Sunday, October 7, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 5

Three games on Sunday to close the first weekend of the season. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Petr Mrazek play in goal. New York began in the first period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider goal, passed from Brett Howden and Vladislav Namestnikov. Carolina got on the board with a Warren Foegele goal, coming off of Justin Williams and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes tied it with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the season, fueled by Williams and Jordan Staal. New York regained the lead in the second period with another Vesey goal, via Brady Skjei and Filip Chytil. Carolina tied it again with a Staal goal, his second of the year, helped along by Foegele and Jaccob Slavin. The Rangers pulled ahead with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Hayes. The Hurricanes equalized again with a Micheal Ferland goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Justin Faulk. New York took the lead once more with a Kreider goal, his second of the game, made possible by DeAngelo and Fast. Carolina retied it on a Lucas Wallmark goal, guided in by Martinook and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes finally took a lead of their own on a Svechnikov goal, with helpers from Faulk and Calvin de Haan. Carolina extended the lead as Foegele scored his second of the game, with the help of Williams, who got a sock trick, and Staal. The Hurricanes capped it at 8-5 with a Teuvo Teravainen power play empty net goal, set up by Sebastian Aho and Ferland. The three stars were Foegele, Svechnikov, and Williams, while Staal, Martinook, Ferland, Faulk, Kreider, Vesey, Hayes, Fast, and DeAngelo receive honorable mentions.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Cam Ward are set to start in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dominik Kahun and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his second of the year, via Kahun and Keith. Toronto got on the board with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, with a lone assist by Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs tied it with a Matthews goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kapanen. Toronto took the lead in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his second of the year, made possible by Zach Hyman and Morgan Rielly. Chicago tied it again with a John Hayden goal, courtesy of Henri Jokiharju and Keith, the latter earning a sock trick. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead again with a Tavares power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Rielly. The Blackhawks equalized in the third period on a Brandon Manning goal, passed from Brent Seabrook and Chris Kunitz. Toronto restored the lead when Tavares finished his hat trick on his fourth of the year, assisted by Marner. Chicago tied it again with a Patrick Kane goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jokiharju and Nick Schmaltz. The Maple Leafs surged ahead on a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with assists provided by Patrick Marleau and Jake Gardiner. The Blackhawks pulled even on a Kane goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, fueled by Jokiharju, who got a sock trick, and Schmaltz. Toronto won 7-6 in overtime with a Rielly goal, his second of the year, dished from Marleau and Matthews. The three stars were awarded to Matthews, Tavares, and Kane, while Kapanen, Marleau, Marner, Rielly, Schmaltz, Jokiharju, Kohun, and Keith all get honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Jack Campbell are the backups in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his second of the season, via Ilya Kovalchuk and Jake Muzzin. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha power play goal, powered by Andreas Athanasiou and Dennis Cholowski. The Kings took the lead back with a Paul LaDue goal, coming off of Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles added on in the third period with an Alex Iafallo goal, courtesy of Kovalchuk. The Red Wings got one back with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, with assists provided by Gustav Nyquist and Cholowski. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Iafallo, his second of the game, set up by Toffoli and Alec Martinez. The three stars were Iafallo, Kovalchuk, and Toffoli, while Cholowski gets an honorable mention.

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Saturday, October 6, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 4

We're back for the first Saturday games of the season, totaling twelve on the day. First up...

The New Jersey Devils are the listed host against the Edmonton Oilers in Gothenburg, Sweden. Cam Talbot and Keith Kinkaid make the starts in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, via Damon Severson. Edmonton tied it on a Milan Lucic power play goal, powered by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Devils retook the lead in the second period with a Palmieri power play goal, his second of the game, coming off of Will Butcher and Nico Hischier. New Jersey added on with a Travis Zajac goal, with a lone helper by Miles Wood. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Zajac scored his second of the game, with the help of Woods again. The Oilers pulled back on a Draisaitl goal, made possible by Lucic and McDavid. New Jersey capped it at 5-2 with a Stefan Noesen empty net goal, set up by Sami Vatanen and Mirco Mueller.

At the regular times, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Carter Hutton man the nets. Buffalo began in the first period with a Conor Sheary power play goal, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres added on in the second period with another Sheary power play goal, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. New York got on the board in the third period with a Brett Howden goal, via Adam McQuaid and Ryan Spooner. Buffalo finished it at 3-1 with an unassisted empty net goal by Eichel. The three stars were Sheary, Hutton (43 for 44 in saves), and Eichel.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Dallas opened in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his second of the season, made possible by Tyler Seguin and Connor Carrick. The Stars added on with a Seguin power play goal, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba. Dallas replied with a Benn power play goal, with helpers from Spezza and Radulov. The Stars extended the lead as Benn scored another power play goal in the third period, thanks to Seguin and John Klingberg. Dallas padded the lead on a Seguin goal, his second of the game, fueled by Radulov. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Benn, Radulov, and Seguin, while Spezza and Bishop (32 for 33 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Northeast again, as the New York Islanders host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, via Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, assisted by Josh Bailey. The Predators retook the lead with a Mattias Ekholm goal, passed from Subban and Colton Sissons. The Islanders tied it again in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Tanner Fritz and Luca Sbisa. Nashville pulled ahead again with a Craig Smith goal, helped along by Kyle Turris and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game, fueled by Ryan Johansen and Anthony Bitetto. New York got one back with an Anders Lee power play goal, powered by Bailey and Barzal. This only made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Arvidsson, Subban, and Barzal, while Bailey gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mayy Murray protect the nets. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on with a Paul Byron goal, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Jeff Petry. Montreal extended the lead as Byron scored again in the second period, thanks to Max Domi and Lehkonen. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Joel Armia shorthanded goal, set up by Byron and Petry. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Riley Sheahan goal, assisted by Kris Letang and Daniel Sprong. Montreal answered in the third period with a Charles Hudon goal, with a lone assist by Andrew Shaw. This produced the 5-1 final score, with the three stars being Byron, Lehkonen, and Petry.

Way to the south, a Florida battle has the Tampa Bay Lightning bringing in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jacob MacDonald goal, helped along by Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau. Luongo exited the game injured in the middle of the second period. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a shorthanded Anthony Cirelli goal, set up by Ryan McDonagh. In the shootout, J.T. Miller and Nikita Kucherov secured the 2-1 win for the Lightning. The three stars went to Cirelli, Vasilevskiy (42 for 43 in saves), and McDonagh.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Frederik Andersen are the similarly named goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Dylan DeMelo goal, coming off of Zack Smith and Thomas Chabot. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Morgan Rielly goal, helped along by Mitchell Marner and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his third of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Tyler Ennis. The Senators retied it with a Chabot goal, passed from Mikkel Boedker and Smith. Ottawa pulled ahead with a Chris Tierney goal, fueled by Ryan Dzingel. Toronto retied it on a Marner power play goal, powered by Matthews and Rielly. The Senators regained the lead in the third period with another Chabot goal, made possible by Bobby Ryan and the goalie Anderson. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 with a Mark Stone empty net goal, set up by Matt Duchene. The three stars were awarded to Chabot, Marner, and Matthews, while Smith and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Jake Allen are in the creases. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Colton Parayko power play goal, powered by Pat Maroon and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, with a lone assist by O'Reilly. Chicago got on the board with a Jonathan Toews goal, his second of the season, via Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his second of the year, fueled by Nick Schmaltz. Chicago pulled ahead with a Marcus Kruger goal, helped along by Kane and Schmaltz. St. Louis retied it in the third period with a Tarasenko power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Maroon and O'Reilly, the latter earning a sock trick. The Blues went ahead on a Chris Butler goal, guided in by Jaden Schwartz. The Blackhawks tied it again with another Toews goal, his second of the game and third of the season, courtesy of Henri Jokiharju and DeBrincat. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime with a Toews goal to complete a hat trick, with a lone helper by Brandon Saad. The three stars belonged to Toews, Kane, and Tarasenko, while Schmaltz, DeBrincat, O'Reilly, and Maroon get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, made possible by Charlie Coyle. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Max Pacioretty goal, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Colin Miller. The tie went to a shootout, where Erik Haula gave the Golden Knights a 2-1 win on his lone tally. The three stars were Fleury (29 for 30 in saves), Dubnyk (41 for 42 in saves), and Pacioretty.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Semyon Varlamov are the average goalies. Colorado started in the first period with a Colin Wilson goal, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and Erik Johnson. Philadelphia tied it with a Sean Couturier goal, made possible by Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. The Avalanche retook the lead with a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the season, assisted by Samuel Girard. The Flyers tied it again in the second period with a Mikhail Vorobyev goal, going in unassisted. Colorado regained the lead with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Johnson. The Avalanche added on with a Wilson power play goal in the third period, his second of the game, powered by Carl Soderberg and Kerfoot. Colorado finished with a 5-2 win on a MacKinnon empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Mikko Rantanen and Johnson, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Wilson, Johnson, and MacKinnon, while Kerfoot takes the honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Antti Raanta have the green light to start in goal. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Max Comtois goal, via Cam Fowler and Jakob Silfverberg. This was the only goal in the Ducks' 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Gibson (41 save shutout), Comtois, and Raanta (19 for 20 in saves).

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith are the goalies. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, via T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nikolay Goldobin and Loui Eriksson. The Canucks took the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Brandon Sutter goal. The Flames retied it on a Giordano goal, fueled by Brodie and Lindholm. Vancouver pulled ahead again in the second period with a Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, powered by Alexander Edler and Bo Horvat. Calgary tied it again with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, with assists provided by Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk. The Canucks took the lead again with a Horvat power play goal, with helpers from Pettersson and Edler. The Flames tied it once again with a Monahan power play goal, his second of the season, guided in by Gaudreau and Tkachuk. Calgary took the lead with a Lindholm power play goal, his second of the game, helped along by Gaudreau and Tkachuk. The Flames added on with an Austin Czarnik empty net goal, set up by Giordano. Calgary iced it at 7-4 with a shorthanded and unassisted Michael Frolik goal into an empty net. The three stars went to Lindholm, Pettersson, and Gaudreau, while Giordano, Brodie, Horvat, Monahan, Edler, and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, October 5, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 3

Just a pair of games on tonight in a slow day of hockey. We begin with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets welcoming the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, via Andrei Svechnikov. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, passed from David Savard. The Hurricanes retook the lead in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Micheal Ferland. Carolina added on in the third period with a Ferland goal, with a lone assist from Aho. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Aho, McElhinney (31 for 32 in saves), and Ferland.

On the west coast, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. San Jose started in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, courtesy of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with an Evander Kane goal, his second of the season, via Antti Suomela and Joonas Donskoi. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, assisted by Alex Iafallo and Derek Forbort. The Kings tied it in the second period on a Tyler Toffoli goal, guided in by Tanner Pearson. San Jose won 3-2 with a Kevin Labanc goal in overtime, made possible by Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson. The three stars went to Labanc, Kane, and Meier.

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Thursday, October 4, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 2

The second day of hockey season features ten games as more teams kick off their seasons. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Carter Hutton play in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Zdeno Chara goal, coming off of Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on with a Ryan Donato power play goal, powered by Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Boston extended the lead in the second period as David Pastrnak scored, thanks to David Krejci and Marchand, the latter earning a sock trick. The Bruins capped it at 4-0 with a Bergeron shorthanded empty net goal, set up by Marchand. The three stars were Marchand, Halak (32 save shutout), and Bergeron.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Petr Mrazek are the starting goalies. New York got going in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, passed from Brock Nelson. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, coming off of Dougie Hamilton and Sebastian Aho. The Islanders won 2-1 in overtime with a Josh Bailey power play goal, powered by Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. The three stars were Greiss (45 for 46 in saves), Bailey, and Filppula.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Matt Murray are between the pipes. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Washington tied it with a Jakub Vrana goal, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals pulled ahead on a Brooks Orpik goal, going in unassisted. The Penguins retied it on a Jake Guentzel power play goal, powered by Daniel Sprong and Justin Schultz. Washington regained the lead with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his second of the season, made possible by Christian Djoos and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Pittsburgh tied it again in the second period on a Kris Letang goal, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin. The Capitals pulled ahead with a John Carlson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Brett Connolly. The Penguins evened it on a Guentzel goal, his second of the game, fueled by Schultz and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Derick Brassard goal, with helpers from Dominik Simon and Dumoulin. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Malkin goal, coming off of Letang and Crosby. Washington pulled back with an Oshie goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The Capitals tied it with another Oshie goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with a lone helper from Carlson. Pittsburgh won 7-6 in overtime with a Letang goal, dished from Malkin and Kessel on the power play. The three stars belonged to Letang, Malkin, and Oshie, while Carlson, Crosby, Kessel, Guentzel, Schultz, and Dumoulin get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jimmy Howard are in the blue paint. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Artemi Panarin. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Dennis Cholowski goal, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a Josh Anderson goal, via Brandon Dubinsky and Anthony Duclair. The Red Wings tied it again with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, with assists provided by Larkin and Nyquist. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime with a Panarin goal, made possible by Nick Foligno and Markus Nutivaara. The three stars went to Panarin, Larkin, and Nyquist.

East again to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Nashville Predators. Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, courtesy of Kyle Turris and Craig Smith. New York tied it on a Jesper Fast goal, fueled by Filip Chytil. The Predators took the lead back in the third period with a P.K. Subban goal, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Colton Sissons. Nashville added on with a Sissons empty net goal, set up by Ryan Ellis and Ekholm. The Rangers got one back on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, guided in by Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars given to Sissons, Ekholm, and Rinne (34 for 36 in saves).

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Craig Anderson are the experienced goalies. Chicago started in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it on a Zack Smith goal, passed from Colin White and Thomas Chabot. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Jonathan Toews goal, guided in by Erik Gustafsson. The Senators tied it again with a Maxime Lajoie goal, helped along by Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. Ottawa took the lead with a White power play goal, powered by Lajoie and Chris Tierney. Chicago retied it in the third period on a Brent Seabrook goal, made possible by Patrick Kane and David Kampf. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Kane goal, with a lone assist by Toews. The three stars went to Kane, Toews, and Lajoie, while White gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen guard the cages. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, powered by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on in the third period with a shorthanded Adam Lowry goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg extended the lead as Wheeler scored, with the help of Kyle Connor and Scheifele. The Jets padded the lead on a Connor goal, passed from Jacob Trouba and Laine. Winnipeg kept going with a Brandon Tanev goal, fueled by Jack Roslovic and Kristian Vesalainen. St. Louis got on the board with a Vince Dunn goal, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak. This produced the 5-1 final score, with the three stars given to Hellebuyck (41 for 42 in saves), Laine, and Wheeler, while Connor and Scheifele get honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Ben Bishop are the solid goalies. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Devin Shore goal, guided in by Radek Faksa and Connor Carrick. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, fueled by Jamie Benn and Carrick. Dallas extended the lead as John Klingberg scored, thanks to Esa Lindell and Benn. This made it 3-0, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Bishop (30 save shutout), Carrick, and Benn.

Northwest to Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Semyon Varlamov get the starting nods in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, courtesy of Mikko Koivu and Nino Niederreiter. Colorado tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, via Matt Nieto. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal in the second period, made possible by Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Nemeth. Colorado added on with a Rantanen empty net goal, set up by Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 with a J.T. Compher power play empty net goal, powered by Alexander Kerfoot and Carl Soderberg. The three stars belonged to Rantanen, Varlamov (20 for 21 in saves), and MacKinnon.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Marc-Andre Fleury occupy the creases. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, assisted by Jon Merrill and the goalie Fleury. Philadelphia tied it on an Oskar Lindblom goal, made possible by Travis Sanheim and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds goal, helped along by Robert Hagg. Philadelphia added on with a Simmonds power play goal in the second period, his second of the game, powered by Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers extended the lead as Hagg scored, with the help of James van Riemsdyk and Mikhail Vorobyev. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Scott Laughton goal, guided in by Radko Gudas and Michael Raffl. Malcolm Subban replaced Fleury in goal. The Golden Knights got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal in the third period. This only got them to a 5-2 loss, with the three stars given to Simmonds, Hagg, and Voracek.

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Wednesday, October 3, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 1

We're back for a brand new NHL season, with the first puck drop being today. While it may struggle to match some of last year's surprises, the attempt to write new stories starts in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Montreal started in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, assisted by Max Domi and Paul Byron. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, via Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri on the power play. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a John Tavares goal, coming off of Kadri and Travis Dermott. The Canadiens retied it on an Andrew Shaw power play goal, powered by Domi and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with another Matthews goal, courtesy of Patrick Marleau and Jake Gardiner. The three stars were Matthews, Kadri, and Domi.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington opened in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals added on with an unassisted Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal. Washington extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin scored a power play goal in the second period, with the help of Backstrom and Oshie. The Capitals padded the lead on a Nic Dowd goal, via Nathan Walker and Devante Smith-Pelly. Washington chased Rask with a Kuznetsov power play goal, his second of the game, with helpers from John Carlson and the goalie Holtby. Jaroslav Halak came on in relief. The Capitals continued with a Carlson power play goal, made possible by Ovechkin and Backstrom, the latter earning a sock trick. Washington struck again in the third period on a Lars Eller goal, guided in by Chandler Stephenson and Brooks Orpik. This stood for a 7-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Oshie, while Ovechkin, Carlson, and Holtby (25 save shutout) get honorable mentions.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Vancouver began in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, made possible by Loui Eriksson and Nikolay Goldobin. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Goldobin goal, coming off of Pettersson and Eriksson. Vancouver extended the lead as Brendan Leipsic scored, thanks to Jay Beagle and Erik Gudbranson. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, assisted by Austin Czarnik and Noah Hanifin. The Canucks replied with a Jake Virtanen goal, passed from Brandon Sutter and Christopher Tanev. The Flames replied with a Sean Monahan goal, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and James Neal. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Tyler Motte empty net goal, set up by Markus Granlund. The three stars were Pettersson, Goldobin, and Eriksson. 

Finally, opening day ends with the San Jose Sharks hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Martin Jones are the masked men. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, fueled by Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg. San Jose tied it on an Evander Kane goal, coming off of Justin Braun. The Sharks took the lead in the second period on a Tomas Hertl shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Ducks tied it again with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, powered by Silfverberg and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Brandon Montour goal, made possible by Rakell and Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Henrique power play goal, with helpers from Silfverberg, who got a sock trick, and Rakell. Anaheim capped it at 5-2 with a Carter Rowney empty net goal, set up by Ben Street and Kiefer Sherwood. The three stars belonged to Rakell, Silfverberg, and Henrique, while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.

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Sunday, September 30, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 31

Another full weekend of games awaits, beginning on Saturday with nine games, the first being...

The Chicago Fire hosting Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Stefan Cleveland are set to start in goal. Chicago began in the twentieth minute with a Djordje Mihailovic goal, assisted by Brandon Vincent. Dax McCarty of the Fire had a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Chicago added on with a Nemanja Nikolic penalty kick goal in the twenty-ninth minute. The Fire's Nikolic received a yellow card for not retreating in the fifty-sixth minute. Chicago extended the lead as Aleksandar Katai scored in the sixty-sixth minute, thanks to Mihailovic and Nikolic. Los Angeles got on the board with a Diego Rossi goal in the seventy-third minute, coming off of Lee Nguyen. The Fire saw yellow cards for fouls by Brandt Bronico in the seventy-ninth minute and Johan Kappelhof in stoppage time, and another for dissent by Katai in stoppage time. Chicago held on to win 3-1, with Mihailovic named man of the match.

Out west, the Seattle Sounders FC welcome the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Stefan Frei protect the nets. Seattle led off in the twenty-second minute with a Raul Ruidiaz goal, via Nicolas Lodeiro and Cristian Roldan. Kortne Ford of Colorado had a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute foul. The Sounders' Osvaldo Alonso received a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. In the thirty-eighth minute, the Rapids' Tommy Smith took a yellow card for his foul, as did teammate Jack Price in the fortieth minute. Seattle added on in the fifty-second minute with a Lodeiro penalty kick goal. Enzo Martinez of Colorado picked up a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-fourth minute. The Sounders extended the lead as Ruidiaz scored again in the seventy-third minute, with the help of Lodeiro and Victor Rodriguez. Seattle padded the lead on a Rodriguez goal in the eightieth minute, courtesy of Kelvin Leerdam. This produced the 4-0 final score, with Lodeiro earning man of the match honors.

Back east, DC United brings in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Bill Hamid are in goal. DC started in the seventeenth minute with a Luciano Acosta goal, courtesy of Yamil Asad. The Black and Red added on in the forty-eighth minute with a Wayne Rooney goal, via Acosta and Asad. DC extended the lead as Paul Arriola scored in the sixty-first minute, thanks to Acosta and Rooney. The Black and Red padded the lead in the seventy-eighth minute with another goal by Arriola, set up by Acosta, who gets a sock trick for his third assist. DC capped it at 5-0 with a second goal by Rooney in the eighty-second minute. The man of the match was Acosta, amid great performances from the entire DC attack.

In Columbus, the Crew SC host the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Zack Steffen man the nets. Philadelphia had yellow cards for fouls by Fabinho and Alejandro Bedoya in the eighty-fifth and eighty-eighth minutes, respectively. The game ended in an uneventful 0-0 draw, with Blake's two-save clean sheet enough to make him the man of the match.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC welcome the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and Alexander Bono are between the sticks. New England opened in the tenth minute with a Cristian Penilla goal, assisted by Luis Caicedo. Scott Caldwell of the Revolution had a yellow card for his eighteenth minute foul. In the twenty-seventh minute, Toronto's Justin Morrow took a yellow card for a foul. The Reds tied it on a thirty-sixth minute Sebastian Giovinco goal, via Victor Vazquez. Jonathan Osorio of Toronto had a yellow card for an argument in the thirty-ninth minute. The Reds took the lead in the fifty-third minute with a Lucas Janson goal. Toronto added on with a Vazquez penalty kick goal in the fifty-eighth minute. Auro of the Reds took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-fifth minute. Toronto extended the lead as Marco Delgado scored in the eighty-first minute. This stood for a 4-1 win, with Vazquez picked as man of the match.

Southwest and stateside, Minnesota United FC brings in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Bobby Shuttleworth are the experienced keepers. Minnesota struck first in the twentieth minute with an Angelo Rodriguez goal, coming off of Miguel Ibarra and Darwin Quintero. Alexander Ring of New York City had a yellow card for a twenty-first minute foul. The Loons added on in the thirty-sixth minute with another Rodriguez goal. Minnesota's Collen Warner took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. In the fifty-fourth minute, the Loons' Francisco Calvo had a yellow card for his foul. Minnesota went down to ten men in the seventy-sixth minute as Warner received his second yellow card and ejection for a foul. The Loons' keeper Shuttleworth picked up a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-ninth minute. The Pigeons got on the board in second half stoppage time with a Rodney Wallace goal. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Rodriguez's brace making him the man of the match.

In Texas, the Houston Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes. Andrew Tarbell and Joe Willis are in the six-yard boxes. Guram Kashia of San Jose took a yellow card for an eleventh minute foul. The Earthquakes were first to score in the thirty-seventh minute with a Chris Wondolowski penalty kick goal. San Jose added on when Houston's Alejandro Fuenmayor committed an own goal in the forty-fifth minute. Tomas Martinez of the Dynamo took a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. Houston got on the board with a Mauro Manotas goal in the fifty-sixth minute, via Martinez. The Dynamo tied it on a Martinez goal in the sixty-eighth minute. Houston took the lead in the eighty-seventh minute with a Romell Qiuoto goal. This stood for a 3-2 win, with Martinez earning man of the match honors for spearheading the comeback.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Galaxy welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps. Stefan Marinovic and David Bingham play in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the fourth minute with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty kick goal. The Galaxy's Rolf Feltscher took a yellow card for his thirty-seventh minute foul. Los Angeles added on in the fifty-eighth minute with an Ibrahimovic goal, assisted by Feltscher. The Galaxy extended the lead as Romain Alessandrini scored a penalty kick goal in the seventy-seventh minute. Vancouver had a yellow card for a Cristian Techera foul in stoppage time. The final was 3-0, with Ibrahimovic as the man of the match.

Saturday ends in Portland as the Timbers bring in FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Jeff Attinella are the gloved men. Dallas had a yellow card for an argument by Carlos Gruezo in the seventy-second minute, as well as a foul by Matt Hedges in the seventy-fifth minute and time wasting by Gonzalez in the eighty-second minute. In the eighty-eighth minute, Steve Clark had to replace Attinella in the Portland goal. The Timbers went down to ten men in stoppage time as Liam Ridgewell received a straight red card for violent conduct. Three minutes later, Diego Chara of Portland received a yellow card for a foul. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with Gonzalez named man of the match for a three-save clean sheet.

On Sunday, the New York Red Bulls host Atlanta United FC in a massive top-of-the-table battle. Brad Guzan and Luis Robles are the keepers. Atlanta saw a yellow card for a handball by Chris McCann in the thirty-eighth minute. New York drew first blood in the thirty-ninth minute with a Daniel Royer penalty kick goal. The Five Stripes' Julian Gressel received a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul. Tim Parker of the Red Bulls took a yellow card in first half stoppage time for his foul. New York added on in the seventy-fourth minute with a Parker goal, via Alex Muyl and Marc Rzatkowski. Michael Parkhurst of Atlanta took a yellow card for dissent in the seventy-ninth minute. The Red Bulls had yellow cards for time wasting by Andreas Ivan in the eighty-eighth minute and Derrick Etienne in second half stoppage time.

Finally, Sporting Kansas City hosts Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Tim Melia patrol the penalty areas. Salt Lake cracked the scoresheet in the ninth minute with a Corey Baird goal, via Jefferson Savarino. Kansas City tied it on an Ike Opara goal in the fifty-second minute, courtesy of Johnny Russell. Felipe Gutierrez of Sporting had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the seventy-fourth minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Opara for his equalizer.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2018

MLS 2018 Week 31 Midweek

Just one league game on at midweek this time, as New York City FC hosts the Chicago Fire. Stefan Cleveland and Sean Johnson play in goal. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi of New York City had a yellow card for a twenty-seventh minute foul. The Pigeons got going in the forty-seventh minute with an Alexander Ring goal, set up by David Villa and Maximiliano Moralez. New York City added on in the fifty-first minute with a Villa goal, via Moralez and Anton Tinnerholm. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Villa.

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