Montour goal, passed from Steven Lorentz and Kyle Okposo. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Lorentz goal, coming off of Nick Cousins and Gustav Forsling. Tampa Bay pulled one back with a Nick Paul goal, made possible by Anthony Ducalir and Erik Cernak. Florida iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Tkachuk, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, set up by Verhaeghe and Forsling. The three stars were Tkachuk, Lorentz, and Montour, while Forsling and Verhaeghe get the honorable mentions. The Panthers are on the cusp of advancing with a 3-0 series lead.

Up in New York, the Islanders bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Carolina started in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, made possible by Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on with a Dmitry Orlov goal, coming off of Andrei Svechnikov and Jake Guentzel. New York got on the board in the second period with a Pierre Engvall goal, guided in by Anders Lee and Adam Pelech. Carolina shot back with a Sebastian Aho goal, his second of the postseason, via Svechnikov and Jalen Chatfield. Semyon Varlamov replaced Sorokin in goal. The Islanders got one back with a Brock Nelson goal, fueled by Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock. The final remained at 3-2, with the three stars going to Svechnikov, Aho, and Orlov. The Hurricanes are a step away from a series win, leading 3-0. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 5

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

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with a Matthew Knies goal, via Mitchell Marner and Joel Edmundson. Boston tied it on a Trent Frederic goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his third of the playoffs, powered by Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Max Domi. Boston retook the lead with a Marchand goal, courtesy of Danton Heinen. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by David Pastrnak. The three stars were Marchand, DeBrusk, and Frederic. The Bruins regained the series lead at 2-1.

Out in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Noah Hanifin goal, going in unassisted. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Eichel, set up by Marchessault. The three stars were Marchessault, Eichel, and Thompson (20 for 21 in saves). The Golden Knights head home up 2-0 in the series.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his second of the postseason, via Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with another Kempe goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, guided in by Kopitar. Edmonton got on the board with a Brett Kulak goal, helped along by Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele. Los Angeles responded with a Drew Doughty goal, passed from Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault. The Oilers pulled one back in the second period with a Dylan Holloway goal, fueled by Sam Carrick and Mattias Janmark. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Kings retook the lead in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, made possible by Jordan Spence and Quinton Byfield. The Oilers retied it on a Holloway goal, his second of the game, coming off of Janmark. The Kings won 5-4 in overtime with a Kopitar goal, with helpers from Byfield and Mikey Anderson. The three stars went to Kopitar, Kempe, and Holloway, while Byfield, Draisaitl, and Janmark get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 4

It's another four-game day, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. Washington led off in the first period with a Connor McMichael goal, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, via Erik Gustafsson. The Rangers took the lead with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, powered by Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. The Capitals tied it on a power play goal by Dylan Strome in the second period, with assists provided by Tom Wilson and Max Pacioretty. New York retook the lead with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, helped along by Gustafsson and Lafreniere. The Rangers added on with a K'Andre Miller shorthanded goal, set up by Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Washington got one back in the third period with a Wilson power play goal, courtesy of Hendrix Lapierre and John Carlson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Trocheck, Zibanejad, and Wilson, while Lafreniere and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions. The Rangers are taking a 2-0 series lead on the road.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Florida began in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, powered by Bennett and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Victor Hedman. The Lightning tied it with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his second of the postseason, with helpers from Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the playoffs, helped along by Anton Lundell and Tkachuk. The three stars were Verhaeghe, Bennett, and Tkachuk, while Hedman gets an honorable mention. The Panthers lead the series 2-0 as they prepare to hit the road.

Way up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg started in the first period with a David Gustafsson goal, via Brenden Dillon and Neal Pionk. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Miles Wood goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Ross Colton. The Jets retook the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor. The Avalanche tied it again with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his second of the postseason, passed from Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Colorado took the lead with a Zach Parise goal, helped along by Andrew Cogliano. The Avalanche added on with a Josh Manson goal, coming off of Nathan MacKinnon and Lehkonen. Colorado iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin empty net goal, his second of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Lehkonen, Parise, and Manson. The series is tied at 1-1 heading back to Denver.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Casey DeSmith receive the starts in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, courtesy of Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on in the second period with a Forsberg goal, coming off of Gustav Nyquist. Nashville extended the lead as Colton Sissons scored, thanks to Beauvillier and Jason Zucker. Vancouver got on the board with a Nikita Zadorov goal, passed from Ian Cole and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Predators fired back in the third period with a Kiefer Sherwood empty net goal, going in unassisted. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Forsberg, Saros (17 for 18 in saves), and Beauvillier. The series heads east tied at 1-1. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 3

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

The Boston Bruins hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Linus Ullmark are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a Morgan Geekie power play goal, powered by Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. Toronto tied it on a Max Domi goal, via Auston Matthews. The Bruins pulled ahead with a David Pastrnak goal, courtesy of Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a John Tavares power play goal, with assists provided by Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi. Toronto took the lead in the third period with a Matthews goal, passed from Domi and Ilya Lyubushkin. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Matthews, Domi, and Samsonov (27 for 29 in saves). The series heads to Toronto tied at 1.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. New York started in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, via Mike Reilly and Brock Nelson. The Islanders added on with a Bo Horvat goal, coming off of Mathew Barzal and Casey Cizikas. New York extended the lead on an Anders Lee power play goal, powered by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Pierre Engvall. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes got closer in the second period with a Jarvis goal, fueled by Jordan Staal and Brady Skjei. Carolina tied it as Sebastian Aho scored, thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Jarvis. The Hurricanes pulled ahead with a Jordan Martinook goal, guided in by Jack Drury. Carolina iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Guentzel, set up by Aho and Svechnikov. The three stars were Jarvis, Aho, and Guentzel, while Svechnikov gets an honorable mention. The Hurricanes leave home ahead 2-0 in the series.

Along to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Vegas led off in the first period with a Mark Stone power play goal, powered by Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, via Ivan Barbashev. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn goal, guided in by Wyatt Johnston. Vegas shot back on a Tomas Hertl power play goal, with a lone helper from Hanifin. The Stars pulled one back with a Jason Robertson goal, helped along by Logan Stankoven. The Golden Knights fired back in the second period with a Brayden McNabb goal, courtesy of Eichel. Dallas got closer with a Mason Marchment goal in the third period, helped along by Miro Heiskanen and the goalie Oettinger. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Eichel, Hanifin, and Hertl. The Golden Knights claimed a 1-0 series lead.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Stuart Skinner guard the cages. Edmonton began in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, coming off of Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with an Adam Henrique goal, guided in by Hyman and Bouchard. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Hyman scored again, with the help of McDavid and Henrique. The Oilers padded the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, powered by Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Los Angeles got on the board with a Mikey Anderson goal, via Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. The Kings got closer with an Adrian Kempe goal, helped along by Quinton Byfield. Edmonton replied in the third period with a Draisaitl power play goal, with helpers from McDavid and Bouchard. The Oilers continued with a Hyman power play goal, completing his hat trick with assists provided by McDavid and Bouchard. Los Angeles fired back with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, made possible by Kempe. The Kings got another on a Trevor Moore goal, fueled by Alex Laferriere. Edmonton iced it at 7-4 with a Warren Foegele empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hyman, McDavid, and Bouchard, while Draisaitl, Henrique, and Kempe get the honorable mentions. The Oilers lead the series 1-0. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 2

We're back in earnest with four more games this Sunday. First up...

The Florida Panthers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida led off in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, via Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brandon Hagel goal, guided in by Anthony Cirelli and Steven Stamkos. The Panthers retook the lead in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, powered by Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Florida added on with a Tkachuk empty net goal, set up by Aaron Ekblad. The Lightning got one back with a Stamkos power play goal, with helpers from Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Barkov, and Stamkos. The Panthers have a 1-0 series lead.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with a Matt Rempe goal, assisted by Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin goal, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. New York extended the lead as Vesey scored, thanks to Goodrow. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson goal, fueled by Aliaksei Protas and Martin Fehervary. The Rangers countered in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, via Mika Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Besey, Goodrow, and Shesterkin (20 for 21 in saves). The Rangers are holding a 1-0 series lead.

West to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, via Josh Manson. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, coming off of Kyle Connor and Brenden Dillon. The Jets took the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, assisted by Alex Iafallo. The Avalanche retied it on a Miles Wood goal, passed from Joel Kiviranta and Ross Colton. Colorado took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, fueled by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, courtesy of Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets pulled ahead in the second period with an Adam Lowry goal, with helpers from Dillion and Nino Niederreiter. Winnipeg added on in the third period with another Lowry goal, passed from Mason Appleton and Niederreiter. The Jets extended the lead as Connor scored on the power play, with the help of Morrissey and Scheifele. The Avalanche got one back with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, powered by Makar and MacKinnon. Winnipeg shot back with a Connor goal, his second of the game, guided in by Vilardi and Scheifele. Colorado replied with an unassisted Makar power play goal. The Avalanche got closer on a Casey Mittelstadt goal, helped along by Lehkonen and Rantanen. This only made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars being Connor, Lowry, and Scheifele, while Morrissey, Dillon, Niederreiter, Vilardi, Makar, MacKinnon, Lehkonen, and Rantanen get the honorable mentions. The Jets are up 1-0 in the series. 

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, via Roman Josi and Mark Jankowski. Vancouver tied it in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, assisted by Dakota Joshua and Nikita Zadorov. The Predators took the lead back with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg. The Canucks tied it in the third period with a Quinn Hughes goal, fueled by Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek. Vancouver took the lead with a Joshua goal, with a lone helper from Conor Garland. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Joshua empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Teddy Blueger and J.T. Miller. The three stars were Joshua, Hughes, and Lindholm. The Canucks own a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL Playoffs 2024 - Day 1

It's the first day of the postseason, which starts with two games. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Frederik Andersen patrol the creases. Carolina started in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, powered by Martin Necas and Brady Skjei. New York tied it on a Kyle MacLean goal, coming off of Anders Lee and Alexander Romanov. The Hurricanes pulled ahead with a Stefan Noesen goal, via Skjei and Kuznetsov. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with a Necas empty net goal, set up by Brett Pesce and Jack Drury. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Necas, and Skjei. The Hurricanes established a 1-0 series lead.

Up in Boston, the Bruins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Jeremy Swayman are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a John Beecher goal, coming off of Jesper Boqvist and Pat Maroon. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Brandon Carlo goal, passed from Jake DeBrusk and Hampus Lindholm. Boston extended the lead on a DeBrusk power play goal, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The Bruins padded the with another DeBrusk power play goal, with helpers from Marchand and McAvoy. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a David Kampf goal, fueled by Connor Dewar and Ryan Reaves. Boston iced it at 5-1 with a Trent Frederic empty net goal, with a lone assist from David Pastrnak. The three stars were DeBrusk, Marchand, and McAvoy. The Bruins begin the first round with a 1-0 series lead. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 183

The regular season ends here, with six games on a Thursday. First up...

The Minnesota Wild host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Marc-Andre Fleury patrol the creases. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his forty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Seattle tied it in the second period with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Kraken took the lead with a Yanni Gourde shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Brandon Tanev in the third period. The Wild tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Matt Boldy and Jake Middleton. Seattle retook the lead with a Tye Kartye goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Bjorkstrand and Jared McCann. The Kraken added on with a Gourde shorthanded goal into an empty net, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Tanev and Jamie Oleksiak. Minnesota got one back with a Brock Faber power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Boldy and Ryan Hartman. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Gourde, Bjorkstrand, and Tanev, while Boldy gets an honorable mention.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Laurent Brossoit are set to start in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Alex Iafallo and Brad Lambert. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Mason Appleton and Nate Schmidt. The Canucks tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Quinn Hughes and Garland. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Nikita Chibrikov goal, helped along by Nino Niederreiter. The Jets added on with a Perfetti empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Perfetti, Garland, and Chibrikov.

Over in Calgary, the Flames bring in the San Jose Sharks. Devin Cooley and Dustin Wolf patrol the creases. Calgary led off in the first period with an Adam Klapka goal, going in unassisted. The Flames added on with a Blake Coleman goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Connor Zary and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Oliver Kylington scored his third of the year, thanks to Andrei Kuzmenko. The Flames padded the lead with a Kevin Rooney goal, his third of the season, made possible by Martin Pospisil and Matt Coronato. Calgary continued with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Daniil Miromanov and Coleman. Georgi Romanov replaced Cooley in goal. San Joe got on the board in the third period with a Fabian Zetterlund power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Collin Graf. The final held at 5-1 with the three stars being Coleman, Wolf (16 for 17 in saves), and Klapka.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Justus Annunen are in the blue paint. Colorado began in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Artturi Lehkonen and Casey Mittelstadt. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his forty-second of the year, via Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado extended the lead on a Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, powered by MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche padded the lead as Josh Manson scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Sean Walker and Yakov Trenin. Edmonton got on the board with a Dylan Holloway power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Philip Broberg and Brett Kulak. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in goal. Colorado fired back in the second period with a Zach Parise goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Ross Colton and Miles Wood. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Nichushkin, MacKinnon, and Annunen (24 for 25 in saves).

To Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Adin Hill are the masked men. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Cam Fowler and Ryan Strome. Vegas tied it on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Shea Theodore and William Karlsson. The Ducks took the lead back in the second period with a Jackson LaCombe goal, his second of the season, coming off of Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson. Anaheim added on with a Vatrano goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, passed from Strome and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Vatrano to complete his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the campaign, set up by LaCombe. The three stars were Vatrano, LaCombe, and Strome.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Lukas Reichel goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. The Kings took the lead with a Quinton Byfield power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Danault and Jordan Spence. Los Angeles added on with a Moore goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Arvidsson and Danault. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Korchinski and Ryan Donato. Chicago tied it on a Joey Anderson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Landon Slaggert. The Blackhawks gained the lead with a Donato goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by MacKenzie Entwistle. The Kings retied it on an Arvidsson power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Byfield and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles won 5-4 in overtime on a Kempe goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Arvidsson, Kempe, and Moore, while Danault, Byfield, and Donato get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 182

There's four games on for this Wednesday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Ilya Sorokin are the goalies. New York began in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, fueled by Simon Holmstrom. Pittsburgh tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Michael Bunting and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Malkin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson. The Islanders tied it on a Casey Cizikas goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Alexander Romanov and Samuel Bolduc. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Valtteri Puustinen goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, with assists provided by Nelson and Mike Reilly. The Islanders gained the lead in the third period with a Bolduc power play goal, his second of the season, guided in by Ryan Pulock and Ruslan Iskhakov. The Penguins tied it with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Crosby and Bunting. New York pulled ahead with a Holmstrom goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Kyle MacLean. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Holmstrom, Nelson, and Bolduc, while Malkin, Crosby, and Bunting get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Matt Tomkins are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Anthony Duclair and Matt Dumba. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his forty-fourth of the year, passed from Brandon Hagel and Steven Stamkos. Toronto got on the board with a Ryan Reaves goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of David Kampf and Connor Dewar. Tampa Bay replied with a Duclair goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Paul and Stamkos. The Lightning extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his forty-sixth of the season, thanks to Kucherov and Darren Raddysh on the power play. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Hagel goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Calvin de Haan. The Lightning struck again in the third period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Michael Eyssimont and Mitchell Chaffee. The Maple Leafs got one back with a TJ Brodie goal, coming off of Dewar and Kampf. Toronto got closer with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Nicholas Robertson. The Maple Leafs pulled closer with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, dished from William Nylander and Conor Timmins. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Hagel, and Paul, while Stamkos, Dewar and Kampf get the honorable mentions.

West to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Robert Thomas goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Zack Bolduc and Brayden Schenn. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Mason Marchment goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Matt Duchene and Esa Lindell. The tie went to a shootout, where Jason Robertson had the lone tally for a 2-1 Stars win. The three stars were Oettinger (26 for 27 in saves), Marchment, and Binnington (36 for 37 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram receive the starts in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a Liam O'Brien goal, his fifth of the season, via Juuso Valimaki and Michael Kesselring. Edmonton tied it on a Sam Carrick goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jack McBain and Aku Raty. Arizona added on in the third period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Vladislav Kolyachonok and Dylan Guenther. The Oilers got one back with a Warren Foegele goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Philip Broberg. The Coyotes fired back with a Guenther power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Clayton Keller and Alexander Kerfoot. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Sean Durzi empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Guenther, Crouse, and Ingram (28 for 30 in saves). 

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