Tuesday, April 16, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 181

It's the last eight-game day of the season. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Jiri Smejkal goal, via Erik Brannstrom. The Senators added on with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk. Boston got on the board with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and David Pastrnak in the third period. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Artem Zub, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Chychrun, Smejkal, and Forsberg (34 for 35 in saves).

In Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin faces his former team and Jet Greaves in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Luca Del Bel Belluz goal, via Mikael Pyyhtia and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with a Werenski goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Cole Sillinger and Kirill Marchenko. Carolina got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Max Comtois and Stefan Noesen. The Hurricanes tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Kotkaniemi and Brent Burns. Columbus regained the lead with a James Malatesta goal, his second of the year, fueled by Mathieu Olivier and Sean Kuraly. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Teravainen power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Burns and Noesen. The Blue Jackets shot back with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Justin Danforth and Werenski. Columbus extended the lead in the third period as Alex Nylander scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Erik Gudbranson and Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Werenski goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Gaudreau and Olivier. This made it a 6-3 game, with the three stars going to Werenski, Gaudreau, and Olivier, while Teravainen, Kotkaniemi, Noesen, and Burns get the honorable mentions.

To Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Cayden Primeau are set to start in goal. Montreal started in the first period with an Alex Newhook goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Brendan Gallagher and Logan Mailloux. Detroit tied it on a Moritz Seider goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Dylan Larkin. The Canadiens took the lead back in the second period with a Gallagher goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Joel Armia and Jayden Struble. Montreal added on with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Juraj Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Joe Veleno goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Shayne Gostisbehere and Daniel Sprong. Detroit tied it in the third period on a Sprong goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens pulled ahead with a Slafkovsky goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Lane Hutson and David Savard. The Red Wings tied it again with a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Gostisbehere. The tie went to a shootout, where Patrick Kane's lone tally gave the Red Wings a 5-4 win. The three stars belonged to Sprong, Slafkovsky, and Gallagher, while Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Samuel Ersson receive the starts in goal. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, via Dylan McIlrath and T.J. Oshie. Philadelphia tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Egor Zamula and Sean Couturier. The Capitals took the lead with an Oshie empty net goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Nic Dowd. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Oshie, Lindgren (27 for 28 in saves), and Ovechkin.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are the backups in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander on the power play. The Maple Leafs added on with a Noah Gregor goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers tied it on a Bennett goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Gustav Forsling and Tkachuk. Florida took the lead with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifty-sixth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers replied with a Brandon Montour goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Barkov and Vladimir Tarasenko. Florida iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Reinhart, his second of the game and fifty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Eetu Luostarinen. The three stars went to Reinhart, Bennett, and Tkachuk, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Way north to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-third of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Seattle tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Jets retook the lead with another Connor goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Morrissey and Scheifele. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Neal Pionk. The Kraken got one back with a Yanni Gourde goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Ryker Evans and Brandon Tanev. Seattle tied it on a Tye Kartye goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Gourde. The Jets regained the lead in the third period with a Toffoli power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Ehlers and Pionk. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Connor, Toffoli, and Ehlers, while Scheifele, Morrissey, Pionk, Gourde, and Tanev get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Myers shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Teddy Blueger and Elias Lindholm. The Canucks added on with a Nils Hoglander goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Elias Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Dakota Joshua scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Conor Garland and Myers. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Brayden Pachal goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Nazem Kadri and Ilya Solovyov. The Canucks responded with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, helped along by Pius Suter. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Myers, Demko (39 for 40 in saves), and Hoglander.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Logan Thompson protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his fourth of the season, via Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Michael Amadio goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got on the board with a Jason Dickinson goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with a Nicolas Roy empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Brett Howden and Jack Eichel. The three stars belonged to Thompson (23 for 24 in saves), Amadio, and McNabb. 

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