Sunday, November 5, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 33

Four games on this Sunday, beginning early in the afternoon with the...

Edmonton Oilers hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nick Jensen and Darren Helm. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifth of the year, via Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Martin Frk scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings padded the lead in the third period on a Mantha power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Frk and Mike Green. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Mrazek (36 save shutout), Frk, and Mantha.

Back east, the New York Islanders welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. New York began in the first period with a Scott Mayfield goal, his second of the season, coming off of Calvin de Haan and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his third of the year, via Mathew Barzal and Johnny Boychuk. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. New York replied with a Nick Leddy power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Barzal and John Tavares. The Islanders extended the lead as Leddy scored another power play goal, his third of the season, with the help of Bailey and Barzal, the latter earning a sock trick. New York padded the lead on a Boychuk goal, guided in by Leddy and Barzal. The Avalanche got one back with a Landeskog goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. The Islanders answered in the third period with an Eberle goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Barzal and Mayfield. Colorado pulled back with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fourth of the year, dished from Sven Andrighetto and Barrie. The Avalanche chipped closer with another Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Andrighetto and Rocco Grimaldi. This made it a 6-4 game, with the three stars being Leddy, Eberle, and Barzal, while Mayfield, Bailey, Boychuk, MacKinnon, Landeskog, Barrie, Kerfoot, and Andrighetto get the honorable mentions.

West to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren is mismatched with Corey Crawford in goal. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his third of the season, made possible by Alex Galchenyuk and Joe Morrow. The Canadiens added on with a Morrow goal, passed from Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw. This made it a 2-0 win for Montreal, with the three stars being Lindgren (38 save shutout), Morrow, and Drouin.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. New Jersey was first to score in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Nico Hischier. Calgary tied it on a shorthanded Michael Frolik goal, his second of the year, set up by Mikael Backlund. The Devils took the lead back in the second period with a Ben Lovejoy goal, passed from Hischier and Jimmy Hayes. The Flames tied it again with a Michael Stone goal, assisted by Kris Versteeg and Frolik. Calgary took the lead on a Sean Monahan goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Micheal Ferland and Johnny Gaudreau. New Jersey retied it with an unassisted Brian Gibbons goal, his seventh of the year. The Flames regained the lead in the third period on a Ferland goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Gaudreau and Monahan. The Devils retied it on an Andy Greene goal, made possible by Jesper Bratt and Lovejoy. In the shootout, Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk bested Drew Stafford to give the Flames a 5-4 win. The three stars were Monahan, Ferland, and Lovejoy, while Hischier and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2017 Conference Semifinals - Leg 2

The festivities continue with the second leg of each series, beginning on a Thursday in...

Seattle, as the Sounders FC host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Stefan Frei play in goal. Nicolas Lodeiro of Seattle had a yellow card for a foul in the ninth minute. Cristian Techera of Vancouver received a yellow card for his thirty-eighth minute foul. In the forty-ninth minute, Fredy Montero of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for persistent infringement. The Sounders got going in the fifty-sixth minute with a Clint Dempsey goal, passed from Harry Shipp and Will Bruin. Nosa of Vancouver had a yellow card for his fifty-eighth minute foul. In the sixty-eighth minute, Roman Torres of Seattle received a yellow card for a foul. Kendall Waston of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. The Sounders capped the game and the series at 2-0 with a Dempsey goal in the eighty-eighth minute, courtesy of Victor Rodriguez and Lodeiro. Dempsey was named man of the match.

In the east on Sunday, Toronto FC welcomes the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Alexander Bono man the nets. In the thirty-fourth minute, Sacha Kljestan of New York and Jozy Altidore of Toronto both took yellow cards for fouls. Michael Bradley of Toronto had a yellow card for dissent in first half stoppage time. In the forty-sixth minute, red cards for violent conduct were retroactively applied to Kljestan and Altidore for violent conduct, resulting in both teams going down to ten men. The Red Bulls dented the scoreboard in the fifty-third minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, set up by Aaron Long. In the seventy-first minute, Wright-Phillips of New York took a yellow card for a foul. In the eightieth minute, Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto took a yellow card for dissent. The Red Bulls' Felipe had a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The game ended at 1-0 for the Red Bulls, and while the series is tied 2-2, Toronto advances with their away goal from leg one. Wright-Phillips is the man of the match.

Back stateside, New York City FC brings in the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Sean Johnson protect the nets. New York City began in the sixteenth minute with a David Villa penalty kick goal. New York City added on in the fifty-third minute with an Andraz Struna goal, passed from Rodney Wallace. Columbus saw a yellow card for a foul by Mohammed Abu in the sixty-third minute. New York City's Wallace took a yellow card for a seventy-fourth minute foul. The final held at 2-0, with the man of the match being Struna. The Crew still won the series 4-3, advancing to the Eastern Conference Championship against Toronto FC.

Finally, the Portland Timbers host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Jeff Attinella are the backups in goal. Portland led off in the thirty-ninth minute with a Dairon Asprilla goal, passed from Vytautas Andriuskevicius and Diego Valeri. Houston tied it on a forty-third minute Dylan Remick goal, coming off of Jalil Anibaba and Tomas Martinez. The Timbers saw a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute Liam Ridgewell foul. In the seventieth minute, Alex of the Dynamo had a yellow card for persistent infringement. Houston took the lead in the seventy-seventh minute with a Mauro Manotas goal, courtesy of Eric Alexander. David Guzman of Portland received a yellow card for dissent in the eighty-fifth minute. In stoppage time, the Dynamo's Oscar Boniek Garcia took a yellow card for time wasting and Sebastian Blanco of the Timbers took a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 2-1, with the Dynamo advancing thanks to Manotas, the man of the match for the winning goal.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 32

We're back with a big day of games, beginning with a matinee in...

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Craig Anderson are in goal. Vegas led off in the first period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by William Karlsson. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Dion Phaneuf. The Golden Knights retook the lead with an Erik Haula goal, his third of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and David Perron. The Senators tied it again with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his third of the year, helped along by Tom Pyatt and Chris Wideman. Vegas regained the lead with a Marchessault power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Nate Schmidt and Haula. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Karlsson goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Marchessault and Reilly Smith. Vegas extended the lead as Haula scored his second of the game and fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Perron and James Neal. Ottawa got one back with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Derick Brassard and Stone. The Senators pulled closer with an Erik Karlsson goal, coming off of Brassard and Kyle Turris. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Haula, William Karlsson, and Marchessault, while Perron, Stone, and Brassard get the honorable mentions.

At the normal time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Washington began in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, via Lars Eller and Chandler Stephenson. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Boston got on the board in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. Washington replied with a Wilson goal, his second of the game, coming off of Brooks Orpik. The Bruins got one back in the third period with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, powered by Brad Marchand and Krug. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Wilson, Pastrnak, and Krug.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth are the Russian goalies. Colorado started in the first period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Philadelphia tied it on a Valtteri Filppula goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Travis Konecny and Wayne Simmonds in the second period. The Flyers took the lead with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakub Voracek. The Avalanche retied it on a shorthanded Blake Comeau goal, his third of the year, set up by MacKinnon and Patrik Nemeth. Colorado took the lead with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Alexander Kerfoot and Barrie. Philadelphia retied it in the third period with a Voracek goal, his third of the year, via Sean Couturier and Robert Hagg. The Avalanche regained the lead with a Nail Yakupov goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Duchene. The Flyers tied it again on a Dale Weise goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jordan Weal and Travis Sanheim. The tie went to a shootout, where Weal got bested by MacKinnon and Rantanen as the Avalanche won 5-4. The three stars were MacKinnon, Duchene, and Rantanen, while Weal, Barrie, and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jake Allen are the masked men. Toronto opened in the first period with an Andreas Borgman goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Matt Martin and Connor Carrick. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. The Blues took the lead with a Joel Edmundson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Schenn and Schwartz. St. Louis added on with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Schenn and Schwartz, both of whom earned sock tricks. The Blues extended the lead as Magnus Paajarvi scored an unassisted goal in the third period, his second of the season. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Tyler Bozak goal, his third of the year, helped along by Mitchell Marner and Martin. St. Louis answered on a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his third of the season, fueled by Alexander Steen and Paul Stastny. The Blues padded the lead with a power play goal by Pietrangelo, his sixth of the year, powered by Schenn and Tarasenko. Toronto chipped back on a Connor Brown goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Zach Hyman and Borgman. The Maple Leafs got closer with Bozak's second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Martin, who earned a sock trick. The final held at 6-4, with the three stars being Pietrangelo, Schenn, and Schwartz, while Tarasenko, Martin, Borgman, and Bozak get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Seth Jones goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by J.T. Brown and Dan Girardi. The Lightning took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Markus Hannikainen. Tampa Bay regained the lead in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fourth of the year, via Alex Killorn and Hedman. Columbus got one back in the third period with a Hannikainen goal, his second of the season, passed from Sonny Milano and Jones. The Blue Jackets tied it as Brandon Dubinsky scored, thanks to Boone Jenner and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The tie went into a shootout, where Stamkos won it 5-4 for the Lightning. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Hedman, while Hannikainen and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo are the formerly great goalies. Florida got going in the second period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his second of the season, assisted by Micheal Haley and Derek MacKenzie. New York tied it on a Nick Holden goal, via Ryan McDonagh and Jesper Fast. The Panthers retook the lead with another Sceviour goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from MacKenzie and Haley. The Rangers tied it again with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his third of the season, coming off of J.T. Miller. New York took the lead with a Michael Grabner goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Fast. Florida tied it on a Keith Yandle goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jamie McGinn and Aleksander Barkov. The Rangers regained the lead on a Rick Nash power play goal, his third of the year, powered by McDonagh and Miller. The Panthers tied it again as Vincent Trocheck scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Huberdeau. New York won 5-4 in overtime with a Shattenkirk goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Nash and Miller, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Shattenkirk, Miller, and Sceviour, while Nash, Fast, McDonagh, MacKenzie, and Haley all get honorable mentions.

Way to the north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya and Connor Hellebuyck occupy the creases. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Montreal tied it on an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his second of the year, via Jonathan Drouin and Max Pacioretty. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Shaw power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with assists provided by Shea Weber and Pacioretty. The Jets retied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Brandon Tanev. Winnipeg took the lead back with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, coming off of Tyler Myers and Jacob Trouba. The Jets added on with a Wheeler power play goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Byfuglien. Montreal responded with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his third of the season, made possible by Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens tied it again with a Jeff Petry goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Montreal won 5-4 in overtime on a Pacioretty power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk and Weber. The three stars were Pacioretty, Shaw, and Weber, while Wheeler and Byfuglien get the honorable mentions.

South again to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Kari Lehtonen draw the starts in goal. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Remi Elie goal, via Antoine Roussel. The Stars added on with a Radek Faksa goal, his third of the season, made possible by Gemel Smith and John Klnigberg. Dallas extended the lead as Stephen Johns scored his second of the year, thanks to Smith and Faksa. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal. The Stars padded the lead with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas answered on a Roussel goal, coming off of Klingberg, who got a sock trick, and Seguin. The three stars were Faksa, Klingberg, and Roussel, while Smith and Seguin get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Jonathan Toews. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars being Crawford (24 save shutout), Anisimov, and DeBrincat.

Continuing the zig-zag pattern, the Arizona Coyotes are next as they host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Antti Raanta are the former backups in goal. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Brad Richardson. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his fourth of the year, via Sebastian Aho and Noah Hanifin in the third period. The tie went to a shootout, where Keller and Derek Stepan lifted the Coyotes over Brock McGinn and the Hurricanes 2-1. The three stars were Keller, Raanta (35 for 36 in saves), and Darling (23 for 24 in saves).

In British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jacob Markstrom man the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his third of the year, via Bo Horvat. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with another Boeser goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Sven Baertschi and Horvat. The Penguis tied it in the third period with a Greg McKegg goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Reaves. Vancouver retook the lead with a Boeser goal, his fifth of the season completing his hat trick, with helpers from Horvat and Baertschi, the former earning a sock trick. The Canucks added on with a Horvat goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Baertschi, who got a sock trick, and Boeser. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Boeser, Horvat, and Baertschi.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Miikka Salomaki goal, assisted by Yannick Weber and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban goal, his third of the season, passed from Scott Hartnell and Ryan Johansen. The Predators extended the lead as Craig Smith scored his fourth of the year in the second period, thanks to Filip Forsberg. Los Angeles got on the board with an Alex Iafallo goal in the third period, via Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings got closer with a Christian Folin goal, coming off of Derek Forbort and Tanner Pearson. Los Angeles tied it with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Kopitar. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Jarnkrok, Arvidsson, and Kopitar.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his third of the season, passed from Derek Grant and Rickard Rakell. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Joel Ward goal, his second of the year, via Barclay Goodrow. The tie went to a shootout, where Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi helped the Sharks top Rakell and the Ducks 2-1. The three stars were Rakell, Jones (25 for 26 in saves), and Miller (44 for 45 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, November 3, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 31

Just two games tonight, beginning with...

The Edmonton Oilers welcoming the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Edmonton began in the first period with a Drake Caggiula power play goal, powered by Connor McDavid and Mark Letestu. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Strome goal, his second of the season, via Caggiula and Adam Larsson. New Jersey got on the board with a Taylor Hall goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Miles Wood. The Devils tied it on a Jesper Bratt goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nico Hischier and Damon Severson. Edmonton retook the lead with an Oscar Klefbom goal, helped along by Patrick Maroon and McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as Milan Lucic scored his second of the year, thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Anton Slepyshev. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his third of the season, coming off of McDavid, who got a sock trick, and Matt Benning. New Jersey pulled one back with a Brian Gibbons goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Will Butcher and Drew Stafford. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDavid, Caggiula, and Nugent-Hopkins.

The other game sees the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and John Gibson protect the nets. Nashville led off in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Roman Josi and Pontus Aberg. The Predators added on with a Josi goal, his fourth of the year, via Colton Sissons and Frederick Gaudreau. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Matt Irwin scored, thanks to Yannick Weber and Gaudreau. Anaheim got on the board with an Antoine Vermette goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie. The Predators shot back with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Kevin Fiala. The Ducks chipped back with a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Rickard Rakell. Anaheim got closer in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his second of the year, passed from Derek Grant and Chris Wagner. Nashville iced it at 5-3 with a P.K. Subban empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Rinne and Austin Watson. The three stars went to Josi, Gaudreau, and Arvidsson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 30

Twelve games on a big day today. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Tuukka Rask are set to start in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Riley Nash goal, via Austin Czarnik and Torey Krug. Vegas tied it on a Cody Eakin goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Nate Schmidt. The Bruins took the lead back with a Sean Kuraly goal in the third period, courtesy of Jake DeBrusk and Krug. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kuraly, Krug, and Rask (28 for 29 in saves).

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington opened in the first period with a Taylor Chorney goal, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Lars Eller. New York tied it on a John Tavares power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Anders Lee and Josh Bailey. The Capitals took the lead back with an Eller goal, his second of the year, fueled by Stephenson and Madison Bowey. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a Lee power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Bailey and Mathew Barzal. Washington pulled ahead again with an Alex Chiasson goal, passed from John Carlson and Jay Beagle. New York retied it in the third period with a Lee goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Thomas Hickey and Tavares. The Capitals regained the lead on an Eller goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, via Tom Wilson and Carlson. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars given to Eller, Lee, and Tavares, while Stephenson, Carlson, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. The Senators added on in the second period with an Alexandre Burrows power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Stone and Dion Phaneuf. Detroit got on the board in the third period with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Mike Green and Dylan Larkin. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with a Nate Thompson empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Karlsson and Tom Pyatt. The three stars were Stone, Anderson (24 for 25 in saves), and Karlsson.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. New York led off in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Brady Skjei. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a shorthanded Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the year, set up by Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. The Rangers won 2-1 in overtime with a J.T. Miller goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk and the goalie Lundqvist. The three stars went to Miller, Lundqvist (27 for 28 in saves), and Kreider.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and James Reimer draw the starts in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Mark Pysyk goal, his second of the season, helped along by Vincent Trocheck and Jamie McGinn. Columbus tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his fourth of the year, via Brandon Dubinsky and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Anderson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Markus Nutivaara and Boone Jenner. The Panthers tied it in the second period with an Ian McCoshen goal, his second of the year, made possible by Radim Vrbata and Trocheck. Columbus retook the lead with a Markus Hannikainen goal, coming off of David Savard and Matt Calvert. Florida tied it again with a shorthanded Trocheck goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Keith Yandle and Derek MacKenzie. The Blue Jackets chased Reimer with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Sonny Milano. Columbus added on against Antti Niemi with a Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, guided in by Zach Werenski and Calvert. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Tyler Motte scored his second of the year, thanks to Jenner and Nutivaara. Columbus padded the lead on a Jenner power play goal, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Artemi Panarin and Werenski. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars being Bjorkstrand, Anderson, and Trocheck, while Jenner, Calvert, Werenski, and Nutivaara get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Jake Allen are between the pipes. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brandon Manning goal, his second of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. The Flyers iced it at 2-0 in the third period with an empty net goal by Giroux, his seventh of the year, set up by Wayne Simmonds and Couturier. The three stars were Neuvirth (33 save shutout), Giroux, and Couturier.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Connor Hellebuyck are the starting goalies. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with a Patrik Laine goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Dmitry Kulikov. Winnipeg extended the lead as Tyler Myers scored his second of the season on the power play, thanks to Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. Dallas got on the board with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Tyler Seguin. The Stars got closer with a Mattias Janmark goal in the second period, his third of the season, passed from Devin Shore and Stephen Johns. The Jets answered in the third period with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Josh Morrissey and Wheeler. Winnipeg finished it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Scheifele, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the campaign, set up by Wheeler, who got a sock trick, and Jacob Trouba. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Myers.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, via Mike Reilly and Daniel Winnik. The Wild added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, passed from Matt Dumba. Minnesota extended the lead as Tyler Ennis scored his third of the season, with the help of Cullen and Dumba. The Wild padded the lead in the second period with a Ryan Suter goal, his second of the year, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. Montreal got on the board with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Charles Hudon. Minnesota shot back in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his second of the year, with assists from Koivu and Granlund. The Canadiens replied with an Andrew Shaw goal, guided in by Phillip Danault and Max Pacioretty. Montreal got closer with a Gallagher goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Tomas Plekanec. The Wild capped it at 6-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Marcus Foligno, his third of the year. The three stars went to Cullen, Dumba, and Koivu, while Gallagher and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

In Canada again, the Calgary Flames bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Mike Smith in goal. Calgary drew first blood in the third period with a Sean Monahan goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie on the power play. Pittsburgh tied it with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifth of the year, via Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime with a Mark Giordano goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk. The three stars went to Smith (43 for 44 in saves), Giordano, and Jarry (32 for 34 in saves).

South to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Semyon Varlamov are the underwhelming veterans in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Victor Rask goal, his third of the season, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Williams. Colorado tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his second of the year, guided in by Erik Johnson and Mark Barberio. The Avalanche took the lead with a Patrik Nemeth goal, passed from A.J. Greer and Nail Yakupov. The Hurricanes retied it with an Elias Lindholm goal, his third of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Hadyn Fleury. Colorado retook the lead in the second period with a Blake Comeau goal, his second of the year, fueled by Soderberg and Matt Nieto. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Nemeth. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored a power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Carolina got one back with a Derek Ryan goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Josh Jooris. This only made it 5-3, the eventual final, with the three stars being Soderberg, Nemeth, and Varlamov (57 for 60 in saves), while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention.

Further south to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Antti Raanta occupy the blue paint. Arizona began in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his second of the season, via Max Domi and Christian Dvorak. Buffalo tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, passed from Benoit Pouliot and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Pouliot goal, his third of the year, coming off of O'Reilly and Okposo. Buffalo added on with a Seth Griffith goal, his second of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Jake McCabe. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period as Evander Kane scored his seventh of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Jack Eichel and Marco Scandella. Buffalo padded the lead as Pouliot scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristoalinen, the former earning a sock trick. The Coyotes got one back with a Zac Rinaldo goal, guided in by Jason Demers and Brad Richardson. Arizona got closer with a Nick Cousins goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jordan Martinook and Kevin Connauton. The Coyotes pulled closer with a Dvorak goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone helper from Demers. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Pouliot, O'Reilly, and Okposo, while Dvorak and Demers get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Jonathan Quick play goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, made possible by Tanner Pearson. The Kings added on with a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead as Trevor Lewis scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Nick Shore and Cammalleri. The Kings padded the lead in the second period on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Pearson and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles continued with another Toffoli goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Adrian Kempe and Pearson, the latter earning a sock trick. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews penalty shot goal, his tenth of the season. The Maple Leafs chipped closer with a Morgan Rielly goal, his second of the season, assisted by Matthews and Zach Hyman. Toronto got closer in the third period with a Connor Brown power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jake Gardiner and William Nylander. This only made it a 5-3 final, with the three stars given to Toffoli, Pearson, and Cammalleri, while Matthews gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.