NHL 2016/17 - Day 145

Five games for this Sunday, the first in our return to Daylight Savings Time. We begin with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Corey Crawford are the alliterative goalies. Chicago led off in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks added on with a Panarin goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Kane and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Darcy Kuemper replaced Dubnyk in goal. Minnesota got on the board with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Nino Niederreiter and Marco Scandella. Chicago replied on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, made possible by Marcus Kruger and Jordin Tootoo. The Wild pulled back on a Mikael Granlund goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Duncan Keith. The three stars went to Kane, Panarin, and Crawford (42 for 44 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Petr Mrazek draw the starts in goal. New York began in the first period with a shorthanded Ryan McDonagh goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Justin Abdelkader. The Rangers retook the lead with a McDonagh goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Marc Staal and Pavel Buchnevich. New York added on with a Hayes goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from J.T. Miller and Grabner. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Derek Stepan scored a power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with the help of Chris Kreider. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to McDonagh, Hayes, and Grabner.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cam Talbot tend the twines. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Milan Lucic goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it in the third period with a Paul Byron goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-second of the season, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk and Andrei Markov. Montreal added on with a Byron empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the campaign, set up by Byron and Torrey Mitchell. The three stars went to Pacioretty, Byron, and Price (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Ducks added on with a Perry goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead as Rickard Rakell scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Getzlaf. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Justin Williams. The Ducks answered with a Getzlaf power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Perry and Kesler. The Capitals got one back with a Marcus Johansson goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Anaheim padded the lead on a Kesler goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Perry, Getzlaf, and Kesler. 

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Aaron Dell are given the starts in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Justin Braun. Dallas tied it on a Remi Elie goal, via Ales Hemsky. The Sharks took the lead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Paul Martin and Joe Thornton. San Jose added on in the second period with a Joel Ward goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Couture and Martin. The Sharks extended the lead as Pavelski scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, a shorthanded goal going in unassisted. San Jose padded the lead in the third period with a Chris Tierney goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Dylan DeMelo and Marcus Sorensen. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Pavelski, Couture, and Martin.

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MLS 2017: Week 2

Only ten games this week, as a match between the New England Revolution and Orlando City SC was postponed due to weather. The first of seven on Saturday is...

The Chicago Fire hosting Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Jorge Bava are the goalies. Chicago led off in the eleventh minute with a Nemanja Nikolic goal. The Fire added on in the fifteenth minute with an Arturo Alvarez goal, made possible by Johan Kappelhof. Salt Lake had a yellow card for a Chris Wingert foul in the seventy-ninth minute. This stood for a 2-0 Fire win, with the man of the match being Nikolic for the winner, his first with the team.

East to Red Bull Arena, as the New York Red Bulls welcome the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Luis Robles tend the nets. New York's Sean Davis had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul. The Red Bulls cracked the scoresheet first on an own goal from Colorado's Eric Miller in the forty-fifth minute. New York's Derrick Etienne had a yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute foul. The Red Bulls' Daniel Royer had a yellow card for time wasting in the seventy-ninth minute. Micheal Azira of the Rapids took a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The final held at 1-0 Red Bulls, with the man of the match being Robles for the clean sheet.

Over in Philadelphia, the Union bring in Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Andre Blake are the keepers. Philadelphia opened in the eleventh minute with a Jay Simpson goal, assisted by Chris Pontius and Haris Medunjanin. Toronto tied it in first half stoppage time with a Jozy Altidore penalty kick goal. Toronto's Eriq Zavaleta took a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul, as did the Union's Fabinho in the fifty-third minute. In the fifty-seventh minute, Armando Cooper of Toronto had a yellow card for a foul. Toronto took the lead in the seventy-first minute with a Justin Morrow goal, set up by Michael Bradley. Philadelphia retied it on a C.J. Sapong goal in the seventy-third minute, coming off of Fabian Herbers. The game ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Sapong for equalizing quickly.

Up to Montreal, where the Impact host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Evan Bush guard the woodwork. Montreal had a yellow card for an eleventh minute foul by Laurent Ciman. The Impact began in the seventeenth minute with a Matteo Mancosu goal, passed from Ignacio Piatti and Patrice Bernier. Montreal added on in the fifty-first minute with a Piatti goal, helped along by Bernier. The Impact's Mancosu received a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. Seattle got on the board in the eighty-third minute with a Nicolas Lodeiro penalty kick goal. The Sounders tied it in stoppage time with a Will Bruin goal, set up by Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan. This made it 2-2, the final, with the man of the match being Piatti for his goal and assist.

Down in Houston, the Dynamo welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Tyler Deric are the gloved men. Houston started in the second minute on a Romell Quioto goal. The Dynamo added on in the thirty-fifth minute with an Alberth Elis goal, passed from Alex. Ethan Finlay of Columbus had a yellow card for dissent in the fifty-ninth minute. Houston extended the lead in the sixty-fifth minute on an Erick Torres goal, with the help of Alex. Elis had a yellow card for a sixty-eighth minute foul for the Dynamo. In the seventy-second minute, the Crew's Jukka Raitala took a yellow card for a foul. Columbus went down to ten men when Jonathan Mensah received a straight red card in the eighty-seventh minute for violent conduct. The Crew got on the board in stoppage time with an Ola Kamara goal, passed from Justin Meram and Raitala. This only made it 3-1, the final, with Alex the man of the match for his setup work.

Backtracking to Kansas City, where Sporting brings in FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Tim Melia are in goal. Dallas saw yellow cards to Aaron Guillen in the fourth minute for a handball and Maynor Figueroa in the twenty-ninth minute for a foul. Dallas' Atiba Harris took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. Kansas City saw yellow cards for a foul by Seth Sinovic in the seventy-ninth minute and an argument from Dominic Dwyer in the eighty-first minute. Dallas' Carlos Gruezo took a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute, as did teammate Carlos Cermeno in stoppage time. Three minutes later, Sporting's Gerso Fernandes took a yellow card for dissent. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Melia for a four-save clean sheet.

Saturday ends with the San Jose Earthquakes hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and David Bingham are the similarly named keepers. Vancouver struck first in the second minute with an Erik Hurtado goal. Fatai Alashe of San Jose had a yellow card for a seventh minute foul. Russel Teibert of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a foul in the fifteenth minute. Vancouver added on with a Nicolas Mezquida goal in the seventeenth minute, courtesy of Hurtado. In the twenty-third minute, Ousted earned a red card for denial of a goal scoring opportunity, forcing Paolo Tornaghi into the match for Mezquida. San Jose got on the board in the thirty-second minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal, assisted by Victor Bernardez. The Earthquakes tied it on a Nick Lima goal in the fifty-fourth minute, coming off of Wondolowski and Jahmir Hyka. San Jose took the lead with a seventy-ninth minute Anibal Godoy goal, via Hyka. Christian Dean of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a handball. The game ended 3-2, with Wondolowski the man of the match. 

On Sunday, the first of three games has New York City FC welcoming DC United. Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson are the solid goalies. New York City was first to score in the eighth minute with a Rodney Wallace goal. DC had a yellow card for a Steve Birnbaum foul in the twenty-fourth minute. New York City added on with a David Villa goal, passed from Wallace and Maximiliano Moralez. DC took a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul by Jared Jeffrey. In the thirty-ninth minute, Moralez scored to extend the New York City lead, with the help of Villa. Nick DeLeon of DC received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-third minute. New York City padded the lead with a seventy-fifth minute goal by Villa, set up by Moralez. DC had a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul by Rob Vincent. Lamar Neagle of DC had a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. The game ended at 4-0, with the man of the match being Villa for a brace and assist.

The next game sees Minnesota United FC bring in fellow expansion side Atlanta United. Alec Kann and John Alvbage are in the six-yard boxes. Atlanta drew first blood in the third minute on a Josef Martinez goal, via Miguel Almiron. Atlanta added on in the thirteenth minute with an Almiron goal, set up by Julian Gressel. Minnesota's Rasmus Schuller took a yellow card for a nineteenth minute foul. Atlanta extended the lead as Martinez scored in the twenty-seventh minute, thanks to Yamil Asad. Minnesota got on the board in the thirtieth minute with a Kevin Molino penalty kick goal. Atlanta's Leandro Gonzalez Pirez took a yellow card for a thirty-fourth minute foul. Minnesota's Francisco Calvo took a yellow card for a foul in the forty-first minute. Hector Villalba of Atlanta took a yellow card in the forty-eighth minute for delaying the restart of play. Atlanta replied on the scoring side of things with a fifty-second minute goal by Almiron. Minnesota's Molino took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the fifty-seventh minute. Atlanta padded the lead with a Martinez goal, with an assist from Villalba in the seventy-fifth minute, completing Martinez's hat trick. Atlanta made it 6-1 in stoppage time with a Jacob Peterson goal, coming off of Greg Garza. The man of the match was Martinez for the hat trick.

Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Clement Diop man the nets. Portland cracked the scoresheet in the eighth minute with a Diego Chara goal, set up by Diego Valeri. Darlington Nagbe of the Timbers had a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Los Angeles went down to ten men after two consecutive yellow cards for fouls by Jelle Van Damme in the thirty-first and thirty-fourth minutes. Rafael Garcia of the Galaxy had a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. Portland's Alvas Powell took a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute handball. The Timbers held on to win 1-0, with the man of the match being Chara.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 144

Eleven games will entertain crowds today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Tuukka Rask are the veteran goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Patrice Bergeron. Philadelphia tied it with a Jordan Weal goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Wayne Simmonds and Claude Giroux. The Bruins took the lead with  Drew Stafford goal in the third period, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Kevan Miller. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Stafford, Rask (26 for 27 in saves), and Pastrnak.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Martin Jones play goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Paul Martin goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Roman Josi. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a James Neal goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Colin Wilson. Nashville won 3-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Viktor Arvidsson in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by P.K. Subban. The three stars went to Neal, Johansen, and Saros (25 for 26 in saves).

At the usual time, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Anders Nilsson are the backups in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a David Savard goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Sam Gagner and Scott Hartnell. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Brandon Saad and Zach Werenski. Columbus extended the lead as Oliver Bjorkstrand scored, his fifth of the season, thanks to Gagner. Robin Lehner replaced Nilsson for the second period. Buffalo got on the board with a Jake McCabe goal, his third of the year, helped along by Nicolas Deslauriers and Evander Kane. The Sabres got closer with a Matt Moulson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brian Gionta and Zach Bogosian. Buffalo tied it as Sam Reinhart scored his sixteenth of the year, with the help of Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Kane power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Ristolainen. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with an Eichel empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars went to Kane, Gagner, and Lehner (24 for 24 in saves in relief), while Eichel and Ristolainen get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Cam Ward are the masked men. Carolina started in the first period with a Victor Rask goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Elias Lindholm and Brett Pesce. Toronto tied it on a Mitchell Marner goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk. The Maple Leafs tied it on an unassisted goal by van Riemsdyk, his twenty-first of the year. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. The three stars were van Riemsdyk, Andersen (36 for 38 in saves), and Rielly.

Westward to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Calvin Pickard are in the creases. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fifth of the season, via Cody Goloubef and Blake Comeau. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Fredrik Claesson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tom Pyatt. The Senators took the lead with an Alexandre Burrows power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa added on with a Hoffman goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Chris Kelly. The Senators extended the lead in the third period as Ryan Dzingel scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Burrows and Karlsson. The Avalanche got one back with a Sven Andrighetto power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Joe Colborne and Carl Soderberg. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Hoffman, Burrows, and Karlsson.

Back southeast, a battle of Florida goes with the Tampa Bay Lightning bringing in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Marchessault. The Panthers added on with a Mark Pysyk goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Barkov. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning tied it on a Yanni Gourde shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Andrej Sustr. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Barkov, Palat, and Gourde.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Calgary opened in the first period with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Michael Frolik and Dougie Hamilton. The Flames added on in the second period with a Frolik power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Hamilton. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Alex Chiasson scored his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Sean Monahan and Hamilton, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Frolik, Hamilton, and Elliott (31 save shutout).

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Carter Hutton are in the blue paint. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on in the second period with an unassisted Steen goal, his thirteenth of the year. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Joshua Ho-Sang and Scott Mayfield. St. Louis shot back with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, guided in by Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues extended the lead as Patrik Berglund scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to David Perron and Magnus Paajarvi. Jean-Francois Berube replaced Greiss in goal. The Islanders got one back in the third period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Thomas Hickey and Cal Clutterbuck. New York got closer with a Nick Leddy power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Andrew Ladd and John Tavares. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Tarasenko, Berglund, and Steen.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Max Domi and Connor Murphy. The Coyotes added on with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jordan Martinook. Arizona extended the lead as Jakob Chychrun scored a power play goal, his sixth of the season, with the help of Rieder and Martinook. The Coyotes padded the lead in the second period on a Brendan Perlini power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Anthony DeAngelo and Chychrun. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider. New Jersey got on the board with a power play goal by Kyle Palmieri, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Taylor Hall and Joseph Blandisi. The Devils got closer with a Beau Bennett goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Damon Severson. New Jersey chipped closer on another Palmieri goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, helped along by Severson and Adam Henrique in the third period. Arizona countered on a DeAngelo goal, his fourth of the year, via Jamie McGinn and Chychrun. The Devils pulled back on a John Moore goal, his seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Pavel Zacha and Miles Wood. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Chychrun, DeAngelo, and Palmieri, while Rieder and Martinook get the honorable mentions.

In Canada again, the Vancouver Canucks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Ryan Miller guard the cages. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with an Ian Cole goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tom Kuhnhackl and Scott Wilson. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Conor Sheary and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-0 with a Sheary empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Guentzel and Crosby. The three stars went to Guentzel, Murray (27 save shutout), and Sheary, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Washington began in the first period with a Jakub Vrana power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Williams. Los Angeles tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Marcus Johansson. The Kings tied it again with a Kopitar power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Carter and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles took the lead with a third period goal by Adrian Kempe, passed from Kevin Gravel and Martinez. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a power play empty net goal by Carter, his thirty-first of the campaign, with a lone helper from Tyler Toffoli. The three stars went to Kopitar, Carter, and Martinez.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 143

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Buffalo led off in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nicolas Deslauriers. Columbus tied it on a David Savard goal, his fourth of the year, via Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski. The Sabres tied it in the second period with a Josh Gorges goal, courtesy of Matt Moulson and Sam Reinhart. Columbus regained the lead with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Seth Jones and Jack Johnson. Buffalo retied it on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jake McCabe and Marcus Foligno. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Cam Atkinson. The final stood at 4-3 with the three stars being Jenner, Gagner, and Nick Foligno.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Chicago began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov. Detroit tied it on a Xavier Ouellet goal, his third of the year, via Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Nick Jensen and Tomas Tatar. Detroit added on in the second period with a Tatar goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Henrik Zetterberg and Nyquist. The Blackhawks got one back with a Trevor van Riemsdyk his fourth of the season, guided in by Marian Hossa. The Red Wings replied with a Tatar goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Zetterberg and Nyquist, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Tatar, Nyquist, and Zetterberg.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Jonas Brodin and Mikael Granlund. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers took the lead with a Mark Pysyk goal, his third of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Colton Sceviour. The Wild tied it in the second period with an Eric Staal goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota took the lead with a Jason Pominville goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Martin Hanzal and Zach Parise. Florida retied it on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau. Devan Dubnyk replaced Kuemper for the third period. The Panthers pulled ahead in the third period on a Barkov goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone helper from Pysyk. The Wild retied it on a Staal goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, helped along by Marco Scandella and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota added on with a Parise goal, his sixteenth of the season, dished from Pominville and Brodin. The Wild extended the lead as Granlund scored his twenty-second of the year into an empty net, with the help of Zucker and Matt Dumba. Minnesota iced it at 7-4 with a Coyle empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Staal. The three stars were Staal, Pominville, and Parise, while Granlund, Coyle, Zucker, Brodin, Barkov, Trocheck, and Pysyk get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jake Allen are the masked men. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks took the lead with a Chris Wagner goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jared Boll and Cam Fowler. The Blues tied it on a Ryan Reaves goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Schwartz and Paul Stastny in the second period. St. Louis took the lead in the third period with a Stastny goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo. Anaheim tied it again with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Rakell and Kevin Bieksa. The Blues won it 4-3 with a Joel Edmundson goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Robert Bortuzzo. The three stars belonged to Stastny, Tarasenko, and Rakell, while Schwartz gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Scott Wilson and Justin Schultz. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirty-second of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a David Desharnais goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Zack Kassian and Kris Russell. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Milan Lucic and Leon Draisaitl. The tie went to a shootout, where Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel topped McDavid for a 3-2 Penguins win. The three stars were Malkin, Bonino, and McDavid.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 142

The 10-game day begins with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Cam Ward are in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Victor Rask. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Valentin Zykov goal, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal. The Rangers replied in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Kreider and Stepan. New York gained the lead with an unassisted Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it on an Aho power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes took the lead with Aho's second power play goal of the night, also his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Staal and Elias Lindholm. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars given to Aho, Staal, and Zibanejad, while Stepan and Kreider get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with a Hedman goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin and Jake Dotchin. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Andrej Sustr scored his second of the season, thanks to Kucherov and Johnson. Minnesota got on the board with a Marco Scandella goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jonas Brodin and Mikko Koivu in the third period. The Lightning replied with a Kucherov empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Yanni Gourde. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Hedman, and Vasilevskiy (32 for 33 in saves).

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Frederik Andersen play goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Jake Gardiner and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a second period goal by Tyler Bozak, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto added on in the third period with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Morgan Rielly and Bozak. The Flyers got one back with a Gostisbehere goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Jakub Voracek. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Bozak, Gostisbehere, and Marner.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Corey Crawford are set to start in goal. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his twelfth of the season, via Logan Shaw and Kevin Bieksa. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Bernier (43 save shutout), Perry, and Crawford (25 for 26 in saves).

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Mark Giordano goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Matthew Tkachuk and Michael Frolik. The Flames added on in the second period with a Michael Stone goal, his second of the year, courtesy of T.J. Brodie and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Stone Gaudreau. The Flames padded the lead on a Micheal Ferland goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Gaudreau, who got a sock trick, and Monahan. Calgary continued in the third period with a Gaudreau goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Deryk Engelland and Frolik. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Stone, and Elliott (24 save shutout), while Monahan and Frolik get the honorable mentions.

South to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Calvin Pickard draw the starts in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Tyson Barrie and the goalie Pickard. New Jersey tied it on a Taylor Hall goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, via Ben Lovejoy. The Avalanche took the lead back with a Rene Bourque goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Sven Andrighetto. The Devils tied it again with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Beau Bennett and Joesph Blandisi. Colorado regained the lead on a Francois Beauchemin goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Blake Comeau. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Beauchemin, Bourque, and MacKinnon.

Further south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Mike Smith receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the second period with a Brendan Perlini goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Tobias Rieder and Jordan Martinook. Ottawa tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Fredrik Claesson and Erik Karlsson. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Josh Jooris. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Karlsson goal, his twelfth of the year, via Pageau. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Karlsson, Pageau, and Condon (39 for 41 in saves).

To Canada again, where the Vancouver Canucks welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. New York struck first in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Reid Boucher goal, his third of the year, made possible by Bo Horvat and Troy Stecher. The Canucks took the lead with a Sven Baertschi goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders retied it on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Bailey. New York took the lead again with a Brock Nelson goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Leddy and Bailey, the latter earning a sock trick. Vancouver retied it in the third period with a Stecher goal, his third of the year, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Markus Granlund. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with an Andrew Ladd goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Calvin de Haan and Ryan Strome. The three stars went to Bailey, Stecher, and Ladd.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by James Neal and Roman Josi. Los Angeles tied it on a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Marian Gaborik and Paul Ladue. The Predators retook the lead on a Kevin Fiala goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, guided in by Mike Fisher. The Kings retied it with a Gaborik power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Alec Martinez and Nic Dowd. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with an Iginla power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, helped along by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. The three stars were Iginla, Gaborik, and Doughty.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Martin Jones tend the twines. Washington cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Daniel Winnik goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jay Beagle and Tom Wilson. San Jose tied it on a Joe Thornton goal, his sixth of the year, via Jannik Hansen and Paul Martin. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Thornton. The Capitals tied it again with a Brett Connolly goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk. San Jose reclaimed the lead with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Burns and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on in the third period with another Couture power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Burns, who got a sock trick, and Pavelski. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Couture, Burns, and Pavelski, while Thornton gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 141

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Boston started in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Drew Stafford and Zdeno Chara. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by David Pastrnak and Chara. Boston extended the lead as Stafford scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Petr Mrazek replaced Coreau in goal. The Bruins padded the lead on an unassisted Krejci goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year. Boston continued in the second period with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, helped along by Colin Miller. Detroit got on the board with a Niklas Kronwall goal, via Mike Green and Dylan Larkin. The Bruins struck again in the third period with a Pastrnak goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, made possible by Krejci. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars given to Krejci, Marchand, and Pastrnak, while Chara and Stafford get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Chris Wideman power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Viktor Stalberg and Cody Ceci. The Senators added on with a Fredrik Claesson goal, coming off of Zack Smith. Ottawa extended the lead in the second period as Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Tommy Wingels and Claesson. Antti Niemi took over in goal for Lehtonen. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Jason Spezza and Remi Elie. The Senators shot back with a Stalberg power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with the helpers from Dion Phaneuf and Mike Hoffman. The Stars got one back in the third period with a Spezza power play goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Ales Hemsky and Esa Lindell. Ottawa shot back with a Ceci goal, his second of the year, guided in by Hoffman and Mark Stone. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Stalberg, Ceci, and Claesson, while Spezza and Hoffman get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Adam Lowry and Ben Chiarot. Pittsburgh tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets took the lead back with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jacob Trouba. The Penguins retied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Phil Kessel and Brian Dumoulin. Winnipeg retook the lead with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Mark Scheifele and Chiarot. Pittsburgh retied it in the second period with a Justin Schultz goal, his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins took the lead with a Bonino power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Conor Sheary and Mark Streit. Pittsburgh added on with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, fueled by Carl Hagelin and Chad Ruhwedel. The Penguins extended the lead as Bonino finished his hat trick on his twelfth of the season, thanks to Ruhwedel and Streit on the power play. Pittsburgh padded the lead in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Ruhwedel and Sheary, the former earning a sock trick. The Jets answered with a Marko Dano goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers coming from Andrew Copp and Paul Postma. The three stars of the 7-4 game were Bonino, Malkin, and Ruhwedel, while Streit, Sheary, and Chiarot get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 140

Nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Sam Gagner and Scott Hartnell. The Blue Jackets iced it at 2-0 with a Cam Atkinson empty net goal, his thirtieth of the year, set up by Brandon Dubinsky and Seth Jones. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (33 save shutout), Bjorsktrand, and Atkinson.

East to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Matt Read goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Radko Gudas and Nick Cousins. Buffalo tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. The Flyers took the lead back in the second period with a Gudas goal, his fourth of the season, via Sean Couturier. The Sabres retied it on an Eichel power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan O'Reilly. Philadelphia gained the lead again with a Jordan Weal goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jakub Voracek and Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Michael Del Zotto and Weal. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Del Zotto scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Travis Konecny and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Flyers padded the lead with a Konecny goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Gudas. Buffalo got one back with an Eichel goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Cody Franson and Kane. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Gudas, Eichel, and Weal, while Konecny, Couturier, Del Zotto, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Toronto began in the first period with an Alexey Marchenko goal, via Tyler Bozak and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Bozak and Marner. Toronto extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored his twenty-seventh of the year, with the help of William Nylander and Matt Hunwick. Detroit got on the board with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings got closer in the third period with a Nyquist goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Mike Green and Zetterberg. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars given to Nyquist, Bozak, and Marner, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and James Reimer are between the pipes. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Steven Kampfer and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers added on with a Tanner Glass goal, via Oscar Lindberg and J.T. Miller. New York extended the lead in the second period as Kevin Hayes scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Brady Skjei. Florida got on the board with a Thomas Vanek goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Reilly Smith and Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers answered on a Nick Holden goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Lindberg and Glass. The Panthers replied in the third period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Trocheck and Jussi Jokinen. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Pavel Buchnevich empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Rick Nash. The three stars went to Glass, Lindberg, and Trocheck.

Back north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. St. Louis started in the first period with a David Perron goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Colton Parayko and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo. Minnesota got on the board with a Mikko Koivu goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Ryan Suter and Mikael Granlund. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Allen (32 for 33 in saves), Tarasenko, and Perron.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Joshua Ho-Sang power play goal, powered by Thomas Hickey and Shane Prince. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Zack Kassian goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Matt Benning and Drake Caggiula. The Islanders took the lead back with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Josh Bailey and John Tavares. New York added on with an Andrew Ladd goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Hickey. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Lee empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Tavares and Calvin de Haan. The three stars were Lee, Hickey, and Tavares.

Down in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Justin Faulk goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Jeff Skinner and Jaccob Slavin. Colorado tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Mark Barberio. The Avalanche took the lead with a Barrie goal, his sixth of the season, via Sven Andrighetto and Fedor Tyutin. Colorado iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Blake Comeau and Barrie. The three stars were Barrie, Pickard (25 for 26 in saves), and Landeskog.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrei Markov and Andrew Shaw. Vancouver tied it in the third period on a Michael Chaput goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Alexander Edler and Troy Stecher. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime on a Paul Byron goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk. The three stars went to Byron, Price (27 for 28 in saves), and Mitchell.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Bernier play goal. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Colin Wilson goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of James Neal and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators added on with a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Mike Fisher. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, his twelfth of the season, via Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler. Nashville replied in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Filip Forsberg, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Jarnkrok. The Ducks pulled back with a Nick Ritchie goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Getzlaf and Fowler. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Patrick Eaves and Getzlaf. In the shootout, Eaves scored the only tally for a 4-3 Ducks win. The three stars were Getzlaf, Eaves, and Fowler, while Jarnkrok gets an honorable mention.

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