Wednesday, November 1, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 29

Five games on tonight, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Corey Crawford are in the creases. Chicago got going in the second period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Cody Franson and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a Jonathan Toews goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago iced it at 3-0 with an Alex DeBrincat empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by John Hayden and Anisimov. The three stars went to Crawford (35 save shutout), Anisimov, and Toews.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Patrick Maroon and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his second of the season, courtesy of McDavid. The Penguins tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Sidney Crosby and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Kessel and Letang. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Kessel, Letang, and McDavid.

West to Vancouver, where the Canucks host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces his old team and Jacob Markstrom in goal. New Jersey was first to score in the second period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Taylor Hall. The Devils iced it at 2-0 with a Drew Stafford empty net goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, set up by Hall. The three stars were Schneider (37 save shutout), Hall, and Hayes.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his fourth of the season, via James van Riemsdyk and Ron Hainsey. Anaheim tied it on an Ondrej Kase goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Derek Grant and Josh Manson. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist from Hainsey. The Maple Leafs added on with a Leo Komarov goal, his second of the year, passed from Marleau. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Marleau, Hainsey, and Andersen (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Tim Heed and Mikkel Boedker. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Brenden Dillon and Joe Thornton. Nashville got on the board with a Roman Josi goal, his third of the year, via Calle Jarnkrok. San Jose replied with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic power play goal, powered by Kevin Labanc and Donskoi. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Boedker scored his second of the year, thanks to Chris Tierney and Joakim Ryan. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Boedker, Donskoi, and Jones (19 for 20 in saves).

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 28

Three games on this Halloween, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his second of the season, courtesy of David Desharnais and Ryan McDonagh. Vegas tied it it on an Oscar Lindberg goal, his fifth of the year, via Alex Tuch and Deryk Engelland. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his third of the season, passed from Jonathan Marchessault and Colin Miller. The Rangers retied it in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his third of the year, guided in by Rick Nash and Kevin Hayes. Vegas regained the lead on a Smith goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Marchessault and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on with a David Perron penalty shot goal, his fourth of the year. New York got one back with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Zuccarello in the third period. The Rangers tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Zibanejad. New York took the lead with a Zibanejad power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Buchnevich. The Rangers iced it at 6-4 with a Michael Grabner empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jesper Fast. The three stars went to Zibanejad, Zuccarello, and Buchnevich, while Smith and Marchessault get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Jimmy Howard are in the creases. Detroit started in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Luke Glendening goal, his third of the year, helped along by Martin Frk and Niklas Kronwall. Arizona got on the board with a Jason Demers goal, his second of the season, coming off of Clayton Keller and Christian Fischer. Detroit replied with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Andreas Athanasiou and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings extended the lead as Larkin scored his second of the season, thanks to Darren Helm. The Coyotes got one back on a Nick Cousins goal, his second of the year, made possible by Mario Kempe and Adam Clendening. Arizona got closer with a Keller goal, his ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. Detroit finished it at 5-3 with a Helm empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. The three stars were Larkin, Helm, and Keller.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alex Stalock draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his second of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Tyler Myers. The Jets added on with an unassisted Nikolaj Ehlers goal in the third period, his seventh of the year. Minnesota got on the board with a Luke Kunin goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Nino Niederreiter and Eric Staal. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Hellebuyck (28 for 29 in saves), Ehlers, and Connor.

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MLS 2017 Conference Semifinals - Leg 1

These are the first legs of each home-and-home series in this round of the MLS playoffs. We begin with...

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC hosting the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Stefan Marinovic are the similarly named keepers. Vancouver saw yellow cards for Nosa's forty-fifth minute foul and Aly Ghazal's foul in the seventy-ninth minute. Seattle's Cristian Roldan took a yellow card for an eighty-seventh minute foul. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Kendall Waston.

On Monday, the New York Red Bulls welcome Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Luis Robles are the goalies. Toronto led off in the eighth minute with a Victor Vazquez goal. New York tied it in first half stoppage time with a Daniel Royer penalty kick goal. Toronto retook the lead in the seventy-second minute with a Sebastian Giovinco goal. The Red Bulls saw a yellow card for a foul by Damien Perrinelle in the eightieth minute. Giovinco of Toronto had a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-second minute. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Giovinco.

Also, the Houston Dynamo bring in the Portland Timbers. Jeff Attinella and Tyler Deric are the gloved men. Portland had yellow cards for fouls by Alvas Powell in the twenty-fourth minute and Larrys Mabiala in the forty-fifth minute. The final held at 0-0, with the man of the match being Deric for his two-save clean sheet.

The first legs end with the Columbus Crew SC hosting New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Zack Steffen are the keepers. Columbus began in the sixth minute with an Ola Kamara goal. New York City went down to ten men in the fifty-second minute as Alexander Callens took a straight red card for violent conduct. The Crew added on in the fifty-eighth minute with an Artur goal, via Federico Higuain. Ronald Matarrita of New York City received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-fourth minute. Columbus extended the lead in the sixty-ninth minute as Justin Meram scored, thanks to Kamara and Higuain. New York City got on the board in the seventy-eighth minute with a David Villa goal. The Crew answered in stoppage time with a Harrison Afful goal, made possible by Meram. The final held at 4-1, with the man of the match being Kamara.

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Monday, October 30, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 27

Eight games on today as the usual scheduling shifts to accommodate Halloween tomorrow. We begin in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Vegas Golden Knights. Oscar Dansk and Jaroslav Halak are in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with a shorthanded William Karlsson goal, his third of the season, set up by Cody Eakin. New York tied it on an Andrew Ladd goal, his third of the year, via Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. The Golden Knights took the lead back with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his third of the season, coming off of Colin Miller and Brad Hunt. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a John Tavares power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Leddy and Josh Bailey. New York gained the lead on a Mathew Barzal power play goal against Maxime Lagace, his third of the season, with assists provided by Anders Lee and Bailey. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his second of the year, courtsy of Dennis Seidenberg and Nikolay Kulemin. New York extended the lead as Kulemin scored, thanks to Seidenberg. The Islanders padded the lead on another Tavares goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Bailey, who got a sock trick, and Lee. Vegas got one back with a Miller power play goal, his second of the year, dished from Hunt and Tuch. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Tavres, Bailey, and Kulemin, while Lee, Leddy, Seidenberg, Tuch, Miller, and Hunt all get honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, helped along by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brad Richardson. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Dvorak goal, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jason Demers. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Brendan Perlini scored his second of the season on the power play, thanks to Alex Goligoski and Hjalmarsson. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers got closer with a Jordan Weal goal, his second of the season, passed from Provorov and Valtteri Filppula. Philadelphia tied it as Couturier scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, with the help of Giroux and Provorov, the latter earning a sock trick. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Goligoski goal, coming off of Clayton Keller and Max Domi. The three stars were Goligoski, Couturier, and Provrov, while Hjalmarsson and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Further to the west, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus led off in the first period with a David Savard goal, his second of the season, guided in by Alexander Wennberg and Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, coming off of Markus Nutivaara and Josh Anderson. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Tyler Motte scored, thanks to Nutivaara and the goalie Bobrovsky. Boston got on the board with a Patric Bergeron power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Danton Heinen and David Pastrnak. The Bruins got closer in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kevan Miller and Pastrnak. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand power play goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Bergeron and Pastrnak, the latter earning a sock trick. The tie went to a shootout, where Artemi Panarin and Oliver Bjorkstrand lifted the Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Nutivaara, Pastrnak, and Bergeron.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya and Craig Anderson draw the starts in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Charles Hudon power play goal, made possible by Jeff Petry and the goalie Montoya. The Canadiens took the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the year. The Senators retied it on a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Christopher DiDomenico. Montreal retook the lead with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on with a Hudon goal, his second of the game, fueled by Weber and Tomas Plekanec. Ottawa got one back with a DiDomenico goal in the second period, his second of the year, a power play goal, via Erik Karlsson and Hoffman. Montreal responded with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jordie Benn. The Canadiens extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Phillip Danault. Mike Condon replaced Anderson for the third period. Montreal padded the lead in the third period on a Plekanec goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Gallagher and Hudon. The Canadiens iced it at 8-3 with a Lehkonen goal, his second of the game, dished from Paul Byron and Weber, who got a sock trick. the three stars were Hudon, Lehkonen, and Weber, while Plekanec, Gallagher, DiDomenico, and Hoffman get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host their in-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Braydon Coburn and Dan Girardi. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Steven Stamkos. Florida got on the board with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. Tampa Bay replied with a Stamkos power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Panthers pulled back on a Barkov goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Evgenii Dadonov. Florida tied it in the second period with a Huberdeau goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Barkov and Dadonov. The Lightning retook the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Point and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Gourde scored a power play goal, his second of the year, with the help of Mikhail Sergachev and Palat. Antti Niemi replaced Reimer in goal. The Lightning padded the lead on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Kucherov and Hedman. The Panthers pulled one back on a Jamie McGinn goal, his third of the year, with assists from Nick Bjugstad and Radim Vrbata in the third period. Tampa Bay replied with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, fueled by Jake Dotchin and Namestnikov. Florida countered on a Dadonov goal, his sixth of the year, via Huberdeau and Barkov, the latter earning a sock trick. The Lightning capped it at 8-5 with an Anton Stralman empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Stamkos, Namestnikov, and Barkov, while Gourde, Point, Palat, Kucherov, Hedman, Huberdeau, and Dadonov receive the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jake Allen guard the cages. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on with a Schwartz goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn and Tarasenko. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tanner Pearson goal, his second of the season, via Alec Martinez. St. Louis replied with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Scottie Upshall and Kyle Brodziak. The Kings answered on a Dustin Brown power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with a Vladimir Sobotka empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The three stars were Schwartz, Tarasenko, and Allen (26 for 28 in saves).

In Canada, the Vancouver Canucks host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn. Vancouver tied it in the third period with a Sam Gagner power play goal, with assists provided by Thomas Vanek and Daniel Sedin. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime with a Radulov goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Dan Hamhuis. The three stars were Radulov, Seguin, and Bishop (38 for 39 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Martin Jones protect the nets. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Nikita Zaitsev and William Nylander. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his third of the year, via Tim Heed and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead with a third period Heed power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Logan Couture. San Jose added on with a Joel Ward empty net goal, set up by Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Nazem Kadri goal,his seventh of the year, passed from Andreas Borgman and Morgan Rielly. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Heed, Pavelski, and Andersen (36 for 38 in saves).

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Sunday, October 29, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 26

Just three games on today. We begin in the afternoon with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Scott Darling are in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourth of the season, via Nick Ritchie. The Ducks added on with a Derek Grant goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Andrew Cogliano. Carolina got on the board with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Justin Williams and Derek Ryan. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his third of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Elias Lindholm. Carolina pulled ahead with a Justin Faulk goal, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Williams. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, courtesy of Cogliano and Hampus Lindholm. The tie went to a shootout, where Corey Perry won it 4-3 for the Ducks with his lone tally. The three stars were Cogliano, Perry, and Williams.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, made possible by Shawn Matthias and Toby Enstrom. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his second of the year, via Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. Winnipeg extended the lead as Wheeler scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Matthias and Scheifele. The Jets chased Murray with a Joel Armia goal, his second of the year, passed from Matt Hendricks. Winnipeg padded the lead against Casey DeSmith as Wheeler finished his hat trick on his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Connor. Pittsburgh got on the with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel. The Jets replied in the third period with a Scheifele power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg iced it at 7-1 with a Brendan Lemieux goal, assisted by Tyler Myers and Armia. The three stars went to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Matthias, while Connor gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Calgary got going in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his third of the season, via Brett Kulak and Johnny Gaudreau. Washington tied it in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his third of the year, passed from T.J. Oshie. The Flames regained the lead on a Sean Monahan goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Smith (30 for 31 in saves), Monahan, and Gaudreau.

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Saturday, October 28, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 25

A busy Saturday sees twelve games, with one matinee. We begin with that game from...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Robin Lehner man the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with an unassisted Joonas Donskoi goal, his third of the season. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres took the lead with a Jason Pominville goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. The Sharks retied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the year, guided in by Melker Karlsson and Timo Meier. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Logan Couture goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Justin Braun. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Couture, Tierney, and Donskoi.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Charlie McAvoy and Anders Bjork. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings won 2-1 at the last second of overtime with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Anze Kopitar. The three stars were Toffoli, Quick (29 for 30 in saves), and Kopitar.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the New York Rangers. Ondrej Pavelec and Carey Price are given the starting nods in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Paul Byron goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens added on with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. Montreal extended the lead as Danault scored his second of the season, thanks to Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber. New York got on the board in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and J.T. Miller. The Rangers got closer with a Rick Nash goal, his second of the campaign, via Miller and Mika Zibanejad. The Canadiens replied with a Max Pacioretty goal, his third of the season, helped along by Weber and Danault. New York countered in the third period with a Zibanejad goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ryan McDonagh and Nash. The Rangers tied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the season, coming off of Shattenkirk and David Desharnais. Montreal regained the lead with another Danault goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Brandon Davidson and Shaw. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Danault, Nash, and Weber, while Shaw, Shattenkirk, Miller, and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Cory Schneider are set to start in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Christian Fischer power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Christian Dvorak and Jason Demers. New Jersey tied it with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Brian Gibbons, his fifth of the year. The Devils took the lead in the second period on a Taylor Hall goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Jesper Bratt. The Coyotes retied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Mario Kempe. Arizona took the lead on an unassisted Clayton Keller goal, his eighth of the year. New Jersey retied it on a Hall power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, courtesy of Adam Henrique and Bratt. The Devils pulled ahead on a Bratt power play goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Hall and Will Butcher. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Hall, Bratt, and Gibbons.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson faces a lesser foe in Peter Budaj in goal. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Brandon Montour and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Montour power play goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Getzlaf. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Chris Kunitz goal, his second of the season, passed from J.T. Brown and Ryan Callahan. Anaheim responded with a Hampus Lindholm goal, via Chris Wagner and Dennis Rasmussen. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Rakell scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, thanks to Getzlaf, who got a sock trick, and Corey Perry. The final held at 4-1 from here, with the three stars handed to Rakell, Getzlaf, and Montour, while Gibson (31 for 32 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

North again to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen are the veteran goalies. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Auston Matthews and Josh Leivo. Philadelphia tied it with a Brandon Manning goal, made possible by Scott Laughton and Taylor Leier. The Flyers took the lead on a Jakub Voracek goal, his second of the year, guided in by Radko Gudas and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Travis Konecny and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Kadri goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Connor Broan and Ron Hainsey. The Flyers answered on a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Voracek and Manning. This produced the eventual 4-2 final, with the three stars being Voracek, Manning, and Kadri.

South once more to Florida, where the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Detroit was first to score in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha. Florida tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers took the lead with a Dadonov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad. The Red Wings retied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Jonathan Ericsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nyquist won it 3-2 for the Red Wings. The three stars were Nyquist, Dadonov, and Athanasiou.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, coming off of Colton Parayko and Paul Stastny. The Blues added on in the second period with a Scottie Upshall goal, passed from Joel Edmundson and Dmitrij Jaskin. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Edmundson scored his third of the season, thanks to Kyle Brodziak and Upshall. Columbus got on the board with a Matt Calvert goal, his third of the year, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander Wennberg. The Blues replied with a Brodziak goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Jaskin and Upshall. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Upshall, Edmundson, and Brodziak, while Allen (36 for 37 in saves) and Jaskin get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Juuse Saros draw the starts in goal. New York began in the first period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, passed from Kevin Fiala and Mattias Ekholm. The Islanders regained the lead on a Pulock power play goal, powered by Beauvillier and Brock Nelson. New York added on with another Eberle goal, his second of the game, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as John Tavares scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Anders Lee. New York padded the lead on another Tavares goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, via Lee and Eberle. The Islanders continued as Tavares completed his hat trick with his ninth of the campaign, with the help of Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey on the power play. The Predators got one back with a Craig Smith goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Ekholm and Colton Sissons. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Tavares, Eberle, and Pulock, while Beauvillier, Nelson, Lee, and Ekholm get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. Minnesota tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his second of the year, via Matt Cullen and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild took the lead with a Mikko Koivu goal in the third period,. his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Mike Reilly and Kyle Quincey. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Dubnyk (29 for 30 in saves), Koivu, and Winnik.

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his second of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado extended the lead as Rantanen scored his second of the game and third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Avalanche padded the lead as MacKinnon scored his second of the game and third of the year, with the help of Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. Colorado chased Forsberg with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Rocco Grimaldi and Tyson Barrie. Corey Crawford took over in relief. Chicago got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his third of the year, assisted by Michal Kempny and John Hayden. The Blackhawks got closer on an Artem Anisimov goal, his third of the season, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and Kempny. The Avalanche shot back in the third period with a Grimaldi goal, fueled by Erik Johnson and Andrighetto. Chicago got one back with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma. This only made it 6-3, with the three stars awarded to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Grimaldi, while Andrighetto and Kempny get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic. Washington got on the board with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, passed from John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals tied it in the second period on a Lars Eller goal, courtesy of Madison Bowey and Ovechkin. Washington took the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Ovechkin, who earned a sock trick, and Bowey. The Capitals extended the lead as Kuznetsov scored his second of the night and third of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Jay Beagle empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Eller. The three stars went to Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Bowey, while Eller gets an honorable mention.

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Friday, October 27, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 24

We've got six games on for today, with a slightly earlier start in...

Vegas, as the Golden Knights host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Oscar Dansk draw the starts in goal. Vegas got going in the second period with an unassisted David Perron goal, his third of the season. The Golden Knights added on with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas extended the lead as Cody Eakin scored, with the help of James Neal and Perron. The Golden Knights padded the lead with a Neal goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Colin Miller and Eakin. Vegas kept going in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his third of the year, guided in by Luca Sbisa and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights struck again with an Erik Haula power play goal, his second of the campaign, powered by Marchessault and Schmidt. Vegas iced it at 7-0 with a William Carrier goal, made possible by Brad Hunt. The three stars went to Perron, Neal, and Dansk (32 save shutout), while Eakin, Marchessault, and Schmidt get the honorable mentions.

East to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the season, via Christopher DiDomenico and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with a David Johnny Oduya goal, passed from Erik Karlsson and Zack Smith. New Jersey got on the board with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his second of the year, helped along by Pavel Zacha and Steven Santini. The Devils tied it on an Adam Henrique power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, powered by Will Butcher and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey took the lead with a Brian Gibbons goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Zacha and Hayes. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Damon Severson scored, thanks to Taylor Hall. Ottawa got one back with a Mark Stone goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Hoffman and Dion Phaneuf. The Senators tied it as DiDomenico scored, with the help of Derick Brassard and Stone. The tie went to a shootout, where Drew Stafford and Bratt lifted the Devils over Tom Pyatt and the Senators by a 5-4 final score. the three stars went to Hayes, Bratt, and DiDomenico, while Zacha, Stone, and Hoffman get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason and Sergei Bobrovsky play in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an unassisted Brandon Tanev goal, his second of the season. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in overtime with Josh Anderson goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves), Anderson, and Atkinson.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Cam Ward make spot starts in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, passed from Oskar Sundqvist and Magnus Paajarvi. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Justin Williams. The Blues took the lead back in the third period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schenn, Hutton (26 for 27 in saves), and Jaskin.

West again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago opened in the first period with an Artem Anisimov shorthanded goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it on an unassisted Calle Jarnkrok goal in the second period. The Predators took the lead with a Craig Smith power play goal, his second of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Kevin Fiala. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Rinne (43 for 44 in saves), Smith, and Jarnkrok.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Calgary began in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his third of the season, made possible by Micheal Ferland and Sean Monahan. Dallas tied it on an Esa Lindell power play goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jason Spezza and Mattias Janmark. The Stars took the lead in the third period with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Devin Shore and John Klingberg. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Lehtonen (29 for 30 in saves), Radulov, and Lindell.

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