NHL 2017-18 Day 157

Six games going today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Braden Holtby are the veterans in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. New York tied it in the second period on an unassisted Mathew Barzal power play goal, his nineteenth of the year. The Capitals retook the lead with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Washington added on with a Matt Niskanen goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Alex Chiasson and Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead as Chiasson scored on the power play, his eighth of the season, thanks to Jakub Vrana and Dmitry Orlov in the third period. Washington padded the lead with a Vrana goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Chiasson. The Islanders got one back with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock. New York got closer with a John Tavares power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, helped along by Barzal and Pulock. The Capitals iced it at 6-3 with a Lars Eller empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Jay Beagle. The three stars were given to Chiasson, Vrana, and Backstrom, while Kuznetsov, Barzal, and Pulock get the honorable mentions.

In Canada's capital, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Craig Anderson guard the cages. Dallas began in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov. Ottawa tied it on a Marian Gaborik power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Dzingel and Thomas Chabot. The Senators took the lead on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman. The Stars retied it on a Tyler Pitlick goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Dan Hamhuis and Benn. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Hoffman goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, made possible by Duchene and Karlsson. The three stars went to Hoffman, Duchene, and Karlsson, while Benn gets an honorable mention.

West to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Mike Smith protect the nets. San Jose opened in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist from Jannik Hansen. Calgary tied it on a Troy Brouwer goal, his sixth of the year, via Curtis Lazar and Matt Stajan. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Garnet Hathaway. The Sharks retied it on a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, passed from Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon. Calgary retook the lead with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Micheal Ferland and Michael Stone. San Jose tied it again on a Kevin Labanc goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead on a Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the season completing his hat trick, with a lone helper by Chris Tierney. San Jose added on with a Tomas Hertl goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Justin Braun and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks extended the lead as Kane scored his fourth of the game and twenty-fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Joe Pavelski. David Rittich replaced Smith. The Flames got one back with a Ferland goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Sean Monahan and Dougie Hamilton. San Jose iced it at 7-4 with an Eric Fehr empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Hertl. The three stars were Kane, Hertl, and Ferland.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by P.K. Subban and Craig Smith. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, passed from Tyson Barrie and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Gabriel Bourque and David Warsofsky. The Predators retied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Smith and Roman Josi. Nashville gained the lead on another Sissons goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Hartman and Nick Bonino. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Forsberg empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, set up by Viktor Arvidsson. The three stars were Sissons, Forsberg, and Smith.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Ondrej Kase and Adam Henrique. Detroit tied it on a Mike Green goal, his eighth of the year, via Dylan Larkin and Danny DeKeyser. The Ducks took the lead in the second period on a Derek Grant goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg. The Red Wings tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. Anaheim took the lead again with a Corey Perry goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a third period Ryan Kesler goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Andrew Cogliano and Silfverberg. The final held from here at 4-2, with the three stars given to Silfverberg, Gibson (28 for 30 in saves), and Perry.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Nino Niederreiter. The Wild added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the year, via Matt Cullen and Jonas Brodin in the second period. Minnesota extended the lead as Matt Dumba scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Zucker and Eric Staal. Vegas got on the board in the third period with an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from David Perron and Colin Miller. The Golden Knights got closer with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Perron and Haula. The Wild capped it at 4-2 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Zucker, Haula, and Perron.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 156

Nine games on a busy night tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Robin Lehner play in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs added on with a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, courtesy of Roman Polak and Jake Gardiner. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Scott Wilson and Evan Rodrigues. Toronto replied with a Connor Carrick goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, guided in by Patrick Marleau and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Tyler Bozak scored his eleventh of the season on the power play, thanks to van Riemsdyk and Mitchell Marner. The Sabres got one back on a power play goal by Jason Pominville, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Rasmus Ristolainen and Rodrigues. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Marleau in the third period, his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were van Riemsdyk, Marleau, and Rodrigues.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Christopher Gibson are the lesser-known goalies. New York began in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Tanner Fritz and Ryan Pulock. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Jakub Vrana and Brett Connolly. The Capitals took the lead with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Nicklas Backstrom. The Islanders retied it on an Andrew Ladd goal, his tenth of the year, via Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. Washington gained the lead with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Burakovsky goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jakub Jerabek and Matt Niskanen. Washington extended the lead as Backstrom scored a power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Kuznetsov and Orlov. Jaroslav Halak replaced Gibson in goal. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period as John Carlson scored his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Alex Ovechkin and Kuznetsov, the latter earning a sock trick. New York got one back with a Pulock goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Fritz. Washington iced it at 7-3 with an empty net goal by Oshie, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Orlov and Backstrom. The three stars were given to Backstrom, Kuznetsov, and Orlov, while Oshie, Burakovsky, Pulock, and Fritz get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Seth Jones and Sonny Milano. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his ninth of the year, via Jack Johnson and Thomas Vanek. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Travis Konecny and Andrew MacDonald. Columbus replied with a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Zach Werenski and Artemi Panarin. The Flyers got one back with a power play goal by Shayne Gostisbehere, his eleventh of the season, powered by Ivan Provorov and Sean Couturier. The Blue Jackets chased Mrazek on an Atkinson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by David Savard. Alex Lyon came on in relief. Philadelphia pulled one back on a MacDonald goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Travis Sanheim and Konecny. Columbus capped it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Atkinson to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, set up by Panarin and Savard. The three stars went to Atkinson, MacDonald, and Panarin, while Savard and Konecny get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Antti Niemi are between the pipes. Montreal started in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Petry and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Brendan Gallagher and Galchenyuk. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Bryan Rust and Derick Brassard. The Penguins tied it with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Malkin power play goal, his fortieth of the season, with assists provided by Letang and Sidney Crosby. Montreal retied it on a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Daniel Carr and Jonathan Drouin. The Penguins took the lead back in the third period with a Hornqvist goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Carl Hagelin and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh finished it at 5-3 with a Rust empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak. The three stars were awarded to Hornqvist, Malkin, and Letang, while Rust and Galchenyuk get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and James Reimer make the spot starts in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers added on with a Bjugstad goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Dadonov and Mike Matheson. Florida extended the lead as Vincent Trocheck scored his twenty-second of the season on the power play, with the help of Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Reimer (46 save shutout), Bjugstad, and Dadonov.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jake Allen protect the nets. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, made possible by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with another MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, via Tyson Barrie and Rantanen. St. Louis got on the board with a Joel Edmundson goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Colton Parayko and Dmitrij Jaskin. Colorado replied on a Rantanen goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Landeskog. The Avalanche ended it at 4-1 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Landeskog, who got a sock trick, and MacKinnon. The three stars were Varlamov (44 for 45 in saves), MacKinnon, and Rantanen, while Landeskog gets an honorable mention.

Further to the north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy. Winnipeg tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine. The Jets took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Jacob Trouba and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg added on with an unassisted Jack Roslovic goal, his fourth of the year. Jean-Francois Berube replaced Forsberg in goal. The Jets extended the lead as Bryan Little scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Trouba and Roslovic. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Little and Blake Wheeler. The Blackhawks got one back in the second period with a Patrick Sharp goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Nick Schmaltz and John Hayden. The Jets finished it at 6-2 with a Connor empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Josh Morrissey and Tyler Myers. The three stars were Roslovic, Little, and Trouba, while Connor gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Los Angeles, as the Kings welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Paul LaDue goal, his third of the season, made possible by Alex Iafallo and Anze Kopitar. Detroit tied it in the third period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Frans Nielsen. The Kings took the lead back on a Kopitar goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Doughty and Kopitar. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Brown, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Kopitar and Doughty, both of whom earned sock tricks, on the power play. The three stars went to Kopitar, Doughty, and Brown.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Arizona got going in the second period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Max Domi. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Craig Smith and Kyle Turris. The Coyotes retook the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. The Predators retied it on a Turris goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Fiala and Smith in the third period. Nashville took the lead with a Fiala goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Turris. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Turris, Fiala, and Smith.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 155

Only five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Frederik Andersen make the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Tyler Bozak and Connor Carrick. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. The Stars tied it on a Radek Faksa goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Greg Pateryn and Tyler Pitlick. Dallas took the lead in the second period with a Seguin goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Andersen left the game injured, replaced by Curtis McElhinney. The Stars pulled ahead on a Remi Elie goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Devin Shore and John Klingberg. Toronto got one back with a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Bozak and Travis Dermott in the third period. The Maple Leafs tied it on a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year completing a hat trick, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. Dallas regained the lead with a Brett Ritchie goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Seguin and Benn. Toronto evened it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Marner and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs won 6-5 in the shootout with tallies from Bozak and Marner. The three stars belonged to van Riemsdyk, Marner, and Bozak, while Seguin and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Bryan Rust goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Derick Brassard. The Penguins added on with a Riley Sheahan goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Kris Letang and Carter Rowney. New York got on the board in the third period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Neal Pionk. The Rangers tied it on a Jesper Fast goal, his eleventh of the year, via Marc Staal and Kreider. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Carl Hagelin goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Olli Maatta. New York retied it on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Kreider and Pionk. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Zibanejad, Kreider, and Pionk.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Al Montoya are in the creases. Edmonton began in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Zack Kassian and Jujhar Khaira. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Logan Couture and Mikkel Boedker. The Oilers took the lead back in the second period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fifth of the season, via Connor McDavid and Pontus Aberg. The Sharks tied it again with a Couture power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. Edmonton pulled ahead in the third period on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Klefbom and McDavid. San Jose tied it again with a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Boedker. The Sharks won 4-3 in overtime on a Hertl goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Couture. The three stars were Hertl, Couture, and Boedker, while Klefbom and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

South to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Brian Gibbons. The Devils added on with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Damon Severson and Sami Vatanen. New Jersey extended the lead in the second period as Travis Zajac scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Michael Grabner and Will Butcher. The Devils padded the lead with a Stefan Noesen goal, his eleventh of the year, via Andy Greene. Maxime Lagace relieved Fleury in goal. Vegas got on the board with an Erik Haula power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Colin Miller and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights got closer with a Miller goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey replied in the third period with an unassisted Coleman goal, his ninth of the season. The Devils continued with a Grabner goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Hischier and Gibbons. New Jersey kept going with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Patrick Maroon and Taylor Hall. The Devils struck again on a Hall goal, his thirty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Boyle. Vegas got one back on a Haula power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of David Perron and Tomas Tatar. The final held at 8-3, with the three stars given to Coleman, Grabner, and Hall, while Hischier, Gibbons, Haula, and Miller get the honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim started in the first period with a Brandon Montour goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Jason Chimera. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Chimera goal, his third of the year, via Chris Kelly. Anaheim extended the lead as Montour scored a power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Montour, Gibson (32 save shutout), and Chimera.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.