Tuesday, February 5, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 118

Twelve games on today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Braden Holtby get the starts in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Brett Connolly goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. Vancouver got on the board with a Markus Granlund goal, his ninth of the season, via Antoine Roussel and Ben Hutton. Washington answered with a Vrana goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. The Canucks pulled back with an unassisted Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Vrana, Kuznetsov, and Holtby (30 for 32 in saves).

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask are set to start in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. New York tied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson. The Bruins took the lead back in the third period with a Peter Cehlarik goal, his third of the season, guided in by Kevan Miller. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Bergeron empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Pastrnak and Marchand. The three stars belonged to Bergeron, Pastrnak, and Rask (28 for 29 in saves), while Marchand gets an honorable mention.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Linus Ullmark are in the creases. Buffalo began in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. Minnesota tied it with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his ninth of the year, via Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker in the second period. The Sabres retook the lead with a C.J. Smith goal, his second of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart. Buffalo added on with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt. The Wild got one back with a Spurgeon goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, coming off of Luke Kunin and Ryan Suter. Minnesota tied it with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Kunin and Greg Pateryn. The Sabres retook the lead in the third period on a Reinhart goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone helper from Jake McCabe. The Wild tied it again on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Coyle and Suter. In the shootout, Reinhart had the only tally to lift the Sabres to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Reinhart, Spurgeon, and Eichel, while Coyle, Suter, and Kunin get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Keith Kinkaid are in the blue paint. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Carl Hagelin. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Jesper Bratt and Drew Stafford. The Kings retook the lead in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles added on with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, courtesy of Michael Amadio and Brendan Leipsic. The Kings extended the lead as Dion Phaneuf scored, thanks to Kopitar. Los Angeles padded the lead on an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Kopitar, who got a sock trick. This held for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Toffoli, Kopitar, and Campbell (29 for 30 in saves).

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney returns from injury, facing Matt Murray in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Brock McGinn and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Brett Pesce goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Justin Williams and Nino Niederreiter in the second period. Carolina extended the lead on an empty net goal in the third period from Micheal Ferland, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Lucas Wallmark. The Hurricanes padded the lead as Andrei Svechnikov scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk. This capped it at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to McElhinney (23 save shutout), Martinook, and Pesce.

To the south, the Florida Panthers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Henrik Borgstrom power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Frank Vatrano and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Mike Hoffman and Keith Yandle. St. Louis got on the board with a Colton Parayko goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis took the lead on an unassisted Vince Dunn goal, his sixth of the campaign. This stood for a 3-2 Blues win, with the three stars being Dunn, O'Reilly, and Parayko.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Anaheim Ducks. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Joel Armia and Mike Reilly. Montreal extended the lead as Gallagher scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with the help of Drouin and Shea Weber. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the year, via Corey Perry and Devin Shore. The Canadiens replied in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Drouin, who got a sock trick, and Gallagher. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Gallagher, Drouin, and Price (24 for 25 in saves).

Returning to Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. Vegas got on the board with a Cody Eakin goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Jon Merrill. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Valentin Zykov goal, made possible by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. In the shootout, Vegas prevailed 3-2 with a lone tally by Alex Tuch. The three stars were Zykov, Vasilevskiy (35 for 37 in saves), and Stamkos.

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Calvin Pickard and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Alex Goligoski and Richard Panik. Nashville tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis in the second period. The Predators took the lead with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville added on with an Ellis goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Frederick Gaudreau and Ryan Hartman. The Coyotes got one back with a third period goal by Derek Stepan, his eleventh of the season, with a lone helper from Jordan Oesterle. The Predators shot back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Colton Sissons and Josi. Nashville finished it at 5-2 with a Josi empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Jarnkrok. The three stars were named as Josi, Ellis, and Jarnkrok.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Josh Morrissey and Jacob Trouba. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Kevin Labanc. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Tyler Myers and Brandon Tanev. The Sharks tied it again in the third period with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a shorthanded Pavelski goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Brent Burns. The three stars were Pavelski, Labanc, and Sorensen.

West to Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Cam Talbot are the similarly-named goalies. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jonathan Toews. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers took the lead on another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, coming off of McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Blackhawks retied it in the third period with a John Hayden goal, his third of the year, guided in by Marcus Kruger and Chris Kunitz. Chicago pulled ahead with a Dylan Strome goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Dominik Kahun and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-second of the year, assisted by Brandon Saad and Artem Anisimov. Mikko Koskinen replaced Talbot in goal. Chicago extended the lead as Drake Caggiula scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Kahun power play goal, his ninth of the year, via Brent Seabrook and Saad. This produced the 6-2 final score, with the three stars handed to Kahun, Kane, and Draisaitl, while Toews, Saad, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Philipp Grubauer man the nets. Columbus had the first goal when Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and David Savard. Colorado tied it on an unassisted Erik Johnson goal, his fourth of the year. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Scott Harrington and Dean Kukan. The Avalanche tied it again with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Johnson. Colorado pulled ahead in the second period with a Samuel Girard goal, his third of the season, passed from Gabriel Bourque and Sheldon Dries. Columbus tied it again with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twnety-ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets gained the lead on a Josh Anderson goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Boone Jenner and Kukan in the third period. Columbus added on with a Wennberg power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Anthony Duclair. The Blue Jackets iced it at 6-3 with a Dubois empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Zach Werenski and Jenner. The three stars went to Dubois, Wennberg, and Kukan, while Jenner and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

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Monday, February 4, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 117

Only four games for today, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Carter Hart are in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Phil Varone. Vancouver got on the board with an unassisted Brock Boeser goal, his eighteenth of the campaign. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Hart (41 for 42 in saves), Voracek, and Couturier.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Mika Zibanejad. Los Angeles tied it on an Adrian Kempe goal, his sixth of the year, via Ilya Kovalchuk and Carl Hagelin. The Rangers took the lead back in the second period with a Zibanejad goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal. The Kings tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Kovalchuk. New York pulled ahead again with an Adam McQuaid goal, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it once more with a Kempe goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Tyler Toffoli and Michael Amadio. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Toffoli goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Kempe. The three stars were Kempe, Toffoli, and Zibanejad, while Kovalchuk gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Toronto got going in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Andreas Johnsson and Frederik Gauthier. The Maple Leafs added on with a Johnsson goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin. Toronto extended the lead on a Muzzin power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jake Gardiner and Johnsson. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the year, via Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. The Maple Leafs shot back on a Connor Brown goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by William Nylander and Muzzin. Toronto chased Gibson on a Nylander goal, his second of the year, made possible by Zach Hyman. Chad Johnson came on in relief. The Maple Leafs padded the lead as Johnsson scored his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, thanks to Hyman and Tavares. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Johnsson, Muzzin, and Tavares, while Nylander and Hyman get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. Arizona struck first in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Nick Cousins and Clayton Keller. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Miro Heiskanen in the second period. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Kevin Connauton goal, fueled by Ilya Lyubushkin and Josh Archibald. The Stars tied it again in the third period on a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twentieth of the season, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. Dallas pulled ahead with a Radek Faksa goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Heiskanen and Denis Gurianov on the power play. The Stars added on with a Mattias Janmark goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jason Dickinson and Blake Comeau. Arizona got one back with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Lawson Crouse and Jordan Oesterle. The Coyotes tied it as Alex Galchenyuk scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Cousins and Keller. Dallas regained the lead on a Seguin goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Benn and Alexander Radulov. This held for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Seguin, Benn, and Heiskanen, while Cousins and Keller get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, February 3, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 116

Just three games on early today to avoid conflict with the Super Bowl. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Boston drew first blood in the second period with a David Krejci goal, his eleventh of the season, via Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Rask (24 save shutout), Krejci, and Holtby (37 for 38 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Petr Mrazek are in goal. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Micheal Ferland and Sebastian Aho. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Flames took the lead in the second period on a Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington. Calgary added on with a shorthanded goal by Garnet Hathaway, his seventh of the year, set up by Ryan. The Hurricanes got one back with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Lucas Wallmark and Teravainen. The Flames answered in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fifth of the year, via Sam Bennett and James Neal. Carolina got closer with an Aho goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Ferland and Hamilton. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Ryan, Hamilton, and Aho, while Teravainen and Ferland get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Jonathan Drouin. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Darnell Nurse. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period on a Max Domi goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Paul Byron. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nurse. Edmonton pulled ahead with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Alex Chiasson and Nugent-Hopkins on the power play. Montreal tied it again in the third period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eighth of the year, with assists from Domi and Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime with a Drouin goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, dished from Victor Mete and Phillip Danault. The three stars went to Drouin, Domi, and Draisaitl, while Nugent-Hopkins and Nurse receive the honorable mentions.

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Saturday, February 2, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 115

Thirteen games on a busy day today, beginning with two matinees. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Carter Hart are in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. Edmonton tied it on a Ty Rattie goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Milan Lucic. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the season, courtesy of Zack Kassian and Jujhar Khaira. Edmonton added on in the second period with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the year, via Kevin Gravel and McDavid. The Flyers got one back with a Giroux power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Shayne Gostisbehere and Voracek .The Oilers shot back in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Kassian goal, his sixth of the year. Philadelphia chipped back on a Travis Konecny power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Oskar Lindblom and Couturier. The Flyers tied it with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Giroux and Voracek, the latter earning a sock trick. Philadelphia won 5-4 in overtime with a Nolan Patrick goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by James van Riemsdyk and Travis Sanheim. The three stars were Giroux, Voracek, and McDavid, while Kassian and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the New Jersey Devils. Antti Niemi and MacKenzie Blackwood are the backups in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Jordie Benn. New Jersey tied it on a Will Butcher power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Phillip Danault goal, his ninth of the season, via Jeff Petry and Max Domi in the second period. The Devils retied it in the third period with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Kevin Rooney. New Jersey won 3-2 in overtime on a Hischier goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Mirco Mueller. The three stars went to Hischier, Blackwood (37 for 39 in saves), and Butcher.

At the usual time, the New York Islanders bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Robin Lehner are in the creases. New York started in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Matt Martin and Johnny Boychuk. Los Angeles tied it with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Alex Iafallo and Dustin Brown. The Kings took the lead in the third period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Brown and Kopitar. The Islanders retied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Ryan Pulock and Josh Bailey. New York took the lead with a Michael Dal Colle goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pulock and Leo Komarov. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with a Brock Nelson empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Pulock, who got a sock trick, and Cal Clutterbuck. The three stars were Pulock, Kopitar, and Brown.

In Canada again, the Ottawa Senators host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Craig Anderson man the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his third of the season, coming off of Thomas Vanek and Nick Jensen. The Red Wings added on with a Darren Helm goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Martin Frk and Luke Glendening. This held up as the eventual 2-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Bernier (35 save shutout), DeKeyser, and Helm.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Garret Sparks protect the nets. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Kris Letang. The Penguins added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his second of the year, passed from Garrett Wilson and Olli Maatta. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a Dermott goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Gardiner and Patrick Marleau. Toronto pulled ahead with a Zach Hyman goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. This stood for their eventual 3-2 win, with the three stars being Dermott, Hyman, and Sparks (28 for 30 in saves).

Way to the south, the Florida Panthers bring in Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and James Reimer are between the pipes. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighteenth of the season. Vegas tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Paul Stastny. The Panthers retook the lead on a Mike Hoffman goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Derick Brassard. Florida iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Frank Vatrano, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Barkov and Aaron Ekblad. The three stars went to Barkov, Reimer (34 for 35 in saves), and Hoffman.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Mason Appleton. The Jets added on with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jacob Trouba and the goalie Hellebuyck. Winnipeg extended the lead as Blake Wheeler scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Jets padded the lead on a Bryan Little goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov. Winnipeg continued with another Roslovic power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with assists provided by Mathieu Perreault and Patrik Laine. The Jets struck again with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Copp. Chad Johnson relieved Gibson at this time. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Cam Fowler. The Ducks got closer with a Daniel Sprong goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Ritchie and Korbinian Holzer. Winnipeg responded with a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Appleton and Ben Chiarot. The Jets got another when Roslovic completed his hat trick on his seventh of the year, the power play goal set up by Little and Trouba. Winnipeg kept going in the third period with a Little goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Chiarot and Roslovic. Anaheim got one back with a Devin Shore goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Jakob Silfverberg and Michael Del Zotto. This only made it 9-3, the final, with the three stars given to Roslovic, Little, and Copp, while Appleton, Trouba, Chiarot, and Ritchie get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Joonas Korpisalo are the lesser-known goalies. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his third of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn and Tarasenko. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin. St. Louis answered with a Tarasenko goal, his eighteenth of the year, via O'Reilly and Schenn. The Blue Jackets pulled back with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Panarin and Cam Atkinson. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with an Oskar Sundqvist empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Schenn, who earned a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Tarasenko, Schenn, and O'Reilly, while Panarin gets an honorable mention.

East to New York, as the Rangers bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Henrik Lundqvist are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Mathieu Joseph. The Lightning added on with an Erik Cernak goal, via Ryan Callahan and Cedric Paquette in the second period. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his twenty-eighth of the year, thanks to Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. New York got on the board with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The Rangers got closer in the third period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Zibanejad and the goalie Lundqvist. This was as close as it got, with the Lightning winning 3-2. The three stars were handed to Zibanejad, Stamkos, and Cernak.

Southwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Pekka Rinne are given the starting nods in goal. Nashville led off in the first period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Ryan Hartman and Colton Sissons. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Esa Lindell. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Blake Comeau goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Mattias Janmark and Radek Faksa. Dallas added on with a Janmark goal, his fourth of the year, via Faksa and Lindell. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Khudobin (38 for 39 in saves), Janmark, and Lindell, while Faksa gets an honorable mention.

Way north to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Alex Stalock are in the creases. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. Chicago tied it in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, fueled by Dominik Kahun and Dylan Strome. The Blackhawks took the lead on an Erik Gustafsson goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Kahun and Strome. The Wild retied it in the third period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon. Chicago regained the lead with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Patrick Kane and DeBrincat. Minnesota tied it again with a Victor Rask goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Gustafsson power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by DeBrincat and Toews. The three stars were Gustafsson, DeBrincat, and Toews, while Kahun and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Along to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Semyon Varlamov are the average goalies. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel and Brandon Sutter. The Canucks added on with a Brock Boeser goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Elias Pettersson. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Roussel scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Bo Horvat and Virtanen. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Nikita Zadorov and Matt Nieto. The Canucks replied with a Tyler Motte goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Troy Stecher. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period with a Nikolay Goldobin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Josh Leivo and Ben Hutton. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Roussel, Markstrom (34 for 35 in saves), and Virtanen.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. Arizona got going in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his sixth of the year, via Brent Burns and Marcus Sorensen. The Sharks took the lead on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Timo Meier and Logan Couture. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with Josh Archibald goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Mario Kempe and Lawson Crouse. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Burns goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Tomas Hertl. The three stars were given to Burns, Jones (31 for 33 in saves), and Pavelski.

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Friday, February 1, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 114

Eight games on as all teams are now officially out of their bye weeks. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Carter Hutton are in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Gustav Forsling. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Erik Gustafsson and Caggiula. Chicago extended the lead as Duncan Keith scored his second of the season, thanks to Alex DeBrincat and Kane. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Blackhawks shot back with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by David Kampf and Marcus Kruger. The Sabres got one back with a Jason Pominville goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Jeff Skinner and Zach Bogosian in the third period. Buffalo got closer with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Conor Sheary and Casey Mittelstadt. Chicago replied with a Connor Murphy goal, his second of the year, coming off of Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, set up by Caggiula and Brent Seabrook. Chicago iced it at 7-3 with a Saad goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Kane, Saad, and Caggiula, while Skinner gets an honorable mention.

Across New York, the Islanders welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Thomas Greiss are the masked men. The only time a puck found the back of the net was Victor Hedman's shootout tally, which gave Tampa Bay the 1-0 win. The three stars were awarded to Vasilevskiy (36 save shutout), Greiss (41 save "shutout"), and Hedman.

In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Teddy Blueger goal, assisted by Matt Cullen. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Bryan Rust scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Phil Kessel and Nick Bjugstad. Ottawa got on the board with a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan Dzingel and Chris Tierney. The Penguins shot back in the third period on another Rust goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, made possible by Kessel and Jack Johnson. The Senators countered with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Stone. Ottawa got closer with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Maxime Lajoie and the goalie Nilsson. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Guentzel goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, helped along by Crosby and Brian Dumoulin. The three stars were Guentzel, Rust, and Crosby, while Kessel gets an honorable mention.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Braden Holtby are the veteran goalies. Washington started in the first period with a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by John Carlson and Michal Kempny. Calgary tied it with a Mikael Backlund goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead on a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and Brooks Orpik. Washington added on in the second period with a Tom Wilson goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Flames got one back with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Derek Ryan and T.J. Brodie. Calgary tied it in the third period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Brodie. The Capitals retook the lead on an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, powered by T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Kuznetsov, Brodie, and Wilson.

Further south, the Florida Panthers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Roberto Luongo draw the starts in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Evgenii Dadonov. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Roman Josi goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Forsberg. Nashville added on with an unassisted Kevin Fiala goal, his ninth of the year. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Forsberg, who got a sock trick, and Josi. The three stars belonged to Arvidsson, Forsberg, and Saros (27 for 28 in saves), while Josi gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Carolina, as the Hurricanes welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Maxime Lagace and Petr Mrazek are between the pipes. Vegas began in the first period with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Nate Schmidt and Paul Stastny. Carolina tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Justin Williams and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period on a Brett Pesce goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights retied it with another Theodore goal, his eighth of the year, via Ryan Reaves. Carolina pulled ahead again on a Jordan Martinook goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Williams and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina capped it at 5-2 with a Faulk empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Williams, Theodore, and Faulk.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Detroit cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Andreas Athanasiou. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Patrick Marleau. The Red Wings retook the lead in the third period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Thomas Vanek and Athanasiou. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Marleau goal, his twelfth of the year, via Matthews and Morgan Rielly. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Nyquist and Athanasiou, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Athanasiou, Nyquist, and Matthews, while Marleau gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Roman Polak and Miro Heiskanen. Minnesota tied it on a Brad Hunt power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Eric Staal and Mikael Granlund. The Stars retook the lead in the third period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Mattias Janmark and Esa Lindell. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with a Seguin empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, set up by Cogliano. The three stars were given to Seguin, Bishop (21 for 22 in saves), and Cogliano.

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Thursday, January 31, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 113

Three games on today for the last day of bye weeks. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Tuukka Rask are set to start in goal. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, coming off of Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. The Flyers tied it in the third period with an Oskar Lindblom power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Voracek and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime on a Sanheim power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. The three stars were Sanheim, Pastrnak, and Voracek.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Keith Kinkaid are the masked men. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brian Boyle and Damon Severson. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Kevin Hayes. The Rangers tied it in the second period with another Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Hayes. New York took the lead in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Zuccarello and Zibanejad. New Jersey tied it on an Egor Yakovlev goal, his second of the year, helped along by Johansson and Hischier. The Rangers pulled ahead with a Zibanejad goal to complete his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, fueled by Zuccarello, who got a sock trick, and Pavel Buchnevich. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Zibanejad, Zuccarello, and Johansson, while Hischier and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Joe Morrow. Columbus tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Ryan Murray and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Josh Anderson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Panarin and Jones. The Jets tied it again with a Mason Appleton goal, his third of the year, via Andrew Copp and Brendan Lemieux in the second period. Columbus regained the lead on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Alexander Wennberg and Nick Foligno. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers provided by Tyler Myers and Jacob Trouba. The Jets took the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, guided in by Bryan Little and Trouba. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Panarin, Trouba, and Jones.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 112

Another two-game day here, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Matt Murray tend the twines. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his seventh of the season, via Garrett Wilson and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Sidney Crosby scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Dominik Simon. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period with a Letang goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Kessel and Malkin. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a J.T. Miller goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alex Killorn and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning got closer with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Letang, Murray (33 for 35 in saves), and Kessel, while Malkin gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Dallas began in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Taylor Fedun. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Bishop (29 save shutout), Benn, and Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves).

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