Sunday, November 10, 2019

MLS CUP 2019

The grand finale of the MLS season is here, with the Seattle Sounders FC hosting Toronto FC. Quentin Westberg and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle got going in the 57th minute with a Kelvin Leerdam goal, via Raul Ruidiaz. Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto took a yellow card for a 72nd minute foul. The Sounders added on with a Victor Rodriguez goal, set up by Nicolas Lodeiro and Gustav Svensson in  the 76th minute. Seattle extended the lead as Ruidiaz scored in the 90th minute, thanks to Svensson. He received a yellow card for celebration. The Reds got on the board in stoppage time with a Jozy Altidore goal, courtesy of Pozuelo. This only made it 3-1, with Rodriguez named MLS Cup MVP as the Sounders lifted their second championship trophy.

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Saturday, November 9, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 39

There's eleven games on this Saturday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning playing host to the Buffalo Sabres in Sweden. Carter Hutton and Curtis McElhinney draw the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Brandon Montour. Tampa Bay tied it on a Pat Maroon power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Yanni Gourde and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay added on with another Maroon goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Cedric Paquette and Shattenkirk. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jack Eichel and Reinhart. The Lightning responded with a Gourde goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Paquette. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Mathieu Joseph scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. Buffalo pulled back with an Eichel goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars being Maroon, Gourde, and Paquette, while Shattenkirk, Eichel, and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Across the Atlantic, a matinee in New York sees the Islanders host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Thomas Greiss are in the blue paint. New York began in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his seventh of the season, via Brock Nelson and Derick Brassard. Florida tied it in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Islanders retook the lead with a Scott Mayfield goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Devon Toews and Barzal. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Barzal, Greiss (37 for 38 in saves), and Mayfield.

At the regular time, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Philippe Myers goal, his second of the season, made possible by James van Riemsdyk and Joel Farabee. The Flyers added on with an Oskar Lindblom power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Travis Konecny and Shayne Gostisbehere. Toronto got on the board with a Travis Dermott goal in the second period, passed from William Nylander and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with a Nylander goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Matthews and Justin Holl. The tie went to a shootout, where Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier lifted the Flyers 3-2 over Nylander and the Maple Leafs. The three stars were Nylander, Matthews, and Elliott (38 for 40 in saves).

Stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington started in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Dmitry Orlov and Jakub Vrana. The Capitals added on with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Vrana. Vegas got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington shot back in the second period with a Jonas Siegenthaler goal, passed from Travis Boyd. The Golden Knights pulled back with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Cody Eakin. The Capitals countered in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Kuznetsov. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Backstrom empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by T.J. Oshie and Carlson. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Vrana, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Matt Murray are the alliterative goalies. Chicago got going in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fourth of the season, via Brandon Saad and Slater Koekkoek. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Calvin de Haan. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jake Guentzel goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Jared McCann. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Bryan Rust goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of John Marino and Malkin. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in the shootout with Guentzel and McCann overpowering Kane. The three stars were Malkin, Guentzel, and McCann, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

North again to Ottawa, where the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Anders Nilsson are between the pipes. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Filip Chlapik goal, passed from Jonathan Davidsson and J.C. Beaudin. The Senators added on with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Tyler Ennis and Colin White. Ottawa extended the lead as Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his eighth of the year, with the help of Nick Paul. Carolina got on the board in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Teuvo Teravainen. The Senators capped it at 4-1 with a Brady Tkachuk goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Anthony Duclair and Ron Hainsey. The three stars belonged to Nilsson (38 for 39 in saves), Namestnikov, and Pageau.

Into Quebec, as the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens added on with a Nate Thompson goal, via Artturi Lehkonen and Tomas Tatar. Montreal extended the lead as Weber scored again on the power play, his second of the game and fifth of the year, thanks to Drouin and Nick Cousins. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Iafallo and Blake Lizotte. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Lizotte goal, passed from Austin Wagner and Carl Grundstrom. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Weber, Drouin, and Lizotte.

Way to the southwest, the Arizona Coyotes host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Michael Grabner goal, his fifth of the season, via Aaron Ness. The Coyotes added on with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. Arizona fired back on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jordan Oesterle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Wild pulled back with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brad Hunt and Zach Parise. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba goal his second of the year, coming off of Kevin Fiala and Jason Zucker. The Wild pulled ahead in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his second of the season, assisted by Spurgeon and Suter. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Spurgeon, Hartman, and Suter.

Up in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Pavel Francouz are the masked men. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Gustav Nyquist. Colorado tied it on a Samuel Girard power play goal, with assists provided by Vladislav Kamenev and Tyson Jost. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a Zach Werenski goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno. The Avalanche tied it in the second period on a Cale Makar goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan Graves and Matt Nieto. Colorado took the lead with another Makar goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Jost and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted Kadri goal, his sixth of the campaign. The three stars went to Makar, Kadri, and Jost.

Further to the north, the Calgary Flames bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and David Rittich guard the cages. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his second of the season, guided in by Oskar Sundqvist and MacKenzie MacEachern. The Blues added on in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. The Flames tied it on a Travis Hamonic goal, coming off of Mark Giordano. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Perron power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by O'Reilly and Pietrangelo. The three stars were Perron, O'Reilly, and Pietrangelo.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Martin Jones are the veterans in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighth of the season, via Dante Fabbro. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Timo Meier and Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the third period. The Sharks won 2-1 in the shootout on a lone tally by Meier in round seven. The three stars were Jones (24 for 25 in saves), Hertl, and Meier.

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Friday, November 8, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 38

A four-game Friday is on tap, starting with...

The Buffalo Sabres playing host to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first of a pair of games in Sweden. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark get the starts in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Brayden Point and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his sixth of the season, via Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe. Tampa Bay shot back in the third period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the year, guided in by Pat Maroon and Cedric Paquette. The Sabres pulled back with another Reinhart goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by Henri Jokiharju and Victor Olofsson. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Gourde, and Killorn.

Back across the ocean, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Jonathan Bernier in goal. Boston started in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his second of the season, coming off of Peter Cehlarik. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Madison Bowey and the goalie Bernier. The Red Wings took the lead on a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha. Detroit added on in the second period with another Fabbri power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Bertuzzi and Dennis Cholowski. The Bruins got one back with a Torey Krug power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Krejci and David Pastrnak. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Mantha empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by the goalie Bernier. The three stars were Fabbri, Mantha, and Bernier (25 for 27 in saves with two assists), while Krejci and Bertuzzi get honorable mentions.

Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Vancouver got going in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Troy Stecher and Brock Boeser. Winnipeg tied it with a Jack Roslovic goal, his third of the year, via Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead on a Mark Scheifele goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Tucker Poolman. Winnipeg added on in the third period with a Connor goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets capped it at 4-1 with an Adam Lowry empty net goal, set up by Andrew Copp and Mathieu Perreault. The three stars went to Hellebuyck (32 for 33 in saves), Connor, and Scheifele.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Mikko Koskinen draw the starts in goal. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Joel Persson. The Oilers added on with a Gaetan Haas goal, his second of the year, assisted by Matt Benning and Kris Russell. Edmonton extended the lead as James Neal scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Alex Chiasson and Persson. The Oilers padded the lead on a Chiasson power play goal in the third period, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. This produced the 4-0 final score, with the three stars given to Koskinen (26 save shutout), Chiasson, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Persson gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2019-20 - Day 37

Another eleven-game night is on tap, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Washington led off in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Michal Kempny and Alex Ovechkin. Florida tied it on an unassisted Frank Vatrano goal, his fourth of the year. The Panthers took the lead on a Brett Connolly goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Anton Stralman and Brian Boyle. Florida added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Evgenii Dadonov. The Capitals got one back with an Ovechkin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Carlson. Washington tied it as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, thanks to Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom. The Panthers regained the lead on a Dadonov power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. The Capitals evened it in the third period on a Tom Wilson goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Kuznetsov. Washington won 5-4 in overtime with another Wilson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, guided in by Carlson and T.J. Oshie. The three stars were Ovechkin, Wilson, and Carlson, while Barkov, Dadonov, and Kuznetsov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the third period with an unassisted Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the season. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime on a Tavares goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Mitchell Marner. The three stars belonged to Tavares, Andersen (37 for 38 in saves), and Matthews.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Carter Hart are in the creases. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Philippe Myers goal, going in unassisted. The Flyers added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. Montreal got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, his third of the year, via Nick Cousins and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Shea Weber goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jonathan Drouin. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime on a Sean Couturier goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. The three stars were Couturier, Myers, and Weber.

Along to Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. New York started in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his second of the season, passed from Michael Dal Colle and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders added on with a Cal Clutterbuck shorthanded goal in the second period, his second of the year, set up by Cizikas and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Pelech scored, thanks to Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jared McCann goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of John Marino and Brian Dumoulin in the third period. The Penguins got closer with a Bryan Rust goal, his third of the year, guided in by McCann and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh tied it on a Malkin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Juuso Riikola and McCann. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted Rust goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year. The three stars went to Rust, McCann, and Malkin, while Cizikas and Pelech get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his eighth of the season, via Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jaccob Slavin and Teuvo Teravainen. The Rangers retook the lead on a Brendan Lemieux power play goal, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Pavel Buchnevich. New York added on in the third period with an unassisted Buchnevich goal, his third of the season. The Hurricanes got one back with a Sebastian Aho goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Ryan Dzingel and Martin Necas. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with an Adam Fox empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Panarin. The three stars went to Buchnevich, Lundqvist (45 for 47 in saves), and Panarin.

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Anders Nilsson draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Anze Kopitar. Ottawa tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Nikita Zaitsev and Brady Tkachuk. The Senators took the lead in the third period on an Artem Anisimov goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Ennis and Filip Chlapik. The Kings retied it with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Matt Roy and Ilya Kovalchuk. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nick Paul. The three stars were Pageau, Nilsson (26 for 28 in saves), and Anisimov.

Southwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Corey Crawford are the veterans in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Dylan Strome and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Strome and Kane. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat. Chicago replied in the third period with a Kane power play goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Duncan Keith and Strome. The Blackhawks extended the lead as David Kampf scored a shorthanded empty net goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Olli Maatta. The Canucks got one back on a Jake Virtanen goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Alexander Edler and Adam Gaudette. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Ryan Carpenter and Maatta. The three stars were Kane, Strome, and Maatta.

Further along, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Darcy Kuemper are the lesser-known goalies. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his third of the season, passed from Seth Jones and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Arizona tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Ilya Lyubushkin. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his third of the season, coming off of Michael Grabner and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blue Jackets retied it on an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, powered by Cam Atkinson and Nyquist. Columbus pulled ahead with a Bjorkstrand goal, his fourth of the year, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nyquist. The final was 3-2, with the three stars given to Nyquist, Bjorkstrand, and Korpisalo (30 for 32 in saves).

Up in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Pavel Francouz receive the starting nods in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Cale Makar goal, his second of the season, made possible by Matt Nieto and Ryan Graves. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Ellis goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by Ryan Johansen. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Makar and Andre Burakovsky. The Predators tied it again in the second period on a Filip Forsberg shorthanded goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Viktor Arvidsson and Johansen. Nashville took the lead on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Arvidsson and Roman Josi. Colorado equalized with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by MacKinnon and Matt Calvert. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a Graves goal, his second of the season, helped along by Nazem Kadri and Tyson Jost. Colorado added on with a Burakovsky goal, his fifth of the year, via Vladislav Kamenev and Erik Johnson. Juuse Saros relieved Rinne in goal. The Avalanche extended the lead with a shorthanded Nieto goal, his fourth of the season, set up by J.T. Compher and Graves. Colorado padded the lead as Calvert scored his fourth of the year, thanks to MacKinnon and Makar. The Avalanche continued with a Donskoi goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with helpers from Johnson and MacKinnon. The Predators got one back in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his second of the year, dished from Nick Bonino and Rocco Grimaldi. Colorado iced it at 9-4 with a Donskoi power play goal to complete his hat trick on his eighth of the campaign, with assists from Burakovsky and T.J. Tynan. The three stars were Donskoi, MacKinnon, and Burakovsky, while Makar, Graves, Nieto, Calvert, Johnson, Johansen, and Arvidsson all get honorable mentions.

Further north to Calgary, where the Flames host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and David Rittich are the inexperienced goalies. New Jersey drew first blood in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his fourth of the season, via Taylor Hall and Will Butcher. Calgary tied it on a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the year, coming off of Michael Stone and T.J. Brodie. The Devils retook the lead with a Nikita Gusev goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Hughes and Pavel Zacha. The Flames tied it again with a Sean Monahan goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary took the lead on a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames added on with a Hanifin power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Sam Bennett and Backlund. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Gaudreau scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Monahan and Elias Lindholm. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars given to Hanifin, Monahan, and Backlund, while Gaudreau and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his second of the season, via Evander Kane and Marcus Sorensen. The Sharks added on with a Timo Meier goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson. San Jose extended the lead as Marcus Sorensen scored his third of the season, thanks to Patrick Marleau and Couture. The Sharks padded the lead on a Radim Simek goal, passed from Hertl and Meier. Devan Dubnyk replaced Stalock in the second period. Minnesota got on the board with a Luke Kunin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Joel Eriksson Ek. San Jose shot back with a Hertl power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Couture and Brent Burns. The Wild fired back on an Eric Staal goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Ryan Hartman. The Sharks countered with an Evander Kane power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Couture and Burns. Minnesota chipped back in the third period with a Brad Hunt goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kunin. The Wild got closer with a Ryan Donato goal, set up by Eric Staal. Minnesota kept going with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Mats Zuccarello and Staal. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars handed to Couture, Hertl, and Staal, while Kane, Sorensen, Meier, Burns, and Kunin get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 36

We've got just two games for Wednesday night, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist are the veterans in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Brendan Lemieux and Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his third of the year, via Buchnevich and DeAngelo. New York extended the lead as Ryan Strome scored his fifth of the season on the power play, thanks to Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Detroit got on the board with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his second of the year, passed from Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha. The Rangers shot back with a Greg McKegg shorthanded goal in the third period, set up by Brett Howden and Jacob Trouba. New York iced it at 5-1 with a Panarin empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Strome and Marc Staal. The three stars were DeAngelo, Strome, and Lundqvist (35 for 36 in saves), while Panarin and Buchnevich get honorable mentions.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Mike Smith draw the starts in goal. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and the goalie Smith. St. Louis tied it on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Alex Pietrangelo and David Perron. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Pietrangelo power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Brayden Schenn. St. Louis added on with a Robert Thomas goal, his third of the year, guided in by Schwartz and Justin Faulk. The Oilers got one back in the third period with a Zack Kassian goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Draisaitl and McDavid. The Blues replied with a shorthanded empty net goal by Tyler Bozak, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Ivan Barbashev, set up by Pietrangelo and Carl Gunnarsson. The three stars were Pietrangelo, Schwartz, and Allen (32 for 34 in saves).

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Tuesday, November 5, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 35

Eleven games grace the schedule tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Joonas Korpisalo are in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eighth of the season, via William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Dean Kukan and Nick Foligno. The Golden Knights retook the lead on a shorthanded Smith goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, set up by Karlsson and Nick Holden. This produced the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars awarded to Smith, Fleury (29 for 30 in saves), and Karlsson.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Carter Hart are the masked men. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matt Niskanen and Shayne Gostisbehere. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Lucas Wallmark goal, his second of the year, guided in by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Martin Necas. The Flyers took the lead with a Travis Konecny goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, assisted by Niskanen and Couturier. Philadelphia added on with a Joel Farabee goal, his second of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers extended the lead as Giroux scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Tyler Pitlick and Philippe Myers. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Couturier, Hart (33 for 34 in saves), and Giroux, while Niskanen gets an honorable mention.

Along to New York, where the Islanders bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Thomas Greiss draw the starts in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Jean Gabriel-Pageau shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov. New York tied it on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, assisted by Casey Cizikas and Devon Toews. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Cole Bardreau penalty shot goal. New York added on with a shorthanded Cizikas goal, set up by Clutterbuck and Scott Mayfield. The Islanders extended the lead as Josh Bailey scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Noah Dobson and Adam Pelech. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Cizikas, Clutterbuck, and Greiss (27 for 28 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Toronto tied it on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by William Nylander and Andreas Johnsson. Toronto added on with a Nylander goal, his fourth of the year, via Matthews and Justin Holl. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Matthews, Nylander, and Andersen (24 for 25 in saves).

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal began in the first period with a Victor Mete goal, his second of the season, passed from Joel Armia and Jeff Petry. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Brendan Gallagher and Ben Chiarot. Montreal added on with an unassisted Paul Byron goal. The Bruins got one back with a Connor Clifton goal, going in unassisted. Boston tied it with an Anders Bjork goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Charlie McAvoy. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Mete goal, his second of the game and third of the season, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Petry. The Bruins retied it in the third period on a Sean Kuraly goal, made possible by Chris Wagner. Montreal pulled ahead again with a Chiarot goal, his second of the year, coming off of Shea Weber and Tatar. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Chiarot, Mete, and Tatar, while Petry gets an honorable mention.

Further west, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his second of the season, made possible by Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with an Andrew Copp goal, his second of the year, via Josh Morrissey and Gabriel Bourque. The tie went to a shootout, where Nikita Gusev and Jesper Boqvist tallied for the Devils for the 2-1 win. The three stars were Blackwood (32 for 33 in saves), Hellebuyck (31 for 32 in saves), and Hischier.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, going in unassisted. The Stars added on with a Radek Faksa goal, his third of the year, helped along by Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Colorado goal on the board with a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Vladislav Kamenev and Cale Makar. Dallas replied with a Faksa power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by John Klingberg and Esa Lindell. The Stars extended the lead as Corey Perry scored his second of the season in the third period, thanks to Taylor Fedun and Joel Hanley. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Faksa, Bishop (36 for 37 in saves), and Dickinson.

Back north, the Calgary Flames welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and David Rittich are between the pipes. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his second of the season, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Dvorak goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Phil Kessel and Alex Goligoski. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan. Arizona replied in the third period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, coming off of Derek Stepan and Michael Grabner. The Flames got one back with a Tkachuk power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. Calgary tied it as Giordano scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Rasmus Andersson and Monahan. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund. The three stars were Tkachuk, Giordano, and Monahan.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, assisted by Sammy Blais and Alexander Steen. Vancouver tied it on a Quinn Hughes goal in the third period, his second of the season, with helpers by Josh Leivo and J.T. Miller. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his second of the year, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn. The three stars were Binnington (33 for 34 in saves), Schwartz, and Bozak.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Rickard Rakell goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Sam Steel and Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks added on with a Jacob Larsson goal, via Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie. Minnesota got on the board with a Kevin Fiala goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his third of the season, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota pulled ahead with an Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jason Zucker and Zuccarello. The Wild capped it at 4-2 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Luke Kunin and Mikko Koivu. The three stars went to Zuccarello, Staal, and Fiala.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and Martin Jones are the goalies. San Jose was first to score in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his third of the season, via Timo Meier and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a shorthanded Evander Kane goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Brenden Dillon and Mario Ferraro. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Tomas Hertl scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Barclay Goodrow. Chicago got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks got closer with a Duncan Keith goal, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Meier, his third of the campaign, fueled by Goodrow and Hertl. The three stars were Hertl, Goodrow, and Meier.

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Monday, November 4, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 34

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Alexandar Georgiev draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his third of the season, coming off of Adam Fox and Brendan Lemieux. Ottawa tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fourth of the year, via Anthony Duclair. The Senators took the lead with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Thomas Chabot and Vladislav Namestnikov. Ottawa added on in the second period with a Ron Hainsey goal, passed from Brady Tkachuk and Mikkel Boedker. The Senators extended the lead as Pageau scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. Ottawa padded the lead on a Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers got one back in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Kakko and Tony DeAngelo. The Senators responded in the third period with a Namestnikov power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Connor Brown and Nick Paul. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Pageau, Tkachuk, and Namestnikov, while Kakko gets an honorable mention.

Up to Boston, where the Bruins welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Boston began in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his ninth of the year, via David Pastrnak and Zdeno Chara. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Pastrnak scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Marchand and Brandon Carlo. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Dominik Kahun goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jared McCann and Justin Schultz. The Penguins got closer with a Nick Bjugstad goal, assisted by Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh tied it as Bryan Rust scored his second of the season, with the help of Evgeni Malkin and Alex Galchenyuk. The Penguins pulled ahead on an unassisted John Marino goal. The Bruins retied it in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his second of the year, fueled by Marchand and David Krejci. Boston gained the lead with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins iced it at 6-4 with a Patrice Bergeron empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Krejci and Marchand. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Krejci.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Detroit opened in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, assisted by Filip Hronek and Valtteri Filppula. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper from Dan Hamhuis. The Predators took the lead with an unassisted Kyle Turris goal, his fourth of the year. Nashville added on with a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Ryan Ellis and the goalie Rinne. The Predators extended the lead as Matt Duchene scored his third of the year, thanks to Mattias Ekholm. Jonathan Bernier replaced Howard in goal. Nashville padded the lead on a Duchene power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. The Predators kept going in the third period with a Forsberg power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Josi and Ryan Johansen. The final held at 6-1, with the three stars going to Duchene, Forsberg, and Josi.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Mikko Koskinen man the creases. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Leon Draisaitl. Arizona tied it on a Michael Grabner goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes took the lead on an unassisted Carl Soderberg goal, his fourth of the season in the second period. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Gaetan Haas goal, via Matt Benning and Kris Russell. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Derek Stepan goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz. The three stars were Stepan, Soderberg, and Grabner.

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