It's time to start the new NHL season, which will see all 31 teams play 56 divisional games each. Leading off...
The Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Carter Hart man the nets. Pittsburgh led off with a Mark Jankowski goal, via Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev. Philadelphia tied it on a power play goal by James van Riemsdyk, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Joel Farabee. The Flyers took the lead with a Nolan Patrick power play goal, with helpers from Gustafsson and Farabee. The Penguins retied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, going in unassisted in the second period. Philadelphia retook the lead with a Farabee goal, passed from Kevin Hayes. Pittsburgh retied it again in the third period on a Tanev goal, made possible by Jankowski. The Flyers restored their lead on a Michael Raffl goal, courtesy of Scott Laughton and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Philadelphia added on with a Oskar Lindblom goal, coming off of Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead as Hayes scored, thanks to Farabee and Claude Giroux. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars being Farabee, Hayes, and Jankowski, while Gustafsson and Tanev get the honorable mentions.
In the North, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, powered by Jeff Petry and Jonathan Drouin. Toronto tied it with a William Nylander goal, assisted by Justin Holl and John Tavares. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Josh Anderson goal, guided in by Drouin and Petry. Montreal added on in the second period with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, fueled by Alexander Romanov and Shea Weber. The Maple Leafs pulled one back with a Nylander power play goal, his second of the game, helped along by Jason Spezza and Zach Hyman. Toronto tied it with a Tavares power play goal, with assists provided by Mitch Marner and the goalie Andersen. The Canadiens retook the lead in the third period with Anderson's second of the game, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs tied it again on a Jimmy Vesey goal, made possible by Nylander. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a Morgan Rielly goal, courtesy of Tavares and Auston Matthews. The three stars belonged to Nylander, Tavares, and Anderson, while Petry and Drouin get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, fueled by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on with a Mathieu Joseph goal, passed from Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Cirelli scored, thanks to Erik Cernak and Killorn. The Lightning padded the lead with a Stamkos power play goal, via Brayden Point and Hedman. Tampa Bay struck again with a Point goal, assisted by Stamkos and Sergachev. Chicago got on the board with a Dylan Strome power play goal, guided in by Adam Boqvist and Andrew Shaw. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Hedman, and Point, while Cirelli and Killorn earn the honorable mentions.
To Canada again, as the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Mikko Koskinen are between the pipes. Vancouver started in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, assisted by Tanner Pearson. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, guided in by Leon Draisaitl. The Canucks retook the lead with a Nils Hoglander goal, made possible by Pearson and Horvat. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, coming off of Zack Kassian and Ethan Bear. Vancouver reclaimed the lead on an Adam Gaudette goal, fueled by Antoine Roussel and Travis Hamonic. The Canucks added on with a Brock Boeser goal, passed from Quinn Hughes. Edmonton pulled back with an Adam Larsson goal, helped along by Caleb Jones and Dominik Kahun. Vancouver fired back on Boeser's second goal of the game, with helpers from Elias Pettersson and Hughes. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars given to Boeser, Hughes, and Horvat, while Pearson gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Philipp Grubauer get the starts in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, powered by J.T. Compher and Samuel Girard. St. Louis tied it with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Robert Thomas. The Blues took the lead with a Jordan Kyrou goal, via Tyler Bozak and Zach Sanford. St. Louis added on in the third period with a Kyle Clifford goal, assisted by Ivan Barbashev. The Blues extended the lead as Sundqvist scored his second of the game, thanks to Thomas. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Sundqvist, Binnington (26 for 27 in saves), and Thomas.
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