NHL 2017-18 Day 40

Just four games on today, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Corey Crawford man the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his sixth of the season, via Jan Rutta and Patrick Kane. New Jersey tied it on a Miles Wood power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Drew Stafford and Taylor Hall. The Blackhawks retook the lead with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nick Schmaltz. Chicago added on with a Rutta power play goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Tanner Kero scored, thanks to Lance Bouma. The Devils got one back on another Wood goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Steven Santini. New Jersey got closer with an Andy Greene goal in the second period, his second of the year, courtesy of Stefan Noesen and Blake Coleman. The Devils tied it on an unassisted Nico Hischier goal, his third of the season. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Hall goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Hischier and Greene. The Devils padded the lead with a Brian Gibbons goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Wood. Chicago answered with a Kane power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Rutta and Schmaltz. Anton Forsberg replaced Crawford for the third period. New Jersey countered in the third period on a Wood power play goal to complete his hat trick on his sixth of the season, with helpers from Jesper Bratt and Hischier. This stood for a 7-5 win, with the three stars given to Wood, Rutta, and Hall, while Hischier, Kane, Schmaltz, and Greene get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Laurent Brossoit is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jujhar Khaira goal, made possible by Iiro Pakarinen and Ryan Strome. Washington tied it on a Dmitry Orlov goal, via Tom Wilson and Madison Bowey. The Capitals won 2-1 in the shootout with a T.J. Oshie tally. The three stars were Holtby (29 for 30 in saves), Orlov, and Oshie.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and John Gibson guard the cages. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Anaheim tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, via Chris Wagner and Andrew Cogliano. The Lightning took the lead back on a J.T. Brown goal, assisted by Chris Kunitz and Ryan Callahan. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Vasilevskiy (28 for 29 in saves), Brown, and Namestnikov.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks in a battle of California. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead on a Joel Ward goal, his third of the season, passed from Barclay Goodrow and Joakim Ryan. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars being Jones (26 for 27 in saves), Ward, and Karlsson.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 39

We'll be having twelve games today, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot faces his former mentor Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello. Edmonton tied it on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Milan Lucic and Oscar Klefbom in the second period. The Rangers retied it on a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Zuccarello. New York pulled ahead with a Nash power play goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Brady Skjei and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers finished it at 4-2 with a Michael Grabner empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jesper Fast. The three stars were Nash, Zuccarello, and Buchnevich.

In Sweden, the Ottawa Senators act as hosts against the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a shorthanded Blake Comeau goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Mark Barberio and Erik Johnson. Ottawa tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Derick Brassard and Erik Karlsson in the second period. The Avalanche retook the lead with an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Johnson and Sven Andrighetto. The Senators retied it on a Mark Stone goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Karlsson. Colorado regained the lead on an Andrighetto goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Kerfoot and Andrei Mironov. Ottawa tied it in the third period with a Johnny Oduya goal, his second of the year, helped along by Nate Thompson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators iced it at 4-3 with a Hoffman power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hoffman, Kerfoot, and Andrighetto, while Karlsson and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Back across the Atlantic, the Boston Bruins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Tuukka Rask are the goalies. Toronto started in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. Boston got on the board with a Frank Vatrano goal, his second of the season, passed from Torey Krug and Kevan Miller. Toronto answered in the third period with a Rielly goal, his third of the year, via van Riemsdyk and Marner. The Maple Leafs capped it at 4-1 with a Patrick Marleau empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Zach Hyman and Leo Komarov. The three stars were Rielly, van Riemsdyk, and Marner.

In Detroit, the Red Wings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard are the veteran goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his third of the season, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and David Savard. Detroit tied it on a third period goal by Andreas Athanasiou, his second of the year, coming off of Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Tatar. In the shootout, Panarin and Jack Johnson lifted the Blue Jackets over Frans Nielsen and the Red Wings for a 2-1 final score. The three stars were Panarin, Bobrovsky (32 for 33 in saves), and Howard (31 for 32 in saves).

Southeast to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Scott Darling are the lesser-known goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Brock McGinn goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Derek Ryan and Justin Williams. The Hurricanes added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got on the board in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. Carolina answered on a McGinn goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Ryan. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Tanner Kero. Chicago tied it on a Gustav Forsling goal, made possible by Brent Seabrook and Panik. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by DeBrincat and Forsling. The three stars belonged to DeBrincat, McGinn, and Forsling, while Panik and Ryan get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with an unassisted power play goal by Ryan O'Reilly, his sixth of the season. Montreal tied it in the third period with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Max Pacioretty. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with a Pacioretty goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone assist by Phillip Danault. The three stars were awarded to Pacioretty, Lindgren (34 for 35 in saves), and Shaw.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Cory Schneider are between the pipes. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Jimmy Hayes. The Devils added on in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Will Butcher and Nico Hischier. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Mike Matheson. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars given to Schneider (32 for 33 in saves), Palmieri, and Severson.

Nearby, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Matt Dumba and Nino Niederreiter. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Dubnyk (32 save shutout), Zucker, and Elliott (26 for 27 in saves).

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Jake Allen draw the starts in goal. New York started in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Nick Leddy. New York extended the lead as Jordan Eberle scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Andrew Ladd. The Islanders padded the lead in the second period with a Joshua Ho-Sang goal, coming off of Alan Quine and Leddy. Carter Hutton took over for Allen in goal. St. Louis got on the board with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifth of the year, via Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn. The Blues got closer in the third period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his second of the season, assisted by Robert Bortuzzo and Kyle Brodziak. New York finished it at 5-2 with a Lee goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Adam Pelech and Calvin de Haan. The three stars were Lee, Leddy, and Eberle.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a shorthanded Bryan Rust goal, his second of the season, set up by Kris Letang. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his fourth of the year, via Miikka Salomaki. The Predators took the lead with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville added on with a Craig Smith goal, his fifth of the year, coming on the power play from Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Penguins got one back with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Letang. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Justin Schultz. The Predators retook the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Turris and Smith. The Penguins tied it again with a Brian Dumoulin goal, passed from Conor Sheary and Kessel. The tie went to a shootout, where Kevin Fiala and Forsberg carried the Predators to a 5-4 win over Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The three stars belonged to Forsberg, Turris, and Smith, while Kessel and Letang get the honorable mentions.

West to California, where the San Jose Sharks welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe in Aaron Dell in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his third of the season, via Justin Braun and Melker Karlsson. The Sharks added on in the second period with a shorthanded Logan Couture goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Hertl. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Couture scored an empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Joel Ward and Hertl. The Sharks padded the lead on a shorthanded empty net goal by Chris Tierney, his third of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose iced it at 5-0 with Tierney's shorthanded penalty shot goal, his fourth of the campaign. The three stars were Couture, Hertl, and Dell (41 save shutout), while Tierney gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason and Antti Raanta are the mediocre goalies. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Zac Rinaldo goal, his second of the season, via Alex Goligoski and Derek Stepan. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with an unassisted Matt Hendricks goal. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. Winnipeg added on with a Kyle Connor goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Scheifele and Wheeler. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with a Laine empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Laine.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 38

We've got seven games today, including a special Global Series game in Sweden, as...

The Colorado Avalanche take the role of hosts against the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nail Yakupov power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Alexander Kerfoot and Colin Wilson. Ottawa tied it on a Fredrik Claesson goal, passed from Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. The Senators took the lead with a Mark Stone goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Johnny Oduya and Chris Wideman. The Avalanche retied it in the second period on a Kerfoot goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Blake Comeau and Samuel Girard. Ottawa regained the lead with a Christopher DiDomenico goal, his third of the year, helped along by Dion Phaneuf and Tom Pyatt. Colorado retied it in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Stone goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Derick Brassard and Karlsson. The three stars were Stone, Kerfoot, and Karlsson.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Victor Antipin and Evander Kane. Florida tied it in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with an Ian McCoshen goal, his third of the season, fueled by Huberdeau and Dadonov. Florida added on with an empty net goal by Barkov, his fifth of the year, set up by Huberdeau, who got a sock trick, and Colton Sceviour. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Vincent Trocheck empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Aaron Ekblad. The three stars were Dadonov, Huberdeau, and Luongo (24 for 25 in saves), while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Boston got going in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. The Bruins retook the lead in the third period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Szwarz and Anders Bjork. The Maple Leafs tied it with another van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Mitchell Marner and Nikita Zaitsev. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with a Patrick Marleau goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Jake Gardiner and Marner. The three stars were van Riemsdyk, Marner, and Marleau.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a John Carlson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. Pittsburgh tied it on a Phil Kessel goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, helped along by Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. The Capitals retook the lead with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Carlson and Lars Eller. Washington added on with a Chandler Stephenson goal in the third period, his second of the year, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and Taylor Chorney. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with a Jakub Vrana empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Carlson, Holtby (27 for 28 in saves), and Oshie.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Sergei Bobrovsky are between the pipes. Columbus began in the first period with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Motte and Markus Hannikainen. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Jordan Staal goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Staal goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, passed from Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with a Brock McGinn goal, his third of the year, set up by Justin Williams and Derek Ryan. The three stars were awarded to Staal, Teravainen, and Ward (25 for 26 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Dallas struck first in the first period with a John Klingberg goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Stars added on with a Gemel Smith goal, via Alexander Radulov and Klingberg. Dallas extended the lead as Esa Lindell scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Klingberg and Martin Hanzal. The Stars padded the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Mattias Janmark goal in the second period, his fourth of the campaign. Dallas continued with a Jason Spezza power play goal, powered by Lindell and Dam Hamhuis. This made it 5-0, the eventual final, with the three stars being Klingberg, Lindell, and Bishop (14 save shutout).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Maxime Lagace are the young goalies. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Luca Sbisa goal, passed from David Perron and Tomas Nosek. The Golden Knights added on with a Perron goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Deryk Engelland and Erik Haula. Winnipeg got on the board with an Adam Lowry goal, coming off of Dmitry Kulikov and Brandon Tanev. Vegas replied with a William Karlsson goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Engelland and Reilly Smith. The Jets pulled back on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele. The Golden Knights replied with an unassisted James Neal power play goal, his ninth of the year. Vegas padded the lead on a Karlsson shorthanded goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, set up by Smith and Sbisa. Steve Mason replaced Hellebuyck to start the third period. The final held at 5-2 with the three stars handed to Karlsson, Perron, and Sbisa, while Engelland and Smith get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 37

We've got seven games today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Cory Schneider protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, passed from Brian Gibbons and John Moore. Edmonton tied it in the second period with an Anton Slepyshev goal, via Milan Lucic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Devils took the lead back with a Drew Stafford goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Adam Henrique and Mirco Mueller. The Oilers retied it in the third period on a Lucic goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nugent-Hopkins and Zack Kassian. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Connor McDavid and Kris Russell. The three stars were Lucic, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a Voracek goal, his fourth of the year, via Shayne Gostisbehere and Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Sean Couturier scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Giroux and Voracek. Chicago got on the board with a Connor Murphy goal, assisted by Lance Bouma and Jan Rutta. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Voracek, Giroux, and Elliott (38 for 39 in saves).

In Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Charlie Lindgren man the nets. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the third period with a shorthanded Jason Zucker goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Mikael Granlund. The Wild added on with another Zucker goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, via Nino Niederreiter and Eric Staal. Minnesota extended the lead as Zucker scored an empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eighth of the campaign, with the help of Daniel Winnik. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Zucker, Dubnyk (41 save shutout), and Granlund.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Joel Edmundson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Chris Thorburn and Brayden Schenn. Arizona tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his third of the year, coming off of Anthony Duclair and Kevin Connauton. The Coyotes took the lead on another goal by Perlini, his second of the game and fourth of the season, powered by Christian Dvorak and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the power play. The Blues tied it in the third period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Vladimir Tarasenko and Dmitrij Jaskin. The tie went to a shootout, where Schenn and Alexander Steen gave the Blues a 3-2 win. The three stars were Perlini, Schenn, and Pietrangelo.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Mike Smith are the masked men. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mark Jankowski goal, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Sam Bennett. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Sean Monahan. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Micheal Ferland scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Mikael Backlund. Detroit got on the board with a Martin Frk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin. The Flames replied with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Brett Kulak and Backlund. The Red Wings pulled back on a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Mantha and Mike Green. Calgary shot back on a Jagr goal, made possible by Gaudreau and Kulak. Detroit countered with a Mantha goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Jonathan Ericsson and Nielsen. The Flames iced it at 6-3 with a Gaudreau empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Monahan. The three stars were awarded to Gaudreau, Jagr, and Mantha, while Nielsen, Kulak, Backlund, and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom faces former teammate Ryan Miller in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim tied it on a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Brandon Montour power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Corey Perry and Rakell. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Rakell, who got a sock trick, and Perry. The Ducks extended the lead as Silfverberg scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Andrew Cogliano and Josh Manson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rakell, Silfverberg, and Perry.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Peter Budaj and Jonathan Quick play in the creases. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Steven Stamkos and Slater Koekkoek. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his second of the year, via Dan Girardi and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Victor Hedman scored his second of the season, thanks to Yanni Gourde and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning padded the lead on a Stamkos power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Killorn and Kucherov. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. The Kings got closer in the third period with an Oscar Fantenberg goal, made possible by Dustin Brown and Brooks Laich. Tampa Bay finished it at 5-2 with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Hedman and Kucherov. The three stars were Kucherov, Stamkos, and Hedman, while Killorn gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 36

Just three games on this evening. We begin in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto led off in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Minnesota tied it on a Jason Zucker goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Eric Staal. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Patrick Marleau goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Hyman and Connor Brown in the second period. Toronto added on in the third period with an unassisted Connor Carrick goal. The Wild got one back with a Zucker power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, powered by Staal and Ryan Suter. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with a Brown empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Brown, Zucker, and Staal.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York began in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Ryan McDonagh and Michael Grabner. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Anders Bjork. The Rangers retook the lead with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his third of the season, helped along by Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad. New York added on with a Vesey goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Kevin Shattenkirk and David Desharnais. The Bruins got one back with a Bergeron goal in the third period, his third of the season, made possible by Pastrnak and Torey Krug. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a Rick Nash empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by McDonagh. The three stars were awarded to Vesey, Buchnevich, and Bergeron, while Pastrnak and McDonagh get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Martin Jones guard the cages. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Tampa Bay tied it on a Jake Dotchin goal, made possible by Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Vladislav Namestnikov and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on with a Slater Koekkoek goal, his third of the season, coming off of Gourde and Anton Stralman. The Lightning extended the lead as Namestnikov scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Stamkos and Kucherov. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Namestnikov power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Kucherov and Stamkos, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Namestnikov, while Gourde gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 35

Nine games on this Tuesday night, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Devante Smith-Pelly and Brooks Orpik. The Sabres retook the lead in the third period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Jason Pominville. The three stars were Kane, Pouliot, and Lehner (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Scott Darling are the masked men. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brock McGinn goal, his second of the season, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Roland McKeown. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and the goalie Luongo. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the season, assisted by Justin Williams and McKeown. Carolina capped it at 3-1 with a Williams empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Joakim Nordstrom and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars went to McKeown, Williams, and Darling (30 for 31 in saves).

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cory Schneider tend the twines. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his second of the season, via Brian Boyle and John Moore. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Brayden Schenn. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Schenn and Tarasenko. St. Louis finished it at 3-1 with a Schenn empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Tarasenko. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Schenn, and Allen (21 for 22 in saves).

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Thomas Greiss are in the creases. Edmonton struck first in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Milan Lucic. New York tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Mathew Barzal. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with a Connor McDavid goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Draisaitl. The three stars belonged to Draisaitl, Talbot (36 for 37 in saves), and McDavid.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Justin Schultz goal, his second of the season, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with a Malkin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kessel and Jake Guentzel. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his third of the season, passed from Christian Fischer and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Pittsburgh replied with a Kessel power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Malkin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Malkin, Kessel, and Murray (24 for 25 in saves).

Into Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Nashville was first to score in the second period with a Matt Irwin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm. Columbus tied it in the third period with an unassisted goal by Pierre-Luc Dubois, his second of the year. The Predators retook the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his second of the season, fueled by Miikka Salomaki and Kevin Fiala. Nashville added on with an empty net goal by Arvidsson, his sixth of the year, set up by Salomaki. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Rinne (35 for 36 in saves), Arvidsson, and Salomaki.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Charlie Lindgren are the little-known goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Tomas Plekanec and Jordie Benn. The Canadiens added on with a Benn goal, assisted by Victor Mete and Charles Hudon. Vegas got on the board with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his second of the year, guided in by Deryk Engelland. Montreal countered in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixth of the season, via Jeff Petry and Andrew Shaw. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and David Perron. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Benn, Pacioretty, and Gallagher.

West to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Daniel Sedin and Thomas Vanek. Calgary tied it on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of T.J. Brodie and Sean Monahan. The Canucks retied it on a Vanek goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Michael Del Zotto and Alex Biega. Calgary retook the lead with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Vancouver tied it again with a shorthanded Derek Dorsett goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Brandon Sutter and Ben Hutton. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Brock Boeser and Hutton. Vancouver finished it at 5-3 with a Henrik Sedin goal, made possible by Daniel Sedin and Jake Virtanen. The three stars were Vanek, Daniel Sedin, and Hutton.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a Jared Boll goal, via Brandon Montour and Logan Shaw. The Ducks added on with a Sami Vatanen goal, coming off of Rickard Rakell. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Alex Iafallo. Anaheim replied in the second period with a Rakell goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Josh Manson and Derek Grant. The Kings got one back with an Adrian Kempe goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Iafallo and Kopitar. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime on a Nick Shore goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Brown and the goalie Quick. The three stars were Brown, Kopitar, and Rakell, while Iafallo gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 34

Six games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his third of the year, via Zdeno Chara and Jordan Szwarz. The Bruins took the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, assisted by Szwarz and Chara. Boston added on in the second period with a Sean Kuraly goal, his second of the season, passed from Danton Heinen and Tim Schaller. The Bruins extended the lead as Torey Krug scored his third of the year, thanks to David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. Alex Stalock replaced Dubnyk to start the third period. The Wild got one back with a Mikael Granlund goal, coming off of Matt Dumba. Minnesota got closer with a shorthanded Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Jason Zucker. Boston iced it at 5-3 with a Schaller empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Szwarz, Schaller, and Chara.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist are between the pipes. Columbus got going in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets added on with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Ryan Murray. New York got on the board with a Michael Grabner goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by J.T. Miller and Nick Holden. The Rangers tied it on a Kevin Shattenkrik power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad. Columbus took the lead back with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. New York retied it on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Pavel Buchnevich and Zibanejad. The Rangers pulled ahead with a Buchnevich power play goal, his sixth of the season, with helpers from Zibanejad, who got a sock trick, and Shattenkirk. New York iced it at 5-3 with a Grabner empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Jesper Fast and Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were Buchnevich, Shattenkirk, and Zibanejad, while Grabner gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. Vegas tied it on a James Neal goal, his eighth of the year, via Erik Haula and David Perron. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Toronto added on with a Kadri goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Patrick Marleau. The Golden Knights got one back in the second period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Colin Miller and William Karlsson. Vegas tied it in the third period as Deryk Engelland scored his second of the year, thanks to Shea Theodore. The tie went to a shootout, where Marner scored the lone tally for a 4-3 Maple Leafs win. The three stars were Marner, Kadri, and van Riemsdyk.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with an unassisted Clayton Keller goal, his eleventh of the season. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Fischer goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Christian Dvorak and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Washington got on the board with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his second of the season, helped along by Lars Eller. The Capitals tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his twelfth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with a Carlson goal, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Kuznetsov. The three stars went to Carlson, Kuznetsov, and Ovechkin.

Southwest to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Wheeler and Scheifele. Winnipeg extended the lead as Connor scored his third of the season, thanks to Wheeler, who got a sock trick. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. The Jets iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Scheifele shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor, while Hellebuyck (33 for 34 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his third of the season, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Martin Frk power play goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his third of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it on a Michael Del Zotto goal, made possible by Bo Horvat. Detroit won 3-2 with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. The three stars were Tatar, Abdelkader, and Frk.

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