Thursday, October 18, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 16

We've got nine games on a busier day tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Keith Kinkaid are the goalies. New Jersey started in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, powered by Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall. Colorado tied it with a Sven Andrighetto goal in the second period, via Alexander Kerfoot and Ian Cole. The Avalanche took the lead on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Devils retied it on a Hall goal, made possible by Andy Greene and Hischier. New Jersey pulled ahead in the third period with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Kyle Palmieri and Hall. Colorado retied it with a Landeskog goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, courtesy of Cole and Rantanen. The Avalanche took the lead when Landeskog completed his hat trick on his fifth of the year, guided in by Rantanen, who had a sock trick, and MacKinnon. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by MacKinnon, who earned a sock trick, and Erik Johnson. The three stars went to Landeskog, Rantanen, and Hall, while MacKinnon, Cole, and Hischier get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen return from injury in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Malkin empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-0 with a Letang empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Malkin and Bryan Rust. The three stars were awarded to Murray (38 save shutout), Malkin, and Letang, while Andersen (36 for 37 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, via Robert Hagg and Claude Giroux. Columbus tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara. The Flyers regained the lead on a Sean Couturier goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ivan Provorov and Giroux. The Blue Jackets tied it again in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his third of the season, passed from Artemi Panarin. Columbus took the lead on another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, again from Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, his third of the season, guided in by David Savard and Zach Werenski. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Konecny. Columbus replied with an unassisted Josh Anderson goal, his fourth of the campaign. The Blue Jackets finished it at 6-3 with a Sonny Milano goal, helped along by Oliver Bjorkstrand. The three stars were given to Atkinson, Konecny, and Panarin, while Giroux earns an honorable mention.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Yanni Gourde and Ondrej Palat. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Luke Glendening goal, via Trevor Daley and Justin Abdelkader. The Lightning retook the lead with a Steven Stamkos goal, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay capped it at 3-1 with an Alex Killorn empty net goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were given to Vasilevskiy (29 for 30 in saves), Stamkos, and Point.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Connor Hellebuyck man the creases. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Vancouver tied it in the second period on a Bo Horvat goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Derrick Pouliot. The Jets regained the lead in the third period with a Bryan Little power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Nikolaj Ehlers and Byfuglien. Winnipeg added on with an Andrew Copp goal, coming off of Adam Lowry. The Jets extended the lead as Byfuglien scored, thanks to Little and Ehlers. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Byfuglien, Little, and Ehlers.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Lawson Crouse goal, assisted by Clayton Keller and Jordan Oesterle. Chicago tied it on an Erik Gustafsson goal in the second period, guided in by Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jason Demers. Arizona added on in the third period with an unassisted Keller goal. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Hinostroza empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Nick Cousins and Kevin Connauton. The three stars belonged to Hinostroza, Keller, and Raanta (33 for 34 in saves).

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Cam Talbot are the veterans in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a David Krejci goal, via Matt Grzelcyk and Danton Heinen. Edmonton tied it with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, coming off of Adam Larsson and Kris Russell. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Bruins retied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist by McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his third of the season, passed from Scott Mayfield. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Islanders retook the lead on a Josh Bailey power play goal in the second period, his second of the season, with helpers from Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal. New York added on with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his third of the year, guided in by Leo Komarov and Andrew Ladd. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Alex Iafallo and Doughty. The Islanders countered with a shorthanded Filppula goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Ladd. New York extended the lead as Matt Martin scored his second of the season, thanks to Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders padded the lead on a Komarov goal, made possible by Filppula and Mayfield. New York struck again with a Ladd goal, his second of the year, fueled by Mayfield, who got a sock trick, and Barzal. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars given to Filppula, Mayfield, and Komarov, while Ladd, Cizikas, Barzal, and Doughty get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane. The Sharks added on with a Logan Couture power play goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Brent Burns. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Jake McCabe goal, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. San Jose replied with a Couture goal in the third period, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Kane and Justin Braun. The Sharks extended the lead as Joe Pavelski scored his fourth of the year on the power play, thanks to Kevin Labanc and Burns. San Jose iced it at 5-1 with a Couture empty net goal to finish his hat trick on his fourth of the campaign, set up by Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. The three stars went to Couture, Kane, and Burns.

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MLS 2018 - Week 34 Midweek

Four games go at midweek this time, with the first three on Wednesday. First up...

Orlando City SC hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei faces a lesser foe in Adam Grinwis in goal. Seattle started in the third minute with a Victor Rodriguez goal, via Kelvin Leerdam. The Sounders added on in the thirteenth minute with a Handwalla Bwana goal, passed from Rodriguez. Orlando City got on the board in the fifty-seventh minute with a Dominic Dwyer goal, assisted by Scott Sutter and Chris Mueller. Jordy Delem of Seattle received a yellow card for a seventy-eighth minute foul. The Lions saw a yellow card for Carlos Ascues' dissent in stoppage time. Three minutes later, the Sounders' Alex Roldan took a yellow card for his foul. The final remained at 2-1, with the man of the match being Rodriguez.

Up in DC, United welcomes Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Bill Hamid are the gloved men. DC opened in the eighteenth minute with a Wayne Rooney goal. Toronto's Eriq Zavaleta had a yellow card for his eighty-seventh minute foul. The final stayed at 1-0, with Rooney picked as man of the match.

Wednesday ends with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bringing in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Stefan Marinovic are between the sticks. Vancouver led off in the forty-second minute with a Felipe goal, made possible by Kei Kamara. Kansas City's Seth Sinovic had a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul. Sporting tied it in the sixty-second minute with a Yohan Croizet goal, assisted by Matt Besler. Kansas City took the lead with a Daniel Salloi goal in the eighty-second minute, via Khiry Shelton. Sporting added on in stoppage time with a Gianluca Busio goal, set up by Johnny Russell. Kansas City extended the lead as Salloi scored three minutes later, thanks to Shelton. The final was 4-1, with the man of the match being Salloi.

On Thursday, Real Salt Lake hosts the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and Nick Rimando are in the six-yard boxes. Salt Lake began in the fourth minute with a Nick Besler goal, via Corey Baird and Damir Kreilach. Real added on with a Sebastian Saucedo goal in the fourteenth minute, assisted by Kreilach. Salt Lake extended the lead as Baird scored in the twenty-ninth minute, thanks to Luke Mulholland. Real saw yellow cards for dissent by Brooks Lennon in the thirty-fifth minute and a Kreilach foul in the forty-first minute. Salt Lake padded the lead in the fiftieth minute with a Kreilach goal, coming off of Chinedum Onuoha and Saucedo. Diego Fagundez of New England took a yellow card for a foul in the sixtieth minute. The Revolution got on the board in the sixty-ninth minute with a Kelyn Rowe goal, passed from Fagundez. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the man of the match honors given to Kreilach.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 15

A new set of games is here, with four on tonight. We begin in...

Montreal, where the Canadiens host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Domi goal, passed from Artturi Lehkonen and Mike Reilly. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Reilly power play goal, with assists provided by Charles Hudon and Jonathan Drouin. The Blues tied it again in the third period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his third of the year, via Alexander Steen and David Perron. Montreal won it 3-2 late with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Tomas Tatar. The three stars were given to Reilly, Gallagher, and Domi.

Stateside, 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 Mika Zibanejad goal, his second of the season, guided in by Chris Kreider and Neal Pionk. Washington tied it with a John Carlson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, powered by Carlson and Brett Connolly. The Rangers tied it again with a Jimmy Vesey power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Pionk and Brett Howden. Washington retook the lead on another Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Carlson and Backstrom. New York equalized in the third period on a Kreider power play goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Pionk, who got a sock trick, and Zibanejad. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Matt Niskanen goal, courtesy of Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Carlson, and Pionk, while Kreider, Zibanejad, and Backstrom earn the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Mike Smith are in the creases. Calgary started in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his second of the season, via Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his third of the year, passed from Sean Monahan and Noah Hanifin. Calgary extended the lead as Juuso Valimaki scored, thanks to Michael Stone and Mark Jankowski. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by David Krejci. The Flames answered on a Frolik goal, his second of the game and third of the year, made possible by Backlund. The Bruins answered with a Brad Marchand goal, his second of the season, assisted by Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Calgary iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Tkachuk empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Stone. The three stars were Frolik, Backlund, and Bergeron, while Tkachuk and Stone get honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Sam Steel and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Kesler goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Andrew Cogliano and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period as Adam Henrique scored his third of the season, thanks to Max Comtois. New York got on the board with a Casey Cizikas goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ross Johnston and Scott Mayfield. The Ducks replied with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his second of the campaign, courtesy of Ben Street. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kesler, Gibson (34 for 35 in saves), and Henrique.

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Tuesday, October 16, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 14

Eight games make for a moderately busy schedule today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Keith Kinkaid make the starts in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Will Butcher and Taylor Hall. The Devils added on with a Blake Coleman goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Damon Severson. New Jersey extended the lead as Jean-Sebastien Dea scored an unassisted goal, his third of the campaign. This produced the 3-0 final score, with the three stars given to Kinkaid (24 save shutout), Palmieri, and Dea.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Jost and Tyson Barrie. The Rangers retook the lead with a Kevin Hayes goal, courtesy of Zuccarello and Shattenkirk. The Avalanche tied it again on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. The tie went to a shootout, where Zuccarello and Shattenkirk lifted the Rangers 3-2 over Rantanen and the Avalanche. The three stars were given to Shattenkirk, Zuccarello, and Landeskog.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Florida Panthers. Michael Hutchinson is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, guided in by Denis Malgin and Jared McCann. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Travis Sanheim and Radko Gudas. The Flyers took the lead on a Jordan Weal goal, coming off of Robert Hagg and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia added on with an unassisted Claude Giroux goal, his second of the year. The Panthers got one back with a Vatrano goal, his second of the game, made possible by McCann and Mark Pysyk. The Flyers replied with a Simmonds goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, fueled by Scott Laughton and Christian Folin. Philadelphia extended the lead as Giroux scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Weal and Shayne Gostisbehere. Florida answered on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Keith Yandle. The Panthers got closer in the third period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Bogdan Kiselevich and Troy Brouwer. Florida tied it on Barkov's second of the game and third of the campaign, with a lone assist from Yandle. The tie went to a shootout, where Jakub Voracek and Weal topped Barkov to give the Flyers a 6-5 win. The three stars were Giroux, Simmonds, and Weal, while Barkov, Vatrano, McCann, and Yandle get the honorable mentions.

Also in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Vancouver tied it on a Ben Hutton goal, coming off of Tim Schaller and Markus Granlund. The Canucks took the lead with a Brandon Sutter goal, his second of the year, assisted by Schaller and Tyler Motte. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Carl Hagelin goal, via Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Brock Boeser goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Christopher Tanev. The three stars went to Schaller, Boeser, and Nilsson (26 for 28 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Louis Domigue occupy the creases. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fourth of the season, via Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson shorthanded goal, set up by Mathieu Joseph and Dan Girardi. The Lightning took the lead with another Johnson goal in the second period, made possible by Adam Erne and J.T. Miller. The Hurricanes retied it on a Martin Necas goal, passed from Warren Foegele and Valentin Zykov. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Yanni Gourde power play goal in the third period, his second of the year, powered by Ondrej Palat. The Lightning won 4-2 with a Johnson empty net goal to complete his hat trick, with the help of Nikita Kucherov and Girardi. The three stars belonged to Johnson, Domingue (38 for 40 in saves), and Girardi.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his second of the season, passed from Brandon Tanev. The Jets added on with another Lowry goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Copp. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl. Winnipeg replied with a Ben Chiarot goal, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Dmitry Kulikov. The Jets extended the lead in the second period as Mark Scheifele scored a power play goal, his second of the year, with the help of Patrik Laine and Josh Morrissey. The Oilers fired back in the third period with a Ty Rattie goal, with helpers from McDavid and Oscar Kelfbom. Edmonton got closer on a McDavid power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. The Oilers tied it as Jesse Puljujarvi scored, thanks to Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. Edmonton won 5-4 in overtime with a Darnell Nurse goal, guided in by Nugent-Hopkins, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Lowry, while Draisaitl gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces a former team and Devan Dubnyk in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Brendan Perlini power play goal, powered by Jordan Oesterle and Vinnie Hinostroza. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his second of the season, via Jared Spurgeon. The Wild took the lead in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his second of the year, passed from Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (31 for 32 in saves), Staal, and Granlund.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his third of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Cody Eakin goal, his third of the year. Vegas extended the lead in the third period as Karlsson scored, thanks to Smith. Buffalo got on the board with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, made possible by Kyle Okposo and Jake McCabe. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Marchessault empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Karlsson. The three stars went to Karlsson, Smith, and Marchessault.

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Monday, October 15, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 13

We've got four games on today, a mild schedule. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Antti Niemi are the veterans in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin penalty shot goal, stemming from Filip Hronek's slashing call. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Plekanec goal, assisted by Matthew Peca and Noah Juulsen. Detroit got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, passed from Tyler Bertuzzi and Hronek. Montreal replied with a Tomas Tatar goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist from Phillip Danault. The Canadiens extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his third of the year, thanks to Tatar and Mike Reilly in the second period. Montreal padded the lead on a Charles Hudon goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Peca and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens continued against Jonathan Bernier on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Tatar and Max Domi. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with an Athanasiou goal, his second of the game, fueled by Luke Glendening and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit got closer with a Thomas Vanek power play goal, with a lone assist by Anthony Mantha. Montreal capped it at 7-3 with a Paul Byron goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The three stars were given to Tatar, Drouin, and Athanasiou, while Peca gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop faces his first career team and Craig Anderson in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a John Klingberg power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Alexander Radulov. Ottawa tied it on a Maxime Lajoie goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, coming off of Matt Duchene and Bobby Ryan. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his third of the season, helped along by Dylan DeMelo and Chris Tierney. Ottawa added on with a Mikkel Boedker goal, with a lone assist by Duchene. The Senators capped it at 4-1 with an unassisted empty net goal by Zack Smith, his second of the year. The three stars belonged to Anderson (37 for 38 in saves), Duchene, and Tkachuk.

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Garret Sparks are the backups in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jake Gardiner and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, powered by Josh Leivo and Gardiner. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his second of the year, passed from Alex Iafallo and Derek Forbort. Toronto answered on a Mitchell Marner goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Kapanen scored again in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Matthews. The three stars went to Kapanen, Gardiner, and Matthews, while Sparks (33 for 34 in saves) earns an honorable mention.

Finally, the Nashville Predators host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his second of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba power play goal, his second of the year, via Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise. The Predators retook the lead with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Johansen. Nashville added on with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Kyle Turris. The Wild got one back with a Koivu power play goal, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Parise. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Miikka Salomaki empty net goal in the third period, set up by Subban. The three stars were Johansen, Subban, and Koivu, while Parise earns an honorable mention.

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Sunday, October 14, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 12

We're back on a calm Sunday with the three games, the first a matinee from...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Keith Kinkaid are in the blue paint. San Jose got going in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brent Burns and Evander Kane. New Jersey tied it on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen. The Sharks retook the lead with a Timo Meier goal, his third of the season, via Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. The Devils tied it again with a Palmieri goal in the third period, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Andy Greene and Damon Severson. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Jean-Sebastien Dea goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mirco Mueller and Hall. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Palmieri, Kinkaid (37 for 39 in saves), and Hall.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his third of the season, via Max Comtois and Hampus Lindholm. St. Louis tied it in the second period with an Alexander Steen goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Joel Edmundson and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, powered by Pat Maroon. The Ducks retied it with a Ben Street goal in the third period, his second of the campaign, made possible by Josh Manson and Cam Fowler. Anaheim pulled ahead with an Andrew Cogliano power play goal, with helpers from Ryan Kesler and Lindholm. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Lindholm, Miller (29 for 31 in saves), and Cogliano.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. Carolina tied it with a Micheal Ferland goal, his third of the year, fueled by Dougie Hamilton and Sebastian Aho. The Jets retook the lead on a Bryan Little goal, guided in by Morrissey. Winnipeg capped it at 3-1 with a Kyle Connor empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Brandon Tanev. The three stars were Morrissey, Brossoit (42 for 43 in saves), and Little.

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Saturday, October 13, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 11

After zero games on Day 10 of the season, we're back with fourteen today. The first four are matinees, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot faces his former mentor, Henrik Lundqvist, in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, assisted by Marc Staal and Brendan Smith. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, passed from Barnell Burse and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a McDavid power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Talbot (23 for 24 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Brian Elliott are the veteran goalies. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Cody Eakin goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Carpenter. This held for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Fleury (26 save shutout), Eakin, and Elliott (20 for 21 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Craig Anderson make the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the season, via Dylan DeMelo and Thomas Chabot. The Senators added on with a Chris Wideman goal, courtesy of Brady Tkachuk and Mikkel Boedker. Ottawa extended the lead as Mark Stone scored a power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Matt Duchene and Chabot. The Senators padded the lead in the second period on a Colin White goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros. Los Angeles got on the board with a Trevor Lewis goal, coming off of Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Ottawa answered in the third period with another Wideman goal, made possible by Duchene and Tkachuk. The final was 5-1, with the three stars given to Wideman, Duchene, and Chabot, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Boston Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brandon Carlo and Chris Wagner. The Bruins added on with a Charlie McAvoy goal in the second period, via Patrice Bergeron. Boston extended the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored, thanks to David Krejci. The Bruins padded the lead on a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, powered by Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Hronek power play goal, with assists provided by Tyler Bertuzzi and Gustav Nyquist. Boston answered with Pastrnak completing his hat trick on his seventh of the season, made possible by Marchand and Bergeron, the latter earning a sock trick. The Red Wings got one back with a Dylan Larkin shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Frans Nielsen and Nick Jensen. The Bruins countered with an unassisted Anders Bjork goal. Boston kept going with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game, passed from Carlo and Krejci. The Bruins finished it at 8-2 with a Sean Kuraly goal, fueled by Kevan Miller and Bjork. The three stars went to Pastrnak, Bergeron, and DeBrusk, while Krejci, Marchand, Bjork, and Carlo get the honorable mentions.

West to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. Carolina began in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourth of the season, via Trevor van Riemsdyk and Justin Williams. Minnesota tied it on a Charlie Coyle power play goal, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period on a Brett Pesce goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Spurgeon goal, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise. Minnesota took the lead with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. Carolina retied it on an Aho power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Justin Faulk and Teravainen. The Wild pulled ahead again with a Granlund goal, made possible by Parise. The Hurricanes equalized with a Williams goal, coming off of Faulk and Aho. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime with Aho's second of the game and fourth of the campaign, guided in by Williams and Pesce. The three stars went to Aho, Williams, and Pesce, while Teravainen, Faulk, Granlund, Parise, and Spurgeon earn the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Antti Niemi make spot starts in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Dominik Simon goal, via Daniel Sprong and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on with a Letang goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Tomas Tatar goal, guided in by Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens tied it with a Gallagher goal, his second of the year, passed from Jeff Petry and Tatar. Montreal pulled ahead with a Tatar power play goal, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Petry. Pittsburgh retied it on a Kessel power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. The tie went to a shootout, where Paul Byron and Drouin tallied to give Montreal the 4-3 win. The three stars were Tatar, Drouin, and Gallagher, while Letang, Kessel, Malkin, and Petry earn the honorable mentions.

Far to the south, the Florida Panthers host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and James Reimer are the career backups in goal. Florida got going in the second period on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, made possible by Vincent Trocheck and Denis Malgin. Vancouver tied it with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Sven Baertschi and Brock Boeser. The Panthers took the lead back on a Trocheck goal, assisted by Keith Yandle and Mike Hoffman. The Canucks retied it on an Antoine Roussel penalty shot goal after a hook by Bogdan Kiselevich. Vancouver took the lead in the third period with a Bo Horvat goal, his third of the year, passed from Baertschi and Alexander Edler. This stood for the 3-2 win, with the three stars being Baertschi, Horvat, and Trocheck.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Cedric Paquette goal, guided in by Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a Gourde power play goal, with the help of Mikhail Sergachev and Johnson. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Alexander Wennberg and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets got closer with an unassisted Oliver Bjorkstrand goal. The Lightning replied with a Brayden Point goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Point power play goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, powered by J.T. Miller and Sergachev. The Lightning kept going with an Alex Killorn power play goal, with assists provided by Steven Stamkos and Miller. Tampa Bay continued on a Kucherov goal, fueled by Ondrej Palat and Braydon Coburn. The Lightning iced it at 8-2 with a Miller power play goal with a second left, coming off of Point and Anton Stralman. Point, Miller, and Gourde received the three stars, while the honorable mentions belonged to Sergachev, Kucherov, and Johnson.

Northward to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Washington drew first blood in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his second of the season, via Ron Hainsey and Auston Matthews. The Capitals retook the lead with a Kuznetsov power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a Par Lindholm goal, made possible by Jake Gardiner and Connor Brown. Toronto took the lead in the third period on a Josh Leivo power play goal, assisted by Andreas Johnsson and Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Matthews goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Kapanen and Morgan Rielly. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars given to Matthews, Kapanen, and Kuznetsov, while Gardiner and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

Down in Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his second of the season, coming off of Hampus Lindholm and Max Comtois. The Ducks added on with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, passed from Josh Manson and Isac Lundestrom. Anaheim extended the lead as Adam Henrique scored a power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, with the help of Sam Steel and Lindholm. Dallas got on the board with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The Stars got closer with a Connor Carrick goal, assisted by Valeri Nichushkin and Jason Spezza. Dallas tied it as Jamie Benn scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Seguin and Blake Comeau. The Stars pulled ahead on a Klingberg power play goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist from Radulov. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson in goal for the third period. Dallas iced it at 5-3 in the third period with a Radek Faksa empty net goal, set up by Benn and Esa Lindell. The three stars were Klingberg, Radulov, and Seguin, while Benn and Lindholm earn honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Juuse Saros are called on to start in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, via Nick Bonino and Ryan Hartman. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg goal, his second of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead as Arvidsson scored his third of the year, thanks to Johansen and Dan Hamhuis. New York got on the board in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, coming off of Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders got closer with an Andrew Ladd goal, made possible by Mathew Barzal. The Predators responded in the third period with a Kyle Turris power play goal, powered by Roman Josi. Nashville finished it at 5-2 with a Forsberg power play empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, set up by Mattias Ekholm. The three stars went to Arvidsson, Johansen, and Forsberg.

In Illinois, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Ward are in the creases. Chicago opened in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, coming off of Brandon Saad and Dominik Kahun. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, via Jordan Schmaltz and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues tied it in the third period with an unassisted David Perron power play goal, his fourth of the year. St. Louis took the lead on a Schenn power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Alexander Steen and Colton Parayko. Chicago retied it with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with another DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were DeBrincat, Schenn, and Kane.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Antti Raanta man the nets. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, assisted by Jeff Skinner and Evan Rodrigues. The Sabres added on with a Conor Sheary power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. Buffalo extended the lead as Skinner scored in the third period, thanks to Rasmus Ristolainen. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Ullmark (36 save shutout), Skinner, and Dahlin.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Semyon Varlamov play in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a J.T. Compher goal, his third of the year, passed from Tyson Barrie and Ian Cole. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, via Mikael Backlund and Michael Stone. The Flames tied it in the third period with an Elisa Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his second of the year, made possible by Sean Monahan and T.J. Brodie. The three stars were Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Bennett.

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