NHL 2017-18 Day 105

Bye weeks are over, and we've got thirteen games today, the first four played as matinees. We begin with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Michal Neuvirth are the backups in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Shayne Gostisbehere and Scott Laughton. The Flyers added on with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Michael Raffl and Radko Gudas. Philadelphia extended the lead as Ivan Provorov scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Konecny and Claude Giroux. Ken Appleby replaced Kinkaid in goal. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Will Butcher and Taylor Hall. This led to the eventual 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Konecny, Neuvirth (28 for 29 in saves), and Filppula.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Robin Lehner make the starts in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Remi Elie goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Mattias Janmark and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on with a Janmark power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Esa Lindell and Devin Shore. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Janmark scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to John Klingberg and Spezza. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Stars chased Lehner on a Jamie Benn goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Klingberg and Lindell. Chad Johnson came on in relief. Dallas padded the lead with a Lindell goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Alexander Radulov and Benn. The Stars continued on a Radek Faksa goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Stephen Johns and Antoine Roussel. Dallas made it 7-1 in the third period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Klingberg, who got a sock trick, and Faksa. The three stars were Janmark, Klingberg, and Lindell, while Benn, Spezza, and Faksa get the honorable mentions.

West to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith are the masked men. Calgary opened in the first period with a T.J. Brodie goal, his third of the season, made possible by Troy Brouwer. Winnipeg tied it on a second period Mathieu Perreault goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. In the shootout, Little and Blake Wheeler carried the Jets to a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Little, Hellebuyck (30 for 31 in saves), and Smith (34 for 35 in saves).

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Bernier are the goalies. Colorado started in the first period with an Erik Johnson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a MacKinnon goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Johnson and Mark Barberio. New York got one back with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with a Rantanen empty net goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Johnson, MacKinnon, and Rantanen.

Back east at the usual times, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jimmy Howard are the experienced goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk. Detroit tied it on a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Mike Green and Dylan Larkin. The Hurricanes retook the lead in the third period with a Lindholm power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and Faulk. Carolina added on with a Justin Williams goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brock McGinn and Victor Rask. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Lindholm, Ward (23 for 24 in saves), and Faulk.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal got going in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Paul Byron. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The Bruins took the lead with a Krug goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Boston added on in the third period with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, helped along by David Krejci and Krug. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Riley Nash, his sixth of the campaign, set up by David Backes and Marchand. The three stars were named as Pastrnak, Krug, and Marchand.

Next up, the Battle of Ontario sees the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Craig Anderson are the similarly-named goalies. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. Ottawa tied it on a second period Erik Karlsson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. The Senators took the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Cody Ceci and Bobby Ryan. Ottawa added on with a shorthanded Tom Pyatt goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Zack Smith and Stone. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period with a Matthews goal, his twentieth of the season, via Hyman and Gardiner. Toronto tied it on a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Gardiner, who got a sock trick. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Connor Carrick goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri. The final was 4-3, with the three stars being Matthews, Gardiner, and Hyman, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Way out west, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Aaron Dell are the little-known goalies. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Dominik Simon and Sidney Crosby. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, powered by Pavelski and Burns. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Dell (31 for 32 in saves), Pavelski, and Burns.

Backtracking to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Carter Hutton are the middling goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Zac Rinaldo goal, his third of the season, via Christian Fischer and Max Domi. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Dvorak goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jason Demers and Clayton Keller. Arizona extended the lead as Dvorak scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Tobias Rieder and Keller. Jake Allen came on in relief of Hutton. The Coyotes padded the lead with a Brendan Perlini goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Richard Panik and Luke Schenn. Arizona continued in the second period with a Fischer power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Domi. St. Louis got on the board with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues got closer in the third period with an Alexander Steen power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers from Patrik Berglund and Vince Dunn. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Dvorak, Fischer, and Keller, while Domi gets an honorable mention.

East again to Nashville, where the Predators host the Florida Panthers. Harri Sateri and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville began in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Calle Jarnkrok and Nick Bonino. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers took the lead with a Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the season, via Colton Sceviour and MacKenzie Weegar. The Predators retied it in the second period with a Bonino goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Jarnkrok. Nashville pulled ahead on another Fiala goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Bonino and Jarnkrok. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Craig Smith and Kyle Turris. Florida got one back in the third period with a Keith Yandle goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Aaron Ekblad and Dadonov. This wasn't enough to avoid the 4-3 loss, with the three stars going to Fiala, Jarnkrok, and Bonino, while Dadonov gets an honorable mention.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Anton Forsberg are in the creases. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Nick Schmaltz. New York tied it on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Brock Nelson and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders took the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Pulock and Mathew Barzal. New York added on with a Pulock goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Alan Quine and Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Beauvillier scored his second power play goal of the game, his tenth of the season, with the help of Josh Bailey and Pulock, the latter earning a sock trick. The Blackhawks got one back with a Gustafsson goal, made possible by Kane and Brent Seabrook. New York responded in the third period with a Nelson goal, his tenth of the year, via Ross Johnston and Pulock. Chicago pulled back with a Kane goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders countered on an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with helpers from John Tavares and Nick Leddy. New York capped it at 7-3 with a Tavares goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist provided by Bailey. The three stars were Pulock, Nelson, and Beauvillier, while Tavares, Bailey, Kane, and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Eric Staal. The Wild added on with a Zach Parise goal, via Ryan Suter and Staal. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Nate Prosser scored his second of the year, thanks to Joel Eriksson Ek and Kyle Rau. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Tyler Johnson. The Wild replied in the third period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Matt Cullen and Tyler Ennis. The Lightning got one back with a Point power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Johnson and Steven Stamkos. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Jason Zucker empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by the goalie Dubnyk. The three stars were Point, Staal, and Johnson.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his eighth of the year, via Jesse Puljujarvi and Leon Draisaitl. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Alexander Edler and Brock Boeser. The Canucks tied it on a Brandon Sutter goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Sven Baertschi and Christopher Tanev. Edmonton retook the lead on a Puljujarvi goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Adam Larsson and Milan Lucic. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period as Draisaitl scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Puljujarvi. Edmonton capped it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Maroon, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign. The three stars were Puljujarvi, Maroon, and Draisaitl.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 104

Just three games today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Philipp Grubauer are the backups in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher. Washington tied it on a John Carlson goal, his sixth of the year, coming on the power play from Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Paul Byron goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Pacioretty and Jakub Jerabek in the third period. Montreal added on with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Tomas Plekanec and Byron. The Capitals got one back with a Lars Eller goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Byron, and Eller.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad. Vegas tied it on a David Perron goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Brad Hunt and Erik Haula. The Panthers took the lead back with a shorthanded Aleksander Barkov goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Vincent Trocheck. The Golden Knights tied it again in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith. Florida regained the lead in the third period on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Barkov and Keith Yandle. Vegas retied it on a James Neal goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Haula. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars were given to Barkov, Ekblad, and Haula.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Ondrej Kase. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Iafallo goal, his third of the year, guided in by Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. The Ducks retook the lead with a Ryan Kesler goal, his third of the season, via Francois Beauchemin and Andrew Cogliano. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Gibson (23 for 24 in saves), Kesler, and Henrique.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 103

Ten games on today as teams begin to come out of their bye weeks. We begin with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Keith Kinkaid in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Drew Stafford goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Marcus Johansson. Washington tied it on a Brett Connolly goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from T.J. Oshie and Brooks Orpik. The Devils retook the lead with an Andy Greene goal in the second period, his third of the season, coming off of Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen. New Jersey added on with a Miles Wood goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Vatanen and Nico Hischier. The Capitals got one back with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Alex Chiasson and Jay Beagle. Washington tied it in the third period with a Connolly goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hall goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, courtesy of Vatanen, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Hall, Vatanen, and Connolly.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. New York led off in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Mathew Barzal. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by David Krejci. Boston added on with a Bergeron power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Spooner. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as Bergeron completed the hat trick on his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The Islanders got one back with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Josh Bailey. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Marchand, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Krejci and Riley Nash. The three stars were Bergeron, Marchand, and Spooner, while Krejci gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Michal Neuvirth man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with a Connor Brown goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on with a Frederik Gauthier goal, coming off of Jake Gardiner and Matt Martin. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Nolan Patrick goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers tied it on a shorthanded Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Valtteri Filppula and Andrew MacDonald. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime on a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Travis Konecny and the goalie Neuvirth. The three stars were Couturier, Simmonds, and Patrick.

Further west, the Columbus Blues Jackets host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Joonas Korpisalo draw the starts in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Jordan Schroeder goal, courtesy of Tyler Motte. Dallas tied it in the third period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, via John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in the shootout with an Artemi Panarin tally. The three stars were Korpisalo (35 for 36 in saves), Schroeder, and Bishop (25 for 26 in saves).

Back east, the New York Rangers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Henrik Lundqvist are between the pipes. New York opened in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone helper by Pavel Buchnevich. Buffalo tied it on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. The Rangers took the lead back in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by David Desharnais. The Sabres tied it again with a Justin Falk goal, passed from Evan Rodrigues and Reinhart. New York took the lead again in the third period with a Nash goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nick Holden and Buchnevich. Buffalo retied it on a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Okposo and Eichel. The Rangers regained the lead on a Buchnevich goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Mika Zibanejad and Nash. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Nash, Buchnevich, and Okposo, while Eichel and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Craig Anderson in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Robert Bortuzzo and Paul Stastny. The Blues added on with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Alexander Steen and Vince Dunn. Ottawa got on the board with a Bobby Ryan goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Matt Duchene and Cody Ceci. The Blues capped it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Steen, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Schenn. The three stars were given to Schenn, Steen, and Pietrangelo.

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Vegas started in the first period with a James Neal goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Deryk Engelland and David Perron. The Golden Knights added on with a Nate Schmidt goal, his third of the year, guided in by Brayden McNabb and Erik Haula. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Vegas replied with a Perron goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Engelland and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights extended the lead as William Karlsson scored his twenty-fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Jonathan Marchessault. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Perron, Engelland, and Fleury (28 for 29 in saves).

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Richard Panik and Derek Stepan. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Brendan Perlini goal, his eleventh of the season, via Panik and Jason Demers. The Predators tied it on an Ellis goal, his second of the year, assisted by Josi and Nick Bonino. The tie went to a shootout, where Kyle Turris and Craig smith bested Nick Cousins to give Nashville the 3-2 win. The three stars were Ellis, Josi, and Panik.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jonathan Bernier are given the green light to play goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Samuel Girard and Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Carl Soderberg scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Matt Nieto and Blake Comeau. The Avalanche padded the lead with a second period goal by Rantanen, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Mark Barberio and Landeskog. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Kevin Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks got closer in the third period with a Vlasic goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Tomas Hertl and Labanc. San Jose chipped closer on a Joe Thornton goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Nieto goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Comeau. The three stars were MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Nieto, while Comeau, Vlasic, and Labanc get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Carl Hagelin. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. The Penguins took the lead back in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh added on with a Hornqvist power play goal, his fifteenth of the year and second of the game, powered by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Hornqvist, Malkin, and DeSmith (28 for 29 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 102

Just two games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period with a Jakub Jerabek goal, assisted by Charles Hudon and Paul Byron. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his sixth of the year, via David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Boston added on in the third period with a Marchand power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Bergeron and Torey Krug. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Krejci, his eighth of the year, set up by David Backes. The three stars were given to Marchand, Bergeron, and Krejci.

The other game has the Anaheim Ducks hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Francois Beauchemin and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead with an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie. Anaheim added on with a shorthanded Chris Wagner goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Jakob Silfverberg and Fowler. The Ducks extended the lead as Kase scored his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh pulled closer with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Kessel and Crosby. Anaheim iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Hampus Lindholm, his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kase, Kessel, and Crosby.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 101

Six games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jaroslav Halak are in the blue paint. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Sami Vatanen and Marcus Johansson. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Damon Severson goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brian Gibbons and Stefan Noesen. New Jersey added on with another Severson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Ben Lovejoy and Jesper Bratt. The Devils extended the lead as Taylor Hall scored his sixteenth of the campaign, thanks to Bratt. This stood for a 4-1 win eventually, with the three stars given to Severson, Kinkaid (25 for 26 in saves), and Bratt.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Henrik Lundqvist draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Jordan Weal goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Radko Gudas and Wayne Simmonds. New York tied it on a Rick Nash goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers took the lead with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan McDonagh and David Desharnais. New York added on with a shorthanded Paul Carey goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Peter Holland. The Rangers extended the lead in the second period as Michael Grabner scored his twentieth of the season, an unassisted goal. New York padded the lead as Nash scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, thanks to Marc Staal. Michal Neuvirth replaced Elliott in goal for a scoreless third period, where the 5-1 final stood firm. The three stars were given to Nash, Miller, and Lundqvist (25 for 26 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the third period with a shorthanded Connor Brown goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime on a Vince Dunn goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Stastny. The three stars were given to Hutton (30 for 31 in saves), Stastny, and Andersen (40 for 42 in saves).

In Michigan, the Detroit Red Wings host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit led off in the first period with a Trevor Daley goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Athanasiou. Dallas tied it on a Radek Faksa goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Esa Lindell and John Klingberg. The Stars took the lead with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. The Red Wings tied it in the second period with an Athanasiou goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Bertuzzi and Niklas Kronwall. Dallas regained the lead with a Spezza power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with assists provided by Radulov and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Martin Hanzal goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, made possible by Remi Elie and Stephen Johns. The final remained 4-2, with the three stars being Spezza, Athanasiou, and Radulov, while Klingberg and Bertuzzi get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville got going in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by P.K. Subban and Colton Sissons. This was it for the scoring in the 1-0 game, with the three stars awarded to Saros (43 save shutout), Fiala, and Fleury (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Antti Raanta man the nets. San Jose began in the first period with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on with a Mikkel Boedker goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Joakim Ryan. Arizona got on the board with a Jordan Martinook goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jason Demers and Brad Richardson. The Coyotes tied it in the third period on a Richardson goal, his third of the year, passed from Nick Cousins and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. In the shootout, Joe Pavelski had the lone tally for a 3-2 Sharks win. The three stars were Richardson, Boedker, and Thornton.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 100

The 100th game day in the NHL this season falls on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the USA. We begin with three matinees out of four games today. The first is in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Dallas got going in the second period with a Stephen Johns goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Remi Elie and Brett Ritchie. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Jamie Benn. Boston got on the board with a Zdeno Chara goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Charlie McAvoy and Riley Nash. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Ryan Spooner goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, guided in by John Klingberg and Benn. The three stars went to Seguin, Lehtonen (30 for 32 in saves), and Benn.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Colorado started in the first period with a Matt Nieto goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Blake Comeau and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog. Anaheim got on the board with a Chris Wagner goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Josh Manson and J.T. Brown. Colorado replied with a Colin Wilson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alexander Kerfoot and Erik Johnson. This produced the eventual 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Bernier (33 for 34 in saves), MacKinnon, and Wilson.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Darcy Kuemper in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Joonas Donskoi and Dylan DeMelo. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his third of the year, assisted by DeMelo and Brenden Dillon. San Jose extended the lead as Mikkel Boedker scored his fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Donskoi and Tierney. Los Angeles got on the board with a Trevor Lewis goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Marian Gaborik and Adrian Kempe. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Joe Thornton, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars went to Jones (35 for 36 in saves), Tierney, and Donskoi, while DeMelo gets an honorable mention.

At the usual time, the Montreal Canadiens host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Carey Price are the rhyming goalies. New York struck first in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with a Barzal goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Jordan Eberle. Montreal got on the board with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jakub Jerabek. The Canadiens tied it on a Paul Byron goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from David Schlemko. New York regained the lead with an Adam Pelech goal in the second period, guided in by Barzal and Eberle. The Islanders extended the lead as John Tavares scored a shorthanded goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal pulled back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Alex Galchenyuk and Jerabek. The Canadiens tied it on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Galchenyuk in the third period. New York won 5-4 in overtime with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Thomas Hickey. The three stars belonged to Tavares, Barzal, and Eberle, while Jerabek and Galchenyuk get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 99

Four games for this Sunday, with two matinees to start, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Jeff Glass are the backups in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with a Mike Green goal, his fifth of the year, via Anthony Mantha and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit extended the lead as Mantha scored his fifteenth of the campaign, with the help of Henrik Zetterberg and Athanasiou. The Red Wings capped it at 4-0 with a Bertuzzi goal, made possible by Nick Jensen and Martin Frk. The three stars were Bertuzzi, Mrazek (27 save shutout), and Mantha, while Athanasiou gets an honorable mention.

East to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Scott Darling are in the creases. Calgary started in the first period with a Matt Stajan goal, coming off of Curtis Lazar. The Flames added on with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Micheal Ferland. Calgary extended the lead as Hamilton scored his second of the game and eighth of the year in the third period, thanks to Matthew Tkachuk and Gaudreau. The Flames padded the lead on a Tkachuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, powered by Troy Brouwer and Mikael Backlund. Carolina got on the board with a Lee Stempniak power play goal, with assists provided by Brock McGinn and Victor Rask. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Hamilton, Smith (38 for 39 in saves), and Takchuk, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.

Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tristan Jarry make the starts in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Carl Hagelin and Kris Letang. New York tied it on an unassisted Michael Grabner goal, his nineteenth of the year. The Rangers gained the lead on a Brendan Smith goal, passed from Vinni Lettieri and Paul Carey. The Penguins retied it in the second period with a Dominik Simon goal, assisted by Daniel Sprong and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Phil Kessel goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Kessel and Jamie Oleksiak. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Hagelin empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Oleksiak. The three stars were Kessel, Hagelin, and Oleksiak.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. Vancouver tied it on a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Alexander Edler and Henrik Sedin. The Wild retook the lead in the third period on a Daniel Winnik goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Eric Staal. The Canucks retied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Sam Gagner and Christopher Tanev. Vancouver won 3-2 with a Brandon Sutter goal in overtime, his third of the campaign, guided in by Edler and Eriksson. The three stars were Eriksson, Edler, and Sutter.

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