NHL 2021 - Day 93

Nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jack Campbell are the goalies. Toronto began in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his third of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and John Tavares. Winnipeg tied it with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Neal Pionk and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets took the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his twentieth of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Pionk. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Connor. David Rittich replaced Campbell in goal. The Maple Leafs got one back in the second period with a Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza and Nicholas Robertson. The Jets answered in the third period with an Ehlers goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Connor power play empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Scheifele and Paul Stastny. The three stars were Connor, Ehlers, and Scheifele, while Tavares and Pionk get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome in-state rivals in the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Alex Wennberg and Markus Nutivaara. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by the goalie Vasilevskiy. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Nutivaara. The Lightning tied it again with a Ross Colton goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Mikhail Sergachev and Blake Coleman. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Victor Hedman goal, his eighth of the season, via Killorn. The three stars were Killorn, Hedman, and Nutivaara.

Back north, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Petr Mrazek are the masked men. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Warren Foegele goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Jordan Staal and Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead as Vincent Trocheck scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Brett Pesce and Martin Necas. Nashville got on the board in the third period with an Erik Haula shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Colton Sissons and Ben Harpur. Carolina replied with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, powered by Trocheck and Svechnikov. The final remained at 4-1, with the three stars given to Trocheck, Svechnikov, and Mrazek (19 for 20 in saves).

Further north to Boston, as the Bruins host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Mike Reilly. The Bruins added on with a Craig Smith power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by David Krejci and Charlie McAvoy. New York got on the board in the second period with a Travis Zajac goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. Boston replied in the third period with a Taylor Hall goal, his third of the year, coming off of David Pastrnak. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Marchand, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Pastrnak. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Rask (22 for 23 in saves).

To Pennsylvania, where the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Tristan Jarry are in the creases. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Philippe Myers. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier lifted the Flyers 2-1 over Jake Guentzel and the Penguins. The three stars were Hart (31 for 32 in saves), Voracek, and Jarry (26 for 27 in saves).

Next up, the New York Rangers bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his second of the season, via Colin Blackwell and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with a Ryan Lindgren goal, fueled by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. New York extended the lead as Panarin scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan Strome and Blackwell. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period with another Panarin goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, guided in by Strome and Blackwell. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Panarin, Blackwell, and Strome, while Shesterkin (16 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Moving along, the Washington Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski is mismatched with Vitek Vanecek in goal. Buffalo kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Dylan Cozens and Henri Jokiharju. Washington tied it on a Dmitry Orlov goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by T.J. Oshie. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo added on with a Casey Mittelstadt shorthanded goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Anders Bjork. The Capitals got one back with an Anthony Mantha goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Sabres fired back with a Bjork goal, his third of the year, helped along by Cozens. Vanecek was replaced by Craig Anderson in goal. Buffalo capped it at 5-2 with a Tage Thompson empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Rasmus Asplund. The three stars belonged to Bjork, Cozens, and Mittelstadt.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Thomas Greiss patrol the creases. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Duncan Keith goal, his third of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Troy Stecher goal, his second of the year, assisted by Marc Staal and Luke Glendening. The Red Wings took the lead with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Gustav Lindstrom. Detroit added on with another Stecher goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Danny DeKeyser and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Red Wings finished it at 4-1 with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Adam Erne and Staal. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Stecher, Greiss (24 for 25 in saves), and Staal.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jake Oettinger are the backups in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Mikhail Grigorenko. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Denis Gurianov goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Jason Dickinson and Joel Hanley. The Stars pulled ahead with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jamie Oleksiak and Gurianov. Dallas added on in the third period with a Gurianov goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, guided in by Esa Lindell and John Klingberg. The Stars extended the lead as Joe Pavelski scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Gurianov, Heiskanen, and Oettinger (17 for 18 in saves). 

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NHL 2021 - Day 92

Another six-game day is on, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Cam Talbot are the goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Marcus Johansson and Matt Dumba. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Nick Schmaltz and Alex Goligoski. The Wild retook the lead on a Zach Parise goal, his fifth of the season, via Nick Bonino and Nico Sturm. Minnesota added on with a Bonino power play goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala. The Wild extended the lead as Zuccarello scored his second of the game and eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Johansson in the third period. Minnesota padded the lead on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Parise and Bonino. The Coyotes got one back with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Dryden Hunt and Johan Larsson. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars being Zuccarello, Bonino, and Johansson. 

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen are in the creases. Calgary began in the first period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the season, via Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on in the second period with a Mark Giordano goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Christopher Tanev and Elias Lindholm. Montreal got on the board with a Brett Kulak goal, assisted by Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson. Calgary replied with a Josh Leivo goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a Sean Monahan empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Tanev and Giordano. The three stars were Giordano, Tanev, and Markstrom (26 for 27 in saves).

Over in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Matt Murray are set to start in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Thomas Chabot. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Andrew Copp and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg added on with a Trevor Lewis shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Nate Thompson. The Senators got one back with a Josh Norris power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with assists provided by Chabot and Connor Brown. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Chabot, Lewis, and Perreault.

Stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Colorado Avalanche. Devan Dubnyk and Jordan Binnington are between the pipes. Colorado started in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Liam O'Brien and J.T. Compher. St. Louis tied it on a Vince Dunn power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Tyler Bozak and Mike Hoffman. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with a Compher goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by O'Brien and Conor Timmins. Colorado added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Tyson Jost and Rantanen. The Blues got one back in the third period with a Hoffman goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jordan Kyrou and Torey Krug. St. Louis pulled closer with another Hoffman power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from David Perron and Vladimir Tarasenko. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Rantanen, Compher, and Hoffman, while O'Brien gets an honorable mention.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick are the veteran goalies. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Alec Martinez and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with an Alex Tuch goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Nosek. Los Angeles got on the board with a Trevor Moore power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe. Vegas replied with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Mark Stone. Calvin Petersen replaced Quick in goal. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Chandler Stephenson scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Pacioretty and Zach Whitecloud in the second period. The Kings got one back with another Moore goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Kempe. Vegas fired back in the third period with a Stone goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Pacioretty. The Golden Knights finished it at 6-2 with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his third of the year, fueled by Tuch and Nosek. The three stars were Nosek, Pacioretty, and Stone, while Tuch, Moore, and Kempe get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Josef Korenar are the backups in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Troy Terry. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Derek Grant goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Josh Manson and Alexander Volkov. Anaheim extended the lead as Volkov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Max Comtois and Grant. San Jose got on the board in the third period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifth of the year, via Timo Meier and Brent Burns. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. The three stars were Volkov, Grant, and Stolarz (27 for 28 in saves). 

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NHL 2021 - Day 91

Six games on tonight, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. Washington led off in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his eleventh of the season, via Daniel Sprong and Lars Eller. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by James van Riemsdyk. The Capitals took the lead back with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Sheary and Anthony Mantha. Washington added on with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Capitals extended the lead as Carl Hagelin scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Carlson and Dmitry Orlov. Washington padded the lead in the second period with a Mantha goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by T.J. Oshie and Backstrom. The Capitals continued in the third period with an Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Wilson and Sheary. The final was 6-1, with the three stars going to Sheary, Ovechkin, and Backstrom, while Mantha, Wilson, and Carlson get the honorable mentions.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are the goalies. Buffalo began in the first period with a Colin Miller goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Dylan Cozens and Anders Bjork. Dustin Tokarski replaced an injured Ullmark. Boston tied it on a David Krejci goal, his third of the year, fueled by Jeremy Lauzon and Craig Smith. The Bruins took the lead with a Smith goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Henri Jokiharju and Jeff Skinner. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk lifted the Bruins to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Smith, Krejci, and Dahlin.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and MacKenzie Blackwood guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, via Filip Chytil and Fox. New York iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Buchnevich, his sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Shesterkin (27 save shutout), Buchnevich, and Fox.

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom faces former teammate David Rittich in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Juuso Valimaki goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Mikael Backlund. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. The Flames took the lead in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Maple Leafs tied it again in the third period with an Alex Kerfoot goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Tavares and Hyman. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Gaudreau goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Lindholm and Mark Giordano. The three stars were Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Valimaki.

Stateside to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Rem Pitlick and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Josi goal, his fifth of the year, via Rocco Grimaldi. Nashville extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Ryan Johansen and Ben Harpur. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev. The Predators answered with a Grimaldi goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Johansen and Arvidsson. Nashville padded the lead in the third period with an Arvidsson goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Josi. The Lightning got one back with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Cernak. The Predators shot back with a Tanner Jeannot goal, made possible by Yakov Trenin. Nashville continued as Mikael Granlund scored his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Pitlick and Nick Cousins. The three stars were Arvidsson, Josi, and Grimaldi, while Johansen and Pitlick get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Anton Khudobin are the masked men. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Markus Nutivaara and Jonathan Huberdeau. Dallas tied it on a Jason Robertson goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn and John Klingberg. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Radko Gudas goal, coming off of Keith Yandle and Anthony Duclair. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Robertson and Benn. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Gustav Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar. The three stars were Robertson, Benn, and Vatrano. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 90

The hockey rolls on with seven games today, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jake Allen are the goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Paul Byron and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Jonathan Drouin. Toronto got on the board in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs tied it on a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Ilya Mikheyev and Zach Hyman. Montreal retook the lead on a Josh Anderson goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Brett Kulak. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Tatar empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Byron and Jeff Petry. The three stars were Tatar, Byron, and Anderson. 

Stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer make the starts in goal. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Adam Erne goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Michael Rasmussen and Valtteri Filppula. The Red Wings added on with a Filip Zadina power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Rasmussen and Dylan Larkin. Carolina got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Warren Foegele and Jordan Staal. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with a Sam Gagner empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Filppula and Danny DeKeyser. The three stars were Bernier (37 for 38 in saves), Filppula, and Rasmussen. 

North again to Ottawa, as the Senators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Anton Forsberg are in the blue paint. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Derek Forbort and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Ottawa got on the board with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Josh Norris and Thomas Chabot. The Senators tied it with a Connor Brown goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Chris Tierney and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa pulled ahead in the third period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Chabot and Norris. The Senators capped it at 4-2 with an unassisted Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year. The three stars belonged to Tkachuk, Chabot, and Norris. 

Moving along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Joonas Korpisalo man the creases. Columbus started in the first period with a Stefan Matteau goal, coming off of Seth Jones and Kole Sherwood. Chicago tied it on a Duncan Keith power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Max Domi and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blackhawks tied it again in the third period on a Philipp Kurashev goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Kane. Chicago took the lead with a Brett Connolly goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it again with an unassisted Laine goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Brandon Hagel goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Kirby Dach and Wyatt Kalynuk. The three stars belonged to Laine, Kane, and Hagel.

Westward to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Ivan Prosvetov is mismatched with Philipp Grubauer in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Samuel Girard and Tyson Jost. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to MacKinnon and Makar. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Phil Kessel. The Coyotes got closer with a Johan Larsson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Dryden Hunt and Alex Goligoski. The Avalanche replied with a Rantanen empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Devon Toews. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Makar.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Calvin Petersen are the masked men. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Austin Wagner goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Brendan Lemieux and Blake Lizotte. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, via Dustin Brown and Alex Iafallo. Vegas got on the board with a Nicolas Roy goal, his third of the season, made possible by Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights tied it on a shorthanded Mark Stone goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Chandler Stephenson. Vegas took the lead in the third period with an Alex Tuch goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights closed out a 4-2 with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Theodore and Stone. The three stars were Stone, Theodore, and Tuch.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Martin Jones protect the nets. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Derek Grant and Josh Manson. The Ducks added on with an Alexander Volkov goal, his fifth of the year, via Sam Carrick and Nicolas Deslauriers. Anaheim extended the lead as Volkov scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Adam Henrique and Jacob Larsson. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Andrew Agozzino and Comtois. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Stolarz (46 save shutout), Volkov, and Comtois. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 89

Seven games on Sunday, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Carter Hart start in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his sixth of the season, via Shayne Gostisbehere and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The Flyers added on with a Joel Farabee power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nolan Patrick and Sean Couturier. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Skinner. The Sabres tied it on an Arttu Ruotsalainen goal, made possible by Dylan Cozens. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Gostisbehere goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Farabee and Philippe Myers. Buffalo tied it again on a Skinner goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Victor Olofsson and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres pulled ahead with a Rasmus Asplund goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Bryson. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with a Casey Mittelstadt empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Kyle Okposo and Riley Sheahan. The three stars were Skinner, Gostisbehere, and Bryson, while Farabee gets an honorable mention.

Out in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault. This made it 1-0, the final, with the three stars being Fleury (14 save shutout), Nosek, and Hill (28 for 29 in saves).

To Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Colorado started in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his twelfth of the season, via Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in the second period. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Jamie Drysdale goal, his second of the season, assisted by Troy Terry and Sam Carrick. Colorado replied with a Ryan Graves goal, fueled by Tyson Jost and Landeskog. The Avalanche finished with a 4-1 win on a MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Makar and Landeskog. The three stars were Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Johansson (24 for 25 in saves).

Back east, the Boston Bruins host the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Dan Vladar are the young goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a Lars Eller goal, his sixth of the year, via Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway. Washington extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Dmitry Orlov and Daniel Sprong. The Capitals padded the lead in the second period with a Sheary power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by Tom Wilson and Jakub Vrana. Washington continued with a Nic Dowd goal, his eighth of the season, with lone helper by Hagelin. The Capitals struck again with a Wilson power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Alex Ovechkin and Justin Schultz. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle. Washington fired back on an Oshie goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Backstrom. The Capitals piled on with an Eller goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, made possible by Oshie and Brenden Dillon. The three stars of the 8-1 game were Oshie, Sheary, and Eller, while Wilson, Backstrom, and Hagelin get the honorable mentions.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin are the Russian goalies. The Islanders began in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal. The Rangers got on the board with a Libor Hajek goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. The Rangers tied it it on a Brendan Smith goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad and Vitali Kravtsov. The Islanders won 3-2 in overtime with a Ryan Pulock goal, courtesy of Barzal. The three stars were Barzal, Pulock, and Pageau.

To New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and MacKenzie Blackwood patrol the creases. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Teddy Blueger and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins added on with a Secviour goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Mike Matheson and Cody Ceci. New Jersey got on the board with a Miles Wood goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Sami Vatanen and Jesper Bratt. Pittsburgh responded in the second period with a Bryan Rust goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. The Penguins extended the lead with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Rust and Jared McCann in the third period. The Devils fired back on a P.K. Subban goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with a Guentzel empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Sidney Crosby and Matheson. The three stars went to Rust, Sceviour, and Guentzel, while Matheson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Anton Khudobin are the masked men. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by John Klingberg. Nashville tied it with a Ryan Ellis goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Luke Kunin. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his fourth of the season, via Colton Sissons. The Stars tied it again with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Hintz. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Johansen lifted the Predators to a 3-2 win with his lone tally. The three stars were Hintz, Trenin, and Ellis. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 88

Another Saturday slate is on with ten games. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Craig Smith and Brad Marchand. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers took the lead with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Konecny and James van Riemsdyk. The Bruins tied it in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Smith and Charlie Coyle. Philadelphia reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Sean Couturier goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Joel Farabee and van Riemsdyk. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Konecny, van Riemsdyk, and Smith. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Anton Khudobin man the nets. Dallas began in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on with a Joel L'Esperance goal, his second of the year, guided in by Justin Dowling. Dallas extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Pavelski and Hintz. Florida got on the board in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Patric Hornqvist. The Stars replied in the third period with an unassisted Robertson goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign. This produced the 4-1 final score, with the three stars being Robertson, Hintz, and Pavelski. 

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Columbus opened in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, via Alexandre Texier and Zac Dalpe. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Jack Roslovic. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Calvin de Haan and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by David Kampf and Ryan Carpenter. Chicago took the lead in the second period with a Wyatt Kalynuk goal, passed from Pius Suter and Calvin de Haan. The Blackhawks added on with a Dylan Strome goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Kirby Dach and DeBrincat. Columbus got one back in the third period with a Patrik Laine shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Max Domi. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being DeBrincat, de Haan, and Strome.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen protect the nets. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg extended the lead as Derek Forbort scored his second of the year, thanks to Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with a Copp power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mathieu Perreault and Ehlers. Winnipeg continued with a Perreault goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (19 save shutout), Ehlers, and Copp, while Perreault gets an honorable mention.

Stateside to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Carolina started in the first period with a Martin Necas goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Dougie Hamilton. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Filip Zadina and Troy Stecher. The Red Wings took the lead on an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Biega. The Hurricanes tied it with a Jordan Staal goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina took the lead with a Hamilton goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it again with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Red Wings pulled ahead with an Adam Erne goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Necas and Nino Niederreiter. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Larkin and Erne lifted the Red Wings 5-4 over Andrei Svechnikov and the Hurricanes. The three stars were Larkin, Erne, and Hamilton, while Necas gets an honorable mention.

North again to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the provincial rival Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Jack Campbell are between the pipes. Toronto struck first in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, assisted by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Tim Stutzle and Erik Brannstrom. The Senators tied it on an Alex Formenton shorthanded goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa took the lead with a Stutzle goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Michael Amadio. Toronto retied it on a Marner goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Matthews and Galchenyuk. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead with a Matthews goal to complete his hat trick on his thirty-first of the season, fueled by Marner and Galchenyuk. Toronto added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott. The Senators responded with a Connor Brown goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Chris Tierney and Evgenii Dadonov. The Maple Leafs countered with a Hyman empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Mikheyev and John Tavares. Ottawa grabbed one for the road on a Josh Norris goal, his eleventh of the campaign, dished from Brown and Batherson. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars given to Matthews, Marner, and Galchenyuk, while Hyman, Mikheyev, Batherson, Brown, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot faces a lesser foe in Ville Husso in goal. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Nico Sturm goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Joseph Cramarossa. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Vince Dunn and Tyler Bozak. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Suter and Marcus Johansson. The Blues tied it in the third period with Hoffman's second goal of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by Dunn and David Perron. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Brayden Schenn and Dunn. The three stars were Hoffman, Dunn, and O'Reilly.

Further along, the Nashville Predators welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on with an Erik Cernak goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Gourde empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (36 save shutout), Gourde, and Colton.

Way northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Noah Hanifin and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Elias Lindholm scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Gaudreau and Giordano. The Flames padded the lead on a Giordano goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Backlund and Sam Bennett. Calgary continued with a Brett Ritchie goal, his second of the season, fueled by Bennett and Juuso Valimaki. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars given to Gaudreau, Giordano and Markstrom (17 save shutout), while Backlund and Bennett get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his eighth of the season, via Andreas Athanasiou and Mikey Anderson. San Jose tied it with a Dylan Gambrell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of John Leonard and Christian Jaros. The Kings took the lead in the second period with an Athanasiou goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Carter and Olli Maatta. Los Angeles added on with an Alex Iafallo goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. The Kings extended the lead as Brown scored his sixteenth of the season on the power play, going in unassisted. Josef Korenar replaced Jones in goal to start the third period. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Tomas Hertl and Ryan Donato. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Carter, Brown, and Athanasiou. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 87

Seven games on a relatively busy Friday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Semyon Varlamov are in goal. The Rangers got going in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his seventh of the season, via Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. The Rangers added on with a Colin Blackwell goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. The Islanders got on the board with an Andy Greene goal, coming off of Mathew Barzal. The Rangers shot back in the third period with a K'Andre Miller goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jacob Trouba and Panarin. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Mika Zibanejad empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Panarin, Georgiev (31 for 32 in saves), and Blackwell. 

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Dustin Tokarski are in the creases. Washington led off in the first period with a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the season, passed from Justin Schultz and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Dillon and John Carlson. Buffalo got on the board with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his third of the season, coming off of Rasmus Dahlin. Washington replied in the second period with a Schultz goal, his third of the year, helped along by Lars Eller. The Sabres pulled back on a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Rasmus Asplund and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Capitals fired back in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Schultz and Eller. Buffalo got one back with a Tage Thompson goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Ristolainen. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Schultz, Dillon, and Eller, while Ristolainen gets an honorable mention. 

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and MacKenzie Blackwood are the young goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. The Penguins took the lead on a Brian Dumoulin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Cody Ceci and Sam Lafferty. The Devils tied it in the second period with a Jack Hughes goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Janne Kuokkanen and Yegor Sharangovich. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Colton Sceviour goal, his third of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Mark Jankowski. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Rust power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by McCann and Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Crosby scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Jake Guentzel and John Marino. New Jersey got one back with an unassisted Jesper Boqvist goal, his second of the year. The Devils pulled closer with a Wood goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins iced it at 6-4 with a Rust empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Guentzel and Letang. The three stars went to Rust, Crosby, and McCann, while Wood, Letang, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions. 

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jordan Binnington are the masked men. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Zach Sanford goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas and Tyler Bozak. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his third of the year, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Vince Dunn. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Carson Soucy. St. Louis replied with a Schwartz goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. The Blues extended the lead as Sammy Blais scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Justin Faulk and David Perron. St. Louis padded the lead in the second period on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Blais and Faulk. The Blues continued with a shorthanded O'Reilly goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis struck again with a Faulk goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Thomas and Bozak. The Blues kept going in the third period when O'Reilly completed his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, with the help of Jake Walman and Blais. St. Louis piled on with an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Krug and O'Reilly. This stood for a 9-1 win, with the three stars handed to O'Reilly, Blais, and Faulk, while Schwartz, Bozak, Thomas, and Krug get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a William Carrier goal, his fourth of the year, via Nicolas Roy and Ryan Reaves. Vegas extended the lead on an unassisted Keegan Kolesar goal, his second of the season. The Golden Knights padded the lead with a Reilly Smith shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by William Karlsson. Vegas continued in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mark Stone and Brayden McNabb. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Goligoski and Conor Garland. Ivan Prosvetov replaced Hill in goal. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Dryden Hunt goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Phil Kessel and Johan Larsson. Arizona chipped closer with a Clayton Keller goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Christian Dvorak. The Golden Knights responded with a Smith goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Karlsson and Marchessault. The Coyotes fired back on a Michael Bunting goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Kessel and Schmaltz. Vegas iced it at 7-4 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, dished from Stephenson and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Smith, Marchessault, and Stephenson, while Pacioretty, Karlsson, Schmaltz, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

Further west to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and John Gibson man the nets. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Graves and Tyson Jost. The Avalanche iced it at 2-0 in the third period with a Mikko Rantanen empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Nathan MacKinnon. The three stars were Johansson (28 save shutout), Nichushkin, and Gibson (33 for 34 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Martin Jones patrol the creases. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. San Jose tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his tenth of the year, via Brent Burns and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks took the lead on a Patrick Marleau goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Burns and Marcus Sorensen. San Jose added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. The Kings got on the board in the third period with a Jaret Anderson-Dolan goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks answered with a shorthanded Dylan Gambrell goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Evander Kane and Burns. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Tomas Hertl empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, coming off of Kane and Logan Couture. The three stars were Burns, Kane, and Balcers. 

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