NHL 2021 - Day 15

Just a pair of games today, beginning with...

The Nashville Predators welcoming the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Nick Cousins goal, courtesy of Matt Duchene. Chicago tied it on a Ryan Carpenter goal, passed from Brandon Hagel and David Kampf. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Duchene had the lone tally for a 2-1 Predators win. The three stars were Duchene, Lankinen (41 for 42 in saves), and Saros (29 for 30 in saves).

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Thatcher Demko are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Motte goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tyler Myers and Jay Beagle. Ottawa tied it on a Josh Norris power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Brady Tkachuk. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period on a J.T. Miller goal, coming off of Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Vancouver added on with another Miller goal, his second of the game, via Jordie Benn. The Canucks extended the lead as Pettersson scored his second of the season on the power play, with the help of Miller and Hughes. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on Motte's second goal of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Beagle. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Miller, Motte, and Pettersson, while Hughes and Beagle get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 14

A whopping 13 games today, with one postponement due to the Carolina Hurricanes' ongoing outbreak. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Brad Marchand shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on with a Nick Ritchie power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Marchand and McAvoy in the second period. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, passed from Jared McCann and Drew O'Connor. The Penguins tied it on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, via Evgeni Malkin and Zucker. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Craig smith goal, his second of the campaign, courtesy of David Krejci. The three stars were Marchand, Zucker, and McAvoy.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Linus Ullmark man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich. Buffalo tied it on a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Eric Staal and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Rangers took the lead with a K'Andre Miller goal, via Colin Blackwell and Brendan Lemieux. The Sabres retied it in the second period on a Tobias Rieder goal, his second of the season, helped along by Matt Irwin. Buffalo took the lead on a Jack Eichel power play goal, with assists provided by Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Dahlin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Eichel, Ullmark (28 for 30 in saves), and Rieder.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Scott Wedgewood are in the creases. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ivan Provorov and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on in the second period with another van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, via Provorov and Claude Giroux. New Jersey got on the board with a Michael McLeod goal, coming off of Miles Wood and Nathan Bastian. The Devils tied it on a Travis Zajac goal, his second of the season, assisted by Andreas Johnsson and Janne Kuokkanen. Philadelphia retook the lead in the third period on a Nolan Patrick goal, his second of the year, guided in by Giroux and Travis Konecny. The Flyers extended the lead as Joel Farabee scored his second of the season, thanks to Scott Laughton and Oskar Lindblom. Philadelphia padded the lead with an unassisted empty net goal by Provorov, his second of the year. New Jersey got one back with a Pavel Zacha goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Nicholas Merkley and Dmitry Kulikov. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being van Riemsdyk, Provorov, and Giroux.

In DC, the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Vitek Vanecek draw the starts in goal. Washington began in the first period with a John Carlson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. New York tied it on a Noah Dobson goal, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders took a lead in the second period with a Barzal goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retied it on a Daniel Sprong goal, fueled by Daniel Carr and Carlson. Washington took the lead in the third period with a Schultz goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Garnet Hathaway and Brenden Dillon. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Schultz, Carlson, and Barzal.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Kevin Stenlund goal, passed from Mikko Koivu and Dean Kukan. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alexandre Texier goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Boone Jenner. Florida got on the board with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his third of the year, helped along by Anthony Duclair and Alex Wennberg. The Panthers tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal in the second period, via Verhaeghe and Duclair. Columbus took the lead back in the third period with a shorthanded Cam Atkinson goal, set up Nick Foligno and David Savard. Florida tied it on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar. The tie went to a shootout, where Jonathan Huberdeau and Hornqvist topped Bjorkstrand for a 4-3 Panthers win. The three stars were Hornqvist, Verhaeghe, and Duclair.

In Nashville, the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Andrew Shaw and Dominik Kubalik. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Yakov Trenin goal, made possible by Mathieu Olivier. The Blackhawks retook the lead on an unassisted Mattias Janmark goal, his third of the year. The Predators tied it in the third period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nick Cousins and Mattias Ekholm. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime with a Roman Josi goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Josi, Granlund, and Trenin.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Darnell Nurse and James Neal. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Copp power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Adam Lowry and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Oilers retook the lead with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Patrick Russell. Edmonton added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Connor McDavid and Nurse. The Jets fired back on a Mathieu Perreault goal, made possible by Lowry and Ehlers. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with an Ehlers goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Paul Stastny and Copp. The Jets took the lead with a Stastny goal, his second of the year, fueled by Copp and Eglers. Winnipeg extended the lead as Lowry scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Derek Forbort and Neal Pionk. The Oilers pulled one back on a McDavid goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Nurse and Nugent-Hopkins. The Jets iced it at 6-4 with a Copp empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Mark Scheifele and Mason Appleton. The three stars were awarded to Copp, Ehlers, and Lowry, while Stastny, McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins and Nurse get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, assisted by Andreas Athanasiou and Jeff Carter. Minnesota tied it in the third period on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno. The Kings took the lead back with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his second of the year, via Trevor Moore and Sean Walker. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Petersen (32 for 33 in saves), Grundstrom, and MacDermid.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Anton Khudobin are the veterans in goal. Detroit drew first blood in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, passed from Taro Hirose and Givani Smith. Dallas tied it in the second period on a John Klingberg power play goal, powered by Denis Gurianov and Joe Pavelski. The Stars won 2-1 in overtime with a Jason Dickinson goal, guided in by Klingberg and Gurianov. The three stars were Klingberg, Khudobin (20 for 21 in saves), and Gurianov.

To Canada again, as the Calgary Flames host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Toronto started in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his second of the season, passed from Justin Holl and Jimmy Vesey. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his third of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Noah Hanifin. Toronto replied with a Travis Boyd goal, made possible by Pierre Engvall and Jake Muzzin. The Flames got one back with a Milan Lucic goal, via Juuso Valimaki and Mikael Backlund. Calgary tied it with Gaudreau's second goal of the game and third of the year, a power play goal helped along by Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Marner goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Matthews and Rielly. This stood for a 4-3 final score, with the three stars given to Marner, Gaudreau, and Matthews, while Rielly and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

South to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his third of the season, guided in by Kevin Labanc and Logan Couture. Colorado got on the board with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his third of the year, passed from Erik Johnson and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche took the lead with a Brandon Saad goal, his second of the season, made possible by Cale Makar and Andre Burakovsky. Colorado added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Makar. The Avalanche extended the lead in the second period as Nichushkin scored an unassisted shorthanded goal. Colorado padded the lead on a Samuel Girard goal, via Tyson Jost and Kiefer Sherwood. Devan Dubnyk replaced Jones in goal. The Sharks got one back with a Noah Gregor goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Dylan Gambrell and Timo Meier. The Avalanche responded with a Devon Toews goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado continued with another Saad goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri. San Jose got one back in the third period with a Couture goal, his third of the year, helped along by Donato and Labanc. The final held at 7-3, with the three stars handed to Saad, Nichushkin, and Makar, while Burakovsky, Couture, Donato, and Labanc get the honorable mentions.

Along to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper protect the nets. Anaheim got going in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, going in unassisted. This stood for a 1-0 final score, with the three stars handed to Gibson (31 save shutout), Heinen, and Kuemper (23 for 24 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Robin Lehner are the reliable goalies. Vegas opened in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his third of the season, via Keegan Kolesar and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis tied it on a David Perron goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues took the lead with a Perron power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Jaden Schwartz. St. Louis added on with a Schwartz goal, his second of the year, guided in by Brayden Schenn. The Golden Knights got one back in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mark Stone and Alec Martinez. The Blues countered with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas pulled one back in the third period with a Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, courtesy of Shea Theodore and Stone. The Golden Knights tied it on a Pacioretty goal to complete his hat trick with his sixth of the year, fueled by Martinez and Stone. In the shootout, Perron and Schenn struck for the Blues to top Theodore and the Golden Knights 5-4 in the game. The three stars belonged to Pacioretty, Perron, and Stone, while Martinez, Theodore, Schwartz, and Schenn get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 13

Just one game on tonight, with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Thatcher Demko are the goalies. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Brandon Sutter goal, his second of the season, coming off of Alexander Edler. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Motte goal, his third of the year, via Jay Beagle. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with an Austin Watson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Thomas Chabot and Mike Reilly. Vancouver replied with a Tanner Pearson goal, assisted by Nils Hoglander. The Canucks extended the lead on a Sutter shorthanded goal, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Antoine Roussel. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on a Quinn Hughes goal, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Pearson. The Canucks continued with an Olli Juolevi power play goal, powered by Pearson and Horvat. Vancouver struck again as Sutter completed his hat trick on his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final was 7-1, with the three stars going to Sutter, Demko (35 for 36 in saves), and Pearson, while Horvat gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 12

Eleven games on for a busy Sunday, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Kevin Lankinen are in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Pius Suter goal, assisted by Calvin de Haan and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a Suter power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Mattias Janmark and Dominik Kubalik. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek. Chicago responded on an unassisted Connor Murphy goal, his second of the year. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the third period as Janmark scored his second of the season, with the help of Kane and Murphy. The Red Wings answered with a Bertuzzi power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Bobby Ryan and Hronek. Chicago countered on a Suter goal to complete his hat trick, with helpers from Alex DeBrincat and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks finished it at 6-2 with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Suter, Bertuzzi, and Murphy, while Janmark, Kane, and Hronek get the honorable mentions. 

Along to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Vitek Vanecek are in the blue paint. Washington began in the first period with an unassisted Justin Schultz goal. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Colin Miller power play goal, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Casey Mittelstadt. The Capitals retook the lead on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his second of the season, fueled by Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. The Sabres tied it again on a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his third of the year, guided in by Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. Buffalo gained the lead in the third period with an Eric Staal power play goal, his second of the season, passed from Ristolainen and Miller. Washington retied it on a Backstrom power play goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jakub Vrana and John Carlson. The tie went to a shootout, where Eichel gave the Sabres a 4-3 win. The three stars were Ristolainen, Miller, and Eichel, while Backstrom and Schultz get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jacob Markstrom man the creases. Toronto opened in the first period with a Jake Muzzin goal, fueled by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his second of the season, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Johnny Gaudreau. The Maple Leafs regained the lead on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, powered by Marner and Rielly. Toronto added on in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jason Spezza and Rielly. The Flames got one back on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Rielly, Monahan, and Marner. 

The last matinee sees the Arizona Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, his second of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and Alex Tuch. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Fleury (16 save shutout), Karlsson, and Kuemper (26 for 27 in saves). 

Back east, the New Jersey Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Scott Wedgewood are the backups in goal. New Jersey started in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ty Smith and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils added on with a Pavel Zacha goal, assisted by Nikita Gusev and Smith. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Wedgewood (28 save shutout), Smith, and Hughes.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Tristan Jarry draw the starts in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Colin Blackwell goal, via Adam Fox and Brett Howden. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal in the second period, his second of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby. The Rangers retook the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, passed from Jacob Trouba and Artemi Panarin. The Penguins tied it on a Jared McCann goal in the third period, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kris Letang and Crosby. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Guentzel, Crosby, and McCann.

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Anton Khudobin are the masked men. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. The Stars added on in the second period with a Hintz power play goal, with assists provided by Pavelski and the goalie Khudobin. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. Dallas countered in the third period with a Pavelski power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Hintz and John Klingberg. The Predators got one back on a Mikael Granlund goal, fueled by Arvidsson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Pavelski, Hintz, and Arvidsson.

Back north, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Ville Husso in goal. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his third of the season, via Jordan Kyrou and Jaden Schwartz. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Iafallo power play goal, powered by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Carl Grundstrom goal, coming off of Trevor Moore. Los Angeles added on in the second period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his third of the year, made possible by Dustin Brown. The Kings extended the lead as Kopitar scored, with the help of Kempe and Kale Clague. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Lias Andersson goal, fueled by Kopitar and Matt Roy. The Blues got one back in the third period with a Schenn goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Colton Parayko and David Perron. St. Louis pulled closer on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, guided in by Kyrou. The Kings iced it at 6-3 with a Drew Doughty empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Kopitar, Schenn, and Kempe, while Kyrou gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, assisted by Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf and Jacob Larsson. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Nathan MacKinnon. Anaheim answered with a Hampus Lindholm empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Carter Rowney and Derek Grant. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Gibson (32 for 33 in saves), Rakell, and Silfverberg.

Northeast to Minnesota, as the Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Kaapo Kahkonen receive the starting nods in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Kirill Kaprizov. San Jose tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his second of the year, passed from Kevin Labanc and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks took the lead with an Evander Kane power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Timo Meier and Donato in the second period. San Jose added on with a Noah Gregor goal, via Mario Ferraro. The Wild got one back with a Nick Bjugstad goal, assisted by Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the year, coming off of Suter and Parise. San Jose took the lead back with a Brent Burns goal, his second of the season, guided in by Tomas Hertl. The Sharks iced it at 5-3 with a Matt Nieto empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Donato, Parise, and Suter.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Laurent Brossoit occupy the creases. Winnipeg got going in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Mathieu Perreault and Mason Appleton. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his third of the year, assisted by Connor McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers took the lead with a Kyle Turris goal, passed from Zack Kassian and James Neal. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Paul Stastny. Winnipeg took the lead on a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Edmonton tied it again with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his third of the season, fueled by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers won 4-3 with a last-second goal from Draisaitl, his third of the year, guided in by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 11

An unusually quiet Saturday has only five games, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, assisted by Mitchell Stephens and Alexander Volkov. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his third of the season, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Michael Del Zotto. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, passed from Kevin Stenlund and Nathan Gerbe. Columbus added on with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, fueled by Liam Foudy and Eric Robinson. The Lightning got one back with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Hedman. The Blue Jackets countered in the third period with a Zach Werenski goal, made possible by Alexandre Texier and Boone Jenner. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with a Robinson empty net goal, set up by Riley Nash and Seth Jones. The three stars were Robinson, Hedman, and Gavrikov. 

Next up, the Boston Bruins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nick Ritchie and David Krejci. Philadelphia tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal in the second period, his third of the year, courtesy of Jakub Voracek. The Bruins retook the lead with a Craig Smith goal, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Jeremy Lauzon. Boston added on with a Coyle goal, his second of the season, passed from Trent Frederic and Smith. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as Brad Marchand scored his second of year, with the help of Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk. Boston padded the lead on a Marchand power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with assists provided by Ritchie and Jakub Zboril. The Bruins continued with Bergeron's second of the game and third of the year on the power play, fueled by Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Bergeron, Marchand, and Ritchie, while Coyle and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Montreal led off in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brett Kulak and Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, made possible by Ben Chiarot and Tyler Toffoli. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with an Elias Pettersson goal, passed from Jordie Benn and Brock Boeser. The Canucks tied it with a Nils Hoglander goal, his second of the year, via Nate Schmidt and Bo Horvat. Montreal retook the lead with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens extended the lead as Drouin scored, thanks to Josh Anderson. Montreal iced it at 5-2 on a Joel Edmundson empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Drouin, Gallagher, and Perry.

Backtracking to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Torey Krug power play goal, powered by David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his third of the season, assisted by Alex Iafallo and Matt Roy. The Blues took the lead back with a Vince Dunn goal, guided in by Robert Thomas and Mike Hoffman. St. Louis added on with a Perron goal, with a lone helper from Thomas. The Kings got one back with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Blues iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz empty net goal, set up by Brayden Schenn and O'Reilly. The three stars were Perron, Thomas, and O'Reilly.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Adam Lowry. Ottawa tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal in the second period, coming off of Nick Paul and Erik Gudbranson. The Jets retook the lead with a Kyle Connor goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Senators retied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his second of the season, fueled by Josh Norris and Austin Watson. Ottawa pulled ahead with a Paul goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Artem Anisimov and Mike Reilly. Winnipeg retied it in the third period on an Andrew Copp goal, assisted by Paul Stastny and Ehlers. The Jets pulled ahead with a Stastny power play goal, with assists provided by Wheeler and Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Copp goal, his second of the game, guided in by Stastny and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets iced it at 6-3 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Connor and Wheeler. The three stars were awarded to Wheeler, Stastny, and Scheifele, while Ehlers, Copp, Connor, and Paul get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 10

We're into double-digit days. Friday's action is an eight-game slate, leading off with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Tristan Jarry make the starts in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, via Cody Ceci and Evgeni Malkin. New York tied it in the second period with a Filip Chytil goal, his second of the season, made possible by Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Rangers took the lead on an Adam Fox power play goal, powered by Artemi Panarin. New York added on with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Di Giuseppe and K'Andre Miller. The Penguins got one back with a Jared McCann power play goal, with assists provided by Evan Rodrigues and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Kasperi Kapanen. The tie went to a shootout, where Jake Guentzel and Letang tallied to give the Penguins a 4-3 win over Panarin and the Rangers. The three stars were Letang, Panarin, and Di Giuseppe. 

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Vitek Vanecek are in the creases. Buffalo began in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, made possible by Victor Olofsson. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his third of the season, assisted by Tom Wilson and Brenden Dillon. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on a Nic Dowd goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jakub Vrana and John Carlson. The Sabres retied it on a Dylan Cozens goal, going in unassisted. Washington pulled ahead again on a Vrana goal, his third of the season, coming off of Zdeno Chara and T.J. Oshie. Buffalo tied it again with a Riley Sheahan goal, passed from Jeff Skinner and Curtis Lazar. The tie went to a shootout, where Carlson had the lone tally for a 4-3 Capitals win. The three stars were Vrana, Carlson, and Cozens. 

Up north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Edmonton got going in the second period with a shorthanded Leon Draisaitl goal, his second of the season, set up by Kailer Yamamoto. Toronto tied it with an Adam Brooks power play goal, powered by Jason Spezza and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his second of the year, guided in by William Nylander and Alexander Kerfoot. The Oilers retied it in the third period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ethan Bear and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Toronto retook the lead with a John Tavares power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Mitchell Marner and Nylander. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted Marner empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Marner, Nylander, and Brooks. 

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Kevin Lankinen are set to start in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Calvin de Haan goal, via Strome and Ian Mitchell. Chicago extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Shaw scored on the power play, thanks to Kane and DeBrincat. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Marc Staal and Frans Nielsen. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Mattias Janmark, set up by Connor Murphy. The three stars belonged to Lankinen (30 for 31 in saves), Kane, and Strome, while DeBrincat gets an honorable mention. 

Up to Minnesota, as the Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Devan Dubnyk and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jordan Greenway and Ryan Hartman. San Jose tied it on a Matt Nieto goal, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Patrick Marleau. Kaapo Kahkonen relieved an injured Talbot to start the second period. The Wild retook the lead with a Zach Parise goal, fueled by Nick Bjugstad and Carson Soucy in the second period. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Kevin Fiala empty net goal, going in unassisted. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Greenway empty net goal, set up by Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno. The three stars were Eriksson Ek, Greenway, and Kahkonen (17 for 17 in saves in relief). 

Down south, the Dallas Stars welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Anton Khudobin are between the pipes. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, powered by Alexander Radulov and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on with a Radulov power play goal, with a lone assist by Pavelski. Dallas extended the lead as Denis Gurianov scored on the power play, thanks to John Klingberg and Roope Hintz. The Stars padded the lead on Radulov's second goal of the game, courtesy of Joel Kiviranta and Pavelski. Dallas continued with a shorthanded and unassisted Esa Lindell goal. Pekka Rinne replaced Saros to start the third period. The Stars struck again in the third period on Pavelski's second power play goal of the game, fueled by Hintz and Klingberg. Dallas kept going with a Kiviranta power play goal, with helpers from Klingberg and Jason Dickinson. The final was 7-0, with the three stars awarded to Khudobin (34 save shutout), Pavelski, and Radulov, while Klingberg, Kiviranta and Hintz get the honorable mentions.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, powered by Conor Garland. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Shea Theodore goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Derick Brassard goal, made possible by Tyler Pitlick and Dvorak. Arizona added on with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Garland and Drake Caggiula. The Coyotes extended the lead in the third period as Garland scored his second of the season, thanks to Caggiula and Schmaltz. The Golden Knights got one back with a Cody Glass power play goal, with assists provided by Mark Stone and Theodore. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Jordan Oesterle power play empty net goal, set up by Lawson Crouse. The three stars were Garland, Schmaltz, and Dvorak, while Caggiula and Theodore get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and John Gibson guard the cages. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Samuel Girard and Devon Toews. Anaheim tied it on a Hampus Lindholm goal in the second period, coming off of Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The Avalanche retook the lead in the third period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Bowen Byram and Gabriel Landeskog. The Ducks tied it again with an Adam Henrique goal, passed from Danton Heinen and Jakob Silfverberg. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Landeskog goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Cale Makar. The three stars were Landeskog, Rantanen, and Donskoi. 

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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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