NHL 2017-18 Day 138

Six games on for today, beginning with...

The Nashville Predators hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville led off in the first period with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twentieth of the year, via Craig Smith. Nashville extended the lead as Scott Hartnell scored his eleventh of the season in the second period, thanks to Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Ellis. The Predators padded the lead with a shorthanded Austin Watson goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Ryan Johansen. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars given to Rinne (27 save shutout), Sissons, and Fiala.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Victor Antipin and Nicholas Baptiste. The Sabres added on with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Evan Rodrigues. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his sixth of the season, via David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Buffalo replied with a Rodrigues goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period as Marco Scandella scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jason Pominville and Antipin. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Rodrigues, Antipin, and Johnson (34 for 35 in saves).

In New York City, the Rangers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. Detroit opened in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Nick Jensen and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings added on in the second period with an unassisted Darren Helm goal, his eighth of the year. New York got on the board with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Spooner and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Jesper Fast goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Kevin Hayes and Spooner. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Trevor Daley goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Tomas Tatar. The three stars were Spooner, Daley, and Howard (36 for 38 in saves).

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Al Montoya and Ryan Miller draw the starts in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Michael Cammalleri. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Oilers retook the lead on an Anton Slepyshev goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Cammalleri. The Ducks retied it in the second period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Brandon Montour and Getzlaf. Edmonton restored their lead on a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Draisaitl and the goalie Montoya. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Strome goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, helped along by Jesse Puljujarvi and McDavid. Anaheim pulled back on a Getzlaf goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Corey Perry and Hampus Lindholm. Edmonton responded with an Iiro Pakarinen goal, his second of the year, with helpers from McDavid, who got a sock trick, and Milan Lucic. The Ducks pulled closer with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Getzlaf, who got a sock trick, and Perry. Anaheim tied it as Rakell scored his twenty-fifth of the year to complete his hat trick, with the help of Perry, who earned a sock trick, and Derek Grant. In the shootout, Draisaitl and McDavid overcame Rakell to give the Oilers the 6-5 win. The three stars were Rakell, Draisaitl, and McDavid, while Strome, Cammalleri, Getzlaf, and Perry receive the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joakim Ryan goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jannik Hansen and Barclay Goodrow. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Chris Tierney goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Kevin Labanc. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Cullen goal, his seventh of the season, via Jared Spurgeon and Marcus Foligno. The Wild tied it in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Ryan Suter and Jason Zucker. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime on a Spurgeon goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Zucker. The three stars went to Spurgeon, Zucker, and Staal.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Derrick Pouliot and Henrik Sedin. Arizona tied it on a third period Alex Goligoski power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Derek Stepan and Brendan Perlini. The Canucks retook the lead with another Daniel Sedin goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Brock Boeser. Vancouver added on with a Darren Archibald shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Brandon Sutter and Troy Stecher. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Daniel Sedin, Markstrom (41 for 42 in saves), and Archibald.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 137

We've got twelve games today, but only two matinees. First up...

The Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Craig Anderson are in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his eleventh of the season, via Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers added on with an unassisted Robert Hagg goal, his second of the year. Ottawa got on the board with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Thomas Chabot and Bobby Ryan. Philadelphia answered in the third period with a Giroux goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Brandon Manning. The Flyers extended the lead as Nolan Patrick scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Manning and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Manning goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Radko Gudas. The Senators got one back on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Zack Smith and Mark Stone. Ottawa pulled closer with a Matt Duchene goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Stone and Hoffman. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Manning, Giroux, and Hoffman, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jon Gillies are called on to start in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Tyson Barrie and Duncan Siemens. Calgary replied in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Michael Stone and Tkachuk. The Flames extended the lead as Troy Brouwer scored his fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Matt Stajan and T.J. Brodie. Calgary padded the lead on a Backlund power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Brouwer and Brodie. The Flames won 5-1, with the three stars given to Backlund, Brouwer, and Gillies (27 for 28 in saves), while Tkachuk and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Jimmy Howard are set to start in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Xavier Ouellet. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Noah Hanifin goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Victor Rask. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Henrik Zetterberg power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit added on with a Trevor Daley goal, his sixth of the year, via Andreas Athanasiou. The three stars were Howard (28 for 29 in saves), Zetterberg, and Daley.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Kari Lehtonen are the backups in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Radek Faksa. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets took the lead with a Toby Enstrom goal, fueled by Jack Roslovic and Byfuglien. Winnipeg added on with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Byfuglien, the latter earning a natural sock trick. The Jets extended the lead as Patrik Laine scored his thirtieth of the year, thanks to Ehlers and the goalie Hutchinson. Ben Bishop replaced Lehtonen in goal. Winnipeg padded the lead on another Laine goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, made possible by Ehlers. The Stars got one back with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn. Dallas got closer in the third period with a Radulov goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, with a lone helper from Seguin. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Ehlers, Laine, and Byfuglien, while Seguin and Radulov get the honorable mentions.

Way northeast to Quebec, as the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Antti Niemi in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Byron Froese goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordie Benn and Daniel Carr. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Alex Killorn. The Lightning took the lead with a second period Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. The Canadiens retied it on a Joe Morrow goal, his fifth of the year, via Charles Hudon and Max Pacioretty. Montreal took the lead on a Pacioretty power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Jonathan Drouin. Tampa Bay retied it in the third period with a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. In the shootout, Point had the lone tally to give the Lightning a 4-3 win. The three stars were Kucherov, Point, and Pacioretty.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. Toronto tied it on a Mitchell Marner goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of William Nylander and Roman Polak. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Marner. The Bruins retied it on a Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, via Pastrnak and Bergeron. Boston took the lead in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Ryan Spooner and David Krejci. Toronto retied it with a Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Marner and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs gained the lead with a Ron Hainsey third period goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Nylander and Marner, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Marner, Kadri, and Marchand, while Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. Washington drew first blood in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Brett Connolly and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Kuznetsov and Matt Niskanen. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Casey Nelson. Washington replied with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by John Carlson and Kuznetsov. The Capitals extended the lead on a Lars Eller empty net goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Alex Chiasson and Niskanen. Washington capped it at 5-1 as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, thanks to Carlson and Kuznetsov, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Niskanen, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

South to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Roberto Luongo are in the blue paint. Florinda kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Denis Malgin and Keith Yandle. Pittsburgh tied it on a Carl Hagelin goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Jamie Oleksiak. The Panthers retook the lead on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. Florida added on with a Jamie McGinn goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jared McCann and Alexander Petrovic in the second period. The Panthers extended the lead as Derek MacKenzie scored his third of the season, with the help of Colton Sceviour and Petrovic. Matt Murray replaced Jarry in goal. The Penguins got one back with a Malkin goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, helped along by Bryan Rust and Matt Hunwick. Pittsburgh got closer in the third period with another Malkin goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, made possible by Hagelin. Florida countered on a Dadonov goal, his seventeenth of the year and second of the game, guided in by Barkov and Yandle. The Penguins pulled back on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh tied it as Rust scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Brian Dumoulin. The Panthers retook the lead on a Dadonov goal, completing his hat trick on his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Barkov, who got a sock trick, and Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars of the 6-5 game belonged to Dadonov, Barkov, and Malkin, while Yandle, Petrovic, Rust, and Hagelin receive honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Sergei Bobrovsky are between the pipes. Chicago led off in the first period with a David Kampf goal, his third of the season, helped along by Ryan Hartman and Vinnie Hinostroza. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the second period with a Tomas Jurco goal, assisted by Patrick Kane and Erik Gustafsson. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Dubois goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Artemi Panarin. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a Josh Anderson goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Boone Jenner. The three stars went to Dubois, Anderson, and Bobrovsky (31 for 33 in saves).

Over in New Jersey, the Devils host the New York Islanders on Patrik Elias night. Jaroslav Halak and Keith Kinkaid are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Anthony Beauvillier and Mathew Barzal. New Jersey tied it on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Taylor Hall in the third period. The Devils took the lead with another Palmieri goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, assisted by Sami Vatanen and Hall. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Hall, and Kinkaid (30 for 31 in saves).

Way to the southwest, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Antti Raanta guard the cages. Arizona began in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Josh Archibald and Kevin Connauton. The Coyotes iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Max Domi empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Archibald and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The three stars went to Raanta (26 save shutout), Demers, and Archibald.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring inthe Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Quick are the goalies. Edmonton struck first in the first period with an Anton Slepyshev goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Ryan Strome and Michael Cammalleri. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Cammalleri and Adam Larsson. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twentieth of the season, with a lone assist by Nate Thompson. Edmonton replied with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Drake Caggiula and Darnell Nurse. The Kings got one back with a Tobias Rieder goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Derek Forbort and Anze Kopitar in the third period. The Oilers answered with a Strome empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Cammalleri, who got a sock trick. Los Angeles pulled back on a Dustin Brown goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Adrian Kempe. The three stars were given to Cammalleri, Strome, and Khaira.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 136

Five games fill tonight's schedule, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Alexandar Georgiev in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Eric Staal. The Wild added on with a Staal goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Zach Parise and Granlund. New York got on the board in the second period with a Jesper Fast goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller. Minnesota replied with a Staal power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Ryan Suter and Granlund. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Granlund goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Jason Zucker and Staal. The three stars were Granlund, Staal, and Dubnyk (22 for 23 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cam Ward are in the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Olli Maatta goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Elias Lindholm and Sebastian Aho. Pittsburgh replied with a Kessel goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins extended the lead as Kessel scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Riley Sheahan and Guentzel. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Sidney Crosby power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, powered by Kris Letang and Malkin. The Penguins capped it at 6-1 with a Malkin goal, his thirty-fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Zach Aston-Reese. The three stars were given to Kessel, Malkin, and Guentzel.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen are the masked men. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Nic Petan goal, his second of the season, via Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Kyle Connor and Scheifele. Winnipeg extended the lead as Connor scored a power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets padded the lead in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp. This produced the eventual 4-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (34 save shutout), Wheeler, and Connor, while Scheifele earns an honorable mention.

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jean-Francois Berube draw the starts in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Jan Rutta goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Anthony Duclair and Nick Schmaltz. The Blackhawks added on with a Schmaltz goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the year, via Duclair. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with an Artem Anisimov empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Tomas Jurco and Rutta. The three stars were Schmaltz, Berube (42 for 43 in saves), and Rutta, while Duclair gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with a Tomas Hyka goal, with helpers by Deryk Engelland and Ryan Carpenter. Vancouver tied it on a Sven Baertschi goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Sam Gagner. The Canucks took the lead with a Thomas Vanek goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Golden Knights tied it on a William Karlsson goal, his thirty-second of the season, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Brayden McNabb. Vegas took the lead in the second period with a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, passed from Jonathan Marchessault and Smith. The Golden Knights added on with a Marchessault power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Karlsson and Smith, the latter earning a natural sock trick. Vegas extended the lead as Tomas Nosek scored his seventh of the year, thanks to David Perron and the goalie Fleury. Vancouver got one back with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alexander Edler and Brock Boeser. Vegas iced it at 6-3 with a Perron empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Karlsson, Marchessault, and Smith, while Perron and Daniel Sedin get the honorable mentions.

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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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