NHL 2021 - Day 58

Ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Auston Matthews and T.J. Brodie. The Jets retook the lead with another Ehlers goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Kyle Connor. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with a William Nylander goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. Toronto took the lead with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and Pierre Engvall. Winnipeg tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ehlers and Neal Pionk. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Matthews goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with assists provided by Rielly and Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Ehlers, and Marner, while Rielly gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Washington started in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Kevin Hayes and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Capitals took the lead back with a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Daniel Sprong. Washington added on in the second period with a John Carlson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals extended the lead as Nic Dowd scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Zdeno Chara. The Flyers got one back in the third period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his third of the year, guided in by Sean Couturier and Erik Gustafsson. Philadelphia got closer with a Scott Laughton goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Hayes and Konecny. The Capitals iced it at 5-3 with a Dowd empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by the goalie Samsonov. The three stars were Dowd, Konecny, and Hayes.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and James Reimer man the nets. Carolina struck first in the first period on a Morgan Geekie power play goal, via Jake Bean and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes added on with a Brock McGinn goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Warren Foegele. Carolina extended the lead as Dougie Hamilton scored his second of the year, thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Fast. The Hurricanes padded the lead on another Geekie goal, his second of the game, powered by Bean and Brett Pesce. Carolina continued in the third period with a Martin Necas power play goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Svechnikov and Hamilton. Kasimir Kaskisuo replaced Rinne in goal. Nashville got on the board with a Nick Cousins goal, his third of the year, assisted by Mattias Ekholm. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Geekie, Hamilton, and Svechnikov, while Bean gets an honorable mention.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Elvis Merzlikins draw the starts in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Max Domi and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets added on with another Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Riley Nash and Patrik Laine. Florida got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe. Columbus countered in the third period with a Laine power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Max Domi scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Bjorkstrand. The Panthers got one back on a Ryan Lomberg goal, coming off of Noel Acciari and Radko Gudas. Florida got closer with an Owen Tippett goal, his third of the year, with helpers from MacKenzie Weegar and Mason Marchment. The Panthers tied it with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida won 5-4 in overtime with a Frank Vatrano goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The three stars were Bjorkstrand, Laine, and Huberdeau, while Domi gets an honorable mention.

North to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Bergeron shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Marchand. Boston extended the lead on a David Krejci power play goal in the second period, powered by Matt Grzelcyk and Marchand. The Bruins padded the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored his second of the season, thanks to Krejci. Keith Kinkaid replaced Georgiev in goal. This stood for a 4-0 win for the Bruins, with the three stars awarded to Halak (27 save shutout), Bergeron, and Marchand, while Krecji gets an honorable mention.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jonas Johansson are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Kasperi Kapanen. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson goal, guided in by Kyle Okposo and Cody Eakin. The Penguins took the lead back in the second period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Teddy Blueger. The Sabres retied it on a Victor Olofsson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Riley Sheahan and Eric Staal. Pittsburgh took the lead again with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins added on in the third period with an Anthony Angello goal, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Bryan Rust, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Jarry. The three stars were Malkin, Angello, and Guentzel.

Staying in New York, the Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Ilya Sorokin patrol the creases. New York opened in the first period with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Scott Mayfield and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with an Adam Pelech goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Ryan Pulock and Anders Lee. New York extended the lead as Noah Dobson scored his third of the season, thanks to Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Andy Greene. The Islanders padded the lead on a Josh Bailey goal, his third of the year, via Casey Cizikas. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his third of the season, assisted by P.K. Subban and Travis Zajac. The Devils got one back with a Mikhail Maltsev goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Michael McLeod. New York replied with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Pulock. New Jersey fired back with a Jack Hughes goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Andreas Johnsson. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Bailey, Pulock, and Nelson.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. Detroit drew first blood in the first period with a Troy Stecher goal, via Sam Gagner and Filip Zadina. Tampa Bay tied it on a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his second of the season, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Filip Hronek and Anthony Mantha. The Lightning retied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Alex Killorn and Palat. Detroit took the lead again with a Mantha goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Luke Glendening goal, his third of the season, helped along by Michael Rasmussen and Zadina. Detroit extended the lead as Robby Fabbri scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Jon Merrill. Tampa Bay got one back in the third period on a Brayden Point goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Palat and Sergachev. The Lightning got closer with a Palat goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Point and Stamkos. The Red Wings iced it at 6-4 with a Vladislav Namestnikov empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Mantha and Hronek. The three stars belonged to Mantha, Point, and Palat, while Sergachev, Zadina, and Hronek get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Anton Khudobin guard the cages. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Dominik Kubalik goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Brandon Hagel and David Kampf. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Carl Soderberg power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Adam Boqvist and Patrick Kane. Chicago extended the lead as Duncan Keith scored an unassisted goal. The Blackhawks padded the lead as Alex DeBrincat scored his fifteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Kane and Boqvist. Jake Oettinger replaced Khudobin in the third period. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Roope Hintz goal, his seventh of the year, via Jamie Oleksiak and Andrew Cogliano. The Stars got closer with a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by the goalie Oettinger. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Keith, Boqvist, and Kane.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Josh Leivo goal, his second of the season, via Derek Ryan and Sam Bennett. The Flames added on with another Leivo goal, his second of the game and third of the year, coming off of Ryan and Bennett. Montreal got on the board with a Corey Perry goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Shea Weber. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Leivo, Ryan, and Bennett. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 57

We're getting closer to the season's midpoint, and we'll have five games today. First up...

The Minnesota Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kaapo Kahkonen are the masked men. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas tied it with a Dylan Coghlan goal, via Nicolas Roy. The Wild took the lead in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Nick Bjugstad. Minnesota added on with an Eriksson Ek goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno. The Wild extended the lead as Carson Soucy scored, thanks to Nico Sturm and Kyle Rau. Logan Thompson replaced Fleury in goal. The Golden Knights got one back with a Coghlan goal, his second of the game, coming off of Alec Martinez and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas got closer as Coghlan completed his hat trick, with the help of Shea Theodore and Mark Stone. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Coghlan, Eriksson Ek, and Soucy.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Mike Smith man the nets. Edmonton started in the first period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie. The Oilers added on with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his third of the year, made possible by Devin Shore. Edmonton extended the lead on a Draisaitl power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by the goalie Smith and Barrie. The Oilers padded the lead as Connor McDavid scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Draisaitl and Nurse. Edmonton continued in the second period with another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Oilers kept going with a James Neal goal, his third of the year, helped along by Alex Chiasson. Edmonton struck again in the third period with a Draisaitl goal to complete his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season, assisted by McDavid and Barrie. Ottawa got on the board with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Austin Watson and Mike Reilly. The final was 7-1, with the three stars going to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Barrie, while Nurse gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Colorado led off in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Andre Burakovsky and Devon Toews. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Samuel Girard. The three stars were Landeskog, Saad, and Raanta (44 for 46 in saves).

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Troy Grosenick is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on in the second period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Matt Roy. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Steel goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nicolas Deslauriers and Kevin Shattenkirk. Los Angeles replied with a Kempe goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Trevor Moore and Blake Lizotte. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Andreas Athanasiou scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Jeff Carter and Gabriel Vilardi. Los Angeles padded the lead on an unassisted Alex Iafallo goal, his sixth of the year. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars being Kempe, Grosenick (33 for 34 in saves), and Kopitar.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens added on with a Corey Perry goal, his fourth of the year, via Paul Byron and Jake Evans in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. Montreal replied with a Shea Weber power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson. The Canadiens extended the lead in the third period as Jeff Petry scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Kotkaniemi and Toffoli. Montreal padded the lead on a Phillip Danault goal, courtesy of Joel Edmundson and Joel Armia. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Kotkaniemi, Price (23 for 24 in saves), and Toffoli. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 56

Nine games on today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New York Rangers. Keith Kinkaid and Tristan Jarry are in goal. New York began in the first period with a Jack Johnson goal, coming off of Julien Gauthier and Chris Kreider. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Teddy Blueger shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Brandon Tanev and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh added on with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his seventh of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and Evan Rodrigues. The Rangers got one back in the third period with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Adam Fox. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Crosby empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Crosby, Kapanen, and Blueger.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Toronto started in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by T.J. Brodie. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Copp power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Neal Pionk and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. The Jets retied it in the second period with a Josh Morrissey goal, fueled by Pionk and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg took the lead with a Kyle Connor goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Ehlers and Adam Lowry. The Jets added on with a Mason Appleton goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, guided in by Copp.. Toronto pulled one back with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by William Nylander. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Copp, Matthews, and Pionk, while Ehlers gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. Boston struck first in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk. New York tied it in the second period with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mathew Barzal. In the shootout, Jordan Eberle and Anthony Beauvillier lifted the Islanders 2-1 over Pastrnak and the Bruins. The three stars were Varlamov (32 for 33 in saves), Pastrnak, and Halak (26 for 27 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Alex Nedeljkovic draw the starts in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Matt Benning goal, via Eeli Tolvanen. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his second of the season, assisted by Dante Fabbro and Filip Forsberg. Carolina got on the board with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes tied it on an Aho power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Dougie Hamilton and Trocheck. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Staal goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Staal, Aho, and Trocheck.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo are in the creases. Florida led off in the first period with a Juho Lammikko goal, his third of the season, courtesy of MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau. Columbus got on the board with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his second of the season, fueled by Eric Robinson and Alexandre Texier. Florida shot back with an Owen Tippett power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Gustav Forsling and Alex Wennberg. The Blue Jackets got one back with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, helped along by Zach Werenski. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Carter Verhaeghe empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tippett, Hornqvist, and Lammikko.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jonas Johansson and Carter Hart play in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Dylan Cozens and Taylor Hall. The Sabres took the lead on a Riley Sheahan goal, his third of the season, made possible by Eric Staal and Victor Olofsson. Buffalo added on with a Reinhart goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by Hall and Rasmus Dahlin. Brian Elliott replaced Hart in goal to start the second period. The Flyers got one back in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Scott Laughton and Justin Braun. The Sabres replied with a Brandon Montour goal, helped along by Kyle Okposo and Tobias Rieder. Philadelphia pulled one back on a Claude Giroux goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jakub Voracek and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Couturier and Farabee. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Couturier and Nolan Patrick tallied to give the Flyers a 5-4 win. The three stars were Couturier, Reinhart, and Farabee, while Hall gets an honorable mention.

Moving on to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood and Vitek Vanecek are the backups in goal. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on in the second period on a Jakub Vrana goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by John Carlson and Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Daniel Sprong scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov. New Jersey got on the board with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his second of the year, fueled by Travis Zajac. The Capitals replied with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his third of the season, made possible by Richard Panik. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Miles Wood goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jesper Bratt and Ryan Murray. New Jersey got closer with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his fourth of the season, via Kuokkanen and Zajac. The Devils tied it on a Damon Severson goal, his second of the year, passed from Ty Smith and Zajac. Washington won 5-4 in overtime with a Vrana goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, assisted by Kuznetsov. The three stars belonged to Vrana, Zajac, and Kuznetsov, while Backstrom and Kuokkanen get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Thomas Greiss are in the blue paint. Detroit drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Erne power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Filip Zadina and Filip Hronek. Tampa Bay tied it with a Brayden Point power play goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Blake Coleman and Erik Cernak. The Red Wings tied it again in the second period with a Patrik Nemeth goal, his second of the year, helped along by Sam Gagner and Vladislav Namestnikov. Detroit took the lead on a Dylan Larkin goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Robby Fabbri and Hronek. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period on a Cernak goal, made possible by Pat Maroon. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Coleman goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Johnson. The three stars were Coleman, Cernak, and Johnson, while Hronek earned an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Anton Khudobin are the masked men. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his third of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his third of the year, passed from Jamie Benn and Denis Gurianov. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Lucas Carlsson and Calvin de Haan. Dallas replied with a John Klingberg power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Ty Dellandrea and Radek Faksa. The Stars extended the lead as Joe Pavelski scored his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Robertson. Dallas padded the lead as Esa Lindell scored his third of the year, thanks to Robertson and Kiviranta. The Stars continued with a Hintz goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Robertson. The final held at 6-1, with the three stars given to Robertson, Hintz, and Kiviranta. 

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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). 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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