NHL 2021 - Day 21

There's eight games on today after a couple of postponements in the east. We begin with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jake Allen are the backups in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with another Anderson goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Brett Kulak and Suzuki. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, courtesy of Jay Beagle and Quinn Hughes. Montreal responded with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens extended the lead as Toffoli scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shea Weber. The Canucks got one back in the third period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Hughes. Vancouver got closer on a Tanner Pearson goal, his third of the year, passed from Brock Boeser and Hughes. Montreal iced it at 5-3 with a Petry empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Toffoli. The three stars were Toffoli, Anderson, and Petry, while Suzuki and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on in the second period with a Pavelski power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Klingberg. Columnubs got on the board with a Seth Jones power play goal, with assists provided by Jack Roslovic and Nick Foligno. Dallas replied on a Benn goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pavelski. The Stars extended the lead as Denis Gurianov scored his fourth of the year on the power play, thanks to Alexander Radulov and Roope Hintz. Dallas padded the lead on a Radek Faksa goal, made possible by Blake Comeau and Andrew Cogliano. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his second of the season, helped along by Eric Robinson. Columbus got closer with a Dean Kukan goal, via Grigorenko and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Stars shot back on a Radulov empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Pavelski and Benn. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Benn, and Klingberg, while Radulov and Grigorenko get the honorable mentions.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Kevin Lankinen are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jordan Staal and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes added on with a Foegele goal, via Staal and Brady Skjei. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks tied it with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Alex DeBrincat. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Brett Pesce. Chicago retied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by DeBrincat and Kubalik. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in the shootout with a Svechnikov tally. The three stars were Staal, Svechnikov, and DeBrincat, while Kubalik gets an honorable mention.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tyler Pitlick and Drake Caggiula. St. Louis tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his second of the year, via Colton Parayko and Sammy Blais. The Blues took the lead in the second period on a Justin Faulk goal, his third of the season, coming off of Blais and Vince Dunn. The Coyotes retied it with a Dvorak goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Phil Kessel on the power play. St. Louis reclaimed the lead with a Dunn goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues added on in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kyrou and Parayko. Arizona got one back with a Schmaltz goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Conor Garland and Kessel. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Dunn, Dvorak, and Kyrou, while Parayko, Blais, Schmaltz, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Laurent Brossoit receive the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Trevor Lewis shorthanded goal, set up by Mason Appleton. The Jets added on with a Derek Forbort goal, assisted by Neal Pionk and Andrew Copp. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm. Winnipeg replied with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Dylan DeMelo and Mark Scheifele. The Flames got one back in the third period on a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Tkachuk, Ehlers, and Brossoit (28 for 30 in saves).

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Logan O'Connor goal, his second of the season, guided in by Kiefer Sherwood and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his second of the year, via Joonas Donskoi in the second period. Minnesota got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Gerald Mayhew. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Grubauer (27 for 28 in saves), Nichushkin, and O'Connor.

In Canada once more, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg and Mikko Koskinen are in the blue paint. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his third of the season, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, coming off of McDavid and Barrie. Edmonton extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period on a Puljujarvi goal, his second of the game, fueled by Evan Bouchard and Kris Russell. Ottawa got on the board with a Cedric Paquette goal, courtesy of Thomas Chabot and Austin Watson. The Senators got closer with a Tim Stutzle goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, helped along by Derek Stepan and Artem Zub. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Puljujarvi, McDavid, and Barrie.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Sam Steel. The Ducks added on in the second period with a David Backes goal, fueled by Carter Rowney and Nicolas Deslauriers. Los Angeles got on the board with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, assisted by Michael Amadio and Drew Doughty. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with a Deslauriers empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gibson (20 for 21 in saves), Deslauriers, and Petersen (40 for 42 in saves). 

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NHL 2021 - Day 20

There's five games on this Monday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Igor Shesterkin are the goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his third of the season, assisted by Chad Ruhwedel and Evgeni Malkin. New York tied it on a Kevin Rooney goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers took the lead with a Chris Kreider goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Adam Fox and Panarin. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Panarin empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Ryan Strome. The three stars were Panarin, Kreider, and Shesterkin (25 for 26 in saves). 

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal started in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his third of the season, coming off of Josh Anderson and Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens added on with a shorthanded an unassisted Artturi Lehkonen goal, his second of the year. Vancouver got on the board with an Adam Gaudette goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal shot back with a Jeff Petry goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Paul Byron and Lehkonen. The Canadiens extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Suzuki. Montreal padded the lead on a Petry goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Corey Perry and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Canadiens continued with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Shea Weber and Petry. The Canucks got one back with a Jay Beagle goal, helped along by Tyler Motte and Alexander Edler in the third period. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Petry, Lehkonen, and Suzuki. 

Way south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Steven Stamkos and Jan Rutta. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his second of the year, passed from Tyler Johnson and Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his third of the season, thanks to Mathieu Joseph and Pat Maroon. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period with a Stamkos power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. Nashville got on the board in the third period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, made possible by Erik Haula. The Predators pulled closer with a Mikael Granlund goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Gourde empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Barclay Goodrow. The three stars belonged to Stamkos, Gourde, and Point. 

Backtracking to DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Vitek Vanecek patrol the creases. Washington began in the first period with a Zdeno Chara goal, his second of the season, coming off of Garnet Hathaway and Nic Dowd. The Capitals added on with a Daniel Sprong goal, his second of the year, assisted by Jakub Vrana and Nick Jensen. Washington extended the lead in the second period with a Josh Carlson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Vrana. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak goal, guided in by Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins got closer with another Pastrnak goal in the third period, fueled by Jakub Zboril and Charlie McAvoy. Boston tied it as Craig Smith scored his third of the year, thanks to Jeremy Lauzon and Nick Ritchie. The Bruins took the lead with a Carlo goal, his second of the season, helped along by Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner. Boston iced it at 5-3 with a Marchand empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by David Krejci. The three stars went to Pastrnak, Carlo, and Marchand, while Vrana gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a Connor power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Josh Morrissey and Wheeler. Calgary got on the board with a Christopher Tanev goal, helped along by Elias Lindholm. The Flames tied it in the third period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Juuso Valimaki and Lindholm. Calgary took the lead on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, fueled by Noah Hanifin and Matthew Tkachuk. Winnipeg retied it on a Scheifele goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Neal Pionk and Wheeler. The tie went to a shootout, where Sean Monahan and Gaudreau lifted the Flames 4-3 over Connor and the Jets. The three stars were Gaudreau, Connor, and Wheeler, while Scheifele and Lindholm get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 19

We've got eight games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. Eric Comrie and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Michael McLeod goal, his second of the season, passed from P.K. Subban and Ryan Murray. The Devils added on with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Ty Smith. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his third of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe. The Sabres tied it on a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, powered by Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel. New Jersey retook the lead with a Miles Wood goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Janne Kuokkanen. Buffalo retied it in the third period with a Ristolainen power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Olofsson and Eichel. The Devils regained the lead on a McLeod goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Wood and Nathan Bastian. New Jersey iced it at 5-3 with a Wood empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, set up by Pavel Zacha and Damon Severson. The three stars went to Wood, McLeod, and Ristolainen, while Eichel and Olofsson get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Thomas Greiss are set to start in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Givani Smith. Florida tied it on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Yandle and Huberdeau. Florida added on in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Aleksander Barkov and Markus Nutivaara. The Red Wings got one back with an Anthony Mantha goal, his third of the season, made possible by Bobby Ryan and Filip Hronek. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Yandle, Huberdeau, and Verhaeghe.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and James Reimer are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Sebastian Aho. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jamie Benn. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Brock McGinn shorthanded goal, set up by Staal and Brady Skjei. The Stars tied it again in the third period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his second of the year, made possible by Blake Comeau and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas pulled ahead on a Benn goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov and the goalie Khudobin. Carolina tied it again with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brett Pesce. In the shootout, Hamilton and Vincent Trocheck lifted the Hurricanes 4-3 over Radulov and the Stars. The three stars were Staal, Benn, and Hamilton. 

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Kevin Lankinen are the goalies. Chicago began in the first period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his third of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Mattias Janmark. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his third of the year, fueled by Jack Roslovic and Liam Foudy. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period with a Pius Suter goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago added on with a Kane goal, his fourth of the year, via Kurashev. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Kane, Kurashev, and Lankinen (32 for 33 in saves). 

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Brian Elliott receive the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his third of the season, via James van Riemsdyk. New York tied it in the second period with a Nick Leddy power play goal, powered by Josh Bailey and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Flyers retook the lead on a Farabee goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, courtesy of van Riemsdyk and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia added on with a Farabee goal to complete his hat trick with his fifth of the season, made possible by Philippe Myers and van Riemsdyk. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Bailey goal, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Mathew Barzal. New York tied it as Barzal scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Anders Lee. The flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Claude Giroux and Ivan Provorov. The three stars were handed to Farabee, van Riemsdyk, and Barzal, while Bailey gets an honorable mention. 

West again to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Hunter Miska and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Minnesota tied it on a Jordan Greenway goal, his second of the year, passed from Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Victor Rask goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. The Avalanche retied it on a Cale Makar goal, via MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. Colorado pulled ahead in the third period on a Brandon Saad goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Nazem Kadri. Minnesota tied it again with a Rask goal, his second of the game and third of the season, fueled by Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Jonas Brodin goal, his second of the year, set up by Greenway and Eriksson Ek. The three stars were Rask, Greenway, and MacKinnon, while Eriksson Ek gets an honorable mention.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks host the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Justin Faulk and Torey Krug. The Blues took the lead on a Sammy Blais goal, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Robert Thomas. St. Louis added on in the third period with a Schenn power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. The Blues extended the lead as Colton Parayko scored, thanks to Niko Mikkola and Thomas. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Schenn, Thomas, and Husso (25 for 26 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Stuart Skinner are the alliterative goalies. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Dominik Kahun goal, his second of the season, via Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a James Neal power play goal, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. Ottawa got on the board with a Colin White goal, passed from Evgenii Dadonov and Nick Paul. Edmonton replied with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, with assists provided by Draisaitl and McDavid. Marcus Hogberg replaced Murray in goal. The Oilers extended the lead as Neal scored his second of the game, with the help of Kyle Turris. Edmonton padded the lead with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by McDavid and Draisaitl. The Senators got one back on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Connor Brown and Artem Zub. Ottawa got closer with a Drake Batherson power play goal, with helpers from Mike Reilly and Tkachuk. The Oilers shot back in the second period with a McDavid power play goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton continued with a Darnell Nurse goal, his second of the season, dished from McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers kept going with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Draisaitl and Barrie. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his second of the season, fueled by White and Josh Norris. Ottawa pulled closer on an Austin Watson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Erik Gudbranson and Chris Tierney. The final stood from here at 8-5, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Neal, Barrie, White, and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 18

We've got 12 games on for Saturday, with just one matinee in store. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood and Linus Ullmark play in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with an Eric Staal goal, his third of the season, via Taylor Hall and Brandon Montour. New Jersey tied it on a Ty Smith power play goal, his second of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Pavel Zacha. The Devils took the lead in the third period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, guided in by Jack Hughes and Damon Severson. The Sabres retied it on a Tobias Rieder goal, his third of the season, made possible by Cody Eakin and Colin Miller. Buffalo retook the lead on a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Dahlin and Hall. New Jersey retied it on a Janne Kuokkanen goal, passed from Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian. The Sabres won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Jack Eichel. The three stars were Hall, Olofsson, and Kuokkanen. 

At the regular time, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Thomas Greiss are set to start in goal. Florida began in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his second of the year, passed from Vladislav Namestnikov and Taro Hirose. The Red Wings took the lead on a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Troy Stecher and Marc Staal. The Panthers tied it again with a Keith Yandle power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Patric Hornqvist and Barkov. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with an Aleksi Heponiemi goal, set up by Anthony Duclair. The three stars went to Barkov, Heponiemi, and Yandle.

Out in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Dominik Kahun goal, via Leon Draisaitl. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Ilya Mikheyev. The Oilers retook the lead with a Josh Archibald goal, his second of the year, coming off of Connor McDavid and Tyler Ennis. Edmonton added on with a McDavid power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie. The Maple Leafs got one back on an Auston Matthews goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Jake Muzzin. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman power play goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Tavares and Mikko Lehtonen. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, fueled by Draisaitl and Barrie.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Petr Mrazek make the starts in goal, but James Reimer replaced Mrazek early in the first period. Carolina opened with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his third of the season, assisted by Martin Necas and Steven Lorentz. The Hurricanes added on with another Trocheck goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal. Carolina extended the lead as Andrei Svechnikov scored his fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Aho and Trocheck. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Necas and Jake Gardiner. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg and Denis Gurianov. The final stood from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Trocheck, Aho, and Necas.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen patrol the creases. Calgary started in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames won 2-0 with a Mikael Backlund empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Lindholm in the third period. The three stars were Markstrom (37 save shutout), Gaudreau, and Lindholm.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Kasperi Kapanen. New York tied it on a Brendan Lemieux goal, via Phillip Di Giuseppe and Ryan Lindgren. The Penguins took the lead back with a Brandon Tanev goal, his third of the year, passed from Joseph and Teddy Blueger. The Rangers retied it in the second period with a Kevin Rooney shorthanded goal, set up by K'Andre Miller and Ryan Strome. Pittsburgh replied with a Kapanen goal, his second of the season, fueled by Evgeni Malkin. New York tied it again on a Chris Kreider goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jacob Trouba and Miller. The Rangers took the lead with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Tony DeAngelo. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Cody Ceci and John Marino. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Joseph and Bryan Rust. The three stars were Joseph, Kapanen, and Miller.

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Carter Hart guard the cages. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his second of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Scott Laughton. The Flyers added on with a Kevin Hayes goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Ivan Provorov. New York got one back in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his third of the season, fueled by Adam Pelech and Brock Nelson. The Islanders tied it on a Scott Mayfield goal, passed from Nick Leddy and Mathew Barzal. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Laughton goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Laughton, Hayes, and Voracek.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Nashville Predators. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Ryan Ellis power play goal, powered by Nick Cousins and Filip Forsberg. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Tyler Johnson power play goal, with a lone assist by Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning took the lead on a Callan Foote goal, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay added on with a Victor Hedman goal, his second of the season, assisted by Cirelli and Alex Killorn. The Lightning extended the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his third of the year on the power play, with the help of Hedman and Point. The Predators pulled one back in the third period with a Mathieu Olivier power play goal, with assists provided by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. Nashville got closer with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Forsberg. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hedman, Cirelli, and Point, while Forsberg gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Vitek Vanecek receive the starting nods in goal. Washington drew first blood in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, via Brenden Dillon and Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Richard Panik scored a power play goal, powered by Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin. Boston got on the board with a Nick Ritchie power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins got one back with a Brad Marchand goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, helped along by Charlie McAvoy and Bergeron. Boston tied it on a McAvoy goal, passed from David Pastrnak and Bergeron. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the campaign, courtesy of Backstrom and John Carlson. The three stars were Ovechkin, Bergeron, and Backstrom, while McAvoy gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Minnesota Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Kaapo Kahkonen are in the blue paint. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Logan O'Connor goal, via Samuel Girard and Cale Makar. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jonas Brodin and Jordan Greenway. The Avalanche took the lead with a Joonas Donskoi power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Brandon Saad and Andre Burakovsky. Colorado added on in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Saad scored his fourth of the year, thanks to MacKinnon and Rantanen. Colorado padded the lead as J.T. Compher scored a power play goal, with the help of Burakovsky and Girard. This held for a 5-1 win, with the three stars being Rantanen, Saad, and Girard, while MacKinnon and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Anaheim, as the Ducks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and John Gibson tend the twines. St. Louis dented the scoresheet in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his fourth of the season, via Braden Schenn and Torey Krug. The Blues added on with a Zach Sanford goal, coming off of David Perron and Colton Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead as Kyrou scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, thanks to Schenn and Jaden Schwartz. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson in goal. Anaheim got on the board with a Max Jones goal, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The Blues responded in the second period with a Perron goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Ryan O'Reilly. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues continued with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Kyrou. The final remained at 6-1, with the three stars awarded to Kyrou, Perron, and Sanford, while Schenn gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Vancouver lit the lamp in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Alexander Edler and Elias Pettersson. Winnipeg tied it on a Mason Appleton goal, passed from Adam Lowry. The Canucks retook the lead on a Nils Hoglander goal, his third of the year, coming off of Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Zack MacEwen goal, courtesy of Jordie Benn and J.T. Miller. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Boeser empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Nate Schmidt. The three stars were handed to Boeser, Demko (23 for 24 in saves), and Hoglander. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 17

Just one game on today, as the Chicago Blackhawks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Kevin Lankinen man the nets. Columbus began in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Cam Atkinson and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with an Eric Robinson goal, his second of the year, via Bjorkstrand. Chicago got on the board with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Patrick Kane and Dominik Kubalik. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Bjorkstrand, Korpisalo (31 for 32 in saves), and Robinson. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 16

It's another 13-game day in the league, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jaroslav Halak make the starts. Boston began in the first period with a Chris Wagner unassisted goal. Pittsburgh tied it on a Cody Ceci goal, via Bryan Rust and Teddy Blueger. The Bruins took the lead back with a Sean Kuraly goal, assisted by Anders Bjork. Boston added on in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins extended the lead as Bergeron scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. This stood for a 4-1 final score, with the three stars handed to Bergeron, Halak (16 for 17 in saves), and Kuraly.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Linus Ullmark man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his second of the season, guided in by Artemi Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Sam Reinhart. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Panarin goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres retied it in the third period on a Reinhart power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Victor Olofsson. New York won 3-2 in overtime with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, coming off of Colin Blackwell. The three stars were Panarin, Lafreniere, and Reinhart.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Petr Mrazek get the starting nods in goal. Carolina won 1-0 in overtime with a Martin Necas goal, assisted by Jordan Staal and Dougie Hamilton. The three stars were Mrazek (32 save shutout), Necas, and Vasilevskiy (35 for 36 in saves).

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Carey Price are the goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Corey Perry and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Canadiens added on with a Shea Weber power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Jonathan Drouin. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Josh Anderson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Kotkaniemi and Drouin. The Canadiens padded the lead on a shorthanded goal by Tyler Toffoli, his sixth of the year, set up by Nick Suzuki. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Milan Lucic goal, his second of the year, passed from Sam Bennett and Derek Ryan. The Flames got closer with a Rasmus Andersson power play goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Anderson, Drouin, and Kotkaniemi.

Stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, via Ryan Murray. Philadelphia tied it on a Nate Prosser goal, passed from Erik Gustafsson and Kevin Hayes. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Michael Raffl goal, his second of the season, made possible by Connor Bunnaman and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Philadelphia added on with a Claude Giroux goal, assisted by Gustafsson and Jakub Voracek. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Gustafsson, Hart (33 for 34 in saves), and Raffl.

To DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Vitek Vanecek are between the pipes. New York struck first in the first period with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, coming off of Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, fueled by Cal Clutterbuck. New York extended the lead as Anders Lee scored his third of the season on the power play, thanks to Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, passed from John Carlson and Brenden Dillon. The Capitals got closer with another Sheary goal, his second of the game, assisted by Zdeno Chara and Richard Panik. Washington tied it on a Garnet Hathaway goal, his second of the year, guided in by Carl Hagelin and Nic Dowd. The Capitals took the lead with a Carlson power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington padded the lead on a Chara goal, made possible by Schultz and Michael Sgarbossa. The Capitals iced at 6-3 with a Tom Wilson empty net power play goal, his fourth of the year, set up by T.J. Oshie and Backstrom. The three stars were Sheary, Carlson, and Chara, while Schultz and Backstrom get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Elvis Merzlikins are the backups in goal. Columbus was first to score in the first period on a Mikko Koivu goal, made possible by Eric Robinson and Dean Kukan. Florida tied it in the second period on a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Anthony Duclair. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the third period with a Max Domi power play goal, assisted by Zach Werenski. The Panthers retied it with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his second of the year, guided in by Anton Stralman and Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets won 3-2 in the shootout on a lone tally by Alexandre Texier. The three stars were Domi, Koivu, and Merzlikins (33 for 35 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Kaapo Kahkonen patrol the creases. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nick Bonino and Carson Soucy. The Wild added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota extended the lead as Kirill Kaprizov scored his second of the season, with the help of Johansson and Ian Cole. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings got closer with a Doughty power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Kopitar and Michael Amadio. The Wild responded with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jonas Brodin and Zach Parise. Minnesota continued in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brodin and Jordan Greenway. Los Angeles got one back with an Alex Iafallo goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Brown and Kale Clague. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Johansson, Doughty, and Brown, while Kopitar and Brodin get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Jake Oettinger get the starting nods in goal. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tanner Kero and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on in the second period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, coming off of Justin Dowling and Denis Gurianov. Detroit got on the board with a Valtteri Filppula goal, via Troy Stecher and Bobby Ryan. Dallas replied with a Gurianov goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Thomas Greiss replaced Bernier in goal. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Jamie Oleksiak scored, thanks to Heiskanen and Kero. The Red Wings got one back with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Filip Hronek and Dylan Larkin. Detroit pulled closer with a Danny DeKeyser goal, courtesy of Michael Rasmussen and Christian Djoos. Dallas responded on a Ty Dellandrea power play goal, helped along by Heiskanen and Alexander Radulov. The Stars padded the lead with a Dowling empty net goal, set up by Jason Dickinson and Gurianov. Dallas iced it at 7-3 with a John Klingberg goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Dellandrea. The three stars were Gurianov, Heiskanen, and Dellandrea, while Dowling and Kero get the honorable mentions.

Over in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jakob Siflverberg goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jakob Chychrun and Derick Brassard. The Coyotes took the lead with a Conor Garland goal, his third of the season, passed from Jordan Oesterle and Clayton Keller. The Ducks tied it with a Danton Heinen power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Max Comtois and Cam Fowler. Arizona pulled ahead with Dvorak's second goal of the game and third of the season, a power play goal helped along by Phil Kessel and Nick Schmaltz. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Dvorak, Heinen, and Garland.

Next up, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Devan Dubnyk and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Colorado got going in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brandon Saad and Joonas Donskoi. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his third of the year, via Kadri and Saad. Colorado extended the lead as Kadri scored his second goal of the game on the power play, his third of the year, powered by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars given to Kadri, Grubauer (21 save shutout), and Saad.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, via Travis Boyd. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander goal, his third of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Spezza. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse in the second period. The Oilers tied it in the third period with another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, guided in by McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Toronto retook the lead with a power play goal by Wayne Simmonds, his third of the year, with assists provided by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. Edmonton tied it again with a Zack Kassian goal, coming off of Kyle Turris and Adam Larsson. The Maple Leafs reclaimed the lead on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by T.J. Brodie and Alexander Kerfoot. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Spezza, Draisaitl, and McDavid.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with an Elias Pettersson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Boeser and Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Boeser scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, with the help of Pettersson and the goalie Holtby. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks responded in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nils Hoglander. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars given to Boeser, Pettersson, and Hughes. 

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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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