NHL 2017-18 Day 108

A big day of games awaits today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Miles Wood goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Will Butcher and Nico Hischier. Boston tied it on a Riley Nash goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Danton Heinen. The Devils took the lead back with a Damon Severson goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Marcus Johansson and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins tied it on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. Boston took the lead with a Marchand goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, helped along by David Pastrnak. This stood for the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Rask (37 for 39 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Casey DeSmith receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his tenth of the season, via Lee Stempniak and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Pittsburgh tied it on a Dominik Simon goal, his second of the year, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary. The Penguins took the lead with a Jean-Sebastien Dea goal, coming off of Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, made possible by Phil Kessel and Riley Sheahan. This made it 3-1, the final,with the three stars being DeSmith (34 for 35 in saves), Dea, and Guentzel.

Moving along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Jonathan Ericsson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Luke Glendening. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an Andrew MacDonald goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead with a Voracek power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. The Red Wings retied it in the third period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Tomas Tatar and Glendening. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Travis Konecny goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Couturier. The three stars were Voracek, Couturier, and Glendening.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price man the nets. Montreal cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on with a Galchenyuk power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Paul Byron and Drouin. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Drouin scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. The Canadiens countered with a Brendan Gallagher empty net goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Tomas Plekanec. The Avalanche pulled one back on a J.T. Compher goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Nail Yakupov. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Drouin, Galchenyuk, and Deslauriers.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Carter Hutton are in the creases. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Brayden Schenn and Robert Bortuzzo. The Blues added on in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Colton Parayko and Kyle Brodziak. St. Louis iced it at 3-0 with a Schenn empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The three stars were Hutton (25 save shutout), Schenn, and Sobotka.

Into Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Roman Josi and Colton Sissons. The Predators took the lead with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Pontus Aberg and Matt Irwin. The Lightning tied it again with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Kunitz. Nashville regained the lead in the second period with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Stamkos goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Slater Koekkoek and Kunitz. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Yanni Gourde goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Namestnikov. The three stars belonged to Stamkos, Kunitz, and Namestnikov.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Florida Panthers. Harri Sateri is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Devin Shore power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Esa Lindell. The Stars added on in the second period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Alexander Radulov and Greg Pateryn. Dallas extended the lead as Radulov scored a power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin. Florida got on the board with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad and Denis Malgin. The Stars answered in the third period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Klingberg and Shore. Dallas padded the lead on an unassisted Radulov goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year. The Stars kept going with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Antoine Roussel and Dan Hamhuis. The three stars of the 6-1 game were Radulov, Shore, and Klingberg.

Way north to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the year, via Scott Wilson and Reinhart. Buffalo extended the lead as Zemgus Girgensons scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Kyle Okposo and Eichel. The Sabres chased Talbot on an Eichel power play goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Ristolainen and Okposo. Buffalo padded the lead against Al Montoya on an O'Reilly power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Reinhart and Eichel, the latter earning a sock trick. The final held from here at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, while Ristolainen, Okposo, and Lehner (33 save shutout) get the honorable mentions.

Into California, where the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a J.T. Brown goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Rick Nash power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Pavel Buchnevich. The Ducks took the lead back on a Corey Perry power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Rangers retied it on another Nash goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Tony DeAngelo and Mika Zibanejad. Anaheim regained the lead with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his sixth of the season, via Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. Ondrej Pavelec replaced Lundqvist in goal. The Ducks added on with a shorthanded Adam Henrique goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Getzlaf. New York got one back in the second period on a shorthanded Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone helper by Zibanejad. Anaheim answered in the third period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Perry and Fowler. The Ducks iced it at 6-3 with a Getzlaf empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Brandon Montour. The three stars were Getzlaf, Perry, and Nash, while Zibanejad and Fowler get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Deryk Engelland and Jonathan Marchessault. Columbus tied it on a Markus Nutivaara goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Seth Jones and Artemi Panarin. The Golden Knights retied it on a Colin Miller goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nate Schmidt and Marchessault. Vegas took the lead with a Brad hunt power play goal, powered by Shea Theodore and James Neal. The Golden Knights added on with a Neal goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Erik Haula and David Perron. Vegas extended the lead in the third period with another Karlsson goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Theodore and Hunt. Columbus pulled back on a Matt Calvert goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Foligno and Alexander Wennberg. The Golden Knights capped it at 6-3 with a power play empty net goal by Haula, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Perron and Hunt. The three stars were Hunt, Karlsson, and Neal, while Foligno, Perron, Haula, Marchessault, and Theodore get the honorable mentions.

North again to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jacob Markstrom are called on to start in goal. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Thomas Vanek. The Canucks added on with an Eriksson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Bo Horvat. Vancouver extended the lead as Vanek scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Eriksson. Los Angeles got on the board with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fourth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Canucks replied with a Sven Baertschi power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Vanek and Michael Del Zotto. Vancouver padded the lead with a Brock Boeser power play goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Horvat and Alexander Edler. Darcy Kuemper replaced Quick in goal. The Kings got one back with a Kopitar power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty. The Canucks replied with another Boeser power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Edler and Sam Gagner. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars given to Eriksson, Vanek, and Boeser, while Kopitar, Horvat, and Edler get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Aaron Dell occupy the creases. Winnipeg got on the board in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little. The Jets added on with a Joel Armia goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg extended the lead as Little scored a power play goal, his ninth of the season, thanks to Tyler Myers and Perreault. San Jose got on the board with an unassisted Joe Pavelski goal, his tenth of the year. The Sharks got closer in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Joel Ward and Brenden Dillon. San Jose tied it on a Chris Tierney power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Jets retook the lead in the third period on an Armia goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Brandon Tanev and Myers. The Sharks retied it on a Timo Meier goal, his eleventh of the year, via Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Pavelski. Winnipeg won 5-4 in overtime with a Little goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Dustin Byfuglien and Ehlers. The three stars went to Little, Armia, and Perreault, while Ehlers, Pavelski, and Myers get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 107

A new day is here as we get toward the All-Star Game this coming weekend. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Cory Schneider are the goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his second of the season, via Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a David Booth goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Ericsson and Martin Frk. Detroit extended the lead as Larkin scored his eighth of the campaign in the third period, thanks to Athanasiou and Nick Jensen. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars going to Mrazek (37 save shutout), Larkin, and Athanasiou.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Frederik Andersen get the starts in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a Gabriel Bourque goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher. Toronto tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Leo Komarov and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-first of the season, via William Nylander and Andreas Borgman. The Avalanche retied it on a Nail Yakupov goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado took the lead in the third period with a Blake Comeau goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Carl Soderberg and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Gabriel Landeskog empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Mikko Rantanen. The three stars were Comeau, Yakupov, and Bourque.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Minnesoa opened in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his second of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Daniel Winnik. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Christopher DiDomenico. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on with a Granlund power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter. The three stars of the 3-1 game went to Granlund, Stalock (37 for 38 in saves), and Zucker.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Jeff Glass in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a shorthanded Chris Kunitz goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Jake Dotchin and Brayden Point. The Lightning added on with a third period Yanni Gourde goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Vasilevskiy (40 save shutout), Kunitz, and Gourde.

West to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson faces his former team and Mike Smith in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. Buffalo tied it on a Scott Wilson goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres won 2-1 in overtime with a Jack Eichel goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen. The three stars went to Johnson (32 for 33 in saves), Eichel, and Wilson.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Nick Cousins goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson. New York tied it in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eleventh of the year, via Josh Bailey. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Brendan Perlini goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Luke Schenn and Cousins. The Islanders retied it on a third period Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Thomas Hickey and Mathew Barzal. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime on a Cousins goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Christian Fischer. The three stars were Cousins, Beauvillier, and Perlini.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 106

Five games on today, beginning early with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, his ninth of the season, via Valtteri Filppula and Andrew MacDonald. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighth of the campaign, assisted by Ivan Provorov and Sean Couturier. The three stars were Konecny, Raffl, and Elliott (27 for 28 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Scott Darling are in the creases. Vegas started in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fifth of the season, passed from William Carrier and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a Colin Miller power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by David Perron and Erik Haula. Vegas extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb. Cam Ward relieved Darling in goal. Carolina got on the board with a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Skinner and Justin Williams. The Golden Knights replied in the second period on a James Neal power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Brad Hunt and Miller. Vegas iced it at 5-1 with a Brendan Leipsic goal in the third period, his second of the year, via Miller. The three stars were Miller, Fleury (27 for 28 in saves), and Marchessault.

In Winnipeg, the Jets host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Connor Hellebuyck man the nets. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. This stood throughout the game for a 1-0 win, with the three stars handed to Hellebuyck (29 save shutout), Nilsson (35 for 36 in saves), and Laine.

Southwest to California, as the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and John Gibson protect the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Tomas Hertl and Justin Braun. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his fifth of the year, via Joe Thornton and Timo Meier. San Jose extended the lead as Mikkel Boedker scored his sixth of the season on the power play, with the help of Vlasic and Chris Tierney. Anaheim got on the board with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique. The Ducks got closer in the third period with a Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Ondrej Kase and Rakell. The Sharks answered on a Thornton power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Logan Couture. San Jose padded the lead with a Boedker goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, fueled by Melker Karlsson. The Sharks capped it at 6-2 with a Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Boedker and Tierney. The three stars were Boedker, Thornton, and Vlasic, while Karlsson, Tierney, Getzlaf, and Rakell get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a David Desharnais power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Vinni Lettieri. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings tied it on a Michael Amadio power play goal, his second of the year, assisted by Alec Martinez. Los Angeles took the lead with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Martinez and Amadio. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a Trevor Lewis empty net goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, set up by Dustin Brown and Doughty. The three stars went to Amadio, Martinez, and Doughty.

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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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