Thursday, February 13, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 128

Eleven games tonight, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Pat Maroon goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Cameron Gaunce and Luke Schenn. Edmonton tied it on a Caleb Jones goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. The Lightning retook the lead on a Yanni Gourde shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Cedric Paquette empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Brayden Point and Alex Killorn. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (29 for 30 in saves), Gourde, and Smith (34 for 36 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Dallas led off in the first period with a Denis Gurianov goal, his seventeenth of the season, via John Klingberg. The Stars added on in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Blake Comeau and Andrew Cogliano. Toronto got one back with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his forty-first of the season, powered by William Nylander and Tyson Barrie. Dallas responded in the third period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Mattias Janmark and Jason Robertson. The Maple Leafs pulled back with a Zach Hyman goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, passed from John Tavares and Mitchell Marner. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Bishop (29 for 31 in saves), Seguin, and Gurianov.

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matiss Kivlenieks and Carter Hutton are the goalies. Columbus began in the first period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Vladislav Gavrikov and Riley Nash. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Zach Werenski and Liam Foudy in the second period. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin. Buffalo pulled ahead on an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jeff Skinner and goalie Hutton. Columbus retied it on a Markus Nutivaara goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nick Foligno. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with an Olofsson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Eichel and Dahlin. The three stars belonged to Olofsson, Eichel, and Dahlin.

To the south, the Florida Panthers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his sixth of the year, via van Riemsdyk and Niskanen. Philadelphia extended the lead as Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Michael Raffl and Justin Braun. Sam Montembeault replaced Bobrovsky to start the second period. The Flyers padded the lead in the second period as Scott Laughton scored his tenth of the year, with the help of van Riemsdyk and Braun. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by MacKenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers got closer with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Keith Yandle and Anton Stralman. Philadelphia countered on a Sean Couturier goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Claude Giroux. The Flyers capped it at 6-2 with a Robert Hagg power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Raffl and Braun. The three stars were awarded to van Riemsdyk, Braun, and Niskanen, while Raffl gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and MacKenzie Blackwood are the solid goalies. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Anthony Mantha and Filip Hronek. New Jersey tied it in the third period with an Andy Greene goal, his second of the year, fueled by Pavel Zacha and Damon Severson. The Devils took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Miles Wood and Zacha. New Jersey added on with a Simmonds power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Severson. The Devils extended the lead as Jesper Bratt scored his eleventh of the campaign, thanks to P.K. Subban and Will Butcher. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Simmonds, Zacha, and Severson.

In Canada again, as the Ottawa Senators bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Marcus Hogberg are in the blue paint. Ottawa started in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Drake Batherson and Chris Tierney. The Senators added on with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Thomas Chabot and Connor Brown. Arizona got on the board in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Nick Schmaltz. Ottawa replied in the third period with a Nick Paul goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Artem Anisimov. The Coyotes got one back with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Hogberg (32 for 34 in saves), Paul, and Tkachuk.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Juuse Saros draw the starts in goal. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with another Smith goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Rocco Grimaldi and Nick Bonino. Nashville extended the lead as Mattias Ekholm scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Calle Jarnkrok and Austin Watson. Semyon Varlamov replaced Greiss in goal. The Predators padded the lead in the second period with an unassisted Grimaldi goal, his tenth of the year. Nashville kept going on a Smith goal, his sixteenth of the campaign to complete his hat trick, with a lone helper from Roman Josi. This made it 5-0, the eventual final, with the three stars being Smith, Saros (31 save shutout), and Grimaldi.

Northward to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, fueled by Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Strome. The Wild retook the lead with a Jonas Brodin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Matt Dumba. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Greenway goal, his seventh of the year, via Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Rangers got one back with a third period Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Panarin and Adam Fox. The tie went to a shootout, where Zibanejad and Panarin lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 win. The three stars belonged to Panarin, Greenway, and Brodin, while Zibanejad gets an honorable mention.

In Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Philipp Grubauer are the former teammates in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Vladislav Kamenev. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Burakovsky. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Jakub Vrana and John Carlson. The Capitals tied it in the third period with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Carlson and Lars Eller. Washington gained the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Nick Jensen and Eller. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Burakovsky, Carlson, and Eller, while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention.

Out in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces a lesser foe in Malcolm Subban in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Zach Sanford goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas tied it on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Mark Stone and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights took the lead on another Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, passed from William Karlsson and Stone. The Blues replied on a Zach Sanford goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, fueled by Robert Bortuzzo and David Perron. St. Louis regained the lead with a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Vince Dunn. The Blues added on in the second period with a Sanford goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, via Pietrangelo and O'Reilly. Vegas got one back with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Stone and Theodore. The Golden Knights tied it as Nate Schmidt scored his seventh of the year on the power play, thanks to Karlsson and Alex Tuch. St. Louis pulled ahead on a Sanford goal, his fourth of the game and twelfth of the season, with helpers from Colton Parayko and Dunn. Vegas retied it on a Tuch goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jon Merrill and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights won 6-5 in overtime with a Marchessault power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, set up by Pacioretty and Stone. The three stars belonged to Sanford, Stone and Pacioretty, while Marchessault, Karlsson, Theodore, O'Reilly, Pietrangelo, and Dunn get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and John Gibson are the masked men. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Michael Stone and T.J. Brodie. The Flames added on with a Mikael Backlund goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary extended the lead as Oliver Kylington scored his second of the season, thanks to Rasmus Andersson. The Flames chased Gibson on a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Brodie and Mangiapane. Ryan Miller took over for Gibson in goal. Calgary continued on a shorthanded and unassisted Backlund goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season. The Flames struck again in the third period with a Jankowski goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 6-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Talbot (44 save shutout), Backlund, and Jankowski, while Mangiapane and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 127

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, coming off of Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on in the second period with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the year, via Sean Kuraly. Montreal got on the board with a Marco Scandella goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nick Suzuki and Xavier Ouellet. Boston replied on a Pastrnak power play goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-first of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Marchand. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with a Bergeron empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Marchand. The three stars were Pastrnak, Marchand, and Bergeron.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich faces a lesser foe in Calvin Petersen in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Matthew Tkachuk. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings took the lead on an Austin Wagner goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Trevor Lewis. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, his third of the year, fueled by Dustin Brown and Blake Lizotte. The Flames got one back with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Derek Ryan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Kings replied with a Jeff Carter goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Martin Frk. Calgary got closer with a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with a Sean Walker empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Kopitar. The three stars were Lindholm, Kopitar, and Gaudreau.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Vancouver began in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Brandon Sutter and J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on in the second period with an Adam Gaudette goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Antoine Roussel and Sutter. Vancouver extended the lead in the third period on a Sutter empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Markstrom (49 save shutout), Sutter, and Horvat.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 126

We've got eleven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Matt Murray protect the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Mikhail Sergachev power play goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Pat Maroon. The Lightning won 2-1 in overtime with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (35 for 36 in saves), Gourde, and Murray (36 for 38 in saves).

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Leo Komarov and Derick Brassard. New York extended the lead as Jordan Eberle scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Barzal and Anders Lee. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton. The Flyers got closer with a Robert Hagg goal, his second of the season, made possible by Claude Giroux and Laughton. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The Islanders retook the lead with a Ryan Pulock goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Barzal and Eberle. New York iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Komarov, his third of the year, set up by Bailey. The three stars were Barzal, Eberle, and Bailey, while Komarov, Giroux, and Laughton get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Jack Campbell are the backups in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Tyson Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Brad Richardson and Jakob Chychrun. The Maple Leafs tied it on another Hyman goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Kerfoot. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hyman, Kerfoot, and Kapanen.

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Carter Hutton are in the blue paint. Detroit started in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Anthony Mantha. Buffalo tied it with a Conor Sheary goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Marcus Johansson and Curtis Lazar. The Red Wings retook the lead in the second period with a Helm goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, made possible by Mantha. The Sabres tied it again with a Johansson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Rasmus Dahlin and Sam Reinhart. Buffalo took the lead with a Reinhart goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Jack Eichel and Henri Jokiharju. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Helm, and Johansson, while Mantha gets an honorable mention.

Along to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Florida Panthers. Sam Montembeault and Louis Domingue are the goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Damon Severson and Wayne Simmonds. New Jersey tied it on a Brett Connolly goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Vincent Trocheck and Mike Hoffman. The Panthers took the lead with a Mike Matheson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by MacKenzie Weegar and Mark Pysyk. Florida added on in the second period with a Pysyk goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Matheson and Keith Yandle. The Devils got one back with a Kevin Rooney goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Joey Anderson. The Panthers countered with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Yandle and Colton Sceviour. Florida extended the lead as Noel Acciari scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Pysyk and Matheson. New Jersey got one back on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Will Butcher and Connor Carrick. The final remained at 5-3, with the three stars going to Pysyk, Matheson, and Acciari, while Yandle gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Henrik Lundqvist had to relieve Shesterkin in the first period due to a potential injury. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Pavel Buchnevich. Shesterkin returned to the game to start the second period. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad. New York extended the lead as Strome scored his thirteenth of the season in the third period, with the help of Jesper Fast and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers padded the lead on a Zibanejad goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Buchnevich. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Sami Niku and Josh Morrissey. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kreider, Zibanejad, and Strome, while Buchnevich gets an honorable mention.

South to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Alex Stalock in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jordan Greenway and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Fiala and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead as Fiala scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Zach Parise and Jonas Brodin. The Wild padded the lead on a Parise power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Eric Staal and Fiala. Malcolm Subban relieved Fleury to start the third period. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Fiala, Parise, and Stalock (26 save shutout).

Further south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Anton Khudobin receive the starting nods in goal. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Stephen Johns and Miro Heiskanen. Carolina tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-first of the year, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Jaccob Slavin. The Stars retook the lead in the second period on a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Heiskanen and Roope Hintz. Dallas added on with a Benn power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Tyler Seguin. The Stars capped it at 4-1 with a Benn empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Benn, Heiskanen, and Khudobin (24 for 25 in saves) received three stars.

Back north, the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and Mike Smith are the experienced goalies. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Zack Kassian and Josh Archibald. Chicago tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks took the lead on a shorthanded Jonathan Toews goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Ryan Carpenter and Olli Maatta. The Oilers tied it on a Kailer Yamamoto power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Alex Chiasson and Leon Draisaitl. Chicago gained the lead with an Adam Boqvist goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, coming off of Kane and Saad. Edmonton retied it as Yamamoto scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. The Oilers took the lead on a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Draisaitl and the goalie Smith. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a Draisaitl empty net goal in the third period, his thirty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Draisaitl, Yamamoto, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Saad and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Colorado got going in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan Graves. The Avalanche added on in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Andre Burakovsky and Samuel Girard. Colorado extended the lead on an empty net goal by Gabriel Landeskog, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by MacKinnon. The three stars were Grubauer (34 save shutout), Rantanen, and MacKinnon.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and John Gibson are the goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. St. Louis tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his eighth of the year, via Jordan Kyrou. The game was postponed in the first period after Jay Bouwmeester of the Blues collapsed on the bench. A make-up date for the game has yet to be determined.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, February 10, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 125

Six games up for Monday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Ilya Samsonov make the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The Islanders added on with another Beauvillier goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, via Nelson and Bailey. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom. New York responded with a Devon Toews goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Bailey and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Leo Komarov scored his second of the season, thanks to Nelson and Nick Leddy. New York padded the lead on a Jordan Eberle goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal. Braden Holtby replaced Samsonov in goal. The Capitals got one back with a Lars Eller goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Carl Hagelin and Michal Kempny. Washington got closer with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Carlson and Backstrom. This only made it 5-3, the eventual final, with the three stars being Beauvillier, Nelson, and Bailey, while Carlson and Backstrom get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Carter Hart man the nets. Florida began in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov. Philadelphia tied it on an Ivan Provorov goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Matt Niskanen and Tyler Pitlick. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Justin Braun. Philadelphia added on with a Travis Sanheim goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton. The Flyers finished it at 4-1 with a Claude Giroux shorthanded empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to van Riemsdyk, Hart (30 for 31 in saves), and Sanheim.

Up to Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal opened in the first period with a Jake Evans goal, passed from Nick Cousins and Nate Thompson. The Canadiens added on with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. Arizona got on the board with a Derek Stepan goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Phil Kessel. The Coyotes tied it in the second period with a Taylor Hall goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Christian Dvorak. Arizona pulled ahead in the third period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Clayton Keller and Stepan. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Stepan, Chychrun, and Hall.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Elvis Merzlikins are in the creases. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Mikhail Sergachev and Brayden Point. Columbus tied it in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Emil Bemstrom. The Lightning won 2-1 in overtime with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Victor Hedman and Point. The three stars went to Kucherov, Point, and McElhinney (31 for 32 in saves).

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Zack MacEwen goal, his second of the season, made possible by J.T. Miller and Troy Stecher. The Canucks added on with a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead as Jordie Benn scored, with the help of Adam Gaudette and Antoine Roussel. The Canucks padded the lead on a Pettersson goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Alexander Edler and Stecher in the second period. Juuse Saros replaced Rinne in goal. Nashville got on the board with a Craig Smith power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators got closer with a Mikael Granlund goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Dante Fabbro and Nick Bonino. Vancouver replied with a Miller goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Hughes. The Canucks padded the lead on a Jake Virtanen power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Hughes and Gaudette. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Hughes, and Miller, while Gaudette and Stecher get the honorable mentions.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Aaron Dell guard the cages. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames added on with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fourth of the year, via Mark Jankowski and Zac Rinaldo. Calgary extended the lead as Rinaldo scored his third of the season, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. San Jose got on the board with an Erik Karlsson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Barclay Goodrow and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks got closer in the second period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Timo Meier and Karlsson. The Flames replied with a Jankowski goal, his third of the year, helped along by Lucic and Noah Hanifin. Calgary padded the lead on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. The Flames iced it at 6-2 with a Backlund power play goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Andrew Mangiapane and Lucic. The three stars belonged to Lucic, Rinaldo, and Jankowski, while Backlund, Hanifin, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, February 9, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 124

We've got five games on Sunday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Brendan Perlini goal, via Adam Erne. Boston tied it in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. The Red Wings took the lead back with an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with an Athanasiou empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Christoffer Ehn and Filip Hronek. The three stars were Athanasiou, Bernier (39 for 40 in saves), and Perlini.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jonas Johansson are the backups in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sam Steel and Michael Del Zotto. The Ducks added on with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Rickard Rakell and Devin Shore. Anaheim extended the lead as Nick Ritchie scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Troy Terry and Adam Henrique. Buffalo got on the board with a Johan Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Scott Wilson. The Sabres got closer in the second period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Jack Eichel and Jimmy Vesey on the power play. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Ritchie, Getzlaf, and Silfverberg.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a Greg McKegg goal, his third of the season, guided in by Brett Howden and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his eighth of the year, via Filip Chytil and Phillip Di Giuseppe. Los Angeles got on the board with a Trevor Moore goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Austin Wagner and Blake Lizotte. New York shot back with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, assisted by Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Tony DeAngelo empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Chytil and Di Giuseppe. The three stars were Shesterkin (42 for 43 in saves), Chytil, and Di Giuseppe.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Drake Caggiula and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Patrick Kane and Nick Seeler. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Andrew Copp. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Neal Pionk and the goalie Hellebuyck. Winnipeg took the lead with a Copp goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jack Roslovic and Josh Morrissey. The Jets extended the lead as Patrik Laine scored his twenty-fourth of the year into an empty net, thanks to Connor and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Scheifele and Laine. The three stars were Connor, Copp, and Laine, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Minnesota Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Devan Dubnyk are set to start in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard on a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Matt Calvert and Ryan Graves. Minnesota tied it on a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Kevin Fiala. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by Cale Makar and Nazem Kadri. Colorado added on with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Ian Cole and J.T. Compher. The Wild got one back with a Fiala power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Eric Staal and Spurgeon. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Landeskog, Spurgeon, and Fiala.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 123

There's twelve games scheduled for Hockey Day in Canada. Leading off...

The Winnipeg Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Laurent Brossoit are the goalies. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Neal Pionk goal, his sixth of the season, via Mason Appleton and Kyle Connor. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk. The Jets retook the lead on a Connor goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Anthony Bitetto. Winnipeg added on with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Connor and Pionk. The Senators got one back with a Mikkel Boedker goal, going in unassisted. The Jets replied with another Laine power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Pionk and Blake Wheeler. Marcus Hogberg relieved Anderson. Winnipeg finished it at 5-2 with a Laine power play goal to complete his hat trick with his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Wheeler and Connor. The three stars belonged to Laine, Connor, and Pionk, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

In Boston, the Bruins welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Arizona got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the year, via Charlie McAvoy and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Torey Krug. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Bergeron. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Clayton Keller and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Coyle empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Bergeron. The three stars were Bergeron, Coyle, and Pastrnak.

At the regular time, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russian goalies. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his seventh of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Mitchell Stephens. New York got on the board with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Steven Stamkos empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Point and Kucherov. The three stars were Point, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (17 for 18 in saves).

Up north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Elvis Merzlikins are the masked men. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Boone Jenner. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-first of the season, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Grubauer (31 for 32 in saves), MacKinnon, and Kadri.

To Canada again, as the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Carey Price are between the pipes. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Alexander Kerfoot and Zach Hyman. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Marco Scandella goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Xavier Ouellet and Nate Thompson. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Nick Suzuki. The three stars went to Price (22 for 23 in saves), Kovalchuk, and Scandella.

Way back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky play in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Jack Johnson and Letang. Florida got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Frank Vatrano and Dominic Toninato. Pittsburgh replied in the second period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jared McCann and Evgeni Malkin. The Panthers got one back with a Brett Connolly goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Vincent Trocheck and Hoffman. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars belonging to Letang, Jarry (33 for 35 in saves), and Hoffman.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Mike Smith receive the starting nods in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper by Dan Hamhuis. Edmonton got on the board with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto. Edmonton took the lead with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, with assists provided by Nugent-Hopkins and Klefbom. The Oilers held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Klefbom.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Braden Holtby are in the creases. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Washington tied it with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Jakub Vrana and Nicklas Backstrom. The Flyers retook the lead in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Philadelphia added on with a Couturier goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Voracek and Justin Braun. The Flyers extended the lead as James van Riemsdyk scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Matt Niskanen and Tyler Pitlick. Philadelphia padded the lead in the third period with an Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers kept going with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Giroux. Philadelphia chased Holtby with a Giroux power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Konecny. The Capitals got one back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Oshie and Martin Fehervary. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars being Couturier, Giroux, and Konecny, while Aube-Kubel, Voracek, and Oshie earned the honorable mentions.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Damon Severson. The Devils added on with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey extended the lead as Palmieri scored his twentieth of the season, with the help of Jack Hughes and Andy Greene. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Palmieri, Blackwood (37 save shutout), and Gusev.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Colton Parayko power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Robert Thomas. The Blues added on with another Parayko goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via David Perron. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mattias Janmark and Joe Pavelski. The Stars tied it in the second period with a Roope Hintz goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Corey Perry and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Hintz goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, fueled by Heiskanen and Khudobin. The three stars were Hintz, Heiskanen, and Benn.

Over in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer faces Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas tallied first in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Shea Theodore and Nick Holden. The Golden Knights added on with a Jon Merrill goal, his second of the year, via William Carrier and Nate Schmidt. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Vegas replied in the second period with a Theodore goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Paul Stastny. The Hurricanes countered in the third period with an Aho goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Teravainen and Jake Gardiner. The Golden Knights answered on a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina fired back with an Erik Haula power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Gardiner. The Hurricanes tied it on a Haydn Fleury goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Brock McGinn and Joel Edmundson. Carolina pulled ahead with a Martin Necas power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Gardiner and Haula. Vegas retied it on a Cody Eakin goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Alex Tuch and Nate Schmidt. In the shootout, Svechnikov and Justin Williams secured the 6-5 win for the Hurricanes. The three stars went to Aho, Teravainen, and Gardiner, while Haula, Svechnikov, Theodore, and Schmidt get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. Calgary tied it with a Derek Ryan goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube. The Flames took the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund. The Canucks retied it with an Adam Gaudette goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary pulled ahead on a Dube goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, made possible by Ryan. The Flames added on in the third period with a Lucic power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Backlund and Dube. Calgary extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. The Flames iced it at 6-2 with a Tobias Rieder empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Noah Hanifin. The three stars belonged to Dube, Lucic, and Ryan, while Gaudreau and Backlund get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, February 7, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 122

Just four games going on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Alexandar Georgiev get the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Colin Miller. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Jack Eichel and Jimmy Vesey. Buffalo extended the lead in the third period as Vesey scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Eichel. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Marc Staal. The Rangers got closer with a Chris Kreider goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Kaapo Kakko and Zibanejad. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Vesey, Eichel, and Zibanejad.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jack Campbell are the goalies. Toronto led off in the first period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. Anaheim tied it with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his second of the year, via Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the second period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Matthews and Zach Hyman. Toronto added on with a Matthews goal, his fortieth of the year, fueled by Tavares and Marner. The Ducks got one back on a third period shorthanded goal by Max Jones, his seventh of the season, set up by Carter Rowney. Anaheim tied it on a Henrique power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Ondrej Kase and Troy Terry. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Jason Spezza goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Kasperi Kapanen and Jake Muzzin. The Ducks evened it again with a Derek Grant goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a Tavares power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, with helpers from Marner and Matthews. The three stars were awarded to Tavares, Matthews, and Marner, while Henrique and Fowler get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard is mismatched with Elvis Merzlikins in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Zach Werenski goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Nick Foligno and Sonny Milano. The Blue Jackets iced it at 2-0 in the third period on a Boone Jenner empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Gustav Nyquist. The three stars were Werenski, Merzlikins (16 save shutout), and Howard (42 for 43 in saves).

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ben Bishop are the alliterative goalies. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. The Stars added on in the second period with a Denis Gurianov goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Miro Heiskanen and the goalie Bishop. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Ryan Suter and Marcus Foligno. The Wild tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Luke Kunin and Kevin Fiala. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with another Eriksson Ek goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Jonas Brodin and Jordan Greenway. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Eriksson Ek, Dubnyk (31 for 33 in saves), and Donato.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.