Monday, March 27, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 160

There's six games on today as we hurtle toward the finish of the season in a couple of weeks. We begin in...

Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Robin Lehner are the solid goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jack Eichel and Dmitry Kulikov. The Sabres added on with a Zach Bogosian goal, his second of the year, via Zemgus Girgensons and Matt Moulson. Buffalo extended the lead as Brian Gionta scored his fifteenth of the season in the second period, a power play goal made possible by Moulson. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Sabres answered with a Marcus Foligno goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Eichel and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers got one back with a Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Eichel, Moulson, and Huberdeau.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Eddie Lack are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Jaccob Slavin and Lee Stempniak. Detroit tied it in the second period with an unassisted Anthony Mantha goal, his sixteenth of the year. The Red Wings took the lead on another Mantha goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Danny DeKeyser. The Hurricanes retied it with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Slavin and Derek Ryan. Detroit took the lead in the third period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. Carolina tied it again with a Faulk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Victor Rask. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with an Athanasiou goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Nyquist. The three stars went to Athanasiou, Nyquist, and Mantha, while Faulk and Slavin get the honorable mentions. As the winning goal was scored, Lack was ran into by the goal-scorer Athanasiou, and suffered what appeared to be a significant injury. Best wishes to Lack as he faces a recovery.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Calle Jarnkrok and Anthony Bitetto. The Predators added on in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm. New York got on the board with a Josh Bailey goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Nick Leddy and Brock Nelson. Nashville replied in the third period with a Ryan Johansen empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Ryan Ellis. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Saros (24 for 25 in saves), Arvidsson, and Fiala.

South again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the nets. Chicago started in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Tanner Kero. Tampa Bay tied it on an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Duncan Keith. Chicago added on with a Tomas Jurco goal, guided in by Nick Schmaltz. Peter Budaj replaced Vasilevskiy in goal. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period as Richard Panik scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Lightning got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Anton Stralman. Tampa Bay got closer with a Stralman goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Greg McKegg and Palat. The Lightning tied it with a Drouin power play goal, his twentieth of the season and second of the game, with assists provided by Hedman and Kucherov. Tampa Bay won 5-4 with a Yanni Gourde goal in overtime, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Hedman, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Drouin, Hedman, and Stralman, while Palat and Kucherov get the honorable mentions.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his twelfth of the year, via Nail Yakupov and Steen. Arizona got on the board in the third period with an Anthony DeAngelo goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Radim Vrbata and Alex Goligoski. St. Louis replied with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, assisted by Tarasenko and Steen, the latter earning a sock trick. The Blues extended the lead as Tarasenko scored his thirty-fifth of the campaign, with the help of Schwartz and Steen. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Schwartz, Steen, and Tarasenko.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by T.J. Brodie. The Flames added on in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Monahan. Colorado got on the board with a Sven Andrighetto power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Erik Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon. Calgary replied with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Monahan and Kris Versteeg. The Avalanche pulled back with an Andrighetto goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Mikko Rantanen and Johnson. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Gaudreau power play goal into an empty net, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Ferland and Monahan, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Monahan, Ferland, and Andrighetto, while Gaudreau and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, March 26, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 159

Five games on today, beginning with a matinee in...

Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jimmy Howard are the solid goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Parise and Jonas Brodin. Detroit tied it on a Mike Green goal, his twelfth of the year, via Niklas Kronwall and Frans Nielsen. The Wild took the lead back in the second period with a Nate Prosser goal, going in unassisted. The Red Winds retied it in the third period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Nyquist. The three stars were Athanasiou, Nyquist, and Tatar.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Keith Kinkaid are in the creases. New Jersey began in the first period with an unassisted goal by Blake Coleman. Dallas tied it in the third period with an Ales Hemsky power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Stephen Johns and Devin Shore. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and John Klingberg. The three stars were Lehtonen (20 for 21 in saves), Seguin, and Coleman.

In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host their in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Matt Murray are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Matt Cullen power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist. Philadelphia tied it on a Jordan Weal goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Michael Del Zotto and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his ninth of the season, via Weal and Brandon Manning. Philadelphia added on with a Dale Weise goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead as Jakub Voracek scored his nineteenth of the season, passed from Matt Read and Claude Giroux. The Penguins got one back with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by David Warsofsky and Ian Cole. Philadelphia replied with an empty net goal by Radko Gudas, his fifth of the season, set up by Giroux. The Flyers iced it at 6-2 with a Gostisbehere goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Brayden Schenn. The three stars were Weal, Gostisbehere, and Giroux.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Michael Hutchinson draw the starts in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with an Alexander Edler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Christopher Tanev and Bo Horvat. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead in the third period with an Adam Lowry power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, coming off of Perreault and Wheeler. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Perreault, Wheeler, and Hutchinson (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. New York struck first in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Marc Staal and Mika Zibanejad. Anaheim tied it on a Patrick Eaves goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Rangers retook the lead with a Derek Stepan goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. The Ducks tied it again with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Getzlaf and Fowler. Anaheim took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Josh Manson, his fifth of the season, set up by Getzlaf, who got a sock trick on the play. New York retied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jimmy Vesey and Zibanejad. The Ducks regained the lead in the third period on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Kesler. Anaheim added on with an Eaves goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Rickard Rakell and Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Nick Ritchie, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Corey Perry. The three stars were Getzlaf, Kesler, and Eaves, while Fowler and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

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Saturday, March 25, 2017

NHL 2016/17 - Day 158

Twelve games on tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Columbus got going in the second period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Kyle Quincey. This stood for a 1-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Bobrovsky (36 save shutout), Wennberg, and Neuvirth (20 for 21 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Richard Bachman and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Reid Boucher goal, his fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Bo Horvat and Troy Stecher. The Canucks added on with a Boucher goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Drew shore. Vancouver extended the lead as Brock Boeser scored, thanks to Horvat and Sven Baertschi. The Canucks padded the lead with a Jack Skille goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Brandon Sutter. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Ryan Suter goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jared Spurgeon and Martin Hanzal. The Wild got closer with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, assisted by Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Boucher, Horvat, and Boeser.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Robin Lehner are the goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Ennis and Kyle Okposo. Toronto tied it on a Connor Brown goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres took the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Bogosian and O'Reilly. The Maple Leafs tied it again in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, via Matt Hunwick and William Nylander. Buffalo regained the lead with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Dmitry Kulikov and Okposo. The Sabres added on with a Kulikov power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Ennis and Eichel. Buffalo extended the lead as Eichel scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Sam Reinhart and Justin Falk. This made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Eichel, Kulikov, and Ennis, while Okposo and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Carey Price guard the cages. Montreal started in the first period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Markov goal, his fifth of the year, via Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal extended the lead as Markov scored a power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Mike Hoffman. This produced the eventual 3-1 final, with the three stars handed to Markov, Price (31 for 32 in saves), and Weber.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Cory Schneider make the starts in goal. Carolina drew first blood in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Elias Lindholm and Klas Dahlbeck. New Jersey tied it on a Travis Zajac goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Taylor Hall. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina added on with an Aho goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, helped along by Derek Ryan. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Aho, Skinner, and Lack (26 for 27 in saves).

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York began in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. Boston tied it on a Riley Nash goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins took the lead in the third period on a Nash goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, via Dominic Moore. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Nash, Khudobin (18 for 19 in saves), and Tavares.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott faces his former team and Jake Allen in goal. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Kris Versteeg. St. Louis tied it in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Colton Parayko and Nail Yakupov. The Blues took the lead with a Jaden Schwartz goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Kyle Brodziak and Jay Bouwmeester. The Flames retied it on a Matt Bartkowski goal, made possible by Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Monahan goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Mark Giordano and Michael Frolik. The three stars belonged to Monahan, Gaudreau, and Bartkowski.

East again to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. Arizona tied it on a third period goal by Peter Holland, his fourth of the year, made possible by Anthony Duclair. The Capitals took the lead back with a Daniel Winnik goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Dmitry Orlov and Kevin Shattenkirk. Washington added on with a Justin Williams goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Shattenkirk. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Winnik, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Jay Beagle and Brooks Orpik. The three stars belonged to Winnik, Shattenkirk, and Holtby (28 for 29 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and James Reimer are between the pipes. Florida cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau and Jason Demers. The Panthers added on with a Huberdeau power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Barkov and Keith Yandle. Florida extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Barkov and Huberdeau. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period with another Marchessault goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, made possible by Colton Sceviour. Scott Darling replaced Crawford in goal. Florida continued with a Marchessault goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the season, guided in by Huberdeau, who got a sock trick, and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers kept going with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Sceviour and Mark Pysyk. Florida finished it at 7-0 with a Reilly Smith goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Trocheck. The three stars were awarded to Marchessault, Huberdeau, and Barkov, while Sceviour, Trocheck, and Reimer (25 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. The Predators added on with a Cody McLeod goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Roman Josi and Austin Watson. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Nashville answered with a James Neal power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators extended the lead as P.K. Subban scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Smith and Wilson. The Sharks got one back with a Justin Braun goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Timo Meier and Dylan DeMelo. Nashville replied in the third period with a Sissons goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, assisted by Smith and Wilson, both of whom earned sock tricks. The Predators padded the lead on a Neal power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Johansen and Josi. Nashville capped it at 7-2 with a shorthanded goal by Arvidsson, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Matt Irwin. The three stars belonged to Sissons, Smith, and Wilson, while Neal, Johansen, Josi, and Arvidsson get the honorable mentions.

Continuing along, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Laurent Brossoit are the little-known goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Matt Benning and Zack Kassian. Colorado tied it on a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Mark Barberio. The Oilers retook the lead with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, via Drake Caggiula and Connor McDavid. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Caggiula power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrej Sekera. The Oilers extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his sixteenth of the campaign, with the help of Sekera and Kris Russell on the power play. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Caggiula, Nugent-Hopkins, and Sekera.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Brendan Smith and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Ryan McDonagh power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Rick Nash empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Zibanejad and Dan Girardi. The three stars were Raanta (30 save shutout), Zuccarello, and Zibanejad.

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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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Friday, March 24, 2017

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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Thursday, March 23, 2017

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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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

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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