Thursday, October 25, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 23

A big schedule today sees ten games on, leading off in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. Boston got going with a Zdeno Chara goal in the second period, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Danton Heinen. The Bruins added on with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his third of the year, powered by David Krejci and Steven Kampfer. Boston iced it at 3-0 with a Chara power play empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, set up by the goalie Halak. The three stars were Chara, Halak (26 save shutout), and DeBrusk.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Carter Hutton play in the creases. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his third of the season, coming off of Artturi Lehkonen. Buffalo tied it on a Jason Pominville goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Jeff Skinner and Jake McCabe. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Joel Armia goal, his second of the season, passed from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Xavier Ouellet. The Sabres tied it again on a Pominville power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Skinner and Casey Mittelstadt. Montreal regained the lead in the third period with a Domi goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and the goalie Niemi. Buffalo evened it again on a Sam Reinhart goal, guided in by McCabe and Conor Sheary. The Sabres took the lead with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Dahlin and Skinner, the latter earning a sock trick. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Skinner, Pominville, and Domi, while McCabe earns the honorable mention.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Keith Kinkaid draw the starts in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his second of the season, passed from Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri. Nashville tied it on a Yannick Weber goal, via Kevin Fiala and Calle Jarnkrok. The Devils retook the lead with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Hall and Palmieri. The Predators tied it again with a Viktor Arvidsson goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, fueled by Kyle Turris and Roman Josi. New Jersey pulled ahead with another Hischier goal, his second of the game and third of the year, made possible by Palmieri, who got a sock trick, and Sami Vatanen. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban. The Predators won with a Turris goal in overtime, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Mattias Ekholm. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Turris, Palmieri, and Hischier, while Hall gets an honorable mention.

Westward to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Allen man the nets. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Pat Maroon. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, with a lone assist by Brayden Schenn. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets tied it in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his third of the season, passed from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Scott Harrington. Columbus pulled ahead on a Jenner goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as David Savard scored, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Harrington. Chad Johnson replaced Allen in goal. St. Louis got one back with an Alexander Steen goal, his third of the season, fueled by Joel Edmundson. Columbus replied in the third period with an Anderson goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Panarin and Murray. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on another Duclair power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Werenski and Alexander Wennberg. Columbus continued with a Seth Jones goal, via Panarin and Cam Atkinson. The Blues pulled one back with a Zach Sanford goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Tyler Bozak and Vince Dunn. This only made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars given to Duclair, Jenner, and Panarin, while Murray, Werenski, Harrington, and Anderson earn the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with an Eric Fehr goal, assisted by Marcus Foligno and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jonas Brodin goal, helped along by Charlie Coyle and the goalie Dubnyk. Los Angeles got on the board with an unassisted Kyle Clifford goal in the third period. Minnesota answered with a Mikael Granlund shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Zach Parise. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Mikko Koivu empty net goal, with a lone assist by Fehr. The three stars belonged to Dubnyk (23 for 24 in saves), Fehr, and Brodin.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Duncan Keith and the goalie Crawford. New York tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his third of the year, via Brendan Smith and Brett Howden. The Blackhawks retook the lead with an Alexandre Fortin goal in the second period, his second of the season, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Brandon Manning. Chicago added on in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a DeBrincat empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Dominik Kahun and Henri Jokiharju. The three stars were Crawford (18 for 19 in saves), Fortin, and DeBrincat.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, going in unassisted. Anaheim tied it on an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf goal. The Stars took the lead back with a Roman Polak goal, helped along by Dickinson and Brett Ritchie. The Ducks tied it again with another Getzlaf goal in the second period, made possible by Nick Ritchie and Rickard Rakell. Dallas retook the lead with a Miro Heiskanen goal, coming off of Jason Spezza and Devin Shore. The Stars added on with a Mattias Janmark goal, fueled by Julius Honka and John Klingberg. Dallas extended the lead as Dickinson scored his second of the game, with the help of Tyler Pitlick. This stood for the eventual 5-2 final score, with the three stars going to Dickinson, Getzlaf, and Heiskanen.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Mike Smith occupy the creases. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kris Letang and Derick Brassard. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Bryan Rust scored, thanks to Dominik Simon and Jamie Oleksiak. The Penguins padded the lead on a Phil Kessel goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Malkin and Brassard. Pittsburgh continued with a Hornqvist goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Riley Sheahan and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins chased Smith with Kessel's second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Letang and Rust. Pittsburgh struck again against David Rittich on a Jack Johnson power play goal, with assists provided by Brassard, who got a sock trick, and Olli Maatta. The Penguins kept going with a Jake Guentzel goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Crosby. Calgary got on the board with a James Neal goal, his second of the campaign, dished from Sean Monahan and Dillon Dube. Pittsburgh capped it at 9-1 with a Matt Cullen goal, with a lone helper from Simon. The three stars were Crosby, Kessel, and Hornqvist, while Rust, Malkin, Simon, Brassard, and Letang get the honorable mentions.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, powered by Kailer Yamamoto and Tobias Rieder. The Oilers added on with a shorthanded Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Washington got on the board with an Andre Burakovsky goal, passed from Nic Dowd and John Carlson. Edmonton replied in the third period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his third of the year, via Rieder and Adam Larsson. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Connor McDavid empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and the goalie Talbot. The three stars were awarded to Talbot (31 for 32 in saves), Nugent-Hopkins, and Rieder.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex Goligoski goal, made possible by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nick Cousins. Vancouver tied it with a Darren Archibald goal, passed from Troy Stecher and Adam Gaudette. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Clayton Keller goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, via Alex Galchenyuk. Arizona added on with a shorthanded Brad Richardson goal, his second of the year, set up by Kevin Connauton. The Coyotes ended up winning 4-1 after a Lawson Crouse shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Michael Grabner. The three stars belonged to Kuemper (27 for 28 in saves), Keller, and Richardson.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 22

We're back with four games on today, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle power play goal in the second period, powered by Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. Florida got on the board with a Frank Vatrano power play goal in the third period, his third of the year, with assists provided by Nick Bjugstad and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Aleksander Barkov and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Keith Yandle and Barkov. The three stars went to Barkov, Hoffman, and Dadonov.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tyler Ennis goal, via Josh Leivo. Toronto extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored, thanks to Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nikolai Ehlers goal in the third period, passed from Jacob Trouba and Blake Wheeler. The Jets got closer on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Wheeler and Kyle Connor. The Maple Leafs replied with a John Tavares goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Par Lindholm. This held for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Andersen (38 for 40 in saves), Wheeler, and Kadri.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Semyon Varlamov are the Russian goalies. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos. This was the only goal of the game, a 1-0 Lightning win with the three stars named as Vasilevskiy (23 save shutout), Kucherov, and Varlamov (23 for 24 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. Vegas got going in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his second of the season, coming off of Erik Haula. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Loui Eriksson and Brendan Leipsic. The Canucks took the lead with another Horvat goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Tim Schaller and Troy Stecher. The Golden Knights tied it with a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the year, passed from William Carrier and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Vancouver won 3-2 with a Markus Granlund shootout tally. The three stars went to Horvat, Markstrom (33 for 35 in saves), and Granlund.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 21

Eight games on to complete the third week of games in the NHL. First up...

The New York Rangers host the Florida Panthers. Michael Hutchinson and Alexandar Georgiev are the little-known goalies. Florida opened in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov. New York tied it in the second period with a shorthanded Mika Zibanejad goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Adam McQuaid. The Rangers took the lead on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, with helpers from Neal Pionk and Zibanejad. New York added on with a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, fueled by Pionk and Chris Kreider. The Rangers extended the lead as Zuccarello scored his second of the game in the third period, thanks to Zibanejad. James Reimer relieved Hutchinson. The Panthers got one back with a Mike Hoffman goal, his third of the year, coming off of Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Kevin Hayes empty net goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei. The three stars were Zibanejad, Zuccarello, and Huberdeau.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his second of the season, via Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson. Arizona tied it on a Christian Fischer goal, his second of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan. The Coyotes took the lead on a Dylan Strome power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Vinnie Hinostroza and Jordan Oesterle. Arizona added on with a Fischer goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Stepan and Brendan Perlini in the second period. The Coyotes extended the lead as Fischer completed his hat trick in the third period with his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Stepan, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Fischer, Stepan, and Kuemper (35 for 36 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Carey Price draw the starts in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. Montreal tied it on a Jeff Petry power play goal, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi. The Canadiens took the lead on a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, fifth of the year, assisted by Petry and Domi. Montreal added on with a Drouin goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Xavier Ouellet. The Flames got one back in the third period on an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixth of the year, via Backlund and Tkachuk. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Petry, Drouin, and Domi, while Tkachuk and Backlund earn the honorable mentions.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Craig Anderson are the veterans in goal. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Danton Heinen and David Krejci. Ottawa tied it in the second period on a Thomas Chabot power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone. The Bruins retook the lead with a Krejci power play goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on in the third period with a Bergeron power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins extended the lead as Pastrnak scored his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, thanks to Brad Marchand and Bergeron. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Rask (38 for 39 in saves), while Krejci gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Juuse Saros in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Brent Burns. Nashville tied it with an unassisted Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fifth of the year. The Predators took the lead in the second period on a Filip Forsberg goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Ryan Johansen and Ryan Ellis. The Sharks retied it with a Tomas Hertl goal, his third of the year, fueled by Logan Couture and Meier. Nashville retook the lead with an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Forsberg and Johansen. The Predators added on with a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Arvidsson. San Jose got one back with a Brenden Dillon shorthanded goal, set up by Hertl and Burns. The Sharks tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Couture and Evander Kane. San Jose pulled ahead with a Burns power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Kane. The final held from here at 5-4, with the three stars being Burns, Meier, and Arvidsson, while Hertl, Kane, Couture, Forsberg, and Johansen earn the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Brandon Saad power play goal, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Dominik Kahun. Anaheim tied it with a Rickard Rakell goal in the second period, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Patrick Kane goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, via Erik Gustafsson and Brent Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with a shorthanded and unassisted empty net goal by Saad, his second of the game. The three stars were Saad, Crawford (24 for 25 in saves), and Gibson (35 for 37 in saves).

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, passed from Jason Dickinson and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on in the second period with a Spezza goal, his second of the season, assisted by Justin Dowling and Devin Shore. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his third of the year, via Drew Doughty. Dallas replied with a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Shore. The Kings pulled back with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his third of the year, helped along by Sean Walker. The Stars answered in the third period with a Tyler Pitlick power play goal, powered by Tyler Seguin and Klingberg. The final held from here at 4-2, with the three stars being Klingberg, Spezza, and Shore.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, powered by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kris Russell. The Oilers took the lead with an Alex Chiasson goal, made possible by Russell. The Penguins retied it on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his second of the year, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Kessel. Pittsburgh took the lead on a Patric Hornqvist goal, courtesy of Dominik Simon. Edmonton tied it again with a Chiasson goal, his second of the game, passed from Tobias Rieder and Adam Larsson. The Penguins pulled ahead once more with a Hornqvist goal, his second of the game, with helpers from Matt Cullen and Brian Dumoulin. The Oilers tied it again in the third period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifth of the season, a power play goal guided in by Oscar Klefbom and Milan Lucic. Edmonton pulled ahead with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Pittsburgh evened the score on an Oleksiak goal, his second of the game and third of the season, courtesy of Hornqvist and Cullen. The Penguins won 6-5 in overtime with a Crosby goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Jack Johnson and Derick Brassard. The three stars went to Crosby, Oleksiak, and Draisaitl, while Hornqvist, Kessel, Cullen, McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, Chiasson, and Russell take the honorable mentions.

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Monday, October 22, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 20

We've got four games on this Monday night, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Brian Elliott are the experienced goalies. Colorado began in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, made possible by Matt Calvert and Carl Soderberg. Colorado extended the lead as Landeskog scored his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Nolan Patrick goal, his second of the season, coming off of Travis Sanheim and Jakub Voracek. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Landeskog, Rantanen, and Varlamov (37 for 38 in saves).

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek faces his former mentor, Jimmy Howard, in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, powered by Justin Williams. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Valentin Zykov and Sebastian Aho. Detroit got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his third of the year, passed from Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen. Carolina replied with a shorthanded empty net goal by Jordan Martinook, his third of the campaign, set up by Jaccob Slavin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Ferland, Faulk, and Mrazek (20 for 21 in saves).

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. St. Louis started in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his second of the season, via David Perron and Vince Dunn. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg got on the board with an unassisted power play goal by Mark Scheifele, his third of the season. St. Louis replied with a Dunn power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Pat Maroon and O'Reilly. The Jets got one back on an unassisted Ben Chiarot goal in the third period, his second of the season. Winnipeg tied it on a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Chiarot. The Blues regained the lead on a Perron goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Zach Sanford and O'Reilly. The Jets tied it again as Bryan Little scored his third of the year, with the help of Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg won 5-4 with a Jacob Trouba goal, coming off of Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. The three stars were Scheifele, Chiarot, and O'Reilly, while Perron and Dunn get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Anders Nilsson draw the starts in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jakub Vrana and Lars Eller. Vancouver tied it in the second period with an unassisted Troy Stecher goal. The Capitals retook the lead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on with an Ovechkin goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. The Canucks got one back with a Sven Baertschi power play goal in the third period, his third of the year, with assists provided by Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. The Capitals replied with an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Carlson and Backstrom. Washington iced it at 5-2 with an Oshie empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Ovechkin and Backstrom. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Carlson, while Oshie gets an honorable mention.

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Sunday, October 21, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 19

Just three games on to close out the weekend, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Cam Ward are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman. Chicago tied it on an Alexandre Fortin goal, made possible by Jan Rutta and Duncan Keith. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his second of the year, fueled by Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay added on with a Yanni Gourde power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat and Point. The Lightning extended the lead as Point scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Kucherov. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Hedman goal, his second of the season, guided in by Dan Girardi and J.T. Miller. The Blackhawks got one back with a David Kampf goal, coming off of Rutta and Brandon Davidson. Chicago got closer with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, with assists provided by Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with a Ryan Callahan empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Miller. The three stars were Point, Hedman, and Kucherov, while Rutta and Miller get the honorable mentions.

East to New York, as the Rangers welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Henrik Lundqvist are in the creases. Calgary began in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal in the second period, via Mark Jankowski. Calgary extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, thanks to Mark Giordano. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his third of the campaign, powered by Neal Pionk and Mats Zuccarello. The Flames replied with a Hathaway goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Rittich (44 for 45 in saves), and Hathaway.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton opposes a former Sabre in Ryan Miller in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring with a Sam Steel goal in the first period, courtesy of Rickard Rakell and Brandon Montour. The Ducks added on with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his second of the season, passed from Max Comtois and Montour. Buffalo got on the board with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, powered by Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues. The Sabres tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Jason Pominville and Jack Eichel. Buffalo took the lead with a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, with assists provided by Okposo and Reinhart. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with a Patrik Berglund empty net goal, set up by Zemgus Girgensons and Zach Bogosian. The three stars were handed to Okposo, Reinhart, and Montour.

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MLS 2018 - Week 34

We've got two waves of games on the penultimate week of the regular season. First up...

Atlanta United FC hosts the Chicago Fire. Patrick McLain is mismatched with Brad Guzan in goal. Atlanta started in the ninth minute with a Franco Escobar goal, set up by Josef Martinez. Chicago tied it on a Micheal de Leeuw goal in the twenty-fourth minute, assisted by Djordje Mihailovic and Brandt Bronico. Johan Kappelhof of the Fire gave the lead back to the Five Stripes in the twenty-sixth minute with his own goal. Kappelhof's day got worse in the seventy-second minute when he took a yellow card for a foul. Eric Remedi of Atlanta received a yellow card for his eighty-first minute foul. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Escobar.

Up in DC, United welcomes New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Bill Hamid are the gloved men. DC opened in the eighth minute with a Wayne Rooney goal, passed from Luciano Acosta. The Black and Red added on in the twenty-fourth minute with an Acosta goal. Valentin Castellanos of New York City received a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. DC extended the lead as Rooney scored a penalty kick goal in the seventy-fourth minute. The Pigeons got on the board with a David Villa goal in the seventy-eighth minute, coming off of Yangel Herrera. New York City's Ronald Matarrita had a yellow card for a dive in stoppage time. DC won 3-1, with Acosta as the man of the match.

Further to the north, the Montreal Impact bring in Toronto FC. Alexander Bono and Evan Bush man the six-yard boxes. Bacary Sagna of Montreal had a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-eighth minute. Toronto's Jonathan Osorio received a yellow card for his forty-fifth minute foul. The Impact dented the scoreboard in the seventy-fourth minute on an Ignacio Piatti penalty kick goal. Montreal added on with a Piatti goal in the eighty-ninth minute, made possible by Alejandro Silva. This made it 2-0, the final, with the man of the match honors given to Piatti.

Back south, Orlando City SC hosts the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen faces a lesser foe in Adam Grinwis in goal. Jonathan Mensah of Columbus took a yellow card for a thirty-third minute foul. Orlando City saw a yellow card for Dominic Dwyer's foul in the thirty-seventh minute. The Crew got going in the fifty-fourth minute on a Federico Higuain goal. The Lions retied it with a Yoshimar Yotun penalty kick goal in the fifty-seventh minute. Orlando City won 2-1 in stoppage time with a Sacha Kljestan penalty kick goal. The man of the match was Yotun.

North again to Philadelphia, as the Union welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Andre Blake protect the nets. Philadelphia's C.J. Sapong took a yellow card for his thirty-seventh minute foul. Auston Trusty of the Union had a yellow card for a forty-seventh minute foul. New York saw yellow cards for a foul by Tyler Adams in the fifty-fifth minute and dissent by Alex Muyl in the fifty-seventh minute. Philadelphia's Fabrice-Jean Picault received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-sixth minute. The Red Bulls drew first blood in the sixty-ninth minute on an Alejandro Romero Gamarra penalty kick goal. This held for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Robles for a two-save clean sheet.

Southwest to Texas, where FC Dallas brings in Sporting Kansas City to lead off the second wave of games. Tim Melia and Jesse Gonzalez are between the sticks. Dallas' keeper Gonzalez earned a yellow card for a foul in the sixteenth minute. Kansas City led off in the forty-fifth minute on a Daniel Salloi goal. Roger Espinoza of Sporting took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Kansas City added on with an Espinoza goal in the sixty-fourth minute, coming off of Ike Opara. Sporting's Felipe Gutierrez and Ilie Sanchez received yellow cards for fouls in the sixty-eighth and seventy-third minutes, respectively. The Toros had a yellow card for a Marquinhos Pedroso foul in the eighty-sixth minute. Kansas City extended the lead as Johnny Russell scored a penalty kick goal in the eighty-seventh minute. The final remained at 3-0, with the man of the match named as Melia for his five-save clean sheet.

Also in Texas, the Houston Dynamo host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Tyler Deric draw the starts in goal. Seattle began in the twenty-sixth minute with a Chad Marshall goal, set up by Nicolas Lodeiro. The Sounders added on with a Gustav Svensson goal in the forty-ninth minute, assisted by Lodeiro. Houston got on the board with a sixty-third minute Kevin Garcia goal, passed from Oscar Boniek Garcia. Nouhou of Seattle received a yellow card for a seventy-second minute foul. The Dynamo's Boniek Garcia took a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. The Sounders answered on a Raul Ruidiaz goal in the eighty-seventh minute, courtesy of Lodeiro. Houston pulled one back in the eighty-ninth minute on a Mauro Manotas goal, guided in by Romell Quioto. The Sounders held on for a 3-2 win, with Lodeiro as the man of the match.

Over in California, Los Angeles FC welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Stefan Marinovic and Tyler Miller are the goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the fifth minute with a Diego Rossi goal, assisted by Carlos Vela. The Black and Gold added on in the fifteenth minute with another Rossi goal. Vancouver got on the board with a Yordy Reyna penalty kick goal in the twenty-second minute. Benny Feilhaber of Los Angeles received a yellow card for his thirty-second minute foul. The Whitecaps had yellow cards for fouls by Reyna in the fifty-second minute and Alphonso Davies in the sixty-second minute. Vancouver tied it on a Jordon Mutch goal in the sixty-fifth minute, helped along by Erik Hurtado. Mutch received a yellow card in stoppage time for the Whitecaps for his foul. The final stayed at 2-2, with the man of the match being Rossi.

Backtracking to Minnesota United FC bringing in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Matthew Lampson occupy the penalty areas. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the thirtieth minute with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal, assisted by Rolf Feltscher. The Galaxy added on with an Ola Kamara goal in the fiftieth minute, passed from Ashley Cole and Sebastian Lletget. Los Angeles extended the lead as Romain Alessandrini scored in the fifty-first minute, thanks to Ibrahimovic. Minnesota got on the board with an Angelo Rodriguez goal, set up by Darwin Quintero. The Loons saw yellow cards for fouls by Michael Boxall in the sixty-fifth minute and Fernando Bob in the seventieth minute. Alessandrini of the Galaxy had a yellow card for dissent in the seventieth minute. The Galaxy won 3-1, with Ibrahimovic earning man of the match honors.

Westward to Portland, as the Timbers host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Steve Clark are the veteran keepers. Portland was first to score in the fifteenth minute with a Larrys Mabiala goal, passed from Diego Valeri. Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake had a yellow card for a twenty-seventh minute foul. Valeri of the Timbers took a yellow card for his sixty-third minute foul. Sebastian Blanco of Portland had a yellow card for his dissent in the sixty-eighth minute, but also assisted on Diego Chara's goal in the same minute. The Timbers extended the lead as Blanco scored in the eighty-seventh minute, thanks to Lucas Melano. Portland won 3-0, with the man of the match being Blanco.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and James Marcinkowski make the starts in goal. Colorado saw yellow cards for fouls by Bismark Boateng in the fifty-first minute and Kortne Ford in the seventy-seventh minute. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Howard for his four-save clean sheet.

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Saturday, October 20, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 18

A big day of games occurs on Saturday, with thirteen set to be played. The first four are matinees, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Curtis McElhinney are the backups in goal. Colorado led off in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his sixth of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Landeskog power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as MacKinnon scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Nikita Zadorov. Carolina got on the board with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars being Grubauer (42 for 43 in saves), Landeskog, and MacKinnon.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. New Jersey began in the first period with a Damon Severson power play goal, powered by Marcus Johansson and Miles Wood. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Travis Sanheim and Jordan Weal. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Nolan Patrick goal, via Jakub Voracek. The Devils tied it again in the third period with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Will Butcher and Taylor Hall. Philadelphia answered with a Voracek goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ivan Provorov and Sanheim. The Flyers added on with a Wayne Simmonds empty net goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Claude Giroux and Provorov. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with a Scott Laughton empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Voracek and Jori Lehtera. The three stars were given to Voracek, Sanheim, and Provorov.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Jack Eichel and Jake McCabe. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his second of the year, assisted by Eichel and Pominville. Buffalo extended the lead as Skinner scored again, his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Marco Scandella and Pominville. The Sabres padded the lead on a Zach Bogosian goal, guided in by Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons. Los Angeles got on the board with a Drew Doughty power play goal in the third period, powered by Alex Iafallo and Jeff Carter. Buffalo iced it at 5-1 with a Skinner empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his fourth of the year, set up by Evan Rodrigues and Eichel, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Skinner, Eichel, and Pominville.

Northeast to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a Christian Fischer goal, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nick Cousins. Winnipeg tied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Tyler Myers goal, with a lone assist from Trouba. Winnipeg added on with a Morrissey power play goal, powered by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Clayton Keller goal, his second of the year, fueled by Ekman-Larsson and Derek Stepan. The Jets responded on a Mathieu Perreault goal, assisted by Trouba, who got a sock trick, and Jack Roslovic. Arizona pulled back with another Keller goal, his second of the game and third of the season, via Ekman-Larsson, who got a sock trick. Winnipeg capped it at 5-3 with a Blake Wheeler empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Connor and Myers. The three stars belonged to Morrissey, Keller, and Trouba, while Ekman-Larsson, Myers, and Connor get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Max Domi power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on with a Phillip Danault goal, fueled by Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. Ottawa got on the board with a Mark Stone goal, his third of the year, via Chris Tierney. Montreal replied with a Byron goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Senators got one back in the second period on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Colin White. Ottawa tied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal, with assists provided by Bobby Ryan and Stone. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Stone goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, coming off of Duchene and Thomas Chabot. The three stars belonged to Stone, Duchene, and Byron.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, via David Perron. The Blues added on with a Zach Sanford goal, assisted by Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis extended the lead as Ryan O'Reilly scored, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Pat Maroon. Toronto got on the board with a Morgan Rielly goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, coming off of Mitchell Marner and Jake Gardiner. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with an Ivan Barbashev shorthanded empty net goal, set up by O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Perron, and Allen (22 for 23 in saves).

Down south, the Florida Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Michael Hutchinson and Jimmy Howard are set to start in goal. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Keith Yandle goal, via Evgenii Dadonov and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers added on with a Bjugstad goal, his second of the season, coming off of Aleksander Barkov. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Dennis Cholowski power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Andreas Athanasiou and Frans Nielsen. The Red Wings tied it on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nielsen and Cholowski. Detroit took the lead on a Dylan Larkin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Darren Helm and Gustav Nyquist. Florida retied it in the third period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his second of the season, passed from Yandle and Barkov. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Nyquist goal, helped along by Larkin. The three stars went to Nyquist, Larkin, and Cholowski, while Nielsen, Yandle, Bjugstad, and Barkov earn honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Dominik Kahun and Brent Seabrook. Columbus tied it with a Zach Werenski goal, his second of the year, fueled by Markus Nutivaara and Alexander Wennberg. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period on a Marcus Kruger goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Fortin and Patrick Kane. Chicago added on with a Kane goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Seabrook and Nick Schmaltz. The Blackhawks finished with a 4-1 win on a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Artem Anisimov. The three stars were given to Kane, Crawford (37 for 38 in saves), and Seabrook.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Alex Stalock are occupying the creases. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Callahan goal, via Anton Stralman and J.T. Miller. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the season, passed from Ryan McDonagh and Steven Stamkos. Minnesota got on the board with a Charlie Coyle goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter. Tampa Bay replied with a Miller power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Wild got one back in the second period on a Marcus Foligno goal, made possible by Eric Fehr and J.T. Brown. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Zach Parise goal, his third of the year, helped along by Mikko Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild pulled ahead with a Jason Zucker goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Matt Dumba. The Lightning retied it on a Stralman goal, coming off of Gourde and Ondrej Palat. Minnesota won 5-4 in overtime on a Mikael Granlund goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Coyle and the goalie Stalock. The three stars were Coyle, Stralman, and Gourde, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Cam Talbot have the green light to play in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded P.K. Subban goal, his second of the season, set up by Colton Sissons and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Nick Bonino and  Ekholm. Nashville iced it at 3-0 with a Roman Josi empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Saros (31 save shutout), Subban, and Ekholm.

In British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Jacob Markstrom are the backups in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jake Virtanen and Troy Stecher. Boston tied it on a Joakim Nordstrom goal in the third period, his second of the year, assisted by John Moore and Matt Grzelcyk. The Canucks won 2-1 in overtime with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Brock Boeser. The three stars were handed to Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves), Horvat, and Sutter.

South to Vegas, where the Golden Knights bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas opened in the first period with a William Karlsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Brad Hunt. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Ryan Reaves goal, via Nick Holden and Cody Eakin. Anaheim got on the board with a Ben Street goal in the third period, his third of the year, coming off of Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Vegas capped it at 3-1 with a Marchessault empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Reilly Smith. The three stars went to Marchessault, Fleury (17 for 18 in saves), and Gibson (42 for 44 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his second of the year, via Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his third of the season, assisted by Antti Suomela. San Jose added on with a Brent Burns goal, made possible by Hertl and Donskoi. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Couture scored his fifth of the year, with the help of Hertl, who got a sock trick, and Joakim Ryan. This held up for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Couture, Hertl, and Donskoi.

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