The Detroit Red Wings hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Petr Mrazek are the backups in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a David Booth goal, passed from Luke Glendening and Xavier Ouellet. New Jersey tied it on a Brian Boyle goal, his third of the season, helped along by Steven Santini and Miles Wood. The Devils took the lead with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Will Butcher. New Jersey added on in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Hall and Adam Henrique. Jimmy Howard replaced Mrazek in goal. The Red Wings got one back with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it on a Booth goal, his second of the game, via Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Brian Gibbons goal, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hall, Booth, and Gibbons.
In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Carey Price draw the starts in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Jeff Petry power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Galchenyuk goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Paul Byron and Drouin. Montreal extended the lead in the third period on a shorthanded and unassisted Byron goal, his sixth of the campaign. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Price (36 save shutout), Byron, and Galchenyuk, while Drouin gets an honorable mention.
Over to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. New York got going in the second period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Leddy and Mathew Barzal. Ottawa got on the board with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman. This wasn't enough to avoid the 2-1 loss, with the three stars of the Islanders win being Halak (31 for 32 in saves), Leddy, and Eberle.
Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Peter Budaj and Tristan Jarry are the lesser known goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Bryan Rust shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by the goalie Jarry. The Penguins added on with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Crosby scored his eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kessel and Justin Schultz. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period with a Kessel goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Riley Sheahan. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde. Pittsburgh replied in the third period with a Crosby power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Schultz. The Lightning got one back with a Cory Conacher goal, passed from Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson. This made it a 5-2 game, with the three stars given to Crosby, Kessel, and Schultz.
Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Washington started in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, powered by T.J. Oshie. Washington extended the lead as Jakub Vrana scored his seventh of the season in the second period, with the help of Oshie and Matt Niskanen. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his second of the year, via Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his third of the season, fueled by William Nylander and Dominic Moore. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with an Ovechkin empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, set up by Oshie, who got a sock trick, and Backstrom. The three stars were Ovechkin, Oshie, and Backstrom.
South to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Chicago struck first in the first period with a John Hayden goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Tommy Wingels. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Jared McCann goal, his third of the season, helped along by Evgenii Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Chicago replied with a Patrick Kane goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Toews and Saad. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Toews scored his sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. This led to the eventual 4-1 final score, with the three stars being Toews, Crawford (37 for 38 in saves), and Saad.
Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jake Allen guard the cages. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his third of the year, fueled by Chris Thorburn. St. Louis extended the lead as Jaden Schwartz scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Charlie Coyle goal. The Blues replied with a shorthanded Kyle Brodziak goal in the third period, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild chipped back on a Zack Mitchell power play goal, his second of the year, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Tyler Ennis. Minnesota got closer with an Eric Staal power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker. St. Louis answered on a Schwartz power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, coming off of Colton Parayko and Tarasenko. The Blues finished it at 6-3 with a Sammy Blais power play goal, with helpers from Steen and Parayko. The three stars were Schwartz, Tarasenko, and Steen, while Parayko gets an honorable mention.
In the desert, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Scott Wedgewood are the little-known goalies. Vegas dented the scoreboard with a shorthanded and unassisted Tomas Nosek goal, his third of the season. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas extended the lead as Erik Haula scored his seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Marchessault and Shea Theodore. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan in the third period. The Coyotes got closer with a Brendan Perlini goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Stepan and Max Domi. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-2 with a Marchessault empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Karlsson and Reilly Smith. The three stars went to Marchessault, Karlsson, and Stepan.
Up in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Calgary opened in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames retook the lead with a Micheal Ferland goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Sean Monahan. Calgary added on with a Backlund goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Travis Hamonic and Michael Frolik. The Avalanche pulled back in the third period on a Nikita Zadorov goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Mark Barberio. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Backlund, Rittich (24 for 26 in saves), and Ferland.
Out in California, the San Jose Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose started in the first period with a Tim Heed power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the year, via Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Connor Hellebuyck replaced Mason in goal. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Couture scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season shorthanded, set up by Tomas Hertl and Vlasic. The Sharks padded the lead with a Hertl empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, helped along by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The three stars were Couture, Jones (38 save shutout), and Hertl, while Vlasic gets an honorable mention.
Finally, a battle of California ends the day with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his third of the season, helped along by Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Dustin Brown goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Trevor Lewis and Drew Doughty. The tie went into a shootout, where Perry got topped by Anze Kopitar and Lewis as the Kings won 2-1. The three stars were Lewis, Perry, and Miller (33 for 34 in saves).
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