NHL 2021 - Day 9

Another schedule was shortened by postponements, leading to just six games today. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, powered by Ivan Provorov. The Flyers added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Kevin Hayes. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Jack Studnicka goal, via David Krejci and Nick Ritchie. The Bruins tied it with a Charlie Coyle goal, made possible by Craig Smith and Kevan Miller. Philadelphia retook the lead on a Travis Sanheim goal, assisted by Voracek and Nolan Patrick. Boston retied it on a Ritchie power play goal, with assists provided by Patrice Bergeron and Krejci. The Bruins pulled ahead on a Brandon Carlo goal, fueled by Matt Grzelcyk and Brad Marchand. The Flyers evened the score as van Riemsdyk netted his second of the game and third of the year on the power play, with helpers from Voracek and Hayes. The tie went to a shootout, where Jake DeBrusk's lone tally lifted the Bruins to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Ritchie, Voracek, and van Riemsdyk, while Krejci and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Joonas Korpisalo guard the cages. Columbus led off in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the season, via Max Domi. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Blake Coleman goal, his second of the year, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning took the lead on a Mathieu Joseph goal, his second of the season, passed from McDonagh and Anthony Cirelli. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with a power play goal by Nick Foligno, his second of the year, powered by Bjorkstrand and Cam Atkinson. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Brayden Point goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The three stars were Bjorkstrand, McDonagh, and Point.

Back east, the New York Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. New York began in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Josh Bailey and Noah Dobson. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, via Anders Lee and Barzal. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Nathan Bastian goal, assisted by Ty Smith. New York replied in the third period with an Eberle power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Dobson and Barzal. The Islanders extended the lead as Brock Nelson scored his second of the year on the power play, thanks to Nick Leddy and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Eberle, Barzal, and Dobson.

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Matt Murray protect the nets. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his second of the year, assisted by Andrew Copp and Nathan Beaulieu. The Jets added on in the second period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kyle Connor and Ehlers. Winnipeg extended the lead as Adam Lowry scored his second of the year, thanks to Trevor Lewis and Derek Forbort. The Jets padded the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal, his second of the season, made possible by Scheifele and Connor. Marcus Hogberg replaced Murray in goal to start the third period. Ottawa got on the board with a Chris Tierney goal, guided in by Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Brown. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Ehlers, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck (28 for 29 in saves), while Connor gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Thatcher Demko are the backups in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourth of the season, via Joel Armia. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Tyler Myers and Nils Hoglander. The Canadiens retook the lead with a shorthanded Armia goal, set up by Toffoli. The Canucks tied it again with another Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, courtesy of J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Montreal regained the lead on a shorthanded Toffoli goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Armia. The Canadiens added on with a Josh Anderson goal, his third of the season, guided in by Nick Suzuki and Jonathan Drouin. Montreal extended the lead as Jake Evans scored his second of the year, thanks to Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. The Canadiens padded the lead as Armia scored his second of the game, with the help of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Vancouver got one back in the third period with a Brandon Sutter goal, helped along by Myers and Brogan Rafferty. Montreal responded with a Ben Chiarot power play goal, with helpers from Jeff Petry and Tomas Tatar. This stood for a 7-3 win, with the three stars going to Armia, Toffoli, and Horvat, while Myers gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Hunter Miska and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Cale Makar and Rantanen. Los Angeles got on the board with a Drew Doughty power play goal, with assists provided by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. The Kings tied it on a power play goal by Gabriel Vilardi, his second of the season, made possible by Sean Walker and Andreas Athanasiou. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a Blake Lizotte empty net goal his second of the year, set up by Trevor Moore. The three stars went to Kopitar, Kempe, and MacKinnon, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 8

There's only five games on tonight, and no postponements. First up...

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Edmonton opened in the first period with an unassisted Kailer Yamamoto goal, his second of the season. Toronto tied it in the third period on an Auston Matthews goal, his second of the year, via Zach Hyman and T.J. Brodie. The Oilers retook the lead with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, powered by Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a Josh Archibald empty net goal, set up by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars were Koskinen (25 for 26 in saves), Draisaitl, and Matthews.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jordan Binnington are in the creases. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jordan Kyrou and Vince Dunn. San Jose tied it on a Marcus Sorensen goal, passed from Matt Nieto and Mario Ferraro. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Tomas Hertl's lone tally lifted the Sharks to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Jones (22 for 23 in saves), Binnington (37 for 38 in saves), and Sorensen.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Ryan Miller are the backups in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Ryan Hartman shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Wild added on in the second period with a Nick Bonino power play goal, powered by Joel Eriksson Ek. Anaheim got on the board with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his second of the season, via Carter Rowney and Derek Grant. The Ducks tied it on a Cam Fowler goal, coming off of Rowney and Deslauriers. Minnesota retook the lead with a third period Eriksson Ek goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jordan Greenway and Kirill Kaprizov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Eriksson Ek, Deslauriers, and Rowney.

Backtracking to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, coming off of Alec Martinez and Alex Tuch. The Golden Knights added on with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, courtesy of Tuch and Keegan Kolesar. Vegas extended the lead as Mark Stone scored his second of the season, thanks to Max Pacioretty and Nicolas Hague. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his second of the year, guided in by Drake Caggiula. The Golden Knights replied in the third period with Theodore's second goal of the game, passed from Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas padded the lead as Tuch scored on the power play, with the help of Stone and Pietrangelo. The Coyotes got one back with a Phil Kessel goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jakob Chychrun and Christian Dvorak. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Theodore, Tuch, and Pietrangelo, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Vancouver began in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his second of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Tyler Toffoli goal, assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Canucks took the lead back with a Tyler Motte goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens retied it with a Toffoli power play goal, his second of the game, passed from Nick Suzuki and Shea Weber. Vancouver pulled ahead again with a Brock Boeser goal, made possible by Hughes and Horvat. Montreal tied it again on a Brendan Gallagher goal, fueled by Tomas Tatar and Phillip Danault. The Canucks reclaimed the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Horvat, his second of the game and third of the season, with assists provided by Boeser and Miller. The Canadiens tied it once again with an unassisted Kotkaniemi goal. Montreal pulled ahead with a Toffoli goal to complete his hat trick, with helpers from Jeff Petry and Joel Armia. Vancouver got an equalizer on a Boeser goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Miller and Tyler Myers. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Miller and Horvat lifted the Canucks 6-5 over Suzuki and the Canadiens. The three stars belonged to Toffoli, Boeser, and Horvat, while Miller, Hughes, and Kotkaniemi get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2021 - Day 7

We're set for seven games today after COVID-19 caused the postponement of the Nashville Predators versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Leading off...

The New York Rangers host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev are the goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, courtesy of Miles Wood and P.K. Subban. New York tied it in the second period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Devils retook the lead on a Jack Hughes goal, made possible by Ty Smith and Yegor Sharangovich. New Jersey added on with Hughes' second goal of the game, going in unassisted. The Rangers got one back with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, with helpers from Fox and Panarin. The Devils countered with a Wood power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Hughes and Kyle Palmieri. Igor Shesterkin replaced Georgiev in goal to start the third period. New York got closer with a Filip Chytil goal, guided in by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Pavel Buchnevich. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Hughes, Wood, and Panarin, while Fox gets an honorable mention.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Matt Murray man the nets. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Josh Norris power play goal, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Drake Batherson. The Senators added on with a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the season, coming off of Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev. Winnipeg got on the board with an Adam Lowry goal, helped along by Neal Pionk and Mason Appelton. Ottawa answered in the second period with a power play goal by Alex Galchenyuk, with helpers from Mike Reilly and Derek Stepan. The Jets answered with a power play goal by Kyle Connor, his third of the year, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg tied it in the third period on a Wheeler goal, passed from Josh Morrisey and Scheifele. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, guided in by Andrew Copp and Morrissey. The three stars were Wheeler, Morrissey, and Scheifele.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Brian Elliott play in the creases. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Oskar Lindblom and Nolan Patrick. Jonas Johansson replaced Hutton in goal to start the third period. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Jakub Voracek goal, coming off of Kevin Hayes and Erik Gustafsson. Philadelphia iced it at 3-0 with a Hayes empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Elliott (40 save shutout), Hayes, and Konecny.

Also in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, helped along by T.J. Oshie and Richard Panik. Pittsburgh tied it on a Colton Sceviour goal, his second of the season, made possible by Teddy Blueger and Kasperi Kapanen. The Capitals retook the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his second of the year, passed from Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington added on with another Wilson goal, his second of the game and third of the season, fueled by John Carlson. The Penguins got one back in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, powered by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. The Capitals responded with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, guided in by Daniel Sprong and Jakub Vrana. Pittsburgh chipped back with a Blueger shorthanded goal, set up by the goalie DeSmith. The Penguins tied it with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, with assists provided by Kris Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh won 5-4 with a Crosby goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Guentzel and Letang. The three stars were Crosby, Wilson, and Guentzel, while Blueger and Letang get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair. The Panthers added on with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad. Chicago got on the board with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, going in unassisted. Florida responded in the second period with a Verhaeghe power play goal, his second of the game, an unassisted goal. The Blackhawks fired back with a Kubalik power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Duncan Keith and Lucas Wallmark. Chicago tied it as Patrick Kane scored his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks pulled ahead in the third period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, made possible by Kubalik and Adam Boqvist. The Panthers retied it on a Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, passed from Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida won 5-4 with a Frank Vatrano goal, via Barkov and MacKenzie Weegar. The three stars belonged to Verhaeghe, Yandle, and Kubalik, while Barkov and Hornqvist get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Domi and David Savard. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha power play goal, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jon Merrill and Frans Nielsen. The Blue Jackets retied it with a third period goal by Alexandre Texier, his third of the season, made possible by Dean Kukan and Liam Foudy. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Bertuzzi goal, set up by Larkin. The three stars were Bertuzzi, Larkin, and Ryan.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer faces a lesser foe in Calvin Petersen in goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, assisted by Matt Calvert and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Devon Toews power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Samuel Girard and Joonas Donskoi. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his second of the year on the power play, with the help of MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his third of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Mikey Anderson. The Kings got closer with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, with helpers from Dustin Brown and Kopitar. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Rantanen, MacKinnon and Kopitar. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 6

An early start is on for today, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Thomas Greiss are in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his second of the season, coming off of Michael Rasmussen. Columbus tied it in the second period on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, assisted by Boone Jenner and Michael Del Zotto. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his second of the year, passed from Bjorkstrand. Columbus added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, made possible by Mikhail Grigorenko. The Red Wings got one back with a Ryan goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Anthony Mantha and Filip Hronek. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Ryan, Bjorkstrand, and Dubois. 

Another matinee has the New York Islanders welcoming the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, via Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Varlamov (27 save shutout), Pageau, and Rask (16 for 17 in saves). 

At the usual time, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Toronto got going in the second period with a John Tavares power play goal, his third of the season, powered by William Nylander and Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs added on with a Mitchell Marner goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Justin Holl and Auston Matthews. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his second of the season, assisted by Derek Forbort and Neal Pionk. Toronto iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Marner empty net goal, set up by Alexander Kerfoot. The three stars went to Marner, Andersen (27 for 28 in saves), and Hellebuyck (35 for 37 in saves).

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Carter Hart are the similarly named goalies. Buffalo began in the first period with an unassisted Curtis Lazar goal. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, powered by Taylor Hall and Jack Eichel. Buffalo extended the lead as Reinhart scored again, thanks to Eichel and Hall. The Sabres padded the lead with a Lazar goal, his second of the game, made possible by Riley Sheahan and Brandon Montour. Buffalo continued in the third period with a Henri Jokiharju goal, with a lone helper by Eric Staal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, coming off of Michael Raffl and Travis Sanheim. The Sabres iced it at 6-1 with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his second of the season, with helpers provided by Hall and Eichel. The three stars were Lazar, Reinhart, and Hall, while Eichel gets an honorable mention. 

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the San Jose Sharks. Devan Dubnyk and Jordan Binnington are in the blue paint. San Jose opened in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, via Brent Burns and Logan Couture. The Sharks added on with a Couture power play goal, powered by Tomas Hertl and Burns. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Justin Faulk goal, made possible by Ivan Barbashev and Carl Gunnarsson. The Blues tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, passed from Colton Parayko and Tyler Bozak. San Jose regained the lead with a Burns power play goal, with assists provided by Evander Kane and Hertl. St. Louis tied it again with a Brayden Schenn goal, with a lone assist by Jordan Kyrou. The Blues pulled ahead with a Faulk goal, his second of the game, guided in by David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sharks evened it with Couture's second of the game, helped along by Labanc and Radim Simek. St. Louis gained the lead on a Kyrou goal, his second of the season, coming off of Parayko and Torey Krug. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars being Faulk, Kyrou, and Burns, while Couture, Labanc, Hertl, and Parayko get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Pekka Rinne are set to start in goal. Carolina cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Sebastian Aho. Nashville tied it with a Filip Forsberg goal, his third of the year, fueled by Viktor Arvidsson and Dante Fabbro. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with an unassisted Vincent Trocheck goal, his second of the season. Carolina added on with an Aho goal, assisted by Svechnikov and Jake Gardiner. The Predators got one back with an Arvidsson power play goal, with assists provided by Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with a Nino Niederreiter empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Trocheck and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars belonged to Aho, Svechnikov, and Trocheck, while Arvidsson gets an honorable mention. 

Out in Calgary, the Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko faces former teammate Jacob Markstrom in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a Jake Virtanen goal, with a lone helper by J.T. Miller. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, fueled by Sean Monahan. The Flames took the lead on a Mikael Backlund goal, coming off of Milan Lucic and Josh Leivo. Calgary added on with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Mark Giordano scored an unassisted power play goal in the third period. The Canucks got one back with a shorthanded Tyler Myers goal, going in unassisted. Calgary finished it at 5-2 with a Rasmus Andersson empty net goal, set up by Monahan. The three stars were Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Monahan.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Mikko Koskinen are between the pipes. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Alexander Romanov goal, assisted by Brett Kulak and Paul Byron. The Canadiens added on with a Shea Weber power play goal, powered by Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli in the second period. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Artturi Lehkonen scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Jeff Petry. Edmonton got on the board with a shorthanded Devin Shore goal, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Allen (25 for 26 in saves), Romanov, and Weber.

To California, as the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the third period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Carter Rowney. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Gibson (34 save shutout), Deslauriers, and Talbot (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Derick Brassard. Vegas got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his third of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Reilly Smith goal, coming off of William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas took the lead with a Stephenson goal, helped along by Zach Whitecloud and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights capped it at 4-2 with a Smith shorthanded empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Smith, Stephenson, and Lehner (30 for 32 in saves). 

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NHL 2021 - Day 5

Only a pair of games on today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Casey DeSmith make the starts in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, fueled by Brian Dumoulin and Jake Guentzel. Washington tied it on an unassisted Nic Dowd goal. The Capitals took the lead with an Alex Ovechkin goal, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. The Penguins retied it in the second period on a Colton Sceviour goal, helped along by Teddy Blueger. Washington regained the lead with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Kuznetsov and Ovechkin. Pittsburgh retied it on a Marcus Pettersson goal, guided in by Jason Zucker and Bryan Rust. The Penguins won 4-3 in the shootout with a Guentzel tally. The three stars were Guentzel, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov. 

The other game has the Florida Panthers bringing in the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Chris Driedger are the unknown goalies. Florida got going in the second period with an unassisted Aaron Ekblad goal. The Panthers added on with a Keith Yandle goal, made possible by Jonathan Huberdeau and Eetu Luostarinen. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Connor Murphy goal in the third period, helped along by Keith and Pius Suter. Florida regained the lead with a Luostarinen goal, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Stralman. The Panthers extended the lead as Patric Hornqvist scored, thanks to Huberdeau and Radko Gudas. Florida padded the lead on a Huberdeau power play goal, with a lone assist by Aleksander Barkov and Hornqvist. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Huberdeau, Luostarinen, and Keith, while Hornqvist gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 4

We're ready to go with 10 games on the first Saturday of the season. Two are matinees, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and MacKenzie Blackwood are the masked men. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his second of the season, passed from Ty Smith and Jack Hughes. Boston tied it in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron shorthanded goal, set up by Brad Marchand. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, coming off of Damon Severson and Kyle Palmieri. The three stars went to Blackwood (27 for 28 in saves), Sharangovich and Wood.

Out west, the second matinee has the Arizona Coyotes welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Antti Raanta are in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Ryan Donato power play goal, powered by Timo Meier and Mario Ferraro. Arizona tied it on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes took the lead with a Barrett Hayton goal, passed from Conor Garland and Nick Schmaltz. The Sharks retied it on a Meier goal, going in unassisted. Arizona regained the lead in the second period with Kessel's second goal of the game and third of the year, helped along by Ekman-Larsson and Christian Dvorak. The Coyotes added on with a Jakob Chychrun goal, made possible by Derick Brassard. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Clayton Keller scored his second of the season, thanks to Ekman-Larsson and Brassard. Devan Dubnyk replaced Jones in goal. San Jose got one back with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Meier and Erik Karlsson. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Kessel, Ekman-Larsson, and Meier, while Brassard gets an honorable mention. 

At the regular time, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Jonathan Bernier are the goalies. Detroit got going in the second period with a Bobby Ryan goal, assisted by Filip Zadina. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, powered by Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Dylan Larkin goal, passed from Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Hurricanes retied it with a Svechnikov goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Martinook. Detroit took the lead on a Robby Fabbri goal, helped along by Zadina and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Larkin empty net goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The three stars were Larkin, Zadina, and Svechnikov.

East to New York, as the Rangers host the cross-town rival Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. The Rangers began in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, assisted by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin goal, via Brendan Smith. The Rangers extended the lead in the second period as Buchnevich scored again, going in unassisted. The Rangers padded the lead on a Kaapo Kakko goal, guided in by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Filip Chytil. The Rangers kept going in the third period with a Panarin power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Adam Fox and Buchnevich. This stood for a 5-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Buchnevich, Panarin, and Georgiev (23 save shutout).

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Matt Murray are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, courtesy of Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Brown. Toronto tied it on a Joe Thornton goal, made possible by Mitchell Marner and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Marner goal, coming off of Auston Matthews. Toronto added on in the third period with a Matthews power play goal, powered by Marner and Thornton. The Senators got one back with a Tim Stuetzle goal, fueled by Thomas Chabot and Colin White. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Marner, Matthews, and Thornton.

Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Jeff Petry power play goal, powered by Nick Suzuki and Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his second of the season, guided in by Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. Montreal extended the lead as Petry scored again, thanks to Danault. The Canadiens padded the lead on a shorthanded Jake Evans goal, going in unassisted. Montreal continued in the third period with Tatar's second goal of the game and third of the year, assisted by Gallagher. Edmonton got on the board with a Slater Koekkoek goal, passed from Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars handed to Tatar, Petry, and Gallagher, while Danault gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Juuse Saros occupy the creases. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, via Michael Del Zotto and Alexandre Texier. Nashville tied it on a Rocco Grimaldi goal, fueled by Ryan Ellis. The Predators took the lead in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets retied it with a Texier goal, coming off of Liam Foudy and Del Zotto. Nashville regained the lead on a Brad Richardson goal, assisted by Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Luke Kunin goal, his second of the year, made possible by Nick Cousins and Matt Duchene. Nashville extended the lead as Colton Sissons scored, thanks to Viktor Arvidsson and Dante Fabbro. This stood for the 5-2 final score, with the three stars handed to Saros (42 for 44 in saves), Texier, and Del Zotto.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, guided in by Jordan Greenway and Ryan Suter. Los Angeles tied it with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, passed from Austin Wagner and Kurtis MacDermid. The Kings took the lead in the second period on a Blake Lizotte goal, assisted by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles added on with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his second of the season, fueled by Carter. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, courtesy of Greenway and Greg Pateryn. Minnesota tied with a Suter goal in the final seconds, helped along by Zach Parise and Nick Bonino. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Marcus Johansson goal, with helpers from Kirill Kaprizov and Jonas Brodin. The three stars went to Suter, Greenway, and Carter.

Back in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veteran goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Max Comtois goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sam Steel and Jacob Larsson. Vegas tied it in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights won 2-1 in overtime with a Max Pacioretty goal, his second of the year, passed from Stone. The three stars were Stone, Pacioretty, and Fleury (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on in the second period with a Dillon Dube power play goal, with assists provided by Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Tkachuk scored a power play goal, his second of the season, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Markstrom (32 save shutout), Tkachuk, and Monahan. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 3

The third day of the season is here, with five games on. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Washington got going in the second period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his second of the season, made possible by Tom Wilson. Buffalo tied it on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal in the third period, via Taylor Hall and Jack Eichel. The Capitals retook the lead on a Wilson goal, helped along by Nicklas Backstrom. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Wilson, Vanecek (30 for 31 in saves), and Vrana. 

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Matt Murray protect the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, powered by John Tavares and William Nylander. Ottawa tied it with a Thomas Chabot power play goal, with assists provided by Drake Batherson and Josh Norris. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on an Alexander Kerfoot goal in the second period, made possible by Justin Holl and Ilya Mikheyev. The Senators tied it again with a Brady Tkachuk goal, assisted by Nikita Zaitsev and Norris. Ottawa took the lead with an Austin Watson goal, guided in by Braydon Coburn and Nick Paul. The Senators added on with a Chris Tierney goal, fueled by Zaitsev and Tkachuk. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Derek Stepan scored, thanks to Tkachuk and Batherson. Toronto got one back on a Tavares power play goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Norris, and Tavares, while Zaitsev and Batherson get the honorable mentions. 

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Carter Hart man the nets. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Konecny power play goal, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers added on with another Konecny goal, via Nolan Patrick and James van Riemsdyk. Philadelphia extended the lead as Ivan Provorov scored, thanks to Voracek and van Riemsdyk. Casey DeSmith replaced Jarry in goal. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. The Penguins pulled closer with a Brandon Tanev goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jared McCann and Mark Jankowski. The Flyers responded in the third period on a Konecny goal to complete his hat trick, fueled by Kevin Hayes and Giroux. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with an Oskar Lindblom empty net goal, set up by Scott Laughton and Konecny. The three stars belonged to Konecny, Voracek, and van Riemsdyk, while Giroux gets an honorable mention. 

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his second of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, via Tyler Johnson and Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Blake Coleman scored, thanks to Barclay Goodrow and Yanni Gourde. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, powered by Dylan Strome and Adam Boqvist. The Blackhawks got closer with a Patrick Kane goal, helped along by DeBrincat and Connor Murphy. The Lightning countered in the third period with a Gourde goal, guided in by Coleman and Goodrow. Tampa Bay finished it at 5-2 with a Stamkos goal, his second of the year, passed from Palat and Brayden Point. The three stars were Coleman, Gourde, and Palat, while Stamkos, Goodrow, and DeBrincat get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Philipp Grubauer are set to start in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan Graves. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his second of the season, powered by the goalie Grubauer. Colorado extended the lead as Landeskog scored again, with the help of Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Rantanen power play goal, with assists provided by Cale Makar and Nazem Kadri. Ville Husso replaced Binnington in goal. Colorado continued in the third period with a Kadri power play goal, fueled by MacKinnon and Makar. The Avalanche struck again with a MacKinnon power play goal, with a lone assist by Makar. Colorado kept going with a Joonas Donskoi goal, with helpers from Devon Toews and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche piled on with a Toews power play goal, guided in by Girard and Burakovsky. This made it 8-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to MacKinnon, Grubauer (20 save shutout), and Makar, while Kadri, Rantanen, Landeskog, Burakovsky, Toews, and Girard all get honorable mentions. 

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