Tuesday, January 2, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 87

Twelve games on tonight as the league returns to full action in the new year. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Ward are in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Victor Rask goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Chandler Stephenson. The Capitals took the lead with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jay Beagle and Brooks Orpik. Washington added on with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Taylor Chorney. The Hurricanes got one back with another Rask power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Justin Williams and Jeff Skinner. Carolina tied it in the third period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Derek Ryan. The Hurricanes pulled ahead with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Sebastian Aho. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Nicklas Backstrom. Washington won it 5-4 in overtime with Ovechkin's second goal of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Rask, and Orlov.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Riley Nash. New York tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins took the lead back in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Heinen. Boston added on with a Marchand goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by David Pastrnak. The Bruins extended the lead as Tim Schaller scored, his fifth of the season, thanks to Sean Kuraly and Charlie McAvoy. Boston padded the lead on an empty net goal by Noel Acciari, his fifth of the year, set up by Schaller and Kevan Miller. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Marchand, Heinen, and Schaller.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins for a battle of Pennsylvania. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Philadelphia tied it on a Jordan Weal goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Radko Gudas and Brandon Manning. The Penguins retook the lead with a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the season, via Riley Sheahan and Tom Kuhnhackl. Pittsburgh added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Ian Cole. The Penguins extended the lead as Kuhnhackl scored his second of the season, passed from Sheahan and Reaves. Michal Neuvirth replaced Elliott in goal for the third period. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Jamie Oleksiak power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Malkin and Kessel. The final held from here at 5-1, with the three stars being Kessel, Reaves, and Kuhnhackl, while Sheahan and Malkin get the honorable mentions.

North to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Cedric Paquette goal, with a lone assist by Chris Kunitz. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Vasilevskiy (30 save shutout), Paquette, and Killorn.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Carey Price are the goalies. San Jose started in the first period with a Joe Thornton goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Vlasic goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Mikkel Boedker and Kevin Labanc in the second period. Montreal got on the board with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. San Jose answered with a Timo Meier goal, his seventh of the year, via Labanc and Chris Tierney. The Sharks extended the lead as Meier scored again in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with the help of Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Meier, Vlasic, and Labanc.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Scottie Upshall. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Sami Vatanen and Jesper Bratt. The Blues took the lead back with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tage Thompson and Paul Stastny. The Devils tied it again in the third period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Will Butcher. St. Louis won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Brayden Schenn and Tarasenko. The three stars were Tarasenko, Sobotka, and Hall.

Up north, the Minnesota Wild host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jared Spurgeon and Daniel Winnik. The Wild added on with another Cullen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Marcus Foligno and Gustav Olofsson. Minnesota extended the lead as Eric Staal scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Spurgeon and Tyler Ennis. Harri Sateri replaced Reimer in goal. The Wild padded the lead on another Staal goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, assisted by Ennis and Jason Zucker. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with a Charlie Coyle empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Spurgeon, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Cullen, Staal, and Spurgeon, while Ennis gets an honorable mention.

Way down south, the Dallas Stars welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ben Bishop. Dallas drew first blood in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Tyler Seguin and Devin Shore. Columbus tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventh of the year, via Matt Calvert and Lukas Sedlak. The Blue Jackets took the lead with another Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, helped along by Seth Jones and Sedlak. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Bjorkstrand, Sedlak, and Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves).

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Semyon Varlamov occupy the creases. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from MacKinnon and Nikita Zadorov. Winnipeg got on the board with a Blake Wheeler power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Josh Morrissey. The Jets tied it on another Wheeler goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Laine. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with an Erik Johnson goal, his sixth of the campaign, via Rantanen. The three stars went to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Wheeler, while Laine gets an honorable mention.

Up to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the second period with an Andy Andreoff goal, his second of the season, passed from Torrey Mitchell and Oscar Fantenberg. The Kings added on in the third period with a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles extended the lead as Dustin Brown scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Anze Kopitar and Martinez. The Kings padded the lead on an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Gaborik and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles capped it at 5-0 with a Brown goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Kopitar and Tanner Pearson. The three stars went to Brown, Gaborik, and Quick (32 save shutout), while Kopitar and Martinez get the honorable mentions.

West to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Anders Nilsson draw the spot starts in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim extended the lead as Getzlaf scored in the second period, his third of the season, with the help of Lindholm and Manson. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period on an Antoine Vermette goal, his eighth of the year, via Getzlaf and Rakell. Jacob Markstrom relieved Nilsson in goal. Anaheim continued with a Derek Grant goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Manson, who got a sock trick, and Nick Ritchie. This stood for a 5-0 final, with the three stars given to Getzlaf, Miller (31 save shutout), and Manson, while Rakell and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators.Pekka Rinne and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas potted the first goal in the second period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Nate Schmidt and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a Shea Theodore goal, his fourth of the year, via Deryk Engelland and Tuch. Vegas iced it at 3-0 with a Jonathan Marchessault empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by David Perron and Erik Haula. The three stars went to Fleury (29 save shutout), Tuch, and Smith.

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Monday, January 1, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 86 - The Winter Classic

Just one game on to ring in the New Year, as the Buffalo Sabres act as hosts to the New York Rangers at Citi Field in the 2018 Winter Classic. Henrik Lundqvist and Robin Lehner man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Paul Carey goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jesper Fast and Boo Nieves. The Rangers added on with a Michael Grabner goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it on a Ristolainen goal in the third period, his second of the year, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Okposo. New York won 3-2 in overtime on a Miller power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello. The three stars went to Miller, Ristolainen, and Okposo.

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Sunday, December 31, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 85

Eight games on the last day of 2017, beginning in the afternoon with...

The Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Malcolm Subban play in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Deryk Engelland. Vegas extended the lead as Erik Haula scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to David Perron and Colin Miller. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Connor Brown and Leo Komarov. The Golden Knights shot back with a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault. The Maple Leafs replied with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Zach Hyman. Toronto got closer in the third period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, passed from Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Vegas countered with a Marchessault goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Karlsson and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-3 with a Karlsson empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Smith and Brayden McNabb. The three stars went to Karlsson, Matthews, and Marchessault, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

West to Anaheim, where the Ducks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Anaheim started with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Antoine Vermette and Ryan Getzlaf. Arizona tied it with a Brendan Perlini power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski. The Ducks took the lead back on another Rakell goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by Getzlaf and Vermette. The Coyotes retied it on a Clayton Keller power play goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Derek Stepan. Anaheim regained the lead with a Cam Fowler goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. The Ducks added on with a Silfverberg goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Fowler and the goalie Gibson. Anaheim capped it at 5-2 with a Vermette empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Kesler and Kevin Bieksa. The three stars were given to Rakell, Fowler, and Vermette, while Getzlaf, Silfverberg, and Kesler get the honorable mentions.

To the east, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on with another Johnson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Point and Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning padded the lead on a Cory Conacher goal, his third of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-0 with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, powered by Hedman and Kucherov. The three stars went to Johnson, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (21 save shutout), while Point, Sergachev, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jimmy Howard are in the creases. Detroit began in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the year, via Tomas Tatar and Trevor Daley. Pittsburgh got on the board with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Olli Maatta. Detroit answered with a Frans Nielsen goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Darren Helm and Mike Green. The Red Wings extended the lead as Nyquist scored his second of the game in the third period, his twelfth of the campaign helped along by Bertuzzi and Zetterberg. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars belonging to Nyquist, Howard (37 for 38 in saves), and Zetterberg, while Bertuzzi gets an honorable mention.

West again to Edmonton, where the Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Marko Dano goal, via Matt Hendricks and Ben Chiarot. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kyle Connor. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Connor scored his thirteenth of the year, on the power play, with the help of Patrik Laine and Adam Lowry. The Jets padded the lead on a Bryan Little goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg finished it at 5-0 with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by Joel Armia and Little. The three stars were Connor, Little, and Hellebuyck (35 save shutout.

Southeast to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Dallas led off in the first period with a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mattias Janmark and Alexander Radulov. The Stars added on with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his sixth of the year, via Radek Faksa. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Stephen Johns scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Janmark and Faksa. The Stars padded the lead on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. Dallas kept going in the third period with a Devin Shore goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Benn and Dam Hamhuis. The Stars capped it at 6-0 with a Pitlick goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Faksa, who got a sock trick, and Antoine Roussel. The three stars belonged to Pitlick, Faksa, and Bishop (26 save shutout), while Klingberg, Janmark, and Benn get honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Patrik Nemeth goal, his second of the season, helped along by Alexander Kerfoot and Sven Andrighetto. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his sixth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Blake Comeau. Colorado extended the lead as Soderberg scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Colin Wilson and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. Colorado kept going on another Landeskog power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, made possible by MacKinnon and Girard. Thomas Greiss replaced Halak in goal for the third period. New York got on the board with a Josh Bailey goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Brock Nelson and Scott Mayfield. The Avalanche countered with a Johnson goal, his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Landeskog and MacKinnon, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 6-1 win, with the three stars going to Landeskog, Soderberg, and MacKinnon, while Johnson and Girard get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Mike Smith are the goalies. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on with another Tkachuk power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Monahan scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. Chicago got on the board with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his second of the year, helped along by Brandon Saad and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks got closer with a Jonathan Toews goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Oesterle. Chicago tied it in the third period on a Saad goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Toews. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Giordano goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Backlund. The three stars were awarded to Tkachuk, Giordano, and Monahan, while Gaudreau, Backlund, Saad, Toews, and Oesterle all get honorable mentions.

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Saturday, December 30, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 84

A light Saturday schedule sees six games on, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Mike Condon in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Ryan Spooner power play goal, his second of the season, powered by David Backes and David Krejci. The Bruins added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug and Tim Schaller in the second period. Boston extended the lead as Spooner scored again, his second of the game and third of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins padded the lead on a power play goal by Krejci, his sixth of the year, made possible by Backes and Charlie McAvoy. Boston iced it at 5-0 in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Krug and David Pastrnak. Spooner, Krejci, and Rask (25 save shutout) received the three stars, while Krug and Backes earned honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Washington started in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Christian Djoos and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Djoos goal, his third of the year, via Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. New Jersey got on the board with a John Moore goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Travis Zajac and Marcus Johansson. Washington replied in the second period with a Carlson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Backstrom and Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead as Matt Niskanen goal, his third of the season, guided in by Devante Smith-Pelly and Ovechkin, the latter earning a sock trick. The Devils answered with a Zajac goal, his third of the year, helped along by Johansson and Sami Vatanen. The Capitals iced it at 5-2 with an empty net Backstrom goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Carlson. The three stars belonged to Carlson, Backstrom, and Ovechkin, while Djoos, Zajac, and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Further south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and James Reimer are between the pipes. Florida got going in the second period with a Connor Brickley goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Mike Matheson. The Panthers added on with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by MacKenzie Weegar and Brickley in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 with, with the three stars being Reimer (38 save shutout), Brickley, and Trocheck.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Carter Hutton are the inexperienced goalies. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Alexander Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on in the second period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Pietrangelo and Brodziak. Carolina got on the board with a Derek Ryan goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Lucas Wallmark goal, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Sebastian Aho. St. Louis retook the lead in the third period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Brodziak, Pietrangelo, and Upshall.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Nick Bonino and Matt Irwin. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Johansen. Nashville iced it at 3-0 with a Viktor Arvidsson empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Subban and Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Saros (29 save shutout), Subban, and Jarnkrok.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jacob Markstrom man the nets. Vancouver began in the first period with a Troy Stecher goal, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Marian Gaborik and Adrian Kempe. The Kings took the lead with a Gaborik power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Trevor Lewis and Toffoli. The Canucks tied it in the second period with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Ben Hutton and the goalie Markstrom. Vancouver took the lead in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, passed from Markus Granlund and Hutton. Los Angeles retied it on a Kyle Clifford goal, assisted by Nick Shore and Lewis. The Kings took the lead on a Drew Doughty goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Toffoli. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Toffoli, Gaborik, and Lewis, while Hutton gets an honorable mention.

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Friday, December 29, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 83

Eleven games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Cory Schneider are the goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Stefan Noesen and Pavel Zacha. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jacob Josefson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jordan Nolan. The Devils took the lead with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and Nico Hischier. New Jersey added on with a John Moore goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Brian Gibbons. The Sabres got one back with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jake McCabe and Zemgus Girgensons. Buffalo tied it in the third period with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen on the power play. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with a Ristolainen goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ristolainen, Eichel, and Josefson.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. New York started in the first period with a David Desharnais goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Jimmy Vesey. Detroit tied it in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixth of the year, via Dylan Larkin. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Ville Lettieri goal, coming off of Boo Nieves. The Red Wings retied it on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Gustav Nyquist. Detroit won 3-2 in the shootout with a Frans Nielsen tally. The three stars were Howard (37 for 39 in saves), Zetterberg, and Lundqvist (33 for 35 in saves).

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Cam Ward draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Jake Guentzel and the goalie Jarry. Carolina tied it on a Derek Ryan goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Klas Dahlbeck. The Hurricanes took the lead with an unassisted Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the season. This stood for the eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Ward (27 for 28 in saves), Aho, and Ryan.

North to Ottawa, as the Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Condon are in the creases. Columbus got going in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Boone Jenner and Markus Nutivaara. Ottawa tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Artemi Panarin. Columbus added on with a Milano goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Seth Jones. The Senators got one back with a Nick Paul goal, via Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson. Ottawa tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Johnny Oduya. The Senators pulled ahead in the third period with a Stone goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Phaneuf. Ottawa extended the lead as Bobby Ryan scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Karlsson. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by Anderson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Stone, Karlsson, and Phaneuf, while Anderson and Milano gets honorable mentions.

South again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Peter Budaj play in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Simmonds and Claude Giroux. The Lightning tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Ondrej Palat and Kucherov. Philadelphia retook the lead with a Couturier goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Giroux and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Brandon Manning goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Giroux and Konecny. Tampa Bay got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Tyler Johnson goal, his tenth of the season. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with a Valtteri Filppula empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Voracek and Couturier. The three stars went to Couturier, Giroux, and Simmonds, while Voracek, Konecny, and Kucherov.

Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, made possible by Adam Lowry. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine. New York got on the board with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Josh Bailey in the second period. Winnipeg replied in the third period with a Connor goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Laine. The Jets extended the lead as Lowry scored his eighth of the year on the power play, thanks to Jacob Trouba and Wheeler. The Islanders got one back with a Lee goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Ryan Pulock. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Lowry, Connor, and Wheeler, while Laine and Lee get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Dumba. Nashville tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Alexei Emelin. The Wild retook the lead with a Granlund power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Dumba goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Jonas Brodin and Matt Cullen. The Predators got one back with a Kyle Turris power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Subban and Roman Josi. The Wild answered with a Granlund empty net goal, his eleventh of the year completing his hat trick with the help of Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu. The three stars were Granlund, Dumba, and Subban.

Way down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza and Julius Honka. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead with a Tage Thompson goal, his second of the season, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The Stars retied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Dallas took the lead with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Esa Lindell. The Stars won 4-2 as Radulov scored a power play empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Dan Hamhuis and Benn. The three stars went to Radulov, Benn, and Bishop (35 for 37 in saves).

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass is mismatched with Cam Talbot in goal. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Oscar Klefbom. Chicago tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Schmaltz and Duncan Keith. Chicago added on in the third period with a Jordan Oesterle power play goal, passed from Vinnie Hinostroza. The Oilers got one back with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Puljujarvi and Kris Russell. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime on a Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Keih and Schmaltz. The three stars were Kane, Schmaltz, and Keith, while Nugent-Hopkins and Puljujarvi get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Calvin Pickard faces his former team and Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog. Toronto tied it on a Matt Martin goal, his third of the year, via Josh Leivo and Roman Polak. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by MacKinnon and Nikita Zadorov. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Polak goal, his second of the year, passed from Andreas Borgman and Patrick Marleau. Colorado took the lead again in the third period on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Zadorov and MacKinnon. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Samuel Girard and Carl Soderberg. The three stars were MacKinnon, Zadorov, and Polak.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cam Fowler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Matt Bartkowski and the goalie Smith. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Rakell power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rakell, Getzlaf and Gibson (22 for 23 in saves).

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 82

Seven games tonight, beginning in...

Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Montreal got going in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Charles Hudon and Joe Morrow. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay added on with a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Palat. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Stamkos, Palat, and Vasilevskiy (31 for 32 in saves).

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a David Backes goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Riley Nash and Danton Heinen. The Bruins added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Sean Kuraly. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tom Wilson. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Boston retook the lead in the third period with another Backes goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Heinen and Jake DeBrusk. Washington retied it on a Brett Connolly goal, his eighth of the year, via Eller and Madison Bowey. The Capitals won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Ovechkin. The three stars were Eller, Ovechkin, and Backes, while Heinen gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and James Reimer are in the creases. Florida started in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Mike Matheson. The Panthers added on in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Derek MacKenzie, set up by Colton Sceviour. Florida extended the lead as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Scott Laughton goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Travis Konecny and Michael Raffl. The Flyers got closer with a Sean Couturier goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Bjugstad, Huberdeau, and MacKenzie.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Scott Wedgewood make the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Zach Hyman goal, his seventh of the season. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Mitchell Marner scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Arizona got on the board with a Josh Archibald goal, coming off of Jordan Martinook. The Coyotes got closer with a Brendan Perlini goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Tobias Rieder and Derek Stepan. The Maple Leafs answered in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Toronto padded the lead on an unassisted Nylander goal, his eighth of the year. The Maple Leafs continued with a Marleau goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by Marner and Leo Komarov. Arizona got one back with a Martinook goal, his third of the year, made possible by Rieder and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Christian Fischer power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Clayton Keller and Alex Goligoski. Toronto iced it at 7-4 with a Connor Brown goal, his tenth of the year, an empty net goal with assists provided by Rielly and Marleau. The three stars where Marleau, Marner, and Martinook, while Nylander and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jacob Markstrom are the lesser-known goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nikolay Goldobin and Thomas Vanek. Chicago tied it on a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The Canucks retook the lead with a Vanek goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Gagner and Brock Boeser in the second period. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Gagner goal, his sixth of the year and second of the game, made possible by Vanek and Boeser. The Canucks extended the lead as Vanek scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Boeser and Troy Stecher. Vancouver padded the lead on a Boeser goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Vanek, who got a sock trick, and Alexander Edler. The Blackhawks got one back with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and John Hayden. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Vanek, Gagner, and Boeser.

South to Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Derek Forbort and Drew Doughty. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Colin Miller and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with a Brendan Leipsic goal, assisted by Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin. The Kings tied it again with a Doughty goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jake Muzzin. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a David Perron goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Smith. The three stars were Smith, Perron, and Doughty.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his second of the season, passed from Sam Bennett and Mark Jankowski. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc. The Flames retook the lead with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Giordano. The Sharks tied it in the third period with a Timo Meier goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Brenden Dillon. The tie went to a shootout, where Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi scored to give the Sharks a 3-2 win. The three stars were Pavelski, Meier, and Jones (32 for 34 in saves).

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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

NHL 2017-18 Day 81

The NHL returns to action with eleven games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Kevan Miller goal, passed from David Backes and Riley Nash. The Bruins added on with a Danton Heinen goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Ryan Spooner and Matt Grzelcyk. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Nash scored his third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mark Stone and Derick Brassard. The Bruins replied with a Nash goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Anders Bjork. Boston iced it at 5-1 with a Backes goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Grzelcyk and Heinen. The three stars were Nash, Heinen, and Backes, while Grzelcyk gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina began in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Justin Faulk. Montreal tied it in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Jeff Petry. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Jordan Staal. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with an Aho empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. The three stars were Aho, Ward (23 for 24 in saves), and Teravainen.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Cory Schneider protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Steven Santini and Taylor Hall. The Devils added on with a Hischier goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Hall and Jesper Bratt. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. New Jersey iced it at 3-1 with a Sami Vatanen empty net goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Blake Coleman. The three stars went to Hischier, Hall, and Schneider (31 for 32 in saves).

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. New York got going in the second period with a Jason Chimera goal, his second of the season, via Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the year, made possible by Jack Eichel and Marco Scandella. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Evander Kane. The Islanders retied it on a Josh Bailey goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by John Tavares. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Mathew Barzal goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, passed from Bailey and Tavares. The three stars were Bailey, Tavares, and Halak (35 for 37 in saves).

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Murray guard the cages. Columbus started in the first period with a Sonny Milano goal, his sixth of the season, via Seth Jones and Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nick Foligno. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Bryan Rust and Riley Sheahan. Columbus answered with an Artemi Panarin goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Matt Calvert and David Savard. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Evgeni Malkin. The Blue Jackets answered on another Panarin goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Josh Anderson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Pittsburgh countered with a Malkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kessel and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Hornqvist and Malkin. In the shootout, Malkin and Crosby tallied to give the Penguins a 5-4 win. The three stars were Malkin, Hornqvist, and Kessel, while Panarin and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New York Rangers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. The game went into a shootout scoreless, where Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad lifted the Rangers to a 1-0 win. The three stars were Pavelec (30 save shutout), Grubauer (37 save "shutout"), and Zibanejad.

To the west, the St. Louis Blues host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jake Allen tend the twines. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, via Filip Forsberg and Matt Irwin. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Alex Pietrangelo. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rinne (29 for 30 in saves), Jarnkrok, and Smith.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded Leon Draisaitl goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Connor McDavid and Brandon Davidson. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Matt Hendricks and Dmitry Kulikov. The Oilers retied it on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Kris Russell and McDavid. Winnipeg retook the lead in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with an Armia goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got one back with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Strome and Draisaitl. This only made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Armia, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Alex Stalock draw the starts in goal. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Esa Lindell and Devin Shore. Minnesota tied it on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Tyler Ennis. The Wild took the lead in the second period with an Eric Staal goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Coyle and Jonas Brodin. The Stars retied it on a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Seguin and Jamie Benn. Minnesota regained the lead on a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Jason Zucker and Mikko Koivu. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Zucker empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Granlund and Ryan Suter. The three stars belonged to Granlund, Seguin, and Coyle, while Zucker gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Semyon Varlamov are in the creases. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Brendan Perlini and Jakob Chychrun. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the season, via Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Lawson Crouse goal in the third period, made possible by Josh Archibald. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Raanta (25 for 26 in saves), Goligoski, and Crouse.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and John Gibson receive the starting nods in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Jakob Silfverberg and Brandon Montour. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore goal, his third of the year, guided in by Tomas Nosek and Oscar Lindberg. The Golden Knights took the lead with a second period Cody Eakin goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Vegas added on in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a David Perron empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Erik Haula and Nate Schmidt. The three stars were Subban (27 for 28 in saves), Eakin, and Karlsson.

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