Friday, February 28, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 143

Five games on Friday night, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Tyson Jost goal, his sixth of the season, via Erik Johnson and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on in the second period with another Jost goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Cale Makar. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes tied it on another Teravainen goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Aho. Colorado regained the lead with a Girard goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Gabriel Landeskog. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Jost, Girard, and Teravainen, while Aho gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Carter Hart are the young goalies. New York began in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Scott Laughton. Philadelphia added on with a Claude Giroux goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Couturier and Voracek. The Flyers extended the lead on a Giroux power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, powered by Voracek and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia padded the lead as Kevin Hayes scored his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Voracek and Laughton. The Rangers got one back on a Brett Howden goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Adam Fox and Pavel Buchnevich. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Voracek, Giroux, and Couturier, while Laughton gets an honorable mention.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Joonas Korpisalo draw the starts. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Greg Pateryn. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eleventh of the year, via Kevin Fiala and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Ryan Hartman scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Mikko Koivu. The Wild padded the lead on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Greenway and Jonas Brodin. Matiss Kivlenieks relieved Korpisalo in goal. Minnesota continued in the third period as Fiala potted a power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Parise and Eric Staal. This stood for a 5-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Stalock (24 save shutout), Fiala, and Parise, while Greenway gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Robin Lehner are in the creases. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Dominik Kahun goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey. Vegas tied it on a Nicolas Roy goal, his fourth of the year, via Nick Cousins and Nick Holden. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Paul Stastny and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Jonathan Marchessault. The Sabres got one back with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Brandon Montour and Jake McCabe.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Kiefer Sherwood and Josh Manson. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Marcus Pettersson and Justin Schultz. The Ducks retook the lead with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Sam Steel and Sonny Milano. Anaheim added on with a Brendan Guhle goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins got one back with a Zucker goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, made possible by Jared McCann and Pettersson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Zucker, Pettersson, and Gibson (28 for 30 in saves).

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 142

Ten games on for this Thursday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Kucherov goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Point and Ondrej Palat. Chicago got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Dylan Strome and Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks tied it with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Chicago pulled ahead with a Slater Koekkoek goal, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks extended the lead with a Kubalik power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Keith and Alex DeBrincat. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Kubalik empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Saad. The three stars went to Kubalik, Saad, and Keith, while Kucherov and Point get the honorable mentions.

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida led off in the first period with a Mark Pysyk goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Auston Matthews and Justin Holl. Florida retook the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Frank Vatrano and Erik Haula. Florida added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Yandle. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Jason Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot. Toronto tied it as Matthews scored his forty-fourth of the year, thanks to Hyman and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Kyle Clifford and Martin Marincin. Toronto iced it at 5-3 with a Holl empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Hyman, Matthews, and Holl, while Yandle gets an honorable mention.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Carey Price are in the creases. Montreal began in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Jeff Petry and Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens added on with a Tatar goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, via Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. New York got on the board with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, coming off of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Julien Gauthier. New York took the lead with a Fox goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Lindgren and Ryan Strome. The Rangers extended the lead as Strome scored his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tony DeAngelo and Panarin. New York padded the lead on an empty net goal by Strome, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Marc Staal and the goalie Georgiev. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Strome, Fox, and Panarin, while Lindgren and Tatar get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Boston Bruins host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. Boston tied it on a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead with a Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak in the second period. Boston added on with a Nick Ritchie goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Stars got one back in the third period with a Denis Gurianov goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Esa Lindell and Jason Dickinson. The Bruins replied with a Pastrnak goal, his forty-sixth of the year, assisted by Ritchie and Jeremy Lauzon. Dallas got one back with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Marchand, Pastrnak, and Ritchie.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Jimmy Howard are the backups in goal. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Ryan Donato. The Wild added on with a Donato goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Hartman and Greg Pateryn. Minnesota extended the lead as Matt Dumba scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Kevin Fiala and Jonas Brodin. Detroit got on the board with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild replied with another Dumba power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota padded the lead as Jordan Greenway scored his eighth of the year, with the help of Joel Eriksson Ek and Zach Parise. Jonathan Bernier replaced Howard in goal. The Wild continued on a Fiala goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Koivu. Minnesota kept going in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Fiala and Dumba. This stood for a 7-1 win, with the three stars being Dumba, Fiala, and Hartman, while Donato, Koivu, and Stalock (25 for 26 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Marcus Hogberg are the young goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Chris Tierney. The Senators added on with a Bobby Ryan goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nikita Zaitsev. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Ottawa responded in the third period with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, via Tierney and Brown. The Canucks pulled one back on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Miller and Alexander Edler. The Senators shot back with a Ryan goal, his second of the game and third of the season, fueled by Tierney and Nick Paul. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Ryan empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his fourth of the year, set up by Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot. The three stars belonged to Ryan, Tierney, and Brown, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Jets added on in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Anthony Bitetto. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Connor and Jack Roslovic. The three stars went to Hellebuyck (34 save shutout), Connor, and Scheifele.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Jordan Binnington draw the starts in goal. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Mathew Barzal and Devon Toews. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Anders Lee and Barzal. St. Loyis got on the board with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues tied it in the third period on a Vince Dunn goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Colton Parayko goal, his eighth of the campaign, an unassisted tally. The three stars were Barzal, Parayko, and Dunn.

Over in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Juuse Saros are set to start in goal. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Colin Blackwell and Jarred Tinordi. Calgary tied it on a second period goal by Rasmus Andersson, his fifth of the year, made possible by Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames took the lead with a Backlund goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators tied it in the third period with a Roman Josi goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Blackwell. Calgary retook the lead on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Backlund and Andersson. Nashville retied it as Mikael Granlund scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Filip Forsberg and Ellis. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with Granlund's second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Ellis and Matt Duchene.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Martin Jones are the veteran goalies. New Jersey cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Miles Wood and Joey Anderson. The Devils added on with a Nikita Gusev goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Mario Ferraro goal, his second of the season, made possible by Evander Kane and Noah Gregor. The Sharks tied it on a shorthanded goal by Marcus Sorensen, his seventh of the year, set up by Joel Kellman. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Logan Couture goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, coming off of Kane and Brent Burns. The three stars were Couture, Kane, and Sorensen.

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Wednesday, February 26, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 141

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Colorado Avalanche hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Pavel Francouz are the goalies. Colorado led off in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by J.T. Compher and Nathan MacKinnon. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his twelfth of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Johan Larsson. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with a Martin Kaut power play goal, with assists provided by Vladislav Kamenev and Samuel Girard. The Sabres retied it on a Curtis Lazar goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jake McCabe and Michael Frolik. Colorado pulled ahead on a Compher goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Joonas Donskoi and Tyson Jost. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars given to Compher, Francouz (31 for 33 in saves), and Kaut.

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Nick Cousins power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alec Martinez and Nate Schmidt. Vegas extended the lead as Shea Theodore scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Martinez and Paul Stastny. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (29 save shutout), Martinez, and Pacioretty.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Cal Petersen are between the pipes. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Blake Lizotte power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Sean Walker and Gabriel Vilardi. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Lizotte and Trevor Moore. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Lizotte, Petersen (36 for 37 in saves), and Lewis.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 140

There's thirteen games on today, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Alex Nedeljkovic start in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Denis Gurianov and John Klingberg. Dallas extended the lead as Jason Dickinson scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Hintz and Jamie Oleksiak. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, via Jaccob Slavin and Andrei Svechnikov. The Stars answered with a Gurianov goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers by Hintz and Dickinson. This stood as the eventual 4-1 final score, with the three stars awarded to Hintz, Gurianov, and Khudobin (40 for 41 in saves), while Dickinson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Toronto tied it on a Jake Muzzin goal, his sixth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Frederik Gauthier. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Auston Matthews. The Lightning retied it in the second period with a Pat Maroon goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Cedric Paquette and Kevin Shattenkirk. Toronto got on the board with a Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nylander power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with helpers from Mitchell Marner and Barrie. Tampa Bay got one back with a Yanni Gourde goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Shattenkirk and Barclay Goodrow. The Maple Leafs held on for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Tavares, Nylander, and Barrie, while Shattenkirk gets an honorable mention.

Up north, the Boston Bruins bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin. Boston tied it in the second period with a Brad Marchand shorthanded goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Charlie McAvoy. The Flames retook the lead with a Sean Monahan goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Stone. Calgary added on with a Monahan power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, powered by Tkachuk and Erik Gustafsson. The Bruins got one back with a Chris Wagner goal, his sixth of the season, via Sean Kuraly and Par Lindholm in the third period. The Flames countered with a Backlund goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Backlund empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Tkachuk. The three stars were Monahan, Tkachuk, and Backlund.

Next up, the New York Islanders host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Semyon Varlamov are in the creases. The Rangers led off in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Ryan Lindgren and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers added on with a Greg McKegg goal, his fourth of the year, via Brendan Lemieux and Adam Fox in the second period. The Islanders got on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Ryan Pulock and Josh Bailey. The Rangers replied in the third period with a Brett Howden goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Brendan Smith and Lindgren. The Islanders fired back with a Jordan Eberle his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. The Islanders tied it with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Devon Toews and Barzal. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, helped along by Panarin. The three stars belonged to Panarin, Barzal, and Lindgren.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Braden Holtby draw the starts in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-third of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals added on with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by T.J. Oshie and Dmitry Orlov. Washington extended the lead as Garnet Hathaway scored his seventh of the season in the second period, thanks to Nic Dowd and Richard Panik. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Cody Eakin. The Jets got closer in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Ehlers. The tie went to a shootout, where Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Ovechkin tallied to propel the Capitals past Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and the Jets by a 4-3 score. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Oshie, and Ehlers, while Scheifele and Orlov get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Paul Byron goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Max Domi. The Canadiens added on with a Shea Weber goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. Vancouver got on the board with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks tied it in the second period on an Alexander Edler goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette. Montreal retook the lead in the third period with a Jordan Weal goal, his seventh of the season, via Domi. Vancouver retied it on a Virtanen goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Myers and Gaudette on the power play. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Horvat and Edler. The three stars belonged to Horvat, Edler, and Virtanen, while Gaudette and Domi get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Carter Hart are in the blue paint. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Matt Niskanen. San Jose retied it with a Joel Kellman goal, his second of the year, assisted by Jacob Middleton and Tim Heed. The Flyers retook the lead in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia added on with a Konecny goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist from Hayes. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Hayes scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with the help of Laughton and Konecny. The Sharks got one back with a Noah Gregor goal, his second of the year, helped along by Marcus Sorensen. This stood for a 4-2 win for the Flyers, with the three stars being Hayes, Konecny, and Laughton.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jonathan Bernier man the nets. New Jersey drew first blood in the first period with a Joey Anderson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Miles Wood and Dakota Mermis. The Devils added on in the second period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Nikita Gusev on the power play. New Jersey extended the lead on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Damon Severson. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin on the power play. The Devils answered on a Gusev power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers from Zacha and Mirco Mueller. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Gusev, Zacha, and Schneider (27 for 28 in saves).

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and David Perron. Chicago tied it on a Duncan Keith power play goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Connor Murphy goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dominik Kubalik and Toews. Chicago added on in the second period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with assists provided by Keith and Kubalik. The Blues got one back with a Robert Thomas goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Perron and Zach Sanford. St. Louis tied it with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Schenn and Schwartz. The Blues pulled ahead with a Sanford goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Thomas. The Blackhawks retied it on a Matthew Highmore goal, his second of the year, made possible by David Kampf and Keith. Chicago surged ahead with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Strome and Kirby Dach. St. Louis tied it again with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the year, passed from O'Reilly. The Blues gained the lead on a Sanford power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, dished from Thomas. This stood for a 6-5 win, with the three stars handed to Sanford, Thomas, and O'Reilly, while Schenn, Schwartz, Perron, Keith, Kubalik, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Nashville Predators host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Scott Sabourin and Ron Hainsey. Nashville tied it on a Colin Blackwell goal, his third of the year, passed from Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen. The Senators took the lead with a Filip Chlapik goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Rudolfs Balcers and Jayce Hawryluk. The Predators tied it again with a Ryan Ellis power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund. Nashville took the lead with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Calle Jarnkrok and Ellis. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Ellis, Arvidsson, and Saros (33 for 35 in saves).

Northward to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matiss Kivlenieks and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Kevin Fiala. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his tenth of the year, via Gustav Nyquist and Scott Harrington. The Wild regained the lead with a Ryan Donato goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Ryan Suter and Greg Pateryn. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ryan Hartman. The Wild extended the lead as Koivu scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Donato and Hartman. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus got closer with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eighteenth of the season, an unassisted tally. Minnesota responded with a Fiala goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Staal and Jonas Brodin. The Blue Jackets answered with a Zach Werenski goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Koivu, Donato, and Fiala, while Hartman and Staal get the honorable mentions.

In the desert, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Arizona led off in the first period with a Brad Richardson shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Vinnie Hinostroza and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Florida tied it in the second period on a Frank Vatrano goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Aaron Ekblad and Mike Hoffman. The Panthers took the lead with a Hoffman power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Hoffman, Bobrovsky (37 for 38 in saves), and Vatrano.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim began in the first period with an unassisted Sonny Milano goal, his sixth of the season. The Ducks added on with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fourth of the year, via Jacob Larsson and Michael Del Zotto. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Andreas Athanasiou and Connor McDavid. The Oilers tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the third period, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. Anaheim retook the lead on an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Danton Heinen and Josh Manson. Edmonton retied it on an Athanasiou goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Ennis and McDavid. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with a Milano power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Henrique and Ryan Getzlaf. The three stars went to Milano, Henrique, and McDavid, while Ennis and Athanasiou get the honorable mentions.

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Monday, February 24, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 139

The trade deadline has passed in the NHL, and now the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Elvis Merzlikins are the inexperienced goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his eighth of the season, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyquist. Ottawa tied it on a Connor Brown goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Chris Tierney and Christian Jaros. The Senators took the lead in the second period with with a Brown power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, powered by Artem Anisimov and Mike Reilly. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Foligno goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Boone Jenner and Vladislav Gavrikov. Ottawa retook the lead on a Colin White goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jayce Hawryluk and Matthew Peca. Columbus tied it again with a Stefan Matteau goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Scott Harrington and Kevin Stenlund. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Zach Werenski and Jenner. The three stars were Foligno, Brown, and Jenner.

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Sunday, February 23, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 138

We've got eight games on throughout this Sunday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Washington led off in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Zucker and Marcus Pettersson. The Capitals retied it in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom. Washington pulled ahead on a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and John Carlson. Pittsburgh retied it with a Malkin goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Bryan Rust. The Capitals regained the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Washington iced it at 5-3 with a Hagelin empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Backstrom and Oshie. The three stars were Hagelin, Oshie, and Malkin, while Backstrom gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Anton Khudobin man the nets. Dallas began in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Radulov and Mattias Janmark. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The Stars retook the lead on a Tyler Seguin goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Corey Perry and Jamie Benn. This stood for the eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Khudobin (31 for 32 in saves), Seguin, and Pavelski.

Northeast to Buffalo, as the Sabres bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck faces a lesser foe in Jonas Johansson in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Zemgus Girgensons and Henri Jokiharju. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Jansen Harkins and Mark Scheifele. The Sabres regained the lead in the third period with an Okposo goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, helped along by Girgensons and Brandon Montour. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Okposo, Johansson (25 for 26 in saves), and Girgensons.

Along to Long Island, where the New York Islanders host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. San Jose tied it with a Dylan Gambrell goal, his fifth of the year, via Radim Simek and Timo Meier. The Islanders pulled ahead in the second period with another Lee goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Barzal and Devon Toews. New York added on with a Toews goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Brock Nelson. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Josh Bailey empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Lee and Nelson. The three stars belonged to Lee, Toews, and Varlamov (29 for 30 in saves), while Barzal and Nelson get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Noah Hanifin and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with a Monahan goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Elias Lindholm. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Brendan Perlini and Patrik Nemeth. Calgary replied in the second period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Hanifin and Mikael Backlund. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Larkin goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Anthony Mantha and Madison Bowey. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Mangiapane empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Mangiapane, Larkin, and Monahan, while Hanifin gets an honorable mention.

Continuing along to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Marco Scandella and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Jaden Schwartz. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Jordan Greenway and Joel Eriksson Ek. St. Louis responded with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Ivan Barbashev scored a shorthanded goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Sundqvist. This produced the 4-1 final score, with the three stars going to Sundqvist, Binnington (32 for 33 in saves), and Schenn.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Calvin Petersen draw the starts in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Caleb Jones. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Jones and Kailer Yamamoto. Edmonton extended the lead as McDavid scored his thirty-third of the season, thanks to Patrick Russell. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe. The Kings got closer in the third period with a Dustin Brown goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Kempe. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Josh Archibald empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by McDavid and Riley Sheahan. The three stars were McDavid, Kempe, and Jones.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Patrick Brown goal, via Gage Quinney and Ryan Reaves. Anaheim tied it on a Devin Shore goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Brenden Guhle. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Adam Henrique. The Golden Knights tied it on an Alec Martinez goal, his third of the season, assisted by Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Vegas took the lead with a William Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Stone and Pacioretty. Anaheim retied it in the third period with another Ritchie goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Troy Terry and Henrique. The Golden Knights reclaimed the lead on a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, fueled by Chandler Stephenson and Martinez. Vegas added on with another Karlsson goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Stone and Reilly Smith. The Ducks pulled back with a Henrique goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Ritchie and Rickard Rakell. Anaheim tied it as Henrique scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, thanks to Michael Del Zotto and Ritchie. The Golden Knights won 6-5 in overtime with a Shea Theodore goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Stone. The three stars were Karlsson, Stone, and Henrique, while Ritchie, Martinez, and Pacioretty get the honorable mentions.

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Saturday, February 22, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 137

We've got eleven games on for this Saturday, beginning with three matinees. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kyle Okposo. The Sabres added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Reinhart. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Evgeni Malkin goal, his nineteenth of the year. The Sabres answered with a Jeff Skinner goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Marcus Johansson and Michael Frolik. Buffalo padded the lead with another Eichel power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Dahlin and Ristolainen. The Penguins got one back with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Patric Hornqvist. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Eichel, Malkin, and Reinhart, while Ristolainen gets an honorable mention.

Across Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carter Hart are the masked men. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ivan Provorov and Justin Braun. The Flyers added on with a Laughton goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Braun. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Sean Couturier scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Jakub Voracek and Matt Niskanen. Winnipeg got on the board with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets got closer in the third period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler. The Flyers responded with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Robert Hagg and Braun. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Laughton, Braun, and Hart (27 for 29 in saves).

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Damon Severson. The Devils took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, powered by Bratt and Nikita Gusev. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal in the third period, his forty-second of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nick Jensen. New Jersey took the lead with a Severson goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Gusev and Kyle Palmieri. This made it 3-2, the final, with the htree stars being Severson, Bratt, and Gusev.

At the regular time, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes, but Reimer was injured early in the first period and Petr Mrazek came on in relief. Toronto began in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jake Muzzin and Kasperi Kapanen. Carolina tied it on a Lucas Wallmark goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, via Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Jake Gardiner. Carolina added on with a Warren Foegele goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Joel Edmundson and Jordan Staal. Mrazek later got hurt, forcing the Hurricanes to deploy emergency backup goalie David Ayres. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Sebastian Aho scored his thirty-sixth of the season on the power play, thanks to Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. The Maple Leafs got one back with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Tyson Barrie and William Nylander. Toronto pulled closer with a Pierre Engvall goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Barrie and Kapanen. Carolina answered in the third period with a Foegele goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes padded the lead with a Necas goal, his sixteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Ayres (eight for 10 in saves in relief), Necas, and Foegele, while Kapanen and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Craig Anderson play in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Paul Byron. The Canadiens added on with an unassisted Domi goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year. Montreal extended the lead as Byron scored his second of the season, thanks to Ilya Kovalchuk. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Price (30 save shutout), Domi, and Byron.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Igor Shesterkin draw the starts in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. San Jose tied it on a Joe Thornton goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Timo Meier and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Thornton power play goal, his fourth of the season and second of the game, powered by Brent Burns and Kevin Labanc. The Rangers retied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, fueled by Panarin. New York took the lead with a Fast goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Jacob Trouba and Strome. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Fast, Panarin, and Thornton, while Strome and Shesterkin (44 for 46 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Juuse Saros are the young goalies. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Colin Blackwell and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Filip Forsberg. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Nathan Gerbe and Stefan Matteau. The Blue Jackets tied it on an Eric Robinson goal, his sixth of the year, via Jakob Lilja and Vladislav Gavrikov. Columbus pulled ahead with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Markus Nutivaara and David Savard. Nashville retied it on a Colton Sissons goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Forsberg. In the shootout, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Gustav Nyquist were beat by Forsberg, Ellis, and Rocco Grimaldi. The three stars of the 4-3 Predators win were Forsberg, Ellis, and Sissons.

Further along to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Cameron Gaunce. Arizona tied it on a Conor Garland goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Ilya Lyubushkin and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes took the lead with a Clayton Keller goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Goligoski and Derek Stepan. Arizona added on in the second period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Gaunce and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay tied it as Brayden Point scored his twenty-second of the year, thanks to Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Brad Richardson goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Taylor Hall. Arizona extended the lead as Keller scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, thanks to Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Garland power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, powered by Nick Schamltz and Hall. Arizona iced it at 7-3 with a Stepan goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Garland and Keller. The three stars belonged to Keller, Garland, and Stepan, while Hall and Gaunce get the honorable mentions.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Vancouver got going in the first period with a Troy Stecher goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tyler Motte and Jay Beagle. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Matt Grzelcyk. The Canucks took the lead back with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Tyler Toffoli. Vancouver added on with an Adam Gaudette goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, via Quinn Hughes. The Canucks extended the lead as Tanner Pearson scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Loui Eriksson and Tyler Myers. Vancouver padded the lead on an Eriksson goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Horvat and Alexander Edler.. The Canucks continued in the third period on an Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Miller and Stecher. The Bruins got one back with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and forty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Torey Krug and Brad Marchand on the power play. Jaroslav Halak replaced Rask in goal. Boston got closer with a Chris Wagner goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Grzelcyk and Sean Kuraly. Vancouver answered on a Toffoli goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Miller. The Canucks kept going with another Toffoli goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by Hughes. Vancouver poured it on with a Jake Virtanen goal, his seventeenth of the year, dished rom Edler and Stecher. This made it 9-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Toffoli, Miller, and Pastrnak, while Stecher, Eriksson, Horvat, Hughes, Edler, and Grzelcyk get the honorable mentions.

Back south to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Florida Panthers. Samuel Montembeault is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Florida cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Mark Pysyk and Vincent Trocheck. Vegas tied it on a Tomas Nosek goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. The Golden Knights retied it on a William Carrier goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Chandler Stephenson. Vegas gained the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault and Paul Stastny. Florida pulled back with an Aleksi Saarela goal, his second of the season, made possible by Hoffman and Dadonov. Vegas iced it at 5-3 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Stastny and Nosek.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Jonathan Quick occupy the creases. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard with an Austin Wagner penalty shot goal, his fifth of the season. Colorado tied it on a Ryan Graves goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog and Ian Cole. The Avalanche won 2-1 with a Joonas Donskoi tally in the shootout. The three stars were Francouz (20 for 21 in saves), Graves, and Quick (30 for 31 in saves).

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