NHL 2017-18 Day 89

Only eleven games on tonight after the Boston Bruins game with the Florida Panthers was postponed due to a blizzard in the northeast. We begin in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Brian Elliott are in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. New York tied it on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fifth of the year, via Nick Leddy and Dennis Seidenberg. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia added on with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Robert Hagg and Jordan Weal. The Flyers extended the lead as Provorov scored a power play goal, his sixth of the season, thanks to Nolan Patrick and Brandon Manning. The Islanders got one back with a Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, fueled by Shane Prince and Seidenberg. Philadelphia replied with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Couturier. New York got one back with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Leddy and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders got closer with an unassisted Ryan Pulock goal, his third of the season. The Flyers iced it at 6-4 with another Provorov goal, an empty netter for his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Giroux and Voracek. The three stars belonged to Provorov, Clutterbuck, and Couturier, while the honorable mentions go to Voracek, Giroux, Leddy, and Seidenberg.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with an unassisted Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Aho scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes padded the lead with an Aho goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Teravainen and Pesce. The three stars of the 4-0 game were Aho, Teravainen, and Ward (21 save shutout), while Pesce gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Connor Carrick and William Nylander. San Jose tied it on a Brenden Dillon goal, passed from Brent Burns and Timo Meier and The Maple Leafs took the lead back in the second period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Sharks retied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto won 3-2 with tallies by Matthews and Tyler Bozak topping Kevin Labanc in the shootout. The three stars were Matthews, Kadri, and Andersen (33 for 35 in saves).

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Canadiens won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Paul Byron. The three stars were given to Price (44 for 45 in saves), Vasilevskiy (37 for 38 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Carter Hutton are in the blue paint. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Colton Parayko. Vegas tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from James Neal and David Perron in the second period. The Blues took the lead back in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, via Vladimir Sobotka and Parayko. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Parayko, Hutton (32 for 33 in saves), and Fleury (37 for 39 in saves).

North to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Minnesota began in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on with a Daniel Winnik goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nate Prosser and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota extended the lead as Niederreiter scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Charlie Coyle and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild padded the lead with a Niederreiter goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Granlund and Koivu for the hat trick. Minnesota struck again with a Koivu goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Granlund, who got a sock trick, and Jonas Brodin. The Wild continued with a Coyle goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Zach Parise and Joel Eriksson Ek. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe. The Sabres got closer with an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville. The three stars of the 6-2 game were Niederreiter, Granlund, and Koivu, while Coyle gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac. Dallas tied it in the second period with an unassisted Alexander Radulov goal, his fifteenth of the year. The Stars took the lead with a Brett Ritchie power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Radulov. Dallas added on with a Tyler Seguin shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Jamie Benn. The Devils got one back with a Hall goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Nico Hischier and Andy Greene. The Stars answered with a Mattias Janmark goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, helped along by Martin Hanzal and Radulov. New Jersey answered on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Jesper Bratt and Hall. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Radulov, Hall, and Janmark.

Up in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith have the green light to play in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Derek Forbort goal, guided in by Anze Kopitar and Tanner Pearson. The Kings added on with a Pearson goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Dustin Brown. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The Flames tied it on a Troy Brouwer goal, his third of the year, passed from Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary took the lead on an unassisted Mark Jankowski goal, his seventh of the season. The Flames extended the lead as Monahan scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Gaudreau and Ferland. Los Angeles pulled one back on a Pearson goal, his eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. They couldn't tie it, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Monahan, Ferland, and Pearson, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Kris Russell goal, his third of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Milan Lucic. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Kesler power play goal, powered by Jakob Silfverberg and Cam Fowler. The tie was broken in the shootout, with Michael Cammalleri and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins besting Rickard Rakell for a 2-1 Oilers win. The three stars went to Talbot (33 for 34 in saves), Gibson (33 for 34 in saves), and Russell.

South to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Bernier play goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring the second period on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Tyson Jost and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Matt Nieto goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen in the third period. The three stars of the 2-0 win were Rantanen, Bernier (34 save shutout), and Nieto.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Antti Raanta are the Finnish goalies. Arizona drew first blood in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jordan Martinook. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis goal, via Scott Hartnell and Colton Sissons. The Predators retook the lead in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes retied it on a Nick Cousins power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jason Demers and Alex Goligoski. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Christian Fischer goal, his eleventh of the year, assists by Jakob Chychrun and Derek Stepan. The three stars went to Fischer, Cousins, and Duclair.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 88

Just two games on tonight across the league. We begin with...

The Detroit Red Wings welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his seventh of the season, via Anthony Mantha and Martin Frk. Ottawa tied it on an unassisted Ryan Dzingel goal in the third period, his tenth of the year. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime with an Athanasiou goal just six seconds in, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, made possible by Dylan Larkin. the three stars went to Athanasiou, Howard (33 for 34 in saves), and Anderson (33 for 35 in saves).

The other game has the New York Rangers bringing in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Henrik Lundqvist man the nets. Chicago began in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Jordan Oesterle. New York tied it on a Nick Holden goal, his third of the year, guided in by Paul Carey and Boo Nieves. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Ryan Hartman. The Rangers tied it again with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Mats Zuccarello. Chicago took the lead back in the third period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by David Kampf and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Toews empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Brandon Saad and Tommy Wingels. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Kane empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Hartman and Schmaltz. The three stars were Schmaltz, Kane, and Toews, and Hartman gets an honorable mention.

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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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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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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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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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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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