Sunday, April 15, 2018

NWSL 2018 Week 3

The games this weekend are evenly split between Saturday and Sunday. First up...

The Utah Royals FC have their first home game, hosting the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Abby Smith are in the six-yard boxes. Chicago opened in the twenty-seventh minute with a Danielle Colaprico goal, coming after Alyssa Mautz's initial cross was deflected out to the midfielder. The Red Stars made it stand for a 1-0 win, with Colaprico as the woman of the match. Taylor Comeau, Sam Johnson, and Arin Gilliland also played well for Chicago, while Utah's best were Desiree Scott, Gunnhildur Jonsdottir, and Elise Thorsnes.

East to Maryland, as the Washington Spirit welcome the North Carolina Courage. Sabrina D'Angelo and Aubrey Bledsoe are the keepers. Washington started in the third minute with a Mallory Pugh goal. North Carolina tied it on a Crystal Dunn goal in the twentieth minute, set up by Jessica McDonald. The Courage took the lead with a McCall Zerboni goal in the twenty-fourth minute, assisted by Lynn Williams. North Carolina added on with another Zerboni goal in the forty-eighth minute, coming off of Kristen Hamilton. The Spirit got one back with a Francisca Ordega goal, made possible by Havana Solaun in the fifty-eighth minute. The Courage countered with a Williams goal in the sixty-sixth minute, guided in by Dunn. Estelle Johnson of Washington took a yellow card for her foul in the eighty-fourth minute. The final held at 4-2, with Zerboni as the woman of the match. Williams, Dunn, and Denise O'Sullivan did best for the Courage, while the Spirit's top efforts came from Johnson, Andi Sullivan, and Ordega.

On Sunday, Sky Blue FC brings in the Seattle Reign FC. Michelle Betos and Kailen Sheridan start in goal. Seattle led off in the sixth minute on a Megan Rapinoe penalty kick goal after Theresa Nielsen's cross hit Sky Blue's Erica Skroski in the hand in the box. Savannah McCaskill of Sky Blue had a yellow card for a foul in the fiftieth minute. Kiersten Dallstream received a yellow card in the eighty-second minute for a foul for the Reign. The final held at 1-0 for Seattle, with Jess Fishlock as the woman of the match for her work in the midfield. Rapinoe, Nielsen, and Taylor also did well for the Reign, while Sky Blue's best were Mandy Freeman, Rebekah Stott, Janine Beckie, and McCaskill. 

Finally, the Portland Thorns FC host the Orlando Pride. Ashlyn Harris and Adrianna Franch protect the nets. Orlando began in the twentieth minute with a Chioma Ubogagu goal, assisted by Christine Nairn. Portland tied it on a Lindsey Horan goal in the twenty-eighth minute, set up by Christine Sinclair. The Thorns took the lead with a Sinclair goal in the thirty-ninth minute, coming off of Horan and Meghan Klingenberg. In the eighty-fifth minute, Toni Pressley of the Pride had a yellow card for a foul. The final stood at 2-1, with the woman of the match being Horan. Sinclair, Emily Sonnett, and Midge Purce also did well for the Thorns, while Nairn and Ubogagu earn merits for the Pride.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Michelle Betos
LB Arin Gilliland
CB Estelle Johnson
CB Emily Sonnett
RB Theresa Nielsen
MF Jess Fishlock
MF McCall Zerboni
MF Danielle Colaprico
MF Lindsey Horan
FW Lynn Williams
FW Christine Sinclair

MLS 2018 Week 7

A maximum eleven games play this weekend, the first two on Friday night. We begin with...

The Philadelphia Union hosting Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Andre Blake are in goal. Orlando City began in the thirty-eighth minute with a Dominic Dwyer goal, via Sacha Kljestan. Orlando City added on in the forty-fifth minute with a Chris Mueller goal. In the sixty-third minute, Orlando City keeper Bendik took a yellow card for time wasting. Philadelphia had a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul by Matthew Real. Orlando City saw yellow cards for Dwyer's dive in the seventy-fourth minute, Mohamed El-Munir's foul in the seventy-ninth minute, and Yoshimar Yotun's dissent at the same time. Keegan Rosenberry of the Union had a yellow card for dissent in the eighty-first minute. The final held at 2-0, with the man of the match being Dwyer.

The other Friday game has the Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcoming Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Stefan Marinovic are the goalies. Los Angeles got going in the fifty-ninth minute with a Carlos Vela goal, assisted by Marco Urena. Jakob Nerwinski of Vancouver had a yellow card for his sixty-second minute foul. Los Angeles added on in the seventieth minute with a Diego Rossi goal, set up by Urena. Mark-Anthony Kaye of Los Angeles had a yellow card for a seventy-eighth minute foul. The Whitecaps saw a yellow card given to Cristian Techera for his eighty-ninth minute foul. Vela of Los Angeles received a yellow card for not retreating in stoppage time. The final stood at 2-0, with Urena named man of the match.

The first of seven games on Saturday sees the New York Red Bulls bring in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Luis Robles tend the nets. New York led off in the fifth minute on a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, assisted by Florian Valot. Montreal tied it on a Jeisson Vargas goal in the thirty-third minute. The Red Bulls retook the lead in the fifty-seventh minute with an Alejandro Romero Gamarra goal, set up by Wright-Phillips. New York added on in the seventy-sixth minute on a Michael Murillo goal, via Kemar Lawrence. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips.

West to Colorado as the Rapids host Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Tim Howard are the gloved men. Colorado opened with a Jack Price goal in the second minute. The Rapids added on with a Shkelzen Gashi penalty kick goal in the seventy-eighth minute. Colorado had yellow cards for fouls by Dominique Badji in the eighty-third minute and Price in the eighty-sixth minute. The final stood at 2-0 Rapids, with Price named man of the match.

Back east, the Chicago Fire welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Richard Sanchez are in front of the nets. Romain Alessandrini of Los Angeles took a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-fifth minute. Brandon Vincent of Chicago had a yellow card for his forty-fifth minute foul. The Galaxy started in first half stoppage time on a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal, set up by Ashley Cole. Alan Gordon of the Fire took a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute foul. Los Angeles saw yellow cards assessed to Perry Kitchen in the seventy-seventh minute and Cole in the eighty-ninth minute, both for fouls. The final remained at 1-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for a four-save clean sheet.

Further east, DC United bring in the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen faces former teammate Steve Clark in goal. DC struck first in the first minute with a Ulises Segura goal, coming off of Paul Arriola and Luciano Acosta. Columbus saw a yellow card for dissent by Federico Higuain in the twenty-third minute. DC went down to ten men in the fifty-first minute as Arriola took a straight red card for a foul. DC's keeper Clark had a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-fourth minute, while the Crew's Jonathan Mensah had a yellow card in the same minute for a foul. DC held on for a 1-0 win, with Clark's five-save clean sheet making him the man of the match.

Up in New England, the Revolution host FC Dallas. Jimmy Maurer and Matt Turner are the inexperienced goalies. Dallas got going in the seventy-sixth minute on a Jacori Hayes goal, via Roland Lamah. This produced the 1-0 final, with the man of the match being Hayes.

Way out west, the Portland Timbers welcome Minnesota United FC. Matthew Lampson and Jake Gleeson are between the posts. Portland was first to score in the twentieth minute with an Alvas Powell goal, coming off of Larrys Mabiala. The Timbers added on with a Diego Valeri goal in the twenty-third minute, set up by Powell and Cristhian Paredes. Minnesota saw yellow cards for fouls by Rasmus Schuller in the thirty-fourth minute and Marc Burch in the thirty-ninth minute. Darwin Quintero got Minnesota on the board with his goal in the sixty-fourth minute, courtesy of Carter Manley. Portland reclaimed the lead on a Fanendo Adi goal in the seventy-fourth minute, made possible by Paredes and Valeri. Minnesota got one back on a Bill Poni Tuiloma own goal in the eighty-first minute. Ibson of Minnesota had a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. In stoppage time, Michael Boxall of Minnesota and Diego Chara of the Timbers received yellow cards for fouls. The final stayed at 3-2, with Paredes' two assists making him the man of the match.

Saturday ends in California, with the San Jose Earthquakes bringing in the Houston Dynamo. Chris Seitz and Andrew Tarbell make the starts in goal. San Jose drew first blood in the twenty-sixth minute on a Magnus Eriksson goal, via Jackson Yueill and Danny Hoesen. Francois Affolter of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-first minute. Tomas Martinez of Houston took a yellow card for his thirty-sixth minute foul. The Dynamo got on the board with a Martinez goal in the forty-eighth minute. Houston went ahead on a Mauro Manotas goal in the sixty-third minute, set up by Alberth Elis and Martinez. Elis of the Dynamo had a yellow card for his sixty-fifth minute foul. San Jose saw Chris Wondolowski take a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. The Earthquakes pulled even on a Jahmir Hyka goal in the eighty-fifth minute, assisted by Quincy Amarikwa. Houston received yellow cards for fouls by Adolfo Machado in the eighty-seventh minute and Darwin Ceren in stoppage time. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Martinez selected as man of the match.

On Sunday, Sporting Kansas City hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Tim Melia are the talented keepers. Jordan McCrary of Seattle had a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul. Kansas City kicked off the scoring in the thirty-fourth minute with an Ilie Sanchez penalty kick goal. Cristian Roldan of the Sounders took a yellow card for his dissent in the forty-fourth minute. Seattle tied it on a Will Bruin goal in first half stoppage time, assisted by Chad Marshall and Nicolas Lodeiro. Roger Espinoza of Sporting had a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul. The Sounders gained the lead with a Cristian Roldan goal in the seventy-third minute, via Bruin and Alex Roldan. Kansas City retied it on a seventy-eighth minute Graham Zusi goal, passed from Jimmy Medranda. Osvaldo Alonso of Seattle received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-fifth minute. Medrana took a yellow card for Sporting in second half stoppage time. The final held at 2-2, with the man of the match being Bruin.

Finally, Atlanta United FC hosts New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Brad Guzan are the veterans in goal. Atlanta dented the scoreboard in the twenty-ninth minute with a Greg Garza goal. New York City's Alexander Ring took a yellow card for his thirty-second minute foul. New York City tied it with a David Villa penalty kick goal in the thirty-eighth minute. Maximiliano Moralez of New York City had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the fifty-fifth minute. Atlanta regained the lead in the fifty-sixth minute with a Chris McCann goal, set up by Miguel Almiron. McCann took a yellow card in the seventieth minute for time wasting for Atlanta. New York City pulled even on a Ring goal in the seventy-third minute, coming off of Villa. New York City saw yellow cards for fouls by Yangel Herrera and Villa in the eightieth and eighty-ninth minutes, respectively. Jeff Larentowicz of Atlanta took a yellow card for his stoppage time foul. The game ended 2-2, with Villa the man of the match. 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 7 Midweek

Just one midweek game, the first of the season, on this Wednesday night. New York City FC hosts Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Sean Johnson are the veterans in goal. New York City struck first in the twelfth minute with an Ismael Tajouri goal. New York City added on with a Maximiliano Moralez penalty kick goal in the thirtieth minute. Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake had a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-second minute. New York City extended the lead as Jo Inge Berget scored in the forty-first minute, thanks to Jesus Medina and Ronald Matarrita. New York City padded the lead on an Ebenezer Ofori goal in the seventieth minute, passed from Moralez and Medina. The final held from here at 4-0, with the man of the match being Moralez.

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Sunday, April 8, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 6

Eight games only this weekend, beginning with one on Friday in...

New England, as the Revolution host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Matt Turner are the gloved men. Montreal went down to ten men in the fourteenth minute with a straight red card to Saphir Taider for violent conduct. New England led off in the twentieth minute with a Teal Bunbury goal, via Wilfried Zahibo. The Revolution added on in first half stoppage time with an Andrew Farrell goal, coming off of Diego Fagundez and Gabriel Somi. New England extended the lead as Fagundez scored his seventy-first minute, thanks to Kelyn Rowe and Juan Agudelo. The Revolution padded the lead on a Zahibo goal in the eightieth minute, courtesy of Rowe. Luis Caicedo of New England had a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. The Impact saw Jukka Raitala take a yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for his foul. The final held at 4-0, with the Fagundez named man of the match.

On Saturday, Atlanta United FC welcomes Los Angeles FC in the first of five games. Tyler Miller and Brad Guzan are in goal. Chris McCann of Atlanta had a yellow card for a foul in the first minute. Atlanta began in the seventeenth minute with a Julian Gressel goal, coming off of Miguel Almiron and Michael Parkhurst. Almiron received a yellow card for time wasting in the forty-eighth minute for Atlanta. Atlanta added on in the sixty-seventh minute with a Josef Martinez goal, via Gressel and Kevin Kratz. Atlanta extended the lead as Almiron made a penalty kick goal in the eighty-eighth minute. Los Angeles went down to ten men in stoppage time after two yellow cards to Joao Moutinho, one for a foul and one for a handball, leading to another penalty kick goal by Almiron. Atlanta kept going five minutes later with a Romario Williams goal, set up by Jeff Larentowicz. Williams took a yellow card for delay of game. The final stood at 5-0, with the man of the match being Almiron.

Up in Philadelphia, the Union host the San Jose Earthquakes. Andrew Tarbell and Andre Blake are in the six-yard boxes. David Accam of Philadelphia had a yellow card for a twenty-third minute foul. San Jose opened in the thirty-seventh minute with a Magnus Eriksson goal, coming off of Danny Hoesen and Anibal Godoy. The Earthquakes saw a yellow card in the fifty-sixth minute for a foul by Yefferson Quintana. The Union retied it in the sixty-fourth minute on an Alejandro Bedoya goal, passed from Fabrice-Jean Picault and Borek Dockal. San Jose's Chris Wondolowski took a yellow card for his eighty-second minute foul. Harold Cummings of the Earthquakes took a straight red card for violent conduct in stoppage time. The game remained in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match honors for Bedoya.

In Texas, FC Dallas beings in the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Jimmy Maurer receive the starts in goal. Dominique Badji of Colorado had a yellow card for his fifty-fourth minute foul. The Rapids got going in the sixty-second minute with a Joe Mason goal, set up by Badji. Matt Hedges of Dallas received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-sixth minute. Colorado saw yellow cards for Jack Price in the sixty-eighth minute and Johan Blomberg in the seventy-third minute, both for fouls. Dallas tied it in the eighty-ninth minute on a Cristian Colman goal, coming off of Mauro Diaz. The Rapids saw a yellow card for a Dillon Serna foul in stoppage time. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Diaz.

Back north, the Chicago Fire host the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Richard Sanchez are in between the posts. Chicago's Johan Kappelhof took a yellow card for a sixth minute foul. The Fire started in the twenty-seventh minute with a Nemanja Nikolic goal. Columbus had a yellow card for an Artur foul in the forty-seventh minute. Chicago saw yellow cards for time wasting by the keeper Sanchez in the ninetieth minute and a foul by Nikolic in stoppage time. The final held at 1-0, with Nikolic as the man of the match.

Saturday ends in Utah, with Real Salt Lake welcoming the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Nick Rimando are the gloved men. Salt Lake had yellow cards for fouls by Adam Henley in the seventeenth minute and Marcelo Silva in the twenty-eighth minute. Real dented the scoreboard in first half stoppage time with a Luis Silva goal, set up by Brooks Lennon. Salt Lake took yellow cards for fouls by Justen Glad in the fifty-sixth minute and Lennon in the seventy-fifth minute. Kendall Waston of Vancouver took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-eighth minute. Real added on in the eighty-eighth minute with a Jefferson Savarino goal, passed from Corey Baird and Damir Kreilach. The Whitecaps got on the board in second half stoppage time with a Brek Shea goal, via Kei Kamara. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Savarino.

On Sunday, the Portland Timbers host Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Jake Gleeson protect the woodwork. Sebastian Blanco of Portland had a yellow card for a foul in the eighth minute. The Timbers struck first in the twentieth minute with a Diego Valeri penalty kick goal. Orlando City's Mohamed El-Munir took a yellow card for his twenty-eighth minute foul. Portland added on in the fifty-ninth minute with a Bill Poni Tuiloma goal, set up by Valeri. The Timbers' keeper Gleeson had a yellow card for time wasting in the seventy-seventh minute. Orlando City got on the board in the eightieth minute with a Chris Mueller goal, coming off of Yoshimar Yotun. Orlando City tied it on a Sacha Kljestan penalty kick goal in the eighty-second minute. Orlando City pulled ahead with a Dominic Dwyer goal in the eighty-seventh minute, via RJ Allen. Orlando City's Dwyer took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The final held at 3-2, with Dwyer's winning in the comeback earning him man of the match honors.

Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and David Bingham guard the nets. Daniel Steres of Los Angeles had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-fifth minute. Kansas City drew first blood in the fifty-sixth minute with a Daniel Salloi goal. Sporting added on with a Johnny Russell goal in the sixty-first minute, via Roger Espinoza. The Galaxy had a yellow card for a Jonathan dos Santos foul in the seventy-seventh minute. Kansas City's Espinoza had a yellow card for his eighty-second minute foul. The final was 2-0, with the man of the match being Salloi.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 180

The NHL regular season ends quietly with the Boston Bruins hosting the Florida Panthers in a make-up game. James Reimer and Tuukka Rask start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Henrik Borgstrom goal, passed from Frank Vatrano. Boston tied it on a David Backes goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Kevan Miller and David Krejci. The Panthers took the lead back with a Vatrano goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Jared McCann and Jamie McGinn. Florida added on in the second period with a Maxim Mamin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Denis Malgin and Keith Yandle. The Bruins got one back in the third period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Ryan Donato. The Panthers capped it at 4-2 with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, helped along by McCann. The three stars were Vatrano, McCann, and Mamin.

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Saturday, April 7, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 179

It's the last Saturday of the NHL regular season. We have fifteen games today, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Brian Elliott are the experienced goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia extended the lead as Michael Raffl scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Radko Gudas and Brandon Manning. The Flyers padded the lead on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, assisted by Raffl. Philadelphia iced it at 5-0 when Giroux completed his hat trick in the third period on his thirty-fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Travis Sanheim. The three stars belonged to Giroux, Raffl, and Couturier.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins welcome the Ottawa Senators. Danny Taylor and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene and Colin White. Boston tied it in the second period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The Bruins took the lead with an unassisted Tommy Wingels goal, his ninth of the season. Boston added on with a Danton Heinen goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Brian Gionta and Adam McQuaid. The Senators got one back with a Dzingel goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, passed from White and Christian Wolanin. The Bruins countered with a Noel Acciari goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Tim Schaller and Zdeno Chara. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a David Backes empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Heinen. The three stars were Heinen, Dzingel, and White.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Jared Coreau draw the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Gustav Nyquist. New York tied it on an Andrew Ladd goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Cal Clutterbuck and Thomas Hickey. The Red Wings retook the lead with a Justin Abdelkader power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit added on in the third period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Anthony Mantha and Xavier Ouellet. The Islanders got one back with an Anders Lee goal, his fortieth of the season, passed from Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. New York tied it on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Barzal and Josh Bailey. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime on a John Tavares goal, his thirty-seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Pulock. The three stars went to Pulock, Barzal, and Zetterberg.

To the south, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Cam Ward are the mediocre goalies. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Justin Williams and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Hurricanes added on with a Williams goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Di Giuseppe and Noah Hanifin. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Ryan Callahan goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, via Victor Hedman and Chris Kunitz. The Lightning tied it in the third period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by J.T. Miller and Tyler Johnson. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Teuvo Teravainen and Haydn Fleury. The three stars went to Williams, Di Giuseppe, and Lindholm.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Montreal tied it on a Daniel Carr goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, made possible by Michael McCarron and Kerby Rychel. The Maple Leafs took the lead back in the third period with a Zach Hyman goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Matthews and Gardiner. Toronto added on with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, with helpers from Tyler Bozak and Morgan Rielly. The Canadiens got one back on a Mike Reilly power play goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Brendan Gallagher. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Matthews, Gardiner, and Kadri.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington started in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-eighth of the season, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his twentieth of the year, via Patrick Maroon and Damon Severson. The Capitals took the lead back on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Brett Connolly and John Carlson. Washington added on in the second period with a Michal Kempny goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Shane Gersich and Chandler Stephenson. The Devils got one back with a Miles Wood goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Maroon and Pavel Zacha. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Maroon goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Pavel Zacha and Wood. The Capitals regained the lead on another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and forty-ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington capped it at 5-3 with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Kempny and Backstrom. The three stars went to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Kempny, while Maroon, Wood, and Zacha get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on with a Colton Sceviour goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Frank Vatrano. Florida extended the lead as Nick Bjugstad scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Evgenii Dadonov and Jared McCann. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Jason Pominville goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Evan Rodrigues and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres got closer on a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Brendan Guhle. The Panthers replied with a Trocheck empty net goal, his thirty-first of the year, set up by Sceviour. Buffalo got one back with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jack Eichel. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Trocheck, Sceviour, and Bjugstad.

Back north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. The Jets added on in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg extended the lead as Andrew Copp, scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev. The Jets padded the lead on a Copp shorthanded goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Joel Armia. Chicago got on the board with a Brent Seabrook goal, his seventh of the campaign, passed from Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy. This produced the final score of 4-1, with the three stars given to Copp, Hellebuyck (30 for 31 in saves), and Connor.

Southeast to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Mike Fisher. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Scott Hartnell and Ryan Johansen. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg scored another power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Craig Smith and Kyle Turris. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Mark Letestu. The Blue Jackets got closer in the third period with a shorthanded Brandon Dubinsky goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Markus Hannikainen and Scott Harrington. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Forsberg empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Forsberg, Watson, and Dubinsky.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Colorado led off in the first period with a Samuel Girard goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Blake Comeau and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. St. Louis got on the board with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn. Colorado replied on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, passed from Landeskog. The Avalanche extended the lead as Landeskog scored his twenty-fifth of the season into an empty net, with the help of MacKinnon. The Blues got one back with a Schenn goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, fueled by Schwartz and Patrik Berglund. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Matt Nieto, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Soderberg. The three stars were Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Soderberg, while Schwartz and Schenn get the honorable mentions.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Anaheim began in the first period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Rakell goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Josh Manson. Anaheim iced it at 3-0 with a Hampus Lindholm empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Henrique. The three stars went to Miller (31 save shutout), Henrique, and Rakell.

Way to the north, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver tied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Brendan Leipsic and Michael Del Zotto. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Tyler Motte goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brandon Sutter and Darren Archibald. The Oilers retied it on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from McDavid and Darnell Nurse. In the shootout, McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl lifted the Oilers 3-2 over Daniel Sedin and Jokinen. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Also in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Jon Gillies. Calgary started in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Micheal Ferland. The Flames added on with a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Gaudreau and Michael Stone. Calgary extended the lead as Jankowski scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, thanks to Nick Shore and Troy Brouwer. Vegas got on the board in the second period with a Cody Eakin goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames answered with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Matt Stajan and Curtis Lazar. Calgary padded the lead with a Spencer Foo goal, his second of the year, passed from Mikael Backlund and Matt Bartkowski. The Flames continued as Jankowski completed his hat trick with a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his sixteenth of the season. Calgary kept going against Malcolm Subban in the third period with a Jankowski power play goal, his fourth of the night and seventeenth of the year, powered by Brouwer and Shore. Calgary won 7-1, with the three stars given to Jankowski, Gaudreu, and Shore, while Brouwer gets an honorable mention.

South to California, as the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jonathan Quick are the veterans in goal. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Alexander Radulov and Esa Lindell. Dallas extended the lead as Benn scored his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, with the help of Radulov and Tyler Seguin. The Stars padded the lead on another Benn goal, completing his hat trick with his thirty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Radulov, who got a sock trick, and John Klingberg. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Kyle Clifford and Jeff Carter. The Kings got closer with another Martinez goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Michael Amadio and Tyler Toffoli. This produced the eventual 4-2 final score, with the three stars going to Benn, Radulov, and Martinez.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Martin Jones tend the twines. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Tyler Ennis. The Wild added on with a Matt Cullen goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Ennis and Louis Belpedio. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Marcus Sorensen. The Sharks tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Mikkel Boedker. Minnesota regained the lead in the second period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler. The Wild extended the lead as Jason Zucker scored his thirty-second of the year, thanks to Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. Minnesota padded the lead on another Zucker goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, guided in by Niederreiter and Belpedio. San Jose got one back in the third period on a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Dylan DeMelo and Burns. The Wild iced it at 6-3 with an Eric Staal empty net goal, his forty-second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Zucker, Neiderreiter, and Ennis, while Burns and Belpedio get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, April 6, 2018

NHL 2017-18 Day 178

Just four games on tonight in hockey, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Casey DeSmith are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Kessel scored his thirty-fourth of the season, thanks to Riley Sheahan and Jamie Oleksiak. The Penguins capped it at 4-0 with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of Crosby and Kris Letang. The three stars were Crosby, Kessel, and DeSmith (35 save shutout).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde. Buffalo tied it on a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, powered by Marco Scandella and Evan Rodrigues. The Lightning took the lead back with an unassisted Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-ninth of the year. The Sabres tied it again with an Alexander Nylander goal, via Brendan Guhle and Rasmus Ristolainen. Tampa Bay retook the lead on a Gourde goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Dan Girardi goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Buffalo pulled back on a Jason Pominville goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Guhle and Rodrigues. The Sabres tied it with a Jordan Nolan goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Johan Larsson. Buffalo took the lead with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with helpers from Jack Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. Tampa Bay tied it again in the third period with another Cirelli goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Killorn and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning regained the lead with a Brayden Point goal, his thirty-second of the season, fueled by Killorn, who got a sock trick, and Gourde. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-5 with a Victor Hedman empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Vasilevskiy. The three stars were Gourde, Killorn, and Cirelli, while Kucherov, Guhle, and Rodrigues get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Jean-Francois Berube are between the pipes. St. Louis started in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Joel Edmundson and Kyle Brodziak. Chicago tied it in the third period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz. The Blues retook the lead on another Berglund goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, guided in by Brodziak and Robert Bortuzzo. St. Louis added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Berglund, his seventeenth of the campaign completing his hat trick, going in unassisted. The three stars were Berglund, Brodziak, and Hutton (19 for 20 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Dallas Stars. Mike McKenna and Ryan Miller are the backups covering for injured starters. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Josh Manson and Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique. Dallas got on the board with a Marc Methot goal, via Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn. Anaheim replied with a Derek Grant goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Silfverberg and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks extended the lead in the second period as Manson scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Stars got one back with a Radek Faksa goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Greg Pateryn and Tyler Pitlick. Dallas got closer in the third period with a Benn goal, his thirty-third of the year, fueled by John Klingberg. Anaheim replied with a Cogliano goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars going to Cogliano, Silfverberg, and Manson, while Getzlaf and Benn get the honorable mentions.

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