Sunday, March 1, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 145

Six games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Henrik Lundqvist are the goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Matt Niskanen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia extended the lead on a shorthanded Michael Raffl goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Derek Grant. The Flyers padded the lead in the second period as Grant scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Tyler Pitlick and Sanheim. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, with helpers from Artemi Panarin and Tony DeAngelo. Philadelphia shot back with a Konecny power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Voracek and Ivan Provorov. The Rangers got one back in the third period on a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by DeAngelo and Zibanejad. New York pulled closer on another Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, passed from Panarin and Brett Howden. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Grant, Konecny, and Zibanejad, while Voracek, Sanheim, Panarin, and DeAngelo get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Sam Montembeault are the backups in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on in the second period with a Milan Lucic goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Derek Ryan and Giordano. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as T.J. Brodie scored his second of the campaign, thanks to Giordano and Gaudreau. This held for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Talbot (38 save shutout), Gaudreau, and Giordano.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Louis Domigue and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on with a Pettersson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Myers and Miller. Columbus got on the board with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Riley Nash and Markus Nutivaara. Vancouver replied in the second period with a Miller goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Pettersson and Troy Stecher. The Blue Jackets pulled back on a Nash goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski in the third period. Columbus tied it as Werenski scored his twentieth of the year on the power play, with the help of Stenlund and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by David Savard and Murray. Columbus iced it at 5-3 with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Nick Foligno and Vladislav Gavrikov. The three stars went to Stenlund, Pettersson, and Miller, while Nash, Werenski, and murray get the honorable mentions.

Further northwest, the Minnesota Wild host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Minnesota began in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Suter. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fourth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead on a Richard Panik goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper by Carl Hagelin. Washington added on with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and forty-fifth of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Kovalchuk. The Wild got one back on a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Jared Spurgoen and Brad Hunt. The Capitals shot back in the third period with a Tom Wilson goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. Minnesota pulled back on a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by Fiala. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Fiala.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and John Gibson are the veterans in goal. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and P.K. Subban. The Devils added on with another Zacha power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Bratt and Nikita Gusev. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Nico Hischier scored his fourteenth of the campaign, thanks to Connor Carrick. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars given to Schneider (34 save shutout), Zacha, and Bratt.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Alex Iafallo and Ben Hutton. The Kings added on with a Kopitar power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, powered by Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Trevor Lewis scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Trevor Moore and Hutton. Vegas got on the board with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings shot back on an Iafallo power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Adrian Kempe and Doughty. This stood for the eventual 4-1 final score, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Petersen (42 for 43 in saves), and Iafallo, while Hutton and Doughty get the honorable mentions.

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Saturday, February 29, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 144

Twelve games on today, beginning with matinees. First up...

The New York Islanders host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-seventh of the season, coming off of Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins added on with a Matt Grzelcyk goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Boston extended the lead as Marchand scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Patrice Bergeron and McAvoy in the third period. The Bruins padded the lead on a McAvoy power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Krug and David Krejci. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars given to McAvoy, Rask (25 save shutout), and Marchand, while Krug gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kucherov and Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a shorthanded Yanni Gourde goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Cedric Paquette and Zach Bogosian. Calgary got on the board with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund. The Flames got closer with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Johnny Gaudreau. The Lightning responded on an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Blake Coleman and Braydon Coburn. Calgary pulled one back with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Lindholm and Tkachuk. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Lindholm, Kucherov, and Sergachev.

Way out west, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. New Jersey began in the first period on a Jesper Bratt goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Nikita Gusev. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eleventh of the campaign, fueled by Blake Lizotte and Brown. The three stars were Brown, Quick (32 for 33 in saves), and Kempe.

Back east, the Florida Panthers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Florida opened in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it on a Jonathan Toews goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Adam Boqvist and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Drake Caggiula goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, passed from Connor Murphy and Toews. The Panthers retied it on a Mike Matheson goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Hoffman. In the shootout, Toews and Patrick Kane lifted the Blackhawks 3-2 over the Panthers. The three stars were Toews, Hoffman, and Crawford (38 for 40 in saves).

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Juuse Saros and Pavel Francouz are between the pipes. Colorado got going in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Erik Johnson and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Martin Kaut goal, his second of the year, guided in by Tyson Jost and Cale Makar. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. Colorado replied with a Johnson empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators got one back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by Ellis and Josi. The three stars went to Johnson, Ellis, and Josi in the 3-2 Avalanche win.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Frederik Andersen receive the starting nods in goal. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Tyson Barrie and Rasmus Sandin. Vancouver tied it on a Tyler Motte goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-fifth of the season, assisted by Travis Dermott. The Canucks retied it with a Tanner Pearson goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Bo Horvat and Alexander Edler. Toronto pulled ahead in the third period on a Martin Marincin goal, helped along by John Tavares and Barrie. The Maple Leafs added on with an empty net goal by Zach Hyman, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Mitchell Marner and Dermott. The final stood at 4-2 with the three stars going to Barrie, Dermott, and Marincin.

Along to Quebec, as the Montreal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Forsberg and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Max Domi goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Paul Byron and Jordan Weal. Montreal extended the lead as Gallagher scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Tatar and Danault. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Forsberg in goal. Carolina got on the board with a Haydn Fleury goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes got one back with a Joel Edmundson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Martin Necas and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina tied it on a Justin Williams goal, his third of the year, passed from Edmundson and Teuvo Teravainen. The Canadiens won with a Jeff Petry goal in overtime, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Tatar. The three stars were Gallagher, Tatar, and Danault, while Edmundson gets an honorable mention.

Back in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Marcus Hogberg draw the starts in goal. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his fourth of the season, via Adam Erne. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri. Ottawa got on the board with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Mike Reilly and Chris Tierney. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Scott Sabourin goal, his second of the year, guided in by Matthew Peca. Ottawa pulled ahead on another Anisimov goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Jayce Hawryluk and Nick Paul. Detroit retied it on a Sam Gagner power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Filip Hronek and Larkin. In the shootout, Anisimov had the lone tally for a 4-3 Senators win. The three stars were Anisimov, Larkin, and Sabourin.

Stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jake Allen are the reliable backups in net. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg. St. Louis tied it with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Vince Dunn. The Blues gained the lead in the second period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Dunn and Colton Parayko. St. Louis added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Ryan O'Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo. The Stars got one back with a Denis Gurianov goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Klingberg goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jamie Benn and Corey Perry. The tie went to a shootout, where O'Reilly's lone tally lifted the Blues to a 4-3 win. The three stars belonged to O'Reilly, Klingberg, and Dunn.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Buffalo Sabres. Jonas Johansson is mismatched with Antti Raanta in goal. Buffalo cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Dominik Kahun and Jake McCabe. The Sabres added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Wayne Simmonds. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his third of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes tied it with a Phil Kessel goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Oesterle. Arizona pulled ahead on a Keller goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes extended the lead as Keller scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year in the third period, thanks to Jason Demers. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with an Ekman-Larsson shorthanded empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Raanta. The three stars were Keller, Oesterle, and Ekman-Larsson.

Way up north, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Logan Shaw goal, his third of the year, via Nicholas Shore and Gabriel Bourque. The Jets took the lead with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-third of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Anthony Bitetto. The Oilers tied it with another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton gained the lead in the third period with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Draisaitl and Adam Larsson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and McDavid.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry faces a lesser foe in Martin Jones in goal. San Jose tallied first in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Marcus Sorensen and Mario Ferraro in the second period. San Jose extended the lead as Joel Kellman scored his third of the season, thanks to Sorensen. The Sharks padded the lead on a Logan Couture goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Ferraro and Kane in the third period. San Jose continued with a Joe Thornton goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Meier and Tim Heed. The final was 5-0, with the three stars given to Jones (30 save shutout), Kane, and Meier, while Ferraro and Sorensen get the honorable mentions.

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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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