Monday, November 12, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 41

Four games on for tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Henrik Lundqvist are in the creases. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tyler Motte and Ben Hutton. New York tied it with a Filip Chytil power play goal, powered by Chris Kreider and Neal Pionk. The Rangers took the lead in the third period with a Brett Howden goal, his fourth of the year, via Jimmy Vesey and Jesper Fast. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Lundqvist (25 for 26 in saves), Howden, and Chytil.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Scott Darling face their former teams in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Henri Jokiharju and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his ninth of the year, via Dominik Kahun and David Kampf in the second period. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes tied it with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist from Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with an Aho goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Justin Faulk and Svechnikov. The three stars were Aho, Svechnikov, and Ferland.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Anton Khudobin in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Seth Jones. Dallas tied it on an Alexander Radulov goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eighth of the campaign, assisted by Atkinson and Ryan Murray. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars given to Bobrovsky (26 for 27 in saves), Atkinson, and Dubois.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and John Gibson tend the twines. Anaheim led off in the second period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm. Nashville tied it with a Kevin Fiala goal, his second of the year, via Kyle Turris and Craig Smith. In the shootout, Pontus Aberg and Rakell lifted the Ducks to a 2-1 win over Turris and the Predators. The three stars were Rakell, Gibson (34 for 35 in saves), and Rinne (29 for 30 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 40

We've got seven games on an unusually busy Sunday. First up...

The St. Louis Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Chad Johnson in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his third of the season, via Ivan Barbashev. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Zach Parise goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Jonas Brodin. The Wild pulled ahead on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, made possible by Jordan Greenway and Charlie Coyle. The Blues tied it with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Ryan O'Reilly. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with an unassisted Mikael Granlund goal, his tenth of the year. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Granlund, Dubnyk (29 for 31 in saves), and Eriksson Ek.

To the east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Richard Panik. The Coyotes added on in the second period with an unassisted Panik goal, his fourth of the year. Washington got on the board with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourth of the season, via Alex Ovechkin and Madison Bowey. Arizona replied with an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Brendan Perlini and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Derek Stepan empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Galchenyuk and Clayton Keller. The three stars were Galchenyuk, Kuemper (38 for 39 in saves), and Panik.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike McKenna and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Chris Tierney and Maxime Lajoie. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers took the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. Florida added on with a Barkov goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Bogdan Kiselevich and Hoffman. The Panthers extended the lead as Troy Brouwer scored his third of the season, with the help of Colton Sceviour and Juho Lammikko. Florida padded the lead on a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Huberdeau and Kiselevich. The final remained at 5-1, with the three stars going to Barkov, Huberdeau, and Hoffman, while Kiselevich and Reimer (34 for 35 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Boston Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. Boston led off in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his second of the season, coming off of Anders Bjork. The Bruins added on with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, via Sean Kuraly and John Moore. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Brad Marchand scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Vegas got on the board with a Cody Eakin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch. The Bruins capped it at 4-1 in the third period with a Pastrnak power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and David Krejci. The three stars belonged to Halak (37 for 38 in saves), Pastrnak, and Lauzon.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, assisted by Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers. New Jersey got on the board with a Brett Seney goal, via Jesper Bratt and Damon Severson. Winnipeg replied in the second period with another Scheifele goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Jacob Trouba. The Devils pulled back with a Blake Coleman goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Severson. The Jets answered on an Ehlers goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Scheifele and Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead as Mathieu Perreault scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Kyle Connor and Bryan Little. This made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Wheeler, and Ehlers, while Severson gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks added on with a Donskoi goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, via Kane and Pavelski. Calgary got on the board with a Sean Monahan goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Jankowski. San Jose iced it at 3-1 with a Pavelski empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, set up by Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. The three stars were Pavelski, Donskoi, and Kane, while Jones (29 for 30 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Carl Soderberg goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Matt Calvert. Colorado extended the lead as Alexander Kerfoot scored his third of the season on the power play, with the help of Soderberg and Samuel Girard in the second period. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Barrie goal, via Rantanen and MacKinnon. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Ty Rattie goal, his second of the year, helped along by Adam Larsson and Milan Lucic. The final remained at 4-1, with the three stars given to Barrie, Rantanen, and MacKinnon.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2018 Conference Semifinals - Leg 2

The last four games of the round begin with one on Thursday in...

Seattle, as the Sounders FC host the Portland Timbers. Jeff Attinella and Stefan Frei are set to start in goal. Portland's Andres Flores had a yellow card for a forty-first minute foul. Seattle got going in the sixty-eighth minute on a Raul Ruidiaz goal. Osvaldo Alonso of the Sounders took a yellow card for a foul in the seventieth minute. The Timbers tied it on a Sebastian Blanco goal in the seventy-eighth minute, made possible by Dairon Asprilla. Seattle forced extra time with a Ruidiaz goal in stoppage time, his second of the night. Portland tied the game and pulled ahead in the series with an Asprilla goal in the 93rd minute, via Diego Valeri. Valeri took a yellow for the Timbers in the 96th minute for dissent, but the Sounders still evened the series again a minute later with a Nicolas Lodeiro penalty kick goal. Ruidiaz took a yellow card for a handball for Seattle in the 114th minute. The even series went to penalty kicks, where Lucas Melano, Valeri, Balanco, and Asprilla carried the Timbers over Ruidiaz and Handwalla Bwana for the Sounders. Portland takes the 5-4 result to the Western Conference Finals, with the man of this match being Asprilla.

On Sunday, Sporting Kansas City welcomes Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Tim Melia are the gloved men. Kansas City opened in the fourteenth minute with a Diego Rubio goal, via Felipe Gutierrez and Johnny Russell. Sporting added on with a Daniel Salloi goal in the nineteenth minute, coming off of Gutierrez. Aaron Herrera of Salt Lake took a yellow card for a foul in the forty-ninth minute. Real got on the board in the game with a Sebastian Saucedo goal in the sixtieth minute. In the sixty-third minute, Kansas City's Rubio had a yellow card for a handball. Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman had a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-fourth miunte. Sporting replied with an Ilie Sanchez penalty kick goal in the sixty-seventh minute. Real refused to go quietly, pulling back on a Damir Kreilach goal in the seventy-second minute, made possible by Joao Plata. Kansas City received a yellow card for a Roger Espinoza foul in the eighty-second minute. Sporting capped it at 4-2 with a Salloi goal in stoppage time. Sporting advances with a 5-3 aggregate win, setting them up to meet the Portland Timbers in the Western Conference Final. Salloi was man of the match.

Southeast to Georgia, as Atlanta United FC brings in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Brad Guzan play in goal. Maxime Chanot of New York City had a yellow card for a sixth minute foul. Atlanta started in the twenty-fifth minute with a Josef Martinez penalty kick goal. The Pigeons' Yangel Herrera had a yellow card for a fortieth minute foul. The Five Stripes added on with a Miguel Almiron goal in the forty-second minute. Franco Escobar of Atlanta took a yellow card for a forty-fourth minute foul. New York City got on the board with a Chanot goal in the forty-fifth minute. The Five Stripes saw a yellow card given to Miles Robinson in the sixty-first minute for a foul. Maximiliano Moralez took a yellow for the Pigeons for his foul in the seventy-fourth minute. Atlanta shot back on a Martinez goal in the eighty-third minute, passed from Eric Remedi. Alexander Callens of New York City took a yellow card for dissent in the eighty-eighth minute. The final was 3-1 in the game and 4-1 on aggregate for Atlanta, with Martinez earning man of the match honors.

Finally, the New York Red Bulls host the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Luis Robles are in goal. New York was first to score in the seventeenth minute with an Alex Muyl goal, passed from Aaron Long and Daniel Royer to level the series. The Red Bulls pulled ahead with a Royer goal in the seventy-third minute, assisted by Tyler Adams and Muyl. New York extended the lead as Royer scored again in the seventy-sixth minute, thanks to Alejandro Romero Gamarra. This stood for a 3-0 win in the game and a 3-1 aggregate win for the Red Bulls, with Royer named man of the match in this one.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 39

We've got eleven games on today, including three matinees. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Carter Hutton are set to start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Nathan Beaulieu goal, his second of the season, via Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Dahlin. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Markus Granlund and Bo Horvat. The Canucks took the lead on a Jake Virtanen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Antoine Roussel. Vancouver added on in the third period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, assisted by Eriksson and Roussel. The Sabres got one back with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Buffalo tied it with a Reinhart goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Ristolainen and Dahlin. The tie went to a shootout, where Jack eichel and Casey Mittelstadt covered Granlund's tally, giving the Sabres a 4-3 win. The three stars were Reinhart, Ristolainen, and Dahlin, while Eriksson, Granlund, and Roussel earned honorable mentions.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Brian Elliott make the starts in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with an unassisted Claude Giroux goal, his seventh of the season. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Couturier scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers iced it at 4-0 with a Nolan Patrick empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Couturier. The three stars were Couturier, Giroux, and Elliott (33 save shutout).

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his third of the season, made possible by Radek Faksa. Nashville tied it with an unassisted Ryan Hartman goal in the second period, his fifth of the year. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Julius Honka and Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas added on with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Denis Gurianov and Esa Lindell. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Roman Josi and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville tied it on a Yannick Weber goal, his second of the year, via Kevin Fiala and Anthony Bitetto. The Stars regained the lead with a Gurianov goal, assisted by Ben Gleason and Jamie Benn. The Predators tied it on a Roman Josi power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Johansen and Filip Forsberg. Nashville won 5-4 with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his third of the year, passed from Kyle Turris and P.K. Subban. The three stars belonged to Josi, Johansen, and Ekholm.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Boston opened in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a Pastrnak goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Bergeron and Matt Grzelcyk in the second period. Boston extended the lead as Pastrnak scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Brad Marchand and Bergeron. Toronto got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Bruins replied with another Pastrnak power play goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season in the third period, powered by Marchand and Torey Krug. Boston padded the lead with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his third of the year, fueled by David Krejci. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Halak (40 for 41 in saves), while Marchand gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Scott Darling are in the creases. Detroit struck first in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nick Jensen and Frans Nielsen. Carolina tied it with a Brock McGinn goal, his second of the year, passed from Hadyn Fleury and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his third of the year, assisted by Aho and Teravainen. The Red Wings took one back in the third period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Athanasiou and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit tied it on a Mantha goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin. The tie went to a shootout, where Nielsen carried the Red Wings to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Mantha, Nielsen, and Bernier (49 for 52 in saves), while Aho, Teravainen, and Athanasiou get the honorable mentions.

North again to Montreal, as the Canadiens bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Antti Niemi in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brad Hunt power play goal, his second of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Tomas Hyka. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Karlsson. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Charles Hudon goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Victor Mete. The Canadiens tied it on an Andrew Shaw goal, his third of the year, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi. Montreal pulled ahead with a Kotkaniemi goal, his third of the season, assisted by Artturi Lehkonen and Kenny Agostino. Vegas retied it on an Alex Tuch goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Colin Miller and Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights regained the lead with a Karlsson power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Hyka and Hunt. The Canadiens evened it with Shaw's second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Domi and Jeff Petry. Montreal pulled ahead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper by Phillip Danault. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Shaw, Kotkaniemi, and Karlsson, while Domi, Hunt, and Hyka get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Dominik Simon goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Bryan Rust and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Patric Hornqvist scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Simon and Jack Johnson. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, made possible by Crosby and Guentzel. This gave them a 4-0 lead they would hold to the end, with the three stars going to DeSmith (39 save shutout), Simon, and Crosby, while Guentzel earned an honorable mention.

Far to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his sixth of the season, via Colin White. The Senators added on with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Cody Ceci. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his third of the season, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Braydon Coburn. The Lightning tied it in the second period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his third of the year, powered by the goalie Vasilevskiy. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Coburn goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Killorn and Joseph. The Lightning extended the lead as Joseph scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, with the help of Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. Ottawa pulled back on an unassisted Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the season, coming in the third period. The Senators tied it with a White power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Tkachuk and Ryan. Ottawa regained the lead on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Duchene. The Senators secured it at 6-4 with a Mark Stone power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Duchene and Ryan. The three stars were duchene, Ryan, and Joseph, while White, Coburn, Killorn, and Tkachuk receive honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Roberto Luongo man the creases. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Denis Malgin goal, helped along by Jared McCann and Nick Bjugstad. New York tied it with a Mathew Barzal goal, his second of the season, assisted by Anders Lee. The Islanders took the lead in the second period on a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the year, via Scott Mayfield and Tom Kuhnhackl. The Panthers retied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Matheson. Florida pulled ahead in the third period on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Keith Yandle. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Troy Brouwer empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Luongo (29 for 31 in saves), Barkov, and Malgin.

Northward again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Joonas Korpisalo are the lesser-known goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Pavel Buchnevich and Vladislav Namestnikov. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones. The Rangers took the lead back in the second period with a Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Jimmy Vesey. New York added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo. The Blue Jackets took one back on a Dubois goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jones and Artemi Panarin. Columbus tied it as Nick Foligno scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Boone Jenner and Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets gained the lead with a shorthanded Alexander Wennberg goal, set up by Jones, who earned a sock trick. The Rangers evened it again with a Vesey goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Hayes and Kevin Shattenkirk. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zibanejad, Shattenkirk, and Vesey lifted the Rangers 5-4 over Atkinson, Dubois, and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were handed to Vesey, Jones, and Buchnevich, while Shattenkirk, Zibanejad, Dubois, and Atkinson all took honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jack Campbell occupy the blue paint. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the season, assisted by Austin Czarnik and Noah Hanifin. This was it for the scoring, with the game ending 1-0. The three stars were Rittch (21 save shutout), Hamonic, and Campbell (35 for 36 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, November 9, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 38

Six games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Ron Hainsey and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the year, via Patrick Marleau. Toronto extended the lead as Connor Brown scored his third of the season, thanks to Par Lindholm and Hainsey. New Jersey got on the board with a Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Blake Coleman. The Maple Leafs replied with an Andreas Johnsson goal, made possible by Jake Gardiner and Lindholm. Toronto padded the lead with a Rielly goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Kadri. The Maple Leafs continued in the third period with an unassisted Tyler Ennis goal, his second of the year. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Rielly, Kadri, and Andersen (38 for 39 in saves), while Hainsey and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Columbus opened in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nick Foligno and Alexander Wennberg. Washington tied it on a Matt Niskanen power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a third period Anthony Duclair power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Duclair, Bobrovsky (33 for 34 in saves), and Bjorkstrand.

Along to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers added on with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his third of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Frans Nielsen and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Athanasiou and Mike Green. The three stars went to Athanasiou, Larkin, and Abdelkader.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his second of the season, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the year, via Jaden Schwartz in the second period. St. Louis extended the lead as Schwartz scored his second of the season, thanks to Tyler Bozak and Alexander Steen. The Blues padded the lead with a Steen goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, guided in by Bozak and Colton Parayko. This produced the 4-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Johnson (33 save shutout), Schwartz, and Steen, while Bozak gets an honorable mention.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a Scheifele goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. Colorado got on the board in the third period with an Erik Johnson goal, passed from Carl Soderberg and Nikita Zadorov. Winnipeg replied with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his third of the season, via Wheeler, who earned a sock trick. The Avalanche pulled back with a Tyson Jost goal, his second of the year, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie. The Jets answered on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Scheifele. The three stars were given to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck (28 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and John Gibson are in the creases. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his second of the season, via Joel Eriksson Ek and Charlie Coyle. The Wild added on with a Jason Zucker goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota extended the lead as Granlund scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Zucker and Jonas Brodin. Anaheim got on the board with a Pontus Aberg power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Montour. The Wild shot back in the third period with a Brodin goal, his third of the season, guided in by Spurgeon. Minnesota padded the lead with a Granlund goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Zucker and Eric Staal. This stood for a 5-1 final, with the three stars going to Granlund, Zucker, and Brodin, while Spurgeon gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 37

We've got nine games on in a somewhat busy night across the league. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jaroslav Halak are set to start in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with an unassisted by Bo Horvat goal, his eighth of the season. Boston tied it on a Matt Grzelcyk goal, passed from David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins took the lead in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug. The Canucks retied it with a Loui Eriksson goal, his second of the season, via Erik Gudbranson and Markus Granlund. Vancouver took the lead again on a Ben Hutton power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Horvat and Nikolay Goldobin. Boston retied it with a DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Krejci and Joakim Nordstrom. The Canucks retook the lead with an Eriksson power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Hutton and Brendan Leipsic. Vancouver added on with an Antoine Roussel goal, his third of the season, fueled by Granlund and Michael Del Zotto. Tuukka Rask replaced Halak in goal. The Bruins chipped back on a DeBrusk power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Krug and Brad Marchand. The Canucks countered on a Gudbranson goal, helped along by Horvat and Eriksson. Vancouver extended the lead on a shorthanded Horvat goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks padded the lead as Jake Virtanen scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Goldobin and Elias Pettersson. Boston pulled one back with a Danton Heinen power play goal, dished from Grzelcyk and Krejci, the latter earning a sock trick. Vancouver won 8-5, with the three stars going to Horvat, Eriksson, and DeBrusk, while Hutton, Gudbranson, Granlund, Goldobin, Krejci, Grzelcyk, and Krug earn the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Calvin Pickard are the backups in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his third of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Scott Laughton goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jori Lehtera. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes tied it in the second period on a Brad Richardson goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Michael Grabner and Vinnie Hinostroza. Arizona took the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Derek Stepan goal, his third of the season. The Coyotes extended the lead on a shorthanded Grabner goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ekman-Larsson. Brian Elliott replaced Pickard in goal. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a Laughton goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Dale Weise and Oskar Lindblom. The Flyers tied it as Weise scored, thanks to Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia won 5-4 in overtime on a Gostisbehere goal, his third of the year, via Jakub Voracek and Giroux. The three stars were given to Gostisbehere, Laughton, and Weise, while Giroux, Grabner, and Ekman-Larsson earn the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Florida got going in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Aleksander Barkov and Mike Hoffman. The Panthers added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his third of the year, assisted by Bogdan Kiselevich and Jared McCann. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist from Connor McDavid. Florida replied with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Colton Sceviour empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Trocheck and Hoffman. The three stars went to Luongo (26 for 27 in saves), Hoffman, and Trocheck.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his second of the season, via Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart. Montreal tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Max Domi and Jordie Benn. The Sabres took the lead on another Sobotka goal, his second of the game and third of the season, guided in by Rodrigues and Reinhart. The Canadiens tied it again with a Matthew Peca goal, passed from Nicolas Deslauriers and Mike Reilly. Buffalo pulled ahead again with a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Casey Mittelstadt and Marco Scandella. Montreal evened it on an Andrew Shaw goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Drouin and Domi. The Sabres gained the lead in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville. The Canadiens equalized on a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Domi, who got a sock trick, and Victor Mete. Montreal finally pulled ahead with a shorthanded Deslauriers goal, set up by Peca. Carter Hutton relieved Ullmark in goal. Buffalo found an equalizer in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with a lone helper from Eichel. The Sabres won 6-5 in overtime with an unassisted Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his second of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Skinner, Sobotka, and Domi, while Rodrigues, Reinhart, Eichel, Drouin, Peca, and Deslauriers get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Craig Anderson are the masked men. Vegas started in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Colin Miller and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by William Karlsson and Brad Hunt. Vegas extended the lead as Nick Holden scored in the second period, thanks to Cody Eakin and Ruch. Ottawa got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Thomas Chabot and Mark Stone. The Senators got closer in the third period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Mark Borowiecki and Chris Tierney. Ottawa tied it as Chabot scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a William Carrier goal, his second of the year, fueled by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Reaves. Vegas took the lead with a Bellemare goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone helper from Miller. The final stood from here at 5-3, with the three stars given to Bellemare, Chabot, and Miller, while Tuch gets an honorable mention.

Way down south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. New York struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his second of the year, via Alex Killorn and Anton Stralman. The Lightning took the lead on a J.T. Miller goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Islanders retied it in the third period with a Bailey goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Adam Pelech and Mathew Barzal. Tampa Bay pulled ahead again with a Tyler Johnson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Stamkos empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Miller and Ryan McDonagh. The three stars were handed to Bailey, Miller, and Stamkos.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling faces his former team and Corey Crawford in goal. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jordan Martinook and Lucas Wallmark. The Hurricanes added on with a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Justin Williams and Wallmark. Carolina extended the lead as Phillip Di Giuseppe scored, thanks to Brock McGinn and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the second period with a Calvin de Haan goal, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Artem Anisimov and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks got closer with a David Kampf goal, his second of the year, assisted by Brandon Saad and Jan Rutta. Chicago chipped closer in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his second of the season, helped along by Brent Seabrook and Kane. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Wallmark, Kane, and de Haan.

Next up, the Dallas Stars welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Anton Khudobin are in the blue paint. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Tyler Seguin and Valeri Nichushkin. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Kevin Labanc and Logan Couture. The Stars took the lead back on a Seguin goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas added on with a Gemel Smith goal, hissecond of the year, guided in by Jason Dickinson and Miro Heiskanen. The Sharks got one back with a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventh of the season, via Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. San Jose tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Burns and Antti Suomela. The Stars pulled ahead with a Shore goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, fueled by Dillon Heatherington and Blake Comeau. This gave them a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Shore, Seguin, and Burns.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Jake Muzzin goal, with a lone assist by Alec Martinez. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, powered by Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Parise goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Koivu. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a Mikael Granlund shorthanded empty net goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, set up by Koivu, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Koivu, Dubnyk (27 for 28 in saves), and Parise.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

NHL 2018/19 - Day 36

We've got only three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Braden Holtby are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jack Johnson. Washington tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Holtby (41 for 42 in saves), Carlson, and Oshie.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his second of the season, assisted by Nick Bonino and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Sissons goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and Bonino. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Matt Calvert power play goal, powered by Samuel Girard and Nathan MacKinnon. Nashville replied with a Sissons power play goal to complete his hat trick on his fourth of the season, via Kyle Turris and Kevin Fiala. The Predators extended the lead as Ryan Hartman scored an empty net goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, with the help of Bonino, who got a sock trick, and P.K. Subban. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Sissons, Bonino, and Rinne (24 for 25 in saves).

Further to the west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Ryan Miller are in the creases. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Andrew Cogliano and Jacob Larsson. The Ducks added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Josh Manson and Pontus Aberg. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. The Flames tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Mark Jankowski goal in the third period. Anaheim retook the lead with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his third of the year, passed from Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. This stood for the 3-2 final score, with the three stars handed to Miller (37 for 39 in saves), Getzlaf, and Larsson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.