The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tomas Plekanec and Roman Polak. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Johnsson. Toronto added on with a William Nylander goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Matthews. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Nylander scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Zach Hyman. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Jason Pominville power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Nicholas Baptiste and Marco Scandella. Toronto answered on a Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the campaign, with helpers from Nylander and Jake Gardiner. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Nylander, Matthews, and Johnsson.
Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Jacob Trouba and Brandon Tanev. The Jets added on with a Josh Morrissey goal, his seventh of the year, via Adam Lowry and Copp. Winnipeg extended the lead as Blake Wheeler scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Matt Duchene and Erik Karlsson. The Senators got one back with a Duchene power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Karlsson and Mike Hoffman in the second period. The Jets replied with a shorthanded goal by Tanev, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa pulled one back with a Chabot goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Colin White and Hoffman. Winnipeg countered with a Wheeler goal, his second of the game twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Scheifele. The Senators answered in the third period with a Christian Wolanin goal, with helpers from Ryan Dzingel and Hoffman, the latter earning a sock trick. The Jets replied with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, dished from Nikolaj Ehlers and Tyler Myers. Ottawa chipped back on a Duchene power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Chabot and Karlsson, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 6-5 Jets, with the three stars given to Wheeler, Duchene, and Copp, while Hoffman, Karlsson, Scheifele, Lowry, and Chabot get the honorable mentions.
Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Carolina opened in the first period with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the season, assisted by Brock McGinn and Justin Williams. Florida tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jared McCann and Denis Malgin. The Panthers took the lead with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov. The Hurricanes retied it in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Lee Stempniak and Klas Dahlbeck. Florida took the lead again in the third period on an Alexander Petrovic goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Barkov and Colton Sceviour. Florida won 3-2, with the three stars going to Barkov, Petrovic, and Luongo (27 for 29 in saves).
Northwest to Missouri, as the St. Louis Blues host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jake Allen guard the cages. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-second of the season, coming off of Kyle Brodziak and Alex Pietrangelo. Washington tied it in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his twentieth of the year, via Brett Connolly. The Capitals took the lead on an Alex Chiasson goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Jakub Jerabek. Washington added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Nackstrom and Brooks Orpik. The Blues got one back with a Patrik Berglund goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Brodziak and Robert Bortuzzo. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with an Alex Ovechkin power play empty net goal, his forty-sixth of the year, set up by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The three stars were Backstrom, Brodziak, and Holtby (34 for 36 in saves).
Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on in the second period with a Parise goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Jonas Brodin and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Joel Eriksson Ek empty net goal in the third period, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Charlie Coyle and Daniel Winnik. The three stars were awarded to Parise, Dubnyk (22 save shutout), and Eriksson Ek.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick are the similarly-named goalies. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Torrey Mitchell goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Nate Thompson and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a shorthanded Dustin Brown goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. Colorado got on the board with an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Sven Andrighetto and Colin Wilson. Los Angeles replied in the third period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his sixth of the year, via Trevor Lewis and Adrian Kempe. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars given to Quick (27 for 28 in saves), Brown, and Clifford.
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