NHL 2021 - Day 97

Eight games on today, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the goalies. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, his twelfth of the season, via Tyler Johnson and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. Carolina got on the board with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Yanni Gourde goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Killorn. The three stars were Killorn, Gourde, and Point. 

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Sergei Bobrovsky start in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair. Columbus got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. Florida replied with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, coming off of Duclair and Gustav Forsling. The Blue Jackets pulled one back in the third period with a Zac Dalpe goal, his second of the season, passed from Eric Robinson and Andrew Peeke. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Vatrano empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Alex Wennberg and Patric Hornqvist. The three stars were Vatrano, Duclair, and Gudas. 

Over in Dallas, the Stars host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Anton Khudobin patrol the creases. Dallas opened in the first period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg. Detroit tied it on a Luke Glendening goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Evgeny Svechnikov and Alex Biega in the second period. The Stars retook the lead with a Jason Robertson goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Hintz and Heiskanen. The Red Wings tied it again with a Glendening goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, fueled by Biega and Darren Helm. In the shootout, Robertson and Denis Gurianov lifted the Stars 3-2 over Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings. The three stars were Hintz, Heiskanen, and Robertson, while Glendening and Biega get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Juuse Saros are the Finnish goalies. Nashville started in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Erik Haula and Matt Benning. Chicago tied it with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Pius Suter and Patrick Kane. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his twelfth of the season, via Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin in the second period. Nashville added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Johansen. The Blackhawks got one back with a David Kampf goal, with a lone assist by Adam Gaudette. The Predators responded in the third period on a Tanner Jeannot goal, his second of the season, assisted by Ryan Ellis. Nashville struck again on a Kunin goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Granlund and Jarnkrok. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars given to Kunin, Jarnkrok, and Granlund. 

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Nick Bonino and Kevin Fiala. Arizona tied it on a Christian Fischer goal, going in unassisted. The Wild retook the lead in the second period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Marcus Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota added on with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller. The Wild answered on a Fiala goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Carson Soucy and Ian Cole. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Jonas Brodin empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Dumba and Bonino. The three stars were Fiala, Bonino, and Dumba.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mike Smith start in goal, but Jake Allen took over for the Canadiens in the second period. Montreal got going in the second period with an Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the season, via Corey Perry. Edmonton tied it in the third period with an Ethan Bear goal, assisted by Connor McDavid and Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers took the lead on an unassisted McDavid goal, his twenty-fourth of the year. Edmonton added on with a Puljujarvi goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by McDavid. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Devin Shore empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Kailer Yamamoto and Kris Russell. The three stars belonged to McDavid, Puljujarvi, and Smith (22 for 23 in saves).

Also in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Josh Norris. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Senators retook the lead in the second period with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Nick Paul. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Norris power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Erik Brannstrom and Drake Batherson. The Flames countered with a Michael Stone goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper by Mikael Backlund. The Senators finished it at 4-2 with a Brown empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Brown, Norris, and Tkachuk.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Nikolai Knyzhov goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Noah Gregor unassisted goal, his fourth of the year. Vegas got on the board with a Mark Stone power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Shea Theodore and Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Stone power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Pacioretty and Theodore. Vegas won 3-2 in the shootout with a lone tally by Alex Tuch. The three stars were Stone, Theodore, and Pacioretty. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 96

Six games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Tuukka Rask are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Connor Clifton and Craig Smith. Washington got on the board with a T.J. Oshie goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals tied it in the second period with an Oshie power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom. Washington took the lead with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller. Boston retied it on a Marchand goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins pulled ahead with a Krejci goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Smith. Boston extended the lead as Bergeron scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with the help of David Pastrnak and Marchand. The Bruins iced it at 6-3 with a Marchand empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Pastrnak. The three stars were Marchand, Bergeron, and Krejci, while Pastrnak, Smith, Oshie, and Backstrom get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Dustin Tokarski are set to start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with an Arttu Ruotsalainen goal, his second of the season, passed from Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Victor Olofsson. Buffalo extended the lead in the third period on a Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, powered by Olofsson and Dahlin. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jason Zucker goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Jeff Carter. The Sabres replied with a Rasmus Asplund empty net goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Casey Mittelstadt. The Penguins got one back with a Teddy Blueger goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Cody Ceci. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Reinhart, Olofsson, and Dahlin.

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Vitali Kravtsov goal, courtesy of Brett Howden. New York extended the lead in the second period as Alexis Lafreniere scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. New Jersey got on the board with a Mikhail Maltsev goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Yegor Sharangovich and P.K. Subban. The Devils got closer in the third period with a Marian Studenic goal, with helpers from Maltsev and Andreas Johnsson. New Jersey tied it as Nico Hischier scored his third of the year, with the help of Nicholas Merkley. The Rangers reclaimed the lead with a Zibanejad power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Adam Fox. New York iced it at 5-3 with a Strome empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Colin Blackwell and Panarin. The three stars were Zibanejad, Strome, and Maltsev, while Panarin gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas started in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Alec Martinez and Mark Stone. Anaheim tied it on a Max Comtois goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell. The Golden Knights retook the lead with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Pacioretty and Martinez. Vegas added on in the second period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of William Carrier and Zach Whitecloud. The Ducks got one back with a Danton Heinen goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg. The Golden Knights countered with a Stone power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Shea Theodore and the goalie Fleury. Vegas iced it at 5-2 with an Alex Tuch empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Roy and Tomas Nosek. The three stars were Stone, Pacioretty, and Martinez, while Roy gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Brian Elliott patrol the creases. New York won in overtime with a Nick Leddy goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jordan Eberle. The three stars were Sorokin (30 save shutout), Leddy, and Elliott (27 for 28 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Toronto struck first in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the season, via John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Nylander and Tavares. Vancouver got on the board with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Nils Hoglander. The Canucks tied it with a Hoglander goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, coming off of Jalen Chatfield and Horvat. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Horvat goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Tyler Myers and Brock Boeser. The three stars were Horvat, Hoglander, and Nylander, while Tavares gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 95

Eleven games grace the schedule today, with four matinees. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Alex Lyon are set to start in goal. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Philadelphia tied it on an Ivan Provorov goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Joel Farabee. The Capitals took the lead back in the second period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Carlson and Ovechkin. The Flyers tied it again with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Washington retook the lead with an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Carlson and Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a Kuznetsov goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Tom Wilson and Carlson. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a Wade Allison power play goal, with helpers from Kevin Hayes and Giroux. Washington answered on a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Justin Schultz and Lars Eller. The Capitals capped it at 6-3 with an Anthony Mantha empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ovechkin, Carlson, and Kuznetsov, while Giroux gets an honorable mention.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York began in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Zibanejad and Panarin. New York extended the lead as Buchnevich scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Colin Blackwell and K'Andre Miller. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period with a Panarin goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Strome and Ryan Lindgren. New Jersey got on the board with a Michael McLeod goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Nathan Bastian and P.K. Subban. The Devils got closer in the third period with a Subban goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. New Jersey pulled closer on a Sharangovich goal, his tenth of the season, via Hughes. New York replied with a Buchnevich empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, set up by Zibanejad and Panarin. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 with a Chris Kreider empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, passed from Strome and Lindgren. The three stars were Buchnevich, Panarin, and Strome, while Zibanejad, Lindgren, Subban, Sharangovich, and Hughes get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Dustin Tokarski are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Mike Matheson and Cody Ceci. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Teddy Blueger. Buffalo got on the board with a Tage Thompson goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh replied with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Rust, Rodrigues, and McCann. 

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Carey Price are the masked men. Ottawa started in the first period with an Artem Zub goal, his third of the season, coming off of Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on with a Batherson goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, via Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Batherson scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Tkachuk and Norris. The Senators padded the lead on a Nikita Zaitsev empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Shane Pinto. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Batherson, Murray (23 save shutout), and Tkachuk, while Norris gets an honorable mention. 

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Sammy Blais goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by David Perron and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman and Vince Dunn. Arizona got on the board with a second period goal by Alex Goligoski goal, his second of the season, fueled by Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland. The Coyotes tied it on a Clayton Keller power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Christian Dvorak. Arizona took the lead in the third period on a Michael Bunting goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun and Christian Fischer.  The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Bunting, Keller, and Goligoski.

Back north to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton extended the lead as Alex Chiasson scored his seventh of the season on the power play, with assists provided Barrie and Draisaitl. The final remained at 3-0, with the three stars handed to Smith (26 save shutout), Barrie, and McDavid, while Draisaitl gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russian goalies. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Montour goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Sam Bennett. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Patric Hornqvist and  Nikita Gusev. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Mikhail Sergachev and Ondrej Palat. Florida replied with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Markus Nutivaara and Bennett. The Panthers extended the lead as Frank Vatrano scored his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back with an Erik Cernak goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Blake Coleman and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay got closer in the third period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Hedman and Point. Florida iced it at 5-3 with an Anthony Duclair empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Radko Gudas. The three stars belonged to Point, Bennett, and Hedman.

Up to Carolina, as the Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Nedeljkovic are between the pipes. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Morgan Geekie and Steven Lorentz. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Jani Hakanpaa goal, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck. Carolina added on with an Andrei Svechnikov empty net goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Sebastian Aho and Dougie Hamilton. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Nedeljkovic (27 for 28 in saves), Hakanpaa, and Slavin.

Further along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts in goal. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Connor Murphy and Brandon Hagel. Chicago extended the lead in the third period as Wyatt Kalynuk scored his second of the season, thanks to Hinostroza and Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Pius Suter empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Kane, Hinostroza, and Subban (29 save shutout).

West to Minnesota, as the Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Kaapo Kahkonen are the goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his sixth of the season, via Rudolfs Balcers and Tomas Hertl. Minnesota tied it on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Ryan Hartman. The Wild took the lead with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota added on with a Zach Parise goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Nick Bonino. The Wild extended the lead in the second period as Kirill Kaprizov scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Zuccarello. Minnesota padded the lead with a Nico Sturm goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Carson Soucy. Josef Korenar replaced Jones in goal in the third period. The Sharks got one back with a Joel Kellman goal, guided in by Kevin Labanc and Ryan Donato. The final stayed at 5-2, with the three stars handed to Zuccarello, Parise, and Talbot (26 for 28 in saves).

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Oettinger are given the starting nods in goal. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Cam Atkinson. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of John Klingberg and Denis Gurianov. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Gurianov goal, his ninth of the season, via Benn. Dallas added on with a Joe Pavelski goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Jason Robertson and Esa Lindell. The Stars extended the lead as Klingberg scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Robertson and Roope Hintz. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. Dallas padded the lead with a Lindell goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Hintz and Pavelski. This held up as the eventual 5-1 final score, with the three stars going to Gurianov, Benn, and Klingberg, while Pavelski, Lindell, Hintz, and Robertson get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 94

After postponements, only four games remain on the schedule. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen are in the creases. Montreal got going in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Brett Kulak. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, passed from Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. The Canadiens retook the lead with another Toffoli goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, via Joel Armia and Suzuki. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Suzuki, and Allen (28 for 29 in saves). 

In Boston, the Bruins welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jeremy Swayman are the young goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Mike Reilly and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Taylor Hall goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of David Krejci and Steven Kampfer. Boston iced it at 3-0 with a Curtis Lazar empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Chris Wagner. The three stars were Swayman (25 save shutout), Pastrnak, and Hall. 

Over in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Radim Simek and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Minnesota tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Victor Rask. Minnesota added on with a Zach Parise goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Matt Dumba and Bonino. The Sharks got one back in the third period with an Evander Kane shorthanded and unassisted goal, his seventeenth of the campaign. This left it at 3-2, with the three stars being Bonino, Parise, and Zuccarello. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and John Gibson tend the twines. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the season, via Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with Chandler Stephenson goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Vegas extended the lead as Nicolas Roy scored his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his second of the year, with the help of Stephenson and Stone. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars given to Stephenson, Lehner (16 save shutout), and Stone. 

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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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