NHL 2017-18 Day 161

Eleven games on tonight for a busy schedule. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Scott Darling are in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Brock McGinn goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on a Drake Caggiula goal, his tenth of the year, via Leon Draisaitl and Pontus Aberg. The Oilers took the lead with a Matt Benning goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. Edmonton added on with a Ryan Strome goal, his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Hurricanes answered with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Justin Faulk and Jordan Staal. The Oilers shot back in the second period with an Aberg goal, his third of the year, guided in by Draisaitl. Carolina countered with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Aho and Elias Lindholm. Edmonton answered on a Yohann Auvitu goal, his third of the year, made possible by Draisaitl, who earned a sock trick, and Aberg. The Oilers extended the lead as Draisaitl scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Jesse Puljujarvi and Auvitu. Edmonton capped it at 7-3 in the third period with a Puljujarvi goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Milan Lucic and Strome. The three stars went to Draisaitl, Aberg, and Puljujarvi, while Aho, Auvitu, and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray returns to face a lesser foe in Christopher Gibson in goal. New York started in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with an Adam Pelech goal, his third of the year, via Tanner Fritz and Andrew Ladd. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard. New York answered in the third period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Barzal and John Tavares. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Jordan Eberle empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Tavares and Ryan Pulock. The three stars were Barzal, Gibson (36 for 37 in saves), and Tavares.

Also in New York, the Rangers bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. Columbus led off in the first period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Ian Cole and Mark Letestu. New York got on the board with a shorthanded Kevin Hayes goal, his twenty-first of the season, set up by Jesper Fast. Columbus shot back with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Panarin and Nick Foligno. The Rangers got one back with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blue Jackets countered with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Cam Atkinson and Foligno. New York chipped back on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brady Skjei and Ryan Sproul. Columbus capped it at 5-3 with a Panarin empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Cole. The three stars went to Panarin, Foligno, and Cole.

In DC, the Washington Capitals host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Dallas began in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Lars Eller and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals took the lead with an unassisted Matt Niskanen goal, his sixth of the season. The Stars retied it on a Radulov goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. Washington regained the lead with an Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fourth of the season, with helpers from John Carlson and Oshie. Dallas tied it again with a Benn goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead in the third period with a Carlson goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Eller and Ovechkin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Carlson, and Oshie, while Eller, Radulov, Benn, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard are the former teammates in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Darren Helm. The Red Wings added on with a shorthanded Luke Glendening goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Trevor Daley. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit chased Mrazek with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, passed from Martin Frk and Larkin. The Flyers got one back with a Matt Read goal in the third period, assisted by Scott Laughton and Jori Lehtera. Philadelphia tied it on a Gostisbehere power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jakub Voracek and Giroux. The Red Wings regained the lead on a Larkin goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Anthony Mantha. The Flyers tied it again with a Travis Konecny goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Couturier and Giroux, the latter earning a sock trick. The tie went to a shootout, where Frans Nielsen's lone tally gave the Red Wings the 5-4 win. The three stars belonged to Larkin, Giroux, and Gostisbehere, while Couturier gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Florida struck first in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Micheal Haley. Ottawa tied it on a Patrick Sieloff goal, passed from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tom Pyatt. The Panthers retook the lead on a Keith Yandle goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers extended the lead as Jared McCann scored his eighth of the year, with the help of Jamie McGinn. Mike Condon replaced Anderson in goal. The Senators got one back with an unassisted Marian Gaborik goal, his eleventh of the season. Florida answered on a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Yandle and McCann. The Panthers padded the lead with a Bjugstad goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Dadonov and Barkov. Florida finished it at 7-2 in the third period with a McGinn goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Vatrano and McCann. The three stars were awarded to McCann, Vatrano, and Yandle, while Bjugstad, McGinn, Dadonov, and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Connor Carrick. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri. Toronto extended the lead on an unassisted Zach Hyman goal, his fourteenth of the season. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Victor Hedman goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Adam Erne. The Lightning pulled closer with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead as Alex Killorn scored his fourteenth of the campaign, thanks to Anthony Cirelli and Gourde. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to van Riemsdyk, Gourde, and Killorn.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Eric Comrie are the inexperienced goalies. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Anze Kopitar and Dion Phaneuf. Winnipeg tied it on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime with another Connor goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, made possible by Bryan Little and Josh Morrissey. The three stars belonged to Connor, Comrie (16 for 17 in saves), and Campbell (36 for 38 in saves).

Stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Colorado tied it on an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Colin Wilson and Samuel Girard in the second period. The Avalanche took the lead with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Colorado added on with a Barrie power play goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Rantanen and MacKinnon. The Avalanche extended the lead with an Erik Johnson empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Colorado padded the lead as Kerfoot scored his seventeenth of the campaign, thanks to Gabriel Bourque and David Warsofsky. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Varlamov (44 for 45 in saves), Kerfoot, and Rantanen, while MacKinnon and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Vegas, as the Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with a Cody Eakin goal, his tenth of the year, via Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch. Vegas extended the lead as Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Tomas Nosek and Ryan Reaves. Malcolm Subban relieved Fleury at the start of the second period. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the second period on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula and Nate Schmidt. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Derrick Pouliot and Alex Biega. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Subban (22 for 23 in saves in relief), Eakin, and Marchessault.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Eric Fehr goal, his third of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Brent Burns. New Jersey tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his thirty-second of the year, helped along by Drew Stafford. The Sharks retook the lead with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Burns. San Jose added on with a Jannik Hansen goal, via Dylan DeMelo and Barclay Goodrow. The Sharks extended the lead as Goodrow scored his seventh of the year in the second period, thanks to Brenden Dillon. Keith Kinkaid replaced Schneider in goal. San Jose padded the lead on a Logan Couture goal, his thirtieth of the season, with a lone assist by Dillon. The Sharks continued with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Burns, who got a sock trick, and Chris Tierney. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Patrick Maroon and Stafford. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Goodrow, Burns, and Dillon, while Stafford gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 160

Five games on for tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Thomas Vanek. Boston tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, coming off of Torey Krug and Danton Heinen in the second period. The Bruins took the lead with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by David Pastrnak and Kevan Miller. Boston added on with a Rick Nash power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Donato and Marchand. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Sonny Milano goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Ryan Murray and Nick Foligno. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Vanek goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Markus Nutivaara and Jenner. The Blue Jackets gained the lead with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Foligno. The Bruins retied it on a David Krejci goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Donato and Heinen. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Murray and Alexander Wennberg. The three stars were Vanek, Jenner, and Donato, while Foligno, Murray, Marchand, and Heinen get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Linus Ullmark make the starts in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Mike Fisher goal, his second of the season, via Miikka Salomaki and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johanen goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Forsberg scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Arvidsson and Kyle turris. The Predators iced it at 4-0 with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Alexei Emelin and Colton Sissons. The three stars were Rinne (35 save shutout), Forsberg, and Arvidsson.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Antti Niemi are in the creases. Florida began in the first period with an unassisted Aaron Ekblad goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Mark Pysyk and Nick Bjugstad. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Luongo (28 save shutout), Ekblad, and Barkov.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jake Muzzin and Doughty. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Murphy. The Wild tied it on an Eric Staal goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, via Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba. Minnesota took the lead in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. Los Angeles retied it on a Brown goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Doughty, who got a sock trick, and Anze Kopitar. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with another Carter goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Adrian Kempe and the goalie Quick. The three stars belonged to Carter, Brown, and Doughty.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Antti Raanta protect the nets. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Richard Panik goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. Calgary tied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Mark Giordano and Chris Stewart. The Flames took the lead with a Sean Monahan goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Hamilton. The Coyotes tied it again on a Max Domi goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona retook the lead in the third period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Domi and Brendan Perlini. The Coyotes added on with an empty net goal by Ekman-Larsson, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Domi empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Christian Dvorak and Stepan. The three stars went to Ekman-Larsson, Domi, and Hamilton, while Raanta (42 for 44 in saves) and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 159

Eight games spread throughout the afternoon and evening today. The first is in...

Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Colorado opened in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Zadorov. The Avalanche added on with a Blake Comeau goal, his twelfth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Matt Nieto. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as MacKinnon scored his thirty-seventh of the season, thanks to Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Detroit got on the board with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Martin Frk and Luke Glendening. The Avalanche responded in the third period with another MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, helped along by Comeau and Landeskog. Colorado capped it at 5-1 with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Samuel Girard and Rantanen. The three stars were MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Comeau, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas got going in the second period with a Colin Miller power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, via James Neal. Vegas extended the lead as Karlsson scored his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas padded the lead when Karlsson completed his natural hat trick on his thirty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Schmidt. This stood for the 4-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Karlsson, Fleury (42 save shutout), and Schmidt.

To the east, the New York Islanders host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Carolina started in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Joakim Nordstrom and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes added on with an unassisted Lee Stempniak goal, his third of the year. New York tied it in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Pulock and John Tavares. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Tavares and Mathew Barzal. Carolina retook the lead with a Rask goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Nordstrom and Slavin. New York evened it in the third period on another Lee power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Bailey and Tavares, the latter earning a sock trick. The Hurricanes pulled ahead again on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the season, made possible by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Rask, Slavin, and Nordstream, while Lee, Tavares, and Bailey get the honorable mentions.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-third of the year, passed from Travis Boyd and John Carlson. The Flyers reclaimed the lead with an Oskar Lindblom goal, with a lone helper from Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Radko Gudas and Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead as Wayne Simmonds scored his twenty-second of the year in the third period, thanks to Robert Hagg and Gudas. The Capitals got one back with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his sixth of the season, via Jakub Vrana. Philadelphia shot back on an unassisted Simmonds goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year. Washington chipped back with a Carlson goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. The Flyers answered on a Voracek empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Couturier. The final stayed at 6-3, with the three stars being Simmonds, Gudas, and Carlson, while Voracek and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

South to the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Al Montoya and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with an unassisted Ty Rattie goal, his second of the season. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Brayden Point. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with another Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, guided in by Stamkos and J.T. Miller. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Kucherov, Domingue (29 for 30 in saves), and Stamkos.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen faces a lesser foe in Jean-Francois Berube in goal. Chicago began in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Nick Schmaltz and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Tomas Jurco and Jordan Oesterle. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexander Steen power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Vince Dunn and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues tied it on a Dunn power play goal, his fifth of the year, via Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn. Chicago took the lead back with a David Kampf goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Vinnie Hinostroza and Keith. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Kyle Brodziak and Dunn. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a DeBrincat goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Jurco. The Blues pulled even on a Pietrangelo goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Dunn, the latter earning a sock trick. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Patrik Berglund goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Steen and Pietrangelo, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Pietrangelo, Dunn, and DeBrincat, while Steen, Jurco, and Keith get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets, but Bishop left injured midway through the first period, replaced by Kari Lehtonen. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his forty-second of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick. The Jets took the lead back with a Ben Chiarot goal, his second of the season, coming off of Joel Armia and Adam Lowry. Winnipeg added on with another Laine goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Paul Stastny. The Stars pulled back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Wheeler empty net goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Andrew Copp and Mark Scheifele. The three stars went to Laine, Wheeler, and Hellebuyck (28 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the season. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. New Jersey got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, powered by Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall. Anaheim replied in the third period with a Brandon Montour power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Devils got one back with a Patrick Maroon goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Sami Vatanen and Stefan Noesen. The Ducks replied with a Rakell goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Cam Fowler and Marcus Pettersson. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars went to Rakell, Getzlaf, and Montour.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2018 Week 3

Nine games again this week, eight of them on Saturday. Leading off...

DC United hosts the Houston Dynamo. Chris Seitz and David Ousted are the veteran goalies. Houston's Eric Alexander took a yellow card for a first minute foul. Luciano Acosta of DC had a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-second minute. The Dynamo began in the thirtieth minute with an Alberth Elis goal. Houston added on in the thirty-first minute on a Mauro Manotas goal, via Elis and Darwin Ceren. DC got on the board in the fiftieth minute with a Darren Mattocks goal, made possible by Yamil Asad. Joseph Mora of DC had a yellow card for an eighty-third minute foul. DC tied it in stoppage time on an Acosta goal, helped along by Frederic Brillant and Paul Arriola. This made it a 2-2 game, with the man of the match being Elis.

Next up, the Philadelphia Union welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Andre Blake are in the six-yard boxes. Columbus had a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul by Artur. Philadelphia saw a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul by Alejandro Bedoya. The Crew's Federico Higuain took a yellow card for his seventy-eighth minute foul. Keegan Rosenberry of the Union received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The final was 0-0, with the man of the match being Blake for his three-save clean sheet.

In the west, Minnesota United FC brings in the Chicago Fire. Richard Sanchez and Matthew Lampson are the inexperienced goalies. Minnesota got going in the fifty-fifth minute on an Ibson goal. Chicago tied it with an Elliot Collier goal in the fifty-ninth minute. Kevin Ellis of the Fire had a yellow card for his sixtieth minute foul. Minnesota regained the lead in the sixty-sixth minute with a Sam Nicholson goal, passed from Ethan Finlay and Miguel Ibarra. Tony Tchani of Chicago received a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul. Mason Toye of Minnesota received a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Minnesota won 2-1, with Nicholson the man of the match for the winner.

In Canada, the Montreal Impact host Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Evan Bush are the gloved men. Montreal saw a yellow card for a foul by Samuel Piette in the thirty-second minute. Toronto's Michael Bradley had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the thirty-fifth minute. Ken Krolicki of the Impact took a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul. Montreal led off in the forty-first minute on a Jeisson Vargas goal, assisted by Ignacio Piatti. The Impact's Vargas had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-third minute. In stoppage time, Montreal saw yellow cards for a Victor Cabrera foul and dissent by Marco Dondadel. The final held at 1-0 Impact, with Vargas named man of the match.

Back stateside, New York City FC welcomes Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Sean Johnson are the keepers. Cristian Higuita of Orlando City took a yellow card for a twenty-seventh minute foul. In the twenty-eighth minute, New York City's Rodney Wallace received a yellow card for a foul. Alexander Ring of New York City received a yellow card for his fifty-fourth minute foul. New York City dented the scoreboard in the sixty-second minute on an Ismael Tajouri goal. New York City added on in the seventy-fourth minute with a Maximiliano Moralez goal, passed from Jesus Medina and Saad Abdul-Salaam. Thomas McNamara of New York City took a yellow card for a handball in the eighty-third minute. Orlando City saw a yellow card for a Richie Laryea foul in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Tajouri.

Down in Georgia, Atlanta United FC brings in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Brad Guzan are between the posts. Vancouver went down to ten men in the thirteenth minute went Kendall Waston took a straight red card for violent conduct, while teammate Efrain Juarez had a yellow card for dissent. Atlanta opened with a fifteenth minute Josef Martinez penalty kick goal. Atlanta's Jeff Larentowicz took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Atlanta added on in the fifty-eighth minute with an own goal by the Whitecaps' Aaron Maund. Jose Aja of Vancouver took a yellow card for his sixtieth minute foul. Atlanta extended the lead as Martinez scored in the sixtieth minute, thanks to Miguel Almiron. Yordy Reyna of the Whitecaps took a yellow card for a seventy-second minute foul. Vancouver got on the board in the eighty-fifth minute with an Erik Hurtado goal, made possible by Jordon Mutch. Atlanta capped it at 4-1 with a Martinez goal in the eighty-eighth minute, completing his hat trick with helpers from Andrew Carleton and Julian Gressel. The man of the match was Martinez.

Northwest to Kansas City, where Sporting hosts the San Jose Earthquakes. Andrew Tarbell and Tim Melia protect the nets. Daniel Salloi of Kansas City had a yellow card for a twenty-first minute foul. Sporting started in the twenty-fifth minute on an Ilie Sanchez penalty kick goal. San Jose tied on a Valeri Qazaishvili goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Yefferson Quintana took a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-ninth minute for the Earthquakes. Kansas City regained the lead in the fifty-sixth minute on a Graham Zusi goal, assisted by Roger Espinoza. Sporting added on in the sixty-eighth minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal, coming off of Salloi and Johnny Russell. San Jose got one back with a Chris Wondolowski goal in stoppage time, made possible by Magnus Eriksson. This only made it 3-2, with the man of the match being Gutierrez.

Saturday ends in Utah, with Real Salt Lake welcoming the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Nick Rimando tend the twines. Salt Lake struck first in the fourth minute on an Albert Rusnak penalty kick goal. Real had yellow cards for fouls by Damir Kreilach in the thirty-seventh minute and Brooks Lennon in the forty-third minute. Salt Lake saw yellow cards for time wasting by Demar Phillips in the fifty-ninth minute and dissent by Corey Baird in the eighty-eighth minute. The final held at 1-0, with the man of the match being Rimando for his four-save clean sheet.

Finally, FC Dallas brings in the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Jimmy Maurer are the goalies. Dallas was first to score in the twentieth minute with a Roland Lamah goal, via Michael Barrios and Mauro Diaz. Seattle went down to ten men in the thirty-seventh minute as Clint Dempsey took a straight red card for violent conduct. Gustav Svensson of the Sounders had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Dallas added on in the fifty-eighth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, set up by Lamah. Dallas extended the lead as Lamah scored his second of the game in the sixty-third minute, assisted by Anton Nedyalkov. In the sixty-fifth minute, Nedyalkov and Kelvin Leerdam each received yellow cards. The Sounders also saw yellow cards for fouls by Kim Kee-Hee in the seventy-sixth minute and Lamar Neagle in the eighty-ninth minute. The final held at 3-0, with Lamah awarded man of the match honors.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 158

Ten games on a Saturday slate, including three matinees. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Jean-Francois Berube and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart. Chicago tied it on a Jordan Oesterle goal, his fifth of the year, via Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Sabres retook the lead with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Reinhart and Jack Eichel. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Tomas Jurco goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago took the lead in the third period on a Toews goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Brandon Saad and Kane. Buffalo tied it on a Nicholas Baptiste goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nathan Beaulieu and Victor Antipin. The Sabres took the lead on a Baptiste goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Marco Scandella and Johan Larsson. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with a Reinhart empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars were Baptiste, Reinhart, and O'Reilly, while Toews and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Roberto Luongo man the nets. Florida got going in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on a shorthanded Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Leon Draisaitl. The Panthers took the lead back with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, passed from Derek MacKenzie and Aaron Ekblad. The Oilers tied it in the third period on a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, via Ty Rattie and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton gained the lead on an Adam Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Darnell Nurse and McDavid. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Rattie empty net goal, with a lone assist by McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Talbot (40 for 42 in saves), while Rattie gets an honorable mention.

Way to the west, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jonathan Quick are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. The Devils added on with a Nico Hischier goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Damon Severson and Brian Gibbons. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Miles Wood scored his seventeenth of the campaign, thanks to Brian Boyle. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Kinkaid (38 save shutout), Grabner, and Hischier.

At the regular time, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon and Cam Ward are set to start in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Jaccob Slavin and Teuvo Teravainen. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Travis Konecny goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Travis Sanheim and Wayne Simmonds. The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead on a Slavin goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Sebastian Aho and Staal. The Flyers tied it again with a Jakub Voracek goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Oskar Lindblom and Nolan Patrick. Philadelphia took the lead with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Simmonds. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Michael Raffl empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Sean Couturier. The three stars were given to Simmonds, Filppula, and Staal.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins added on with a David Backes power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Krug and Brad Marchand. Boston extended the lead as Riley Nash scored a power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, with the help of Rick Nash and Krug, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Krug, Rask (23 save shutout), and Pastrnak.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Curtis McElhinney are the sub-par goalies. Toronto struck first in the first period with a William Nylander power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Travis Dermott and McElhinney in the second period. Toronto extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored his twenty-eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with an Andreas Johnsson goal in the third period, made possible by Zach Hyman and Connor Carrick. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars given to McElhinney (33 save shutout), Nylander, and Johnsson.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Columbus was first to score in the first period with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Jim O'Brien. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Thomas Vanek. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period on a Markus Nutivaara power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nick Foligno. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Bobrovsky (23 for 24 in saves), Nutivaara, and Jenner.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Allen are between the pipes. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Tage Thompson and Vladimir Sobotka. New York tied it in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Jesper Fast and Chris Kreider. The Blues took the lead back on a Nikita Soshnikov goal, passed from Chris Thorburn and Carl Gunnarsson. The Rangers tied it again with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Neal Pionk and Kevin Hayes. New York took the lead with another Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich on the power play. St. Louis tied it in the third period on a Pietrangelo power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Vince Dunn and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Pietrangelo and Sobotka. The three stars were given to Pietrangelo, Zibanejad, and Sobotka, while Kreider gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Antti Raanta are the underrated goalies. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter. Arizona tied it on a second period Clayton Keller goal, his twentieth of the year, via Richard Panik. The Wild took the lead back in the third period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Daniel Winnik and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with an Eric Staal empty net goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, set up by Charlie Coyle. The three stars went to Dubnyk (30 for 31 in saves), Foligno, and Niederreiter.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Jacob Markstrom man the nets. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Nikolay Goldobin power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Derrick Pouliot and Reid Boucher. San Jose tied it on a Kevin Labanc power play goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The Sharks took the lead with a Couture goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Brenden Dillon. San Jose added on with a Timo Meier goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Dylan DeMelo and Chris Tierney. The Canucks got one back with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Sam Gagner and Alexander Edler. Vancouver tied it on an Edler power play goal, his third of the year, guided in by Gagner and Daniel Sedin. The Sharks retook the lead in the third period with a Meier goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, via Labanc and Justin Braun. San Jose iced it at 5-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Hertl, his twentieth of the year. The three stars went to Meier, Couture, and Labanc, while Hertl, Edler, and Gagner get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.