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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