NHL 2023-24 - Day 122

We've got 13 games this Saturday. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. Boston began in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his tenth of the season, via Trent Frederic and Kevin Shattenkirk. Los Angeles tied it on a Matt Roy goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Trevor Lewis and Andreas Englund. The Bruins retook the lead with a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. Boston added on with an Anthony Richard goal in the second period, guided in by Jesper Boqvist and Jakub Lauko. The Kings got one back with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Brandt Clarke and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Dubois and Quinton Byfield. The Bruins regained the lead with a Frederic goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Morgan Geekie and van Riemsdyk. The Kings tied it again with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. Los Angeles won 5-4 in overtime with a Clarke goal, with a lone assist by Phillip Danault. The three stars were Clarke, van Riemsdyk, and Dubois, while Frederic gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Dallas got going in the second period with a Mason Marchment power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene. Edmonton tied it on an Evan Bouchard goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and Corey Perry. The Stars took the lead with a Thomas Harley goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. The Oilers tied it with a Perry goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton took the lead with a shorthanded Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Dallas tied it again with a Duchene power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Marchment and Harley. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Bouchard power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Draisaitl. The three stars were Bouchard, Duchene, and Draisaitl, while Perry, Marchment, and Harley get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Philipp Kurashev and Connor Bedard. Ottawa tied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Stutzle. The Blackhawks retied it on a Bedard goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Kurashev. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Tyler Johnson and Joey Anderson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Bedard, Kurashev, and Stutzle.

Over in Calgary, the Flames host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Moritz Seider and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings added on with a J.T. Compher goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Lucas Raymond. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Dylan Larkin scored his twenty-fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings padded the lead on a David Perron goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Joe Veleno. Dan Vladar replaced Markstrom in goal. Detroit continued in the third period on a Raymond goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, made possible by Seider. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars given to Reimer (38 save shutout), Kane, and Raymond, while Seider gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Filip Gustavsson guard the cages. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Henri Jokiharju. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild took the lead with a Declan Chisholm goal, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Marco Rossi on the power play. The Sabres tied it on a Dylan Cozens goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Jokiharju goal, his third of the year, passed from Alex Tuch and Thompson. The three stars were Jokiharju, Thompson, and Cozens.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Nashville started in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Torey Krug. The Predators took the lead back in the second period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jeremy Lauzon. Nashville added on in the third period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators extended the lead as Luke Schenn scored, with the help of Ryan McDonagh and Kiefer Sherwood. The Blues got one back with a Nathan Walker goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Kevin Hayes. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by O'Reilly, his twentieth of the year, set up by Gustav Nyquist and Forsberg. The three stars were Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Saros (35 for 37 in saves).

Southeast to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his twentieth of the season, via Anthony Cirelli. Florida tied it on a Brandon Montour goal, his third of the year, made possible by Sam Bennett. The Panthers took the lead with a Bennett goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov. Florida added on with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Ryan Lomberg and Josh Mahura. The Panthers extended the lead as Gustav Forsling goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida padded the lead in the second period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Montour. The Panthers continued with another Tkachuk power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe and Montour. Jonas Johansson replaced Vasilevskiy in goal. Florida kept going in the third period with a Verhaeghe goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Bennett and Tkachuk. The Panthers struck again with a Bennett power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell. Florida piled on with another Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, fueled by Forsling and Sam Reinhart. The Lightning got one back with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The final stood at 9-2, with the three stars given to Bennett, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe, while Montour and Forsling get the honorable mentions.

Way north to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. Washington drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Aliaksei Protas and Nick Jensen. Montreal tied it on an Arber Xhekaj goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Joshua Roy and Joel Armia. The Capitals took the lead back with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with an Alex Newhook goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Armia. Washington regained the lead in the third period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fifth of the season, via Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson. Montreal tied it again with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson. The Capitals reclaimed the lead with a Protas goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Nic Dowd and Mantha. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Protas, Mantha, and Armia.

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Martin Jones are in the creases. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-sixth of the season, via Matthew Knies and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Bobby McMann power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nicholas Robertson and Max Lajoie. Toronto extended the lead as Jake McCabe scored his fifth of the season, thanks to William Nylander and Max Domi. Anaheim got on the board with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Jakob Silfverberg. The Maple Leafs fired back with a Nylander power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Timothy Liljegren and Matthews. John Gibson replaced Dostal in goal. Toronto padded the lead on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and forty-seventh of the year, assisted by Marner and Nylander on the power play. The Maple Leafs kept going with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Matthews and Liljegren. Toronto continued with a Matthews goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-eighth of the year, coming off of Knies and McCabe. The Maple Leafs struck again with a McMann goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Pontus Holmberg and Domi. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Strome goal, his ninth of the year, dished from Gustav Lindstrom and Alex Killorn. Toronto fired back on a Robertson goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by McMann. This made it 9-2, the final, with the three stars being Matthews, Nylander, and McMann, while Robertson, Marner, Liljegren, McCabe, Knies, Domi, and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Taking it outside, the New Jersey Devils face the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Nico Daws are the young goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and John Marino. The Devils added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Brendan Smith and Jack Hughes. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, his twentieth of the season, via Travis Konecny and Egor Zamula. New Jersey replied with a Smith goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Palat and Hischier. The Devils extended the lead as Nathan Bastian scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Timo Meier and Curtis Lazar. The Flyers got one back with a Tippett power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, powered by Konecny and Morgan Frost. New Jersey fired back with a Hischier goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, passed from Jesper Bratt and Marino in the third period. Philadelphia got one back with a Nick Seeler goal, helped along by Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Bastian, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Erik Haula and Lazar. The three stars were Hischier, Bastian, and Tippett, while Smith, Palat, Lazar, Marino, and Konecny get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Noah Juulsen goal, via Conor Garland and Ilya Mikheyev. Winnipeg tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Vilardi and Scheifele. The Jets tied it on a Tyler Myers goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg pulled ahead with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, passed from Kyle Connor and Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Scheifele goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Connor and Nate Schmidt. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars being Scheifele, Vilardi, and Connor.

Down in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Kaapo Kahkonen handle the goaltending duties. San Jose led off in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his second of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Yegor Chinakhov and Erik Gudbranson. Columbus added on with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Chinakhov and Gudbranson. The Sharks got one back with a Duclair goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Fabian Zetterlund and Calen Addison. San Jose tied it on a Zetterlund power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Addison and Mikael Granlund. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Gaudreau and Ivan Provorov. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Chinakhov, and Duclair, while Gudbranson, Zetterlund, and Addison get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin and Adin Hill receive the starts in goal. Vegas began in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Nicolas Roy and Ivan Barbashev. Carolina tied it in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Seth Jarvis and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Jarvis goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Jordan Staal and Brady Skjei. Carolina added on with a Stefan Noesen goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Jarvis, Noesen, and Martin (29 for 30 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 121

There's just one game this Friday night, as the Arizona Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his ninth of the season, via Brady Skjei and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes added on with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Martin Necas and Jack Drury. Arizona got on the board with a Dylan Guenther goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina replied in the second period with a Seth Jarvis unassisted goal, his seventeenth of the year. The Hurricanes extended the lead on a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Drury and Stefan Noesen. Carolina padded the lead in the third period with a Michael Bunting goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Necas. Matt Villalta replaced Vejmelka in goal. The final was 5-1, and the three stars were Kochetkov (30 for 31 in saves), Drury, and Necas. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 120

There's 12 games on for this Thursday. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy. Seattle tied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Matty Beniers. The Kraken took the lead in the second period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Beniers. Seattle added on in the third period with a Beniers goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Alexander Wennberg. The Kraken iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Jared McCann, his twenty-second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Beniers, Daccord (37 for 38 in saves), and Tolvanen.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Eric Comrie draw the starts in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling. Florida extended the lead with a Verhaeghe empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Sam Reinhart. The Panthers iced it at 4-0 with a Ryan Lomberg power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Forsling and Lundell. The three stars were awarded to Stolarz (45 save shutout), Verhaeghe, and Lundell, while Forsling gets an honorable mention.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Nico Daws are in the creases. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Anze Kopitar shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Adrian Kempe. New Jersey tied it on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Quinton Byfield power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Brandt Clarke and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars given to Rittich (27 for 28 in saves), Byfield, and Kopitar.

Over in New York, the Rangers host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Jake Evans goal, his fourth of the season, via Josh Anderson and Tanner Pearson. New York tied it in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, made possible by Mika Zibanejad and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers took the lead with a Will Cuylle goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. New York added on with a shorthanded Zibanejad goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Fox and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers extended the lead on a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Panarin and Fox. The Canadiens got one back with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Cole Caufield. New York shot back in the third period with an Vincent Trocheck goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Panarin and Braden Schneider. Montreal got one back with a Caufield power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Matheson and Nick Suzuki. The Rangers shot back as Kreider completed his hat trick on his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey. New York padded the lead on a Kaapo Kakko goal, his sixth of the year, with assists from Fox and Cuylle. The Canadiens fired back with a Caufield goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, fueled by Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle. The final stood from here at 7-4, with the three stars going to Kreider, Zibanejad, and Fox, while Caufield, Panarin, Cuylle, and Slafkovsky get the honorable mentions.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Joonas Korpisalo are the veterans in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Pavel Mintyukov goal, his third of the season, coming off of Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Ryan Strome. Anaheim extended the lead as Mason McTavish scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Jakob Silfverberg and Vatrano. Lukas Dostal replaced Gibson in goal at the start of the third period. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period with a McTavish goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Terry and Fowler. Ottawa got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim replied with a power play goal by Fowler, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Strome and Vatrano. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being McTavish, Fowler, and Vatrano, while Terry and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Ilya Samsonov are in the creases. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a shorthanded Travis Sanheim goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny. Toronto tied it in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-third of the year, guided in by Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and forty-fourth of the season, powered by Marner and William Nylander. Toronto added on with a Matthews goal, completing his hat trick on his forty-fifth of the year, assisted by Timothy Liljegren. The Flyers got one back with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Nick Seeler and Ryan Poehling. Philadelphia tied it with a Konency power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Owen Tippett and Joel Farabee. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Nylander goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, fueled by Liljegren and Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Nylander, and Marner, while Konecny and Liljegren get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Bowen Byram goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Brandon Hagel. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with a Byram goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, via Ross Colton and Artturi Lehkonen. Colorado took the lead in the third period with a Lehkonen power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. Tampa Bay retied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning pulled ahead with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, coming off of Point and Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on with an empty net goal by Anthony Cirelli, his twelfth of the year, set up by Hagel and Erik Cernak. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with an Nick Perbix empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kucherov, Stamkos, and Point, while Byram, Hagel, Lehkonen, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Sam Steel goal, his seventh of the season. The Stars added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Mason Marchment. Dallas extended the lead as Craig Smith scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Steel and Ryan Suter. The Stars padded the lead on a Wyatt Johnston goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Ty Dellandrea and Thomas Harley. Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros in goal for the second period. Dallas continued with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Johnston and Dellandrea. Nashville got on the board with a Cole Smith goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Michael McCarron and Alexandre Carrier. The Stars answered with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Marchment and Duchene. The Predators responded with a Tommy Novak goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Gustav Nyquist. Dallas shot back with another Duchene goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, assisted by Seguin and Suter. Scott Wedgewood relieved Oettinger for the third period. The Stars kept going with a Dellandrea goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jason Robertson and Suter. Dallas struck again with a Johnston goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, fueled by Seguin and Duchene on the power play. The final stood at 9-2, with the three stars given to Duchene, Johnston, and Seguin, while Dellandrea, Steel, Marchment, and Suter get the honorable mentions.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jordan Binnington are the masked men. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Nick Leddy and Pavel Buchnevich. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers took the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Zach Hyman and McDavid. The Blues tied it in the second period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. St. Louis pulled ahead with a Krug goal, his second of the season, passed from Neighbours and Matthew Kessel. The Blues added on with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Neighbours and Thomas. St. Louis extended the lead as Buchnevich scored his eighteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Thomas and Kyrou. Edmonton got one back with a Corey Perry goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, helped along by Brett Kulak and McDavid. The Blues iced it at 6-3 with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Neighbours, Thomas, and McDavid, while Buchnevich, Krug, and Kyrou get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Arvid Soderblom are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Marcus Pettersson and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Drew O'Connor. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno. Pittsburgh shot back in the third period with another Crosby goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, assisted by Rakell and Pettersson. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Bryan Rust empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Kris Letang. The three stars were Crosby, Rakell, and Pettersson.

To Calgary, where the Flames welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Dustin Wolf patrol the creases. Calgary opened in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Martin Pospisil. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Filip Zadina. The Sharks took the lead with a Justin Bailey goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Zadina. San Jose added on with a Luke Kunin power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by William Eklund and Kyle Burroughs. The Flames got one back with a Mikael Backlund goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin. San Jose responded in the third period with a Zadina goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Nico Sturm and Bailey. The Sharks extended the lead as Zadina scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Bailey and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks padded the lead with another Kunin goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by . Calgary got one back with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Tanev and Jonathan Huberdeau. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars going to Zadina, Bailey, and Kunin, while Tanev gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Thatcher Demko are in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Elias Pettersson. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Nikita Zadorov scored his second of the season, thanks to Pettersson and Nils Hoglander. Detroit got on the board with a J.T. Compher goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Patrick Kane and Christian Fischer. The Canucks shot back with a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, made possible by Pettersson. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Lindholm, Pettersson, and Demko (27 for 28 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 119

It's a three-game Wednesday. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Florida got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on a Jonah Gadjovich goal, his second of the year, made possible by Brandon Montour and Kevin Stenlund. Florida extended the lead on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Tkachuk and Rodrigues. The Panthers padded the lead with an Anton Lundell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Tkachuk and Nick Cousins. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel. Florida shot back with a Lundell goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Eetu Luostarinen. The Penguins got one back with a John Ludvig goal, helped along by Drew O'Connor and Lars Eller. The final stood from here at 5-2, with the three stars given to Tkachuk, Lundell, and Rodrigues.

Next up, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Morgan Barron goal, his ninth of the season, via Adam Lowry and Neal Pionk. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars handed to Hellebuyck (18 save shutout), Barron, and Kahkonen (39 for 40 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Ingram are the masked men. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Connor Dewar. Arizona got on the board with a Logan Cooley goal, his seventh of the season, via Jack McBain and Juuso Valimaki. Minnesota answered with a Boldy goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Eriksson Ek. The final was 3-1, and the three stars were Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Fleury (25 for 26 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 118

There's eleven games on this Tuesday slate. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Erik Cernak goal, via Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston got on the board with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Marchand and Pastrnak. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point's lone tally lifted the Lightning to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Kucherov.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Jordan Greenway and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres added on with a Greenway goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres padded the lead as Dahlin scored his fourteenth of the year in the second period, with the help of Ryan Johnson and Peyton Krebs. Buffalo kept going with a Zach Benson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Bryson and Peterka. Cam Talbot replaced Rittich for the third period. The Sabres continued with an Alex Tuch goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Buffalo struck again with a Greenway goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. The final stood at 7-0, with the three stars going to Greenway, Luukkonen (33 save shutout), and Peterka, while Tuch, Dahlin, and Bryson get the honorable mentions.

In Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Cayden Primeau are the inexperienced goalies. Montreal got going in the second period with a Jake Evans goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Tanner Pearson and Josh Anderson. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Juraj Slafkovsky and Jayden Struble. Montreal extended the lead as Suzuki scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook on the power play. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Slafkovsky power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Suzuki and Cole Caufield in the third period. Montreal continued with a Brandon Gignac goal, fueled by Kaiden Guhle. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Suzuki, Slafkovsky, and Primeau (13 save shutout).

Over to Ontario, as the Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Josh Norris and Claude Giroux. The Senators took the lead with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa added on with a shorthanded Giroux goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Parker Kelly. The Senators extended the lead in the second period as Ridly Greig scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Shane Pinto. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Boone Jenner goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. Columbus got closer with a Jack Roslovic goal, his third of the season, helped along by Erik Gudbranson and Jake Bean. Ottawa fired back on a Tkachuk goal, completing his hat trick on the power play with his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Giroux and Thomas Chabot. The Senators iced it at 6-3 with an Erik Brannstrom empty net goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tkachuk, Giroux, and Forsberg (36 for 39 in saves).

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ilya Samsonov are in the blue paint. Toronto opened in the first period with a Bobby McMann goal, his third of the season, assisted by Noah Gregor. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his ninth of the season, via Nathan Walker and Matthew Kessel. Toronto replied in the third period with a McMann goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from T.J. Brodie and Simon Benoit. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by McMann to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the campaign, set up by Mark Giordano and David Kampf. The three stars were McMann, Samsonov (14 for 15 in saves), and Nylander.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Charlie Lindgren draw the starts in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Miles Wood and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche added on with a Devon Toews goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Andrew Cogliano. Washington got on the board with a Beck Malenstyn goal, his fifth of the season, via Martin Fehervary and Nic Dowd. The Capitals tied it on a Connor McMichael goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Anthony Mantha. Colorado took the lead with a Lehkonen goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Colton and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon. Washington pulled one back in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Mantha. Colorado fired back with a Lehkonen empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Avalanche finished it at 6-3 with a Wood empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Byram. The three stars were Lehkonen, Colton, and Mantha, while MacKinnon, Wood, Byram, and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, as the Islanders host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Ilya Sorokin protect the nets. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matty Beniers goal, his seventh of the season, via Jared McCann. New York tied it on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. The tie went to a shootout, where Tomas Tatar's lone tally lifted the Kraken to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Grubauer (26 for 27 in saves), Beniers, and Sorokin (29 for 30 in saves).

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Seth Jarvis and Jordan Martinook. The Stars retook the lead with a Mason Marchment goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nils Lundkvist and Matt Duchene. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Jesper Fast goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Martinook and Staal. Dallas pulled ahead with a Robertson goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Pavelski and Jani Hakanpaa. The Stars added on with a Duchene empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Hakanpaa. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Robertson, Duchene, and Staal, while Pavelski, Hakanpaa, and Martinook get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Cody Glass and Roman Josi. New Jersey tied it in the second period on a Jack Hughes goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Luke Hughes and John Marino. The Predators took the lead back with a Tommy Novak goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Josi and Glass. The Devils tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Jesper Bratt and Ondrej Palat. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Timo Meier goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Curtis Lazar and Dawson Mercer. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with a Hischier empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hischier, Josi, and Glass.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Petr Mrazek are between the pipes. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dakota Joshua and Filip Hronek. The Canucks added on in the second period with another Garland goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Hronek and Joshua. Chicago got on the board with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno. Vancouver shot back with a Nils Hoglander goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Joshua scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes. The Blackhawks got one back with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ryan Donato and Lukas Reichel. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars given to Joshua, Garland, and Hronek.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Stuart Skinner man the creases. Edmonton began in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. Alex Lyon replaced an injured Husso in goal. The Oilers added on with a Ceci goal, coming off of Nurse and Connor McDavid. Detroit got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Moritz Seider. Edmonton answered in the second period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Red Wings got one back with a Joe Veleno power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sprong and DeBrincat. Detroit tied it on a Kane goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by J.T. Compher and David Perron. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Dylan Holloway goal, his third of the year, passed from Bouchard and McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to McDavid and Bouchard. The Oilers padded the lead on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-second of the year, with a lone helper by Draisaitl. Edmonton continued with an Evander Kane goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by McDavid and Vincent Desharnais. The Red Wings got one back with a Perron goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Ben Chiarot and Compher. The Oilers shot back with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by McDavid. The final stood at 8-4, with the three stars being McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Bouchard, while Draisaitl, Ceci, Nurse, Patrick Kane, DeBrincat, Perron, and Compher get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 117

There's four games on this Monday. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Nico Daws are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. The Devils added on in the second period with a Hughes goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Erik Haula. New Jersey extended the lead as Dawson Mercer scored his fifteenth goal of the season, with the help of Timo Meier and Santeri Hattaka. Seattle got on the board in the third period with a Will Borgen goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Hughes, Daws (27 for 28 in saves), and Mercer.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Igor Shesterkin are the veterans in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Will Cuylle goal, his ninth of the season, via Kaapo Kakko and Jonny Brodzinski. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Jimmy Vesey empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 2-0 game were Shesterkin (30 save shutout), Cuylle, and Markstrom (29 for 30 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Samuel Ersson are in the blue paint. Arizona began in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, his third of the season, made possible by Clayton Keller and Travis Dermott. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Morgan Frost penalty shot goal, his ninth of the year. The Coyotes answered with a Matias Maccelli goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by J.J. Moser and Michael Kesselring. The Flyers tied it again with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Scott Laughton. Arizona regained the lead with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jason Zucker and Moser. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Jamie Drysdale goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Konecny. The Flyers pulled ahead on a Laughton goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Travis Sanheim and Marc Staal. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Owen Tippett, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Konecny and Sean Couturier. The three stars were Konecny, Laughton, and Moser.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Adin Hill guard the cages. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Nicolas Roy and Alex Pietrangelo. Minnesota tied it on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman. The Wild took the lead with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Matt Boldy and Kaprizov. The Golden Knights retied it on a Michael Amadio power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Pietrangelo and Brendan Brisson. Minnesota pulled ahead with a Marco Rossi goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Boldy and Brock Faber in the third period. The Wild added on with a Boldy goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Hartman and Faber. Vegas got one back with a Mark Stone goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Chandler Stephenson and Zach Whitecloud. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with an Eriksson Ek empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Kaprizov, while Hartman, Faber, and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 116

There's just two early games today. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jake Allen are the former teammates in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his eighth of the season, via Oskar Sundqvist and Torey Krug. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Kasperi Kapanen. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson. St. Louis replied with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Krug. The Blues extended the lead in the second period as Nathan Walker scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Schenn and Krug. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period on a Thomas power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Leddy and Jake Neighbours. The Canadiens got one back with a Joel Armia goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by David Savard and Jayden Struble. The Blues fired back with a Neighbours power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Thomas and Krug. St. Louis iced it at 7-2 with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Thomas and Krug. The three stars were Kyrou, Krug, and Thomas, while Neighbours gets an honorable mention.

In DC, the Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Washington opened in the first period with a Nic Dowd goal, his eighth of the season, via Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Rasmus Sandin. Vancouver tied it on a Conor Garland goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Noah Juulsen. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Dylan Strome and T.J. Oshie. The Canucks tied it again with a Nils Hoglander goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Miller, Hoglander, and Garland. 

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