Thursday, March 5, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 149

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

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Carter Hart are the young goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Scott Laughton and Derek Grant. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, his eighth of the year, via Tyler Pitlick and Laughton. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jordan Staal and Brock McGinn. Philadelphia replied with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nate Thompson. The Flyers extended the lead as Sean Couturier scored his twenty-second of the campaign, thanks to Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Hart (28 for 29 in saves), Laughton, and Raffl.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Alexandar Georgiev are the young goalies. Washington began in the first period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Nick Jensen and Ilya Kovalchuk. New York tied it with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with another Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Adam Fox and Pavel Buchnevich. The Capitals tied it on a Kovalchuk goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Lars Eller and Richard Panik. New York retook the lead on a DeAngelo goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Panarin and Marc Staal. Washington evened it with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Michal Kempny and Panik. The Rangers regained the lead in the third period with Zibanejad completing his hat trick on his thirty-sixth of the season, guided in by Buchnevich and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Capitals retied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-sixth of the year, fueled by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. New York surged ahead on a Zibanejad power play goal, his fourth of the game and thirty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Kaapo Kakko and Brendan Lemieux. Washington tied it as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and forty-seventh of the year, thanks to Carlson and Backstrom. The Rangers won 6-5 in overtime with a Zibanejad goal, his fifth of the night and thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Panarin and DeAngelo. The three stars belonged to Zibanejad, DeAngelo, and Panarin, while Buchnevich, Kovalchuk, Backstrom, Carlson, and Panik get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Chris Driedger make the starts in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brett Connolly and Lucas Wallmark. Boston tied it with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Krug goal, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by David Pastrnak and David Krejci. The three stars went to Krug, Halak (32 for 33 in saves), and Bergeron.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Erik Cernak. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Kucherov scored his thirty-second of the season, with the help of Pat Maroon and Brayden Point. The Lightning padded the lead on a Hedman power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Yanni Gourde. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Vasilevskiy (32 save shutout), Hedman, and Kucherov.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jonas Johansson are the alliterative goalies. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. Buffalo tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Jake McCabe goal, his third of the year. The Penguins retook the lead with a Marcus Pettersson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, powered by Malkin and Justin Schultz. The Sabres pulled one back in the third period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Dominik Kahun and Rasmus Dahlin. The Penguins answered on a Sidney Crosby goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Jason Zucker. This made it 4-2, the final score, with the three stars handed to Hornqvist, Malkin, and Crosby.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Craig Anderson are the experienced goalies. New York struck first in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Mathew Barzal and Derick Brassard. Ottawa tied it on a Connor Brown goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nikita Zaitsev and Mike Reilly. The Islanders retook the lead in the second period with a Barzal goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Devon Toews. The Senators retied it with a shorthanded Mikkel Boedker goal, his second of the year, set up by Chris Tierney. Ottawa gained the lead on an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Jayce Hawryluk and Colin White. The Senators added on in the third period with an unassisted Brady Tkachuk goal, his twentieth of the year. New York pulled back with a Ryan Pulock goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Barzal and Toews. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Barzal, Tkachuk, and Toews.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Juuse Saros are in the creases. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Kyle Turris. The Predators added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Calle Jarnkrok and Viktor Arvidsson. This held for the eventual 2-0 final, with the three stars doled out to Saros (33 save shutout), Forsberg, and Duchene.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Corey Crawford are the veteran goalies. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Alex Nylander. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Dominik Kubalik and Adam Boqvist. Chicago extended the lead as Alex DeBrincat scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Boqvist and Duncan Keith. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. The Blackhawks responded with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Olli Maatta and Kirby Dach. Mikko Koskinen replaced Smith in goal. The Oilers got one back in the third period with a Josh Archibald goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Zack Kassian. Edmonton pulled closer on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Draisaitl and Nurse. They fell short at 4-3, with the three stars being DeBrincat, Boqvist, and Draisaitl, while Nurse gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Quick man the nets. The scoreless tie lasted to a shootout, where Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe lifted the Kings 1-0 over William Nylander and the Maple Leafs. The three stars were Quick (36 save shutout), Andersen (30 save "shutout"), and Kempe.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Martin Jones are the former teammates in goal. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Suter goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ryan Hartman and Mikko Koivu. San Jose tied it on a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Noah Gregor and Tim Heed. The Wild retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zach Parise and Suter. Minnesota added on with a Parise goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Luke Kunin and Kevin Fiala. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a Joe Thornton goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Marcus Sorensen and Timo Meier. This stood for a 3-2 Wild win, with the three stars handed to Parise, Suter, and Galchenyuk.

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Wednesday, March 4, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 148

Four games on for Wednesday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Braden Holtby are the veterans in goal. Washington began in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Richard Panik and Carl Hagelin. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Ivan Provorov and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Derek Grant and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Philadelphia added on with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Michael Raffl and Grant. The Capitals got one back with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Tom Wilson and Nic Dowd. The Flyers responded with a Provorov goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia extended the lead as Scott Laughton scored his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Hayes. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Provorov, Hayes, and Grant.

Out in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Andrew Peeke and Scott Harrington. The Blue Jackets added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Nick Foligno and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Calgary got on the board in the third period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. The Flames tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a T.J. Brodie goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The three stars were Brodie, Tkachuk, and Lindholm.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Pavel Francouz are set to start in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Anaheim tied it on an Andrew Agozzino goal, courtesy of Carter Rowney and Matt Irwin. The Ducks took the lead with a Brendan Guhle goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell. The Avalanche retied it on a Landeskog power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Samuel Girard and Tyson Jost. Anaheim reclaimed the lead with a Sam Steel goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf. Colorado retied it with a MacKinnon power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Landeskog and Jost. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with a Rakell goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rakell, Landeskog, and MacKinnon, while Jost gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Thatcher Demko are in the blue paint. Arizona started in the first period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Vancouver tied it in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks took the lead with a Tanner Pearson goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Jake Virtanen. The Coyotes tied it with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his ninth of the year, via Soderberg. Arizona gained the lead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 with an Ekman-Larsson empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Derek Stepan. The three stars were Ekman-Larsson, Soderberg, and Crouse.

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Tuesday, March 3, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 147

We'll run with ten games today, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. New York began in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis tied it in the second period with an unassisted Colton Parayko power play goal, his ninth of the year. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Parayko. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Schwartz empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly and Schenn. The three stars were Parayko, Schenn, and Binnington (25 for 26 in saves), while Schwartz gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the New York Islanders welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Thomas Greiss are the rhyming goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on with a Jeff Petry goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Gallagher and Danault. Montreal extended the lead as Charles Hudon scored, going in unassisted. Semyon Varlamov replaced Greiss in goal to start the second period. The Canadiens padded the lead on a shorthanded Paul Byron goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Joel Armia. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper by Josh Bailey. Montreal responded with a Jordan Weal goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Artturi Lehkonen. The Islanders fired back with a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Nelson and Jordan Eberle. The Canadiens capped it at 6-2 with an Armia shorthanded empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars belonged to Gallagher, Danault, and Armia, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a John Marino goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker. The Penguins added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. Ottawa got on the board with a Jayce Hawryluk goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mike Reilly and Colin White. Pittsburgh responded with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Malkin and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins extended the lead in the second period as Crosby scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Zucker. Pittsburgh padded the lead in the third period on a Zucker goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Sheary and Crosby. The Senators got one back on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Zaitsev and White. Ottawa pulled closer with a Connor Brown goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Thomas Chabot. Pittsburgh countered with a Rust goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with helpers from Patrick Marleau and Malkin. The Penguins continued with another Rust goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-seventh of the year, made possible by Malkin. This held up for a 7-3 win, with the three stars given to Rust, Malkin, and Crosby, while Zucker and White get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Boston started in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Charlie Coyle. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Mitchell Stephens goal, his third of the season, passed from Tyler Johnson and Barclay Goodrow. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Rask (20 for 21 in saves), DeBrusk, and Marchand.

Way up north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Connor Hellebuyck are set to start in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a shorthanded Tucker Poolman goal, his third of the year, set up by Connor and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg extended the lead as Connor scored his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season on the power play, thanks to Mark Scheifele and Wheeler. Buffalo got on the board with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his sixth of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Johan Larsson. This produced the 3-1 final score, with the three stars going to Connor, Hellebuyck (25 for 26 in saves), and Wheeler.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Stalock are the underrated goalies. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Luke Kunin goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Zach Parise scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Eric Staal and Fiala. Nashville got on the board with a Craig Smith power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Fiala, Stalock (37 for 38 in saves), and Parise.

Moving along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Drake Caggiula goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Adam Boqvist and Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Duncan Keith and Boqvist. Anaheim got on the board with a Danton Heinen goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Christian Djoos and Sonny Milano. Chicago replied with another Strome goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Patrick Kane and Lucas Carlsson. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Alex Nylander scored his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago padded the lead as Kane scored his twenty-ninth of the year, thanks to Nylander and Strome. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson in goal. Early in the third period, Crawford left with an injury, and Malcolm Subban came on in relief briefly before Crawford returned. The Ducks pulled one back with a Carter Rowney goal, his seventh of the season, with assists by Jacob Larsson and Nicolas Deslauriers. The Blackhawks countered on a David Kampf goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Matthew Highmore. This counted for a 6-2 win, with the three stars given to Strome, Kane, and Nylander, while Boqvist gets an honorable mention.

South to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. Dallas tied it in the third period with a John Klingberg power play goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid.

Out in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on with a Karlsson goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, via Nicolas Roy and Pacioretty. Vegas extended the lead as Ryan Reaves scored his eighth of the season, thanks to William Carrier and Tomas Nosek. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars being Lehner (27 save shutout), Pacioretty, and Karlsson.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Martin Jones receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Evander Kane power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Logan Couture. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-sixth of the year, guided in by Martin Marincin. The Sharks retook the lead with an Antti Suomela goal, coming off of Stefan Noesen and Melker Karlsson. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Mitchell Marner goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Matthews and Calle Rosen. San Jose took the lead on a Noesen goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Suomela. The Sharks added on with a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Radim Simek empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kane, Noesen, and Suomela, while Matthews gets an honorable mention.

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Monday, March 2, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 146

Just two games this Monday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings welcoming the Colorado Avalanche. Michael Hutchinson and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Alex Biega. Colorado tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Logan O'Connor goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to O'Connor, Hutchinson (17 for 18 in saves), and Namestnikov.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Pekka Rinne are the veteran goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Josh Archibald goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Tyler Ennis and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fortieth of the year, passed from McDavid and Ethan Bear. Nashville got on the board with a Roman Josi goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund in the second period. The Predators tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Matt Duchene. Edmonton reclaimed the lead with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his tenth of the season, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. Nashville tied it again with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Craig Smith and Rocco Grimaldi. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period with a McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Archibald and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton extended the lead as Draisaitl scored his second of the game and forty-first of the year, thanks to Yamamoto and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers padded the lead as Zack Kassian scored his fifteenth of the season, with the help of McDavid and Nurse. Edmonton kept going on a Draisaitl goal, completing his hat trick on his forty-second of the year, with a lone helper by Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers chased Rinne with a Draisaitl power play goal, his forty-third of the season and fourth of the night, powered by McDavid and Nurse. Juuse Saros came on in relief. This stood for an 8-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Nurse, Yamamoto, and Archibald get the honorable mentions.

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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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