NHL 2017-18 Day 148

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Mark Jankowski and Travis Hamonic. The Flames added on with a Jankowski goal, his twelfth of the year, via Bennett and T.J. Brodie. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Mark Giordano scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Micheal Ferland. The Flames chased Johnson on a Sean Monahan goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Brodie. Robin Lehner came on in relief. Calgary padded the lead with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Giordano and Gaudreau. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Casey Nelson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jason Pominville and Scott Wilson. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Jankowski, Bennett, and Giordano, while Brodie and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the battle of Pennsylvania sees the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Nolan Patrick. The Flyers took the lead with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald. The Penguins tied it on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Justin Schultz and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh regained the lead with a Conor Sheary goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Crosby and Oleksiak. The Penguins added on with another Sheary goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Guentzel and Crosby, the latter earning a sock trick. Pittsburgh finished it at 5-2 with a Malkin empty net goal in the third period, his thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Carl Hagelin and Riley Sheahan. The three stars went to Crosby, Sheary, and Oleksiak, while Malkin and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Brendan Perlini and Derek Stepan. Vancouver tied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brendan Leipsic and Sam Gagner. The Coyotes retook the lead in the third period with a Stepan goal, his twelfth of the campaign, via Keller and Perlini. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Stepan, Keller, and Perlini.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 147

Nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Torey Krug goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Nick Holden and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit got on the board with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings tied it on a Mike Green goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha. Boston took the lead back with a Krug power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins extended the lead as Marchand scored his twenty-sixth of the year on the power play in the second period, with the help of Krug and Pastrnak. Jimmy Howard replaced Coreau in goal. Detroit pulled back with a Mantha goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Green and Tyler Bertuzzi. Boston answered on a Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Pastrnak, who got a sock trick, and Riley Nash. The Red Wings chipped back with another Mantha goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, fueled by Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it again in the third period on a Martin Frk goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Bertuzzi and Mantha. The Bruins won 6-5 in overtime with a Marchand goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the campaign, dished from Krug and Nash. The three stars were Marchand, Krug, and Mantha, while Pastrnak, Nash, Green, and Bertuzzi get the honorable mentions.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Keith Kinkaid receive the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Will Butcher and Travis Zajac. The Devils added on with a Blake Coleman goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Butcher and Brian Boyle. New Jersey extended the lead as Zajac scored his ninth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kyle Palmieri and Sami Vatanen. The Devils padded the lead with another Zajac power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Vatanen. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Jeff Petry and Paul Byron. New Jersey replied with a Patrick Maroon power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Hall and Palmieri. The Devils continued on a Boyle goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Coleman. The Canadiens got one back with a Jacob De La Rose, his second of the year, passed from Phillip Danault and Jordie Benn. Montreal got closer in the third period with another De La Rose goal, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Andrew Shaw and Mike Reilly. The Canadiens chipped closer on a Byron Froese goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Daniel Carr and Reilly. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being Zajac, Coleman, and Boyle, while Vatanen, Hall, Palmieri, De La Rose, and Reilly get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, as the Rangers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason returns to action, facing Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with another Laine goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, guided in by Ben Chiarot and Joe Morriw in the second period. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 as Laine completed the natural hat trick with an empty net goal, his thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Blake Wheeler. The three stars were Laine, Mason (31 save shutout), and Lundqvist (31 for 33 in saves).

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Columbus began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Vegas tied it in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from David Perron and Alex Tuch. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Zach Werenski goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Panarin and Dubois. Columbus added on with an Ian Cole goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by David Savard and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the third period as Dubois scored his fifteenth of the campaign into the empty net, set up by Panarin. The three stars of the 4-1 game went to Panarin, Dubois, and Korpisalo (37 for 38 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Andrej Sustr and Anton Stralman. The Lightning added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Gourde. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov. Tampa Bay replied in the second period with a Gourde goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Miller. The Panthers got one back with another Bjugstad goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov and Keith Yandle. The Lightning replied with an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Florida got one back in the third period with a Bjugstad goal to complete his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Mike Matheson and Barkov. The Panthers tied it on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Yandle and Barkov, the latter earning a sock trick. Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, helped along by Stralman and Tyler Johnson. The three stars were Bjugstad, Gourde, and Miller, while Stralman, Barkov, and Yandle receive the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville got going in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Austin Watson and Colton Sissons. The Predators added on with an empty net goal by Nick Bonino, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hartman, Rinne (26 save shutout), and Lehtonen (32 for 33 in saves).

Further to the north, the Minnesota Wild host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with an Eric Staal power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Jason Zucker. The Wild added on in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead as Zach Parise scored his sixth of the season on the power play, with the help of Koivu and Spurgeon. The Wild chased Ward with a Daniel Winnik goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba. Minnesota padded the lead against Scott Darling with Staal's second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Suter and Mikael Granlund. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his second of the year, passed from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jeff Skinner. The Wild answered on a Matt Cullen goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle. The Hurricanes got one back with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Victor Rask and Noah Hanifin. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Staal, Suter, and Spurgeon, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Francois Berube occupy the creases. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his second of the season, via Jonathan Tows and Brandon Saad. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with Toews goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, coming off of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The three stars were Toews, Berube (33 for 34 in saves), and Gustafsson.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his tenth of the year, via Josh Manson and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim extended the lead as Rakell scored his twenty-eighth of the season in the second period, thanks to Getzlaf and Manson. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby in goal. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 with a Nick Ritchie empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Henrique and Kevin Bieksa. The three stars were Gibson (36 save shutout), Henrique, and Rakell, while Getzlaf and Manson get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 146

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Calgary Flames. Jon Gillies and Tristan Jarry are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, his second of the season, coming off of Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Giordano goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Troy Brouwer and Matt Stajan. The Flames tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Michael Frolik and Travis Hamonic. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Kris Letang goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, assisted by Malkin and Carl Hagelin. Calgary retied it on a Brouwer goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from T.J. Brodie and Johnny Gaudreau. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Justin Schultz goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Kessel and Malkin. The three stars were Malkin, Brouwer, and Kessel.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Chad Johnson make the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres added on with a Jason Pominville goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Ristolainen and Johan Larsson. Toronto got on the board with a Leo Komarov power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by William Nylander and Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period on another Komarov goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, coming off of Matt Martin and Nikita Zaitsev. Buffalo retook the lead with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres extended the lead as O'Reilly scored his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Buffalo padded the lead as Larsson scored his fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Pominville and Jordan Nolan. Toronto got one back with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Connor Carrick and Morgan Rielly. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to O'Reilly, Komarov, and Pominville, while Reinhart, Ristolainen, and Larsson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Dallas opened in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. Kari Lehtonen replaced an injured Bishop for the second period. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mark Stone and Matt Duchene. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Duchene goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Mark Borowiecki. The Stars retied it on a Seguin goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, guided in by Mattias Janmark and Dan Hamhuis. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Karlsson goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Karlsson, Duchene, and Seguin.

Back north, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Arizona started in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Derek Stepan. Edmonton tied it on a Jujhar Khaira shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan Strome. The Oilers took the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Matt Benning. Edmonton added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Richard Panik. Arizona tied it on a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, going in unassisted. The Oilers won in overtime with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. The three stars were Draisaitl, Klefbom, and Khaira.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jacob Markstrom are the average goalies. New York struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Anders Lee and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Thomas Hickey and Mathew Barzal. Vancouver got on the board with a Brendan Leipsic goal, his third of the season, passed from Jake Virtanen and Bo Horvat. The Canucks tied it as Darren Archibald scored his third of the year on a penalty shot. Vancouver took the lead on a Virtanen goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Leipsic. New York retied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Tavares and Barzal. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted Leipsic goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign. The three stars were Leipsic, Virtanen, and Tavares, while Barzal gets an honorable mention.

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MLS 2018 Week 1

MLS is back, as Toronto FC defends the championship title from the other 22 teams this year. We begin with...

Toronto FC hosting the Columbus Crew SC as one of six games on Saturday. Zack Steffen and Alexander Bono make the starts in goal. Columbus saw a yellow card for Cristian Martinez not retreating in the twenty-fourth minute. The Crew began with a Federico Higuain goal in the forty-fourth minute, passed from Milton Valenzuela and Artur. Columbus added on with a Gyasi Zardes goal in the forty-sixth minute, via Pedro Santos. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Higuain.

Next up, the Houston Dynamo welcome Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Chris Seitz draw the starts in goal. Houston led off in the fifth minute with an Andrew Wenger goal, via Alberth Elis and Philippe Senderos. The Dynamo added on with a Senderos goal in the twenty-third minute, coming off of Oscar Boniek Garcia and Eric Alexander. Houston extended the lead as Mauro Manotas scored in the twenty-seventh minute, thanks to Wenger and Elis. Atlanta saw yellow cards for fouls by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the thirty-second minute and Chris McCann in the thirty-fourth minute. The Dynamo padded the lead on a Darwin Ceren goal in first half stoppage time. Julian Gressel of Atlanta took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time as well. Houston's keeper Seitz took a yellow card for time wasting in the sixty-first minute. The Dynamo won 4-0, with the man of the match being Wenger.

Back northeast, the Philadelphia Union bring in the New England Revolution. Matt Turner is mismatched with Andre Blake in goal. New England went down to ten men in the twenty-fourth minute as Antonio Mlinar Delamea took a straight red card for denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Claude Dielna of the Revolution had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul. Philadelphia struck first in the forty-third minute on an Anthony Fontana goal, passed from C.J. Sapong and Alejandro Bedoya. Andrew Farrell of New England received a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-ninth minute. The Union's Sapong had a yellow card for not retreating in the sixty-third minute. Philadelphia added on in the sixty-ninth minute with a Sapong goal, set up by Cory Burke. The Revolution went down to nine men as Dielna picked up a second yellow for a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. New England's Wilfried Zahibo received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The Union won 2-0, with the man of the match named as Sapong.

Down in Florida, Orlando City SC hosts DC United. David Ousted and Joe Bendik are the veteran goalies. Orlando saw a yellow card for Cameron Lindley in the thirty-first minute for his foul. DC opened in the thirty-second minute with a Yamil Asad goal. Orlando City went down to ten men in the forty-first minute when Victor Giro took a straight red card for violent conduct. DC had yellow cards in first half stoppage time for fouls by Steve Birnbaum and Darren Mattocks. DC's Nick DeLeon had a yellow card for a forty-seventh minute foul. Orlando City's Yoshimar Yotun took a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul. Orlando City tied it on a Stefano Pinho goal in second half stoppage time, assisted by Jonathan Spector and Justin Meram. This produced the 1-1 final, with Pinho named man of the match.

Back in Texas, FC Dallas welcomes Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando faces a lesser foe in Jimmy Maurer in goal. Salt Lake started in the twenty-fifth minute with a Joao Plata goal, set up by Albert Rusnak. Dallas had yellow cards for fouls by Jacori Hayes in the sixty-fourth minute and Michael Barrios in the seventy-seventh minute. Dallas tied it as Marcelo Silva of Real committed an own goal in the eighty-sixth minute. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Plata.

Saturday ends in San Jose, where the Earthquakes bring in Minnesota United FC. Matt Lampson and Andrew Tarbell make the starts in goal. Minnesota took a yellow card for time wasting by Tyrone Mears in the twenty-fifth minute. San Jose was first to score in the twenty-seventh minute with a Danny Hoesen goal, via Valeri Qazaishvili. The Earthquakes added on with a Qazaishvili goal in the twenty-eighth minute, courtesy of Chris Wondolowski. San Jose extended the lead as Hoesen scored his second of the game in the fifty-ninth minute, thanks to Qazaishvili. The Earthquakes saw a yellow card for Jimmy Ockford's seventy-first minute foul. Minnesota got on the board with a Kevin Molino goal in the eighty-first minute, coming off of Christian Ramirez and Jerome Thiesson. Minnesota pulled closer on a Molino goal in the eighty-fifth minute, helped along by Rasmus Schuller. This made it 3-2, the final, with Hoesen named man of the match for his brace.

On Sunday, the first of four games has Seattle Sounders FC hosting the expansion side Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller faces former teammate Stefan Frei in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the eleventh minute with a Diego Rossi goal, via Carlos Vela and Mark-Anthony Kaye. In the sixty-ninth minute, Los Angeles took a yellow card for a Benny Feilhaber foul. Seattle went down to ten men as Tony Alfaro took two yellow cards for fouls in the seventy-ninth and eighty-third minutes. The Sounders' Nouhou received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. Los Angeles won 1-0, with the man of the match being Rossi.

Up in Vancouver, the Whitecaps FC welcomes the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Stefan Marinovic are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver had a yellow card for a foul by Efrain Juarez in the eleventh minute. Victor Cabrera of Montreal took a yellow card for a thirty-second minute foul. The Whitecaps' Kendall Waston received a yellow card for his thirty-seventh minute foul. Vancouver got going in the sixty-third minute on a Kei Kamara goal, passed from Alphonso Davies and Russell Teibert. The Whitecaps added on with a Davies goal in the seventieth minute, coming off of Cristian Techera and Juarez. The Impact got one back with a Matteo Mancosu goal in the eighty-first minute, assisted by Daniel Lovitz and Ignacio Piatti. Mancosu took a yellow card for a stoppage time foul for Montreal. The final held at 2-1 Whitecaps, with Davies as the man of the match.

Southeast to Kansas City, as Sporting brings in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Tim Melia are the gloved men. Jesus Medina of New York City had a yellow card for not retreating in the twenty-third minute. New York City drew first blood in the thirty-second minute with a Maximiliano Moralez goal, via David Villa and Medina. Alexander Ring of New york City had a yellow card for his thirty-fourth minute foul. New York City added on with a Medina goal in the fifty-third minute, set up by Ben Sweat and Yangel Herrera. New York City's keeper Johnson took a yellow card for time wasting in the fifty-ninth minute. New York City went down to ten men in the eighty-eighth minute as Maxime Chanot had a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity. New York City held on to win 2-0, with the man of the match being Medina.

Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and David Bingham are between the posts. Romain Alessandrini of Los Angeles had a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul. The Galaxy dented the scoreboard in the thirty-second minute with an Ola Kamara goal, set up by Rolf Feltscher and Jonathan dos Santos. Los Angeles added on with an Alessandrini goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Portland got on the board with a Sebastian Blanco goal in the sixty-sixth minute, assisted by Fanendo Adi. The Timbers' Larrys Mabiala took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. The Galaxy's Michael Ciani received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Alessandrini.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 145

Seven games going today, including four matinees. We begin with...

The Colorado Avalanche hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov are in goal. Nashville began in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Colton Sissons and Mattias Ekholm. Colorado tied it on a Nikita Zadorov goal, his sixth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Anton Lindholm. The Predators took the lead with a Kyle Turris power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan Ellis and Kevin Fiala. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado took the lead with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Nashville retied it on an Ellis goal, his sixth of the year, passed from P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson. The three stars were Ellis, Forsberg, and Turris.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida led off in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and the goalie Luongo. The Panthers added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Dadonov scored his second of the game and twentieth of the season, thanks to Barkov and Alexander Petrovic. The Panthers padded the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, passed from Jamie McGinn and Mark Pysyk. Philadelphia got on the board with a Travis Konecny goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Manning and Claude Giroux. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Dadonov, Barkov, and Luongo (39 for 40 in saves).

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Brandon Montour. The Ducks added on with a Corey Perry goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Getzlaf and Josh Manson. Anaheim extended the lead as Marcus Pettersson scored in the second period, with the help of Kevin Bieksa and Derek Grant. The Ducks padded the lead on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Andrew Cogliano and Grant. Jean-Francois Berube took over in goal. Chicago got on the board with a Tomas Jurco goal, his second of the year, guided in by Connor Murphy and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks got closer in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Vinnie Hinostroza. Anaheim responded on a Silfverberg goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by Cogliano and Ryan Kesler. The Ducks struck again with a Corey Perry goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Cam Fowler and Getzlaf, the latter earning a sock trick. Chicago pulled back with a Schmaltz goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Hinostroza. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars going to Perry, Getzlaf, and Schmaltz, while Silfverberg, Hinostroza, Grant, and Cogliano get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cory Schneider guard the cages. Vegas got going in the second period with a David Perron goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Tomas Hyka and Jon Merrill. New Jersey tied it on a Sami Vatanen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Patrick Maroon. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Deryk Engelland goal, his fourth of the season, via Shea Theodore and Ryan Reaves. Vegas added on with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Perron and Brad Hunt. The Devils got one back with an unassisted Hall goal, his thirtieth of the campaign. This left it at 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Perron, Hall, and Tatar.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Ward are between the pipes. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Joe Morrow. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Justin Faulk. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with a Laine power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Paul Stastny and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg added on in the third period with a Stastny goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Ben Chiarot and Laine. The Hurricanes got one back with a Jordan Staal goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, coming off of Jaccob Slavin and Brock McGinn. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Laine, Stastny, and Hellebuyck (33 for 35 in saves).

Up north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Ericsson and Dylan Larkin. Minnesota tied it in the second period with an Eric Staal power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. The Wild took the lead with a Zach Parise goal, his fifth of the season, via Mikko Koivu and Nino Niederreiter. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Mikael Granlund and Suter. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Zucker empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Matt Dumba. The three stars belonged to Zucker, Dubnyk (28 for 29 in saves), and Suter.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Martin Jones tend the twines. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Matt Calvert and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Sonny Milano goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Boone Jenner and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Artemi Panarin scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Ian Cole and Cam Atkinson. San Jose got on the board with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his twelfth of the year, via Dylan DeMelo and Evander Kane. The Sharks got closer in the third period with a Kane goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Joe Pavelski. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Panarin empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, set up by Pierre-Luc Dubois. The three stars were Panarin, Kane, and Milano.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 144

Eight games on today, including a marquee Stadium Series event. We have five matinees included, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Nolan Patrick power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Flyers took the lead back with a Voracek goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Patrick. Philadelphia added on with a Robert Hagg goal, his third of the year, passed from Scott Laughton and Ivan Provorov. The Lightning got one back with a Hedman goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, made possible by Stamkos and Kucherov. Tampa Bay tied it on a Dan Girardi goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Stamkos and Hedman. The Flyers pulled ahead again on a Jori Lehtera goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Weal and Valtteri Filppula. Philadelphia extended the lead as Provorov scored his twelfth of the year in the third period, thanks to Filppula. The Lightning countered with a J.T. Miller goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay tied it on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with helpers from Kucherov, who got a sock trick, and Alex Killorn. The Lightning pulled ahead on a Hedman goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with a lone helper by Stamkos, who got a sock trick. The Flyers evened it on a Giroux goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Provorov. The Lightning won 7-6 with shootout tallies by Stamkos and Point. The three stars were awarded to Stamkos, Hedman, and Kucherov, while Point, Provorov, Giroux, Voracek, Patrick, and Filppula get the honorable mentions.

Over in Texas, the Dallas Stars welcome the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Ben Bishop man the nets. Dallas got going in the second period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel. St. Louis tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Vince Dunn and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Colton Parayko. The Stars retied it on an Alexander Radulov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Benn goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, assisted by Seguin. The three stars were Benn, Seguin, and Bishop (35 for 37 in saves).

Further to the west, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Chicago began in the first period with an unassisted Jordan Oesterle goal, his fourth of the season. Los Angeles tied it on a second period goal by Tanner Pearson, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings took the lead with an Alec Martinez goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles added on with an Alex Iafallo goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Chicago tied it on an unassisted Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his seventh of the year. The Blackhawks gained the lead on a Toews power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with a Kane empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Brandon Saad and Toews. The three stars were Toews, Kane, and Hinostroza.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Montreal opened in he first period on an unassisted Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-third of the season. Boston tied it in the third period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Nick Holden and Torey Krug. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, made possible by Krug and Brian Gionta. The three stars were Krug, Khudobin (27 for 28 in saves), and Marchand.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the New York Islanders. Christopher Gibson and Tristan Jarry occupy the creases. New York started in the first period with a Brandon Davidson goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. Pittsburgh tied it on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead with a Lee goal in the third period, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of John Tavares. The Penguins tied it again with a Derick Brassard goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Kessel and Dominik Simon. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, assisted by Justin Schultz and Kris Letang. The three stars belonged to Lee, Kessel, and Crosby.

Outside in Maryland, the Washington Capitals welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs in the last Stadium Series game of the year. Frederik Andersen and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington struck first in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Roman Polak. The Capitals replied with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fortieth of the season, assisted by Tom Wilson and Backstrom. Washington added on with a Backstrom power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kuznetsov and Carlson. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Patrick Marleau and Travis Dermott in the second period. The Capitals answered with a Carlson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Chandler Stephenson and Jay Beagle. Washington extended the lead as Jakub Vrana scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Curtis McElhinney replaced Andersen in goal. This held up as the eventual 5-2 final score, with the three stars given to Carlson, Kuznetsov, and Backstrom.

Way to the southwest, the Arizona Coyotes host the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. The Coyotes took the lead with a Jordan Martinook goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brad Richardson and Nick Cousins in the second period. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Raanta (23 for 24 in saves), Martinook, and Ekman-Larsson.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev is mismatched with Cam Talbot in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and John Gilmour. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal in the second period, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Matt Benning and the goalie Talbot. The Rangers took the lead back with a Zibanejad power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Mats Zuccarello. New York added on with a Paul Carey goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Cody McLeod and David Desharnais. The Oilers got one back with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, coming off of McDavid and Andrej Sekera. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Zibanejad, McDavid, and Georgiev (35 for 37 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 143

Nine games as Hockey Weekend Across America kicks off its three-day celebration. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Jaroslav Halak are the goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin. New York tied it on a Tanner Fritz goal, his second of the year, via Brock Nelson and Thomas Hickey. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period with a Galchenyuk goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of David Schlemko. The Islanders tied it with a Josh Bailey goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Nick Leddy. Montreal regained the lead on another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Mike Reilly. New York pulled even on a Nelson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Anthony Beauvillier and Andrew Ladd. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Paul Byron goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Gallagher and Jacob De La Rose in the third period. Montreal added on with a Noah Juulsen goal, made possible by Artturi Lehkonen and Reilly. The Canadiens iced it at 6-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Galchenyuk, his fifteenth of the year finishing his hat trick. The three stars were Galchenyuk, Gallagher, and Reilly, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Cam Ward make the starts in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Victor Rask and Noah Hanifin. New Jersey tied it on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Sami Vatanen and Kyle Palmieri. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Brett Pesce and Elias Lindholm. Carolina capped it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Justin Williams, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Jordan Staal. The three stars belonged to Teravainen, Ward (25 for 26 in saves), and Ryan.

Further to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and James Reimer are between the pipes. Florida started in the first period with a Mike Matheson goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Jamie McGinn and Jared McCann. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Ryan O'Reilly and Victor Antipin. The Panthers retook the lead with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Keith Yandle and Evgenii Dadonov. Florida added on in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and Dadonov. The Panthers extended the lead as Colton Sceviour scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Bjugstad and Derek MacKenzie. This held up for the 4-1 win, with the three stars being Dadonov, Bjugstad, and Reimer (24 for 25 in saves).

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Detroit led off in the first period with a Niklas Kronwall power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. Winnipeg tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Myers. The Jets took the lead with a Ben Chiarot goal, passed from Bryan Little and Jack Roslovic. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Josh Morrissey and Joel Armia. The Red Wings got one back on an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Gustav Nyquist. The Jets responded with a Laine goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, coming off of Nikolaj Ehlers and Morrissey. Detroit pulled back with a Trevor Daley goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Kronwall and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Jets held on for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Laine, Morrissey, and Kronwall.

Over in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Jon Gillies in goal. New York began in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Spooner. Calgary tied it on a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the year, fueled by Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Chris Kreider and Neal Pionk. New York added on with a Spooner goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Tony DeAngelo. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Spooner, Lundqvist (50 for 51 in saves), and Buchnevich.

South to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Mikko Rantanen and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Rantanen and Tyson Barrie. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Barrie scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Rantanen, who got a natural sock trick, and MacKinnon. The Avalanche padded the lead with another MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, passed from Girard and Patrik Nemeth. Colorado chased Dubnyk with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone helper by Gabriel Bourque. Alex Stalock came on in relief. The Avalanche continued with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by MacKinnon and Nemeth. Minnesota got on the board with a Mikko Koivu goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund. Colorado replied in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Blake Comeau and MacKinnon, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 7-1, the final, with the three stars going to MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Barrie, while Nemeth and Girard get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jacob Markstrom occupy the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Edler and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brock Noeser and Darren Archibald. Nashville got on the board with a Mike Fisher goal, passed from Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators tied it on a Kevin Fiala goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the season, via Kyle Turris and Mattias Ekholm. Vancouver regained the lead with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Henrik Sedin and Edler. Nashville tied it again with a Ryan Ellis goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by P.K. Subban and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Jarnkrok goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Arvidsson and Ellis. The three stars went to Jarnkrok, Ellis, and Arvidsson, while Daniel Sedin and Edler get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and John Gibson guard the cages. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sonny Milano goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Zach Werenski. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Andrew Cogliano goal, his seventh of the season. Anaheim added on with a Josh Manson goal, his fifth of the year, via Francois Beauchemin. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Fowler scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Adam Henrique and Rakell. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Werenski goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper from Bjorkstrand. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Rakell, Fowler, and Werenski, while Bjorkstrand gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Bobby Ryan. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Colin Miller power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Brad hunt and Erik Haula. The Senators tied it on a Ryan goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, via Stone and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa gained the lead with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Thomas Chabot and Mike Hoffman. The Senators added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Ryan. Vegas got one back with a William Karlsson goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, made possible by Marchessault and Smith. The Golden Knights tied it on a shorthanded Ryan Carpenter goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Miller and Tomas Nosek. Ottawa regained the lead on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Erik Karlsson, who got a sock trick, and Max McCormick. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Ryan, Erik Karlsson, and Stone, while Smith, William Karlsson, Miller, and Marchessault get the honorable mentions.

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