NHL 2021 - Day 55

Six games on for Monday's schedule, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kaapo Kahkonen guard the cages. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Victor Rask. The Wild iced it at 2-0 with a Jonas Brodin empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Joel Eriksson Ek in the third period. The three stars were Kahkonen (26 save shutout), Fiala, and Fleury (20 for 21 in saves). 

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Philipp Grubauer man the nets. Arizona began in the first period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his seventh of the year, via Keller and Alex Goligoski. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nazem Kadri and Ryan Graves. The Avalanche tied it with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Samuel Girard and Mikko Rantanen. Antti Raanta replaced an injured Kuemper in the third period. Arizona took the lead back in the third period with a Johan Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ekman-Larsson and Phil Kessel. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Keller, Ekman-Larsson, and Larsson.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Joey Daccord and Mikko Koskinen are the backups in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Thomas Chabot and Nikita Zaitsev. Edmonton tied it on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by McDavid and the goalie Koskinen. Edmonton added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his eleventh of the year, assists by Kyle Turris and Tyson Barrie. The Senators got one back with a Tim Stutzle goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Chabot and Colin White. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Draisaitl, McDavid, and Chabot. 

To California, as the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Devan Dubnyk get the starts in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Niko Mikkola goal, via Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, coming off of Ryan Donato and Patrick Marleau. The Blues retook the lead with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by David Perron and O'Reilly. The Sharks retied it in the third period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Donato and Rudolfs Balcers. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with an Evander Kane goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Erik Karlsson. The three stars were Donato, Kane, and O'Reilly.

Further south, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his second of the season, guided in by Isac Lundestrom. Los Angeles tied it with an Adrian Kempe goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Blake Lizotte and Trevor Moore. The Ducks took the lead back on a Rickard Rakell goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Max Comtois and Ryan Getzlaf. The Kings tied it again in the second period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Carl Grundstrom. Anaheim regained the lead on a Ben Hutton goal, assisted by Comtois and Rakell. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Adam Henrique and Jacob Larsson. Los Angeles fired back with a Kempe power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Anaheim responded on a Rakell goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, fueled by Comtois. The Kings pulled one back with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a Kempe goal to complete his hat trick with his ninth of the season, with helpers from Doughty and Matt Roy. The Ducks won 6-5 in overtime with a Henrique goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Trevor Zegras and Shattenkirk. The three stars belonged to Kempe, Henrique, and Rakell, while Comtois, Shattenkirk, Kopitar and Doughty get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Thatcher Demko are the masked men. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jeff Petry power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Vancouver tied it on an Adam Gaudette goal, his third of the year, guided in by Bo Horvat and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Horvat. The three stars were Horvat, Demko (29 for 30 in saves), and Price (28 for 29 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 54

There's eight games on to celebrate Hockey Day in America. First up...

The New York Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres. Jonas Johansson and Ilya Sorokin are the backups in goal. New York got going in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Noah Dobson. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Oliver Wahlstrom and Nick Leddy. New York extended the lead as Casey Cizikas scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Adam Pelech. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, via Curtis Lazar and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres got closer with a Colin Miller goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall. The Islanders fired back on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his third of the season, assisted by Matt Martin. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Nelson empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Ryan Pulock. The three stars were Nelson, Cizikas, and Clutterbuck. 

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kevin Lankinen are in the blue paint. Chicago led off in the first period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Carl Soderberg. The Blackhawks added on with a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Dominik Kubalik and Patrick Kane. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Pius Suter scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Janmark. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning got closer with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Erik Cernak. Tampa Bay tied it as Hedman scored on the power play, his fifth goal of the year, thanks to Brayden Point and Palat. The Lightning pulled ahead on a Gourde power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, courtesy of Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay padded the lead with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Gourde and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning struck again on a Pat Maroon power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Gourde and Mathieu Joseph. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Gourde, Palat, and Hedman, while Janmark gets an honorable mention. 

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, via Martin Necas and Sebastian Aho. Florida got on the board with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Noel Acciari. Carolina answered in the third period with an Aho goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Warren Foegele scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Brock McGinn. The Panthers got one back with a Mason Marchment goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Aho, Foegele, and Niederreiter.

Up in Boston, the Bruins bring in the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Pavel Zacha and P.K. Subban. This held for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Wedgewood (40 save shutout), Palmieri, and Rask (24 for 25 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Carter Hart are the masked men. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Joel Farabee goal, his eleventh of the season, via Sean Couturier. Washington tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of T.J. Oshie and Zdeno Chara. The Capitals took the lead on a Dmitry Orlov goal, his second of the campaign, passed from John Carlson and Jakub Vrana. Washington added on in the third period with a Nick Jensen goal, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Samsonov (36 for 37 in saves), Orlov, and Oshie.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Casey DeSmith are between the pipes. New York started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his third of the season, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich and Jacob Trouba. Pittsburgh tied it with a John Marino goal, helped along by Kasperi Kapanen and Evan Rodrigues. The Penguins took the lead with a Kapanen goal, his sixth of the year, via Jared McCann and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. Keith Kinkaid replaced Georgiev in goal. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Malkin scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Kapanen and Marcus Pettersson. Pittsburgh capped it at 5-1 with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his fifth of the campaign, guided in by Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev. The three stars were Kapanen, Malkin, and DeSmith (23 for 24 in saves). 

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jake Oettinger get the starting nods in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Eeli Tolvanen. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Tolvanen scored his fifth of the season on the power play, with the help of Roman Josi and Forsberg. Dallas got on the board with a Radek Faksa goal, his third of the year, via Jason Robertson and Esa Lindell. The Stars got closer with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Denis Gurianov and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas tied it as Robertson scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Forsberg and Josi lifted the Predators 4-3 over Robertson and the Stars. The three stars went to Tolvanen, Forsberg, and Robertson, while Josi and Heiskanen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Thomas Chabot. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Chris Tierney and Mike Reilly. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Mark Giordano goal, his third of the season, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Nikita Nesterov. Ottawa shot back with a Colin White goal, his seventh of the year, via Nick Paul and Nikita Zaitsev. The Flames pulled one back with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary tied it on a Noah Hanifin goal, his second of the year, helped along by Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm. In the shootout, the Senators won 4-3 with tallies by Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson overpowering Matthew Tkachuk. The three stars were Matthew Tkachuk, White, and Hanifin. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 53

There's 12 games on this Saturday, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Scott Laughton. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins took the lead with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Guentzel and Crosby. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Ivan Provorov and Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his third of the season, coming off of Laughton and Jakub Voracek. Pittsburgh tied it again with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brandon Tanev. The Penguins pulled ahead in the third period with a Jared McCann goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Tanev and Malkin. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Malkin, Konecny, and Crosby, while Guentzel, Tanev, and Laughton get the honorable mentions.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and MacKenzie Blackwood play in goal. New York opened in the first period with an Adam Fox goal, his second of the season, coming off of the goalie Georgiev. The Rangers added on with a Ryan Strome goal, his seventh of the year, via Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko. New Jersey got on the board with a P.K. Subban goal, his second of the season, guided in by Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt. The Devils tied it on a Mikhail Maltsev goal, his third of the year, helped along by Nathan Bastian and Yegor Sharangovich. New York retook the lead with a Kevin Rooney goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Filip Chytil and Julien Gauthier. The Rangers extended the lead as Libor Hajek scored, thanks to Pavel Buchnevich and K'Andre Miller. New York padded the lead with a Chytil goal in the third period, his third of the year, courtesy of Gauthier. New Jersey pulled one back on a Bastian goal, his second of the season, made possible by Travis Zajac and Bratt. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 with a Strome empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Fox. The three stars were Fox, Strome, and Chytil, while Gauthier, Bastian, and Bratt get the honorable mentions.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jacob Bryson goal, via Brandon Montour and Jack Eichel. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Scott Mayfield. The Islanders took the lead with a Brock Nelson goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Anthony Beauvillier and Ryan Pulock. New York added on with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Matt Martin and Adam Pelech. The Islanders extended the lead as Mayfield scored his second of the year, thanks to Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson. New York responded on an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Noah Dobson and Barzal. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Barzal, Mayfield and Clutterbuck.

The last matinee sees the Nashville Predators host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Nashville began in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. Florida tied it on an unassisted Aaron Ekblad goal, his ninth of the year. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Patric Hornqvist and Radko Gudas. Florida added on with a Noel Acciari goal, via Ekblad and Frank Vatrano. The Panthers extended the lead as Acciari scored again, thanks to Keith Yandle. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his third of the year, passed from Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. Florida replied in the third period with a Vatrano goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers iced it at 6-2 with an Acciari goal to complete his hat trick, fueled by Yandle and Huberdeau. The three stars were Acciari, Ekblad, and Huberdeau, while Vatrano, Yandle, and Forsberg get the honorable mentions. 

At the regular time, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Toffoli goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Shea Weber. Montreal extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens padded the lead another Gallagher goal, his second of the game tenth of the year, via Danault and Tatar. Laurent Brossoit replaced Hellebuyck in goal. Montreal continued with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Drouin and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens kept going in the third period with a Paul Byron goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jake Evans. Montreal struck again with a Jeff Petry goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Tatar and Gallagher. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk. This only made it 7-1, the final, with the three stars going to Gallagher, Toffoli, and Tatar, while Danault gets an honorable mention.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and Zach Parise. The Wild added on with a Jordan Greenway goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, fueled by Conor Garland and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Johan Larsson and Derick Brassard. Arizona took the lead with a Garland power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brassard and Clayton Keller in the third period. The Coyotes extended the lead as Tyler Pitlick scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Niklas Hjalmarsson and Keller. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Pitlick empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Hjalmarsson and Christian Dvorak. The three stars were Garland, Pitlick, and Brassard, while Keller and Hjalmarsson get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Thatcher Demko man the nets. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat. Toronto tied it on a John Tavares goal, his eighth of the year, via Alexander Kerfoot and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by T.J. Brodie and Jason Spezza. The Canucks tied it in the third period with a Horvat power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Boeser and Miller. Vancouver went ahead on a Miller goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Boeser and Alexander Edler. The Canucks added on with a Nils Hoglander goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Nate Schmidt. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Miller, Boeser, and Horvat.

Southeast to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Andrej Sekera. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Miro Heiskanen scored his second of the season in the second period, thanks to Nick Caamano and Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars padded the lead in the third period with a Hintz goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Joel Kiviranta and Joel Hanley. Dallas kept going with a Radek Faksa shorthanded goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Comeau. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Hintz, Oettinger (21 save shutout), and Dickinson.

Backtracking to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Hunter Miska are the backups in goal. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Sam Steel. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Troy Terry goal, his third of the year, guided in by Adam Henrique and Josh Mahura. Colorado got on the board with a Logan O'Connor goal, his third of the season, via Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews. The Avalanche tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Samuel Girard. Colorado pulled ahead with a Rantanen goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, made possible by Girard and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri. Anaheim pulled one back with a Terry goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with helpers from Cam Fowler and Max Comtois. The Ducks tied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, with assists provided by Rakell and Henrique. Anaheim won 5-4 in overtime with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Rakell and Shattenkirk. The three stars were Shattenkirk, Rakell, and Terry, while Henrique, Rantanen, and Girard get the honorable mentions.

To California, as the Los Angeles Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jonathan Quick patrol the creases. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a David Perron goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Vince Dunn. The Blues added on with a Nathan Walker goal, coming off of Sammy Blais and Robert Bortuzzo. St. Louis extended the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Schenn and Perron. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Alex Iafallo and Mikey Anderson. The Kings got closer with another Kopitar goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Iafallo and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles tied it on a Matt Luff goal, made possible by Kopitar and Matt Roy. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with an Adrian Kempe goal, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by Gabriel Vilardi and Sean Walker. The three stars were Kopitar, Perron, and Iafallo, while Schenn gets an honorable mention.

In Canada once more, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith protect the nets. Calgary got going in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his seventh of the year, via Kris Russell and Connor McDavid. The Flames took the lead back with a Noah Hanifin goal, passed from Lindholm and Dillon Dube. The Oilers tied it on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Edmonton took the lead with a McDavid goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Yamamoto and Russell. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being McDavid, Yamamoto, and Russell, while Lindholm gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Devan Dubnyk receive the starting nods in goal. Vegas got the first tally on a Mark Stone goal in the first period, his sixth of the season, via Chandler Stephenson and Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with an Alex Tuch goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas extended the lead on another Tuch goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, another unassisted tally. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period with a Reilly Smith goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault and Alex Pietrangelo. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (24 save shutout), Tuch, and Smith. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 52

Six games on for a Friday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Jaroslav Halak are in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his third of the year, coming off of McAvoy and Craig Smith. Boston extended the lead as Patrice Bergeron scored his ninth of the season, thanks to David Pastrnak and Marchand. The Bruins padded the lead on a Marchand goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Matt Grzelcyk. Ilya Samsonov replaced Vanecek in goal. Boston kept going in the third period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Washington got on the board with a Jakub Vrana goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and McAvoy. 

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Malcolm Subban are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his seventh of the season, via Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Palat. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Adam Boqvist and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a DeBrincat goal in the second period, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Kane. Tampa Bay reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his second of the season, made possible by Killorn and Tyler Johnson. Chicago retied it with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Duncan Keith and Boqvist. The Blackhawks won with a lone tally by Philipp Kurashev in the shootout for a 4-3 result. The three stars were DeBrincat, Kane, and Killorn, while Palat and Boqvist get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Calvin Petersen are the young goalies. St. Louis started in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Brayden Schenn. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Andreas Athanasiou and Tobias Bjornfot. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Anze Kopitar. The Blues tied it on a Perron goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by O'Reilly and Mike Hoffman. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Hoffman goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Torey Krug and O'Reilly. The three stars belonged to Hoffman, Perron, and O'Reilly.

Backtracking to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Antti Raanta receive the starting nods in goal. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fourth of the season, via Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild added on with a Brad Hunt goal, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota extended the lead as Nick Bjugstad scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Kaprizov and Zuccarello. The Wild padded the lead in the second period with a Greenway goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Foligno and Jonas Brodin. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Oesterle and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with an unassisted Kevin Fiala goal, his seventh of the campaign. The three stars were Zuccarello, Greenway, and Kaprizov, while Foligno gets an honorable mention.

Up in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Philipp Grubauer tend the twines. Anaheim struck first in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted in the second period. Colorado got on the board with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Brandon Saad. The Avalanche tied it with a Saad goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Tyson Jost and Dan Renouf. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Nichushkin goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, via Devon Toews and Saad. The three stars were Nichushkin, Saad, and Grubauer (26 for 28 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Oscar Dansk and Martin Jones patrol the creases. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his seventh of the year, via Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Pacioretty scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Alec Martinez and Ryan Reaves. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Ryan Donato and Timo Meier. The Sharks got closer with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Erik Karlsson. Vegas replied in the third period with an Alex Tuch goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by William Carrier and Keegan Kolesar. San Jose fired back with a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Karlsson and Kevin Labanc. The Sharks tied it with a Labanc goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Burns and Couture. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, set up by Alex Pietrangelo and Stone. The three stars were Pacioretty, Couture, and Burns, while Stone, Labanc, and Erik Karlsson get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 51

There's ten games on for a busy day today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Mark Friedman goal, via Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jared McCann scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Kasperi Kapanen and Evgeni Malkin. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Travis Konecny and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers got closer in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his second of the year, coming off of Oskar Lindblom and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Philadelphia tied it in the third period on a Scott Laughton goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Giroux and Lindblom. The Flyers pulled ahead with a Giroux goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Aube-Kubel and Lindblom. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Giroux, Lindblom, and Aube-Kubel.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Jets added on with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Tomas Tatar and Corey Perry. The Canadiens tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Jonathan Drouin. Winnipeg retook the lead on another Stastny goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Mark Scheifele. Montreal retied it with a Perry goal, his third of the year, coming off of Drouin and Jeff Petry. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fifth of the campaign, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor. The three stars went to Stastny, Drouin, and Dubois, while Perry gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Alex Nedeljkovic in the blue paint. Detroit began in the first period with a Filip Zadina goal, his second of the season, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Sam Gagner. Carolina tied it on an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Staal. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with another Zadina goal, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Adam Erne and Evgeny Svechnikov. The Hurricanes retied it with a Martin Necas goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period on a Staal goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jesper Fast and Hamilton. The Hurricanes added on with a Fast goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Andrei Svechnikov and Staal. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Niederreiter empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Necas and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars belonged to Staal, Necas, and Fast, while Niederreiter, Andrei Svechnikov, Zadina, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

North to New Jersey, as the Devils host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey started in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his fifth of the season, via Sami Vatanen. New York tied it in the second period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Ryan Strome and Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers took the lead with another Kreider goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, passed from Ryan Lindgren and Strome. New York added on in the third period when Kreider completed his natural hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Filip Chytil. The Rangers extended the lead as Buchnevich scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Alexis Lafreniere. Aaron Dell replaced Blackwood in goal. New York padded the lead with a Brendan Smith goal, his second of the year, helped along by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Kevin Rooney. The Rangers continued on a Lafreniere goal, his fourth of the campaign, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars being Kreider, Lafreniere, and Buchnevich, while Strome gets an honorable mention.

Along to Long Island, where the New York Islanders welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jonas Johansson and Ilya Sorokin are the backups in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Noah Dobson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the year, coming off of Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Taylor Hall goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Cody Eakin. New York replied with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his second of the year, passed from Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Eberle scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Lee. The Sabres got one back with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. New York replied with a Martin goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with a helper from Cizikas. This held for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Martin, Eberle, and Cizikas.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kevin Lankinen guard the cages. Chicago got going in the second period with a Ryan Carpenter shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Brandon Hagel. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal in the third period, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Jan Rutta and Alex Killorn. The Lightning tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his eleventh of the season, via Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Killorn goal, his fourth of the year, set up Victor Hedman. The three stars were Killorn, Stamkos, and Cirelli.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne are the experienced goalies. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on with a Mason Marchment goal, made possible by Ekblad. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his ninth of the year, coming off of Patric Hornqvist. Nashville got on the board with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Viktor Arvidsson and Roman Josi. The Panthers replied with an Ekblad power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Barkov and Huberdeau. The Predators pulled one back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Arvidsson and Ekholm. Florida shot back in the third period with another Ekblad power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Barkov and Keith Yandle. Nashville chipped back on a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Brad Richardson and Forsberg. The Predators got closer on a Ryan Johansen goal, with helpers from Arvidsson and Forsberg. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Ekblad, Barkov, and Huberdeau, while Forsberg, Ekholm, and Arvidsson get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Dallas Stars welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Khudobin protect the nets. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Nick Foligno and David Savard. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus extended the lead as Eric Robinson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jenner and Gabriel Carlsson. Dallas got on the board with a Miro Heiskanen goal, via Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski. The Stars got closer with a Jason Robertson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Esa Lindell and John Klingberg. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Jenner, Robinson, and Bjorkstrand.

Way up north, the Calgary Flames bring in the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and David Rittich patrol the creases. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Brett Ritchie goal, assisted by Derek Ryan and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames added on with a Dillon Dube goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. Ottawa got on the board with a Josh Norris goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Brady Tkachuk and Connor Brown. Calgary replied with a Sean Monahan goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames extended the lead as Josh Leivo scored, with the help of Johnny Gaudreau and Monahan. Joey Daccord replaced Murray in goal. Calgary padded the lead in the second period on a Dube goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Giordano. The Flames continued in the third period with a Dube goal to complete his hat trick with his sixth of the season, made possible by Matthew Tkachuk. The Senators got one back with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Erik Brannstrom and Norris. Ottawa got closer with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Thomas Chabot. Calgary fired back on a Ryan goal, via Ritchie. The final held at 7-3, with the three stars given to Dube, Matthew Tkachuk, and Ryan, while Ritchie, Monahan, and Norris get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and Thatcher Demko are in the creases. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his second of the season, helped along by Quinn Hughes and Tanner Pearson. Toronto tied it on a Pierre Engvall goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ilya Mikheyev. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Virtanen power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, powered by Adam Gaudette and Tyler Myers. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Bo Horvat goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Alexander Edler and Nate Schmidt. The final remained at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Virtanen, Horvat, and Demko (32 for 33 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 50

We've reached the 50-day mark of the season, and there will be six games on. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Washington capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston dented the scoreboard in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his tenth of the season, via Brad Marchand. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Richard Panik and Nick Jensen. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jakub Vrana's lone tally lifted the Capitals to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Eller, Vanecek (18 for 19 in saves), and Rask (27 for 28 in saves).

Out in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Mike Smith guard the cages. Toronto opened in the first period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his third of the season, coming off of Travis Boyd and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs added on with another Vesey goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Spezza and Boyd. Toronto extended the lead on a John Tavares power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs padded the lead as Ilya Mikheyev scored his third of the year, thanks to Zach Hyman and Pierre Engvall. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisiatl and Kris Russell. Toronto replied with a William Nylander goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Tavares and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs kept going in the third period with a Hyman power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Spezza and T.J. Brodie. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vesey, Tavares, and Spezza, while Hyman and Boyd get the honorable mentions.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and John Gibson are set to start in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with an Oskar Sundqvist power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by David Perron and Torey Krug. The Blues added on in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Krug and Sundqvist. Anaheim got on the board with a Maxime Comtois goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Troy Terry and Ryan Getzlaf. St. Louis answered with a Zach Sanford power play goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Jordan Kyrou and Mike Hoffman in the third period. The Ducks got one back with a Rickard Rakell goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Sundqvist, Krug, and Sanford.

In Los Angeles, the Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Jonathan Quick man the creases. Arizona got going in the second period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jordan Oesterle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Los Angeles tied it on a Drew Doughty power play goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Conor Garland and Jakob Chychrun. Arizona added on with a Johan Larsson goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings got one back in the third period on a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Mikey Anderson and Andreas Athanasiou. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Larsson, Schmaltz, and Raanta (40 for 42 in saves).

East to Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Cody Glass and Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventh of the year, via Tuch and William Karlsson. Minnesota got on the board with a Marcus Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ian Cole and Carson Soucy. Vegas replied in the third period with a Mark Stone goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Stephenson scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Stone and Max Pacioretty. Vegas padded the lead on a Karlsson empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Hague. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars given to Tuch, Stone, and Stephenson, while Karlsson and Hague get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Colorado began in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Samuel Girard goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Rantanen and Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead in the third period with a Landeskog power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Rantanen. The Avalanche padded the lead as Rantanen scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Kadri and Landeskog. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Rantanen, Landeskog, and Grubauer (26 save shutout), while Kadri gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021 - Day 49

An eight-game slate is on today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Joel Farabee goal, his ninth of the season, via Sean Couturier. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins took the lead with a Kapanen power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh added on with a Rust goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Flyers got one back in the third period with a Farabee goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by James van Riemsdyk and Travis Sanheim. The Penguins countered with a Cody Ceci goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jared McCann and Mark Friedman. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Mike Matheson empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Kapanen, Farabee, and Rust.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joey Daccord is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Corey Perry and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens added on with a Petry power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Ottawa got on the board with an Artem Zub goal, his second of the season, passed from Drake Batherson and Mike Reilly. Montreal sealed it at 3-1 with a Tyler Toffoli empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Nick Suzuki. The three stars were Petry, Price (26 for 27 in saves), and Gallagher.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in MacKenzie Blackwood in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the third period with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Andy Greene and Mathew Barzal. New Jersey got on the board with a Miles Wood goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Yegor Sharangovich and Nikita Gusev. This only made it 2-1, with the three stars given to Lee, Wahlstrom, and Varlamov (28 for 29 in saves).

Along to Manhattan, as the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Igor Shesterkin draw the starts. New York led off in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel. The Rangers retook the lead with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his third of the season, assisted by Buchnevich. New York added on in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Ryan Lindgren and Fox. The Sabres got one back with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Ristolainen and Rasmus Dahlin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Buchnevich, Fox, and Kreider.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Joonas Korpisalo protect the nets. Columbus began in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Cam Atkinson goal, his tenth of the season. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Christian Djoos and Bobby Ryan. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the second period with a Riley Nash goal, his second of the season, helped along by Emil Bemstrom and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus added on with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Zach Werenski and Atkinson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Boone Jenner scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Werenski and Seth Jones. Thomas Greiss relieved Bernier to start the third period. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Atkinson, Werenski, and Korpisalo (19 for 20 in saves).

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Carolina opened in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Martin Necas. The Hurricanes added on with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Staal. Pekka Rinne replaced Saros in goal to start the second period. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Steven Lorentz scored, thanks to Jordan Martinook and Cedric Paquette. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Nick Cousins and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators got closer with an Ekholm goal, his third of the year, via Dante Fabbro and Erik Haula. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an Aho power play empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars were Aho, Ekholm, and Lorentz.

North to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Laurent Brossoit are given the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mason Appleton goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson goal, his tenth of the year, via Brock Boeser. The Jets took the lead back with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Connor power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Canucks pulled back on a J.T. Miller power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Boeser. The Jets answered in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Wheeler and Scheifele. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Scheifele and Connor. The three stars went to Wheeler, Connor, and Scheifele, while Boeser gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Anton Khudobin are the Russian goalies. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Yanni Gourde empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Vasilevskiy (28 save shutout), Palat, and Gourde. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.