Sunday, October 28, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 26

Six games on for this afternoon and evening, beginning with...

The Los Angeles Kings hosting the New York Rangers in a matinee. Henrik Lundqvist and Jack Campbell draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, via Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Tony DeAngelo goal, passed from Namestnikov and Brett Howden. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Brown power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Drew Doughty. The Kings tied it on a Kovalchuk power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles pulled ahead in the third period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the year, coming off of Adrian Kempe and Kovalchuk. New York retied it as Ryan Spooner scored, thanks to DeAngelo and Brady Skjei. The Kings retook the lead on an unassisted Alec Martinez goal. This gave them a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Kovalchuk, Doughty, and Namestnikov, while DeAngelo earns an honorable mention.

Back east, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Dallas began in the first period with a Gemel Smith goal, via Esa Lindell and John Klingberg. Detroit tied it in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his second of the season, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and Mike Green. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period on a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his third of the year, guided in by Niklas Kronwall and Luke Glendening. Detroit added on with a Jonathan Ericsson goal, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Thomas Vanek. The Stars pulled one back with a Radek Faksa goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. The Red Wings capped it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Justin Abdelkader, set up by Trevor Daley and Larkin. The three stars went to Ericsson, Klingberg, and Larkin.

Southeast to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his third of the year, via Sebastian Aho and Trevor van Riemsdyk in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead on a Ryan Pulock goal, passed from Lee and Bailey. This led to the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars awarded to Greiss (38 for 39 in saves), Lee, and Bailey.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Cam Ward are the similarly-named goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Edmonton tied it on a Zack Kassian goal, coming off of Jujhar Khaira and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with a Connor McDavid goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Leon Draisaitl. The three stars went to Talbot (31 for 32 in saves), McDavid, and Kassian.

To the southwest, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Dzingel and Cody Ceci. The Senators added on in the second period with a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Mark Stone and Thomas Chabot. Vegas got on the board with an Alex Tuch goal, with a lone assist by Erik Haula. The Golden Knights tied it on a Ryan Reaves power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Colin Miller and Haula. Ottawa reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Dzingel goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Chris Wideman and Chabot. Vegas tied it on another Tuch goal, assisted by Nick Holden. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime on a Jonathan Marchessault penalty shot goal, his sixth of the campaign, earned on a hooking call against Stone. The three stars went to Tuch, Dzingel, and Haula, while Chabot gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and John Gibson tend the twines. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his sixth of the season, via Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. Anaheim tied it with a Josh Manson goal, passed from Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique. The Sharks took the lead back with a Rourke Chartier goal in the second period, fueled by Hertl and Timo Meier. San Jose added on with a Meier goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Couture and Erik Karlsson. The Ducks pulled back on a Pontus Aberg goal, made possible by Getzlaf and Andy Welinski. Anaheim tied it in the third period with an unassisted goal by Aberg. The Sharks won 4-3 in overtime with a Meier goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Joonas Donskoi. The three stars belonged to Meier, Couture, and Aberg, while Hertl and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.

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MLS 2018 - Decision Day

Eleven games all at once go today, causing us to hop around the map. First up...

The Chicago Fire host DC United. Bill Hamid and Patrick McLain are in goal. Chicago saw yellow cards for fouls by Dax McCarty in the fifty-fourth minute and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the seventy-ninth minute. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Hamid for his two-save clean sheet.

West to Colorado, as the Rapids welcome FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Tim Howard protect the nets. Dallas started in the eighteenth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, coming off of Dominique Badji and Roland Lamah. Colorado had yellow cards for Kellyn Acosta and Bismark Boateng in the sixty-fourth and sixty-sixth minutes, respectively. The Rapids tied it in the eightieth minute with a Cole Bassett goal, via Enzo Martinez and Marlon Hairston. Colorado pulled ahead on a Tommy Smith goal in the eighty-fourth minute, assisted by Acosta. The final held at 2-1 Rapids, with the man of the match named as Smith.

Back east, the Columbus Crew SC bring in Minnesota United FC. Matthew Lampson and Zack Steffen man the nets. Columbus opened in the eleventh minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, set up by Milton Valenzuela. The Crew added on in the forty-ninth minute with another Zardes goal. Minnesota got on the board with a Francisco Calvo goal in the sixty-eighth minute, passed from Darwin Quintero. The Loons tied it when Calvo scored again in the seventy-seventh minute. Columbus regained the lead with a Zardes goal in the eighty-third minute, guided in by Niko Hansen and Harrison Afful. This gave the Crew a 3-2 win, and Zardes was the man of the match.

In California, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and David Bingham are set to start in goal. Los Angeles led off in the twenty-seventh minute with an Ola Kamara goal, assisted by Romain Alessandrini and Jonathan dos Santos. The Galaxy added on with another Kamara goal in the thirtieth minute, courtesy of Ashley Cole and Alessandrini. Houston got on the board with a fifty-seventh minute with Romell Quioto goal, made possible by Tomas Martinez. The Dynamo tied it with a Mauro Manotas penalty kick goal in the seventy-third minute. Houston surged ahead on a Manotas goal in the seventy-ninth minute, helped along by Alberth Elis and Martinez. The Dynamo ran into disciplinary trouble late, with Darwin Ceren taking a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute, followed by Oscar Boniek Garcia getting booked for time wasting in stoppage time and Ronaldo Pena received a pair of yellow cards in quick succession four minutes after that. The Dynamo still won 3-2, and Manotas earned man of the match honors.

Way to the northeast, the New England Revolution welcome the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Matt Turner are between the sticks. Kelyn Rowe of New England had a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. The Revolution dented the scoreboard in the seventy-fourth minute on a Diego Fagundez goal, and his celebration drew a yellow card for delay of game. New England saw yellow cards for time wasting by Andrew Farrell in the eighty-third minute and a foul by Wilfried Zahibo in the eighty-ninth minute. Montreal's Saphir Taider had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. New England won 1-0, with Fagundez as the man of the match this time.

Down in the Bronx, New York City FC brings in the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Sean Johnson are the solid keepers. New York City began in the eighth minute with a Maxime Chanot goal, set up by Maximiliano Moralez. The Pigeons added on in the tenth minute with Auston Trusty of Philadelphia committed an own goal. The Union got on the board with a Cory Burke goal in the fourteenth minute, via Borek Dockal. Trusty's day got worse for Philadelphia with a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul. New York City replied with a David Villa goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Burke of the Union took a yellow card for a foul in the fortieth minute. Haris Medunjanin of Philadelphia received a yellow card for dissent in the sixty-seventh minute. The Pigeons held on to win 3-1, with the man of the match being Villa.

In New Jersey, the New York Red Bulls host Orlando City SC. Adam Grinwis is mismatched with Luis Robles in goal. Dominic Dwyer of Orlando City had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the forty-fifth minute. New York got going in the fifty-third minute on a Derrick Etienne goal, helped along by Michael Murillo. Alex Muyl of the Red Bulls had a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul. With other results, New York's 1-0 win earned them the Supporters' Shield, with Etienne taking man of the match honors here.

Out west again, the Seattle Sounders FC welcome the San Jose Earthquakes. James Marcinkowkski faces Stefan Frei in goal. Eric Calvillo of San Jose took a yellow card for his fifty-third minute foul. The Earthquakes got on the board with a Chad Marshall own goal in the sixty-fourth minute. Seattle tied it with a Raul Ruidiaz goal in the seventy-ninth minute, set up by Cristian Roldan and Victor Rodriguez. The Sounders took the lead in stoppage time as Ruidiaz scored again, thanks to Nicolas Lodeiro and Rodriguez. Ruidiaz took a yellow card for delay of game, but Seattle won 2-1 nonetheless and he was the clear choice for man of the match.

Backtracking to Missouri, where Sporting Kansas City brings in Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller and Tim Melia are the keepers. Eduard Atuesta of Los Angeles had a yellow card for an eighth minute foul. Johnny Russell of Kansas City took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. Sporting struck first in the thirty-seventh minute with a Roger Espinoza goal, assisted by Graham Zusi. Kansas City went down to ten men when Seth Sinovic took a straight red card for a handball in the box, setting up the Black and Gold's equalizer from Carlos Vela on the penalty kick in the sixty-third minute. Sporting's Felipe Gutierrez took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the seventieth minute. Kansas City reclaimed the lead with a Daniel Salloi goal in the seventy-second minute, helped along by Khiry Shelton. Melia of Sporting had a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. Sporting won 2-1, with Salloi as the man of the match.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC hosts Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Alexander Bono are the gloved men. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the ninth minute with a Lucas Janson goal. The Reds added on with a Marco Delgado goal in the twenty-first minute, via Jonathan Osorio. Atlanta got on the board in the seventy-seventh minute on a Josef Martinez penalty kick goal. Toronto replied with another Janson goal in the eighty-third minute, coming off of Sebastian Giovinco and Michael Bradley. The Reds extended the lead as Giovinco scored in the eighty-eighth minute, thanks to Jay Chapman. This stood for a 4-1 win, making Janson the man of the match.

Finally, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the Portland Timbers. Jeff Attinella and Stefan Marinovic are the average keepers. Lucas Melano of Portland had a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute. Vancouver drew first blood in the twenty-eighth minute with an Alphonso Davies goal, set up by Jakob Nerwinski. The Whitecaps added on with another Davies goal in the thirty-first minute. Vancouver's Davies had a yellow card for an eighty-second minute foul. The Timbers got on the board in the ninetieth minute with an Andres Flores goal, but they still lost 2-1. The man of the match was Davies in his MLS farewell.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0, and get ready for the playoffs, beginning in three days.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 25

Eleven games are spread by ten hours in starting times on Saturday, beginning with four matinees. The first game is from...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Keith Kinkaid draw the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Damon Severson and Nico Hischier. The Devils added on in the second period with a Taylor Hall goal, his second of the year, via Palmieri and Hischier. New Jersey extended the lead as Blake Coleman scored his third of the season, thanks to Mirco Mueller and Travis Zajac. Florida got on the board with a Mike Matheson goal, made possible by Jonathan Huberdeau in the third period. The Panthers got closer with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Keith Yandle and Evgenii Dadonov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Hischier, and Kinkaid (35 for 37 in saves).

In Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Michal Neuvirth are the passable goalies. New York began in the first period with a Leo Komarov goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders added on with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, passed from Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal. New York extended the lead in the second period as Brock Nelson scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. Philadelphia got on the board with an unassisted Jori Lehtera goal. The Islanders replied with a Pelech goal in the third period, with a lone helper by Lee. New York padded the lead with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Lee, who earned a sock trick. The Islanders iced it at 6-1 with a Lee power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Bailey and Barzal. The three stars went to Lee, Nelson, and Pelech, while Bailey and Barzal took the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, via Darnell Nurse and Tobias Rieder. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, powered by Milan Lucic and Connor McDavid. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban. Edmonton countered with a McDavid goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers extended the lead as Draisaitl scored again in the third period, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Rieder and Oscar Klefbom. The Predators got one back with another Forsberg goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville got closer with Forsberg completing his hat trick on a power play goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Johansen, who got a sock trick, and Subban. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with an unassisted Caggiula goal, his second of the game. The three stars went to Draisaitl, Forsberg, and Johansen, while McDavid, Rieder, Caggiula, and Subban earn the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames host the Washington Capitals. Pheonix Copley and Mike Smith are the sub-par goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his third of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. Calgary got on the board with a Travis Hamonic goal, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Sam Bennett. The Flames tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. Washington reclaimed the lead in the second period on a Matt Niskanen goal, his second of the year, passed from Brett Connolly and Dmitrij Jaskin. Calgary tied it again in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Rasmus Andersson and Giordano. The tie went to a shootout, where Kuznetsov, and Nicklas Backstrom lifted the Capitals to a 4-3 win over Sean Monahan and the Flames. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Gaudreau, and Giordano.

Back east, the Boston Bruins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Matthew Peca and Xavier Ouellet. The Canadiens added on with a Max Domi goal, his fifth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal iced it at 3-0 in the third period with a Jordie Benn empty net goal, set up by Lehkonen. The three stars went to Price (33 save shutout), Lehkonen, and Gallagher.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto got on the board with a Nazem Kadri goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Ron Hainsey in the third period. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Jake Gardiner goal, with a lone assist by Marner. Toronto took the lead with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Zach Hyman. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Marner, Kapanen, and Gardiner.

Stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Joonas Korpisalo are the backups in goal. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his third of the season, made possible by Tage Thompson and Casey Nelson. Columbus tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his third of the year, via Artemi Panarin. The Sabres took the lead back with a Jeff Skinner goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jake McCabe and Jack Eichel. The Blue Jackets tied it again in the second period with a Panarin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Dubois and Cam Atkinson. Columbus pulled ahead with an Atkinson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Riley Nash and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Nick Foligno and Scott Harrington. Buffalo got one back with a Jason Pominville goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Eichel and McCabe. The Sabres retied it on a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, with helpers from Pominville and Skinner. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Panarin goal, his second of the night, set up by Dubois. The three stars were awarded to Panarin, Atkinson, and Dubois, while Skinner, Pominville, eichel, and McCabe get the honorable mentions.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jake Allen protect the nets. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his third of the season, coming off of Zach Sanford and Colton Parayko. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his tenth of the year, via Artem Anisimov and Brandon Saad. The Blues took the lead back with a Sanford goal, his third of the season, assisted by David Perron and O'Reilly. The Blackhawks tied it again with an Anisimov goal, his second of the year, made possible by Kane. St. Louis took the lead once more in the second period on a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and O'Reilly. The Blues added on with a Tyler Bozak goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Oskar Sundqvist and Sanford. Chicago pulled one back with a Kane goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, guided in by Anisimov and Henri Jokiharju. Chad Johnson replaced Allen due to injury. St. Louis replied with a Tarasenko goal in the third period, his second of the game and fifth of the year, fueled by Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues extended the lead on a Pietrangelo empty net goal, set up by Jay Bouwmeester and Brayden Schenn. St. Louis padded the lead as Alexander Steen scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Schenn and Pietrangelo. The three stars were Tarasenko, Pietrangelo, and Kane, while Anisimov, O'Reilly, Schenn, and Sanford are honorable mentions for this 7-3 Blues win.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mark Barberio goal, coming off of Vladislav Kamenev. Minnesota tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Eric Staal. The Wild took the lead with a Staal power play goal in the third period, his third of the year, powered by Granlund and Jason Zucker. Minnesota added on with a Jonas Brodin shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the season, set up by Jared Spurgeon and Eric Fehr. The Avalanche got one back on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper by Mikko Rantanen. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Staal, Granlund, and Brodin.

Way to the south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue faces his old team and Antti Raanta in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jordan Oesterle goal, passed from Brad Richardson and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Coyotes added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jason Demers and Alex Galchenyuk. Arizona extended the lead as Derek Stepan scored, with the help of Brendan Perlini and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Hinostroza goal, his third of the year, via Goligoski and the goalie Raanta in the second period. Arizona kept going with a shorthanded Michael Grabner goal, set up by Richardson. The Coyotes continued in the third period with another shorthanded Grabner goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Adam Erne power play goal, powered by Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde. Arizona finished it at 7-1 with an unassisted Richard Panik goal. The three stars were Grabner, Hinostroza, and Richardson, while Goligoski gets an honorable mention.

The last game sees the Vancouver Canucks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Jacob Markstrom have the green light to play in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Olli Maatta and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fourth of the year, via Dominik Simon and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Malkin scored in the third period, his fourth of the season, thanks to Daniel Sprong. The Penguins padded the lead on another Malkin goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Kessel and Carl Hagelin. Pittsburgh capped it at 5-0 with a Crosby goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, made possible by Jamie Oleksiak and Guentzel. The three stars were Malkin, Crosby, and DeSmith (29 save shutout), while Kessel and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, October 26, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 24

Four games on, beginning a bit earlier than usual this afternoon in...

Vegas, as the Golden Knights host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an unassisted Tyler Johnson goal, his fourth of the season. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore goal, passed from Ryan Carpenter. The Lightning retook the lead on a Brayden Point goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, powered by Alex Killorn and Mikhail Sergachev. The Golden Knights got one back with a William Karlsson power play goal in the third period, his third of the year, with a lone assist from Alex Tuch. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Vasilevskiy (29 for 31 in saves), Miller, and Point.

Back in the east, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jimmy Howard draw the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dennis Cholowski and Frans Nielsen. Winnipeg tied it on a Kyle Connor power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead with a Dustin Byfuglien goal in the third period, his second of the campaign, made possible by Ben Chiarot and Brandon Tanev. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Brossoit (27 for 28 in saves), Byfuglien, and Howard (38 for 40 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. San Jose opened in the first period with an Antti Suomela goal, passed from Evander Kane and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on with a Timo Meier power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Burns and Erik Karlsson. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, fueled by Micheal Ferland and Teuvo Teravainen. San Jose replied with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc. The Hurricanes got one back with an unassisted Brock McGinn goal. Carolina tied it on a Teravainen goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist from Sebastian Aho. The tie went to a shootout, where McGinn scored to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 win. The three stars were Teravainen, McGinn, and Burns.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Philipp Grubauer are the goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his third of the season, passed from Thomas Chabot and Chris Tierney. The Senators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his second of the year, coming off of Cody Ceci and Colin White. Colorado got on the board with a Samuel Girard goal in the second period, made possible by Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. Ottawa answered with another Duchene goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by White. The Avalanche pulled one back with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Colorado tied it on a Carl Soderberg power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Matt Calvert and Barrie. The Avalanche took the lead with a Landeskog goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Rantanen and Barrie, the latter earning a sock trick. Colorado added on with a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the season, via Landeskog and Rantanen. The Avalanche extended the lead as Matt Nieto scored his second of the year, thanks to MacKinnon and Rantanen, the latter earning a sock trick. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars being Rantanen, Landeskog, and MacKinnon, while Barrie, Duchene, and White get the honorable mentions.

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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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