Tuesday, February 12, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 125

Twelve games on for a busy day in the league, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Chicago started in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Dominik Kahun and Dylan Strome. Boston tied it on a David Krejci power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins took the lead with a Danton Heinen goal, his ninth of the season, via Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara. Boston added on with a Marchand goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Heinen and Bergeron. The Bruins extended the lead in the second period as DeBrusk scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Krejci and Marchand. The Blackhawks got one back on a Duncan Keith goal, his third of the year, passed from Connor Murphy and Kahun. Chicago pulled closer in the third period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Keith and Patrick Kane. Boston fired back on a Peter Cehlarik power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Heinen and Torey Krug. The Bruins capped it at 6-3 with a Krejci goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Marchand, who got a sock trick, and DeBrusk. The three stars were Marchand, Krejci, and Heinen, while DeBrusk, Bergeron, Keith, and Kahun get the honorable mentions.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner faces his former team and Linus Ullmark in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Jack Eichel. New York tied it on a Casey Cizikas goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. The Sabres took the lead back with a Jason Pominville goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Eichel in the second period. Buffalo added on in the third period with a Johan Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Ullmark (24 for 25 in saves), Eichel, and Pominville.

Down south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Roberto Luongo are between the pipes. Dallas led off in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Roope Hintz and Alexander Radulov. The Stars added on with an Esa Lindell goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Seguin and Jamie Benn in the second period. Dallas iced it at 3-0 with a Seguin empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Radulov. The three stars were Seguin, Khudobin (30 save shutout), and Radulov.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus got going in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eleventh of the season, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with a Nick Foligno goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Seth Jones and Ryan Murray. Columbus iced it at 3-0 with an Artemi Panarin empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Josh Anderson. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (20 save shutout), Duclair, and Foligno.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Anders Nilsson are the lesser-known goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Cody Ceci and Chris Tierney. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes pulled ahead on a Justin Williams power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Ferland and Sebastian Aho. Carolina added on with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Nino Niederreiter and Williams. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Teravainen scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, with the help of Ferland. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Teravainen, Ferland, and Williams.

To Florida again, as the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Cedric Paquette goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Danick Martel and Ryan Callahan. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Kucherov scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Anton Stralman and Point. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames pulled closer in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with a lone helper from Lindholm. The Lightning responded with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his eleventh of the year, via Kucherov and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Gourde goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Braydon Coburn and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning struck again in the third period on a Stamkos power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, courtesy of Kucherov, who got a sock trick, and Point. Calgary got one back with Monahan's second of the game and twenty-ninth of the campaign, coming on the power play from Lindholm and Gaudreau. The final stood from here at 6-3, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Point, and Gourde, while Stamkos, Monahan, Lindholm, and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Jordan Binnington are the young goalies. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Robert Thomas. New Jersey got on the board with a Pavel Zacha goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kenny Agostino. St. Louis shot back with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Robert Bortuzzo and Tyler Bozak. The Blues extended the lead in the second period as Ryan O'Reilly scored his twenty-first of the season, with the help of Schenn. St. Louis padded the lead on a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, his third of the year, guided in by Pietrangelo and Barbashev. The Blues kept going with a Bozak goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Colton Parayko. St. Louis continued in the third period with a Pietrangelo goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Tarasenko and O'Reilly. The Devils got one back on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Will Butcher. The Blues countered with a shorthanded Barbashev goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Alexander Steen and Parayko. New Jersey pulled back with a Mirco Mueller goal, going in unassisted. This only made it 8-3, the final, with the three stars being Pietrangelo, Barbashev, and O'Reilly, while Schenn, Tarasenko, Bozak, and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Detroit drew first blood in the first period with a Luke Glendening goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Nick Jensen and Christoffer Ehn. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Thomas Vanek and Anthony Mantha. Nashville got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. The Predators tied it on a P.K. Subban power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Johansen. Detroit took the lead in the third period with a third period goal by Andreas Athanasiou, his eighteenth of the campaign, passed from Glendening and Jensen. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Glendening, Jensen, and Johansen.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Joe Morrow and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with another Scheifele goal, his thirtieth of the year and second of the game, assisted by Blake Wheeler. New York got on the board in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. New York pulled ahead in the third period with a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Zuccarello. Winnipeg tied it again on a Morrow goal, made possible by Scheifele and Ben Chiarot. The Jets surged ahead with an Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Mason Appleton and Tyler Myers. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Scheifele, Morrow, and Zibanejad, while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the Philadelphia Flyers. Anthony Stolarz is mismatched with Devan Dubnyk in goal. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Phil Varone. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild took the lead with an unassisted Luke Kunin goal, his third of the season. Minnesota added on with another Kunin goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Joel Eriksson Ek and Spurgeon. The Flyers got one back with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Wayne Simmonds and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Travis Sanheim and Claude Giroux. The Wild took the lead with a Spurgeon goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Suter and Marcus Foligno. The Flyers tied it again with a Giroux goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek and Sanheim. Philadelphia pulled ahead on another van Riemsdyk power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Couturier and Gostisbehere. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being van Riemsdyk, Couturier, and Gostisbehere, while Giroux, Sanheim, Spurgeon, and Kunin get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Semyon Varlamov are the reliable goalies. Toronto opened in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Auston Matthews. Colorado tied it with a Ryan Graves goal, his third of the year, made possible by Alexander Kerfoot and Samuel Girard. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period on a Matthews power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Mitchell Marner. Toronto added on with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Tavares and Matthews. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Kapanen scored a power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto padded the lead as Kadri scored in the third period, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with the help of William Nylander and Andreas Johnsson. The Avalanche got one back with a Kerfoot goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Samuel Girard. The final stayed at 5-2, with the three stars awarded to Kapanen, Kadri, and Matthews, while Tavares, Kerfoot, and Girard get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jordan Oesterle power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Derek Stepan and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes added on with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Nick Cousins. Vegas got on the board with a Brandon Pirri goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Cody Eakin and Jon Merrill. Arizona took the lead back in the third period with a Cousins goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Richard Panik and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Coyotes extended the lead as Josh Archibald scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Stepan and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Panik empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Hinostroza and Hjalmarsson. The three stars were Cousins, Panik, and Stepan, while Hinostroza and Hjalmarsson get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, February 11, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 124

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

A Battle of Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Carter Hart are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Bryan Rust. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Jake Guentzel scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Kris Letang and Crosby. Philadelphia got on the board with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Letang shorthanded empty net goal, set up by Crosby. The three stars were Murray (50 for 51 in saves), Crosby, and Letang.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pheonix Copley are set to start in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. Los Angeles tied it on an Austin Wagner goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Derek Forbort and Kyle Clifford. The Capitals retook the lead on a Brett Connolly goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Matt Niskanen. The Kings tied it with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles took the lead with an Oscar Fantenberg goal, his second of the season, made possible by Alec Martinez and Adrian Kempe. Washington tied it again with a Kuznetsov goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Tom Wilson. The Capitals pulled ahead on a Christian Djoos goal, assisted by Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. Washington added on with a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Michal Kempny and Oshie. The Kings pulled back in the third period with Wagner's second of the game and seventh of the year, via Trevor Lewis and Clifford. The Capitals fired back with a Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Ovechkin. This stood for a 6-4 win, with the three stars given to Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Wagner, while Oshie and Clifford get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Michael DiPietro draw the starts in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Couture and Justin Braun. San Jose extended the lead as Melker Karlsson scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Brent Burns and Barclay Goodrow. Vancouver got on the board with a Bo Horvat goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Elias Pettersson and Troy Stecher. The Sharks answered in the second period with a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, passed from Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. San Jose padded the lead on a Hertl goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Joonas Donskoi and Burns. The Sharks kept going with a Kevin Labanc goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Joe Thornton. The Canucks got one back in the third period on a Derrick Pouliot goal, his third of the year, helped along by Zack MacEwen and Nikolay Goldobin. San Jose responded with a Pavelski goal, his thirtieth of the season, with helpers from Brenden Dillon and Tim Heed. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kane, Hertl, and Pavelski, while Couture, Karlsson, and Burns get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 123

There's eight more games on today, beginning with...

The Nashville Predators hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Juuse Saros receive the starting nods in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Robert Thomas and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twentieth of the year, via Jay Bouwmeester and Colton Parayko. Nashville got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. St. Louis answered with a Tyler Bozak goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Steen. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Josi goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Kevin Fiala and Ellis. Nashville tied it on an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. The Blues reclaimed the lead with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, coming off of O'Reilly and Bouwmeester. The Predators retied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Johansen. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime when Tarasenko completed his hat trick on his twenty-second of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Tarasenko, Arvidsson, and O'Reilly, while Bouwmeester, Johansen, Josi, and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Northeast to Boston, where the Bruins welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. Colorado started in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Gabriel Landeskog and J.T. Compher. Boston tied it in the second period with a John Moore goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Marchand goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The three stars were Marchand, Halak (35 for 36 in saves), and Varlamov (33 for 35 in saves).

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carter Hutton are the masked men. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded Andrew Copp goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Bryan Little. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Rasmus Dahlin and Jeff Skinner. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Hellebuyck (35 for 36 in saves), and Scheifele.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Cam Ward are the backups in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Dominik Kahun goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. The Blackhawks added on with a Strome goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Kahun and DeBrincat. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Christoffer Ehn goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago replied in the third period with another Kahun goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Strome and DeBrincat, the latter earning a sock trick. The Red Wings got one back with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Nick Jensen and Justin Abdelkader. The Blackhawks answered with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-third of the year, helped along by Jonathan Toews and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks iced it at 5-2 with a Toews empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Kane and Brent Seabrook. The three stars were Kahun, Strome, and DeBrincat, with Kane and Toews getting honorable mentions.

East again to New Jersey, as the Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Keith Kinkaid are between the pipes. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ryan Murphy and Nico Hischier. The Devils added on with a Marcus Johansson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Hischier and Kyle Palmieri. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Justin Williams and Nino Niederreiter. New Jersey replied in the third period with a Johansson goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, fueled by Jesper Bratt and Hischier, who earned a sock trick. The Hurricanes countered with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Niederreiter and Sebastian Aho. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Johansson, Hischier, and Niederreiter.

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Thomas Greiss protect the nets. New York began in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Valtteri Filppula and Leo Komarov. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Jason Zucker and Eric Staal. The Islanders took the lead back with a Devon Toews power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Pulock and Josh Bailey. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Greiss (26 for 27 in saves), Toews, and Beauvillier.

To the south, a battle of Florida sees the Panthers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and James Reimer draw the starts in goal. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Stralman and J.T. Miller. Florida got on the board with a Frank Vatrano goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Matheson. Tampa Bay shot back with a Ryan Callahan goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Mathieu Joseph. The Panthers pulled back on a Denis Malgin goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Troy Brouwer and Riley Sheahan. Roberto Luongo replaced Reimer for the third period. The Lightning replied in the third period on a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Miller and Kucherov. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Stamkos and Point. The three stars were Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos, while Stralman and Miller take the honorable mentions.

Finally, the New York Rangers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Alexandar Georgiev are the lesser-known goalies. New York struck first in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. Toronto tied it with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead back with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kreider and Ryan Strome. New York added on in the third period with an Adam McQuaid goal, his second of the year, coming off of Zuccarello. The Rangers iced it 4-1 with an unassisted Kevin Hayes empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign. The three stars were awarded to Georgiev (55 for 56 in saves), Kreider, and Zuccarello.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 122

It's Hockey Day in Canada, and there are fourteen games on across the league. Eight of them are matinees, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his second of the season, made possible by Patrice Bergeron and Danton Heinen. Los Angeles tied it with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Alec Martinez and Adrian Kempe. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Dustin Brown and Dion Phaneuf. The Bruins tied it on a Heinen goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, via McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Boston took the lead with a David Krejci goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a shorthanded Marchand goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Bergeron. Los Angeles got one back with a Nate Thompson goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Brendan Leipsic. The Kings tied it with an Oscar Fantenberg goal, assisted by Drew Doughty and Tyler Toffoli. Boston won 5-4 in overtime with a Bergeron power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist from Krug. The three stars were given to Bergeron, Marchand, and Heinen, while McAvoy gets an honorable mention.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Linus Ullmark draw the starts in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on with a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Thomas Vanek and Andreas Athanasiou on the power play. Buffalo answered with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Ristolainen and Evan Rodrigues. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Ullmark (28 for 29 in saves), Okposo, and Mittelstadt.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Cory Schneider are the veterans in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Brett Seney goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Will Butcher. Minnesota tied it on a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Greg Pateryn and Luke Kunin. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Ryan Suter. Minnesota added on with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jonas Brodin and Foligno. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Damon Severson. The Wild answered with an unassisted Kunin goal, his second of the year. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Kunin, Foligno, and Eriksson Ek.

Moving along, the New York Islanders host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Johnson and Matt Nieto. The Avalanche added on with a Johnson goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, fueled by Soderberg and Alexander Kerfoot. New York got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Anders Lee. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Josh Bailey goal, his twelfth of the year, via Michael Dal Colle and Adam Pelech. New York took the lead on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Eberle and Brock Nelson. Colorado retied it on a J.T. Compher goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Soderberg and Colin Wilson. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Pulock goal, his fifth of the campaign and second of the game, set up by Casey Cizikas and Nelson. The three stars belonged to Pulock, Eberle, and Nelson, while Soderberg and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Chad Johnson and Carter Hart are in the blue paint. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Phil Varone goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Michael Raffl. The Flyers added on with a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-third of the year, made possible by Robert Hagg and Varone. Philadelphia extended the lead as Raffl scored his fourth of the season shorthanded, set up by Scott Laughton and Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers padded the lead on an Oskar Lindblom goal, his eighth of the year, via Couturier and Jakub Voracek. Kevin Boyle replaced Johnson in goal in the second period. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Nick Ritchie and Ryan Getlzaf. The Ducks got closer in the third period with a Ritchie power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists from Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. Philadelphia answered with a Nolan Patrick power play goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Couturier and Travis Konecny. The Flyers capped it at 6-2 with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Travis Sanheim and James van Riemsdyk. The three stars went to Couturier, Raffl, and Varone, while Konecny, Ritchie, and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Anders Nilsson are the backups in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Cody Ceci and Colin White. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Bryan Little goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Patrik Laine and Dustin Byfuglien. Ottawa replied with a Stone power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Thomas Chabot and Matt Duchene. The Senators extended the lead as Duchene scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Bobby Ryan. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period with a Zack Smith goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Jets got one back with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Josh Morrissey and Mason Appleton. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars going to Stone, Duchene, and Nilsson (44 for 46 in saves).

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Vince Dunn goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Robert Thomas and Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Brayden Schenn. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Mattias Ekholm power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Craig Smith and P.K. Subban. St. Louis replied with a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ivan Barbashev and Thomas. The Predators got one back with a third period Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. They fell at 3-2, with the three stars being Thomas, MacEachern, and Binnington (29 for 31 in saves).

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Darcy Kuemper are the backups in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with an Alex Goligoski power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Jordan Oesterle. the Coyotes added on in the second period with a Galchenyuk power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Nick Cousins and Goligoski. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Galchenyuk scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Clayton Keller and Cousins. Dallas got on the board with a Brett Ritchie goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars got closer with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fifteenth of the season, via John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Galchenyuk, Goligoski, and Cousins.

At the regular time, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Cam Talbot are called on to start in goal. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen. The Sharks added on with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Joonas Donskoi and Tomas Hertl. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Labanc scored his second of the game and eighth of the season on the power play, with the help of Timo Meier and Kane. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Alex Chiasson. The Sharks answered with a Labanc goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on his ninth of the season, guided in by Thornton and Brenden Dillon. San Jose padded the lead on a Hertl goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers got one back on a Zack Kassian goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Adam Larsson. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Labanc, Kane, and Hertl, while Thornton gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Max Domi. Toronto tied it on an Andreas Johnsson goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his second of the season, coming off of Par Lindholm and Morgan Rielly. The Canadiens retied it in the second period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Shea Weber and the goalie Price. Montreal took the lead in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Domi and Shaw. Toronto retied it on a William Nylander goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by John Tavares. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Tavares goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, courtesy of Mitchell Marner and Rielly. The three stars went to Tavares, Shaw, and Rielly, while Domi gets an honorable mention.

Far to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Andrei Vasilevskiy man the creases. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Garrett Wilson goal, via Teddy Blueger and Matt Cullen. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Brayden Point and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead on an Erik Cernak goal, his second of the year, passed from Cedric Paquette and Braydon Coburn. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Alex Killorn and Ryan McDonagh. The Penguins answered with a Jared McCann goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh tied it as Rust scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Jake Guentzel. The Lightning reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Ondrej Palat and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as J.T. Miller scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Killorn and Cirelli. The Penguins got one back with a Tanner Pearson goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Cirelli, Killorn, and Rust.

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Florida started in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Vincent Trocheck and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on with a Keith Yandle goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Denis Malgin and Riley Sheahan. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Brett Connolly goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky. Florida replied with a Colton Sceviour goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Ekblad. The Capitals pulled back on a Lars Eller goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nic Dowd and Connolly. The Panthers shot back with a Derick Brassard goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Washington chipped back on a Connolly goal, his twelfth of the season and second of the game, assisted by Burakovsky and Eller. The Capitals tied it with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Dmitry Orlov and Alex Ovechkin. Florida won 5-4 in overtime with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, powered by Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The three stars belonged to Yandle, Connolly, and Ekblad, while Eller and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Way out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Christopher Tanev and Antoine Roussel. Calgary tied it with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Canucks took the lead back with a Josh Leivo goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Elias Pettersson and Derrick Pouliot. The Flames tied it again on a Sam Bennett goal, his tenth of the year, passed from James Neal and Mark Jankowski. Calgary took the lead with an Andrew Mangiapane goal in the second period, courtesy of Noah Hanifin. Vancouver tied it with a Brock Boeser goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Pettersson and Ben Hutton. The Canucks won 4-3 with a lone tally by Pettersson in the shootout. The three stars were Pettersson, Boeser, and Markstrom (44 for 47 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. Columbus led off in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Boone Jenner. Vegas tied it on a Nate Schmidt goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights took the lead with a shorthanded Jon Merrill goal, his second of the season, set up by William Karlsson and Smith. The Blue Jackets tied it again with an Artemi Panarin goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Scott Harrington. Vegas took the lead in the third period with a Cody Eakin goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Colin Miller. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Panarin and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Atkinson power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, powered by Zach Werenski and Panarin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Atkinson, Panarin, and Smith.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, February 8, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 121

Just one game on today as the New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Henrik Lundqvist are in goal. Carolina got going in the third period with a Warren Foegele goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Saku Maenalanen and Greg McKegg. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Brock McGinn and Brett Pesce. Carolina iced it at 3-0 with a McGinn empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Pesce. The three stars were Mrazek (27 save shutout), Foegele, and McGinn, while Pesce and Lundqvist (30 for 31 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 120

Big game day today, with fourteen being played. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Linus Ullmark get the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Justin Williams. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jordan Martinook and Andrei Svechnikov in the second period. Buffalo got on the board with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Conor Sheary and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it on a Jason Pominville goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Zach Bogosian. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Greg McKegg goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Calvin de Haan. Buffalo tied it again with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Ristolainen and Lawrence Pilut. The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead on a Brock McGinn goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Martinook and Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead on a Nino Neiderreiter power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Teravainen and Aho. The Sabres got one back with a Marco Scandella goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Casey Mittelstadt. Buffalo tied it with Skinner's second of the game and thirty-third of the year, dished from Reinhart and Jack Eichel. The Hurricanes won with an unassisted Teravainen goal, his fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars of the 6-5 game were Teravainen, Skinner, and Aho, while Martinook, Svechnikov, Reinhart, and Ristolainen get the honorable mentions.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Cory Schneider are set to start in goal. New Jersey started in the first period with a Kevin Rooney goal, his second of the season, via Kurtis Gabriel and Jesper Bratt. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Brock Nelson. The Islanders won 2-1 in a shootout, with a lone tally by Josh Bailey. The three stars were Greiss (30 for 31 in saves), Schneider (27 for 28 in saves), and Bailey.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Anthony Stolarz in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an Austin Wagner goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Kyle Clifford and Sean Walker. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The Kings took the lead back with an Adrian Kempe goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Brendan Leipsic and Tyler Toffoli. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ilya Kovalchuk, Kempe, and Toffoli topped Giroux and Nolan Patrick for a 3-2 Kings win. The three stars were Kempe, Toffoli, and Giroux.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov faces his former team and Pheonix Copley in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of T.J. Oshie and Matt Niskanen. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. The Capitals retook the lead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Washington added on in the third period with a Niskanen goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jakub Vrana and Kuznetsov. The Avalanche got one back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Landeskog. Colorado tied it as Colin Wilson scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Matt Calvert. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Kuznetsov goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Ovechkin. the three stars went to Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Niskanen, while Landeskog gets an honorable mention.

Further south, the Florida Panthers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mike Matheson and Derick Brassard. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Jared McCann shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. The Panthers reclaimed the lead on a Colton Sceviour goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov and Riley Sheahan. The Penguins tied it again in the third period on a Marcus Pettersson goal, helped along by Letang and Jake Guentzel. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Matheson goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. The three stars were Matheson, Barkov, and Letang.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by William Karlsson and Colin Miller in the second period. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Paul Stastny and Nate Schmidt. Vegas added on with another Marchessault goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, guided in by Reilly Smith and Deryk Engelland. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Michael Rasmussen power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Frans Nielsen and Mike Green. The Golden Knights replied with an unassisted Brayden McNabb goal, his second of the year. Detroit answered late with a Thomas Vanek goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Rasmussen and Dylan Larkin. The three stars of the 4-3 Golden Knights win were Marchessault, Karlsson, and Rasmussen, while Larkin gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carey Price guard the cages. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, via Kyle Connor and Ben Chiarot. Montreal tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens took the lead with another Drouin goal in the second period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with a lone helper from Danault. Montreal added on in the third period with a Shea Weber goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Drouin and Danault, the latter earning a sock trick. The Canadiens extended the lead as Danault scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Gallagher and Victor Mete. Montreal padded the lead on a Jesperi Kotkaniemi power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Drouin and Weber. The Jets got one back with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his eighth of the campaign, passed from Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Drouin, Danault, and Weber, while Gallagher gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Anders Nilsson are in the creases. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Mark Stone and Colin White. The Senators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Chris Tierney and Thomas Chabot. Chad Johnson relieved Gibson for the third period. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Stone scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Tierney and Cody Ceci. The Senators iced it at 4-0 with a Duchene empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Ceci. The three stars belonged to Nilsson (45 save shutout), Duchene, and Stone, while Tierney and Ceci get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. St. Louis won 1-0 in overtime with a Brayden Schenn goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Colton Parayko and Vladimir Tarasenko. The three stars were named as Binnington (32 save shutout), Schenn, and Vasilevskiy (38 for 39 in saves).

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Fiala and Yannick Weber. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Tyler Seguin and Roman Polak. The Predators reclaimed the lead on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Stars tied it again with a Taylor Fedun goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Andrew Cogliano and Jason Dickinson. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime on a Johansen goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Arvidsson and Roman Josi. The three stars went to Johansen, Arvidsson, and Saros (27 for 29 in saves).

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Devan Dubnyk are the veterans in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Connor McDavid and Zack Kassian. The Oilers added on in the seocnd period with a Ty Rattie goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his third of the season, via Jason Zucker and Luke Kunin. Edmonton replied with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Alex Chiasson and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Kassian empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by McDavid. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Talbot (35 for 36 in saves), and Kassian, while McDavid gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Collin Delia are in the blue paint. Chicago began in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Artem Anisimov and Brent Seabrook. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with an Alex Biega goal, made possible by Brock Boeser and Josh Leivo. The Canucks tied it on a Leivo goal, his tenth of the season, via Jake Virtanen and Christopher Tanev. Chicago retook the lead with another DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Strome and Connor Murphy. Vancouver tied it in the third period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Troy Stecher and Leivo. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Strome, who got a sock trick. The three stars belonged to DeBrincat, Strome, and Leivo.

Into Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and David Rittich tend the twines. Calgary opened in the first period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his ninth of the season, via Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie. San Jose tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Burns goal, his eleventh of the season. Mike Smith replaced Rittich in goal. San Jose added on with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Radim Simek and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks extended the lead in the second period as Kane scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, with the help of Donskoi and Hertl. The Flames got one back with a Brodie power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Derek Ryan and James Neal. San Jose capped it at 5-2 with a third period power play goal by Hertl, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Kane and Burns. The three stars were Hertl, Kane, and Burns, while Brodie and Donskoi earn the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darcy Kuemper have the green light to play in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Lukas Sedlak goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Riley Nash. The Blue Jackets added on with a David Savard goal, his fourth of the year, via Josh Anderson and Boone Jenner. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Nick Cousins and Christian Fischer. The Coyotes tied it with a Conor Garland goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Oesterle. Columbus reclaimed the lead on an Anderson power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Jenner scored his tenth of the year in the third period, going in unassisted. This held for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Anderson, Jenner, and Oesterle.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 119

Just two games on today, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Frederik Andersen are the similarly-named goalies. Toronto opened in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Mitchell Marner and John Tavares. Ottawa tied it on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his sixth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Maxime Lajoie. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Ryan Dzingel and Bobby Ryan. The Maple Leafs tied it again with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Frederik Gauthier. Toronto took the lead on an unassisted Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the season. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tavares goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Marner and Kasperi Kapanen. Ottawa got one back with a Thomas Chabot goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Brady Tkachuk and Mark Stone in the third period. The Senators tied it as Paajarvi scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, with the help of Zack Smith and Pageau. Toronto regained the lead on a Morgan Rielly goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Hyman. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Tavares, Paajrvi, and Hyman, while Pageau and Marner get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Mats Zuccarello. Boston tied it with a Danton Heinen goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, guided in by Matt Grzelcyk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Kevan Miller. Boston added on with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Marchand. The Rangers got one back with a Kevin Hayes goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich. New York tied it with a Filip Chytil power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Buchnevich and Tony DeAngelo. In the shootout, Zibanejad and DeAngelo tallied for the Rangers, lifting them to a 4-3 win over Marchand's lone tally for the Bruins. The three stars were Zibanejad, Marchand, and DeAngelo, while Buchnevich gets the honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.