Friday, February 15, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 128

Just four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Linus Ullmark are the young goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Boo Nieves goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Brendan Smith. The Rangers added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Tony DeAngelo. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, passed from Jason Pominville. New York shot back with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Pavel Buchnevich and Kevin Hayes. The Sabres replied with a Skinner power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin. The Rangers countered in the third period with a Buchnevich goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Hayes and Kevin Shattenkirk. New York extended the lead as Namestnikov scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Rangers iced it at 6-2 with a Namestnikov empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Ryan Strome and Mats Zuccarello. The three stars were Namestnikov, Buchnevich, and Skinner, while Hayes gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Curtis McElhinney draw the starts in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Justin Williams. Edmonton tied it with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Zack Kassian. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Lucas Wallmark goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Teuvo Teravainen and Micheal Ferland. Carolina added on in the third period with a Niederreiter goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, guided in by Aho and Williams. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Niederreiter, McElhinney (40 for 41 in saves), and Aho, while Williams gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Minnesota started in the first period with a Brad Hunt power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Mikael Granlund. The Wild added on with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Marcus Johansson goal, his eleventh of the season. Minnesota responded with a Nick Seeler goal, his second of the year, passed from Hunt and Kyle Rau. The Wild extended the lead as Granlund scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Jared Spurgeon and Suter. The Devils got one back with a Will Butcher goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey got closer in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Johansson and Bratt. The Devils tied it on a Ben Lovejoy goal, his second of the year, via Kenny Agostino and Pavel Zacha. New Jersey won 5-4 with a Hischier goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Palmieri in overtime. The three stars were Hischier, Johansson, and Palmieri, while Bratt, Granlund, Hunt, and Suter get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak faces a lesser foe in Kevin Boyle in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Noel Acciari goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brandon Carlo and Sean Kuraly. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by David Krejci and Torey Krug. Boston iced it at 3-0 with a Chris Wagner empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Kuraly and Zdeno Chara. The three stars went to Halak (30 save shutout), Kuraly, and Acciari.

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 127

We're back up to eleven games today, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and James Reimer draw the starts in goal. Florida got going in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Mark Pysyk and Mike Hoffman. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his tenth of the year, via Noah Hanifin and the goalie Smith. The Panthers took the lead back on a Hoffman goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. The Flames tied it on a Rasmus Andersson goal, his second of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. In the shootout, Aleksander Barkov and Trocheck lifted the Panthers 3-2 over Sean Monahan and the Flames. The three stars were Hoffman, Trocheck, and Reimer (41 for 43 in saves).

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. New York opened in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Cal Clutterbuck and the goalie Greiss. The Islanders added on with another Cizikas goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, made possible by Devon Toews and Josh Bailey in the second period. New York extended the lead as Bailey scored his thirteenth of the campaign, thanks to Tom Kuhnhackl and Mathew Barzal. This stood as the eventual 3-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Greiss (31 save shutout), Cizikas, and Bailey.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Jimmy Howard play in goal. Detroit started in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Colin White and Thomas Chabot. The Red Wings retook the lead with a penalty shot goal by Athanasiou, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, coming after a holding call against Christian Jaros. The Senators tied it again in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Rudolfs Balcers and Chris Tierney. Detroit regained the lead with a Frans Nielsen goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Darren Helm. This held as the eventual 3-2 final score, with the three stars given to Athanasiou, Howard (40 for 42 in saves), and Nielsen.

Back in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his third of the year, via Kucherov and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Tyler Johnson scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Stamkos and Palat. The Lightning padded the lead as Kucherov scored his twenty-sixth of the year, with the help of Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay chased Khudobin in the second period with a Killorn goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Anthony Cirelli and Anton Stralman. The Lightning struck again against Landon Bow on another Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, with assists provided by Kucherov, who got a sock trick, and Point. This made it 6-0, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (32 save shutout), while Palat, Point, and Killorn get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper by Craig Smith. Montreal tied it in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Andrew Shaw and Jordie Benn. The Predators retook the lead with a Brian Boyle goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Roman Josi. Nashville added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan Johansen and Ryan Ellis.

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Colorado began in the first period with a Dominic Toninato goal, via A.J. Greer and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his thirtieth of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Winnipeg got on the board with a Brandon Tanev goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado replied in the second period with a shorthanded J.T. Compher goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Matt Nieto. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Sven Andrighetto scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Nieto and Matt Calvert. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars given to Nieto, Varlamov (24 for 25 in saves), and Landeskog.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Cam Ward are the veterans in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brett Seney. The Devils added on with a Travis Zajac power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Jesper Bratt. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Dylan Sikura and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks tied it on a Drake Caggiula goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kane and Duncan Keith. Chicago took the lead with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Slater Koekkoek and Kane. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the third period as Anisimov scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Erik Gustafsson and Brandon Saad. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Saad shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Kane, Anisimov, and Saad.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper are the underrated goalies. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joel Edmundson goal, his second of the season, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Edmundson and Oskar Sundqvist. St. Louis extended the lead as Tarasenko scored a power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas. The Blues capped it at 4-0 with a Robert Bortuzzo goal in the third period, his second of the year, via Vince Dunn and Sundqvist. The three stars were Tarasenko, Binnington (21 save shutout), and Edmundson, while Sundqvist gets an honorable mention.

Up in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with an Andreas Johnsson power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jake Gardiner and William Nylander. Vegas tied it on a shorthanded Paul Stastny goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Reilly Smith in the second period. The Golden Knights took the lead with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his third of the season, helped along by Cody Eakin and Shea Theodore. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Auston Matthews and Kasperi Kapanen. Toronto took the lead with a Matthews power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri. Vegas retied it in the third period with a Williams Karlsson goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Jon Merrill and Jonathan Marchessault. The Maple Leafs regained the lead with a Rielly goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Mitchell Marner and John Tavares. Toronto added on with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Kapanen and Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs finished it at 6-3 with a shorthanded Marner goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with helpers from Connor Brown and Muzzin.

Over in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Troy Stecher and Bo Horvat. Los Angeles tied it on an Austin Wagner goal, his eighth of the year, via Kyle Clifford and Derek Forbort. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Adam Gaudette and Antoine Roussel. The Kings tied it again with a Michael Amadio goal, his third of the year, fueled by Clifford and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles pulled ahead in the third period with a Martinez goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Brendan Leipsic and Trevor Lewis. Vancouver retied it with a Gaudette goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Pettersson and Alex Biega. In the shootout, Pettersson and Boeser tallied for the Canucks to overcome Ilya Kovalchuk's lone tally for the Kings. Vancouver won 4-3, with the three stars going to Pettersson, Gaudette, and Boeser, while Martinez and Clifford get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and Tim Heed. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Capitals took the lead with a Jakub Vrana goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington added on in the second period with an Ovechkin goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. The Capitals extended the lead as Oshie scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with the help of Vrana and Backstrom. Washington iced it at 5-1 with an unassisted Wilson empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year. The three stars belonged to Oshie, Ovechkin, and Vrana, while Backstrom, Wilson, and Holtby (25 for 26 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, February 13, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 126

Just two games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Matt Murray are the goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-third of the season, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Bryan Rust shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Matt Cullen and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins took the lead on a Teddy Blueger goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with a Jared McCann empty net goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Murray (38 for 39 in saves), Blueger, and Rust.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Kevin Boyle are in the creases. Anaheim began in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Devin Shore and Derek Grant. This stood as the game's only goal, with the three stars of the 1-0 game being Boyle (35 save shutout), Silfverberg, and Markstrom (20 for 21 in saves).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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