NHL 2017-18 Day 58

Eight games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Robin Lehner man the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Tom Kuhnhackl penalty shot goal. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jake Guentzel scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Conor Sheary and Crosby. This stood for the 4-0 final score, with the three stars going to Jarry (34 save shutout), Crosby, and Kuhnhackl.

Down in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Thomas Greiss make the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nate Thompson. The Senators added on with a Zack Smith goal, helped along by Matt Duchene. New York got on the board with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his third of the year, via Jason Chimera and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. Ottawa retook the lead with a Bobby Ryan goal, with a lone assist by Dion Phaneuf. New York tied it in the second period on another Lee goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by John Tavares and Bailey. The Islanders took the lead with an Andrew Ladd goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle. The Senators tied it again with a Thomas Chabot goal, fueled by Ryan and Mark Stone. New York regained the lead with an unassisted Chimera goal. Mike Condon replaced Anderson in goal. Ottawa tied it as Mike Hoffman scored his ninth of the year on the power play, thanks to Chabot and Cody Ceci. Jaroslav Halak took over for Greiss in goal. The Senators took the lead again in the third period with a Dzingel power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Chabot and Phaneuf. This made it a 6-5 win, with the three stars given to Dzingel, Chabot, and Lee, while Ryan, Phaneuf, Chimera, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

On Broadway, the New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Henrik Lundqvist are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with an unassisted Justin Williams goal, his fifth of the season. New York tied it on an unassisted power play goal by David Desharnais in the second period, his third of the year. The Rangers took the lead with a Michael Grabner goal, his eleventh of the season, via Kevin Shattenkirk and J.T. Miller. New York added on in the third period with a Grabner empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers extended the lead as Grabner completed the natural hat trick with another empty net goal, his thirteenth of the season, with the help of Boo Nieves and Marc Staal. New York iced it at 5-1 with a Paul Carey power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jimmy Vesey and Brendan Smith. The three stars were Grabner, Lundqvist (32 for 33 in saves), and Desharnais.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Joonas Korpisalo occupy the blue paint. Columbus began in the first period with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his third of the season, passed from Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson. Anaheim tied it on a Cam Fowler goal, his second of the year, via Derek Grant and Dennis Rasmussen. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Kevin Roy goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Adam Henrique. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Panarin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Anderson. Columbus took the lead in the third period with an Anderson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Panarin and Dubois. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-2 with a Nick Foligno empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Dubinsky and Jack Johnson. The three stars were Anderson, Panarin, and Dubois, while Dubinsky gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Roberto Luongo are set to start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Alex Petrovic and Micheal Haley. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, guided in by Joe Thornton and Timo Meier. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a Chris Tierney goal, his seventh of the campaign, fueled by Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Dell (39 for 40 in saves), Tierney, and Pavelski.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Darcy Kuemper and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Nick Shore and Tanner Pearson. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Alex Iafallo and Jake Muzzin. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Patrik Berglund power play goal, powered by Colton Parayko and Vince Dunn. Los Angeles replied with an Adrian Kempe goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Toffoli scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, thanks to Pearson. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Toffoli, Kuemper (39 for 40 in saves), and Pearson.

Further to the north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Myers power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little. Vegas tied it on a Cody Eakin goal, his fourth of the year, via Brendan Leipsic and Colin Miller. The Golden Knights took the lead on a William Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Nate Schmidt and Reilly Smith. The Jets retied it in the second period with a Matt Hendricks goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mathieu Perreault and Myers. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Laine power play goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead as Ehlers scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Laine and Josh Morrissey. Vegas got one back with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Alex Tuch and Brayden McNabb. The Jets answered with a Scheifele goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Morrissey and Wheeler. The Golden Knights chipped back on a Miller goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Jon Merrill and Jonathan Marchessault. Winnipeg iced it at 7-4 with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Scheifele and Wheeler, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Laine, Scheifele, and Wheeler, while Connor, Ehlers, Morrissey, and Miller get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. New Jersey got going in the second period with an unassisted Jesper Bratt goal, his eighth of the season. Colorado tied it on a J.T. Compher power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie. The Devils took the lead in the third period with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Taylor Hall and Bratt. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bratt, Boyle, and Schneider (22 for 23 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 57

Seven games on today, beginning with the...

Washington Capitals hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Dmitry Orlov. Los Angeles tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, passed from Trevor Lewis and Adrian Kempe. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year. The Kings tied it on a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kurtis MacDermid. Los Angeles took the lead with a Jussi Jokinen goal, via Lewis and MacDermid. The Kings added on in the third period with a Gaborik empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Tyler Toffoli empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Tanner Pearson and Nick Shore. The three stars were given to Gaborik, Kuznetsov, and Lewis, while MacDermid gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Daniel Carr. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Xavier Ouellet. The Red Wings took the lead with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Gustav Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a Charles Hudon goal, his third of the season, passed from Tomas Plekanec and Gallagher. Montreal took the lead with an Andrew Shaw goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Paul Byron and Jacob De La Rose. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Gallagher scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with the help of Jeff Petry and Plekanec. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Pacioretty power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Petry and Danault. Detroit got one back with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, fueled by Mantha and Dylan Larkin. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Gallagher, Pacioretty, and Mantha, while Danault, Plekanec, and Petry get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Pekka Rinne make the starts in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Irwin. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his twelfth of the year, via Bo Horvat and Alexander Edler. The Predators retook the lead with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone helper from Smith. The Canucks tied it on a Loui Eriksson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Nashville pulled ahead again with a Nick Bonino goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Calle Jarnkrok. Vancouver equalized in the third period on a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Boeser and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks took the lead with a Boeser goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, guided in by Nikolay Goldobin and Ben Hutton. Vancouver iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Eriksson, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The three stars were Daniel Sedin, Boeser, and Eriksson, while Henrik Sedin and Smith get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Mike Reilly and Jason Zucker. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Brayden McNabb goal, passed from Stefan Matteau. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by William Karlsson. The Wild retied it on a Jonas Brodin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Daniel Winnik and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota took the lead with an Eric Staal goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Matt Dumba. The Wild finished it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Staal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign. The three stars were Staal, Brodin, and Dubnyk (29 for 31 in saves).

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Dallas opened in the first period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Gemel Smith. Chicago tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ryan Hartman and Connor Murphy. The Stars retook the lead with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Radek Faksa, his ninth of the season. The Blackhawks tied it on an Artem Anisimov power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz. Dallas took the lead back on a Remi Elie goal, his third of the season, assisted by Faksa and Tyler Pitlick. Chicago tied it on a Kane goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, fueled by Gustav Forsling and Schmaltz. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Janmark goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, made possible by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The three stars were handed to Janmark, Faksa, and Kane, while Schmaltz gets an honorable mention.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood is mismatched with Mike Smith in goal. Calgary struck first in the second period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Jaromir Jagr and Sam Bennett. The Flames added on with a Mikael Backlund goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, via Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary extended the lead as Jankowski scored his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, assisted by Bennett. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Jankowski, Smith (28 save shutout), and Bennett.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Toronto started in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Dominic Moore goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got on the board with a Mark Letestu goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jujhar Khaira and Zack Kassian. Toronto replied with a Matt Martin goal, his second of the year, assisted by Moore and Nylander. The Oilers got one back in the second period on a Kassian goal, his second of the season, via Khaira and Letestu. Edmonton tied it as Connor McDavid scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Kris Russell and Darnell Nurse. The Maple Leafs regained the lead with a Nylander power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Gardiner and Matthews. The Oilers tied it again in the third period with a Russell goal, his second of the year, coming off of Nurse and Letestu. Toronto pulled ahead with an unassisted Patrick Marleau goal, his tenth of the season. The Maple Leafs capped it at 6-4 with a Nazem Kadri empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars belonged to Nylander, Matthews, and Moore, while Letestu, Gardiner, Khaira, Kassian, Russell, and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

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MLS 2017 Conference Championships - Leg 2

These games will determine which teams earn a place in MLS Cup. First up on Wednesday...

Toronto FC hosts the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Alexander Bono are the goalies. Toronto got going in the sixtieth minute with a Jozy Altidore goal, passed from Victor Vazquez. Toronto's Michael Bradley took a yellow card for a seventy-eighth minute foul. Columbus saw a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul by Jonathan Mensah. The game and series ended 1-0 Toronto, with Altidore the man of the match.

On Thursday, the Seattle Sounders FC host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle opened in the twenty-second minute with a Victor Rodriguez goal, passed from Will Bruin. Eric Alexander of Houston had a yellow card for his twenty-ninth minute foul. The Sounders saw a yellow card for time wasting in the thirty-sixth minute by Nouhou. Seattle added on in the fifty-seventh minute with a Clint Dempsey goal, assisted by Joevin Jones and Rodriguez. Oscar Boniek Garcia of the Dynamo had a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul. Houston went down to ten men in the sixty-sixth minute as Tomas Martinez received a straight red card for violent conduct. The Sounders' Jones received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-seventh minute. Seattle extended the lead as Bruin scored in the seventy-third minute, thanks to Harry Shipp. Erick Torres of the Dynamo had a yellow card for an eightieth minute foul. The final was 3-0, with Bruin named man of the match as the Sounders join Toronto FC in MLS Cup after a 5-0 series win.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 56

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his third of the season, coming off of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Riley Nash goal, his second of the year, via Danton Heinen and Marchand. Boston extended the lead as Torey Krug scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Ryan Spooner and McAvoy. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Andrej Sustr goal, passed from Braydon Coburn and Chris Kunitz. The Lightning got closer in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to McAvoy, Krug, and Marchand.

Up in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon is mismatched with former mentor Carey Price in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Mark Stone goal, his fourteenth of the season. Montreal tied it on a Jonathan Drouin penalty shot goal in the second period, his fifth of the year. The Canadiens took the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Andrew Shaw and Max Pacioretty. This stood for a 2-1 win eventually, with the three stars going to Price (27 for 28 in saves), Danault, and Drouin.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jake Allen guard the cages. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Antoine Vermette goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kevin Roy and Francois Beauchemin. The Ducks added on with a Roy power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen in the second period. Anaheim extended the lead as Vermette scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Chris Wagner and Kevin Bieksa on the power play. St. Louis got on the board with a Kyle Brodziak goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, via Dmitrij Jaskin and Joel Edmundson. The Blues got closer with a Brodziak goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, helped along by Vladimir Sobotka and Colton Parayko. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Vermette, Brodziak, and Roy.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mark Scheifele and Brandon Tanev. Colorado tied it on an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by J.T. Compher and Nathan MacKinnon. Winnipeg retook the lead in the third period on a Bryan Little goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Nikolaj Ehlers and Dustin Byfuglien. The Avalanche tied it again with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his third of the year, via Blake Comeau and Gabriel Bourque. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a MacKinnon power play goal, with assists provided by Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie. The three stars went to MacKinnon, Kerfoot, and Varlamov (31 for 33 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 55

Ten games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Robin Lehner are the goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Mikhail Sergachev power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Dan Girardi goal, via Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Kucherov. The final remained at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Vasilevskiy (34 save shutout), Sergachev, and Girardi.

Down in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Jaroslav Halak draw the starts in goal. New York started in the first period with an Andrew Ladd shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Adam Pelech and John Tavares. Vancouver tied it on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Loui Eriksson and Sam Gagner. The Islanders retook the lead on a Calvin de Haan goal, via Joshua Ho-Sang and Alan Quine. New York added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Anders Lee scored his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Canucks got one back with a shorthanded Bo Horvat goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Christopher Tanev. New York replied in the third period with a Tavares goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Lee and Pelech. The final held at 5-2 with the three stars being Tavares, Lee, and Pelech.

Also in New York, the Rangers bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Henrik Lundqvist are in goal. Florida led off in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on with a Jamie McGinn goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nick Bjugstad. Florida extended the lead as Micheal Haley scored, thanks to Yandle and Colton Sceviour. Ondrej Pavelec replaced Lundqvist in goal. New York got on the board with a J.T. Miller goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei. The Panthers replied with a Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mike Matheson and MacKenzie Weegar. The Rangers got one back with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Chris Kreider and David Desharnais. New York got closer with a Kreider goal, his ninth of the year, via Buchnevich and Desharnais. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Kreider goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Desharnais, who got a sock trick, and Buchnevich. Florida regained the lead with a Denis Malgin goal, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Huberdeau. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars handed to Huberdeau, Kreider, and Yandle, while Buchnevich and Desharnais get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Michal Neuvirth are the backups in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Jakub Voracek and Andrew MacDonald. San Jose tied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brent Burns and Brenden Dillon. The Sharks took the lead with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on in the second period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the year, helped along by Couture and Justin Braun. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Couture, Thornton, and Dell (22 for 23 in saves).

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Joonas Korpisalo man the nets. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Zach Werenski. Carolina tied it on a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Derek Ryan and Jeff Skinner. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period with a Werenski goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Sonny Milano. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Brock McGinn goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Brett Pesce and Josh Jooris. Columbus won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies by Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin. The three stars went to Werenski, Panarin, and Darling (36 for 38 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Mike Green goal, his second of the season, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Christian Folin. The Kings took the lead with a Kopitar power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles added on in the third period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Oscar Fantenberg and Trevor Lewis. The Kings extended the lead as Kopitar scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with the help of Doughty and Jake Muzzin. The final stayed at 4-1, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Doughty, and Quick (23 for 24 in saves).

South to Nashville, where the Predators host the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville led off in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen. Chicago tied it on a Tommy Wingels goal, his second of the year, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Sharp. The Predators took the lead back in the second period with an Austin Watson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Matt Irwin and Anthony Bitetto. Nashville added on in the third period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Kyle Turris. The Blackhawks got one back with a Lance Bouma goal, his second of the season, via John Hayden and Jan Rutta. This made it 3-2, which wasn't enough for them in the loss. The three stars were Rinne (37 for 39 in saves), Josi, and Watson.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Mike Smith guard the cages. Toronto opened in the first period with an unassisted Roman Polak goal. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nikita Zaitsev goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, assisted by Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Nazem Kadri scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to William Nylander. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Stone goal, his second of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett and Troy Brouwer. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Leo Komarov empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Zaitsev, Kadri, and Polak.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Arizona started in the first period with a Christian Fischer goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Christian Dvorak and Max Domi. Edmonton tied it on a Zack Kassian goal, made possible by Mark Letestu. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Domi and Clayton Keller. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Matt Benning goal, his third of the season, fueled by Kris Russell and Milan Lucic. Edmonton won 4-3 in overtime with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the year, via Benning. The three stars were Benning, Nugent-Hopkins, and Domi.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Malcolm Subban are given the green light in goal. Dallas got going in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his sixth of the season, via Dan Hamhuis and Greg Pateryn. The Stars added on with another Faksa goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, coming off of Gemel Smith and Brett Ritchie. Dallas extended the lead as Faksa finished the natural hat trick with his eighth of the season, thanks to Antoine Roussel and Tyler Pitlick. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars being Faksa, Bishop (34 save shutout), and Hamhuis.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 54

We've got five games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider are the former teammates in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a shorthanded Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Mike Matheson. New Jersey tied it on a third period Nico Hischier goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Pavel Zacha. The Panthers took the lead on an unassisted Vincent Trocheck goal, his tenth of the season. The Devils retied it as Jesper Bratt scored his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Florida retook the lead with a Jared McCann goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Dryden Hunt and Matheson. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Matheson, McCann, and Trocheck.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers in a battle of Pennsylvania. Brian Elliott and Matt Murray are the goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Justin Schultz and the goalie Murray. Philadelphia tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal in the second period, his third of the year, a power play goal powered by Nolan Patrick and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead with a Travis Konecny goal, his third of the season, guided in by Brandon Manning and Michael Raffl. Murray exited the game injured, replaced by Tristan Jarry. Philadelphia added on with a Sean Couturier goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Ivan Provorov and Giroux. The Penguins pulled back with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh tied it as Bryan Rust scored an unassisted goal, his fourth of the year. The Flyers retook the lead with a Raffl goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins retied it on a Guentzel goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by Schultz and Crosby. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Crosby goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. The three stars were Crosby, Guentzel, and Schultz, while Raffl and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Up in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal started in the first period with an unassisted Brendan Gallagher goal, his tenth of the season. The Canadiens added on with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jeff Petry and Alex Galchenyuk. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Josh Anderson and Artemi Panarin. Montreal iced it at 3-1 with an Andrew Shaw empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, set up by Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec. The three stars went to Price (37 for 38 in saves), Drouin, and Gallagher.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Connor Hellebuyck draw the starts in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Charlie Coyle and Gustav Olofsson. The Wild added on with a Chris Stewart goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Matt Cullen and Marcus Foligno. Winnipeg got on the board with a Joel Armia goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Matt Hendricks and Josh Morrissey. The Jets tied it on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. Winnipeg took the lead in the second period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his second of the season, via Scheifele and Andrew Copp. The Jets extended the lead as Mathieu Perreault scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Armia. Winnipeg padded the lead with a Connor power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Wheeler and Scheifele. The Jets continued with a Bryan Little goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Ben Chiarot and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg capped it at 7-2 with a Wheeler goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Connor and Dmitry Kulikov. The three stars were Scheifele, Connor, and Wheeler, while Armia gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago began in the first period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Hartman and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a DeBrincat goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Nick Schmaltz and Brent Seabrook. Chicago extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Jan Rutta and Richard Panik. The Blackhawks chased Gibson with an Artem Anisimov power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, powered by Schmaltz and Patrick Kane. Ryan Miller came on in relief. Anaheim got on the board with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago answered with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Hartman and Sharp. The Ducks replied on a Chris Wagner goal, his third of the season, guided in by Andrew Cogliano and Silfverberg. The Blackhawks countered with a DeBrincat goal, completing his hat trick on his tenth of the year, a power play goal with assists from Kane and Duncan Keith. Anaheim responded with a Wagner power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with helpers from Hampus Lindholm and Nick Ritchie in the third period. Chicago shot back with a Schmaltz goal, his fourth of the year, dished from Kane, who got a sock trick, and Connor Murphy. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars being DeBrincat, Wagner, and Kane, while Schmaltz, Hartman, Sharp, and Silfverberg get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 53

Just three games on today to end the weekend, all of which are at earlier times. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Scott Darling man the nets. Carolina led off in the first period with a Josh Jooris goal, his third of the season, made possible by Marcus Kruger and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Nashville tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his ninth of the year, coming off Mattias Ekholm and the goalie Saros. The Predators took the lead in the second period with an Ekholm power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Kyle Turris. The Hurricanes tied it on a Victor Rask goal, his fourth of the year, via Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Carolina took the lead back in the third period with a Justin Williams power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Derek Ryan and Rask. Nashville retied it on a Craig Smith goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Kevin Fiala. The tie went to the shootout, where Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen tallied to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Rask, Ekholm, and Williams.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Henrik Lundqvist are the in creases. Vancouver began in the first period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. New York got on the board with a Jesper Fast goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Nick Holden and Brendan Smith. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Michael Grabner goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Shattenkirk. Vancouver retook the lead on a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the season, coming off of Thomas Vanek. New York retied it on a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Rick Nash and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers won 4-3 with shootout tallies from Vesey, Nash, and Shattenkirk topping Brock Boeser and Sven Baertschi. The three stars were Vesey, Bash, and Shattenkirk.

Finally, the Boston Bruins bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston was first to score in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and the goalie Rask. Edmonton tied it on a Patrick Maroon goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Zack Kassian. The Oilers took the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Michael Cammalleri and Connor McDavid. The Bruins tied it on a David Krejci goal, his third of the year, fueled by Riley Nash and Krug. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Draisaitl empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by McDavid and Lucic. The three stars were Drasaitl, Lucic, and McDavid, while Krug gets an honorable mention.

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