NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 6

Just five games on today, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild versus the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Hughes and Christopher Tanev in the third period. Vancouver extended the lead as Pettersson netted a power play goal, thanks to Hughes and Boeser. This held for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Markstrom (27 save shutout), Boeser, and Pettersson, while Hughes gets an honorable mention. The Canucks are ahead 2-1 in the series.

The east's action begins with a round-robin today between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes. The Flyers added on with a Travis Sanheim goal in the second period, passed from Hayes and Laughton. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Laughton scored his second of the game and third of the playoffs, thanks to Hayes and Konecny. Washington got on the board with a Travis Boyd goal, assisted by Carl Hagelin and Radko Gudas. This stood for 3-1 final score, with the three stars awarded to Laughton, Hayes, and Konecny.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the round-robin. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington are the masked men. St. Louis led off in the first period with a David Perron goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Zach Sanford and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues added on in the second period with a Colton Parayko goal, coming off of Brayden Schenn. Vegas got on the board with a Shea Theodore power play goal, powered by Mark Stone. The Golden Knights tied it on an Alex Tuch goal, via Nick Holden and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas took the lead with a Tuch power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Reilly Smith and Nick Cousins. St. Louis retied it on a Parayko goal, his second of the game, guided in by O'Reilly and Sanford. The Blues pulled ahead with a Troy Brouwer goal, helped along by Tyler Bozak. The Golden Knights evened it in the third period on a Zach Whitecloud goal, with helpers from Nicolas Roy and Tuch. Vegas gained the lead with a Stone goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Brayden McNabb and Nate Schmidt. The Golden Knights capped it at 6-4 with a Theodore goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Tuch, Parayko, and Theodore, while Stone, O'Reilly, and Sanford get the honorable mentions.

In the east, the Columbus Blue Jackets face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Joonas Korpisalo are the netminders. Toronto opened in the first period with a shorthanded Cody Ceci goal, set up by Alexander Kerfoot and Kasperi Kapanen. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a William Nylander power play goal, powered by Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. Toronto extended the lead as Nicholas Robertson scored, thanks to Kapanen and Kerfoot. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. Columbus got on the board with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, helped along by Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets got closer in the third period with a Seth Jones goal, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it as Dubois scored his second of the game, with the help of Atkinson and David Savard. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Dubois goal to complete his hat trick, with a lone assist by Alexandre Texier. The three stars were awarded to Dubois, Merzlikins (21 for 21 in saves in relief), and Atkinson, while Kapanen and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions. The Blue Jackets are ahead 2-1 in the series.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets oppose the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Calgary started in the first period with a Dillon Dube goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with a Sam Bennett goal, his second of the postseason, via Noah Hanifin and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Monahan scored his second of the playoffs into an empty net, thanks to Tobias Rieder and Derek Ryan. The Flames iced it at 4-0 with a Rasmus Andersson empty net goal, set up by Milan Lucic and Bennett. The three stars were Talbot (31 save shutout), Bennett, and Monahan. The Flames advanced to the Western Conference Quarterfinals with a 3-1 series win.

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 5

Another six-game day is here, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers versus the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. Florida began in the first period with an Erik Haula power play goal, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman. New York tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Anthony Beauvillier. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with a Hoffman power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. Florida added on with a Brian Boyle goal, going in unassisted. The Islanders got one back with a Brock Nelson goal, courtesy of Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Hoffman, Boyle, and Haula. The Panthers stay alive, but the Islanders remain ahead 2-1 in the series.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes take on Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Darcy Kuemper are set to start in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Taylor Hall. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Coyotes retook the lead in the third period on a Conor Garland goal, via Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Hall power play goal, powered by Phil Kessel and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Carl Soderberg empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hall, Kuemper (39 for 40 in saves), and Garland. The Coyotes own a 2-1 series lead.

Today's east round-robin has the Boston Bruins facing the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn power play goal, powered by Victor Hedman and Tyler Johnson. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, coming off of Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Chris Wagner goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Zdeno Chara. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Johnson goal, helped along by Yanni Gourde and Killorn. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Johnson, Killorn, and Point.

The west round-robin has the Dallas Stars against the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Cale Makar power play goal, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche added on with a Joonas Donskoi goal, passed from Samuel Girard and Andre Burakovsky. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Vladislav Namestnikov scored, thanks to Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche padded the lead in the third period with a Burakovsky power play goal, with helpers from Girard and Donskoi. This made it 4-0, with the three stars handed to Donskoi, Burakovsky. and Francouz (27 save shutout), while Girard gets an honorable mention.

The night game in the east has the Montreal Penguins opposing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Carey Price are the masked men. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Shea Weber goal, via Artturi Lehkonen and Paul Byron. Pittsburgh tied it on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead on a Jason Zucker power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Bryan Rust and John Marino. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Teddy Blueger goal, courtesy of Zach Aston-Reese and Brandon Tanev. The Canadiens got one back with a Jonathan Drouin goal, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Weber. Montreal tied it as Byron scored, thanks to Nick Suzuki and Weber. The Canadiens pulled ahead in the third period with a Jeff Petry goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Chiarot and Phillip Danault. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Weber, Byron, and Chiarot. The Canadiens are up 2-1 in the series.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks meet the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Olli Maatta goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Matthew Highmore. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Tyler Ennis. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Kirby Dach and Alex DeBrincat. The Oilers retied it on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, guided in by Matt Benning. Edmonton gained the lead with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, with assists provided by Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Chicago evened the score in the third period with a Highmore goal, assisted by Slater Koekkoek and Maatta. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Toews goal, his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs, set up by Connor Murphy and Duncan Keith. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Highmore, Toews, and Draisaitl, while Maatta gets an honorable mention. The Blackhawks hold a 2-1 series lead.

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 4

We're back with six more games today, including the first chance for an elimination. Leading off...

The New York Islanders face the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are the Russians in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, via Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. New York tied it in the second period with a Matt Martin goal, helped along by Tom Kuhnhackl and Andy Greene. The Panthers took the lead back with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, powered by Yandle and Hoffman. The Islanders retied it on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, with helpers provided by Devon Toews and Derick Brassard. New York took the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, made possible by Pulock and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with an Eberle power play goal in the third period, his second of the game, courtesy of Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Eberle, Pulock, and Hoffman, while Yandle gets an honorable mention. The Islanders lead the series 2-0.

Out west, the Nashville Predators take on the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville started in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, assisted by Rocco Grimaldi and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Calle Jarnkrok scored, thanks to Colton Sissons and Roman Josi. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, powered by Johansen. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Derek Stepan. The Coyotes got closer with a Lawson Crouse goal, coming off of Christian Fischer and Jordan Oesterle. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Johansen, Saros (24 for 26 in saves), and Jarnkrok. The series is tied at 1.

Back east, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, fueled by Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a John Tavares goal, guided in by Travis Dermott and William Nylander. Toronto iced it at 3-0 with a Morgan Rielly empty net goal, set up by Matthews and Alexander Kerfoot. The three stars were Matthews, Andersen (20 save shutout), and Tavares. The series is tied at 1.

In the west, the Winnipeg Jets meet the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his second of the postseason, assisted by Dmitry Kulikov and Nathan Beaulieu. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Sean Monahan. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane. Calgary added on with a Monahan power play goal, with helpers from Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau. The Jets got one back with an Andrew Copp power play goal, his second of the playoffs, with assists provided by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Flames shot back with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, fueled by Mangiapane and Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Milan Lucic scored a power play goal, with the help of Dillon Dube and Mark Giordano. The Flames iced it at 6-2 with a Gaudreau empty net goal, his second of the postseason, set up by Monahan. The three stars belonged to Monahan, Lindholm, and Backlund, while Gaudreau and Mangiapane get the honorable mentions. The Flames lead the series 2-1.

The east's daily finale has the New York Rangers opposing the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Igor Shesterkin draw the starts in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, coming off of Jacob Trouba and Ryan Strome. Carolina tied it with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, via Andrei Svechnikov and Haydn Fleury. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Warren Foegele goal, passed from Brady Skjei and Martin Necas. Carolina added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an Aho shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, set up by Teravainen. The three stars were Aho, Reimer (37 for 38 in saves), and Foegele.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks play the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Jacob Markstrom are the goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, assisted by Bo Horvat and Alexander Edler. Minnesota tied it with a Luke Kunin shorthanded goal, set up by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, going in unassisted. Vancouver added on with a Brock Boeser goal, helped along by Edler and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Horvat scored on the power play, thanks to Quinn Hughes and Miller. The Wild got one back with a Kevin Fiala goal, his second of the postseason, via Eric Staal and Parise. Minnesota got closer with another Fiala goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, fueled by Matt Dumba and Eric Staal. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Horvat, Miller, and Fiala, while Edler, Parise, and Staal get the honorable mentions. The series is tied at 1.

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NHL 2020 - Qualifying Round Day 3

The NHL is up to its full speed during the bubble restart, with six games on today. Leading off...

The Carolina Hurricanes take on the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Sami Vatanen. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, powered by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Svechnikov power play goal, his second of the game with assists provided by Vatanen and Aho. Carolina added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, passed from Morgan Geekie and Brock McGinn. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period as Svechnikov completed his hat trick, with the help of Aho. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Svechnikov, Aho, and Mrazek (23 for 24 in saves), while Vatanen gets an honorable mention. The Hurricanes lead the series 2-0.

Opening in the west, the Calgary Flames face the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Jansen Harkins goal, coming off of Adam Lowry and Jack Roslovic. The Jets added on with a Lowry goal in the second period, fueled by Roslovic and Josh Morrissey. Calgary got on the board with an Elias Lindholm goal, going in unassisted. The Flames tied it with a Sam Bennett goal, passed from Milan Lucic and Noah Hanifin. Winnipeg retook the lead in the third period with a Nikolai Ehlers power play goal, powered by Neal Pionk and Kyle Connor. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Lowry, Roslovic, and Ehlers. The series is tied at 1.

Back east, the Tampa Bay Lightning meet the Washington Capitals in a round-robin game. Braden Holtby and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, assisted by Brayden Point. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Mitchell Stephens goal, courtesy of Ryan McDonagh and Pat Maroon. Washington got on the board with a Richard Panik goal, helped along by Lars Eller and Radko Gudas. The Capitals tied it with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Orlov and Nicklas Backstrom. The tie went to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie's tally for the Capitals fell short against Point and Kucherov for the Lightning, who won 3-2. The three stars went to Kucherov, Point, and Vasilevskiy (31 for 33 in saves).

In the west round-robin, the Vegas Golden Knights oppose the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Vegas began in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, via William Karlsson and Mark Stone. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, helped along by Mattias Janmark and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, courtesy of Blake Comeau and Heiskanen. Dallas added on with a Corey Perry power play goal, powered by Heiskanen and Roope Hintz. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period with a Stone goal, assisted by Nick Cousins and Zach Whitecloud. Vegas tied it on a Nate Schmidt goal, with a lone helper by Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights pulled ahead on a William Carrier goal, guided in by Schmidt and Ryan Reaves. Vegas won 5-3 with a Karlsson goal, fueled by Nicolas Roy. The three stars were Stone, Schmidt, and Karlsson, while Heiskanen gets an honorable mention.

East once more, with the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Matt Murray are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his second of the postseason, via Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, coming off of Sheary and Brian Dumoulin. Montreal got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Artturi Lehkonen and Jeff Petry. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Guentzel, set up Bryan Rust. The three stars were Guentzel, Sheary, and Murray (26 for 27 in saves). The series is now tied at 1.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mikko Koskinen receive the starting nods in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with another McDavid goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, passed from Nugent-Hopkins and Ethan Bear. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, helped along by Alex DeBrincat and Slater Koekkoek. Edmonton replied in the second period with a Tyler Ennis goal, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks countered on a Koekkoek goal, assisted by DeBrincat and Kirby Dach. Chicago tied it on an Olli Maatta goal, coming off of Dach and Kane. The Oilers retook the lead with a McDavid power play goal, finishing his hat trick on his fourth of the postseason, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Alex Chiasson. Edmonton extended the lead as James Neal scored his second of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Oilers padded the lead as Chiasson scored, also an unassisted goal.

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NHL 2020 Qualifiying Round - Day 2

We're back for another five-game day as more teams get their first summer hockey action. Leading off...

The Nashville Predators face the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, via Taylor Hall and Derek Stepan. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Dvorak goal, courtesy of Phil Kessel and Hall. Arizona extended the lead as Clayton Keller scored on the power play, with the help of Dvorak and Kessel. Nashville got on the board with an unassisted Filip Forsberg power play goal. The Coyotes replied in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Michael Grabner goal. The Predators pulled back in the third period with a Ryan Ellis goal, coming off of Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. Nashville got closer with another Forsberg power play goal, powered by Josi and Matt Duchene. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Dvorak, Hall, and Forsberg, while Kessel and Josi get the honorable mentions. Arizona holds a 1-0 series lead.

In the east, the first round-robin game sees the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Jaroslav Halak are set to start in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Michael Raffl goal, via Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on with a Nate Thompson goal, assisted by Raffl and Ivan Provorov. Boston got on the board with a Chris Wagner goal, fueled by Joakim Nordstrom and Charlie McAvoy. Philadelphia shot back on a Philippe Myers goal, with a lone helper from Jakub Voracek. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Scott Laughton scored, thanks to Kevin Hayes. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Raffl, Hart (34 for 35 in saves), and Thompson.

Back west, the Colorado Avalanche meet the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Philipp Grubauer guard the cages. St. Louis began in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, powered by Brayden Schenn and Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Ryan Graves goal, via Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche won 2-1 with a fraction of a second on the clock when Nazem Kadri scored a power play goal, with helpers from Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. The three stars were Grubauer (31 for 32 in saves), Kadri, and Graves.

Last call in the east today sees the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Cam Atkinson goal, guided in by David Savard. The Blue Jackets iced it at 2-0 with an Alexander Wennberg empty net goal, set up by Nick Foligno and Atkinson. The three stars were awarded to Korpisalo (28 save shutout), Atkinson, and Andersen (33 for 34 in saves). Columbus leads the series 1-0.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks battle the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Jacob Markstrom play in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, powered by Eric Staal and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on in the second period with a Spurgeon power play goal, coming off of Staal. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Spurgeon empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Joel Eriksson Ek and Mikko Koivu in the third period. The three stars were Spurgeon, Stalock (28 save shutout), and Staal. The Wild have a 1-0 series lead.

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NHL 2020 Qualifying Round - Day 1

After four and a half months off, the NHL is back with a modified playoff system featuring 24 teams in two hub cities to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic. No more than six games per day will be played; today, there's five. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes versus the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Aho power play goal, via Andrei Svechnikov and Sami Vatanen. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, powered by Ryan Lindgren and Chris Kreider. Carolina replied in the third period with a Martin Necas goal, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Slavin. The Rangers got one back with a Marc Staal goal, helped along by Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Aho, Slavin, and Zibanejad. The Hurricanes lead the series 1-0.

In the west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Mike Smith are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. Chicago tied it on an unassisted Dylan Strome goal. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, with assists provided by Dominik Kubalik and Patrick Kane. Chicago added on with a Brandon Saad goal, via Olli Maatta and Kubalik. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Toews scored his second of the game, with the help of Kubalik and Saad. The Oilers got one back in the second period with a Draisaitl power play goal, with helpers from McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Chicago countered with a Kubalik power play goal, made possible by Duncan Keith and Kirby Dach. Mikko Koskinen replaced Smith in goal. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Kubalik power play goal, his second of the game, guided in by Keith and Toews. Edmonton pulled one back with a James Neal power play goal, assisted by Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Oilers chipped closer with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, dished from Klefbom and Draisaitl. The final stood at 6-4, with the three stars awarded to Kubalik, McDavid, and Toews, while Nugent-Hopkins, Saad, Draisaitl, Keith and Klefbom get the honorable mentions. The Blackhawks lead the series 1-0.

Back east, the New York Islanders face the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are the Russian goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, fueled by Derick Brassard. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, powered by Devon Toews and Josh Bailey. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, via MacKenzie Weegar and Aleksander Barkov. They couldn't tie it, and the Islanders went on to win 2-1. The three stars belonged to Varlamov (27 for 28 in saves), Beauvillier, and Pageau. The Islanders have a 1-0 series lead.

Staying in Toronto, the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Matt Murray are in the creases. Montreal began in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, assisted by Paul Byron and Brett Kulak. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an unassisted Nick Suzuki goal. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, passed from Jake Guentzel and Justin Schultz. The Penguins tied it with a Bryan Rust power play goal, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Jared McCann. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Jeff Petry goal, courtesy of Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. The three stars were Petry, Suzuki, and Kotkaniemi. The Canadiens hold a 1-0 series lead.

Finally, the Calgary Flames meet the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, coming off of Adam Lowry and Dmitry Kulikov. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, powered by Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. The Flames took the lead with a Tobias Rieder shorthanded goal, set up by T.J. Brodie. Calgary added on with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, with helpers from Andrew Mangiapane and Milan Lucic. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a Mangiapane empty net goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Mangiapane, Rieder, and Talbot (17 for 18 in saves). The Flames have a 1-0 series lead.

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NHL 2019-20 - Day 155

We've got five games tonight, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Corey Crawford make the starts in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with an Evander Kane power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Timo Meier. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Duncan Keith power play goal, his third of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by DeBrincat and Keith. Chicago added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of DeBrincat and Toews. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Alex Nylander scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Dylan Strome. The Sharks got one back with a Meier goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Evander Kane. Chicago shot back on a Patrick Kane goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, helped along by Slater Koekkoek and Nylander. The Blackhawks padded the lead as Dominik Kubalik scored his thirtieth of the year, with the help of Kirby Dach. This made it 6-2, with the three stars being Patrick Kane, DeBrincat, and Evander Kane, while Meier, Nylander, Keith, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith are the masked men. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Kailer Yamamoto. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Nathan Beaulieu. The Jets took the lead with a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, courtesy of Cody Eakin. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, helped along by Zack Kassian and Darnell Nurse. Winnipeg reclaimed the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, set up by Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Thethree stars were Connor, Wheeler, and Laine.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz are the lesser-known goalies. New York started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his forty-first of the season, courtesy of Phillip Di Giuseppe and Adam Fox. Colorado tied it on a Tyson Jost power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Vladislav Naemstnikov power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Makar and Landeskog. The Rangers tied it in the third period on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Fox. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime on a J.T. Compher goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Makar and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The three stars were Makar, Landeskog, and Fox. 

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Anthony Stolarz are the backups in goal. The game began 1-1, with Anaheim's goal from Adam Henrique, his twenty-sixth of the season now assisted by Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. St. Louis' tally was from Ivan Barbashev, his eleventh of the year, via Jordan Kyrou. The Blues took the lead with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Ryan O'Reilly. The Ducks tied it in the second period on a Jani Hakanpaa goal, made possible by Henrique. St. Louis reclaimed the lead on a Zach Sanford goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from O'Reilly and Sammy Blais. The Blues iced it at 4-2 with a Pietrangelo empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Justin Faulk. The final was 4-2, with the three stars given to Pietrnagelo, Henrique, and O'Reilly.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Calvin Petersen are the goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Brady Tkachuk and Colin White. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Lewis goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Adrian Kempe and Ben Hutton. The Senators took the lead back in the third period on a Jayce Hawryluk goal, his third of the season, via Andreas Englund and Nick Paul. The Kings tied it again on a power play goal by Gabriel Vilardi, his third of the year, powered by Sean Walker and Matt Roy. Los Angeles gained the lead with a Martin Frk goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Vilardi and Drew Doughty. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Vilardi, Frk, and Lewis.

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