MLS 2018 Week 5

A new weekend of soccer awaits, with one game on Friday leading it off. We begin with...

Toronto FC hosting Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Clint Irwin protect the nets. Toronto led off in the twenty-third minute with a Jozy Altidore penalty kick goal. Toronto saw yellow cards for Sebastian Giovinco and Altidore in the thirty-fifth minute, both for fouls. Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake had a yellow card for his fortieth minute foul. Toronto added on in the forty-fifth minute with an Altidore goal, set up by Ashtone Morgan and Giovinco. Jonathan Osorio of Toronto took a yellow card for time wasting in the sixty-second minute. Demar Phillips of Real received a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute foul. Salt Lake got on the board in the eighty-second minute on a Corey Baird goal, coming off of Jefferson Savarino. Morgan of Toronto took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the eighty-sixth minute. Toronto iced it at 3-1 with a Tosaint Ricketts goal in stoppage time. The man of the match was Altidore for his brace.

Ten more games begin on Saturday, with Orlando City SC hosting the New York Red Bulls in the first one. Luis Robles and Joe Bendik are the keepers. New York began in the seventh minute with a Florian Valot goal, via Alejandro Romero Gamarra and Marc Rzatkowski. Orlando City tied it on a Will Johnson goal in the fifteenth minute, coming off of Justin Meram and Sacha Kljestan. The Red Bulls regained the lead on a Derrick Etienne goal in the twenty-fourth minute, passed from Valot. Orlando City evened it again with a Dominic Dwyer goal in the twenty-sixth minute, assisted by Yoshimar Yotun. Aurelien Collin of New York received a yellow card in the thirty-eighth minute for persistent infringement. Orlando City pulled ahead with a Dwyer goal in the forty-eighth minute, his second of the game, made possible by Mohamed El-Munir. Romero Gamarra of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foul. Lamine Sane of Orlando City took a yellow card for his sixtieth minute foul. New York tied it again in the eighty-second minute with an Aaron Long goal, guided in by Rzatkowski. Orlando City pulled ahead with a Josue Colman goal, set up by Scott Sutter. Yotun of Orlando City received a yellow card for dissent in stoppage time. The final held at 4-3, with the man of the match being Dwyer for his brace.

In Ohio, the Columbus Crew SC welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Zack Steffen are the gloved men. Marcel de Jong of Vancouver had a yellow card for his tenth minute foul. Columbus opened in the twenty-ninth minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal. Brek Shea of the Whitecaps tied it with his fifty-first minute goal. Milton Valenzuela of the Crew had a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-sixth minute. Vancouver took the lead with a seventy-eighth minute Kei Kamara goal, made possible by Felipe and Alphonso Davies. Felipe of the Whitecaps had a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Kamara.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and David Bingham play in goal. LAFC started in the fifth minute with a Carlos Vela goal, via Steven Beitashour. LAFC added on with a twenty-sixth minute Vela goal, assisted by Diego Rossi and Marco Urena. LAFC extended the lead as Daniel Steres of the Galaxy committed an own goal in the forty-eighth minute. The Galaxy got on the board with a Sebastian Lletget goal, coming off of Servando Carrasco. The Galaxy pulled closer with a Chris Pontius goal, helped along by Emmanuel Boateng in the seventy-third minute. The Galaxy tied it with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal in the seventy-seventh minute, set up by Steres. Ibrahimovic took a yellow card for excessive celebration after his goal. The Galaxy won 4-3 in stoppage time on another Ibrahimovic goal, made possible by Ashley Cole and Baggio Husidic. Ibrahimovic was the man of the match for his game-winning brace.

Back east, the Chicago Fire host the Portland Timbers to begin an MLS/NWSL doubleheader. Jake Gleeson and Richard Sanchez man the nets for the mens' sides. Portland struck first in the sixth minute with a Diego Valeri goal, via Sebastian Blanco. Chicago's Aleksandar Katai took a yellow card for a twelfth minute foul. The Fire tied it on a fiftieth minute Nemanja Nikolic goal, coming off of Brandon Vincent and Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Timbers' Valeri had a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. Portland gained the lead with a Blanco goal in the fifty-fifth minute, set up by Andres Flores. Chicago retied it on a Vincent goal in the eighty-fourth minute, courtesy of Schweinsteiger. The final stayed at 2-2, with the man of the match being Blanco.

Next up, Minnesota United FC welcomes Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Matthew Lampson are in the six-yard boxes. Atlanta saw a yellow card for Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the first minute for a foul. Atlanta was first to score when Minnesota's Francisco Calvo committed an own goal in the third minute. Atlanta went down to ten men when Gonzalez Pirez took a second yellow card for a foul in the thirty-eighth minute, sealing his ejection. Guzan took a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time for Atlanta. Minnesota's Calvo saw his night get worse with a yellow card for a foul two minutes later. Atlanta won 1-0, with Guzan the man of the match for a three-save clean sheet.

In California, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Andrew Tarbell are between the posts. San Jose began in the third minute with a Yefferson Quintana goal, via Magnus Eriksson. Anibal Godoy of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul. New York City saw a yellow card given to Ebenezer Orofi in the forty-first minute. New York City tied it on an Anton Tinnerholm goal, passed from Maximiliano Moralez in the forty-ninth minute. New York City took the lead with a Moralez goal, helped along by Ismael Tajouri in the sixtieth minute. New York City racked up yellow cards for fouls by Alexander Callens in the sixty-seventh minute, Yangel Herrera in the seventy-fourth minute, Tinnerholm in the eighty-ninth minute, and Moralez's time wasting in stoppage time. The man of the 2-1 match was Moralez.

Southeast to Texas, where the Houston Dynamo host the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Chris Seitz are the goalies. New England led off in the fifteenth minute with a Teal Bunbury goal, via Cristian Penilla and Luis Caicedo. Houston went down to ten men in the thirty-fifth minute when DaMarcus Beasley denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity, earning a red card. The Revolution had yellow cards for a Gabriel Somi foul in the fifty-second minute and time wasting by Diego Fagundez in the sixty-fourth minute. The Dynamo saw Adolfo Machado receive a yellow card for his sixty-ninth minute foul. New England added on in the seventy-first minute with a Penilla goal, set up by Somi. Houston's Alejandro Fuenmayor had a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. The final stood at 2-0, with Penilla earning man of the match honors.

Up in Missouri, Sporting Kansas City welcomes DC United. David Ousted and Tim Melia tend the nets. Kansas City opened in the third minute with a Felipe Gutierrez goal, assisted by Khiry Shelton. This held up for the entire game for a 1-0 win, with Gutierrez named man of the match.

Westward again to Colorado, as the Rapids bring in the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Tim Howard guard the woodwork. Colorado had a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul by Jack Price. The Rapids got going in the fifty-third minute with a Dominique Badji goal, assisted by Tommy Smith and Price. Colorado added on with another Badji goal in the sixty-first minute. The Rapids had yellow cards for a Joham Blomberg handball in the sixty-third minute and time wasting by Dillon Serna in the sixty-ninth minute. Colorado's Badji completed his hat trick in the eighty-seventh minute to produce the 3-0 final score. Badji was the clear-cut man of the match.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Stefan Frei are the above-average keepers. Seattle went down to ten men in the fortieth minute when Kelvin Leerdam received a straight red card for violent conduct. Montreal's Daniel Lovitz took a yellow card on the same play. Ken Krolicki of the Impact had a yellow card for his forty-seventh minute foul. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the sixtieth minute with a Jeisson Vargas goal, via Ignacio Piatti. Roman Torres of the Sounders had a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. Samuel Piette of the Impact took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the eighty-third minute. Montreal held on to win 1-0, with Vargas the man of the match.

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NWSL 2018 Week 2

Another four games on this weekend before the season's first International Break. We begin on Friday with...

The Houston Dash hosting the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Jane Campbell are the young goalies. While chances were hard to come by at times, there were a few, but nothing went in. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the woman of the match being Campbell for a clean sheet with five saves. Also starring for Houston were Rachel Daly and Kristie Mewis, while the best for Utah were Rachel Corsie, Becky Sauerbrunn, Diana Matheson, and Gunnhildur Jonsdottir.

On Saturday, the North Carolina Courage welcome Sky Blue FC. Kailen Sheridan and Sabrina D'Angelo protect the nets. In the sixty-fifth minute, Christina Gibbons of Sky Blue took a yellow card for a foul. Sky Blue's Rebekah Stott received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. North Carolina won it 1-0 in stoppage time with a Jess McDonald goal, set up by Jaelene Hinkle. The Courage's best were Hinkle, Abby Erceg, Merritt Mathias, Denise O'Sullivan, Lynn Williams, Crystal Dunn, and McDonald, while Sky Blue got good games from Sheridan, Erica Skroski, Sarah Killion, and Carli Lloyd. 

Also, the Washington Spirit bring in the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris faces her former backup Aubrey Bledsoe in goal. Washington's Whitney Church had a yellow card for a foul in the forty-fourth minute. The Spirit got going in the eightieth minute on a Mallory Pugh goal, via Ashley Hatch. Washington added on with a Hatch goal in the eighty-eighth minute, coming off of Pugh and Mallory Eubanks. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the woman of the match being Pugh. Other strong performers for the Spirit were Hatch, Andi Sullivan, and Bledsoe (four-save clean sheet), while Orlando's best were Carson Pickett, Shelina Zadorsky, Rachel Hill, and Sydney Leroux.

Finally, the Chicago Red Stars host the Portland Thorns FC in the second half of the MLS/NWSL doubleheader between the cities. Adrianna Franch and Alyssa Naeher are the strong keepers. Portland struck first in the ninth minute with a Lindsey Horan goal on a second chance after a Meghan Klingenberg corner kick. Chicago tied it in the thirty-first minute with an Alyssa Mautz goal, set up by Sofia Huerta and Summer Green. The Thorns retook the lead in the fortieth minute on a Christine Sinclair goal after Naeher missed clearing the through ball. Portland's Celeste Boureille took a yellow card for a fifty-eighth minute foul. The Red Stars' Danielle Colaprico saw a yellow card in the sixty-fourth minute for a handball in the box. The ensuing penalty kick was converted by Sinclair to add to the Thorns lead. Chicago got one back in the sixty-seventh minute with another Mautz goal, made possible by Huerta. The final stayed at 3-2, with the woman of the match being Sinclair. Other strong Thorns were Emily Sonnett, Horan, and Midge Purce, while the Red Stars got good games from Nikki Stanton, Mautz, and Huerta.

NWSL Week 2 Team of the Week
GK Jane Campbell
LB Kristie Mewis
CB Rachel Corsie
CB Abby Erceg
RB Merritt Mathias
DM Sarah Killion
DM Lindsey Horan
LW Sofia Huerta
ACM Christine Sinclair
RW Alyssa Mautz
FW Mallory Pugh

NHL 2017-18 Day 171

Six games are on tonight's schedule, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Christopher Gibson are the goalies. New York began in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jordan Eberle and Adam Pelech. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Islanders took the lead back with a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Beauvillier and Brock Nelson. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. New York gained the lead again with a Nelson goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Andrew Ladd and Pelech. Toronto evened it out with a Marner goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Gardiner and Kadri. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Ron Hainsey. The Islanders evened it again with a John Tavares power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Anders Lee and Eberle. Toronto won 5-4 on a Matthews goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, guided in by William Nylander and Zach Hyman. The three stars went to Matthews, Marner, and Kadri, while Gardiner, Beauvillier, Nelson, Eberle, and Pelech get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and David Desharnais. Tampa Bay tied it on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by J.T. Miller and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning took the lead with an Alex Killorn goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on with a Miller power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Hedman and Killorn in the third period. The Lightning extended the lead as Paquette scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Cory Conacher and Chris Kunitz. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Yanni Gourde. The Rangers shot back with a Filip Chytil goal, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes. New York got closer with a Chris Kreider goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast. The Lightning countered with a Point empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, set up by Gourde. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-3 with a Dan Girardi power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Paquette and Kunitz. The three stars belonged to Paquette, Point, and Miller, while Killorn, Kunitz, Gourde, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Braden Holtby man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a Michal Kempny goal, his second of the season, coming off of John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. Carolina tied it on a Derek Ryan goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Joakim Nordstrom and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the season, via Phillip Di Giuseppe and Ryan. Carolina added on in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, assisted by Valentin Zykov and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Brock McGinn empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal and Justin Williams. The three stars were Ryan, Faulk, and Darling (20 for 21 in saves).

West to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Sven Andrighetto power play goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Rantanen scored a power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with the help of Nathan MacKinnon and Barrie. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Tyson Jost goal, his tenth of the year, via Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado continued with an Andrighetto goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars being Barrie, Andrighetto, and Varlamov (30 for 30 in saves before injury), while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson tend the twines. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Drew Doughty goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Anaheim tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal in the second period his ninth of the year, assisted by Francois Beauchemin and Ondrej Kase. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, via Brandon Montour and Kase. The three stars went to Kase, Gibson (28 for 29 in saves), and Rakell.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Malcolm Subban guard the cages. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Alexander Steen and Kyle Brodziak. Vegas tied it on a William Karlsson shorthanded goal, his forty-first of the year, set up by Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Alex Tuch and Karlsson. The Blues tied it again with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Vegas regained the lead in the second period with a James Neal goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar. St. Louis tied it again in the third period with a Chris Thorburn goal, coming off of Scottie Upshall and Oskar Sundqvist. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nate Schmidt and Karlsson. The three stars were Marchessault, Karlsson, and Neal.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 170

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

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Tim Schaller goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tommy Wingels. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Boston answered in the third period with a Bergeron goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Krug and Brad Marchand. The Lightning got one back on a Hedman goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Dan Girardi. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, set up by Bergeron and Pastrnak. The three stars were Bergeron, Krug, and Pastrnak, while Marchand and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Jason Pominville and Brendan Guhle. The Sabres added on with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Evgeny Svechnikov. The Red Wings tied it on a shorthanded goal by Darren Helm in the second period, his eleventh of the year, set up by Frans Nielsen. Detroit took the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Joe Hicketts and Nielsen. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal for the third period. The Red Wings extended the lead as Andreas Athanasiou scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Justin Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall. Buffalo got one back with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Casey Mittelstadt. Detroit shot back with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings capped it at 6-3 with a Svechnikov goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Mantha and Larkin. The three stars went to Svechnikov, Larkin, and Mantha, while Nielsen gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Keith Kinkaid are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Nico Hischier. Pittsburgh tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the season, via Carl Hagelin and Brian Dumoulin. The Devils tied it on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Will Butcher. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Travis Zajac. Pittsburgh retied it on a Hornqvist goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Dumoulin and Riley Sheahan. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, made possible by Letang. The three stars went to Letang, Hornqvist, and Dumoulin.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are the solid goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Tom Pyatt. Florida tied it on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via MacKenzie Weegar and Alexander Petrovic. The Senators tied it in the third period on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Zack Smith and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Pageau penalty shot goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars were awarded to Pageau, Paajarvi, and Anderson (24 for 26 in saves).

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville started in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from P.K. Subban and Craig Smith. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Brent Burns and Mikkel Boedker. The Predators retook the lead on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Sharks tied it again with a Brenden Dillon goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen. Nashville pulled ahead in the second period with a Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Ryan Ellis. San Jose retied it in the third period with a Boedker goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Chris Tierney and Timo Meier. The Predators retook the lead with an Ellis goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Forsberg and Arvidsson.Nashville iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Nick Bonino, his eleventh of the year, set up by Forsberg, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Ellis, Arvidsson, and Forsberg, while Boedker and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Seguin. Minnesota tied it on a shorthanded Mikael Granlund goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Ryan Suter. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Suter and Jason Zucker. Minnesota added on with a Zach Parise goal, his eleventh of the year, via Granlund and Dumba. The Stars got one back with a Devin Shore goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot. The Wild shot back with a Zucker power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Eric Staal and Dumba. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Parise empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Granlund and Dumba, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Dumba, Granlund, and Parise, while Zucker and Suter get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Collin Delia are the unknown goalies. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Kane and Nick Schmaltz. Chicago extended the lead as Tomas Jurco scored his fifth of the season in the second period, thanks to Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks padded the lead on Jurco's second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Connor Murphy. Winnipeg got on the board with a Bryan Little goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Dustin Byfuglien and Joe Morrow. Chicago answered with a Gustafsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Sikura. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone helper from Kyle Connor. The Blackhawks replied with a DeBrincat goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Sikura and Victor Ejdsell. Scott Foster replaced Delia in goal after an injury. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars given to Jurco, DeBrincat, and Kane, while Gustafsson and Sikura get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Jon Gillies in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Markus Hannikainen goal, his third of the season, via Matt Calvert and Mark Letestu. The Blue Jackets added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Columbus extended the lead as Dubois scored in the second period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with the help of Atkinson and Panarin. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Thomas Vanek and Ryan Murray. Columbus continued with a Dubois power play goal to complete his hat trick, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Sonny Milano and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Calgary got on the board with a Chris Stewart goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Curtis Lazar and Mark Giordano. This made it a 5-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Dubois, Panarin, and Atkinson, while Bobrovsky (37 for 38 in saves gets an honorable mention.

Over in British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jacob Markstrom are the decent goalies. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-first of the season, made possible by Andrej Sekera and Adam Larsson. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Derrick Pouliot goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nikolay Goldobin and Jussi Jokinen. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Markstrom (35 for 36 in saves), Pouliot, and Gagner.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces his former team and fellow backup Jack Campbell in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Max Domi. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Derek Forbort and Tyler Toffoli. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period on a Domi goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Christian Dvorak and Trevor Murphy. The Kings tied it again on a Carter power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Carter goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, via Tobias Rieder and Toffoli. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Anze Kopitar, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Carter, Domi, and Toffoli.

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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).

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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).

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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.

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