NHL 2017-18 Day 169

Four games for tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Tomas Plekanec. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the year, via William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Patrick Marleau scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Marner. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Denis Malgin. The Panthers got closer in the second period with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Mark Pysyk. The Maple Leafs replied in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Tyler Bozak and Connor Brown. Florida got one back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Marner, Huberdeau, and van Riemsdyk.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby tend the twines. New York began in the first period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei. Washington tied it on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period on a Ryan Spooner goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Lias Andersson and Skjei. The Capitals tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Skjei.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Andrew Hammond both return from long absences to play in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers added on with a Provorov goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Jordan Weal and Andrew MacDonald. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Dominic Toninato and Erik Johnson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Provorov, Giroux, and Nieto.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host their desert rivals, the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Arizona started in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Christian Dvorak and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vegas tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by James Neal. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Arizona took the lead back with a Connauton goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Connauton, Panik, and Raanta (27 for 29 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 168

Another nine-game day is on the way, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Keith Kinkaid are in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall. Carolina tied it on a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Warren Foegele goal, his second of the season, made possible by Lee Stempniak and Derek Ryan. The Devils retied it on a Palmieri power play goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Hall and Will Butcher. Carolina reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his tenth of the season, via Trevor van Riemsdyk and Skinner. New Jersey retied it on a Palmieri goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, passed from Hall, who earned a sock trick, and Butcher. The Devils took the lead on a Stefan Noesen goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Andy Greene and Michael Grabner. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Hall, and Butcher, while Skinner gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel. Detroit tied it on a Niklas Kronwall goal, his fourth of the year, via Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with a Frans Nielsen power play goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Martin Frk and Joe Hicketts. Detroit added on with a Luke Glendening goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Nick Jensen and Helm. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Helm scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Larkin and Hicketts. The Penguins got one back with a Kris Letang goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a Glendening empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Trevor Daley. The three stars were Helm, Glendening, and Hicketts, while Larkin gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Adam Pelech. Ottawa tied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bobby Ryan. The Senators gained the lead with an Erik Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Duchene and Ryan. The Islanders retied it in the third period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. New York pulled ahead on a Brock Nelson goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Tanner Fritz and Andrew Ladd. Ottawa retied it in the third period with a Ryan goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone helper from Duchene. The Islanders regained the lead on a Ladd goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Thomas Hickey and Barzal. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Ladd, Duchene, and Ryan, while Barzal gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Jake Allen are between the pipes. San Jose opened in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, guided in by Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns. St. Louis tied it on an Oskar Sundqvist goal, made possible by Colton Parayko and Vince Dunn. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Burns. The Blues tied it again on a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, coming off of Vladimir Sobotka. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Burns, and Sundqvist.

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Roman Josi goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone helper by Kyle Turris. Minnesota tied it in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his fortieth of the year, made possible by Mikael Granlund. The Predators won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Turris. The three stars were Turris, Rinne (22 for 23 in saves), and Dubnyk (28 for 29 in saves).

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry. Boston tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with another Tanev goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, courtesy of Lowry. Winnipeg added on with a Joe Morrow goal, his sixth of the year, via Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Bruins replied in the third period with a Danton Heinen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Boston tied it with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Jets retook the lead with a shorthanded Tanev goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins tied it again with a Krug power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Marchand. In the shootout, Patrik Laine and Scheifele lifted the Jets 5-4 over Donato and the Bruins. The three stars belonged to Tanev, Lowry, and Krug, while Marchand, Scheifele, and Donato get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Kari Lehtonen are set to start in goal. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Antoine Roussel and Dan Hamhuis. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Gostisbehere. The Stars retied it on a Brett Ritchie power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Alexander Radulov and Tyler Seguin. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Radulov goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Seguin and John Klingberg. The three stars went to Radulov, Seguin, and Gostisbehere.

In Canada again, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a shorthanded McDavid goal, his fortieth of the year, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Benning. Edmonton extended the lead as Drake Caggiula scored his thirteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Columbus got on the board with a Thomas Vanek goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Ryan Murray and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets pulled closer with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Zach Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus tied it as Vanek scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, thanks to David Savard and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead in the second period on a Jenner goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Vanek and Wennberg. Columbus padded the lead with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Dubois. The Blue Jackets continued against Laurent Brossoit in goal when Vanek finished his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the season, via Jenner and Ian Cole. Columbus struck again in the third period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Panarin. The final held at 7-3, with the three stars being Vanek, Jenner, and McDavid, while Dubois, Wennberg, Panarin, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jacob Markstrom occupy the creases. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Anaheim tied it on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his ninth of the year, via Francois Beauchemin and Ryan Kesler. The Canucks took the lead back in the third period with an Alex Biega goal, coming off of Darren Archibald and Brandon Sutter. Vancouver added on with a Sutter goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Sutter empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Sutter, Biega, and Markstrom (23 for 24 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 167

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

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina began in the first period with a Warren Foegele goal, passed from Derek Ryan and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his tenth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Valentin Zykov goal, his third of the year, fueled by Foegele and Ryan. Carolina added on with a Brock McGinn goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Sebastian Aho empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Haydn Fleury. The three stars were Foegele, Ryan, and Ward (19 for 20 in saves).

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Christopher Gibson are the backups in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Keith Yandle goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead as Dadonov scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Yandle and the goalie Reimer. This stood for an eventual 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Reimer (32 save shutout), Yandle, and Dadonov.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons. Toronto tied it with a Nazem Kadri goal in the second period, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Mitchell Marner and Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Marleau power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. The Sabres retied it on a Casey Nelson goal, his third of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Johan Larsson in the third period. Buffalo pulled ahead with an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, guided in by Jason Pominville and Girgensons. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Eichel, Marleau, and Girgensons.

Into Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Carey Price man the nets. Detroit started in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Henrik Zetterberg and Tyler Bertuzzi. Montreal tied it with a Paul Byron power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Karl Alzner and Noah Juulsen. Montreal added on with another Gallagher goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, assisted by Mike Reilly and Jonathan Drouin. The Red Wings got one back with a Bertuzzi goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Nyquist and Jonathan Ericsson. The Canadiens shot back in the third period with a Galchenyuk power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Petry and Drouin. The final remained at 4-2, with the three stars going to Gallagher, Galchenyuk, and Petry, while Bertuzzi and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Alexandar Georgiev are the lesser-known goalies. Washington struck first in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and Jakub Jerabek. The Capitals added on with a Matt Niskanen goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead on an Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fifth of the season, powered by John Carlson and Backstrom. Ondrej Pavelec relieved Georgiev in goal. The Capitals padded the lead with a shorthanded Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Alex Chiasson. New York got on the board in the second period with a Lias Andersson goal, coming off of Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers got closer in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Filip Chytil and Rob O'Gara. The Capitals won 4-2, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Backstrom.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Louis Domigue are in the blue paint. Arizona got going in the second period on a Trevor Murphy goal, assisted by Jordan Martinook and Nick Cousins. The Coyotes added on with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Richard Panik and Clayton Keller. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Brendan Perlini scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Dylan Strome and Kevin Connauton. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Victor Hedman. The Coyotes capped it at 4-1 with a Keller empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Alex Goligoski. The three stars were Keller, Raanta (19 for 20 in saves), and Chychrun.

Northwest to Chicago, with the Blackhawks hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Anton Forsberg in goal. San Jose was first to score with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jannik Hansen. Chicago tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Vinnie Hinostroza and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Connor Murphy goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks tied it in the second period on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Mikkel Boedker. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Barclay Goodrow. Chicago retied it with a Patrick Sharp goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by DeBrincat and Erik Gustafsson. In the shootout, Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc helped the Sharks to a 4-3 win over Sharp and the Blackhawks. The three stars were DeBrincat

Westward to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his ninth of the year, via Blake Comeau and Matt Nieto. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Marchessault power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Shea Theodore and Karlsson. Vegas added on with a Theodore goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and James Neal. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Karlsson scored his fortieth of the campaign, an empty net goal, thanks to Marchessault. The three stars went to Marchessault, Karlsson, and Fleury (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles drew first blood in the second period with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Phaneuf and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Jeff Carter scored a power play goal, his tenth of the season, with the help of Kopitar and Brown. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Kopitar, Phaneuf, and Quick (23 save shutout), while Brown gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.