NHL 2021 - Day 69

We've got nine games today, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Brian Elliott are in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. New York tied it on an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the third period. The Islanders won 2-1 in overtime with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourth of the campaign, coming off of Pageau. The three stars were Sorokin (36 for 37 in saves), Beauvillier, and Pageau. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Joonas Korpisalo man the nets. Carolina opened in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, fueled by Sebastian Aho and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes added on with a Fast goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, passed from Brett Pesce and Jordan Staal. Carolina extended the lead as Martin Necas scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Aho and Dougie Hamilton. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars being Nedeljkovic (19 save shutout), Fast, and Aho. 

Back east, the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Keith Kinkaid are the veterans in goal, but Hutton left with an injury and was replaced by Dustin Tokarski. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Rasmus Asplund goal, his second of the season, guided in by Riley Sheahan and Victor Olofsson. New York tied it on a Kaapo Kakko goal, his third of the year, via Artemi Panarin. The Rangers took the lead with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Panarin and Adam Fox. New York added on with a Fox goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Sam Reinhart. Buffalo tied it as Jeff Skinner scored his third of the year, thanks to Brandon Montour. The Rangers regained the lead on another Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Fox. New York iced it at 5-3 with a Kakko empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Panarin and Strome. The three stars belonged to Kreider, Panarin, and Fox, while Kakko and Strome get the honorable mentions. 

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe in Filip Gustavsson in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Austin Watson and Mike Reilly. Calgary tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Milan Lucic and Nikita Nesterov in the third period. The Senators retook the lead with a Chris Tierney goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Reilly and Drake Batherson. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Gustavsson (35 for 36 in saves), Tierney, and Reilly. 

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Cam Talbot are the veterans in goal. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Troy Terry goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota tied it on a Ryan Suter power play goal, powered by Ryan Hartman and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild took the lead with a Nick Bjugstad goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, helped along by Carson Soucy and Nico Sturm. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Talbot (24 for 25 in saves), Bjugstad, and Suter. 

Way southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Antti Raanta protect the nets. Colorado led off in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his third of the season, coming off of Matt Calvert and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Nazem Kadri scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Andre Burakovsky and Jacob MacDonald. Arizona got on the board in the third period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, powered by Phil Kessel and Tyler Pitlick. The Avalanche replied with a Joonas Donskoi empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin. Colorado iced it at 5-1 with another Donskoi goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, made possible by Jost and Nichushkin. The three stars went to Donskoi, Jost, and Nichushkin.

Up in Vegas, the Golden Knights host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Vegas began in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by William Karlsson. St. Louis tied it in the second period on a Vince Dunn goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the third period with a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Nick Holden and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas added on with a Keegan Kolesar goal, via Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Karlsson scored his eighth of the year on the power play, powered by Stone and Marchessault. Vegas padded the lead on a Stone power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Shea Theodore and Karlsson. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Stone, Karlsson, and Marchessault.

North to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko are the masked men. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Blake Wheeler goal, his ninth of the season. The Jets added on in the third period with an Adam Lowry goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Mason Appleton. Winnipeg extended the lead as Lowry scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Andrew Copp and Josh Morrissey. The Jets padded the lead on a Paul Stastny goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mark Scheifele. The three stars belonged to Hellebuyck (22 save shutout), Lowry, and Wheeler.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones are the experienced goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Labanc and Evander Kane. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Matt Roy goal, via Austin Wagner and Gabriel Vilardi. The Sharks took the lead back in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of John Leonard and Nikolai Knyzhov. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Jones (41 for 42 in saves), Donato, and Couture. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 68

Four games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Sami Vatanen goal, his second of the year, via Janne Kuokkanen and Travis Zajac. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a Jesper Bratt goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Ty Smith. The three stars were Blackwood (35 for 36 in saves), Bratt, and Vatanen. 

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome in-state rivals in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney are set to start in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Aleksander Barkov. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Erik Cernak and Brayden Point. The Panthers tied it again with a Gustav Forsling power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Alex Wennberg and Frank Vatrano. Tampa Bay took the lead back in the third period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ross Colton and Pat Maroon. Florida retied it with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Keith Yandle and Barkov. The Lightning regained the lead on a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Gourde and Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Point empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Ondrej Palat and Coleman. The three stars were given to Gourde, Coleman, and Point, while Barkov got an honorable mention. 

Way out west, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Calvin Petersen are the masked men. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Sean Walker goal, assisted by Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Alex Iafallo and Kopitar. Vegas got on the board with a Tomas Nosek goal, his third of the year, fueled by Keegan Kolesar. Los Angeles iced it at 3-1 with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou. The three stars went to Petersen (41 for 42 in saves), Kopitar, and Brown.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Anton Khudobin are between the pipes. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Rhett Gardner goal, via Esa Lindell and Tanner Kero. The Stars added on with a Radek Faksa goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jason Robertson and Jamie Oleksiak. Nashville got on the board with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Eeli Tolvanen. Dallas replied in the second period with a Ty Dellandrea goal, his third of the season, coming off of Joe Pavelski and John Klingberg. The Predators got one back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Johansen and Tolvanen. Nashville tied it on a Tolvanen goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Ben Harpur. The Predators won 4-3 in the shootout with Johansen and Calle Jarnkrok tallying to best Pavelski. The three stars were Tolvanen, Johansen, and Pavelski. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 67

Thirteen games play today, including four matinees. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Scott Wedgewood are in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Sami Vatanen and Jesper Bratt. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Sam Lafferty and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins took the lead with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Guentzel goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Crosby. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Rust, Guentzel, and Crosby.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Chris Driedger are the backups in goal. Florida got going in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Anthony Duclair and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Duclair empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Carter Verhaeghe. The three stars of the 2-0 game were Driedger (21 save shutout), Duclair, and Saros (47 for 48 in saves).

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Philipp Grubauer man the nets. Colorado started in the first period with a Cale Makar power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Landeskog goal, his ninth of the year, via MacKinnon and Makar. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, with the help of Landeskog and the goalie Grubauer. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Tyson Jost goal, his second of the year, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Ryan Graves. Colorado continued on a Devon Toews goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from MacKinnon and Brandon Saad. The Avalanche kept going in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Graves and Donskoi. The final stood at 6-0, with the three stars being Grubauer (31 save shutout), Landeskog, and MacKinnon, while Makar, Donskoi, and Graves get the honorable mentions.

Back to Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Yanni Gourde scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Blake Coleman and Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead on a Stamkos power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Killorn and Hedman. Chicago got on the board in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Dominik Kubalik and Philipp Kurashev. The final stayed at 4-1, with the three stars being Hedman, Stamkos, and Vasilevskiy (30 for 31 in saves), while Killorn gets an honorable mention.

At the regular time, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jack Campbell are the backups in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Zach Hyman goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from John Tavares and Alex Galchenyuk. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Campbell (31 save shutout), Spezza, and Hyman.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the New York Rangers. Keith Kinkaid and Ilya Samsonov are in the creases. New York struck first in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his eleventh of the season, via Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. Washington tied it in the third period with a John Carlson goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Rangers took the lead with a Zibanejad goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. New York added on with a Brett Howden empty net goal, set up by Ryan Strome and Buchnevich. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and Kinkaid (28 for 29 in saves).

Over to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Thomas Greiss are in the blue paint. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Tanner Kero goal, made possible by Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars added on in the third period with an Andrej Sekera goal, his second of the season, coming off of Radek Faksa. Dallas extended the lead on a power play goal by Ty Dellandrea, his second of the year, powered by Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars being Khudobin (21 save shutout), Kero, and Sekera.

South to Carolina, as the Hurricanes welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and James Reimer get the starting nods in goal. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Brett Pesce and Jesper Fast. Columbus tied it in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Kevin Stenlund. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Warren Foegele goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Brock McGinn and Dougie Hamilton. The Blue Jackets retied it with a Seth Jones goal, his fourth of the year, via Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. In the shootout, Laine and Bjorkstrand carried the Blues Jackets to a 3-2 win over Hamilton and the Hurricanes. The three stars were Bjorkstrand, Laine, and Hamilton.

In Canada again, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Carey Price man the nets. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Shea Weber. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. The Canadiens tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Phillip Danault and Victor Mete. Montreal took the lead on a Joel Edmundson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Weber and Tatar. Vancouver tied it again in the third period with a Horvat goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Hughes and Nils Hoglander. The Canucks took the lead back with a Tyler Motte goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jayce Hawryluk and Jordie Benn. The Canadiens tied it again with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twelfth of the year, via Danault. The tie lasted to a shootout where Corey Perry and Tatar gave the Canadiens a 5-4 win over Boeser and the Canucks. The three stars belonged to Tatar, Danault, and Weber, while Horvat and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ilya Sorokin man the nets. New York began in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Oliver Wahlstrom and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his tenth of the year, via Mathew Barzal and Thomas Hickey. New York extended the lead as Casey Cizikas scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders padded the lead on another Cizikas goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Hickey and Wahlstrom. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Scott Laughton. New York replied in the third period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Brock Nelson. The Islanders continued with a Josh Bailey goal, his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The final held at 6-1, with the three stars going to Cizikas, Hickey, and Bailey, while Wahlstrom gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Ryan Miller patrol the creases. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Derick Brassard goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes added on with a Chychrun goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted Arizona extended the lead as Brassard scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Phil Kessel on the power play. Anthony Stolarz replaced Miller in goal to start the second period. The Coyotes padded the lead in the second period with a Brassard goal to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the year, fueled by Tyler Pitlick. Arizona kept going in the third period with a Clayton Keller goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Conor Garland and Nick Schmaltz. Anaheim got on the board with an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras. The final held from here at 5-1, with the three stars going to Brassard, Chychrun, and Raanta (27 for 28 in saves).

Up in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Devan Dubnyk receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose opened in the first period with a Dylan Gambrell goal, his second of the season, via Brent Burns and Ryan Donato. St. Louis tied it on a Vince Dunn goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jordan Kyrou and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues took the lead on a Kyrou goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by O'Reilly and David Perron. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Timo Meier and Nikolai Knyzhov. St. Louis took the lead in the third period with an O'Reilly power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dunn and Perron. The Blues added on with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Torey Krug and Perron. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Perron empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Jaden Schwartz and O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Perron, and Kyrou, while Dunn gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mike Smith protect the nets. Winnipeg started in the first period with an Andrew Copp power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets added on with a Dubois goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his tenth of the year, via Jesse Puljujarvi. Edmonton took the lead on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of McDavid and Puljujarvi. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Devin Shore empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The three stars were McDavid, Nurse, and Dubois, while Ehlers gets an honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 66

Just five games on a Friday night, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jake Allen guard the cages. Montreal led off in the first period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Tomas Tatar. Vancouver tied it in the second period with an Adam Gaudette goal, his fourth of the year, via Antoine Roussel and Zack MacEwen. The Canucks took the lead on a Nils Hoglander goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nate Schmidt and Brock Boeser. The Canadiens retied it in the third period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Petry. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a J.T. Miller goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Quinn Hughes. The three stars were Miller, Petry, and Hoglander. 

Along to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Calgary began in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Nikita Nesterov and Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on with a Derek Ryan goal, his second of the year, guided in by Rasmus Andersson and Milan Lucic. Toronto got on the board with a Jason Spezza goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Morgan Rielly and Wayne Simmonds. Calgary replied with a Christopher Tanev goal, his second of the year, passed from Noah Hanifin. The Maple Leafs shot back on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Zach Bogosian and Travis Demott. Toronto tied it in the second period with an unassisted Mitchell Marner goal, his twelfth of the year. The Flames retook the lead on a Mark Giordano power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Andersson and Mikael Backlund. This stood for the eventual 4-3 win, with the three stars being Giordano, Andersson, and Tanev. 

Stateside, the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. New York started in the first period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Adam Fox. Washington tied it in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Schultz. The Capitals took the lead on Ovechkin's second goal of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, via John Carlson and Zdeno Chara. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Vanecek (32 for 33 in saves), and Panarin. 

Out west, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Martin Jones are the masked men. San Jose got going in the second period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fourth of the season, via Marcus Sorensen and Tomas Hertl. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Tyler Bozak shorthanded goal, set up by Kyle Clifford. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko lifted the Blues 2-1 over Logan Couture and the Sharks. The three stars were Binnington (30 for 31 in saves), Bozak, and Jones (33 for 34 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Mark Stone. The Golden Knights added on with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez. Los Angeles got on the board with an Alex Iafallo goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings tied it in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Matt Roy and Tobias Bjornfot. Vegas regained the lead on a William Karlsson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and Martinez. The Golden Knights extended the lead as William Carrier scored, thanks to Nicolas Hague and Tomas Nosek. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Martinez, and Karlsson. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 65

There's 10 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Carter Hutton draw the starts in goal. Boston led off with a Greg McKegg goal, via Matt Grzelcyk. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Kyle Okposo shorthanded goal, set up by Jacob Bryson. The Bruins retook the lead with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and David Krejci. Boston added on with a Craig Smith goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Connor Clifton and Krejci. The Bruins extended the lead as Pastrnak scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Krejci and Brad Marchand. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Krejci, Pastrnak, and Halak (23 for 24 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Alex Nedeljkovic make the starts in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Seth Jones goal, his second of the season, assisted by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Zach Werenski. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Nino Niederreiter and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes took the lead with another Aho power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Dougie Hamilton. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his fifth of the year, via Max Domi and Bjorkstrand. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime with a Jones goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, coming off of Bjorkstrand. The three stars were Jones, Aho, and Bjorkstrand.

Back north to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Scott Wedgewood are in the creases. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Ty Smith and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and Hughes in the second period. New Jersey extended the lead as Travis Zajac scored his third of the season, thanks to Damon Severson. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Kris Letang and Kasperi Kapanen. The Penguins got closer in the third period with a Bryan Rust goal, his tenth of the campaign, via Letang and Brandon Tanev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Hughes, Letang, and Zajac.

Over in New York, the Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Giroux goal, his seventh of the year, via Nate Prosser and Konecny. Philadelphia extended the lead as Jakub Voracek scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton. New York got on the board in the third period with a Michael Dal Colle goal, with helpers from Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey. The Islanders got closer with a Sebastian Aho goal, coming off of Dal Colle and Leddy. New York tied it as Oliver Wahlstrom scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Leddy. The Flyers regained the lead on a Lindblom goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, guided in by Konecny and Travis Sanheim. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Lindblom, Konecny, and Giroux, while Leddy and Dal Colle get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Chicago began in the first period with a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dominik Kubalik and Alex DeBrincat. Tampa Bay tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning took the lead with a Yanni Gourde power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Mikhail Sergachev and Vasilevskiy. The Blackhawks tied it again on a Dylan Strome power play goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Janmark and Duncan Keith. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period with a Ross Colton goal, his second of the season, via Mathieu Joseph and Pat Maroon. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Hedman empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hedman, Janmark, and Vasilevskiy (19 for 21 in saves).

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Sergei Bobrovsky are given the starting nods in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Patric Hornqvist and MacKenzie Weegar. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Alexandre Carrier and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators took the lead in the third period on a Jarnkrok goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Jarnkrok, Saros (40 for 41 in saves), and Huberdeau.

North to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Jonathan Bernier are between the pipes. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Anthony Mantha and Troy Stecher. The Red Wings added on in the second period with another Fabbri goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Marc Staal. Thomas Greiss replaced an injured Bernier in goal late in the second period. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Fabbri completed his natural hat trick on his ninth of the season, thanks to Dylan Larkin. Dallas got on the board with a Roope Hintz goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Denis Gurianov and Joel Hanley. The Stars got closer with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Jason Robertson and John Klingberg. The final was 3-2, and the three stars were Fabbri, Bernier (22 for 22 in saves) and Dickinson.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Mikko Koskinen are the backups in goal. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie. Winnipeg tied it on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his seventh of the year, via Nate Thompson and Trevor Lewis. The Oilers retook the lead on a McDavid goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, assisted by Zack Kassian and Barrie. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being McDavid, Barrie, and Koskinen (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Philipp Grubauer guard the cages. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Rantanen goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Samuel Girard and MacKinnon. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Victor Rask power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello. Colorado replied with a Landeskog power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Rantanen and MacKinnon. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Joonas Donskoi scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Jacob MacDonald. Colorado padded the lead on a Rantanen goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, made possible by Landeskog and Ryan Graves. The final held at 5-1 with the three stars awarded to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Landeskog.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Ryan Miller man the nets. Arizona was first to score in the first period on a Conor Garland goal, his ninth of the season, via Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Garland. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Jamie Drysdale goal, assisted by Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks tied it with a Trevor Zegras goal, coming off of Troy Terry and Drysdale. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Rakell. The three stars belonged to Drysdale, Rakell, and Garland. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 64

Six games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Joey Daccord are the young goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Bo Horvat and Nate Schmidt. The Canucks added on with a Horvat goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Nils Hoglander. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Clark Bishop and Christian Wolanin. In the third period, Filip Gustavsson replaced an injured Daccord. The Senators tied it on a Josh Norris goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Connor Brown. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Adam Gaudette gave the Canucks a 3-2 win. The three stars were Horvat, Boeser, and Demko (30 for 32 in saves).

Stateside, the New York Rangers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Alexandar Georgiev draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his second of the season, assisted by Adam Fox and Brett Howden. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Ryan Strome. New York extended the lead in the second period as Pavel Buchnevich scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers padded the lead on another Buchnevich goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Jacob Trouba and Zibanejad. New York kept going with a Trouba goal, made possible by Zibanejad and Buchnevich. Carter Hart replaced Elliott in goal. The Rangers continued with a shorthanded Zibanejad goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. New York struck again with another Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, powered by Panarin and Strome. The Rangers piled on with a Zibanejad goal to complete his natural hat trick with his sixth of the season, with helpers from Chris Kreider and Buchnevich. New York buried another with a Filip Chytil goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Libor Hajek and Alexis Lafreniere. This stood for a 9-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and Trouba, while Panarin and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Derek Forbort and Paul Stastny. The Jets added on with a Kyle Connor goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers. Montreal got on the board with a Phillip Danault goal, his second of the season, coming off of Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar in the second period. Winnipeg replied on a Connor goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, fueled by Dubois and Josh Morrissey. The Canadiens got one back in the third period with a Gallagher goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Danault. Montreal tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Corey Perry and Jonathan Drouin. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with an Ehlers goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Dubois. The three stars were Connor, Dubois, and Ehlers, while Danault and Gallagher get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the season, via Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton extended the lead as Dominik Kahun scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Draisaitl and Barrie. Calgary got on the board with an Elias Lindholm goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Dillon Dube. The Oilers replied in the third period with a McDavid power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Barrie and Draisaitl. Edmonton padded the lead on an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Nugent-Hopkins and Barrie. The Oilers continued with a Darnell Nurse goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by McDavid and Puljujarvi. Edmonton struck again with a Zack Kassian goal, his second of the year, made possible by Gaetan Haas and Nurse. The Flames got one back with a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Andrew Mangiapane. Calgary pulled closer with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tkachuk and Noah Hanifin. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars awarded to McDavid, Barrie, and Draisaitl, while Nugent-Hopkins, Nurse, Puljujarvi, and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the San Jose Sharks. Devan Dubnyk and Marc-Andre Fleury are set to start in goal. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Max Pacioretty. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fifth of the year, via Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks took the lead with a Mario Ferraro goal, coming off of John Leonard and Evander Kane. San Jose added on with a Kevin Labanc goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Kane and Ferraro. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period with a Cody Glass power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Theodore and Mark Stone. Vegas tied it on a Nicolas Hague goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights pulled ahead with a Ryan Reaves goal, fueled by Tomas Nosek and Zach Whitecloud. Vegas extended the lead as Alec Martinez scored on the power play, his third of the year, with assists provided by Nosek and Theodore. The Sharks pulled one back on a Kane power play goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Erik Karlsson and Hertl. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars handed to Theodore, Nosek, and Kane, while Ferraro and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Calvin Petersen are the masked men. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings added on with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his fourth of the year, via Trevor Moore and Jaret Anderson-Dolan. Los Angeles extended the lead as Moore scored his third of the season, thanks to Sean Walker and Anderson-Dolan. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with a Kopitar empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by the goalie Petersen. The three stars were Kopitar, Moore, and Anderson-Dolan. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 63

We've got seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Washington got going in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on with an Ovechkin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Backstrom scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Jakub Vrana and John Carlson in the third period. New York got on the board with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals held on for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Samsonov (21 for 22 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Daniel Vladar and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk. Pittsburgh tied it with a Brandon Tanev goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Kasperi Kapanen. The Bruins took the lead in the third period on a Trent Frederic goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jakub Zboril and Patrice Bergeron. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Vladar (34 for 35 in saves), Frederic, and Pastrnak.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jonas Johansson and MacKenzie Blackwood draw the starts in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Damon Severson and Travis Zajac. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Montour and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his second of the season, coming off of Casey Mittelstadt and Montour. The Devils tied it on a Sami Vatanen goal, fueled by Janne Kuokkanen and Ryan Murray. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Miles Wood power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and P.K. Subban. The final stood from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Wood, Vatanen, and Montour.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier man the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jesper Fast and Jake Bean. Detroit tied it on an Adam Erne power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Filip Zadina and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings took the lead with another Erne power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Hronek. The Hurricanes retied it in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Martin Necas and Dougie Hamilton. Detroit took the lead with a Robby Fabbri goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Larkin and Marc Staal. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Hronek empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Erne, Hronek, and Larkin.

Further west, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Kaapo Kahkonen are the inexperienced goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Greenway and Kevin Fiala. The Wild added on in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the year, via Carson Soucy and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota extended the lead as Jared Spurgeon scored, thanks to Ryan Suter and Nick Bonino. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kahkonen (31 save shutout), Hartman, and Zuccarello.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Jake Oettinger in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli. Dallas tied it on a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Lightning retook the lead with a Mathieu Joesph goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Pat Maroon and Ross Colton. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Point. The Stars pulled one back with a Jamie Benn goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Heiskanen and Pavelski. Dallas tied it as Alexander Radulov scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Benn and Robertson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Colton and Point lifted the Lightning 4-3 over Robertson and the Stars. The three stars were Point, Heiskanen, and Benn, while Colton, Robertson, and Pavelski get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Hunter Miska are in the blue paint. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nazem Kadri and Samuel Girard. Anaheim tied it with a Troy Terry goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Trevor Zegras and Adam Henrique. The Ducks took the lead on a Danton Heinen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ben Hutton and Henrique. The Avalanche tied it again with a Kadri goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Brandon Saad and Devon Toews. Anaheim took the lead with a Henrique goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Terry. The Ducks added on with a Derek Grant shorthanded penalty shot goal. Philipp Grubauer replaced Miska in goal in the second period. Colorado pulled back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Gabriel Landeskog and Toews. The Avalanche tied it on a Kadri goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with helpers from Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi. Colorado took the lead in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Toews and Rantanen. The Avalanche extended the lead as Girard scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado padded the lead with an empty net goal by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, his second of the year, with helpers from Kadri and Matt Calvert. The Avalanche iced it at 8-4 with a Saad power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Donskoi and Valeri Nichushkin. The three stars went to Kadri, Burakovsky, and Saad, while Rantanen, Toews, Girard, Donskoi, Henrique, and Terry get the honorable mentions. 

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