Tuesday, February 26, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 139

Eleven games on for the first big game day after the trade deadline. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it on a David Krejci power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Marchand and Danton Heinen. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Krejci and Marcus Johansson. The Bruins extended the lead on a shorthanded Marchand goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Patrice Bergeron and Brandon Carlo. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Marchand, Krejci, and Halak (19 for 20 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Saku Maenalanen. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Micheal Ferland scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal and Teravainen. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Jaccob Slavin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Hamilton and Lucas Wallmark. Carolina continued with a Teravainen goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Ferland and Staal. The Hurricanes chased Quick with Hamilton's second goal of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Teravainen and Staal, both of whom earned sock tricks. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Brown goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, via Alex Iafallo in the third period. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Teravainen, Staal, and Hamilton, while Ferland gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Robin Lehner patrol the creases. Calgary got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. New York tied it on a Josh Bailey goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Andrew Ladd. The Flames took the lead back in the third period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary added on with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his second of the year, passed from Austin Czarnik and Mark Giordano. This produced the 3-1 final score, with the three stars being Smith (26 for 27 in saves), Lindholm, and Backlund.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Brian Elliott are in the blue paint. Philadelphia led off in the first period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his twelfth of the season, via Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick. The Flyers added on with a Jakub Voracek goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Philippe Myers. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. Philadelphia replied in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Robert Hagg and Radko Gudas. The Sabres got one back with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary. The Flyers countered with a Travis Sanheim goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Sean Couturier. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with a Giroux empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Michael Raffl. The three stars were Giroux, van Riemsdyk, and Sanheim.

To DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Braden Holtby are between the pipes. Ottawa began in the first period with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his fifth of the season, via Brian Gibbons and Magnus Paajarvi. The Senators added on with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Cody Ceci and Christian Jaros. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Dmitry Orlov and Brett Connolly. Washington took the lead in the second period with a John Carlson power play goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals extended the lead as T.J. Oshie scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Brooks Orpik and Backstrom. Washington padded the lead on a Connolly goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Andre Burakovsky and Eller. The Capitals chased Nilsson with Oshie's second of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by Orlov and Jakub Vrana. Craig Anderson replaced Nilsson in goal. Washington kept going in the third period with a Kuznetsov goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Ovechkin and Wilson. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars being Oshie, Wilson, and Connolly, while Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Orlov get the honorable mentions.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a Jared McCann goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Matt Cullen and Chad Ruhwedel. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Evgeni Malkin scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Zach Aston-Reese and Phil Kessel. Columbus got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Ryan Dzingel and Scott Harrington. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Zach Werenski. The Penguins answered with a McCann goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, helped along by Dominik Simon and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Jack Johnson. The three stars went to McCann, Crosby, and Murray (21 for 23 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Jordie Benn. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin. Montreal extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Phillip Danault and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens padded the lead with a Domi goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist from Drouin. Montreal kept going with a Joel Armia goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Paul Byron. Detroit got on the board with an Anthony Mantha goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Mike Green and Filip Hronek. The Canadiens shot back with another Shaw goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming off of Domi. Jonathan Bernier relieved Howard for the third period. Montreal continued with a Domi goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Drouin, who earned a sock trick, and Christian Folin. The Canadiens finished it at 8-1 with a Shaw goal to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Drouin and Domi, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Shaw, Domi, and Drouin.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jordan Binnington are the lesser-known goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues iced it at 2-0 with a Pietrangelo power play empty net goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Binnington (19 save shutout), Bozak, and Pietrangelo.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. Minnesota tied it on a second period Brad Hunt power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Donato and Eric Staal. The Jets retook the lead with a Laine goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, made possible by Ben Chiarot and Blake Wheeler. The Wild retied it in the third period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Donato and Staal. Minnesota won 3-2 with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Zach Parise. The three stars went to Donato, Staal, and Dubnyk (30 for 32 in saves).

Back stateside, the Arizona Coyotes host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Darcy Kuemper receive the starting nods in goal, but Reimer left injured early in the second period. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Lawson Crouse and Josh Archibald. Florida tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The Coyotes retook the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun. The Panthers tied it on a Jamie McGinn goal, his second of the year, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Riley Sheahan in the third period. Florida took the lead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Brouwer. Arizona tied it on a shorthanded goal by Stepan, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Nick Cousins, Alex Galchenyuk, and Vinnie Hinostroza tallied to top Huberdeau for a 4-3 Coyotes win. The three stars were Stepan, Brouwer, and Huberdeau.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the twines. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Alexander Radulov. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Nate Schmidt and Paul Stastny. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season. Vegas added on with a Schmidt empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Deryk Engelland and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Brayden McNabb goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone assist from Stastny on the way into the empty net. The three stars were Pacioretty, Schmidt, and Stastny.

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Monday, February 25, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 138

Six games on after the trade deadline passed earlier today. The first is in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cory Schneider man the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nathan Bastian goal, assisted by Connor Carrick and Egor Yakovlev. The Devils added on with a Kurtis Gabriel goal, his second of the season, via Carrick and Kevin Rooney in the second period. Montreal got on the board with a shorthanded Paul Byron goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Phillip Danault in the third period. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schneider (34 for 35 in saves), Carrick, and Bastian.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Dahlin. Toronto tied it in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Jake Muzzin and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs took the lead on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Toronto added on with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his third of the year, passed from Jake Gardiner and Trevor Moore. Linus Ullmark relieved Hutton in goal. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Tyler Ennis scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Gauthier and Morgan Rielly. The Sabres got one back with a Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Skinner and Dahlin. Buffalo got closer in the third period with an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, made possible by Jason Pominville and Rasmus Ristolainen. Toronto answered on a shorthanded Kapanen goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Connor Brown. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars being Gauthier, Kapanen, and Eichel, while Reinhart and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Braydon Coburn and Yanni Gourde. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Austin Wagner. The Kings tied it with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, helped along by Brendan Leipsic. Los Angeles took the lead on a Wagner goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Trevor Lewis and Sean Walker. Tampa Bay retied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Stamkos. In the shootout, Stamkos, Kucherov, and Victor Hedman carried the Lightning to a 4-3 win over Ilya Kovalchuk, Anze Kopitar, and the Kings. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Wagner.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Colton Sissons goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of P.K. Subban and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators took the lead with a Subban goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Calle Jarnkrok and Nick Bonino. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Alex Chiasson. In the shootout, Filip Forsberg and Brian Boyle lifted the Predators to a 3-2 win over Sam Gagner and the Oilers. The three stars belonged to Subban, Draisaitl, and Sissons.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Semyon Varlamov occupy the blue paint. Colorado got going in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Patrik Nemeth and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Tyson Barrie. Florida got on the board with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Keith Yandle and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers tied it with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Mike Hoffman. Colorado retook the lead in the third period with a Derick Brassard goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Ryan Graves and Barrie. Florida tied it again on a Hoffman goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Yandle and Weegar. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Hoffman.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Boyle and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on with an Alex Biega goal, his second of the year, via Derrick Pouliot and Ryan Spooner. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Brock Boeser and Pettersson. The Canucks padded the lead as Horvat scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year in the third period, thanks to Josh Leivo. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Markstrom (29 save shutout), Horvat, and Pettersson.

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Sunday, February 24, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 137

Six games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Pheonix Copley. New York began in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Jimmy Vesey and Mika Zibanejad. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourteenth of the year, via John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals took the lead with a Michal Kempny goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Brett Connolly and Andre Burakovsky. Washington added on in the second period with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jakub Vrana and Lars Eller. The Rangers got one back with a Brady Skjei goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Connor Brickley and Lias Andersson. New York tied it in the third period with a Vesey goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals reclaimed the lead on a Nic Dowd goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Travis Boyd and Brooks Orpik. Washington extended the lead as Backstrom scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Rangers pulled back with a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Tony DeAngelo. New York tied it with a Skjei goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and Zibanejad. The Capitals won 6-5 in overtime with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The three stars were Backstrom, Skjei, and Vesey, while Zibanejad gets an honorable mention.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Cam Ward are the backups in goal. Dallas led off in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Jason Dickinson. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Zuccarello scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. Chicago got on the board with a Chris Kunitz goal, his second of the year, passed from Marcus Kruger and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks pulled closer on a Drake Caggiula goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Keith and Erik Gustafsson. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Gustafsson. The Stars regained the lead on a Jason Spezza power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Radulov and John Klingberg. This sealed it at 4-3, with the three stars going to Radulov, Zuccarello, and Keith, while Gustafsson gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. San Jose opened in the first period with a Tim Heed goal, his second of the season, coming off of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Kevin Labanc. Detroit tied it on a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi. Detroit added on in the second period with a Green goal, his fifth of the year, via Abdelkader and Anthony Mantha. The Sharks got one back with a Brent Burns goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Timo Meier and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Burns. The Sharks pulled ahead with another Pavelski goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. San Jose iced it at 5-3 with a Pavelski empty net goal to cap his natural hat trick with his thirty-fifth of the year, set up by Couture. The three stars went to Pavelski, Burns, and Vlasic, while Couture, Green, and Abdelkader get the honorable mentions.

In Ottawa, the Senators host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Craig Anderson man the blue paint. Calgary started in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Thomas Chabot. The Flames took the lead back in the third period with an Austin Czarnik goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Michael Frolik and Mark Jankowski. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Czarnik, Rittich (22 for 23 in saves), and Anderson (33 for 35 in saves).

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Eric Staal and Jonas Brodin. St. Louis tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Tyler Bozak and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime with a Ryan Donato goal, his seventh of the campaign, courtesy of Zach Parise and Brodin. The three stars were Brodin, Dubnyk (27 for 28 in saves), and Donato.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Darcy Kuemper are set to start in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. Arizona tied it on a Brad Richardson goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Arizona added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk and Goligoski. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted Josh Archibald empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign. The three stars were Goligoski, Kuemper (34 for 35 in saves), and Crouse.

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Saturday, February 23, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 136

Eleven games today, mostly in the afternoon and evening. We begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carter Hutton are in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Evan Rodrigues. Washington got on the board in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Evgeny Kuznetsov. Buffalo shot back with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Capitals got one back in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Christian Djoos and Michal Kempny. The Sabres responded with a Reinhart goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, via Matt Hunwick and Conor Sheary. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with a Reinhart empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by the goalie Hutton. The three stars were Reinhart, Eichel, and Hutton (31 for 33 in saves).

In New York City, the Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Pavel Buchnevich and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers added on with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Chris Kreider and Buchnevich. New York extended the lead as Kreider scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Mika Zibanejad and Vesey. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with an unassisted Kenny Agostino goal, his third of the year. The Rangers replied with a Brady Skjei goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Zibanejad and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Devils pulled back on an Andy Greene goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Kyle Palmieri and Nico Hischier. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Strome empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov and Jesper Fast. The three stars belonged to Kreider, Strome, and Vesey, while Buchnevich and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jordan Binnington are in the creases. St. Louis led off in the first period with an Alexander Steen goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Oskar Sundqvist. Boston tied it on a Chris Wagner goal, his ninth of the year, via Kevan Miller and Torey Krug. The tie went to a shootout, where Tyler Bozak and Sammy Blais lifted the Blues 2-1 over Charlie Coyle and the Bruins. The three stars were Binnington (31 for 32 in saves), Rask (28 for 29 in saves), and Steen.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. Carolina began in the first period with a Lucas Wallmark goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Greg McKegg and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Justin Faulk power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina iced it at 3-0 with a Jordan Martinook empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Jaccob Slavin and Jordan Staal. The three stars were McElhinney (24 save shutout), Wallmark, and Faulk.

East to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo are the veterans in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Evgenii Dadonov. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers retook the lead in the second period with an unassisted Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his seventeenth of the season. Florida added on with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Mike Hoffman. The Panthers extended the lead as Yandle scored on the power play, his ninth of the season, with the help of Barkov and Huberdeau. Florida padded the lead on a Jamie McGinn goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The Panthers continued with an Ian McCoshen goal, made possible by Troy Brouwer and Henrik Borgstrom. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Huberdeau, Barkov, and Yandle.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin. Columbus extended the lead with an Atkinson power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Panarin. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Dean Kukan and Oliver Bjorkstrand. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (26 save shutout), Atkinson, and Panarin.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-first of the season, helped along by Nikita Zadorov and Alexander Kerfoot. The Avalanche added on with a Kerfoot power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and MacKinnon. Colorado extended the lead as Gabriel Landeskog scored his thirty-third of the season, with the help of Samuel Girard and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche padded the lead with a MacKinnon power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Barrie and Kerfoot. Colorado capped it at 5-0 with a Zadorov goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Sven Andrighetto and Soderberg. The three stars were MacKinnon, Zadorov, and Kerfoot, while Grubauer (38 save shutout), and Soderberg get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Montreal was first to score in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Brett Kulak and Max Domi. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Jeff Petry. Montreal extended the lead as Petry scored his eleventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Shaw and Paul Byron. Toronto got on the board in the second period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Patrick Marleau and William Nylander. Toronto tied it in the third period as Nylander scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Marleau and Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead with a Zach Hyman goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Mitchell Marner. Toronto padded the lead with an Andreas Johnsson empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Kasperi Kapanen and Matthews. The Maple Leafs finished with a 6-3 win as Hyman netted his thirteenth of the campaign and second of the game, with helpers from Rielly and Marner. The three stars were Hyman, Nylander, and Matthews, while Marner, Marleau, Rielly, Petry, and Shaw get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers take their Pennsylvania rivalry with the Pittsburgh Penguins outside. Matt Murray and Brian Elliott draw the starts for the Stadium Series game. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Kris Letang. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Oskar Lindblom and Jakub Voracek. The Penguins took the lead back in the second period with a Justin Schultz goal, fueled by Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Zach Aston-Reese. The Flyers got one back with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Voracek and Claude Giroux. Philadelphia tied it on a Voracek goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Couturier. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Giroux goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Nolan Patrick and Travis Sanheim. The three stars were Giroux, Voracek, and Couturier, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

Way out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom are the average goalies. New York got going in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Johnny Boychuk and Devon Toews. The Islanders added on with a Ryan Pulock goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Anthony Beauvillier scored his fourteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Josh Bailey and Valtteri Filppula. The Islanders capped it at 4-0 with a Cal Clutterbuck empty net goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, set up by Brock Nelson. The three stars went to Lehner (36 save shutout), Cizikas, and Pulock.

Backtracking to Alberta, where the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Boyle and Mikko Koskinen are the lesser-known goalies. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Josh Currie goal, assisted by Milan Lucic and Andrej Sekera. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl and Kris Russell. Anaheim got on the board with a Carter Rowney goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nick Ritchie and Michael Del Zotto. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Koskinen (33 for 34 in saves), Gagner, and Currie.

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Friday, February 22, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 135

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Craig Anderson are the veterans in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Anthony Duclair. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with a shorthanded Cam Atkinson goal, his thirty-third of the year, set up by Brandon Dubinsky and Seth Jones. Columbus capped it at 3-0 with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Zach Werenski and Duclair. The three stars were Bobrovsky (22 save shutout), Anderson, and Duclair.

Stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Collin Delia man the nets. Colorado started in the first period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Alexander Kerfoot and Sven Andrighetto. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Duncan Keith. The Avalanche pulled ahead on a J.T. Compher power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Jonathan Toews. Colorado retook the lead in the third period with a Landeskog goal, his thirty-second of the season, guided in by Compher. Chicago equalized with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, fueled by Gustafsson and Toews. The Avalanche reclaimed the lead with a Compher goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, made possible by Patrik Nemeth. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Soderberg shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, set up by Matt Calvert and Nemeth. The three stars belonged to Compher, Soderberg, and Landeskog, while Toews, Gustafsson, and Nemeth get the honorable mentions.

In Detroit, the Red Wings host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier are set to start in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Luke Kunin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Donato. The Wild added on with a Jordan Greenway goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Jason Zucker. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Filip Hronek and Dylan Larkin. Minnesota replied with an Eric Staal power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Kunin. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Hronek and Larkin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kunin, Hronek, and Larkin.

West to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Calgary got going in the second period with a T.J. Brodie goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Dalton Prout and Mikael Backlund. Anaheim tied it on a Derek Grant goal, his fourth of the year, via Carter Rowney. The Flames took the lead in the third period on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Brodie. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Brodie, Smith (25 for 26 in saves), and Mangiapane.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Bryan Little and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with a Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Little and Sami Niku. Vegas got on the board with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Nosek and Ryan Reaves. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period on a Shea Theodore goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Alex Tuch and Paul Stastny. Winnipeg took the lead back with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. The Jets added on with an Adam Lowry goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Ben Chiarot. Vegas got one back with a Jonathan Marchessault goal in the third period, his twentieth of the season, helped along by William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. Winnipeg replied with another Laine power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Wheeler and Trouba. The Jets iced it at 6-3 with an Andrew Copp empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Trouba, who got a sock trick, and Lowry. The three stars went to Laine, Connor, and Trouba, while Lowry, Little, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 134

Eleven games on for a busy night, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Cory Schneider are in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, via Miles Wood and Will Butcher. The Devils added on with a Steven Santini goal, passed from Jesper Bratt and Butcher. New Jersey extended the lead in the second period as Kurtis Gabriel scored, thanks to Brett Seney. The Devils padded the lead on a Wood goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Damon Severson and Andy Greene. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars given to Schneider (30 save shutout), Wood, and Butcher.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Ryan Donato. New York tied it in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Strome. The Wild took the lead back with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Greg Pateryn and Zach Parise. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Parise goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Jordan Greenway empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Staal and Donato. The three stars went to Dubnyk (33 for 34 in saves), Parise, and Staal, while Donato gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Casey DeSmith are set to start in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Kevin Labanc. The Sharks added on with a shorthanded Evander Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Burns. San Jose extended the lead as Hertl scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season on the power play, with the help of Labanc and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks padded the lead with a Burns power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Jones (26 save shutout), Hertl, and Burns, while Labanc gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-third of the season, powered by John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Lars Eller and Tom Wilson. Toronto got on the board with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Auston Matthews. Washington replied with a shorthanded Wilson goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Eller. The Maple Leafs chipped back with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, made possible by Morgan Rielly. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Wilson, Holtby (40 for 42 in saves), and Eller.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Carolina started in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Williams and Jaccob Slavin. Florida got on the board with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Jayce Hawryluk. The Panthers tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida took the lead on a Huberdeau power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Barkov. Carolina tied it again in the third period with a Justin Faulk goal, his sixth of the year, via Teuvo Teravainen and Niederreiter on the power play. The Hurricanes pulled ahead with a Williams power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. This gave them a 4-3 win, with the three stars handed to Williams, Niederreiter, and Teravainen, while Dadonov, Huberdeau, and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Phillip Danault and Brett Kulak. The Canadiens added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Paul Byron and Jordie Benn. Montreal extended the lead as Gallagher scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Brian Elliott replaced Hart in goal. The Canadiens padded the lead as Gallagher completed his hat trick in the second period with his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber. Montreal continued with a Tomas Tatar goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Max Domi. Philadelphia got on the board with a Michael Raffl goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, fueled by Shayne Gostisbehere and Travis Konecny. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Gallagher, Price (29 for 30 in saves), and Kotkaniemi.

South once more to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zach Bogosian and Jack Eichel. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal in the second period, his thirtieth of the year, fueled by Tyler Johnson. The Lightning won 2-1 in the shootout with tallied by Steven Stamkos and Kucherov. The three stars were Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (29 for 30 in saves), and Hutton (39 for 40 in saves).

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Josi goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Viktor Arvidsson. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Michael Amadio goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Austin Wagner and Dion Phaneuf. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Josi, Rinne (28 for 29 in saves), and Turris.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Anton Khudobin man the creases. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twentieth of the season, via Miro Heiskanen and Radek Faksa. The Stars added on with a Faksa goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Esa Lindell and Blake Comeau. Dallas extended the lead as Alexander Radulov scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Tyler Seguin. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly. The Stars replied with a Benn goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, made possible by Lindell and John Klingberg. The Blues countered with an O'Reilly goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Jay Bouwmeester and Jaden Schwartz. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with a Seguin empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Jason Dickinson. The three stars went to Benn, O'Reilly, and Faksa, while Seguin and Lindell get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Robin Lehner and Mikko Koskinen receive the starting nods in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Sam Gagner goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Tobias Rieder. New York got on the board with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Johnny Boychuk and Brock Nelson. The Islanders tied it on a Nelson goal, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock. New York took the lead with a Cal Clutterbuck power play goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Pulock and Devon Toews. Edmonton tied it in the third period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Milan Lucic and Colby Cave. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, courtesy of Draisaitl. The three stars went to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nelson, while Pulock gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jacob Markstrom are the average goalies. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel and Markus Granlund. Arizona tied it in the third period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes took the lead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Josh Archibald and Derek Stepan. The Canucks retied it on an Adam Gaudette goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Roussel and Brock Boeser. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Galchenyuk goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Alex Goligoski and Vinnie Hinostroza. The three stars were Galchenyuk, Roussel, and Kuemper (30 for 32 in saves).

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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 133

Four games on a Wednesday evening, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with an unassisted Artem Anisimov goal, his tenth of the season. Detroit tied it with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Anthony Mantha and Filip Hronek. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Dylan Sikura and the goalie Ward. Chicago added on with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirty-third of the year, made possible by Dylan Strome and Erik Gustafsson. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period as Kane scored his thirty-seventh of the season, thanks to Gustafsson. Jonathan Bernier relieved Howard in goal. The Red Wings pulled back in the third period with a Larkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, via Trevor Daley and Mantha. Detroit got closer with an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mantha, who got a sock trick, and Larkin. The Red Wings tied it on an Athanasiou goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Mantha and Mike Green. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime with a Kane goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the campaign, fueled by Gustafsson, who got a sock trick, and Jonathan Toews. The three stars were Kane, Larkin, and Athanasiou, while Mantha and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado got going in the second period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Tyson Jost and Sven Andrighetto. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Matt Nieto. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Nathan MacKinnon scored his thirtieth of the season on the power play, thanks to Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Matt Calvert goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Soderberg and Nieto. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. Colorado shot back with a Jost goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Andrighetto and Soderberg. The Avalanche continued with a Landeskog goal, his thirty-first of the season, with a lone helper from Jost. Colorado iced it at 7-1 with an A.J. Greer goal, made possible by J.T. Compher and Ryan Graves. The three stars were Jost, Soderberg, and Landeskog, while Andrighetto and Nieto get the honorable mentions.

Up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Mike Smith are set to start in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Michael Frolik. The Flames added on with a Travis Hamonic goal, his fifth of the year, via Backlund and Elias Lindholm. New York got on the board with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey and Devon Toews. The Islanders tied it in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson. Calgary retook the lead with a Mark Jankowski goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames extended the lead as Johnny Gaudreau scored his thirtieth of the year on the power play, with the help of Giordano and Sean Monahan.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Boston struck first in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from David Krejci and Karson Kuhlman. Vegas tied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Cody Eakin and Jon Merrill. The Bruins took the lead back in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Danton Heinen and Charlie McAvoy. The Golden Knights retied it on a Nate Schmidt goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The tie went to a shootout, where DeBrusk and David Backes scored to top William Karlsson as the Bruins earned a 3-2 win. The three stars were Smith, DeBrusk, and Fleury (25 for 27 in saves).

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