NHL 2017-18 Day 135

Eleven games on a busy schedule tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Eddie Lack are the backups in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils added on with a second period Stefan Noesen goal, his eighth of the year, via Travis Zajac and Miles Wood. Minnesota got on the board with a Mike Reilly goal, his second of the season, passed from Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek, his third of the year, guided in by Daniel Winnik and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota took the lead with a Chris Stewart goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Nick Seeler. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Eric Staal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Charlie Coyle. The three stars were Stewart, Stalock (38 for 40 in saves), and Eriksson Ek.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Petr Mrazek draw the starts in goal. Columbus got going with an unassisted Artemi Panarin, his seventeenth of the season. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead on a Nolan Patrick power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Gostisbehere and Giroux. The three stars were Giroux, Patrick, and Gostisbehere.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Frederik Andersen. New York started in the first period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Thomas Hickey and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with a Barzal goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Anthony Beauvillier and Sebastian Aho. Toronto got on the board with a Mitchell Marner goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his sixth of the year, via Connor Brown and James van Riemsdyk. New York retook the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Barzal and Beauvillier. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Jake Gardiner and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 with a lone tally by Tyler Bozak in the shootout. The three stars were Barzal, Beauvillier, and Matthews.

In Michigan, the Detroit Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jimmy Howard are in the blue paint. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nathan Beaulieu and Johan Larsson. Detroit tied it in the second period with an unassisted Jonathan Ericsson goal, his third of the year. The Sabres retook the lead on an Evander Kane power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jason Pominville and Ristolainen. The Red Wings tied it on a third period Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Frans Nielsen and Henrik Zetterberg. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Marco Scandella goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Larsson and Sam Reinhart. The three stars were given to Ristolainen, Larsson, and Scandella.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Antti Niemi play in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Jeff Petry goal, his tenth of the year, via Charles Hudon and Nicolas Deslauriers. New York got on the board in the third period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and David Desharnais. Montreal capped it at 3-1 with a Phillip Danault goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Plekanec. The three stars were Plekanec, Petry, and Niemi (31 for 32 in saves).

Crossing into Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Craig Anderson. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Chris Kunitz and Yanni Gourde. Ottawa tied it on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Mark Stone and Derick Brassard. The Lightning retook the lead with a Victor Hedman goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with a Namestnikov goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Gourde and Alex Killorn. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Mark Borowiecki goal, his third of the year, fueled by Bobby Ryan and Cody Ceci. Ottawa got closer with a Brassard power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, powered by Stone and Erik Karlsson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars Namestnikov, Kucherov, and Gourde, while Brassard and Stone get the honorable mentions.

Way down south, as the Florida Panthers host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Maxim Mamin goal, assisted by Colton Sceviour and Ian McCoshen. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Brett Connolly and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals took the lead in the second period with a Burakovsky power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin. The Panthers tied it in the third period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov. Florida took it with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The three stars of the 3-2 game went to Trocheck, Bjugstad, and Burakovsky.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with a Scott Hartnell goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Bonino and Calle Jarnkrok. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Kevin Labanc and Justin Braun. Nashville replied with a Kevin Fiala goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Viktor Arvidsson scored his twenty-second of the season, a power play goal with the help of Subban and Craig Smith. Nashville padded the lead with a Johansen goal, his eighth of the year, via Josi. The Predators continued with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Arvidsson. Nashville finished it at 7-1 with an unassisted Jarnkrok goal, his fifteenth of the year. The three stars were Bonino, Johansen, and Arvidsson, while Jarnkrok, Josi, and Subban receive the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Matt Benning and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Zack Kassian goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Mark Letestu. Colorado got on the board with a Samuel Girard goal, his third of the season, passed from Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche tied it on a Colin Wilson goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Tyson Jost and Alexander Kerfoot. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, assisted by Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. The three stars were awarded to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Kassian

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Calgary Flames. Jon Gillies and Antti Raanta make the starts in goal. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jason Demers. Calgary tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Flames took the lead with a Gaudreau goal, his twentieth of the season, via Sean Monahan and Bennett. Calgary added on in the second period with a Monahan power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Mark Jankowski scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season. Calgary padded the lead on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Hamilton and Giordano. The Coyotes got one back with a Kevin Connauton goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nick Cousins and Jordan Martinook. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Bennett, while Giordano and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirtieth of the season, with a lone assist by Greg Pateryn. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lehtonen (18 save shutout), Seguin, and Radulov.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 134

Three games on for tonight, with the first being...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Vinnie Hinostroza and David Kampf. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Mark Stone. The Blackhawks took the lead with a second period Artem Anisimov goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Kane and Erik Gustafsson. The Senators retied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Stone and and Fredrik Claesson. In the shootout, Kane, Alex DeBrincat, and Nick Schmaltz lifted the Blackhawks 3-2 over Duchene, Mike Hoffman, and the Senators. The three stars were given to Kane, Stone, and Duchene.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Ryan Miller are the experienced goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Brandon Montour. The Ducks added on with a shorthanded Getzlaf goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, set up by Francois Beauchemin and Derek Grant. The three stars of the 2-0 game were Getzlaf, Miller (41 save shutout), and Lindholm.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it on a T.J. Brodie goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Travis Hamonic and Matt Stajan. The Golden Knights took the lead with a William Karlsson power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Reilly Smith and Nate Schmidt. The Flames retied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano. Vegas retook the lead on a Reilly Smith goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Colin miller and Jonathan Marchessault. Calgary retied it on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Hamilton and Johnny Gaudreau. The Golden Knights retook the lead on an Alex Tuch goal, his eleventh of the season, via David Perron and Erik Haula. Vegas added on with a Luca Sbisa goal, his second of the year, helped along by Tuch. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Haula scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Sbisa and Perron. Vegas iced it at 7-3 with a Cody Eakin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Carpenter. The three stars were given to Sbisa, Smith, and Haula, while Tuch, Carpenter, Perron, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 133

Nine games on a fairly active Tuesday. We begin with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Keith Kinkaid are in the creases. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Zach Werenski. New Jersey tied it on a Taylor Hall goal in the second period, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Nico Hischier. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a Scott Harrington goal, his second of the season, passed from Artemi Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois. This stood for the eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Bobrovsky (30 for 31 in saves), Harrington, and Jenner.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Alex Lyon. Montreal opened in the first period with a Jeff Petry goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Karl Alzner and Charles Hudon. Philadelphia tied it on a second period Nolan Patrick power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Canadiens took the lead back in the third period with a Paul Byron goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher. The Flyers tied it on a Voracek goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Voracek goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Gostisbehere and Valtteri Filppula. The three stars were Voracek, Gostisbehere, and Patrick.

Up in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner. This lasted for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Andersen (40 save shutout), van Riemsdyk, and Luongo (30 for 31 in saves).

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Ryan Callahan and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning added on with a Chris Kunitz goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Andrej Sustr and Callahan. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Point scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, thanks to Anton Stralman. Washington got on the board with a Lars Eller power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Dmitry Orlov and Brett Connolly. The Capitals got closer in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Matt Niskanen. The Lightning replied on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Braydon Coburn. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Point, Callahan, and Vasilevskiy (35 for 37 in saves).

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Jimmy Howard in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with a Kyle Turris goal, his tenth of the year, via Josi and Craig Smith. Detroit got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Dylan Larkin. Nashville replied with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by P.K. Subban and Ellis in the third period. The Red Wings got one back with a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Athanasiou and Justin Abdelkader. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Josi, Ellis, and Athanasiou.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Carter Hutton occupy the creases. San Jose got going in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Mikkel Boedker and Justin Braun. St. Louis tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Kyle Brodziak and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Sharks took the lead back with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his eleventh of the season, via Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose added on with a Boedker goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Chris Tierney and Jannik Hansen. The Blues pulled back with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn. The final stayed at 3-2, with the three stars given to Boedker, Couture, and Donskoi.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets host the Los Angeles Kings. Darcy Kuemper and Connor Hellebuyck are called on to start in goal. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Patrik Laine. Los Angeles tied it on a power play goal by Alec Martinez in the second period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Tanner Pearson. The Kings took the lead with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Martinez and Michael Amadio. The Jets retied it on a Byfuglien goal, his fourth of the year, via Tyler Myers and Jack Roslovic. Los Angeles took the lead with a Torrey Mitchell goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Kempe and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on with a Dustin Brown goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Anze Kopitar. Winnipeg pulled one back with a Laine power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Wheeler and Bryan Little. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Martinez, Kempe, and Laine, while Wheeler and Byfuglien get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Cam Talbot play in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Ryan Strome goal, his ninth of the season. The Oilers added on with a Jujhar Khaira goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Anton Slepyshev and Darnell Nurse. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Noel Acciari goal, his seventh of the season, via Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins tied it on a Matt Grzelcyk goal, his second of the year, coming off of Riley Nash and Charlie McAvoy. Boston took the lead with a David Krejci goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Danton Heinen and David Backes. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Krejci, Grzelcyk, and Acciari.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Anders Nilsson receive the starting nods in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Darren Archibald goal, via Brandon Sutter and Loui Eriksson. Colorado tied it on a Tyson Jost power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon. The Canucks took the lead back with a Nikolay Goldobin power play goal, his third of the year, coming off of Derrick Pouliot and Sven Baertschi. Vancouver added on with a Brandon Sutter goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Goldobin. The Canucks extended the lead as Bo Horvat scored his sixteenth of the year, with the help of Brock Boeser. The Avalanche got one back on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Barrie and MacKinnon. Colorado got closer with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers from MacKinnon and Barrie, both of whom earned sock tricks. The Avalanche tied it in the third period on a Barrie power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Rantanen and Landeskog. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, dished from Barrie and Rantanen. The three stars went to Barrie, MacKinnon, and Rantanen, while Goldobin, Sutter, and Landeskog get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 132

Six games on Presidents' Day in the United States, three of which are matinees. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Minnesota wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his second of the season, made possible by Charlie Coyle and Tyler Ennis. New York tied it on a Ross Johnston goal, his third of the year, via Johnny Boychuk and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders took the lead with an Anders Lee goal in the second period, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Thomas Hickey and Ryan Pulock. The Wild retied it on a Matt Cullen goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba. Minnesota took the lead on a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Suter and Dumba. The Wild added on with an Ennis goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Cullen and Jared Spurgeon. New York got one back with a Tanner Fritz goal, courtesy of Lee and Sebastian Aho. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with another Zucker goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, fueled by Eric Staal. The three stars were Zucker, Suter, and Dumba, while Ennis and Lee earn honorable mentions.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Christian Djoos and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Carlson goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by T.J. Oshie and Jakub Vrana. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his tenth of the season, via Scott Wilson and Evan Rodrigues. Washington replied with an empty net goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres pulled one back on an Evander Kane goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Ryan O'Reilly and Sam Reinhart. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Carlson, Grubauer (32 for 34 in saves), and Ovechkin.

Westward to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in David Rittich in goal. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Patrice Bergeron. Calgary tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, via Riley Nash. The three stars went to Rask (28 for 29 in saves), Marchand, and Pastrnak.

At the regular time, the Nashville Predators host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Nashville opened in the first period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ryan Ellis and Kyle Turris. The Predators added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. Ottawa got on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Mark Stone and Erik Karlsson. Nashville answered in the second period with an Ellis power play goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Josi and Kevin Fiala. The Senators got one back with a Max McCormick goal, his second of the season, coming off of Fredrik Claesson and Nick Shore. The Predators replied with an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, via Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead as Craig Smith scored in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, with the help of Fiala.The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Arvidsson, Josi, and Ellis, while Fiala and Forsberg get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Anton Forsberg receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Nate Thompson and Kyle Clifford. The Kings added on with an Andy Andreoff goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jonny Brodzinski and Michael Amadio. Los Angeles extended the lead as Dion Phaneuf scored a power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Alec Martinez and Adrian Kempe. Chicago got one back in the third period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Carl Dahlstrom. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Quick (27 for 28 in saves), Andreoff, and Phaneuf.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Andrew Cogliano and Rickard Rakell. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson for the third period. The Ducks added on in the third period with a Josh Manson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Rakell. The final was 2-0, with the three stars going to Rakell, Miller (20 for 20 in saves), and Gibson (13 for 13 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 131

Seven games on for this Sunday, beginning with a couple of matinees. The first is in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Henrik Lundqvist are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Sproul. Philadelphia tied it on an Andrew MacDonald goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Valtteri Filppula and Jori Lehtera. The Rangers took the lead back on a Rick Nash goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich. The Flyers retied it on a Scott Laughton goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Ivan Provorov. Philadelphia took the lead with a Brandon Manning goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. New York evened it again on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his tenth of the season, via Peter Holland. Alex Lyon relieved Neuvirth to start the second period. The Flyers pulled ahead in the second period with a Nolan Patrick goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Manning. The Rangers tied it again with a Holland goal, fueled by Nick Holden and Cody McLeod. Philadelphia regained the lead on a Konecny goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Sean Couturier and Giroux. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Giroux goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with a lone assist provided by Konecny. Philadelphia extended the lead as Jori Lehtera scored, thanks to Dale Weise and Filppula. This stood for a 7-4 win, with the three stars given to Konecny, Giroux, and Lehtera, while Filppula, Manning, and Holland get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. Colorado began in the first period with an unassisted Tyson Jost goal, his sixth of the season. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Patrick Maroon and Matt Benning. the Avalanche retook the lead on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Anton Lindholm and Colin Wilson. The Oilers retied it in the third period with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Kris Russell. Edmonton took the lead on a Ryan Strome goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Michael Cammalleri and Adam Larsson. The Oilers added on with a McDavid empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. The three stars went to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Strome.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Cam Ward are in the creases. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and the goalie Kinkaid. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Victor Rask and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Devils retook the lead with a Pavel Zacha goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by John Moore. The Hurricanes retied it in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twentieth of the year, via Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. New Jersey won 3-2 in overtime with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, helped along by Kyle Palmieri and Vatanen. The three stars were Hall, Vatanen, and Kinkaid (40 for 42 in saves).

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jamie Oleksiak and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his fourth of the year, via Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust. Columbus got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Pittsburgh shot back with another Sheahan goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Guentzel and Oleksiak. The Penguins extended the lead as Zach Aston-Reese scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Matt Hunwick and Kris Letang. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Boone Jenner. Pittsburgh replied with a Guentzel goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Olli Maatta. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Guentzel, Sheahan, and Oleksiak.

Along to Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek are the backups in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Jake Gardiner and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Mitchell Marner goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nyquist and Darren Helm. Toronto retook the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, coming off of William Nylander and Zach Hyman. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Matthews, Marner, and Nyquist.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Martin Jones guard the cages. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Timo Meier and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Melker Karlsson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Meier and Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead as Mikkel Boedker scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Jannik Hansen and Justin Braun. The Sharks padded the lead on another Boedker goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Chris Tierney and Vlasic. Kari Lehtonen replaced Bishop in goal. San Jose continued in the second period on a Braun goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Pavelski and Karlsson. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Gemel Smith goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Brett Ritchie and Stephen Johns. The Stars got closer with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his eleventh of the campaign, fueled by John Klnigberg and Antoine Roussel. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Boedker, Pavelski, and Braun, while Meier, Vlasic, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Denis Malgin power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mike Matheson and Nick Bjugstad. Winnipeg tied it on a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. The Jets took the lead in the second period on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Tyler Myers and Josh Morrissey. The Panthers retied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Evgenii Dadonov and Keith Yandle. Winnipeg regained the lead on a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on in the third period with a Connor goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, guided in by Wheeler, who got a sock trick, and Myers. Winnipeg extended the lead as Bryan Little scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Myers, who got a sock trick, and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets padded the lead on a Perreault goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Jack Roslovic. Winnipeg finished it at 7-2 with a Laine goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, helped along by Little and Perreault. The three stars were Connor, Wheeler, and Myers, while Laine, Little, and Perreault get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 130

Eleven games today, with four of them as matinees. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, his third of the season, coming off of Andy Andreoff. The Kings added on in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Dustin Brown. Los Angeles extended the lead as Kopitar scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Alex Iafallo and Brown. The Kings padded the lead on an Amadio goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Jonny Brozinski and Drew Doughty. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner for the third period. Buffalo got on the board with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres got closer with an unassisted Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his fifth of the year. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Amadio, Kopitar, and Brown.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson make the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Derick Brassard and Zack Smith. The Senators added on with a Johnny Oduya goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Matt Duchene. New York got on the board with a Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Sproul and Pavel Buchnevich. Ottawa answered in the second period on a Duchene goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Cody Ceci and Thomas Chabot. The Rangers pulled one back on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and J.T. Miller. The Senators replied on a Brassard goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, guided in by Mark Borowiecki and Smith. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Chabot scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Brassard and Stone. Brandon Halverson replaced Lundqvist in goal. New York got one back with a Grabner goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Kevin Hayes. The Senators capped it at 6-3 with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Ceci and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars were given to Brassard, Duchene, and Stone, while Chabot, Ceci, Grabner, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Adam Henrique and Hampus Lindholm. Minnesota tied it on an unassisted Mikko Koivu goal, his ninth of the year. The Wild took thelead in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Nate Prosser. The Ducks tied it in the third period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Lindholm and Nick Ritchie. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Getzlaf, Kase, and Ritchie lifted the Ducks 3-2 over Zach Parise, Nino Niederreiter, and the Wild. The three stars were Ritchie, Kase, and Lindholm.

The last matinee has the Arizona Coyotes hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta are the former Rangers in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Christian Fischer. This stood for a 1-0 win in the end, with the three stars awarded to Raanta (40 save shutout), Dvorak, and Talbot (31 for 32 in saves).

Back northeast, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Matt Murray protect the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. Toronto tied it on a Connor Brown goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Bozak goal, his ninth of the season, via Travis Dermott and Roman Polak. The Penguins tied it on a Malkin goal, his thirty-third of the year, assisted by Rust and Hagelin. Pittsburgh retook the lead in the second period with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Ian Cole and Kris Letang. Toronto retied it on a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Brown and Auston Matthews. The Penguins pulled ahead in the third period on an Olli Maatta goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Matt Hunwick and Ryan Reaves. Pittsburgh added on with a Rust goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Malkin and Letang. The final held from here at 5-3, with the three stars being Malkin, Rust, and Hagelin, while Letang, Brown, and Bozak get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New Jersey Devils. Eddie Lack is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Ben Lovejoy goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it on a Chris Kunitz goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Ryan Callahan. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Yanni Gourde and Mikhail Sergachev. The Devils tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen. New Jersey took the lead with a shorthanded Pavel Zacha goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Vatanen and Lovejoy. The Devils added on in the third period with a Miles Wood goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Stefan Noesen. Tampa Bay got one back on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Lovejoy, Vatanen, and Lack (48 for 51 in saves).

Way out west, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Marc-Andre Fleury occupy the creases. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Nate Schmidt and Jonathan Marchessault. Montreal tied it on a Charles Hudon goal, his eighth of the year, via Max Pacioretty and Joe Morrow. The Golden Knights retook the lead on a Brad Hunt goal, his third of the season, with a lone helper by Luca Sbisa. Vegas added on with a Tomas Nosek goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Erik Haula and Ryan Carpenter. Carey Price replaced Niemi in goal. The Canadiens got one back with a Nikita Scherbak goal, made possible by Alex Galchenyuk and Karl Alzner. The Golden Knights replied in the second period with a Carpenter goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Colin Miller and Marchessault. Vegas extended the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, thanks to Deryk Engelland and Marchessault, the latter earning a sock trick. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period on a Schmidt goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assists provided by Smith. Montreal pulled one back with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Jeff Petry and Brendan Gallagher. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars belonging to Smith, Marchessault, and Schmidt, while Carpenter gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Nashville Predators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Juuse Saros get the green light to play in goal. Detroit cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Luke Witkowski goal, assisted by Anthony Mantha and Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Nick Jensen and Danny DeKeyser. Nashville got on the board with a Craig Smith power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and the goalie Saros in the third period. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with a Darren Helm empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Frans Nielsen. The three stars went to Mrazek (31 for 32 in saves), Nyquist, and Witkowski.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby faces a lesser foe in Anton Forsberg in goal. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Brandon Saad. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist from Matt Niskanen. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Saad goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Vinnie Hinostroza and Toews. Chicago added on with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Carl Dahlstrom and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Patrick Kane scored his twenty-second of the season in the second period, with the help of Toews. Chicago padded the lead on a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Michal Kempny. The Blackhawks continued with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Hinostroza and Kane. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby for the third period. Chicago struck again on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Hartman and Patrick Sharp. The three stars were Toews, Kane, and Saad, while Hartman and Hinostroza get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo returns to action against David Rittich in goal. Florida opened in the first period with an unassisted Mike Matheson goal, his seventh of the season. Calgary tied it on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan. The Panthers retook the lead on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov. Florida added on with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Trocheck. The Panthers extended the lead as Barkov scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Dadonov and Aaron Ekblad. Jon Gillies replaced Rittich in goal. The Flames got one back with another Hamilton power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with helpers from Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk. Florida answered with a third period Matheson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, courtesy of Mark Pysyk and Barkov. The Panthers padded the lead on a Jared McCann goal, his sixth of the year, via Alexander Petrovic and MacKenzie Weegar. Calgary got one back on a Hamilton goal, his thirteenth of the season completing his hat trick with an unassisted goal. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Matheson, Hamilton, and Barkov, while Trocheck, Dadonov, and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Anders Nilsson are between the pipes. Vancouver started in the first period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Canucks added on with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Thomas Vanek and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead as Bo Horvat scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Troy Stecher and the goalie Nilsson. The Canucks padded the lead on an unassisted Sven Baertschi goal, his thirteenth of the year. Vancouver continued against Anton Khudobin in the second period with a Nic Dowd goal, his second of the season, helped along by Jake Virtanen and Derrick Pouliot. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Tim Schaller goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Torey Krug. The Canucks replied with an Eriksson goal, his tenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Pouliot. The final held at 6-1, with the three stars being Eriksson, Daniel Sedin, and Pouliot.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 129

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Shayne Gostisbehere and Nolan Patrick. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his tenth of the year, via David Savard and Dean Kukan. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, assisted by Travis Konecny. The three stars were Neuvirth (35 for 36 in saves), Couturier, and Simmonds.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Cam Ward are given the starts in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brock Nelson and Ross Johnston. The Islanders added on with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York iced it at 3-0 with a John Tavares empty net goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars belonged to Greiss (45 save shutout), Boychuk, and Tavares.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Toby Enstrom. The Jets added on in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Dustin Byfuglien and Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead on a shorthanded Andrew Copp goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Scheifele. The Jets padded the lead as Patrik Laine scored a power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with the help of Byfuglien and Scheifele, the latter earning a sock trick. Winnipeg continued against Semyon Varlamov in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone helper from Tyler Myers. The Jets struck again on a Wheeler power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Laine and Myers. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 6-1 game were Wheeler, Scheifele, and Laine, while Byfuglien and Myers get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Dallas drew first blood in the second period on a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Martin Hanzal. The Stars added on with a Stephen Johns goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Marc Methot. St. Louis got on the board with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bishop (27 for 28 in saves), Johns, and Janmark.

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