NHL 2017-18 Day 166

Five games on today, with only one matinee. We begin with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in a battle of Pennsylvania. Alex Lyon is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jordan Weal and Wayne Simmonds. Pittsburgh tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Conor Sheary and Phil Kessel. The Flyers took the lead with a Brandon Manning goal, his seventh of the season, via Weal and Valtteri Filppula. The Penguins retied it in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Kessel and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh took the lead on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-second of the season, assisted by Schultz and Brian Dumoulin. Petr Mrazek replaced Lyon in goal. Philadelphia retied it on a Weal power play goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Shayne Gostisbehere and Oskar Lindblom. The Penguins regained the lead in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, passed from Schultz, who got a sock trick, and Jake Guentzel. The Flyers pulled even on a Sean Couturier goal, his thirty-first of the year, coming off of Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Bryan Rust goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Crosby and Kris Letang. The three stars were Crosby, Weal, and Schultz, while Kessel and Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Dallas Stars welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Kari Lehtonen are in the creases. Dallas led off in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Mattias Janmark goal, his nineteenth of the season. Vancouver tied it on a Reid Boucher power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Derrick Pouliot. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Nic Dowd power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Troy Stecher and Jokinen. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Michael Del Zotto and Boucher. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Tyler Motte empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Boucher, Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves), and Jokinen.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck are set to start in goal. Nashville opened in first period with a Roman Josi goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators added on with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little. Nashville answered with an Ellis goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Kevin Fiala and Turris. The Jets got one back with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Joel Armia. Winnipeg tied it on a Little goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Connor and Ben Chiarot. The Predators regained the lead with an Arvidsson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. The Jets evened it again in the third period on a Wheeler goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Joe Morrow and Connor. The tie went to a shootout, where Mark Scheifele had the lone tally for a 5-4 Jets win. The three stars were Connor, Wheeler, and Little, while Arvidsson, Turris, and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Alex Stalock man the nets. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Minnesota tied it on a Mikko Koivu goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Matt Dumba and Zach Parise in the third period. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Marchand goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Torey Krug. The three stars were Marchand, Rask (24 for 25 in saves), and Pastrnak.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Anaheim tied it on a Josh Manson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Kesler. The Oilers took the lead with a Ty Rattie goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Benning and McDavid. Edmonton added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Ethan Bear and Jujhar Khaira.  The Ducks got one back with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Marcus Pettersson and Corey Perry. Anaheim tied it on a Perry goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Cam Fowler and Rickard Rakell. The Oilers took the lead with a Bear power play goal, powered by McDavid and Andrej Sekera. The Ducks retied it on a Henrique goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, guided in by Brandon Montour and Fowler. Anaheim won 5-4 in overtime with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The three stars went to Henrique, Perry, and McDavid, while Fowler, Rakell, and Bear get the honorable mentions.

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NWSL 2018 Week 1

Women's soccer returns in US today, with the now 9-team league playing four games over the weekend. First up...

The North Carolina Courage host the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Sabrina D'Angelo are in the six-yard boxes. Portland saw yellow cards for fouls by Emily Sonnett in the thirty-third minute and Lindsey Horan in the thirty-fifth minute. North Carolina's Jaelene Hinkle had a yellow card for a fifty-first minute foul. The Courage got going in the seventieth minute with a Debinha goal, passed from Denise O'Sullivan. The score held at 1-0, with the woman of the match being Debinha. North Carolina also saw good efforts from Abby Dahlkemper, Merritt Mathias, and Jess McDonald, while the Thorns had good performances from Franch, Emily Sonnett, Horan, and Christine Sinclair.

Down in Florida, the Orlando Pride welcome the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Ashlyn Harris are the strong goalies. Utah began in the third minute with a Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir goal, assisted by Diana Matheson with a cross from the right wing. In the twenty-first minute, the Royals' Becky Sauerbrunn took a yellow card for a handball in the box. Orlando tied it on a Marta penalty kick goal. Brittany Ratcliffe of Utah had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-eighth minute. Ali Krieger of the Pride received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended 1-1, with the woman of the match being Jonsdottir. Also starring for the Royals were the keeper Smith, Kelley O'Hara, Desiree Scott, and Matheson. The Pride's top players were Krieger and Marta.

Saturday ends with the Seattle Reign FC bringing in the Washington Spirit. Aubrey Bledsoe and Michelle Betos are the keepers. Seattle led off in the seventh minute with a Megan Rapinoe free kick goal, off a foul drawn by Allie Long. The Reign added on with a Jodie Taylor goal in the thirty-fifth minute, which the Washington keeper Bledsoe slowed but couldn't stop, assisted by Rapinoe. In the sixty-fourth minute, Seattle's Rapinoe took a yellow card for not retreating. Washington got on the board in the sixty-eighth minute with a Joanna Lohman goal, set up by Estefania Banini and Mallory Pugh. In the ninetieth minute, Morgan Andrews of the Reign took a yellow card for time wasting. The Reign held on for a 2-1 win, with Rapinoe named woman of the match. Also starring for Seattle were the keeper Betos, Rumi Utsugi, Long, Beverly Yanez, and Taylor, while the Spirit saw good games from Taylor Smith, Mallory Pugh, and Lohman.

Finally, the Houston Dash host the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Jane Campbell are the American international keepers. Houston struck first in the thirty-eighth minute with a Kimberly Keever goal, set up by Savannah Jordan. Chicago's Katie Naughton received a yellow card in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul. In the eighty-first minute, the Dash's Amber Brooks had a yellow card for a foul. The Red Stars tied it in stoppage time on a Taylor Comeau goal that deflected off of Rachel Daly after Danielle Colaprico served in a corner kick.  The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the woman of the match being Mana Shim of the Dash for a fantastic effort in the defensive midfield. Also starring for Houston were Kristie Mewis, Janine Van Wyk, and Jordan, while Chicago's best were Comeau, Colaprico, and Alyssa Mautz.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Michelle Betos
LB Rumi Utsugi
CB Abby Dahlkemper
CB Janine Van Wyk
RB Merritt Mathias
DM Mana Shim
AM Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir
AM Debinha
FW Megan Rapinoe
FW Jodie Taylor
FW Marta

NHL 2017-18 Day 165

Twelve games on a busy Saturday, beginning with two matinees. The first is in...

Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Shea Theodore. The tie went to a shootout, where Gabriel Landeskog gave the Avalanche the 2-1 win on his lone tally. The three stars went to Varlamov (39 for 40 in saves), Landeskog, and Fleury (29 for 30 in saves).

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Martin Jones are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Brenden Dillon goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Chris Tierney and Timo Meier. The Sharks added on with a Jannik Hansen goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Barclay Goodrow. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Stone goal, his third of the season, made possible by Micheal Ferland and Chris Stewart. San Jose replied in the second period with a shorthanded Evander Kane goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Tierney. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Justin Braun scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson. San Jose padded the lead on another Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Dillon. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kane, Dillon, and Jones (37 for 38 in saves), while Tierney gets an honorable mention.

At the regular time, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Carey Price are set to start in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jacob De La Rose. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist from Backstrom. Washington added on with another Wilson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, made possible by Backstrom, who got a natural sock trick, and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals extended the lead in the second period as Jay Beagle scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Dmitry Orlov and Alex Chiasson. The Canadiens got one back with a Charles Hudon goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Jordie Benn and Logan Shaw. Washington replied in the third period with another Kuznetsov power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, guided in by Backstrom and Carlson. The Capitals padded the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Jerabek and Burakovsky. Montreal chipped back with Hudon's second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Mike Reilly and Shaw. The Canadiens edged closer on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Galchenyuk. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars belonging to Backstrom, Wilson, and Kuznetsov, while Hudon, Carlson, Burakovsky, Galchenyuk, and Shaw get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Keith Kinkaid are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his eighteenth of the season, assist by Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller. The Devils added on in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Brayden Point. This led to the 2-1 final score, with the three stars given to Kinkaid (35 for 36 in saves), Palmieri, and Hischier.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Chicago got going in the second period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Patrick Sharp and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Jordan Oesterle and Jan Rutta. New York got on the board in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-third of the season, guided in by Anders Lee and Thomas Hickey. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with an unassisted Brent Seabrook empty net goal, his sixth of the year. The three stars were Forsberg (31 for 32 in saves), Saad, and Kane.

Along to Manhattan, as the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Mats Zuccarello. New York extended the lead as Neal Pionk scored in the second period, with the help of Vesey and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers padded the lead on a Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Kreider and Pionk. Linus Ullmark relieved Lehner in goal. New York continued with a Vesey power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Spooner and Hayes. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with helpers from Kyle Okposo and Ryan O'Reilly. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Vesey, Pionk, and Zibanejad, while Hayes, Kreider, and Georgiev (43 for 44 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Mike Condon receive the green light to play in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Valentin Zykov. Ottawa tied it with a Bobby Ryan goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Ryan Dzingel and Erik Karlsson. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Brock McGinn goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, via Klas Dahlbeck and Jordan Staal. Carolina added on in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Zykov. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Di Giuseppe. The Senators got one back on a Thomas Chabot goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Magnus Paajarvi. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Staal empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Justin Williams and Elias Lindholm. The three stars were Di Giuseppe, Zykov, and Ward (34 for 36 in saves), while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Anthony Mantha in the second period. The Red Wings gained the lead with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his third of the season, via Danny DeKeyser and Henrik Zetterberg. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a Connor Brown goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Travis Dermott and Morgan Rielly. Detroit pulled ahead in the third period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Luke Witkowski and Niklas Kronwall. Toronto evened it on a William Nylander goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, made possible by Patrick Marleau and Mitchell Marner. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Kadri, Andersen (38 for 41 in saves), and Nylander.

Far to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and James Reimer are making spot starts in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Richard Panik and Derek Stepan. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Panik power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Stepan and Keller. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Jamie McGinn and Keith Yandle. The Panthers tied it on another Trocheck goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, via Mark Pysyk and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida took the lead on a Denis Malgin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Colton Sceviour and Maxim Mamin. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a McGinn power play empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Aleksander Barkov and Trocheck. The three stars were awarded to Trocheck, McGinn, and Keller, while Panik and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Patrik Berglund and Kyle Brodziak. The Blues added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz. Columbus got on the board with an unassisted Cam Atkinson goal, his nineteenth of the campaign. This produced the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars given to Allen (33 for 34 in saves), Tarasenko, and Steen.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Nashville got started in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Filip Forsberg. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Marcus Foligno and Daniel Winnik. The Wild took the lead with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Jason Zucker and Ryan Murphy. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Zucker goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Eric Staal. The Wild capped it at 4-1 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Zucker, Dubnyk (19 for 20 in saves), and Niederreiter.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot are the solid goalies. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the first period with an unassisted Pontus Aberg goal, his fourth of the season. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Ty Rattie and Adam Larsson. Los Angeles got on the board with a Jake Muzzin goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter. Edmonton replied in the second period with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Anton Slepyshev and Andrej Sekera. The Kings got one back with a Carter goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Tobias Rieder and Pearson. They couldn't even it up, as the Oilers won 3-2, and the three stars went to McDavid, Carter, and Pearson.

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MLS 2018 Week 4

A new, shorter week of MLS is here with six games. We begin with...

The New England Revolution hosting New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Matt Turner are in goal. New England began in the eleventh minute with a Diego Fagundez goal, via Wilfried Zahibo. Ismael Tajouri of New York City had a yellow card for a dive in the thirty-fourth minute. The Revolution's Scott Caldwell took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the forty-third minute. New York City tied it in the fifty-first minute with a Tajouri goal, made possible by Saad Abdul-Salaam and Jesus Medina. New England regained the lead in the sixty-third minute with a Juan Agudelo goal, assisted by Cristian Penilla and Zahibo. Claude Dielna of the Revolution had a yellow card for a seventieth minute foul. New York City tied it again on another Tajouri goal in the seventy-fifth minute, courtesy of Yangel Herrera. Abdul-Salaam of New York City received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The match ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Tajouri.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas welcomes the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Jimmy Maurer make the starts in goal. Dallas saw a yellow card for a foul by Matt Hedges in the eighth minute. Dallas led off in the thirty-sixth minute with a Roland Lamah goal, assisted by Jacori Hayes. Lawrence Olum of Portland had a yellow card for his forty-fourth minute foul. The Timbers tied it in the forty-seventh minute on a Sebastian Blanco goal, via Fanendo Adi. In the seventy-fifth minute, Olum took a second yellow card for a handball, putting Portland down to ten men, while Dallas' Lamah received a yellow card for a foul. The Timbers' Diego Chara had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Maurer, who went five for six in saves.

Back up in Columbus, the Crew SC brings in DC United. David Ousted and Jon Kempin play in goal. Lalas Abubakar of Columbus had a yellow card for a foul in the third minute. The Crew started in the twentieth minute with a Milton Valenzuela goal, passed from Cristian Martinez and Artur. DC tied it on a Yamil Asad goal, coming off of Luciano Acosta in the thirtieth minute. Columbus replied in the fortieth minute with a Ricardo Clark goal, assisted by Federico Higuain. The Crew added on with a Pedro Santos goal in the forty-second minute, courtesy of Martinez and Higuain. Valenzuela had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-second minute for Columbus. The final held at 3-1, with the man of the match being Martinez for his pair of assists.

Next up, the New York Red Bulls host Minnesota United FC. Matthew Lampson is mismatched with Luis Robles in goal. New York opened in the fifteenth minute on an Alex Muyl goal, via Kyle Duncan. The Red Bulls' Marc Rzatkowski took a yellow card for not retreating in the thirty-eighth minute. Collen Warner of Minnesota had a yellow card for his thirty-ninth minute foul. New York added on in the forty-second minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, coming off of Tim Parker and Sean Davis. Ibson of Minnesota took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-fifth minute. The Red Bulls extended the lead in the seventy-eighth minute as Wright-Phillips scored again, thanks to Muyl. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match honors given to Wright-Phillips for his brace.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids welcome Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Tim Howard are the similarly named keepers. Colorado struck first in the fifth minute with a Dominique Badji goal, made possible by Edgar Castillo and Jack Price. The Rapids added on with a Joe Mason goal in the eighth minute, via Tommy Smith. Price of Colorado took a yellow card for a foul in the fifteenth minute. Kansas City got on the board in the fifty-seventh minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal. The Rapids saw yellow cards for Niki Jackson not retreating in the sixty-fifth minute and time wasting by the keeper Howard in the seventy-ninth minute. Sporting tied it in stoppage time with a Diego Rubio goal, set up by Khiry Shelton and Gerso Fernandes. Kansas City's Ilie Sanchez received a yellow card two minutes later for a foul. The game ended 2-2, with the man of the match being Rubio for the late equalizer.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Stefan Marinovic protect the nets. Rolf Feltscher of Los Angeles had a yellow card for time wasting in the fifty-third minute. The final remained 0-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for a two-save clean sheet.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 164

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Linus Ullmark are the backups in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jacob De La Rose and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron empty net goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, set up by Jonathan Drouin and Charles Hudon. Montreal iced it at 3-0 with a Brendan Gallagher empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, coming off of Logan Shaw. The three stars were Niemi (35 save shutout), Lehkonen, and Ullmark (21 for 22 in saves).

Along to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Matt Murray are the alliterative goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Jamie Oleksiak and Jake Guentzel. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Will Butcher power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Damon Severson and Taylor Hall. The Devils took the lead with a Blake Coleman goal, his eleventh of the season, via Drew Stafford and Pavel Zacha. New Jersey added on with a Nico Hischier goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from John Moore and Hall. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Crosby. Pittsburgh tied it on a Phil Kessel goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Derick Brassard and Conor Sheary. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hall goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hischier. The three stars were Hall, Hischier, and Crosby.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Berglund shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Kyle Brodziak in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with a Sam Gagner goal, his eighth of the season, via Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. St. Louis replied in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Jaden Schwartz. The Blues extended the lead as Dmitrij Jaskin scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Berglund, Allen (19 for 20 in saves), and Tarasenko.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Anaheim started in the first period with a Derek Grant power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Marcus Pettersson. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Scheifele goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. The Ducks retied it in the third period with an unassisted Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the year. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Scheifele. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Connor.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas opened in the first period with an Esa Lindell goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Curtis McKenzie and Jason Dickinson. The Stars added on with a second period shorthanded goal by Jamie Benn, his twenty-eighth of the year, set up by Tyler Seguin and Stephen Johns. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Riley Nash. The Bruins tied it as Tim Schaller scored a shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, with the help of Marchand and Kevan Miller. Boston won 3-2 with a Pastrnak goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, via Marchand and David Krejci. The three stars were Pastrnak, Marchand, and Rask (40 for 42 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 163

Ten games on a busy night of games, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Elias Lindholm and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Hurricanes added on with a Valentin Zykov goal, passed from Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. Arizona got on the board with an Alex Goligoski goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Brad Richardson. The Coyotes tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Carolina retook the lead on a Di Giuseppe goal in the second period, his third of the year, guided in by Lindholm and Skinner. Arizona pulled even with a Josh Archibald goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Max Domi. The Coyotes went ahead on a Nick Cousins goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Christian Fischer and Dylan Strome. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Aho and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Arizona reclaimed the lead with a Goligoski power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Keller and Stepan. Carolina tied it as Zykov scored his second of the game in the third period, thanks to Slavin and Teravainen. The Hurricanes won 6-5 with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, fueled by Di Giuseppe and Slavin, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Zykov, Skinner, and Di Giuseppe, while Slavin, Teravainen, Aho, Lindholm, Goligoski, Keller, and Stepan get the honorable mentions.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Christopher Gibson in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his third of the season, via Braydon Coburn and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Chris Kunitz and Mikhail Sergachev. New York got on the board with a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and John Tavares. Tampa Bay replied with a Victor Hedman goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning struck again with a shorthanded goal by Point, his twenty-eighth of the season, set up by Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh. The Islanders countered with another Pulock power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Anthony Beauvillier and Eberle. New York got closer with an Anders Lee goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Josh Bailey. Tampa Bay answered on a J.T. Miller goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Coburn. The Lightning extended the lead as Sergachev scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Gourde and Point on the power play. Jaroslav Halak replaced Gibson in goal. Tampa Bay padded the lead on another Miller power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Hedman. The Islanders chipped back with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Bailey and Tavares. New York got closer with a Beauvillier goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Eberle, who gets a sock trick. The Islanders edged closer on another Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Johnny Boychuk and Mathew Barzal. This only made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars belonging to Miller, Beauvillier, and Point, while Sergachev, Hedman, Coburn, Cirelli, Gourde, Lee, Pulock, Eberle, Bailey, and Tavares all get honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Alex Lyon are the unknown goalies. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Andrew MacDonald and Claude Giroux. New York tied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Jesper Fast and Neal Pionk. The Flyers took the lead back in the second period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Giroux and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia added on with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, coming off of Radko Gudas and Giroux, the latter earning a sock trick. The Rangers got one back with a Fast goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Sproul and Chris Kreider. The Flyers shot back in the third period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his second of the year, made possible by Nolan Patrick and MacDonald. New York pulled one back with a Fast goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, guided in by Rob O'Gara and John Gilmour. This only made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Konecny, Fast, and Giroux, while MacDonald gets an honorable mention.

West to Ohio, as the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus got going in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Sonny Milano goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Matt Calvert and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus extended the lead as Seth Jones scored his fifteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Atkinson and Dubois. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-0 with a Thomas Vanek empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. The three stars were given to Bobrovsky (33 save shutout), Atkinson, and Dubois.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Washington dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Brett Connolly goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jakub Vrana. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Grubauer (39 save shutout), Connolly, and Howard (25 for 26 in saves).

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Craig Anderson occupy the creases. Edmonton began in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Pontus Aberg and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ty Rattie. Ottawa got on the board with a Matt Duchene power play goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Cody Ceci and Thomas Chabot. Edmonton replied with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as Rattie scored his third of the season, thanks to McDavid and Nurse. Edmonton padded the lead on a Caggiula power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assisted provided by Milan Lucic and Aberg. The Senators got one back with a Filip Chlapik goal, coming off of Marian Gaborik and Bobby Ryan. The Oilers capped it at 6-2 with a McDavid goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Nugent-Hopkins and Nurse, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were McDavid, Caggiula, and Nurse, while Nugent-Hopkins, Aberg, and Rattie get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Toronto struck first in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with a lone assist by P.K. Subban. The Maple Leafs got the lead back with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Rielly and van Riemsdyk. Toronto added on with an unassisted William Nylander goal, his sixteenth of the year. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Marner scored his twentieth of the season on the power play in the third period, thanks to Rielly, who got a sock trick, and Tyler Bozak. Toronto padded the lead on a Jake Gardiner goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Connor Brown and Bozak. The Predators got one back with a Scott Hartnell goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, via Mike Fisher and Austin Watson. They still lost 5-2, with the three stars being Rielly, van Riemsdyk, and Marner, while Bozak gets an honorable mention.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jean-Francois Berube draw the starts in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Edler goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brendan Leipsic and Henrik Sedin. Chicago tied it on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. The Canucks took the lead back with a Henrik Sedin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Sam Gagner. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Nikolay Goldobin and Troy Stecher. The Canucks extended the lead as Edler scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, with the help of Horvat and Goldobin. Anton Forsberg relieved Berube in goal. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Darren Archibald. The Blackhawks got one back with a Matthew Highmore goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist from Brandon Saad. This produced the 5-2 final, with the three stars given to Edler, Horvat, and Markstrom (39 for 41 in saves), while Henrik Sedin and Goldobin get the honorable mentions.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his thirtieth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown. The Kings took the lead with a Jake Muzzin goal, his seventh of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Nate Thompson. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, powered by Brown and Muzzin. The Kings extended the lead in the second period as Tobias Rieder scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Drew Doughty and the goalie Quick. Los Angeles chased Varlamov with a Kopitar goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Thompson and Derek Forbort. Jonathan Bernier replaced Varlamov in goal. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with an unassisted Kopitar goal, his fourth of the night and thirty-third of the season. Los Angeles capped it at 7-1 with a Rieder goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with helpers from Jeff Carter and Christian Folin. The three stars went to Kopitar, Rieder, and Muzzin, while Brown and Thompson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Martin Jones are the goalies. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his eleventh of the year, via Paul Martin and Jannik Hansen in the second period. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime with an unassisted Logan Couture goal, his thirty-first of the campaign. The three stars were Jones (24 for 25 in saves), Couture, and Subban (42 for 44 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 162

Four games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex Goligoski and Brendan Perlini. Buffalo tied it on a Jordan Nolan goal, his third of the year, via Evan Rodrigues and Nathan Beaulieu. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Derek Stepan power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on in the third period with a Richard Panik goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Keller and Stepan. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Max Domi empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jakob Chychrun. The three stars were Stepan, Raanta (29 for 30 in saves), and Keller.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Casey DeSmith in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-first of the season, made possible by Carl Hagelin. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Malkin and Phil Kessel. Montreal got on the board with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his twelfth of the season, via Paul Byron and Jordie Benn. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a shorthanded Nikita Scherbak goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Charles Hudon and Brett Lernout. Montreal gained the lead with a Jacob De La Rose goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brendan Gallagher. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. The Penguins took the lead with a Derick Brassard power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Guentzel and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Guentzel goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Kessel and Crosby. The three stars were given to Guentzel, Crosby, and Malkin, while Kessel gets an honorable mention.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Jake Allen play in the creases. Boston opened in the first period with a Ryan Donato power play goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Alexander Steen and Brayden Schenn. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. The three stars were awarded to Schwartz, Allen (21 for 22 in saves), and Donato.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Mike Smith guard the cages. Anaheim started in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Andrew Cogliano goal, his eighth of the season. The Ducks added on in the second period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Francois Beauchemin and Adam Henrique. Anaheim extended the lead as Hampus Lindholm scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. David Rittich replaced Smith in goal. The Ducks padded the lead with a Beauchemin goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Corey Perry and Getzlaf in the third period. The three stars were Beauchemin, Gibson (29 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

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