Monday, January 21, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 107

Four games on today as bye weeks begin. With MLK Day in the USA, three of the games start early, beginning with...

The Colorado Avalanche hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Filip Forsberg. Colorado got on the board with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone helper from Samuel Girard. Nashville replied with a Roman Josi goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Austin Watson and Bonino. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with a Ryan Ellis empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Jarnkrok and Mattias Ekholm in the third period. The three stars were Bonino, Rinne (35 for 36 in saves), and Jarnkrok.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. St. Louis began in the first period with a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, via Vince Dunn and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues added on with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Barbashev and Alex Pietrangelo. Los Angeles got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brendan Leipsic. The Kings tied it on a Drew Doughty power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter in the second period. Los Angeles pulled ahead with a Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Dustin Brown and Jake Muzzin. St. Louis retied it in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Vladimir Tarasenko and Pietrangelo. The Kings regained the lead with a Paul LaDue goal, his second of the year, made possible by Leipsic and Toffoli. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Toffoli, and Leipsic, while Barbashev and Pietrangelo take the honorable mentions.

Along to Vegas as the Golden Knights bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas led off in the first period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Colin Miller. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Joel Eriksson Ek and Nick Seeler. The Wild took the lead with an Eric Staal goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Jordan Greenway and Ryan Suter. The Golden Knights retied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Paul Stastny and Miller. Minnesota reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jared Spurgeon and Staal. The Wild capped it at 4-2 with a Mikko Koivu empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Zach Parise. The three stars were Staal, Dubnyk (30 for 32 in saves), and Miller.

Way to the east, the Florida Panthers host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Aleksander Barkov and Frank Vatrano. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Brent Burns and Timo Meier. The Panthers retook the lead with a Mike Matheson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Vatrano. The Sharks tied it again with a Meier goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Florida regained the lead in the third period with a Keith Yandle power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Vatrano, who earned a sock trick. Florida extended the lead as Vatrano scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Dadonov and Barkov, the latter earning a sock trick. The Panthers finished it at 6-2 with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Jayce Hawryluk and Colton Sceviour. The three stars were Vatrano, Barkov, and Meier, while Dadonov gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 106

Only five games on today on the last day before bye weeks begin. First up...

The Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Collin Delia play in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by David Kampf. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. Washington got on the board with a Brooks Orpik goal, his second of the season, via Brett Connolly and Lars Eller. Chicago replied with an unassisted Toews goal, his nineteenth of the year. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period as Alex DeBrincat scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Dylan Strome and Duncan Keith. Pheonix Copley replaced Holtby in goal. The Capitals got one back with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his third of the year, passed from Matt Niskanen and Andre Burakovsky. Washington got closer in the third period with a John Carlson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Orlov and T.J. Oshie. Chicago replied with a Kane power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Toews and Strome. The Blackhawks padded the lead on another Toews goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, courtesy of Kane and Carl Dahlstrom. The Capitals chipped back with a Carlson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie. Washington pulled closer on a Niskanen goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Travis Boyd and Burakovsky. Chicago responded with a Toews goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-first of the year, with a lone helper from Kane. The Blackhawks iced it at 8-5 with a Strome empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Toews, Kane, and Strome, while Carlson, Orlov, Niskanen, Oshie, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

East to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Chad Johnson and Robin Lehner are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a Cal Clutterbuck power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders added on with a Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, passed from Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead in the second period as Leo Komarov scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Devon Toews and Scott Mayfield. This held up as the eventual 3-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Lehner (19 save shutout), Clutterbuck, and Komarov.

Way out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Jacob Markstrom are set to start in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Brock Boeser. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his eighth of the year, via Anthony Mantha and Thomas Vanek. The Red Wings took the lead with a Vanek goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Danny DeKeyser and Nielsen. The Canucks retied it in the third period with a Bo Horvat goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Pettersson and Boeser. Vancouver took the lead with an Antoine Roussel goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jake Virtanen. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Pettersson, Markstrom (35 for 37 in saves), and Boeser, while Vanek and Nielsen take the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Toronto opened in the first period with a Travis Dermott goal, his third of the season, helped along by William Nylander and Frederik Gauthier. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Mario Kempe goal, his third of the year, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes took the lead with a Clayton Keller goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Christian Fischer and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his thirtieth of the season, via Mitchel Marner and Zach Hyman. Arizona regained the lead on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Derek Stepan and Jordan Oesterle. The Coyotes finished it at 4-2 with a Crouse empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Stepan and Oesterle. The three stars were Crouse, Stepan, and Oesterle.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot are the experienced goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his tenth of the season, via Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Slavin and Lucas Wallmark. Carolina extended the lead as Niederreiter scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Brett Pesce and Aho. Mikko Koskinen replaced Talbot in goal. Edmonton got on the board with a Brandon Manning goal, his second of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Hurricanes replied in the second period with a Brock McGinn goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Svechnikov. Carolina padded the lead on a Wallmark power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Svechnikov and Slavin, the latter earning a sock trick. The Hurricanes continued with a Jordan Martinook goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele and Teuvo Teravainen. The Oilers got one back with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Jujhar Khaira. Edmonton pulled closer with a Zack Kassian goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Benning and Draisaitl. The Oilers got closer on another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Alex Chiasson. Carolina iced it at 7-4 with a Wallmark empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Aho, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Wallmark, Aho, and Draisaitl, while Niederreiter, Slavin, Svechnikov, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 105

Eleven games are on this Saturday, starting with two matinees. The first is from...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and MacKenzie Blackwood are in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher. Anaheim tied it on a Daniel Sprong goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nick Ritchie and Adam Henrique. The Ducks took the lead with a Troy Terry power play goal, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Sprong. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Derek Grant goal, his third of the season, assisted by Terry. The Devils got one back on a Bratt goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Butcher. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Terry, Sprong, and Bratt, while Butcher gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the other matinee sees the Colorado Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Barrie. Colorado extended the lead as Barrie scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Alexander Kerfoot and Matt Calvert. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Landeskog. Colorado chased Quick with a shorthanded goal by Sheldon Dries, his third of the season, set up by Calvert. Jack Campbell came on in relief. The Avalanche kept going with an unassisted Rantanen goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year. Colorado continued with a Colin Wilson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Soderberg and J.T. Compher. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. This produced the 7-1 final score, with the three stars going to Barrie, Rantanen, and Soderberg, while Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Calvert take the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. Boston opened in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. New York tied it on a Filip Chytil goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. On the play, Rask was concussed and Jaroslav Halak relieved him in goal. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Brady Skjei and Mats Zuccarello. The Bruins retied it in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. New York retook the lead on a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Zuccarello. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Zibanejad, Zuccarello, and Chytil.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Dallas started in the first period with a Brett Ritchie power play goal, his third of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. The Stars added on with a Blake Comeau goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn in the second period. Dallas extended the lead as Radek Faksa scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Roman Polak and Lindell. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist from Mason Appleton. The Jets got closer with a Kyle Connor goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Blake Wheeler. The Stars replied with a Seguin power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Klingberg and Alexander Radulov. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Seguin, Lindell, and Klingberg.

Way up north, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Antti Niemi are in the blue paint. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twelfth of the year, via Robert Hagg and Konecny. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Nolan Patrick scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Wayne Simmonds and Scott Laughton. Montreal got on the board with a Max Domi goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Tomas Tatar and Artturi Lehkonen. The Flyers replied with another Patrick goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, guided in by Jakub Voracek and Gostisbehere. The Canadiens got one back with a Brett Kulak goal, his third of the year, helped along by Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with a Michael Raffl empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Couturier. The three stars were Patrick, Konecny, and Gostisbehere, while Couturier gets an honorable mention.

Stateside again to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson faced Jordan Binnington in goal in the former's return from injury. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, courtesy of Mikkel Boedker. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Vince Dunn goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Robert Bortuzzo and Brayden Schenn. The Senators retied it on a shorthanded Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Zack Smith and Dylan DeMelo in the third period. St. Louis regained the lead with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his second of the year, passed from O'Reilly and Pat Maroon. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to O'Reilly, Gunnarsson, and Binnington (28 for 30 in saves).

Southeast to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Anthony Cirelli and J.T. Miller. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose got on the board with an Evander Kane power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Timo Meier and Joe Thornton. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Kane goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Radim Simek. Tampa Bay regained the lead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his twelfth of the season, via Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning extended the lead as Victor Hedman scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Stamkos goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning struck again with a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Hedman and Brayden Point. San Jose got one back on a Marcus Sorensen goal, his tenth of the campaign, coming off of Tim Heed and Kevin Labanc. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars belonging to Stamkos, Kane, and Hedman, while Kucherov earns an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Henrik Borgstrom. The Panthers added on with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Ekblad and Evgenii Dadonov. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Trocheck scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Colton Sceviour. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Nick Bonino goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Roman Josi and Austin Watson. The Predators got closer with a Watson goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Bonino. The Panthers fired back on a Jared McCann goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Sceviour and Jayce Hawryluk. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Ekblad, Trocheck, and Sceviour, while Bonino and Watson take the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his ninth of the season, via Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle. The Wild added on with a Zach Parise goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Pontus Aberg and Victor Rask. Columbus got on the board with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, powered by Seth Jones and Pierre-Luc Dubois. This led to the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars handed to Dubnyk (19 for 20 in saves), Parise, and Greenway.

Crossing into Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers welcome provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Mikko Koskinen are the underrated goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on with a Giordano power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Noah Hanifin. Calgary extended the lead as Oliver Kylington scored his second of the season, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers got closer with a third period Milan Lucic power play goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Puljujarvi and Caleb Jones. The Flames responded with a Backlund goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary capped it at 5-2 with a Monahan power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, guided in by Matthew Tkachuk and Gaudreau. The three stars were awarded to Giordano, Gaudreau, and Backlund, while Monahan and Puljujarvi get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith faces former Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twentieth of the season, via Olli Maatta and Evgeni Malkin. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nate Schmidt and Paul Stastny. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Stastny and Alex Tuch. Vegas added on with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his second of the year, fueled by Ryan Carpenter and Cody Eakin. The Penguins got one back in the second period with a Dominik Simon goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Guentzel and Kris Letang. The Golden Knights retook the lead on an unassisted Jonathan Marchessault goal, his fifteenth of the season. Vegas extended the lead as Marchessault scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to William Karlsson and Colin Miller. The Golden Knights padded the lead with a Karlsson goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Miller. Vegas iced it at 7-3 with a Marchessault empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his seventeenth of the year, set up by Pacioretty and the goalie Fleury. The three stars were given to Marchessault, Pacioretty, and Karlsson, while Miller, Stastny, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, January 18, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 104

Seven games on again tonight, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Roberto Luongo are the goalies. Toronto started in the first period with a Ron Hainsey goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Morgan Rielly and Kasperi Kapanen. Florida tied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Keith Yandle and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers took the lead on a Mike Matheson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Frank Vatrano empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Mark Pysyk. The three stars were Luongo (20 for 21 in saves), Matheson, and Hoffman.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Michael Chaput and Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Tatar goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Riley Nash and Seth Jones. Montreal replied with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Max Domi and Weber. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with an Armia empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Domi and Jeff Petry. The three stars were Tatar, Price (34 for 35 in saves), and Armia, while Weber and Domi get the honorable mentions.

Over in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Cody Ceci and Zack Smith. The Senators added on in the second period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene. Ottawa extended the lead as Mark Stone scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Chris Tierney. Carolina got on the board with a Warren Foegele goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators replied with a Christian Wolanin goal, his third of the season, via Brady Tkachuk and Ceci. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Nilsson (33 for 34 in saves), Ryan, and Ceci.

North to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Braden Holtby are in the creases. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Josh Bailey goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. The Islanders added on with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Casey Cizikas and Pelech. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Greiss (19 save shutout), Pelech, and Bailey.

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Detroit began in the first period with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by James Neal and T.J. Brodie. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Dylan Larkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Mike Green and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Flames tied it again with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. Detroit took the lead again in the third period with a Green goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen. Calgary tied it on a Neal power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Rasmus Andersson and Bennett. The Red Wings regained the lead with a Larkin goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by Nyquist and Bertuzzi. The Flames equalized with a Mark Giordano shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Derek Ryan. Calgary pulled ahead with a Bennett power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Ryan and Brodie. The Flames capped it at 6-4 with a Brodie empty net goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Matthew Tkachuk and Smith. The three stars were awarded to Bennett, Brodie, and Neal, while Ryan, Larkin, Nyquist, Green, and Bertuzzi earn the honorable mentions.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Darcy Kuemper receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. Pittsburgh tied it on a Juuso Riikola power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, with assists provided by Marcus Pettersson and Dominik Simon. The Penguins pulled ahead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Cullen and Garrett Wilson. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with a Derek Stepan goal, his ninth of the year, via Niklas Hjalmarsson and Vinnie Hinostroza. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, passed from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The three stars were Murray (31 for 33 in saves), Kessel, and Guentzel.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Thatcher Demko are the backups in goal. Buffalo struck first in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fifth of the season, via Rasmus Ristolainen and Vladimir Sobotka. Vancouver tied it with an Alexander Edler goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser. The Canucks took the lead on a Sven Baertschi goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist from Derrick Pouliot. The Sabres tied it in the second period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons. Vancouver took the lead with a Boeser goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Horvat. Buffalo retied it with a Sam Reinhart goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Conor Sheary and Jack Eichel. The Canucks pulled ahead in the third period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Josh Leivo and Jay Beagle. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Boeser, Horvat, and Eriksson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 103

Seven games on an unusually slow Thursday night. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. Boston got going in the second period with a Torey Krug goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of David Krejci and Peter Cehlarik. St. Louis tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Jordan Kyrou and David Perron. The Blues took the lead with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. The Bruins tied it again with a David Backes power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Zdeno Chara and Krejci. Boston pulled ahead in the third period with a Chris Wagner goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Sean Kuraly empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Krejci, who got a sock trick, and Wagner. The three stars were Wagner, Krejci, and Rask (28 for 30 in saves).

On Long Island, the New York Islanders welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Nick Leddy and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders added on with a Michael Dal Colle goal, passed from Scott Mayfield and Leo Komarov. New York extended the lead as Eberle scored his eleventh of the year on the power play, with the help of Leddy and Brock Nelson. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with an Andy Greene goal, his third of the season, via Damon Severson. The Islanders capped it at 4-1 with a Lee empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Josh Bailey. The three stars belonged to Lee, Eberle, and Leddy.

Also in New York, the Rangers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Artem Anisimov and Brent Seabrook. New York tied it on an unassisted Filip Chytil goal, his eighth of the year. The Rangers took the lead with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Chris Kreider and Marc Staal. New York added on with a Kreider goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks pulled back with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Erik Gustafsson and Patrick Kane. The Rangers fired back with a Mika Zibanejad empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got one back late with a Dominik Kahun goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by David Kampf and Drake Caggiula. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Kreider, Zibanejad, and Zuccarello.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Marleau goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Kadri and Nikita Zaitsev. The Lightning retied it on a Hedman goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Nikita Kucherov and Point. Toronto retook the lead on a Mitchell Marner goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from John Tavares and Andreas Johnsson. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with a Zach Hyman empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, set up by Zaitsev and Tavares. The three stars were Marleau, Kadri, and Point, while Tavares, Zaitsev, and Hedman receive the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on in the second period with a Mason Appleton goal, his second of the year, coming off of Joe Morrow and Sami Niku. Nashville got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Ryan Ellis and Filip Forsberg. Winnipeg shot back with a Bryan Little goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Brandon Tanev scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Niku and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg padded the lead on another Lemieux goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Morrow. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Lemieux, Hellebuyck (37 for 38 in saves), and Niku, while Morrow gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Anaheim struck first in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Nick Ritchie and Brandon Montour. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighth of the year, via Devin Shore and Montour. Anaheim extended the lead as Brian Gibbons scored his second of the campaign, thanks to Andy Welinski. This was all they needed for the 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Gibson (37 save shutout), Montour, and Henrique.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell faces his former team and Ben Bishop in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on in the second period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Toffoli. Dallas got on the board in the third period with an Esa Lindell goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Campbell (29 for 30 in saves), Hagelin, and Brown.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 102

Just five games on for today, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Anders Nilsson are set to start in goal. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Chris Tierney and Ryan Dzingel. The Senators added on with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Cody Ceci. Ottawa extended the lead as Dzingel scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Thomas Chabot and Matt Duchene. Colorado got on the board with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Senators answered with a Duchene goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Zack Smith in the third period. The Avalanche got one back with a MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Rantanen. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Duchene empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Duchene, Dzingel, and MacKinnon, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Carter Hart are the masked men. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Peter Cehlarik goal, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci. Philadelphia got on the board with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his fifth of the year, via Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia took the lead on a Couturier power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. The Flyers extended the lead as Couturier completed his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Lindblom and Provorov. Boston got one back with a Cehlarik goal, his second of the game, passed from Marchand and Krug. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Couturier, Cehlarik, and Lindblom, while Provorov, Giroux, Marchand, and Krug get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Calgary Flames host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and David Rittich are in the creases. Calgary began in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. Buffalo tied it in the second period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fourth of the year, via Casey Mittelstadt. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Lindholm and Gaudreau. The Sabres retied it with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. Buffalo pulled ahead on a Jake McCabe goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it up with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sean Monahan and Rasmus Andersson.

Further west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jacob Markstrom are the goalies. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Jujhar Khaira shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver tied it on a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Ben Hutton and Markus Granlund. The Oilers took the lead back with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Leon Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. The Canucks retied it in the second period with a Markus Granlund goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went into a shootout, where Alex Chiasson's lone tally gave the Oilers a 3-2 win. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Khaira.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Mario Kempe. The Coyotes added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Richard Panik goal, his tenth of the year. San Jose got on the board with a Kevin Labanc goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brenden Dillon and Justin Braun. Arizona replied in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ilya Lyubushkin and Jordan Weal. The Coyotes extended the lead as Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Clayton Keller and Fischer. The Sharks got one back with an Evander Kane goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Labanc. San Jose pulled closer in the third period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Labanc. Arizona replied with an Alex Galchenyuk power play empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes iced it at 6-3 with a Josh Archibald empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Crouse. The three stars belonged to Crouse, Labanc, and Fischer.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 101

Ten games are on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Robin Lehner are in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Anders Lee. St. Louis tied it with a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Ryan O'Reilly and Jay Bouwmeester in the third period. The Islanders won 2-1 in overtime with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier. The three stars went to Lehner (30 for 31 in saves), Filppula, and Eberle.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York began in the first period with a Tony DeAngelo goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jimmy Vesey and Boo Nieves. Carolina tied it on an unassisted Saku Maenalanen goal, his third of the year. The Rangers took the lead back with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Kevin Shattenkirk. New York added on with another Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Mats Zuccarello and Kreider. The Rangers extended the lead in the second period as Pavel Buchnevich scored his eighth of the season on the power play, with the help of Zibanejad and Zuccarello. New York padded the lead in the third period with another Buchnevich power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with assists provided by Zibanejad and Zuccarello, the latter earning a sock trick. The Hurricanes countered with a Maenalanen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, guided in by Victor Rask and Justin Faulk. The Rangers capped it at 6-2 with a DeAngelo goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Vladislav Namestnikov and Nieves. The three stars were awarded to Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and DeAngelo, while Maenalanen, Nieves, Zuccarello, and Kreider earn the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Joonas Korpisalo draw the starts in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Josh Anderson. Columbus extended the lead as Artemi Panarin scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to David Savard and Atkinson. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the second period on a Dubois power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Zach Werenski and Panarin. New Jersey got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, via Mirco Mueller and Ben Lovejoy. This only made it 4-1, the eventual final score, with the three stars going to Panarin, Dubois, and Atkinson, while Korpisalo (29 for 30 in saves) gets an honorable mention.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Nick Ritchie and Ryan Getzlaf. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Andreas Athanasiou and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eleventh of the season, via Danny DeKeyser and Thomas Vanek. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with a Darren Helm goal, his third of the year, courtesy of DeKeyser. The three stars were DeKeyser, Howard (23 for 24 in saves), and Nyquist.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are the backups in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Densi Malgin. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia. The Canadiens took the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Weber. Montreal added on with a Max Domi goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Paul Byron and Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens extended the lead in the third period as Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Artturi Lehkonen and Jordie Benn. Montreal padded the lead on a Brendan Gallagher empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Niemi (52 for 53 in saves), Weber, and Danault.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Washington Capitals. Pheonix Copley and Juuse Saros are the lesser-known goalies. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Colton Sissons and Austin Watson. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Arvidsson scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. Washington got on the board with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Predators replied with an Arvidsson shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season completing his hat trick, set up by Johansen. Nashville padded the lead on an unassisted Rocco Grimaldi goal, his fourth of the year. The Predators continued with Bonino's second goal of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Ekholm and Ryan Hartman. Nashville struck again in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Kevin Fiala. The Capitals got one back with a T.J. Oshie goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. This produced the 7-2 final score, with the three stars being Arvidsson, Bonino, and Ekholm, while Johansen gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kyle Connor shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Bryan Little. The Jets added on with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas got on the board in the third period with a Brandon Pirri goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Brayden McNabb and Paul Stastny. Winnipeg replied with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, fueled by Connor and Wheeler. The three stars were Connor, Brossoit (43 for 44 in saves), and Scheifele, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Alex Stalock are in the blue paint. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his ninth of the season, via Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno. Los Angeles tied it on an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Dustin Brown and Dion Phaneuf. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. The Kings tied it again with a Jeff Carter goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Adrian Kempe and Tyler Toffoli. Minnesota won 3-2 in the shootout with a lone tally by Jason Zucker. The three stars went to Stalock (31 for 33 in saves), Staal, and Quick (40 for 42 in saves).

Way to the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Anton Khudobin are between the pipes. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning added on with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his second of the year, assisted by Anthony Cirelli in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Vasilevskiy (35 save shutout), Palat, and Sergachev.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Martin Jones guard the cages. Pittsburgh drew first blood in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Brian Dumoulin. San Jose tied it on a Marcus Sorensen goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Brenden Dillon. The Sharks took the lead with a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Evander Kane and Dillon. San Jose added on in the second period with a Joe Thornton goal, his tenth of the year, via Joe Pavelski and Radim Simek. The Sharks extended the lead as Hertl scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with the help of Justin Braun and Kane. The Penguins got one back with a Derick Brassard goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Tanner Pearson and Bryan Rust. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Hertl to complete his hat trick with his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Kane, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Hertl, Kane, and Dillon.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.