NHL 2017-18 Day 128

Eleven games on a big night tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Keith Kinkaid draw the starts in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Rask and Justin Williams. New Jersey tied it on a Damon Severson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Nico Hischier. The Devils took the lead with a Stefan Noesen goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Travis Zajac and Miles Wood in the second period. The Hurricanes retied it on a Brett Pesce goal, his third of the year, fueled by Jaccob Slavin and Williams. New Jersey retook the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Hischier and John Moore. The Devils added on with a Hischier goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Taylor Hall and the goalie Kinkaid. New Jersey extended the lead as Noesen scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Severson. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Noesen, Hischier, and Severson, while Williams gets an honorable mention.

Over in Brooklyn, the Battle of New York sees the Islanders welcome the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jaroslav Halak are the veteran goalies. The Islanders began in the first period with a Josh Bailey power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Nick Leddy and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Leddy and Barzal. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Thomas Hickey scored his third of the season, with the help of Barzal, who got a sock trick, and Anthony Beauvillier. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars given to Halak (50 save shutout), Barzal, and Leddy.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Matt Murray are the masked men. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with an unassisted Ryan Reaves goal, his fourth of the season. Los Angeles tied it on a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Adrian Kempe and Alec Martinez. The Penguins retook the lead on a Zach Aston-Reese power play goal in the third period, his third of the season, with assists provided by Kris Letang and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an Evgeni Malkin empty net goal, his thirty-second of the year, set up by Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. The three stars were Murray (34 for 35 in saves), Aston-Reese, and Reaves.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson are the solid goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Scott Wilson goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Johan Larsson and Nathan Beaulieu. Ottawa tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, his eighth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and Matt Duchene in the third period. The Sabres took the lead on an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kyle Okposo and Casey Nelson. The Senators retied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Gaborik and Duchene. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Mike Hoffman goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Karlsson and Duchene, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Gaborik, Duchene, and Karlsson.

Way south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Vladislav Namestnikov and Hedman. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Stamkos scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season on the power play, with helpers from Kucherov and Hedman, the latter earning a sock trick. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Niklas Kronwall and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Lightning answered in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Kucherov, who got a sock trick, and Brayden Point. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Hedman.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Craig Smith and Ryan Ellis. Calgary tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Predators retook the lead with a Yannick Weber goal, his second of the season, via Viktor Arvidsson and Johansen in the second period. The Flames tied it again with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary took the lead with a Mark Jankowski goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, passed from Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. The Flames added on with a Curtis Lazar goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Hamilton. Nashville got one back on a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Pontus Aberg. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Hamilton, Tkachuk, and Johansen, while Monahan gets an honorable mention.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Devan Dubnyk are set to start in goal. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals added on with an Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, via Andre Burakovsky. Washington extended the lead as Burakovsky scored his sixth of the season in the third period, thanks to Brett Connolly and the goalie Grubauer. Minnesota got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Mikko Koivu and Gustav Olofsson. The Capitals replied with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Ovechkin and Wilson. The Wild got one back with an Eric Staal power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Wilson empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Backstrom and Ovechkin, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Wilson, and Backstrom, while Burakovsky gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Anton Forsberg are in the creases. Chicago drew first blood in the second period with a Duncan Keith power play goal, powered by Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Vinnie Hinostroza. Anaheim got on the board with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ondrej Kase. The Ducks tied it with a Kase goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Adam Henrique. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Henrique goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Kase and Ritchie. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Kase, Henrique, and Ritchie.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Max Domi. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Brendan Perlini goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Keller and Derek Stepan. Arizona extended the lead as Perlini scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with the help of Ekman-Larsson and Keller. Montreal got on the board with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty. The Canadiens got closer with a Daniel Carr goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec. The Coyotes replied with a Tobias Rieder power play goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Keller and Ekman-Larsson, both of whome earned sock tricks. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Josh Archibald goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Rieder. The three stars were Keller, Ekman-Larsson, and Perlini, while Rieder gets an honorable mention.

Up in Vegas, the Golden Knights host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Deryk Engelland and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Nate Schmidt and Reilly Smith. Vegas extended the lead as William Karlsson scored his thirtieth of the season on the power play, with the help of David Perron and Brad Hunt. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period on an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from James Neal and Perron. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Oscar Klefbom and Michael Cammalleri. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Fleury (28 for 29 in saves), Perron, and Marchessault.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Martin Jones occupy the creases. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Chris Tierney and Jannik Hansen. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his tenth of the year, via Joakim Ryan and Logan Couture. San Jose extended the lead as Marcus Sorensen scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Vancouver got on the board with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Thomas Vanek and Henrik Sedin. The Sharks won 4-1 with a Tierney goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Burns and Boedker. The three stars were Burns, Tierney, and Boedker.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 127

Another three-game today goes tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Toronto opened in the first period with a Dominic Moore goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Roman Polak and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus got on the board with a Nick Foligno goal, his twelfth of the season, via Alexander Wennberg and Dean Kukan. The Blue Jackets tied it in the second period with a Foligno goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Toronto retook the lead on a Kadri goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Dermott. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Mitchell Marner scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Kadri and Patrick Marleau. Columbus got one back with a Jack Johnson goal, his third of the season, helped along by Foligno and Markus Nutivaara. Toronto answered in the third period with a Kadri goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Marner and Marleau. The Maple Leafs iced it at 6-3 with a Marleau empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Leo Komarov and Kadri. The three stars belonged to Kadri, Marner, and Foligno, while Marleau, Dermott, and Wennberg get the honorable mentions.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Semyon Varlamov are set to start in goal. Colorado got going in the second period on a Carl Soderberg goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Gabriel Bourque and A.J. Greer. The Avalanche added on in the third period with an unassisted Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fourteenth of the year. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Varlamov (44 save shutout), Soderberg, and Kerfoot.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Jacob Markstrom are the solid goalies. Vancouver started in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. Florida tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov. The Canucks took the lead back with a Horvat goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Baertschi. The Panthers tied it on a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Denis Malgin. Florida took the lead on an Alexander Petrovic goal, with a lone helper from Jared McCann. The Panthers added on with a Bjugstad goal, his tenth of the season, via Barkov. Vancouver got one back in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sedin and Horvat. This led to the eventual 4-3 final, with the three stars given to Bjugstad, Horvat, and Barkov, while Baertschi gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 126

Twelve games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Boston led off in the first period with a Riley Nash goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by David Backes and Matt Grzelcyk. Calgary tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Garnet Hathaway. The Flames took the lead with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Matt Stajan and Mark Giordano. The Bruins retied it in the second period on another Nash goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Tim Schaller and Charlie McAvoy. Boston regained the lead in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Torey Krug. The Bruins added on with another Bergeron goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Brad Marchand and Backes. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Zdeno Chara empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Bergeron, Nash, and Backes.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Nicholas Baptiste goal, his second of the season, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Sabres retook the lead with a Sam Reinhart power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Evan Rodrigues. The Lightning retied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo pulled ahead again with a Scott Wilson goal, his fourth of the season, via Casey Nelson and Victor Antipin. The Sabres added on in the third period with an O'Reilly power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. Tampa Bay got one back with a Ryan Callahan goal, his third of the season, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Brayden Point. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with a Reinhart empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Reinhart, and Wilson.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes added on with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the year, via Justin Williams and Victor Rask. Carolina extended the lead on a Faulk power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes chased Quick in the second period as Faulk finished a natural hat trick on a power play goal, his seventh of the year helped along by Aho and Tervainen. Carolina padded the lead against Darcy Kuemper with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Rask and Williams. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Jake Muzzin and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings got closer as Toffoli scored his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Tanner Pearson and Kopitar. Los Angeles chipped closer in the third period on a Torrey Mitchell goal, his third of the year, fueled by Kyle Clifford and Drew Doughty. The Hurricanes shot back with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Phillip Di Giuseppe. Carolina finished it at 7-3 with an Aho goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Teravainen, who got a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Faulk, Aho, and Skinner, while Tervainen, Williams, Rask, Kopitar, and Toffoli earn the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. New York opened in the first period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Anders Lee and Josh Bailey. Columbus tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, guided in by Zach Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Dubois power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Werenski and Bjorkstrand. Columbus added on in the third period with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Cam Atkinson scored his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Werenski, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Werenski, Bjorkstrand, and Dubois.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Michal Neuvirth fill in for the injured usual starters in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Sami Vatanen. The Flyers took the lead back on a Scott Laughton goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Michael Raffl and Andrew MacDonald. Philadelphia added on with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jori Lehtera and Dale Weise. The Devils answered on a John Moore goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Travis Zajac and Jesper Bratt. The Flyers answered with a Giroux power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Gostisbehere. New Jersey pulled back with a Nico Hischier goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper from Bratt. The Devils tied it in the third period with another Hall goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, via Hischier and Zajac. New Jersey won 5-4 with a lone shootout tally by Drew Stafford. The three stars were Hall, Hischier, and Zajac, while Bratt, Giroux, and Gostisbehere receive honorable mentions.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Evgeni Malkin. Ottawa tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Mark Stone and Mark Borowiecki in the second period. The Penguins retook the lead on another Guentzel goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, guided in by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh added on with a Malkin goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Carl Hagelin and Schultz. The Penguins extended the lead as Zach Aston-Reese scored, thanks to Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary. The Senators got one back with a Colin White goal, his second of the season, made possible by Max McCormick and Tom Pyatt. Pittsburgh replied in the third period with a Letang goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Brian Dumoulin and Crosby. Ottawa countered with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. The Penguins iced it at 6-3 with an Aston-Reese empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Dumoulin and Crosby, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Guentzel, Malkin, and Aston-Reese, while Schultz, Letang, Crosby, and Dumoulin get the honorable mentions.

Into Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Frans Nielsen goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Anthony Mantha and Mike Green. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, courtesy of Kevin Bieksa and Rickard Rakell. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Howard (32 for 33 in saves), Nielsen, and Larkin.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Pekka Rinne draw the starts in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his second of the season, made possible by Patrik Berglund and Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on in the second period with an Alexander Steen goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Paul Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis extended the lead on a power play goal by Jaden Schwartz, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Steen and Tarasenko. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban. The Predators pulled closer on a shorthanded Austin Watson goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons. Nashville tied it as Watson scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Craig Smith and Roman Josi. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Filip Forsberg penalty shot goal, his seventeenth of the campaign. The three stars were Watson, Steen, and Tarasenko.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Dustin Byfuglien and Mathieu Perreault. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Lars Eller and Alex Chiasson. Washington added on in the third period with a John Carlson goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brett Connolly. The Jets pulled back with a Bryan Little goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Jack Roslovic and Byfuglien. Winnipeg tied it with a shorthanded Scheifele goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Blake Wheeler and Perreault. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime on a Tyler Myers goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Scheifele. The three stars were Scheifele, Byfuglien, and Perreault.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. Minnesota led off in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with an unassisted Zach Parise goal, his third of the year. Minnesota extended the lead as Marcus Foligno scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Daniel Winnik and Joel Eriksson Ek. New York got on the board with a John Gilmour power play goal, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers got closer in the second period with a Hayes power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Michael Grabner and Neal Pionk. They couldn't tie it, falling eventually by a 3-2 score, with the three stars being Foligno, Parise, and Hayes.

Southwest to Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Tommy Wingels power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat. Vegas tied it on a Ryan Carpenter goal, his third of the year, via Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Deryk Engelland. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period on a DeBrincat goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Patrick Sharp and Ryan Hartman. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Brad Hunt power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by David Perron and Colin Miller. Vegas took the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of William Karlsson and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights added on with a Perron goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by James Neal. Vegas iced it at 5-2 with a Tomas Nosek empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Perron, DeBrincat, and Smith.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Martin Jones have the green light to play in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nick Cousins and Brad Richardson. San Jose tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Coyotes took the lead on an Alex Goligoski power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, powered by Tobias Rieder and Christian Fischer. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Goligoski, Connauton, and Boedker.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 125

Three games on as a new week begins, and the first is in...

Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Nylander goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Matthews and Mitchell Marner. Toronto extended the lead as Gardiner scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Nylander and Matthews, the latter earning a sock trick. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Alex Killorn goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning got closer in the third period with a Kucherov goal, his thirtieth of the season, courtesy of Killorn. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Braydon Coburn and Steven Stamkos. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, passed from Tyler Bozak. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Nylander, Matthews, and Kucherov, while Gardiner and Killorn get the honorable mentions.

West to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. Florida led off in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Denis Malgin and Mike Matheson. Edmonton tied it on a Patrick Maroon goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Yohann Auvitu and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Leon Draisaitl, his sixteenth of the season. The Panthers retied it on a Malgin goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Matheson and Mark Pysyk. Edmonton regained the lead with a Drake Caggiula goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Kris Russell and Jujhar Khaira. Florida tied it again on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Nick Bjugstad and Ekblad. The Panthers took the lead in the third period on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. Florida added on with another Trocheck power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with helpers from Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Oilers got one back with an Anton Slepyshev goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Letestu. The Panthers countered on a Dadonov penalty shot goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year. Edmonton chipped back with a McDavid goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Maroon. Florida iced it at 7-5 with a Trocheck empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-first of the year, set up by Huberdeau. The three stars went to Trocheck, Dadonov, and Malgin, while Ekblad, Yandle, Matheson, Huberdeau, McDavid, and Maroon get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun and Tobias Rieder. The Coyotes added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Derek Stepan. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jonathan Toews and Lance Bouma. Arizona replied with an Alex Goligoski goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Keller and Domi. Jeff Glass replaced Forsberg in goal. The Coyotes extended the lead as Rieder scored a power play goal, his seventh of the season, thanks to Christian Fischer. Arizona padded the lead in the third period with a Nick Cousins goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Goligoski and Kevin Connauton. The Coyotes finished it at 6-1 with a Christian Dvorak goal, his ninth of the campaign, via Fischer and Zac Rinaldo. The three stars were Domi, Keller, and Goligoski, while Fischer and Rieder get honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 124

Nine games on again today, including four matinees. We begin with...

The St. Louis Blues hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jake Allen are the masked men. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Christ Thorburn and Scottie Upshall. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Conor Sheary. The Penguins took the lead with an unassisted Bryan Rust goal in the third period, his eighth of the season. Pittsburgh added on with a Riley Sheahan goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Dominik Simon. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Simon and Rust. The three stars were Crosby, Rust, and Murray (33 for 34 in saves), while Simon gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Braden Holtby draw the starts in goal. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Frans Nielsen. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Luke Glendening goal, his eighth of the season, via Darren Helm and Nielsen. Detroit added on with an Anthony Mantha goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings extended the lead as Tomas Tatar scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Dylan Larkin. The Capitals got one back in the third period with a Brett Connolly goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Jay Beagle. Washington pulled closer with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Devante Smith-Pelly and Beagle. The Capitals tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Carlson and Ovechkin. Detroit took the 5-4 win in overtime with a Tatar goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Larkin and Nick Jensen. The three stars were Tatar, Larkin, and Nielsen, while Ovechkin, Carlson, and Beagle get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. New York tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead in the third period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Brady Skjei and David Desharnais. The Rangers iced it at 3-1 with a Michael Grabner empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were given to Lundqvist (36 for 37 in saves), Vesey, and Zuccarello.

The last matinee today has the Dallas Stars hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Ben Bishop are the goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with an unassisted Reid Boucher goal. The Canucks added on with a Jake Virtanen goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Vancouver extended the lead as Thomas Vanek scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks padded the lead with a Bo Horvat power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brock Boeser and Alexander Edler. Kari Lehtonen replaced Bishop in goal. Vancouver continued with another Boucher goal, his second of the game, helped along by Derrick Pouliot and Virtanen. The Canucks got another in the third period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, passed from Darren Archibald and Brandon Sutter. This produced the 6-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Boucher, Markstrom (30 save shutout), and Virtanen.

At the normal time, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. Colorado started in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Colin Wilson and Nikita Zadorov. Buffalo tied it on a shorthanded Benoit Pouliot goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche retook the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Matt Nieto goal, his tenth of the season. Colorado added on with a Wilson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog. The Sabres got one back with a shorthanded Casey Nelson goal, via O'Reilly and Justin Falk. The Avalanche answered with a Tyson Jost power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Gabriel Bourque scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Anton Lindholm. Buffalo pulled back on an O'Reilly goal, his seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen on the power play. The Sabres got closer with an Evander Kane goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. They couldn't tie it, losing 5-4, with the three stars given to Wilson, O'Reilly, and Bourque.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Eddie Lack are the backups in goal. Boston struck first in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Torey Krug goal, his ninth of the season. New Jersey tied it on a Miles Wood goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Coleman. The Bruins retook the lead on a Tim Schaller shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it again in the second period with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Nico Hischier. Boston regained the lead with a Krug power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Ryan Spooner and Patrice Bergeron. New Jersey equalized on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Hall and Sami Vatanen. The Bruins took the lead again in the third period on an Adam McQuaid goal, his first of the season, assisted by Riley Nash and Matt Grzelcyk. Boston iced it at 5-3 with a Bergeron empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Brad Marchand and David Backes. The three stars were Krug, Bergeron, and Hall.

Along to Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Jaroslav Halak are the experienced goalies. New York was first to score in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Mathew Barzal and Nick Leddy. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Jankowski power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sam Bennett and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames tied it in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Michael Frolik and Brett Kulak. Calgary took the lead on a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, guided in by Travis Hamonic and Frolik. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Frolik, and Jankowski.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie. The Ducks added on in the third period with a Cam Fowler goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Kase and Ritchie. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Tomas Hertl and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Couture and Brent Burns. The Sharks won 3-2 with shootout tallies by Joe Pavelski and Couture. The three stars were Couture, Kase, and Ritchie.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead with an Andrew MacDonald goal in the second period, his third of the season, via Couturier and Konecny. Philadelphia added on with a Giroux goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Couturier and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers finished it at 4-1 in the third period with an unassisted empty net goal by Radko Gudas. The three stars were Couturier, Neuvirth (38 for 39 in saves), and Giroux, while Konecny gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 123

Nine games on an unusually light Saturday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Evander Kane goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart. The Sabres added on with a Scott Wilson goal, his third of the year, via Nathan Beaulieu and Evan Rodrigues. Boston got on the board with a Ryan Spooner goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and Torey Krug. Buffalo answered with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Wilson. The Bruins got one back with a David Backes goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the third period. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with a Rasmus Ristolainen empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Wilson, Pouliot, and Kane.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Artturi Lehkonen. Nashville tied it on a Scott Hartnell goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Nick Bonino. The Predators took the lead with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. The Canadiens retied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jeff Petry and Lehkonen. Nashville won 3-2 in the shootout with a Ryan Ellis tally. The three stars were Lehkonen, Drouin, and Gallagher.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Los Angeles Kings on Vincent Lecavalier night. Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy draw the starts in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson. Los Angeles tied it on a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Andy Andreoff and Nick Shore. The Lightning took the lead back with an Alex Killorn goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with a Cedric Paquette goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Callahan. Jonathan Quick replaced Kuemper in goal. The Lightning extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored a power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman. The Kings got one back with a third period Kyle Clifford goal, his third of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Derek Forbort. Los Angeles pulled closer with a Christian Folin goal, his third of the season, guided in by Andreoff and Shore. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars given to Stamkos, Vasilevskiy (44 for 47 in saves), and Andreoff, while Shore gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators in a Battle of Ontario. Craig Anderson and Frederik Andersen are the similarly named goalies. Toronto led off in the first period with an unassisted Mitchell Marner goal, his eleventh of the season. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Marner scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri. Mike Condon replaced Anderson in goal. Ottawa got on the board with a Johnny Oduya goal, his third of the year, fueled by Mark Stone and Thomas Chabot. The Maple Leafs answered on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Derick Brassard goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Dion Phaneuf and Stone. Toronto shot back with a Kadri goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Marner and Marleau. Ottawa countered with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Borowiecki. The Maple Leafs iced it at 6-3 with a Marleau empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Marner, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Marner, Marleau, and Kadri, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Columbus opened in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Panarin goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. Columbus extended the lead as Josh Anderson scored his seventeenth of the season, with the help of Boone Jenner and the goalie Bobrovsky. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus continued in the third period with a Nick Foligno goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jones and Bjorkstrand. The Blue Jackets kept going with a Matt Calvert power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky. New Jersey got on the board with a Will Butcher goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The three stars were handed to Panarin, Bjorkstrand, and Bobrovsky (34 for 35 in saves), while Jones and Jenner get honorable mentions.

South again to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Cam Ward are between the pipes. Colorado started in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher. Carolina tied it on a Brock McGinn goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Elias Lindholm. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with another McGinn goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, assisted by Lindholm and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Lee Stempniak and Sebastian Aho. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to McGinn, Lindholm, and Ward (29 for 30 in saves).

West to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead with a Michael Raffl goal, his tenth of the season, via Scott Laughton and Jordan Weal. The Coyotes retied it on an Alex Goligoski goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Christian Fischer. Philadelphia took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Gostisbehere and Couturier. Arizona tied it in the third period with a Zac Rinaldo goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Max Domi. In the shootout, Voracek and Nolan Patrick carried the Flyers to a 4-3 win over Nick Cousins and the Coyotes. The three stars were Voracek, Gostisbehere, and Simmonds.

Backtracking to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Devan Dubnyk draw the starts in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Coyle scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Eric Staal and Gustav Olofsson. This made it 3-0, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (44 save shutout), Coyle, and Koivu.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Al Montoya and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joakim Ryan goal, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with an unassisted Pavelski goal, his thirteenth of the season. San Jose extended the lead as Barclay Goodrow scored his fifth of the year in the second period, thanks to Jannik Hansen. Edmonton got on the board with a Zack Kassian goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers got closer with another Kassian goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Yohann Auvitu and Kris Russell. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Oscar Klefbom and Michael Cammalleri. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period on a Brandon Davidson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Draisaitl and Cammalleri. The Sharks retied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc. San Jose pulled ahead with a Ryan goal, his second of the game, guided in by Timo Meier and Pavelski. The sharks won 6-4 with a Pavelski empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year and second of the game, set up by Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson. The three stars were Pavelski, Ryan, and Kassian, while Draisaitl and Cammalleri earn the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 122

Eight games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. Detroit opened in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a Martin Frk goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Bertuzzi. Detroit extended the lead as Zetterberg scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Gustav Nyquist and Mike Green. New York got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Mathew Barzal. The Islanders got closer with a Brock Nelson goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Thomas Hickey and Adam Pelech. The Red Wings answered with a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader. Detroit padded the lead on a Kronwall power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Zetterberg and Nyquist. Jaroslav Halak replaced Greiss in goal. New York got one back with a Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Barzal. The Islanders chipped closer on an Anders Lee power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with helpers from Barzal, who got a sock trick, and Josh Bailey. New York tied it on a Nick Leddy power play goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by John Tavares and Eberle. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Bailey power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Tavares and Barzal. The Red Wings evened it again with a Green goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Zetterberg, who got a sock trick, and Dylan Larkin. New York won 7-6 in overtime with a Nelson goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Barzal. The three stars were Nelson, Barzal, and Zetterberg, while Bailey, Tavares, Eberle, Kronwall, Nyquist, and Green get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Ondrej Pavelec draw the starts in goal. New York started in the first period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and David Desharnais. Calgary tied it on a Brett Kulak goal, passed from Micheal Ferland and Johnny Gaudreau. Henrik Lundqvist replaced Pavelec in the second period. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by J.T. Miller and Hayes. The Flames retied it on a Curtis Lazar goal, helped along by Ryan Lomberg and Matt Stajan. Calgary took the lead with a Matthews Tkachuk power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Dougie Hamilton and T.J. Brodie. New York tied it on a third period Rick Nash goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Holden and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Miller and Brady Skjei. The final held from here at 4-3, with the three stars being Hayes, Miller, and Zibanejad.

Down to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. Columbus tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead with a Kuznetsov goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and Matt Niskanen. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Seth Jones. Washington pulled ahead on a Jay Beagle goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Chandler Stephenson and Devante Smith-Pelly. The Capitals added on with an Eller power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by T.J. Oshie. This stood for the eventual 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Kuznetsov, Eller, and Holtby (35 for 37 in saves).

Further to the south, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Scott Darling are in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Brett Pesce goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Carolina extended the lead as Aho scored his twentieth of the year, thanks to Jaccob Slavin and Pesce. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, via Alex Biega and Sven Baertschi. The Hurricanes replied in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Jeff Skinner. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Pesce, Aho, and Di Giuseppe.

Moving along, the Florida Panthers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Harri Sateri in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Denis Malgin and Mike Matheson. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Nick Shore goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Derek Forbort and Andy Andreoff. The Kings took the lead with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Forbort. Los Angeles added on in the third period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Alex Iafallo and Forbort, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 3-1 with Forbort, Quick (35 for 36 in saves), and Brodzinski earning the three stars.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Patrik Berglund goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Robert Bortuzzo and Jaden Schwartz. St. Louis extended the lead as Steen scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Alex Pietrangelo. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Jack Roslovic. The Jets got one back with a Patrik Laine power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Connor and Blake Wheeler. The Blues countered with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, via Jay Bouwmeester. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Schwartz empty net shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tarasenko, Steen, and Connor, while Schwartz gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Kari Lehtonen occupy the creases. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Zachary Aston-Reese and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the year. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn and Dillon Heatherington. The Stars tied it in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Alexander Radulov and Benn. Dallas took the lead with a Dan Hamhuis goal, his third of the season, passed from Greg Pateryn and Benn, the latter earning a sock trick. Pittsburgh tied it on a Justin Schultz goal, his third of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Stars won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Seguin. The three stars were Benn, Seguin, and Hamhuis.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted.The Ducks added on in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf. Edmonton got on the board with an unassisted Anton Slepyshev goal, his second of the season. Anaheim replied in the third period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Lindholm and Andrew Cogliano. The Oilers got one back on a Kris Russell goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Lindholm, Kesler, and Perry.

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