NHL 2017-18 Day 154

Seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Cam Ward are set to start in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirtieth of the season, made possible by David Pastrnak and Riley Nash. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Teravainen power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Aho and Faulk. Carolina added on with a Justin Williams goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Brock McGinn and Elias Lindholm. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period as McGinn scored a shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Lindholm. The Bruins got one back with a Matt Grzelcyk goal, his third of the year, guided in by Sean Kuraly and Tim Schaller. Boston pulled closer with a Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Marchand. The Bruins tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by David Krejci and Rick Nash. Boston pulled ahead with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with helpers from Grzelcyk and Marchand. The Bruins iced it at 6-4 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the year completing a hat trick with the help of Kevan Miller and Riley Nash. The three stars were given to Pastrnak, Marchand, and Grzelcyk, while Riley Nash, Teravainen, Aho, Faulk, McGinn, and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Dallas began in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Greg Pateryn and Tyler Pitlick. Montreal tied it on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Alex Galchenyuk and Jacob De La Rose. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with another Lehkonen goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Drouin and Jeff Petry on the power play. Montreal added on with a power play goal by Brendan Gallagher, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Drouin and Galchenyuk. The Stars got one back on a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Devin Shore. The Canadiens answered in the third period with a Nikita Scherbak power play goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The final held from here at 4-2, with the three stars being Lehkonen, Drouin, and Galchenyuk.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Ottawa tied it on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his seventh of the year, via Tom Pyatt and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators took the lead with a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Marian Gaborik and Cody Ceci. Ottawa added on with a Tom Pyatt goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ceci and Mark Borowiecki. The Lightning got one back on a Miller power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Senators shot back with a Gaborik power play goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Dzingel and Alexandre Burrows. Ottawa extended the lead as Mike Hoffman scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Erik Burgdoerfer and Matt Duchene. Tampa Bay got one back with a Miller power play goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Stamkos and Hedman. The Senators replied with an unassisted Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season. Peter Budaj replaced Vasilevskiy in goal in the third period. Ottawa padded the lead on a Hoffman goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Karlsson and Duchene. The Lightning got one back with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Stamkos and Kucherov, both of whom got sock tricks. The final stood at 7-4, with the three stars being Miller, Hoffman, and Dzingel, while Stamkos, Kucherov, Karlsson, Ceci, Gaborik, Pyatt, Duchene, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Pekka Rinne occupy the creases. Nashville started in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Roman Josi and Kyle Turris. The Predators added on with a shorthanded goal by Austin Watson, his twelfth of the year, set up by Ryan Ellis. Nashville extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored his twenty-sixth of the season shorthanded, thanks to Filip Forsberg. Connor Hellebuyck relieved Hutchinson in goal. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars given to Rinne (32 for 33 in saves), Watson, and Hellebuyck (30 for 30 in saves in relief).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Colorado struck first in the first period with a J.T. Compher goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by David Warsofsky. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Charlie Coyle. The Avalanche took the lead back with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Blake Comeau. Colorado added on in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-third of the year, via Patrik Nemeth. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Compher power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Samuel Girard and Sven Andrighetto. Colorado padded the lead as Tyson Jost scored his ninth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Tyson Barrie and Mikko Rantanen. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Compher, Varlamov (33 for 34 in saves), and Zadorov.

In Canada, the Calgary Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers for a battle of Alberta. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith guard and cages. Calgary got going in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Smith (28 save shutout), Gaudreau, and Talbot (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Adin Hill are the unknown goalies. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Derek Stepan. The Coyotes added on with a Nick Cousins goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Niklas Hjalmarsson. Arizona extended the lead in the second period as Christian Dvorak scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Max Domi and Cousins. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Adrian Kempe and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings got closer in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles tied it on a Carter goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, passed from Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The tie went to a shootout, where Keller and Alex Goligoski put the Coyotes in a 4-3 win over Kempe and the Kings. The three stars were Cousins, Keller, and Carter, while Doughty gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 153

Eight games on an unusually busy Monday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Alexandar Georgiev are set to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Neal Pionk and Mika Zibanejad. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twentieth of the year, via Sebastian Aho and Brett Pesce. The Rangers retook the lead with a Jimmy Vesey goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Pavel Buchnevich. The Hurricanes retied it on a Lee Stempniak goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan. New York gained the lead on a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Buchnevich and Zibanejad. Carolina retied it in the third period with a Victor Rask power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead back with a Vesey goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Buchnevich, who earned a sock trick. New York added on with a Zuccarello empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Ryan Spooner. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 with a Vesey empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the campaign, with the help of Jesper Fast and Zibanejad, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Vesey, Buchnevich, and Zuccarello, while Zibanehad gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Vegas started in the first period with an Erik Haula power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by David Perron and Nate Schmidt. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny in the second period. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Tomas Hyka and Shea Theodore on the power play. The Flyers retied it on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. Vegas took the lead with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his eighth of the campaign, passed from Cody Eakin and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Fleury (38 for 40 in saves), Carpenter, and Karlsson.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-first of the season, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals took the lead back in the second period with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and forty-second of the season, passed from Tom Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Jets tied it again in the third period on a Patrik Laine goal, his forty-first of the year, helped along by Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, made possible by Chandler Stephenson. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Grubauer (26 for 28 in saves).

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Jeff Petry. Columbus tied it on an unassisted Nick Foligno goal, his fifteenth of the year. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson. Columbus added on with a Jones goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Panarin and Wennberg on the power play. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Boone Jenner scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Wennberg and Cole. The Canadiens got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Paul Byron. Columbus countered with a Cole goal in the third period, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Wennberg, who earned a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Wennberg, Jones, and Cole in the 5-2 win.

South to Florida, where the Panthers host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. The Senators added on with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Fredrik Claesson and Tom Pyatt. Florida got on the board in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers tied it on a Mike Matheson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau. Ottawa took the lead back with a Paajarvi goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, via Thomas Chabot. Florida tied it again with a Huberdeau goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Trocheck and MacKenzie Weegar. The Senators pulled ahead on a Duchene goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, helped along by Hoffman. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Karlsson and Alexandre Burrows. The three stars were awarded to Duchene, Paajarvi, and Huberdeau, while Hoffman, Karlsson, and Trocheck get the honorable mentions.

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and John Gibson tend the twines. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his seventh of the year, via Nikita Soshnikov and Pietrangelo in the second period. Anaheim got on the board with a Corey Perry goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Brandon Montour. St. Louis answered with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Schmaltz and Barbashev. The Ducks got one back in the third period on a Derek Grant goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Chris Kelly and Hampus Lindholm. The Blues capped it at 4-2 with a Patrik Berglund goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Kyle Brodziak. The three stars went to Barbashev, Sobotka, and Berglund.

Up to San Jose, where the Sharks host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Martin Jones are the veteran goalies. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Trevor Daley goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Henrik Zetterberg and Tyler Bertuzzi. San Jose tied it on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks took the lead with an Eric Fehr goal, assisted by Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo. San Jose added on in the second period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Chris Tierney and Timo Meier. The Red Wings answered with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Bertuzzi and Daley. The Sharks countered in the third period with a Meier power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Mikkel Boedker and DeMelo. Detroit pulled back on a Zetterberg goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Nyquist and Bertuzzi, the latter earning a sock trick. San Jose replied with a Tierney empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Pavelski and Justin Braun. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Meier, Bertuzzi, and Tierney, while DeMelo, Pavelski, Nyquist, and Zetterberg get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jake Muzzin and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Derek Forbort and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead as Tanner Pearson scored his thirteenth of the campaign, thanks to Kempe and Toffoli. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Quick (35 save shutout), Toffoli, and Kempe.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 152

Four games on today, with only one matinee. This is from...

Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Anton Forsberg are the similarly named goalies. Chicago began in the first period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jonathan Toews and Erik Gustafsson. Boston tied it in the third period with a Zdeno Chara goal, his seventh of the year, via David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Gustafsson and Toews. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with a Brent Seabrook goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Toews, who got a sock trick, and Kane. The three stars were Toews, Kane, and Gustafsson.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the New York Islanders. Christopher Gibson is mismatched with Mike Smith in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Nick Leddy goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Casey Cizikas. The Islanders added on with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fifth of the year, via Cizikas and Ross Johnston. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Sean Monahan. New York answered with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Boychuk and John Tavares. The Islanders extended the lead as Anders Lee scored his thirty-second of the season in the second period, thanks to Boychuk and Leddy. The Flames got one back in the third period with a Mark Giordano goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Dougie Hamilton and Gaudreau. New York iced it at 5-2 with an Anders Lee empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the campaign, set up by Tavares. The three stars were given to Boychuk, Leddy, and Gibson (50 for 52 in saves), while Lee, Cizikas, Tavares, and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Casey DeSmith in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fifth of the year, via Phil Kessel and Riley Sheahan. Dallas got on the board with an Alexander Radulov power play goal in the second period, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists from Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with a Malkin empty net goal in the third period, his thirty-ninth of the year, set up by Crosby. The three stars were Malkin, DeSmith (17 for 18 in saves), and Crosby.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Arizona got going in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller. This made it 1-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kuemper (26 save shutout), Ekman-Larsson, and Markstrom (23 for 24 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2018 Week 2

The second week of the season also features a shorter schedule. The first of seven Saturday games is...

The Columbus Crew SC hosting the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Zack Steffen play goal. Columbus led off in the twelfth minute with a Federico Higuain penalty kick goal. The Crew added on with a Gyasi Zardes goal in the fifteenth minute. Montreal saw a yellow card for a thirty-second minute foul by Ken Krolicki. Columbus' goalie Steffen received a yellow card for time wasting in the fifty-first minute. The Impact got on the board with an Ignacio Piatti goal in the fifty-ninth minute, made possible by Samuel Piette. Montreal tied it in the eighty-fifth minute with a Raheem Edwards goal, via Daniel Lovitz and Saphir Taider. The Crew took the lead in stoppage time as Zardes converted a penalty kick goal to win 3-2. Zardes was named man of the match for his brace.

East to New England, where the Revolution welcome the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Matt Turner are in goal. Colorado's Jack McBean took a yellow card for a seventeenth minute foul. Brandon Bye of New England had a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-fourth minute. The Revolution got going in the forty-eighth minute with a Diego Fagundez goal, assisted by Cristian Penilla. Kelyn Rowe of New England took a yellow card for dissent in the sixty-third minute. The Rapids tied it on a Niki Jackson goal in the sixty-sixth minute, passed from Johan Blomberg. Enzo Martinez of Colorado received a yellow card for his seventy-third minute foul. The Revolution's Teal Bunbury took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. New England took the lead with a Chris Tierney goal in stoppage time. This stood for a 2-1 win, and the goal made Tierney the man of the match.

Out west, Real Salt Lake brings in Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Nick Rimando are the gloved men. Salt Lake began in the twentieth minute with a Joao Plata goal. Real's Kyle Beckerman took a yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul. Los Angeles tied it on a Diego Rossi goal in the thirtieth minute, assisted by Marco Urena and Benny Feilhaber. Los Angeles took the lead with a thirty-third minute goal by Latif Blessing, passed from Steven Beitashour and Rossi. Los Angeles extended the lead as Feilhaber scored in the forty-seventh minute, with the help of Beitashour and Rossi. Los Angeles padded the lead on another Rossi goal in the eighty-first minute, set up by Carlos Vela. Los Angeles added on with an eighty-sixth minute Vela goal, made possible by Rossi. The final stood at 5-1, with Rossi awarded man of the match honors for having a role in each of his team's goals.

Backtrack to Texas, where the Houston Dynamo host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Chris Seitz are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver had yellow cards for dissent in the twelfth minute by Russell Teibert and a twenty-fourth minute Kei Kamara foul. The Whitecaps opened in the twenty-eighth minute on a Kamara penalty kick goal. Houston's Philippe Senderos received a yellow card for dissent after the spot kick. The Dynamo tied it on a thirty-ninth minute goal by Alberth Elis, passed from Tomas Martinez and Eric Alexander. Vancouver took the lead in the forty-ninth minute with a Brek Shea goal, set up by Kamara. Darwin Ceren of Houston had a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. In the eighty-eighth minute, the Whitecaps' goalie Marinovic took a yellow card for time wasting. Vancouver won 2-1, and Kamara was the man of the match.

Up in Chicago, the Fire welcome Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Richard Sanchez are set to start in goal. Kansas City started in the ninth minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal. Melia of Sporting took a yellow card for time wasting in the thirty-third minute. Johan Kappelhof of Chicago received a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul. Kansas City added on in the forty-fourth minute with a Johnny Russell goal, coming off of Daniel Salloi and Roger Espinoza. The Fire's Bastian Schweinsteiger took a yellow card for a foul in the fiftieth minute. Sporting's Ilie Sanchez had a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-sixth minute. Chicago got on the board with an Aleksandar Katai goal in the seventieth minute, passed from Schweinsteiger. The Fire tied it on a Nemanja Nikolic goal in the seventy-fourth minute. Chicago took the lead with an eighty-second minute goal by Nikolic, helped along by Brandon Vincent and Matt Polster. Kansas City retied it on a Jimmy Medranda goal in the eighty-third minute. Sporting pulled ahead again on a Gutierrez goal in the eighty-sixth minute, his second of the game made possible by Salloi and Russell. This stood for a 4-3 Sporting win, with Gutierrez named man of the match.

East again to New Jersey, where the New York Red Bulls bring in the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Luis Robles tend the nets. New York struck first in the eighteenth minute with a Benjamin Mines goal, via Alejandro Romero Gamarra and Derrick Etienne. Connor Lade of the Red Bulls had a sixty-eighth minute yellow card for a foul, while Mines added a yellow card for dissent in the seventy-second minute. Larrys Mabiala of Portland took a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. New York added on in the seventy-seventh minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, coming off of Sean Davis and Vincent Bezecourt. The Red Bulls extended the lead as Carlos Rivas scored in the eightieth minute, thanks to Bezecourt. In the ninetieth minute, Wright-Phillips took a yellow card for dissent for New York. The Red Bulls padded the lead on a Rivas goal in stoppage time, assisted by Lade and Wright-Phillips to produce the 4-0 final. Rivas was the man of the match for his brace.

Saturday ends in Florida, where Orlando City SC host Minnesota United FC. Matthew Lampson and Joe Bendik are the veteran goalies. Minnesota was first to score in the twelfth minute on an Ethan Finlay goal, via Kevin Molino. Orlando City tied it on a forty-second minute Yoshimar Yotun penalty kick goal. Richie Laryea of Orlando City had a yellow card for his time wasting in the fifty-sixth minute. Minnesota retook the lead in the seventy-ninth minute on a Finlay goal, his second of the game, helped along by Miguel Ibarra and Mason Toye. Rasmus Schuller of Minnesota received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-eighth minute. Minnesota's Toye took a yellow card for a dive in stoppage time. Minnesota won 2-1, and a brace from Finlay makes him the man of the match.

On Sunday, the first of two games sees Atlanta United FC welcome DC United. David Ousted and Brad Guzan protect the nets. Atlanta drew first blood in the twenty-fourth minute on a Josef Martinez goal, helped along by Hector Villalba and Darlington Nagbe. DC had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul by Oniel Fisher. Atlanta saw yellow cards for fouls by Greg Garza in the fiftieth minute and Franco Escobar in the sixty-third minute. Atlanta added on with a Miguel Almiron goal in the seventy-third minute, set up by Julian Gressel and Villalba. Atlanta extended the lead as Villalba scored, thanks to Almiron and Garza. DC got on the board with a Darren Mattocks goal in the eighty-sixth minute. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the man of the match being Villalba, who had a hand in each goal.

Finally, New York City FC brings in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Sean Johnson are the keepers. Los Angeles had a yellow card for an eleventh minute foul by Jonathan dos Santos. New York City kicked off the scoring in the twenty-second minute with an Anton Tinnerholm goal. New York City added on with a David Villa goal in the thirty-third minute. The Galaxy got on the board with a sixtieth minute goal by dos Santos, assisted by Emmanuel Boateng. Los Angeles saw a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul by Ashley Cole. In the eighty-fifth minute, the Galaxy went down to ten men as Cole took a second yellow card for a foul. New York City won 2-1, with Villa named man of the match.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 151

Eleven games on a busy day, including seven matinees. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks. Jean-Francois Berube and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Noel Acciari shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Sean Kuraly. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jake DeBrusk and Nick Holden. Chicago got on the board with a Jonathan Toews goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Erik Gustafsson and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Gustafsson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat. Chicago took the lead in the second period with a John Hayden goal, his fourth of the season, passed from David Kampf and Brent Seabrook. Boston retied it on another Krejci power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with helpers from DeBrusk and Brian Gionta. The Blackhawks restored their lead with a Matthew Highmore goal, made possible by Gustafsson and Artem Anisimov. The Bruins tied it again in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Brad Marchand and Riley Nash. Boston pulled ahead on a Gionta power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by DeBrusk, who got a sock trick, and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins extended the lead as Rick Nash scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Torey Krug and Marchand. Boston iced it at 7-4 with a Kuraly empty net goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Tim Schaller and Zdeno Chara. The three stars were Krejci, DeBrusk, and Gustafsson, while Gionta, Marchand, and Kuraly get the honorable mentions.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Justin Bailey goal, his third of the season, fueled by Benoit Pouliot. Vegas tied it on a Deryk Engelland goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by David Perron and William Karlsson. In the shootout, Perron and Erik Haula lifted the Golden Knights to a 2-1 win over Jacob Josefson and the Sabres. The three stars were Fleury (31 for 32 in saves), Perron, and Lehner (33 for 34 in saves).

In Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers added on with an Andrew MacDonald goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Nolan Patrick and Jakub Voracek. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fortieth of the campaign, powered by Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Mrazek (27 for 28 in saves), MacDonald, and Giroux.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Charles Hudon and Mike Reilly. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde. The Canadiens reclaimed the lead with an Alex Galchenyuk goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Hudon. The Lightning tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal in the third period, his thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Steven Stamkos and J.T. Miller. In the shootout, Brayden Point and Kucherov carried the Lightning to a 3-2 win over Jonathan Drouin and the Canadiens. The three stars were Kucherov, Hudon, and Johnson.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Carl Soderberg. Arizona tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Richard Panik and Josh Archibald. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Tyson Barrie goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado added on with a Soderberg goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Comeau. The Coyotes got one back in the second period on a Panik goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brad Richardson. The Avalanche replied in the third period with a Tyson Jost power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Barrie and Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Rantanen scored his twenty-third of the season, with the help of MacKinnon and David Warsofsky. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Soderberg, Rantanen, and Panik, while Barrie, Comeau, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. St. Louis started in the first period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Tage Thompson. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Drew Doughty goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. St. Louis replied with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues extended the lead as Barbashev scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Sobotka and Pietrangelo.Jack Campbell replaced Quick for the third period. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Schwartz. The Blues kept going with a Brodziak goal, his tenth of the season, via Alexander Steen and Chris Thorburn. St. Louis continued on a Schwartz goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Tarasenko and Vince Dunn. The Kings got one back with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, powered by Jeff Carter and Kopitar. The three stars belonged to Schwartz, Pietrangelo, and Brodziak, while Tarasenko, Barbashev, and Kopitar get the honorable mentions.

Up to San Jose, as the Sharks host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones occupy the creases. Washington cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Brett Connolly and John Carlson. The Capitals iced it at 2-0 with a Lars Eller empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen. The three stars were Grubauer (24 save shutout), Backstrom, and Jones (24 for 25 in saves).

Back in the northeast, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Josh Leivo and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Leo Komarov. Toronto extended the lead as Kadri scored a power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with the help of Mitchell Marner and Rielly. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Marner power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Rielly, who got a sock trick. Casey DeSmith replaced Jarry for the third period in goal. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel. The Penguins got closer with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Patrick Marleau empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Ron Hainsey. The three stars went to Kadri, Rielly, and Marner.

Returning to Florida, the Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his third of the year, fueled by Trocheck and Huberdeau. New York got on the board with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Neal Pionk and Ryan Spooner. The Rangers tied it in the third period on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Jesper Fast and Chris Kreider. Florida retook the lead with a Jamie McGinn goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Alexander Petrovic and Jared McCann. New York tied it again with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twentieth of the year, via John Gilmour and Spooner. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zuccarello was topped by Aleksander Barkov and Trocheck as the Panthers won 4-3. The three stars went to Trocheck, Huberdeau, and Spooner.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Juuse Saros make spot starts in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Sami Vatanen goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Miles Wood and Will Butcher. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Brian Boyle goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Damon Severson and Patrick Maroon. The Predators tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. The Devils won 3-2, with shootout tallies by Taylor Hall and Boyle lifting them over Kyle Turris and the Predators. The three stars were Boyle, Vatanen, and Kinkaid (34 for 36 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a McDavid power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, powered by Andrej Sekera. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Gustav Olofsson. Edmonton replied with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Ethan Bear. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by McDavid and Adam Larsson. The three stars were handed to McDavid, Talbot (32 for 33 in saves), and Nugent-Hopkins.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 150

Four games tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Sergei Bobrovsky draw the starts in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a shorthanded Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Alexander Wennberg and David Savard. Detroit tied it on a Darren Helm goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Luke Glendening and Luke Witkowski. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period with a Seth Jones goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Columbus added on with another Jones goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Boone Jenner and Thomas Vanek. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Jones, Calvert, and Helm.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Micheal Ferland and Brett Kulak. The Flames added on in the third period with a Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Curtis Lazar and Johnny Gaudreau. Ottawa got on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau penalty shot goal, his eleventh of the campaign. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Rittich (29 for 30 in saves), Stajan, and Condon (35 for 37 in saves).

To the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Kari Lehtonen are the veterans in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. Dallas tied it on a Devin Shore power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Benn power play goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Seguin. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Benn, Seguin, and Lehtonen (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Anders Nilsson occupy the creases. Vancouver began in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Bo Horvat and Sam Gagner. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Cullen goal, his tenth of the season, via Tyler Ennis and Charlie Coyle in the second period. The Canucks retied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Daniel Sedin. Minnesota retook the lead with an Eric Staal goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Coyle empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Cullen. Minnesota extended the lead as Marcus Foligno scored his seventh of the campaign, thanks to Gustav Olofsson and Daniel Winnik. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Cullen, Coyle, and Staal.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 149

A busy day today sees twelve games being played, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nolan Patrick and Claude Giroux. Boston tied it on a Riley Nash goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from David Pastrnak and Kevan Miller. The Bruins took the lead on a Brian Gionta goal, via Zdeno Chara and Tommy Wingels. The Flyers retied it in the second period with a shorthanded Jori Lehtera goal, his third of the season, set up by Valtteri Filppula and Radko Gudas. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by Pastrnak and Chara. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Chara, and Marchand.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on in the second period with a Joel Armia goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Ben Chiarot and the goalie Hellebuyck. New Jersey got on the board with Kyle Palmieri goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Nico Hischier. Winnipeg replied in the third period with an Ehlers goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Dustin Byfuglien. The Devils got one back with a Hischier goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Ehlers, Hischier, and Hellebuyck (41 for 43 in saves).

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Colorado began in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Carl Soderberg goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Blake Comeau. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Jenner and Ryan Murray in the second period. Columbus took the lead with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Vanek scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, thanks to Jones and Werenski. Colorado got one back in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it on an unassisted Soderberg goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Jones goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Dubois and Artemi Panarin. The three stars went to Jones, Vanek, and Soderberg, while Werenski, Jenner, Dubois, and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with an unassisted Alex Tuch goal, his twelfth of the season. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded Cody Eakin goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, set up by William Karlsson. Vegas extended the lead as Eakin scored again, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with the help of Tomas Nosek and Brad Hunt. The Golden Knights padded the lead on another Tuch goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Eakin. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Eakin, Tuch, and Fleury (28 save shutout).

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson are the underrated goalies. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Marco Scandella goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Matt Duchene. The Senators took the lead with another Dzingel goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, passed from Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. The Sabres retied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Benoit Pouliot. Ottawa regained the lead with a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Magnus Paajarvi and Mark Stone. Buffalo pulled even in the third period with a Scott Wilson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Reinhart. The Sabres won 4-3 in the shootout with tallies by Reinhart and Jacob Josefson to beat Duchene and the Senators. The three stars were Dzingel, Reinhart, and Duchene.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the season, made possible by Chris Kunitz and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning added on with an Adam Erne goal, his third of the year, coming off of Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Cirelli scored his second of the season, with the help of Mikhail Sergachev and Alex Killorn. New York got on the board with a Ryan Spooner goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast. The Lightning answered with a Kunitz goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Cirelli. Alexandar Georgiev replaced Lundqvist in goal. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Sergachev. The Rangers pulled back in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Spooner. New York got closer with a Hayes goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Rob O'Gara and Spooner. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars given to Cirelli, Spooner, and Kunitz, while Hayes gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Roberto Luongo occupy the creases. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. Florida extended the lead as Micheal Haley scored his third of the season, thanks to Derek MacKenzie. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period on a Dadonov goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Yandle and Barkov. Florida continued with a shorthanded Trocheck goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Yandle, who got a sock trick. This made it 5-0, with the three stars given to Luongo (40 save shutout), Trocheck, and Yandle, while Dadonov and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville led off in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Kyle Turris and Ryan Hartman. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Austin Watson scored a shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Colton Sissons and Ryan Ellis. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks got closer with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, assisted by Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg. The Predators replied with an Arvidsson goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Forsberg and Johansen. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Arvidsson, Johansen, and Forsberg, while Rakell and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.

Further north, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling faces his former team and Jean-Francois Berube in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a Tomas Jurco goal, his third of the season, assisted by Brent Seabrook. Carolina tied it on a Jaccob Slavin goal, his sixth of the year, via Justin Williams and Brett Pesce. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Patrick Sharp goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Anthony Duclair and David Kampf. The Hurricanes tied it again in the second period with a Williams goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. Carolina took the lead in the third period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Lindholm. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Williams, Lindholm, and Aho.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Christopher Gibson and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. New York got going in the third period with a Thomas Hickey goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Ryan Pulock. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-first of the year, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Ethan Bear. In the shootout, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid topped Jordan Eberle to give the Oilers a 2-1 win. The three stars were McDavid, Talbot (30 for 31 in saves), and Gibson (35 for 36 in saves).

Down in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Jonathan Quick man the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson. Washington tied it in the second period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of T.J. Oshie and Brooks Orpik. The Kings took the lead on a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Carter. Los Angeles iced it at 3-1 with a Kyle Clifford empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar and Derek Forbort. The three stars were Quick (25 for 26 in saves), Carter, and Lewis.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Martin Jones are the masked men. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Dylan DeMelo. The Sharks iced it at 2-0 with a Tomas Hertl empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Brent Burns. The three stars were Boedker, Jones (16 save shutout), and Allen (34 for 35 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.