MLS 2017: Week 4

Only three games on this weekend, as MLS takes a partial break for the international action. We begin with...

The New England Revolution hosting Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth faces his former team and Cody Cropper in goal. New England opened in the fourth minute with a Juan Agudelo goal, via Chris Tierney and Scott Caldwell. Minnesota tied it on a fifteenth minute goal by Collen Warner, passed from Christian Ramirez. The Revolution retook the lead with a Kei Kamara goal in the twenty-first minute, coming off of Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez. New England added on with a thirty-second minute Nguyen penalty kick goal. The Revolution extended the lead as Agudelo scored his second of the game in the forty-first minute, thanks to Fagundez. Minnesota got one back in the forty-ninth minute with a Brent Kallman goal. New England replied in the fifty-third minute on a Tierney penalty kick goal. The final held at 5-2, with the man of the match being Agudelo for his brace.

Down in Red Bull Arena, the New York Red bulls welcome Real Salt Lake. Matt VanOekel is mismatched with Luis Robles in goal. New York's Kemar Lawrence took a yellow card for a forty-second minute foul. Luke Mulholland of Salt Lake took a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-seventh minute, followed by teammates Luis Silva in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul, Sunny in the sixty-eighth minute for dissent, Aaron Maund in the seventieth minute for a foul, and Ricardo Velazco in the eighty-seventh minute for a foul. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being VanOekel for a three-save clean sheet in a rare appearance.

Finally, the Columbus Crew SC bring in the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Zack Steffen draw the starts in goal. Portland started in the fourth minute with a Dairon Asprilla goal, coming off of Sebastian Blanco. Columbus tied it in the eleventh minute with a Justin Meram goal. The Crew took the lead in the nineteenth minute with an Ola Kamara goal, set up by Federico Higuain. The Timbers had a yellow card for a Diego Chara foul in the twenty-fifth minute. Columbus' Wil Trapp received a yellow card for his twenty-sixth minute foul. Portland retied it on a first half stoppage time goal by Fanendo Adi, made possible by Alvas Powell. The Crew's Artur took a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul. The Timbers had yellow cards for Blanco and Diego Valeri in the sixty-ninth and seventieth minutes, both for fouls. Columbus pulled ahead with an eighty-fourth minute goal by Niko Hansen. This made it 3-2, the final, with the man of the match being Hansen for his first MLS goal, the game-winner.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 157

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Cameron Gaunce goal, via Matt Cullen and Phil Kessel. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Joshua Ho-Sang and Alan Quine. The Islanders took the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Josh Bailey and John Tavares. The Penguins tied it again with a Sidney Crosby goal, his forty-second of the season, passed from Chad Ruhwedel and Conor Sheary. New York regained the lead with a Casey Cizikas goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Tavares. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Cullen goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Gaunce and Kessel. The tie went to a shootout, where Anthony Beauvillier and Tavares lifted the Islanders 4-3 over Crosby and Penguins. The three stars were Tavares, Gaunce, and Cullen, while Kessel and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Frans Nielsen. Tampa Bay tied it on an Ondrej Palat goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Braydon Coburn. The Lightning won 2-1 in overtime with a Kucherov goal, his thirty-eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Brayden Point. The three stars were Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (29 for 30 in saves), and Palat.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Kari Lehtonen man the nets. Dallas began in the first period with an Adam Cracknell goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Jason Spezza and Curtis McKenzie. The Stars added on in the second period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Tyler Seguin and Remi Elie. Dallas extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Ales Hemsky and Cody Eakin. The Stars padded the lead with a Cracknell goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Spezza and McKenzie. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Brent Burns. Dallas answered with a Cracknell shorthanded goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Stars iced it at 6-1 with a John Klingberg goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Spezza, who got a sock trick, and Elie. The three stars belonged to Cracknell, Spezza, and McKenzie, while Elie gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Nick Ritchie and Brandon Mantour. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Josh Morrissey power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Mathieu Perreault. The Ducks took the lead with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Silfverberg in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Cam Fowler. The three stars went to Silfverberg, Cogliano, and Bernier (17 for 18 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 156

Twelve games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Peter Budaj and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Ryan Spooner. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Jake Dotchin. The Bruins took the lead back on a shorthanded Zdeno Chara goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Riley Nash and Dominic Moore. The Lightning tied it again with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, helped along by Jonathan Drouin and Victor Hedman. Boston retook the lead with a Nash goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Moore and Kevan Miller. Tampa Bay tied it once again with an Anton Stralman goal, his third of the year, assisted by Palat and Point. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Drouin goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Alex Killorn and Dotchin. Tampa Bay added on with a Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Hedman and Drouin. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov finished his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the campaign, an empty net goal with help from Palat, who got a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Kucherov, Drouin, and Palat, while Point, Hedman, Dotchin, Nash, and Moore get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Seth Jones goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. Washington tied it on a Dmitry Orlov goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams. The Capitals won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by T.J. Oshie. The three stars were Holtby (29 for 30 in saves), Bobrovsky (44 for 45 in saves), and Orlov.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack is mismatched with Carey Price. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, sixteenth of the season, via Andrew Shaw and Artturi Lehkonen. Carolina tied it with a power play goal by Elias Lindholm, his tenth of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin. Carolina added on in the third period with a Stempniak goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Skinner scored an empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Stempniak, Skinner, and Lack (21 for 22 in saves).

West to Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Mike Condon draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Bonino power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mark Streit. Ottawa tied it in the third period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson. The Senators won in the shootout 2-1 with tallies by Turris and Bobby Ryan. The three stars went to Turris, Condon (34 for 35 in saves), and Murray (29 for 30 in saves).

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. New Jersey started in the first period with a John Moore goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Damon Severson and Kyle Palmieri. Toronto tied it on a Josh Leivo power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Nylander goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev. Toronto added on in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Tyler Bozak. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Moore power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, passed from Pavel Zacha. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with a Connor Brown empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri. The three stars were Nylander, Matthews, and Moore.

South to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Arizona led off in the first period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida tied it on a second period goal by Shawn Thornton, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Colton Sceviour. The Panthers took the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, made possible by Thomas Vanek and Nick Bjugstad. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Marchessault, Reimer (22 for 23 in saves), Thornton.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jake Allen protect the nets. Vancouver began in the first period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Alexander Edler and Troy Stecher. St. Louis tied it on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ivan Barbashev and Nail Yakupov. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on in the third period with a Paajarvi goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, courtesy of Patrik Berglund and Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Pietrangelo empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. The three stars were Paajarvi, Allen (27 for 28 in saves), and Pietrangelo.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Pekka Rinne are called on to start in goal. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Craig Smith and Colin Wilson. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Wilson and Mattias Ekholm. Calgary got on the board with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Micheal Ferland and Johnny Gaudreau. Nashville replied in the third period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Wilson, Sissons, and Rinne (24 for 25 in saves).

North to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Eric Staal and Gustav Olofsson. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn and Dale Weise. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Matt Read goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal in the third period by Jakub Voracek, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Wayne Simmonds. The three stars belonged to Read, Mason (24 for 25 in saves), and Couturier.

South again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago was first to score in the first period with Patrick Kane power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Richard Panik and Jonathan Toews. Dallas tied it on an Ales Hemsky goal in the second period, his second of the year, via John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Blackhawks regained the lead in the third period with a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Stars retied it with another Hemsky goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Benn and Esa Lindell. Chicago won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Kane and Artemi Panarin to top Tyler Seguin of Dallas. The three stars were Hemsky, Kane, and Benn.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jeremy Smith are the goalies. Colorado got on the board first in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the year, via Joe Colborne. Edmonton got on the board with an Andrej Sekera goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Mark Letestu and Drake Caggiula. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Milan Lucic goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Kris Russell. Colorado took the lead back with a Rantanen goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of MacKinnon and Sven Andrighetto. The Avalanche extended the lead as Rene Bourque scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Colborne. Laurent Brossoit replaced Talbot for the third period. Edmonton got one back in the third period with a Zack Kassian goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Benoit Pouliot and Sekera. The Oilers tied it on an Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Sekera and Connor McDavid. Edmonton took the lead with a Caggiula goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with an Eberle goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 7-4 with a Draisaitl empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Nugent-Hopkins. The three stars were Eberle, Sekera, and Caggiula, while Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, McDavid, Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Colborne get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Ben Bishop are the reliable goalies. Winnipeg darted out to an early lead in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his tenth of the season, via Brian Strait and Mark Scheifele. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Drew Doughty. The Jets retook the lead with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Dustin Byfuglien and Perreault. The Kings tied it in the second period with a Jake Muzzin goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Alec Martinez and Muzzin. The Kings added on with a Doughty power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Kopitar and Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead as Tanner Pearson scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his twenty-third of the season. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kopitar, Doughty, and Muzzin, while Toffoli and Perreault get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 155

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Toronto opened in the first period with a Leo Komarov goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a David Savard goal, his sixth of the season, via Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Zach Werenski and Sam Gagner. Toronto took the lead back with a Nylander goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the third period as Kadri scored his thirtieth of the year, thanks to Komarov and Nikita Zaitsev. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Zaitsev empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Gardiner. The three stars went to Nylander, Kadri, and Komarov, while Zaitsev and Gardiner get the honorable mentions.

Back east, a battle of New York sees the Rangers welcome their crosstown rivals, the Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Antti Raanta receive the starts in goal. The Rangers got going in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Derek Stepan. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Anthony Beauvillier and Nick Leddy. The Rangers regained the lead with a Rick Nash goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Oscar Lindberg and Nick Holden. The Islanders tied it again in the third period with a Nikolay Kulemin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Beauvillier and Joshua Ho-Sang. The Islanders took the lead on an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, fueled by Lee and John Tavares. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Lee, Ladd, and Beauvillier.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Patrick Maroon and Connor McDavid. Anaheim tied it on a Patrick Eaves goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm. The Oilers took the lead back with a McDavid goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Draisaitl and Kris Russell. The Ducks retied it with a Lindholm goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Getzlaf. Anaheim took the lead in the second period with a Josh Manson goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Lindholm. The Ducks added on with a Rakell goal, his thirty-second of the year, coming off of Getzlaf, who earned a sock trick. Laurent Brossoit replaced Talbot in goal. Edmonton got one back in the third period on a Mark Letestu power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from McDavid and Maroon. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Lindholm, Rakell, and Getzlaf, while McDavid, Draisaitl, and Maroon get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 154

Eleven games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Robin Lehner are the solid goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his forty-first of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Conor Sheary. Buffalo tied it in the third period on a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Hudson Fasching and Marcus Foligno. The Penguins took the lead back with a Nick Bonino goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Ian Cole and Tom Kuhnhackl. Pittsburgh added on with an unassisted Sheary goal, his twenty-first of the year. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sheary, Murray (29 for 30 in saves), and Bonino.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington led off in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Andre Burakovsky. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Alex Chiasson. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington added on with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Ovechkin and Backstrom. The Flames got one back in the third period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Deryk Engelland and Kris Versteeg. The Capitals shot back with an Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Shattenkirk and Backstrom, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Shattenkirk.

Backtracking to Boston, where the Bruins bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Cody Ceci and Mike Hoffman. Boston tied it on a David Krejci power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Erik Karlsson and Hoffman. The Bruins tied it on a Krug power play goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. Ottawa reclaimed the lead with a Turris goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, via Dion Phaneuf and Chris Wideman. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Turris, Krug, Hoffman.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Cory Schneider draw the starts in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period with a John Quenneville goal, via Joseph Blandisi and Pavel Zacha on the power play. New York tied it on an Oscar Lindberg goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan McDonagh. The Devils took the lead with a Taylor Hall goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Kyle Palmieri. The Rangers tied it again with a Rick Nash power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Kevin Hayes and Brady Skjei. New Jersey won 3-2 in overtime with a Blandisi goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist from Quenneville. The three stars went to Blandisi, Quenneville, and Schneider (38 for 40 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Al Montoya are called on to start in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Frans Nielsen. Montreal tied it in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Nathan Beaulieu. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Danny DeKeyser. The three stars were Mantha, Howard (35 for 36 in saves), and Abdelkader.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Christian Fischer goal, his third of the season, passed from Lawson Crouse and Josh Jooris. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Nikita Kucherov. The Coyotes took the lead back in the second period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Max Domi and Connor Murphy. The Lightning tied it again on a Kucherov goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, helped along by Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Drouin. Arizona tied it again in the third period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Domi and Anthony Duclair. The Coyotes took the lead with a Radim Vrbata goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Alex Goligoski and Ekman-Larsson. Arizona iced it at 5-3 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Murphy, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Ekman-Larsson, Domi, and Murphy, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Reto Berra are the poor goalies. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Jason Demers and Jaromir Jagr. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho. The Panthers took the lead back with a Reilly Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jussi Jokinen and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes tied it on an Aho shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Elias Lindholm. Florida took the lead in the second period with a Keith Yandle goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Demers and Jagr. Carolina tied it once again with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Lee Stempniak and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Derek Ryan. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Skinner, Aho, and Jagr, while Demers gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson play goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jordan Weal goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Claude Giroux. Winnipeg tied it on a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead with a Wheeler goal in the third period, his twenty-second of the season, via Scheifele and Perreault. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Wheeler. The Flyers got one back with a Michael Del Zotto shorthanded goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Wheeler, Scheifele, and Perreault.

Stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Corey Crawford are the veteran goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Daniel Sedin and Michael Chaput. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Jayson Megna. Chicago got on the board with a Ryan Hartman power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Marian Hossa and Nick Schmaltz. Vancouver answered with a Reid Boucher goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Christipher Tanev and Sven Baertschi. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Sutter scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, thanks to Jack Skille and Alexander Edler. The Blackhawks pulled back on a Hossa power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell. Chicago pulled closer with a Richard Panik goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks tied it as Hartman scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with the help of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Daniel Sedin, Sutter, and Hartman, while Hossa gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Minnesota started in the first period with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Eric Staal. San Jose tied it in the second period with a David Schlemko goal, his third of the year, via Joe Pavelski and Dylan DeMelo. The Wild retook the lead with a Jason Pominville goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Martin Hanzal and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Parise. The Sharks got one back with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Coyle, Parise, and Pominville.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Calvin Pickard are between the pipes. Colorado struck first in the first period with a John Mitchell goal, his third of the season, via Carl Soderberg and Blake Comeau. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Zach Sanford and David Perron. The Blues took the lead with a Magnus Paajarvi goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Sanford. St. Louis added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Avalanche got one back with a Mark Barberio goal, his second of the season, helped along by Tyson Barrie and Mitchell. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Berglund, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, set up by Perron and Kyle Brodziak. The three stars went to Berglund, Mitchell, and Sanford, while Perron gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 153

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Petr Mrazek make the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on with a Matt Moulson power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, via Tyler Ennis and Jake McCabe. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, coming off of Mike Green and Henrik Zetterberg. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Lehner (34 for 35 in saves), Moulson, and Eichel.

Next up, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen draw the starts. Boston began in the first period with a David Backes goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Brad Marchand. Toronto tied it on a Morgan Rielly goal, his sixth of the year, via Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by van Riemsdyk and Nikita Zaitsev. Toronto added on with a William Nylander empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored an empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with the help of Connor Brown and Roman Polak. The Bruins got one back with a Dominic Moore goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Noel Acciari. The final was 4-2, with the three stars being van Riemsdyk, Andersen (32 for 34 in saves), and Nylander.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Pekka Rinne play goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Ryan Ellis goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Craig Smith and Roman Josi. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Ellis scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, thanks to Smith and Mike Fisher. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Christian Dvorak and Anthony Duclair. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Ellis, Smith, and Rinne (25 for 26 in saves).

Southwest to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Curtis McKenzie goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Adam Cracknell and Jiri Hudler. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars handed to Lehtonen (30 save shutout), McKenzie, and Dell (19 for 20 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by McDavid and Draisaitl. The final remained at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Talbot (35 save shutout), McDavid, and Draisaitl.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 152

Seven games on today as the playoff race is officially underway. The Washington Capitals clinched yesterday, leaving 15 open spots up for grabs. We begin in...

New Jersey, where the Devils host the soon-to-clinch Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Columbus opened in the first period with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Lukas Sedlak, his seventh of the season. The Blue Jackets added on with a shorthanded Boone Jenner goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Jack Johnson and David Savard. New Jersey got on the board with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Pavel Zacha. Columbus added on in the second period with a Brandon Dubinsky penalty shot goal, his eleventh of the year. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-1 with a Jenner empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jenner, Bobrovsky (35 for 36 in saves), and Sedlak.

Over in Pittsburgh, the also-close-to-clinching Penguins welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Marc-Andre Fleury draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Phil Kessel and Matt Cullen. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, via Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Crosby scored his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the season, with the help of Guentzel and Sheary. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period when Crosby finished a natural hat trick on his fortieth of the year, and Guentzel and Sheary each picked up assists for natural sock tricks as well. The three stars were Crosby, Guentzel, and Sheary in the 4-0 Penguins win.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his ninth of the season, via Adam Lowry and Joel Armia. The Jets added on with a Lowry power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mathieu Perreault and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead as Ben Chiarot scored his second of the season, thanks to Bryan Little. The Jets padded the lead on a Dustin Byfuglien goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Wheeler and Perreault. Minnesota got on the board with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Zach Parise. The Wild chipped closer with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Mikko Koivu and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota pulled closer with a Chris Stewart goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jared Spurgeon and Jason Zucker. The Wild tied it on another Stewart goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Tyler Graovac. Michael Hutchinson replaced Hellebuyck in goal in the third period. Winnipeg regained the lead with a third period goal by Josh Morrissey, his fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Brian Strait and Mark Scheifele. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Lowry, Perreault, and Wheeler, while Stewart gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Colorado Avalanche. Jeremy Smith and Scott Darling are the backups in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Nick Schmaltz. Colorado tied it on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead with a Grigorenko goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, passed from Tyson Barrie and Fedor Tyutin. Colorado added on in the second period with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fourth of the year, via Mark Barberio and Mikko Rantanen. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period on a Jonathan Toews goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by John Hayden and Duncan Keith. Chicago tied it with a Richard Panik goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Hayden and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks pulled ahead with a Panarin goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Schmaltz and Kane. Chicago extended the lead as Toews scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with the help of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Blackhawks padded the lead with a Marcus Kruger empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Tanner Kero. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars being Toews, Kane, and Panarin, while Grigorenko, Schmaltz, and Hayden get the honorable mentions.

Back northeast, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his eighth of the season, via Andrei Markov and Paul Byron. Ottawa tied it on a Tom Pyatt goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Jordie Benn goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Nathan Beaulieu and Alexander Radulov. Montreal added on with a Byron goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Brendan Gallagher and Shea Weber. The Canadiens extended the lead as Beaulieu scored a power play goal, his third of the campaign, powered by Andrew Shaw and Phillip Danault. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Byron, Beaulieu, and Price (30 for 31 in saves).

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Steve Mason are the experienced goalies. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Andrew MacDonald and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Dale Weise goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Valtteri Filppula. Carolina got on the board with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes tied it on an Elias Lindholm goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Phillip Di Giuseppe and Victor Rask. Carolina took the lead in the third period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Lindholm and Sebastian Aho. Philadelphia retied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Provorov and Couturier. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with assists provided by Couturier, who got a sock trick, and Provorov. The three stars went to Provorov, Couturier, and Lindholm.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Johnny Gaudreau and Alex Chiasson. The Flames added on with a Michael Stone goal, his third of the year, via Gaudreau and Monahan. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Dustin Brown and Jarome Iginla. Calgary replied in the second period with a Mark Giordano goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Dougie Hamilton and Mikael Backlund. The Flames extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Monahan and T.J. Brodie. The Kings got one back with a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Paul LaDue and Jake Muzzin. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Kris Versteeg goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Curtis Lazar. The three stars were Gaudreau, Monahan, and Giordano.

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