Tuesday, December 3, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 63

We've got ten games on a rather full schedule tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Jaroslav Halak are in goal. Boston dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Halak (24 save shutout), Coyle, and Krejci.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Carey Price are the rhyming goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper by Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Gallagher goal, his eleventh of the year, via Shea Weber and Danault. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Jeff Petry scored his third of the season, with the help of Nick Suzuki. New York got on the board with a Scott Mayfield goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders got closer with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey. The Canadiens capped it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Weber, his ninth of the year, set up by Nate Thompson. The three stars were Gallagher, Danault, and Weber.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart guard the cages. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Scott Laughton goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kevin Hayes and Matt Niskanen. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Travis Dermott goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by Jason Spezza. The Flyers took the lead back with a Claude Giroux goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Travis Konecny and Philippe Myers. Philadelphia added on with a Konecny goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Myers. The Flyers extended the lead with a Joel Farabee empty net goal, his third of the season, set up by Ivan Provorov. Philadelphia padded the lead as Shayne Gostisbehere scored his third of the year, thanks to Travis Sanheim. The Flyers kept going on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars going to Konecny, Myers, and Hart (27 for 28 in saves).

Over in New Jersey, the Devils host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and MacKenzie Blackwood are the lesser-known goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Damon Severson and Blake Coleman. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Alex Tuch and Tomas Nosek. The Devils retook the lead with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Severson and Pavel Zacha. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his sixth of the year, via William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. Vegas took the lead on another Marchessault goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, made possible by Deryk Engelland and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights added on with a Marchessault goal to complete the natural hat trick on his eighth of the year, passed from Tuch and Smith on the power play. New Jersey got one back with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Taylor Hall and Palmieri. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Marchessault, Tuch, and Smith, while Palmieri and Severson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Chris Driedger are the young goalies. Florida began in the first period on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with a Huberdeau goal, his eleventh of the year, via Frank Vatrano. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Jason Zucker goal, his tenth of the season. The Wild tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brad Hunt and Zucker. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with a Carson Soucy goal, his second of the season, coming off of Zach Parise and Victor Rask. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Luke Kunin empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Zucker, Huberdeau, and Soucy.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Christian Dvorak and Phil Kessel. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Dean Kukan power play goal, with assists provided by Sonny Milano and Ryan Murray. The Coyotes took the lead again with a Christian Fischer goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Carl Soderberg and Jason Demers. Arizona added on with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Soderberg and Alex Goligoski. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Soderberg, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Soderberg, Crouse, and Fischer.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Neal Pionk and Luca Sbisa. The Jets added on in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Josh Morrissey and Tucker Poolman. Winnipeg extended the lead as Morrissey scored his third of the season thanks to Ehlers and Blake Wheeler. Dallas got on the board with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Andrej Sekera and Mattias Janmark. The Jets replied with a Patrik Laine goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mark Scheifele and Connor. Winnipeg padded the lead in the third period as Scheifele scored his tenth of the year, with the help of Laine and Connor. The final remained at 5-1, with the three stars going to Connor, Morrissey, and Ehlers, while Scheifele and Laine get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Kyle Turris. The Lightning took the lead back with an Ondrej Palat goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Predators tied it on a Turris power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Kucherov goal, his tenth of the campaign, guided in by Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Turris.

Way northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Thacher Demko are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Adam Gaudette. The Canucks added on with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Christopher Tanev. Vancouver extended the lead as Elias Pettersson scored a power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. The Canucks padded the lead as Zack MacEwen scored, thanks to Jordie Benn and Tanev. Marcus Hogberg replaced Nilsson in goal to start the second period. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Brady Tkachuk and Anthony Duclair. The Senators got closer in the third period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Thomas Chabot and Colin White. Vancouver replied with an Oscar Fantenberg goal, passed from Jake Virtanen and Gaudette. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars given to Roussel, Tanev, and Gaudette.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brenden Dillon and Mario Ferraro. Washington tied it on a Garnet Hathaway goal, his third of the year, coming off of John Carlson and Nic Dowd. The Capitals took the lead with a Jakub Vrana goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Carlson and T.J. Oshie. Washington added on with a Carlson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Michal Kempny. The Capitals extended the lead as Hathaway scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, with the help of Dowd. Washington padded the lead on a Vrana goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Lars Eller and Dmitry Orlov. Aaron Dell replaced Jones to start the third period. The Sharks got one back in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Karlsson. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Carlson, Vrana, and Hathaway, while Dowd and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, December 2, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 62

Just five games tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. Louis Domingue and Linus Ullmark start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by John Larsson. Buffalo extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Skinner and Larsson. The Sabres padded the lead on another Sheary goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, assisted by Larsson and Jake McCabe. Buffalo continued with a Rasmus Asplund goal, coming off of Casey Mittelstadt. MacKenzie Blackwood replaced Domingue in goal to start the second period. The Sabres kept going with a Victor Olofsson goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Brandon Montour and Eichel. New Jersey got on the board with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sami Vatanen and Nikita Gusev. Buffalo responded on a Henri Jokiharju power play goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Olofsson and Eichel. This stood for the eventual 7-1 final score, with the three stars given to Sheary, Eichel, and Larsson, while Olofsson and Skinner get the honorable mentions.

Along to Manhattan, as the New York Rangers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Henrik Lundqvist are in the creases. Vegas began in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with a Tuch power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Nate Schmidt and William Karlsson. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Reilly Smith scored an unassisted goal, his twelfth of the season. The Golden Knights padded the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his tenth of the year on the power play, with the help of Cody Glass and Mark Stone. New York got on the board with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his fourth of the campaign, via Jacob Trouba and Mika Zibanejad. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Tuch, Subban (29 for 30 in saves), and Smith.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders added on with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Josh Bailey and Pulock. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and Filip Zadina. New York shot back with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, with assists provided by Lee and Nick Leddy. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Eberle scored his second of the game, thanks to Pulock and Leo Komarov. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars handed to Eberle, Pulock, and Lee.

Continuing to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Corey Crawford are the veteran goalies. St. Louis opened in the first period with a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Vince Dunn. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and David Perron. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Brayden Schenn scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Nathan Walker and Schwartz. The Blues capped it at 4-0 with a Tyler Bozak goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Allen (38 save shutout), Schwartz, and MacEachern.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Ryan Miller are the backups in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Derek Grant goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nicolas Deslauriers and Carter Rowney. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. Los Angeles got on the board with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, his second of the season, via Trevor Lewis and Michael Amadio. Anaheim shot back with a Rowney goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Lindholm and Michael Del Zotto. The Kings pulled one back with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Sean Walker and Tyler Toffoli. The Ducks replied with a Grant empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Getzlaf and Lindholm. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Grant, Rowney, and Lindholm.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 61

Just three games today, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Alex Stalock are the goalies. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise. Dallas tied it on a John Klingberg power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead in the third period on a Blake Comeau goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild retied it with a Parise power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Fiala and Jared Spurgeon. The tie went to a shootout, where Parise, Fiala, and Koivu all tallied to top Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin as the Wild won 3-2. The three stars were Parise, Fiala, and Koivu.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Montreal opened in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Boston tied it in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Anders Bjork and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins took the lead on a David Backes power play goal, powered by David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Charlie Coyle. The final was 3-1, with the three stars being Rask (28 for 29 in saves), Backes, and Pastrnak.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with a Josh Archibald goal, coming off of Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Josh Leivo goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jordie Benn and Bo Horvat. The Oilers retied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by McDavid. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with helpers from James Neal and Chiasson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Chiasson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 60

A thirteen-game slate wraps up the bulk of the holiday weekend. We begin with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and MacKenzie Blackwood are the lesser-known goalies. New York opened in the first period with an Adam Fox power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on with a Mika Zibanejad shorthanded goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Brendan Lemieux. New York extended the lead on a Jesper Fast shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Zibanejad and Trouba. The Rangers iced it at 4-0 with an unassisted empty net goal by Brady Skjei, his fourth of the year. The three stars were Zibanejad, Georgiev (33 save shutout), and Trouba.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Victor Mete. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Justin Braun and Jakub Voracek. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Shea Weber and Phillip Danault. The Flyers tied it again on a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Joel Farabee. Philadelphia pulled ahead with a Travis Konecny goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl. Montreal evened it again with a Tatar power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with an Ivan Provorov goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Sean Couturier. The three stars went to Tatar, Provorov, and Konecny.

At the usual time, the New York Islanders bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Thomas Greiss are set to start in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. Semyon Varlamov replaced an injured Greiss. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Barzal goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Adam Pelech. The final stayed at 2-0 with the three stars being Barzal, Varlamov (30 for 30 in saves in relief), and Lee.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Curtis McElhinney take a turn in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho powerp lay goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, via Clark Bishop and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extened the lead as Slavin scored his third of the year, thanks to Aho and Hamilton. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning got closer with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Slavin, Aho, and Hamilton.

Way to the northwest, the Calgary Flames welcome the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg is mismatched with David Rittich in goal. Calgary struck first in the first period with an unassisted Dillon Dube goal, his second of the season. Ottawa tied it in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Thomas Chabot. The Flames retook the lead on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Sean Monahan and Michael Stone. Calgary iced it at 3-1 with a Lindholm power play empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. The three stars were Lindholm, Rittich (26 for 27 in saves), and Dube.

Back east, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts in goal. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Dylan Larkin and Filip Zadina. Washington tied it in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals took the lead on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington added on in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. The Red Wings got one back with a Luke Glendening goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Tyler Bertuzzi. The Capitals replied with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, set up by Oshie and Radko Gudas. Washington iced it at 5-2 with another Ovechkin empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the campaign, an unassisted tally. The three stars were Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Oshie.

Into Canada, where the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with a William Nylander power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Buffalo tied it on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his second of the year, guided in by Brandon Montour and Jack Eichel in the third period. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with a Tavares goal, his tenth of the campaign, via Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. The three stars were Tavares, Andersen (29 for 30 in saves), and Hutton (41 for 43 in saves).

Back stateside, the Florida Panthers welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Chris Driedger are between the pipes. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Anton Stralman goal, courtesy of Colton Sceviour and Noel Acciari. The Panthers added on in the third period with another Stralman goal, his second of the game, via Vincent Trocheck. Florida extended the lead as Aleksander Barkov scored his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Evgenii Dadonov and Keith Yandle. The final remained at 3-0, with the three stars given to Stralman, Driedger (27 save shutout), and Barkov.

Along to St. Louis, as the Penguins bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Matt Murray tend the twines. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Justin Faulk goal, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Zach Sanford. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sam Lafferty goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Joseph Blandisi and Chad Ruhwedel in the second period. The Blues retook the lead with a Nathan Walker goal, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester. St. Louis added on in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Robert Thomas. The Blues extended the lead as MacKenzie MacEachern scored his third of the season, thanks to Jacob de la Rose. The Penguins got one back with a Kris Letang goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Dominik Simon and Evgeni Malkin. St. Louis answered on a Schwartz power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by David Perron and Brayden Schenn. This stood for a 5-2 final score, with the three stars going to Schwartz, Barbashev, and MacEachern.

Southwest to Arizona, with the Coyotes hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Antti Raanta receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Christian Dvorak and Conor Garland. The Coyotes added on with a Derek Stepan goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Clayton Keller. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane. The Sharks tied it on a Dylan Gambrell goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Melker Karlsson in the second period. San Jose pulled ahead on a Timo Meier goal, his ninth of the season, via Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Couture empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Hertl. The three stars were Couture, Hertl, and Meier.

Up in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Chicago led off in the first period a shorthanded Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Zack Smith. Colorado tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead with another Kadri goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, via Matt Nieto and Samuel Girard. Colorado added on with a MacKinnon goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi. The Avalanche extended the lead in the second period as Donskoi scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Ryan Graves and Ian Cole. Colorado padded the lead on a Rantanen goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Girard and Donskoi. Corey Crawford replaced Lehner in goal. The Avalanche continued with a Donskoi goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, passed from MacKinnon and Rantanen. Colorado kept going with a Tyson Jost goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by T.J. Tynan. The Blackhawks got one back with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his sixth of the season, with helpers from David Kampf and Connor Murphy. Chicago pulled closer with a Patrick Kane power play goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Toews. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars awarded to Donskoi, Rantanen, and MacKinnon, while Kadri and Girard get the honorable mentions.

Further north, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Vancouver began in the first period with a Tyler Graovac power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tanner Pearson and Adam Gaudette. The Canucks added on with a shorthanded Pearson goal, his sixth of the year, set up J.T. Miller. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Ethan Bear and Sam Gagner. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Zack Kassian goal, his ninth of the year, via McDavid. Vancouver retook the lead with a Pearson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Bo Horvat and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks extended the lead as Loui Eriksson scored, thanks to Horvat and Pearson.Vancouver padded the lead in the third period with a Josh Leivo goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Horvat and Jake Virtanen. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars handed to Pearson, Horvat, and McDavid.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jack Campbell make the starts in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Joakim Ryan goal, made possible by Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Trevor Lewis and Paul LaDue. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Tucker Poolman and Nikolaj Ehlers. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Campbell (33 for 34 in saves), Prokhorkin, and Ryan.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, November 29, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 59

Twelve games on for a Black Friday slate made of mostly matinees. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tony DeAngelo and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Filip Chytil goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. Boston tied it on a Sean Kuraly goal, his second of the season, via Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by David Krejci and DeBrusk. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Krejci goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Pastrnak and the goalie Halak. The three stars were Krejci, Pastrnak, and DeBrusk.

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and John Gibson tend the twines. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. The Jets added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg extended the lead as Kyle Connor scored his tenth of the campaign in the third period, thanks to Mark Scheifele and Laine. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (24 save shutout), Wheeler, and Laine.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and Linus Ullmark are in the creases. Toronto began in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ilya Mikheyev. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Kasperi Kapanen. Buffalo got on the board with a Jeff Skinner goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Johan Larsson and Brandon Montour. The Sabres tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Zach Bogosian. Buffalo took the lead on a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Marco Scandella and Jimmy Vesey. The Sabres extended the lead as Victor Olofsson scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Eichel and Scandella. Toronto got one back in the third period on a Dmytro Timashov goal, his second of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza and Morgan Rielly. Buffalo responded with a Vesey goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs chipped back on a Kapanen goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Nic Petan and Justin Holl. The Sabres iced it at 6-4 with an Eichel empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Rasmus Ristolainen. The three stars were Eichel, Vesey, and Tavares, while Kapanen and Scandella get the honorable mentions.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Corey Crawford draw the starts in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by J.T. Compher. The Avalanche added on with a Ryan Graves goal, his third of the year, passed from Matt Nieto and MacKinnon. Chicago got on the board with a Zack Smith goal, made possible by Ryan Carpenter. Colorado shot back with a Cale Makar power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by MacKinnon and Compher. The Avalanche extended the lead in the second period on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado padded the lead with a Compher goal, his third of the season, guided in by MacKinnon. The Blackhawks got one back as Patrick Kane scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad. This only made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being MacKinnon, Compher, and Francouz (34 for 36 in saves).

East again to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Calvin Pickard and Carter Hart are the young goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his second of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen. Detroit tied it with a Robby Fabbri goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Andreas Athanasiou and Valtteri Filppula. The Flyers replied with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a Couturier goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Niskanen and Voracek. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Kevin Hayes scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Laughton and Joel Farabee. Philadelphia padded the lead on an Oskar Lindblom goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Ivan Provorov and Voracek. The Flyers finished it at 6-1 with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Tyler Pitlick and Robert Hagg. The three stars were Laughton, Couturier, and Voracek, while Niskanen gets an honorable mention.

In California, the San Jose Sharks bring in their in-state rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones are the struggling goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Marcus Sorensen and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fourth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Noah Gregor scored, thanks to Brenden Dillon and the goalie Jones. The Sharks padded the lead on a Logan Couture goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Barclay Goodrow and Karlsson. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his third of the year, fueled by Matt Luff. The final remained at 4-1, with the three stars being Jones (33 for 34 in saves), Karlsson, and Gregor.

Northeast to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Alex Stalock are the unremarkable goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his third of the season, via Nikita Zaitsev and Mark Borowiecki. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Ryan Donato goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead back with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Connor Brown and Logan Brown. The Wild tied it again with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the year, fueled by Mats Zuccarello and Eric Staal. Minnesota took the lead on a Zach Parise goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kevin Fiala. The Wild added on in the third period with a Luke Kunin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek and Spurgeon. Minnesota extended the lead as Ryan Hartman scored his third of the season, thanks to Jonas Brodin. The Wild padded the lead on an unassisted Staal power play goal, his eighth of the year. Minnesota capped it at 7-2 with a Jason Zucker goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers from Spurgeon and Brodin. The three stars went to Spurgeon, Staal, and Brodin.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his third of the year, via Kucherov and Kevin Shattenkirk. Washington got on the board with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and Jakub Vrana. Tampa Bay shot back with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Point and Kucherov. The Capitals got one back in the third period with a Vrana goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Oshie. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Dmitry Orlov and Travis Boyd. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with an Orlov goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Kuznetsov and Oshie. The three stars were Vrana, Oshie, and Orlov, while Kuznetsov, Kucherov, and Point get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Malcolm Subban in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nicolas Hague and Jonathan Marchessault. Arizona tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his sixth of the year, via Christian Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. In the shootout, Marchessault and Tuch lifted the Golden Knights 2-1 over Dvorak and the Coyotes. The three stars were Subban (35 for 36 in saves), Tuch, and Kuemper (37 for 38 in saves), while Marchessault and Dvorak get the honorable mentions.

Cross-country again to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Oliver Bjorkstrand. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Dominik Simon. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period on an unassisted Nick Foligno goal, his third of the season. Columbus added on with another Nyquist goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year coming on the power play, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Foligno scored his second of the game and fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and Seth Jones. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Kris Letang goal, his sixth of the year, via Guentzel and Malkin. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with a Nyquist empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the campaign, set up by Josh Anderson and David Savard. The three stars were Nyquist, Foligno, and Guentzel, while Malkin gets an honorable mention.

Southeast to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Rocco Grimaldi goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Nick Bonino. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Filip Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Austin Watson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Matt Duchene. This stood for the eventual 3-0 final score, with the three stars given to Rinne (31 save shutout), Grimaldi, and Jarnkrok.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. St. Louis scored first in the first period with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz goal, his eleventh of the year, via Blake Comeau and Roman Polak in the third period. The Blues retook the lead with an O'Reilly goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Ivan Barbashev and Jay Bouwmeester. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Barbashev empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Perron and Brayden Schenn. The three stars went to O'Reilly, Allen (31 for 32 in saves), and Barbashev, while Perron gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 58

Just one game on American Thanksgiving, as the Montreal Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Carey Price are the goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his eighth of the season, via Nikita Gusev and Travis Zajac. Montreal tied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar. The Devils retook the lead on a Zajac goal, his third of the season, assisted by Gusev and Coleman. The Canadiens tied it again in the second period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his third of the year, fueled by Max Domi and Shea Weber. New Jersey reclaimed the lead with a Miles Wood goal, his third of the season, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Will Butcher. Montreal evened it as Joel Armia scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Victor Mete and Kotkaniemi. The Devils retook the lead as Jesper Boqvist scored his second of the season, with the help of Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey added on in the third period with a Damon Severson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Gusev and Coleman. The Canadiens got one back with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Mike Reilly and Jeff Petry. The Devils iced it at 6-4 with a Coleman empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Zajac and Wayne Simmonds. The three stars were Coleman, Gusev, and Zajac, while Kotkaniemi gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 57

On Thanksgiving Eve, thirteen games will be played. We begin with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Florida tied it in the second period with a Brett Connolly goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. The Capitals retook the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jonas Siegenthaler. The Panthers tied it again with a Mike Hoffman goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Aleksander Barkov. Washington took the lead in the third period with a Lars Eller goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jakub Vrana. The Capitals added on with a Brendan Leipsic goal, his third of the year, assisted by Radko Gudas and Siegenthaler. Florida got one back with a Trocheck goal, his fourth of the season, via Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Siegenthaler, Trocheck, and Leipsic.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Anders Nilsson are in goal. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Chris Tierney. Boston tied it with a Brad Marchand goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Anders Bjork and Sean Kuraly. The Bruins took the lead with a Zdeno Chara goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brendan Gaunce and Joakim Nordstrom. This produced the 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Rask (33 for 34 in saves), Chara, and Marchand.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Malkin and Guentzel. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. The Canucks tied it on an Elias Pettersson goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Jake Virtanen and Hughes in the second period. Vancouver took the lead on a Virtanen goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Zack MacEwen and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks extended the lead as Adam Gaudette scored his fifth of the year, with the help of Josh Leivo and Hughes. Tristan Jarry replaced Murray in goal. Pittsburgh got one back with another Guentzel goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Vancouver shot back with another Miller power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Brock Boeser and Pettersson. The Canucks padded the lead on a Gaudette goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Tanner Pearson. The Penguins pulled one back with a Dominik Kahun goal, his seventh of the year, dished from Jared McCann and Marcus Pettersson. Pittsburgh got closer with a Malkin goal, his fifth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Rust and John Marino. The Penguins equalized with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Marino and Brandon Tanev. Pittsburgh surged ahead on a Kris Letang goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Guentzel and Malkin. The Penguins padded the lead as Malkin scored an empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Rust and Guentzel. The three stars of the 8-6 game were Malkin, Guentzel, and Rust, while Miller, Gaudette, Hughes, Virtanen, Elias Pettersson, and Marino get the honorable mentions.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich faces a lesser foe in Linus Ullmark in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a T.J. Brodie goal, assisted by Mark Giordano and Sean Monahan. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a shorthanded Jimmy Vesey goal, his second of the season, set up by Rasmus Asplund. The Sabres took the lead with a Victor Olofsson goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. The Flames tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Tkachuk and Brodie. The three stars were Tkachuk, Brodie, and Lindholm.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Travis Dermott goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Ilya Mikheyev. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tyson Barrie goal, his third of the year, passed from Frederik Gauthier and Dmytro Timashov. Toronto extended the lead as John Tavares scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Barrie and Mikheyev. Jonathan Bernier replaced Howard in goal due to injury. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his ninth of the year, via Morgan Rielly and Andreas Johnsson. Toronto kept going with a Johnsson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Rielly and Nylander. The Maple Leafs continued with a Johnsson power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Kasperi Kapanen. The final remained at 6-0, with the three stars awarded to Johnsson, Andersen (25 save shutout), and Barrie, while Tavares, Nylander, Mikheyev, and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New York Rangers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Henrik Lundqvist occupy the creases. New York began in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Brendan Smith goal, his second of the year, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Tony DeAngelo. New York extended the lead as Fox scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Panarin and Libor Hajek. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Dougie Hamilton and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes got closer with a Warren Foegele goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Jaccob Slavin. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Fox, Lundqvist (41 for 43 in saves), and Panarin.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Brayden Point. St. Louis tied it with an Oskar Sundqvist shorthanded goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Ivan Barbashev and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues took the lead with a Sundqvist goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, coming off of Barbashev and Tyler Bozak. The Lightning retied it on an Anthony Cirelli goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Ryan McDonagh and Kucherov. St. Louis gained the lead on a Zach Sanford goal in the third period, his third of the season, fueled by Barbashev and Bozak. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. Tampa Bay got one back on a Point power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Sundqvist, Barbashev, and Kucherov, while Bozak and Point get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his second of the season, made possible by Emil Bemstrom and Sonny Milano. Philadelphia tied it with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his second of the year, via James van Riemsdyk and Michael Raffl. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a Seth Jones goal, his third of the season, helped along by Gustav Nyquist and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Flyers retied it in the second period with a Scott Laughton goal, courtesy of Joel Farabee and Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia took the lead on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny. This stood for the eventual 3-2 win, with the three stars being Giroux, Laughton, and Pitlick.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Nate Schmidt. Nashville got on the board with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fourth of the season, via Roman Josi and Matt Duchene. The Predators tied it on a Ryan Ellis goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville took the lead in the third period with a Duchene goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Granlund and Rocco Grimaldi. Vegas evened it at the death with a Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Stone and Smith. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Schmidt. The three stars were Pacioretty, Stone, and Smith, while Schmidt, Duchene, Granlund, and Josi get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a power play goal by Christian Dvorak, his seventh of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Clayton Keller. Anaheim tied it on a Brendan Guhle goal, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Dvorak goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Vinnie Hinostroza and Jason Demers. The Ducks tied it again in the second period with a Sam Steel goal, his second of the season, passed from Nick Ritchie and Cam Fowler. Anaheim pulled ahead with a Terry goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Erik Gudbranson and Fowler. Arizona retied it on an Alex Goligoski goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper from Christian Fischer. In the shootout, Conor Garland and Dvorak tallied for the Coyotes to top Ondrej Kase and the Ducks by a 4-3 score. The three stars were Dvorak, Fowler, and Goligoski.

Up to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Darnell Nurse. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Joonas Donskoi and Calle Rosen. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Donskoi. Colorado added on with a MacKinnon goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Ian Cole and Ryan Graves. The Avalanche extended the lead as Logan O'Connor scored, thanks to Valeri Nichushkin. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being MacKinnon, Donskoi, and Grubauer (19 for 20 in saves).

Out in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Aaron Dell receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his second of the season, via Joe Thornton and Mario Ferraro. Winnipeg tied it with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead with a David Gustafsson goal, courtesy of Anthony Bitetto and Luca Sbisa. Winnipeg added on with a Mark Scheifele goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Laine. The Jets extended the lead as Jack Roslovic scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Wheeler. Winnipeg padded the lead in the third period with a Connor empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Wheeler, and Hellebuyck (32 for 33 in saves), while Connor gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. New York began in the first period with a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Scott Mayfield and Brock Nelson. Los Angeles tied it with a Dustin Brown goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Alex Iafallo and Ben Hutton. The Kings took the lead with a power play goal by Jeff Carter, his eighth of the season, powered by Michael Amadio and Sean Walker. Los Angeles added on with a Matt Roy goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Blake Lizotte. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an Iafallo empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Anze Kopitar and Brown. The three stars went to Brown, Iafallo, and Quick (24 for 25 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.