NHL 2017-18 Day 23

Eleven games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Boston led off in the first period with an Danton Heinen shorthanded goal, set up by David Backes and Kevan Miller. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Joe Thornton goal, his second of the season, passed from Tim Heed and Brent Burns on the power play. The Bruins took the lead back with a Heinen goal, his second of the game, guided in by Brandon Carlo and Tim Schaller. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Heinen, Khudobin (36 for 37 in saves), and Thornton.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Ondrej Pavelec are the mediocre goalies. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his second of the year, via Ryan McDonagh and Boo Nieves. Arizona got on the board in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his third of the season, assisted by Christian Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. New York replied with a Michael Grabner goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Nieves. The Rangers extended the lead as Buchnevich scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Nieves, who got a sock trick. The Coyotes got one back with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Max Domi. New York iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Grabner, his second of the game and third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Buchnevich, Nieves, and Grabner.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Matt Murray guard the cages. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Bryan Little. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime with an unassisted Phil Kessel goal, his fourth of the campaign. The three stars were handed to Kessel, Murray (30 for 31 in saves), and Hellebuyck (34 for 36 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Carolina began in the first period with a Josh Jooris goal, assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Joakim Nordstrom. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his third of the season, passed from Victor Rask. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Patrick Marleau. Carolina replied with an Elias Lindholm goal, his second of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Haydn Fleury. The Maple Leafs got one back in the second period on a Dominic Moore goal, his third of the year, made possible by Matt Martin and Morgan Rielly. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jake Gardiner and Matthews. The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead with a Rask goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Brock McGinn scored, thanks to Fleury and Teravainen. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-3 with a Jooris goal, his second of the game, via Jeff Skinner. The three stars were handed to Teravainen, Jooris, and Rask, while Fleury and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

Over in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Carey Price tend the twines. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Derek Forbort. The Kings added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Anze Kopitar scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jake Muzzin. The Kings padded the lead in the third period on a Kurtis MacDermid goal, via Drew Doughty and Kempe. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Quick (40 save shutout), Kempe, and Toffoli.

Back in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Craig Anderson are between the pipes. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Filip Chlapik and Christopher DiDomenico. The Senators added on with a Mark Borowiecki goal, via Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Ottawa extended the lead as Pageau scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Erik Karlsson. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Jakub Voracek goal, passed from Sean Couturier and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers got one back with a Travis Konecny goal, his second of the year, coming off of Radko Gudas. The Senators answered with a Mark Stone goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Ryan Dzingel and Karlsson. Ottawa padded the lead with a Tom Pyatt goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nate Thompson and Pageau in the third period. Philadelphia responded with a Provorov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Konecny and Couturier. The Flyers got closer with a Couturier goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Shayne Gostisbehere and Voracek. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Pageau, Karlsson, and Couturier, while Voracek, Konecny, and Provorov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Detroit opened in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Frans Nielsen goal, his third of the season. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Lightning took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, via Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay added on with a Brayden Point goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Yanni Gourde and Ondrej Palat. The Red Wings got one back with a Nielsen power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and Justin Abdelkader. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Kucherov, Nielsen, and Point.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and James Reimer play in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Radim Vrbata goal, assisted by Connor Brickley and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers added on with an Owen Tippett goal, passed from Jamie McGinn and Mike Matheson. Anaheim got on the board with a Kalle Kossila goal, helped along by Logan Shaw and Chris Wagner. Florida replied with a Vrbata power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Nick Bjugstag. The Panthers extended the lead in the second period as Trocheck scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Brickley and Alex Petrovic. Florida padded the lead as Evgenii Dadonov scored his third of the year, with the help of Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers kept going with a shorthanded Barkov goal, his third of the season, set up by Derek MacKenzie. Reto Berra replaced Gibson for the third period. The Ducks got one back in the third period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jakob Silfverberg and Antoine Vermette. Florida countered with a Vrbata goal to complete his hat trick, fueled by Trocheck and Keith Yandle. Anaheim chipped back on a Shaw goal, made possible by Wagner and Derek Grant. The Panthers answered on a Dadonov goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, dished from Barkov and Huberdeau. This produced the 8-3 final, with the three stars awarded to Vrbata, Dadonov, and Barkov, while Trocheck, Huberdeau, Brickley, Shaw, and Wagner get honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Devan Dubnyk draw the starts in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Mikael Granlund. Minnesota extended the lead as Eric Staal scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his fourth of the season. New York got on the board with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his second of the year, passed from Johnny Boychuk and Josh Bailey. The Wild replied in the second period with a Luke Kunin shorthanded goal, set up by Staal. The Islanders countered with a Nick Leddy goal, helped along by Mathew Barzal and Bailey. Minnesota answered in the third period with a Zack Mitchell goal, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Spurgeon. The Wild padded the lead on a Jonas Brodin goal, with helpers from Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. New York pulled one back with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Leddy and Bailey, the latter earning a sock trick. The Islanders got closer with a Barzal goal, his second of the year, fueled by Boychuk and Cal Clutterbuck. This produced the 6-4 final, with the three stars handed to Staal, Foligno, and Bailey, while Spurgeon, Barzal, Leddy, and Boychuk get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Edmonton began in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Ryan Strome and Leon Draisaitl. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his sixth of the year, via Alexander Radulov and Dan Hamhuis. The Oilers retook the lead with a Patrick Maroon goal, his third of the season, coming off of Darnell Nurse and Draisaitl. The Stars tied it on a second period power play goal by Radulov, his second of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Devin Shore. Edmonton retook the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his third of the season, assisted by Kris Russell and Milan Lucic. Dallas tied it again with a Benn power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year,with assists provided by Radulov and John Klingberg. The Stars took the lead with a third period power play goal by Esa Lindell, his second of the season, made possible by Jason Spezza and Hamhuis. The Oilers tied it again on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Lucic. Edmonton won 5-4 with a Matt Benning goal, helped along by Draisaitl, who got a sock trick, and Nurse. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Benn, and Radulov, while Draisaitl, Hamhuis, Lucic, and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Anders Nilsson receive the starting nods in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his fourth of the season, via Sam Gagner and Alex Burmistrov. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sven Baertschi and Brock Boeser. Vancouver extended the lead as Markus Granlund scored his second of the season, thanks to Derek Dorsett. The Canucks padded the lead with a Baertschi power play goal in the second period, his third of the year, guided in by Derrick Pouliot and Boeser. Vancouver chased Holtby with a Dorsett goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brandon Sutter and Christopher Tanev. Philipp Grubauer took over in goal. Washington got on the board with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Canucks responded with a Baertschi power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Horvat and Boeser, the latter getting a sock trick. The Capitals got one back with a Chandler Stephenson goal, passed from Jay Beagle and Madison Bowey. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars going to Baertschi, Boeser, and Horvat, while Dorsett gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 22

We've got just two games on again today, beginning with...

The St. Louis Blues hosting the Calgary Flames. Eddie Lack is mismatched with Jake Allen in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his third of the season, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Travis Hamonic. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, assisted by Vladimir Sobotka and Paul Stastny. The Blues took the lead with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Steen. St. Louis added on with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Steen. The Flames got one back with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Tkachuk and Michael Frolik. The Blues replied in the third period with a Stastny goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Colton Parayko. The Blues iced it at 5-2 with a Joel Edmundson empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Schenn and Tarasenko. The three stars belonged to Steen, Stastny, and Backlund, while Tarasenko, Schenn, and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions.

The other game has the Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Columbus opened in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Sonny Milano and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Jones goal, his second of the year, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson. Columbus extended the lead as Nick Foligno scored his third of the season, thanks to Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Matt Calvert goal, his second of the year, helped along by Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Seth Griffith goal, passed from Jordan Nolan and Johan Larsson. Columbus finished it at 5-1 with a Josh Anderson goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Artemi Panarin and Alexander Wennberg. The three stars were Jones, Bobrovsky (34 for 35 in saves), and Foligno.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 21

Eleven games on a busy night in the league tonight. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Scott Darling are in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. The Lightning added on with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his fourth of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Johnson in the second period. Carolina got on the board with a Jaccob Slavin goal in the third period, his second of the season, passed from Brett Pesce and Josh Jooris. Tampa Bay replied with a Vladislav Namestnikov empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Victor Hedman and Jake Dotchin. The Lightning extended the lead as Ryan Callahan scored an empty net goal, with the help of Chris Kunitz and J.T. Brown. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Johnson, Stamkos, and Vasilevskiy (30 for 31 in saves).

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Jaroslav Halak are given the starts in goal. Arizona started in the first period with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. New York tied it in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle. The Islanders took the lead with a Tavares goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, helped along by Adam Pelech and Eberle. The Coyotes retied it in the third period with a Mario Kempe goal, his second of the year, coming off of Tobias Rieder and Christian Dvorak. New York retook the lead with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Pelech and Josh Bailey. Arizona tied it again on a Nick Cousins goal, fueled by Keller and Adam Clendening. The Islanders regained the lead with a Tavares goal to complete his hat trick, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Pelech, who got a sock trick, and Calvin de Haan. New York iced it at 5-3 with a Scott Mayfield goal, via Tavares and Anders Lee. The three stars were Tavares, Pelech, and Eberle, while Keller gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Sean Couturier goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Anaheim tied it on an Ondrej Kase goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Derek Grant. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Brandon Montour goal, his third of the season, passed from Kalle Kossila and Francois Beauchemin. Anaheim added on with a Nick Ritchie power play goal, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Bieksa. The Ducks extended the lead as Rickard Rakell scored his third of the year, thanks to Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Anaheim padded the lead in the third period with a Getzlaf goal, made possible by Perry. The Flyers got one back with a Couturier goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Travis Sanheim and Voracek. The Ducks iced it at 6-2 with a Kase penalty shot goal, his second of the game and third of the year. The three stars were Getzlaf, Kase, and Couturier, while Perry and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Matt Murray guard the cages. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Ian Cole goal, via Ryan Reaves and Riley Sheahan. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Patrick Maroon and Oscar Klefbom. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime with a Phil Kessel goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Evgeni Malkin. The three stars were Murray (29 for 30 in saves), Kessel, and Talbot (42 for 44 in saves).

Over in New York, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his second of the season, helped along by Victor Antipin and Taylor Fedun. This was the only goal in the 1-0 game, with the three stars awarded to Lehner (32 save shutout), Pouliot, and Howard (31 for 32 in saves).

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Carey Price are between the pipes. Florida drew first blood in the second period with a Keith Yandle goal, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his second of the season, a power play goal coming off of Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens took the lead on a power play goal by Shea Weber, his second of the year, powered by Drouin and Andrew Shaw. Montreal added on with an unassisted Gallagher goal, his third of the season. The Canadiens extended the lead in the third period as Weber scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal padded the lead on a Max Pacioretty goal, his second of the season, passed from Phillip Danault and Jordie Benn. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Weber, Gallagher, and Drouin.

West to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings. Darcy Kuemper and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Alec Martinez goal, assisted by Adrian Kempe. Ottawa tied it on a Dion Phaneuf goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Nate Thompson goal, his second of the year, set up by Tom Pyatt. The Kings tied it on a Kempe goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. In the shootout, Michael Cammalleri and Kempe scored to secure a 3-2 win for the Kings. The three stars were Kempe, Condon (41 for 43 in saves), and Cammalleri.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson is mismatched with Devan Dubnyk in goal. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Virtanen, Nilsson (29 save shutout), and Dubnyk (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Scott Hartnell. The Predators added on with a Josi power play goal, his second of the year, assisted by P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his third of the season, passed from Dougie Hamilton and Mikael Backlund. The Flames tied it with a Micheal Ferland goal, his second of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Hamilton. Calgary won 3-2 with shootout goals by Sean Monahan and Tkachuk to top Forsberg's lone tally for the Predators. The three stars were Hamilton, Tkachuk, and Josi.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Semyon Varlamov are in the blue paint. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fifth of the season, via John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. Colorado tied it on a Matt Nieto goal, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Nieto goal, his second of the game, passed from Carl Soderberg and Blake Comeau. The Stars retied it on a Brett Ritchie goal, assisted by Seguin and Benn. Colorado retook the lead with a Landeskog goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by Matt Duchene. The Avalanche added on with a Mark Barberio goal, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Comeau. Dallas got one back with a Benn goal in the third period, his second of the game and sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado won 5-3 with a Nieto empty net goal to complete his hat trick, set up by Comeau, who got a sock trick, and Anton Lindholm. The three stars belonged to Nieto, Comeau, and Benn, while Landeskog and Seguin get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Oscar Dansk in goal. Chicago got on the board first in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted John Hayden goal. Vegas tied it on a William Karlsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Colin Miller and Brad Hunt. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Tomas Nosek goal, his second of the year, via Deryk Engelland and Brayden McNabb.Vegas added on in the second period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, helped along by Nosek and William Carrier. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored a power play goal in the third period, his second of the season, with the help of Nate Schmidt and Luca Sbisa. The Blackhawks got one back with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Brandon Saad and Jordan Oesterle. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Nosek, Bellemare, and Dansk (29 for 31 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 20

Just two games for today, beginning with...

The New York Rangers welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Henrik Lundqvist are the masked men. San Jose opened in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Mikkel Boedker. The Sharks added on with a Tim Heed goal, passed from Tomas Hertl and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Joonas Donskoi scored his second of the year, thanks to Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks padded the lead in the third period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Couture. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his sixth of the year, via Pavel Buchnevich. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Couture, Jones (33 for 34 in saves), and Heed.

The other game saw the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto started in the first period with a Matt Martin goal, fueled by Roman Polak and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his second of the season, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Marner. Los Angeles got on the board with an Adrian Kempe goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Trevor Lewis and Drew Doughty. Toronto replied in the third period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri. The Kings got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Lewis goal, his third of the campaign. They couldn't find an equalizer, the final being 3-2, with the three stars given to Lewis, Marner, and Andersen (36 for 38 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 19

Just one game today, as the Detroit Red Wings host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, assisted by Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Mike Green. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period with a Derek Dorsett goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Horvat and Derrick Pouliot. Vancouver added on with a Baertschi goal, his second of the game, via Alex Burmistrov. The Canucks extended the lead as Jake Virtanen scored, thanks to Daniel Sedin. This stood for an eventual 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Baertschi, Horvat, and Markstrom (20 for 21 in saves).

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MLS 2017: Week 33 - Decision Day

All teams are in action at the same time today, beginning with...

Atlanta United FC hosting Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Brad Guzan draw the starts in goal. Atlanta began in the thirty-first minute with a Yamil Asad penalty kick goal. Atlanta's Jeff Larentowicz took a yellow card for his fifty-second minute foul. Toronto tied it in the sixtieth minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, helped along by Drew Moor. Chris Mavinga of Toronto took a yellow card for his sixty-seventh minute foul. Atlanta regained the lead on a seventy-fourth minute Josef Martinez goal, assisted by Hector Villalba and Miguel Almiron. Toronto tied it again with a Sebastian Giovinco goal in the eighty-fourth minute. The final was 2-2, with the man of the match being Giovinco.

Up in DC, United sends off RFK Stadium by welcoming the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Steve Clark are the keepers. Fidel Escobar of New York took a yellow card for not retreating in the twenty-third minute. DC struck first in the forty-fourth minute with a Paul Arriola goal, via Luciano Acosta. The Red Bulls tied it on a sixty-eighth minute Michael Murillo goal, coming off of Muhamed Keita. DC went down to ten men in the seventieth minute as Acosta took a straight red card for violent conduct. New York took the lead with a seventy-fifth minute on a Gonzalo Veron goal, assisted by Alex Muyl and Vincent Bezecourt. Muyl of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 2-1 Red Bulls, with Veron named man of the match.

Further north, the Montreal Impact bring in the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and Maxime Crepeau are between the posts. New England opened in the nineteenth minute with a Diego Fagundez goal. Montreal had a yellow card for a Laurent Ciman foul in the forty-third minute. In first half stoppage time, the Revolution's Benjamin Angoua took a yellow card for a handball, and the Impact tied it on Patrice Bernier's penalty kick goal. New England retook the lead in the forty-sixth minute with a Krisztian Nemeth goal, helped along by Fagundez. Montreal saw yellow cards for fouls by Andres Romero in the fifty-first minute and Blerim Dzemaili in the sixty-second minute. Chris Tierney of the the Revolution had a yellow card for his eighty-fourth minute foul. The Impact retied it on a Matteo Mancosu goal in the ninetieth minute, passed from Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla. New England won it deep in second half stoppage time with a Kelyn Rowe goal, set up by Kei Kamara. This made it 3-2, the final, with the man of the match honors going to Fagundez.

Back stateside in Citi Field, New York City FC hosts the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Sean Johnson make the starts in goal. Columbus led off in the eleventh minute with an Ola Kamara goal, courtesy of Federico Higuain. New York City tied it on a David Villa goal in the eighteenth minute, assisted by Maximiliano Moralez. New York City took the lead in the forty-fifth minute with a Villa goal. The Crew retied it on a Josh Williams goal in the fifty-eighth minute, with the help of Higuain. Yangel Herrera of New York City received a yellow card for his sixty-ninth minute foul. The score stayed at 2-2, with Villa named man of the match.

Over in Philadelphia, the Union welcome Orlando City SC. Earl Edwards Jr. and Andre Blake man the nets. Philadelphia started in the third minute with an Ilsinho goal, via Alejandro Bedoya. The Union added on in the sixth minute with a Fabrice-Jean Picault goal, courtesy of Ilsinho and Marcus Epps. Philadelphia extended the lead in the twenty-sixth minute on a C.J. Sapong goal, assisted by Picault and Fabinho. The Union padded the lead as Picault scored his second of the game in the thirty-eighth minute. Philadelphia kept going as Ilsinho scored again in the sixty-third minute, thanks to Haris Medunjanin. Sapong of the Union had a yellow card for his sixty-fifth minute foul. In the seventy-second minute, Orlando City got on the board with a Dominic Dwyer goal, fueled by Yoshimar Yotun. Philadelphia iced it at 6-1 with a Sapong goal in the seventy-fourth minute, his second of the game. The man of the match was Picault for the game winner included in his brace.

In Texas, FC Dallas brings in the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clement Diop and Jesse Gonzalez receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the second minute with a Michael Ciani goal, made possible by Romain Alessandrini. Dallas tied it in the thirty-seventh minute with a Roland Lamah goal, assisted by Carlos Gruezo. Dallas took the lead with a forty-first minute Matt Hedges goal. Dallas added on with a forty-ninth minute Lamah goal, via Mauro Diaz. Ciani of the Galaxy had a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. Dallas extended the lead in the sixty-eighth minute as Michael Barrios scored, thanks to Diaz. In the seventy-first minute, Los Angeles' Diop received a straight red card for violent conduct, forcing a substitution to bring Brian Rowe into goal. He was promptly scored on in the seventy-third minute as Diaz buried the penalty kick to pad the lead for Dallas. Kellyn Acosta of Dallas had a yellow card for his eighty-fourth minute foul. The final stood at 5-1, with the man of the match being Lamah.

Northwest to Utah, where Real Salt Lake hosts Sporting Kansas City. Andrew Dykstra and Nick Rimando are the gloved men. Salt Lake led off in the third minute with a Luis Silva goal. Daniel Salloi of Kansas City had a yellow card for his twenty-eighth minute foul. In the forty-first minute, Brooks Lennon of Real scored to add to the lead. Matt Besler of Sporting took a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. Ike Opara of Kansas City got them on the board in the eighty-ninth minute with his goal set up by Graham Zusi. This only made it 2-1, with Lennon named man of the match.

Further to the north, the Portland Timbers welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Jeff Attinella are the backups in goal. Vancouver began in the twenty-ninth minute with a Kendall Waston goal, via Yordy Reyna. The Whitecaps saw a yellow card for a Nosa foul in the thirty-first minute. Portland tied it on a thirty-second minute Liam Ridgewell goal. Jordan Harvey of Vancouver had a yellow card for his thirty-third minute foul. In first half stoppage time, Diego Chara of the Timbers had a yellow card for his persistent infringement. Portland took the lead in the forty-eighth minute on a Darren Mattocks goal, coming off of Vytautas Andriuskevicius and Sebastian Blanco. The Timbers saw yellow cards for a foul by Ridgewell in the fifty-eighth minute and persistent infringement by David Guzman in the eightieth minute. Waston of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for an eighty-ninth minute foul. The score stayed at 2-1, giving the Timbers the Cascadia Cup. Mattocks was the man of the match.

In California, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in Minnesota United FC. Bobby Shuttleworth and Andrew Tarbell are in the six-yard boxes. San Jose struck first in the fifteenth minute with a Danny Hoesen goal, assisted by Florian Jungwirth. Ibson of Minnesota took a yellow card for his twenty-third minute foul. Minnesota tied it in the thirty-sixth minute with a Jerome Thiesson goal. Collen Warner of Minnesota had a yellow card for a fortieth minute foul. The Earthquakes took the lead back in the fifty-fifth minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal, passed from Hoesen. Anibal Godoy of San Jose had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the sixty-eighth minute. Abu Danladi of Minnesota took a yellow card for his seventy-sixth minute foul. Minnesota retied it in the eighty-first minute on a Francisco Calvo goal, set up by Johan Venegas. Victor Bernardez of the Earthquakes received a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. San Jose won 3-2 in stoppage time with a Marco Urena goal, made possible by Wondolowski. The man of the match was Wondolowski.

North to Seattle, where the Sounders FC host the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Stefan Frei guard the woodwork. Seattle opened in the ninth minute with a Will Bruin goal, via Kelvin Leerdam and Clint Dempsey. The Sounders went down to ten men with a twenty-fourth minute straight red card for Dempsey's violent conduct. Roman Torres of Seattle had a yellow card for his foul in the twenty-ninth minute. Stefan Aigner of Colorado took a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-second minute. In the fifty-first minute, Cristian Roldan of the Sounders took a yellow card for a foul. The Rapids saw a yellow card in the sixty-first minute for dissent from Kortne Ford. Colorado then dropped to ten men as well when video review gave Axel Sjoberg a straight red card for denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Seattle added on with a Nicolas Lodeiro penalty kick goal in the sixty-fourth minute. In stoppage time, Joevin Jones of the Sounders and Alan Gordon of the Rapids had yellow cards for fouls. Seattle extended the lead as Lodeiro scored again deeper in stoppage time, and he took a yellow card for delay of game, but the Sounders would win 3-0 and he would be the man of the match.

Finally, the Houston Dynamo host the Chicago Fire. Richard Sanchez is mismatched with Tyler Deric in goal. Houston started in the second minute with a Leonardo goal, via Adolfo Machado. The Dynamo added on in the sixty-eighth minute with a Romell Quioto goal, assisted by Leonardo. Houston extended the lead as Mauro Manotas scored in the seventy-fifth minute, thanks to Andrew Wenger and Alex. This produced the 3-0 final score, with the man of the match being Leonardo.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0, and get ready for the playoffs, beginning on Wednesday.

NHL 2017-18 Day 18

Twelve games on for today, including a pair of matinees. The action begins in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, passed from Kevin Hayes. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, powered by J.T. Miller and David Desharnais. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, guided in by Filip Forsberg. New York replied with a Hayes goal, his third of the season, via Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei. The Predators shot back with a Forsberg goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a Vesey empty net goal in the third period, set up by Brendan Smith. The three stars went to Hayes, Vesey, and Forsberg.

Over in Philadelphia, the other matinee has the Flyers welcoming the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Shayne Gostisbehere. Edmonton tied it in the second period with an unassisted Patrick Maroon goal, his second of the year. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Simmonds goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Jori Lehtera. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Simmonds, Elliott (23 for 24 in saves), and Giroux.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Anton Khudobin draw the starts in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Tim Schaller and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on with an unassisted power play goal by Brad Marchand, his fifth of the year. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Marchand scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Anders Bjork and McAvoy. Buffalo got on the board with a Jason Pominville goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly. The Bruins countered with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Riley Nash and Torey Krug. The Sabres chipped back with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Marco Scandella and Justin Bailey. Buffalo got closer in the third period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, passed from Sam Reinhart and Jake McCabe. The Sabres tied it as Evander Kane scored his sixth of the season, with the help of McCabe and Pominville. Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted O'Reilly goal, his third of the year. The three stars were O'Reilly, Pominville, and Pastrnak, while Marchand, McCabe, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. New York tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his fourth of the year, via Nick Leddy and John Tavares. The Islanders took the lead with a Josh Bailey goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks retied it on another Couture goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Jannik Hansen and Brenden Dillon. New York regained the lead in the third period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mathew Barzal and Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Lee goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, helped along by Tavares and Cal Clutterbuck. San Jose chipped back with a Couture goal, his sixth of the season completing his hat trick, with helpers from Burns and Thornton. New York capped a 5-3 win with a Tavares empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Lee and Calvin de Haan. The three stars belonged to Tavares, Couture, and Lee, while Bailey, Burns, and Thornton get the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Craig Anderson are the similarly named goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with a Nate Thompson goal, via Alexandre Burrows and Logan Brown. The Senators added on in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Chris Wideman. Ottawa extended the lead as Derick Brassard scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Bobby Ryan and Karlsson. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Ron Hainsey and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs got closer with an Auston Matthews goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by William Nylander and Hainsey. The Senators replied with a Mark Stone goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto pulled back on a Nylander power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jake Gardiner and Matthews. Ottawa answered with a Brassard goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, guided in by Stone and Karlsson, the latter earning a sock trick. The Senators iced it at 6-3 with a Stone empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Brassard and Dion Phaneuf. The three stars were handed to Brassard, Stone, and Karlsson, while Matthews, Nylander, and Hainsey get honorable mentions.

South to Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Antti Niemi and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on with a Stamkos power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Vladislav Namestnikov and Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Yanni Gourde scored, thanks to Braydon Coburn and Brayden Point. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period with a Point goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ondrej Palat and Gourde. Tampa Bay kept going with an Anton Stralman goal, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning continued with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Stamkos and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay struck again in the third period with a Sergachev power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Stamkos, who got a sock trick, and Namestnikov. Pittsburgh avoided the shutout with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his third of the year, via Bryan Rust and Kris Letang. This made it 7-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Gourde, while Point, Namestnikov, and Sergachev get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski. Los Angeles tied it with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fifth of the year, via Dustin Brown and Jake Muzzin. The Kings took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Michael Cammalleri and Oscar Fantenberg. The Blue Jackets retied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, coming off of David Savard and Foligno. Columbus took the lead again with a Matt Calvert goal, assisted by Josh Anderson and Jack Johnson. Los Angeles retied it in the second period with a Muzzin goal, his second of the year, helped along by Alex Iafallo and Kopitar. The Kings pulled ahead on a Drew Doughty goal, his third of the season, fueled by Brown and Derek Forbort. The Blue Jackets tied it again on an unassisted Sonny Milano goal, his fifth of the year. Los Angeles regained the lead with a Kopitar goal in the third period, his sixth of the season and second of the game, made possible by Brown and Iafallo. The Kings finished it at 6-4 with a Brown empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Muzzin. The three stars went to Kopitar, Brown, and Muzzin, while Iafallo and Foligno get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Florida led off in the first period with a Connor Brickley goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Jared McCann. The Panthers added on with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck. Florida extended the lead as Trocheck scored a power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, with the help of Aleksander Barkov and Dadonov. Washington got on the board with a Christian Djoos goal, his second of the year, via Devante Smith-Pelly and Lars Eller. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Barkov, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Dadonov, Trocheck, and Reimer (41 for 42 in saves), while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Dallas began in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Alexander Radulov. The Stars added on with a Tyler Pitlick goal, via Radek Faksa and Dan Hamhuis. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Tyler Seguin scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Mattias Janmark and Esa Lindell. The Stars padded the lead with Pitlick's second goal of the night, assisted by Antoine Roussel and Faksa. Carolina got on the board with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes got closer in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, helped along by Noah Hanifin and McGinn. Carolina chipped closer with a Jordan Staal goal, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Sebastian Aho and Elias Lindholm. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Pitlick, Skinner, and Faksa, while McGinn gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Louis Domingue have the green light to play in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Christian Fischer goal, his second of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nick Cousins. Chicago tied it on a Richard Panik power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fourth of the season, via Toews. The Coyotes got one back with a Clayton Keller goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Max Domi. Chicago took the lead in the third period with a Lance Bouma goal, assisted by Tommy Wingels and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Wingels empty net goal, set up by Bouma and Keith. The three stars went to Bouma, Wingels, and Toews, while Keith gets an honorable mention.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Mike Smith in goal. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chris Stewart goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon on the power play. Calgary tied it with a Sean Monahan goal, his fifth of the year, via Troy Brouwer and T.J. Brodie. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brodie and Johnny Gaudreau. The Wild retied it on a Suter goal, coming off of Eric Staal and Luke Kunin. Minnesota took the lead with a Spurgeon goal, assisted by Suter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Daniel Winnik empty net goal, set up by Kunin. The three stars were Suter, Spurgeon, and Kunin, while Brodie gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Malcolm Subban are in the creases. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, powered by Oskar Sundqvist and Kyle Brodziak. Vegas tied it in the second period on a Reilly Smith power play goal, his second of the season, assisted by Colin Miller and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Miller power play goal, via Brad Hunt and Smith. The Blues tied it in the third period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Karlsson goal, with a lone assist by Smith. The three stars went to Karlsson, Smith, and Miller.

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