NHL 2021 - Day 111

Another overfilled schedule tonight with 14 games, beginning with...

The New York Rangers welcoming the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Igor Shesterkin are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Nic Dowd goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway. The Capitals added on with a Conor Sheary goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Michael Raffl and Tom Wilson. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Strome and Panarin. New York took the lead with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alexis Lafreniere and Kevin Rooney. Washington retied it on a Hathaway goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Nic Dowd. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with an unassisted Daniel Sprong goal, his twelfth of the season. Washington extended the lead as Nicklas Backstrom scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Raffl and Nick Jensen. The Capitals iced it at 6-3 with a Wilson empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by John Carlson. The three stars were Wilson, Hathaway, and Zibanejad, while Dowd, Panarin, and Raffl get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jake Allen are set to start in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Alex Galchenyuk and William Nylander. Montreal tied it in the second period on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, guided in by Jake Muzzin and Joe Thornton. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Suzuki and Petry. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Cole Caufield goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Petry and Suzuki. The three stars were Suzuki, Petry, and Caufield. 

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Spencer Knight draw the starts. Florida opened in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Owen Tippett and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on with a Nikita Gusev goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Brandon Montour. Dallas got on the board with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Florida replied on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Tippett and Grigori Denisenko. The Stars got one back with an unassisted Hintz goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Panthers countered in the second period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Denisenko and Aleksander Barkov. Jake Oettinger took over for Khudobin in goal. Dallas pulled back in the third period with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Tanner Kero and Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, coming off of Denis Gurianov and John Klingberg. Florida won 5-4 in overtime with a Barkov power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Yandle and Weegar. The three stars went to Barkov, Weegar, and Hintz, while Tippett, Denisenko, and Yandle get the honorable mentions. 

North again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Nashville got going in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan Ellis and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Johansen power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Eeli Tolvanen and Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead as Roman Josi scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Ellis and Nick Cousins. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, assisted by Jack Roslovic and Michael Del Zotto. The Blue Jackets got closer with another Bemstrom goal, via Mikhail Grigorenko and Del Zotto. Columbus tied it on a Bemstrom power play goal to complete his natural hat trick, with assists provided by Seth Jones and Roslovic. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Josi goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula and Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Josi, Bemstrom, and Forsberg, while Johansen, Ellis, Del Zotto, and Roslovic get the honorable mentions. 

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Malcolm Subban and Alex Nedeljkovic man the creases. Carolina started in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Warren Foegele. The Hurricanes added on with a Martin Necas goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Trocheck and Jake Bean. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Sebastian Aho scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes padded the lead on an Aho power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, powered by Hamilton and Jordan Staal. Collin Delia replaced Subban in goal. Chicago got on the board with an Ian Mitchell goal, his third of the season, passed from Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks got closer in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Kubalik. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with an Aho empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Jesper Fast. The three stars belonged to Aho, Hamilton, and Kubalik, while Trocheck gets an honorable mention. 

Up to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Alex Lyon are the backups in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Joel Farabee and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his ninth of the of the year, powered by Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead as Giroux scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Konecny and Sean Couturier. The Flyers padded the lead in the second period with a Wade Allison goal, his second of the year, via Scott Laughton and Gostisbehere. Tristan Jarry replaced DeSmith in the third period. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins got closer with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by John Marino and Kasperi Kapanen. Philadelphia shot back with a Farabee goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Voracek and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers struck again on an unassisted empty net goal by Giroux, his sixteenth of the year. Philadelphia iced it at 7-2 with a Robert Hagg goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Farabee and Voracek. The three stars were given to Giroux, Farabee, and Voracek, while Gostisbehere and Konecny get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Michael Houser in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Adam Pelech goal, his fourth of the season, via Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders added on in the second period with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Pelech and Kyle Palmieri. Buffalo got on the board with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jacob Bryson and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Rasmus Asplund goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart and Thompson. Buffalo took the lead with a Reinhart goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Ristolainen. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with a Reinhart empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Reinhart, Thompson, and Ristolainen, while Pelech gets an honorable mention. 

Next up, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Scott Wedgewood receive the starting nods in goal. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jakub Zboril. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twentieth of the year, via Brad Marchand. Boston extended the lead in the third period as Matt Grzelcyk scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Marchand and Bergeron. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Rask (20 save shutout), and Marchand. 

Into Canada again, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Filip Gustavsson patrol the creases. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Nick Paul. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the year, via Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler in the third period. The Senators retook the lead with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Drake Batherson and Brown. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Brown, Zaitsev, and Gustavsson (28 for 29 in saves). 

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Mark Stone and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights took the lead with an Alec Martinez power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. The Wild retied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. Vegas retook the lead with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Peyton Krebs and Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Stone goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone helper from Chandler Stephenson. Minnesota pulled one back with a Bonino power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with assists provided by Spurgeon and Kirill Karpizov. Vegas answered on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Martinez and Karlsson. The Wild pulled one back in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Bonino and Victor Rask. Minnesota tied it with a Kaprizov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Fiala. The Wild won 6-5 with a Brodin goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers provided by Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. The three stars were Bonino, Brodin, and Kaprizov, while Fiala, Spurgeon, Stone, Martinez, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Justin Faulk. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead back in the third period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, via Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan O'Reilly empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by David Perron and Faulk. The three stars were Bortuzzo, Binnington (19 for 20 in saves), and Faulk. 

Way northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Braden Holtby are between the pipes. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Vancouver tied it with a Nate Schmidt goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by J.T. Miller and Nils Hoglander. The Oilers took the lead back in the second period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Pujlujarvi and McDavid. Edmonton added on with an unassisted McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the year. The Canucks shot back with a Miller goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers fired back with a Dominik Kahun goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver got one back in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Bo Horvat. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a McDavid empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, set up by Draisaitl and Jujhar Khaira. The three stars were McDavid, Miller, and Puljujarvi, while Draisaitl gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Darcy Kuemper are the veteran goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Christian Fischer. Los Angeles tied it with an unassisted Trevor Moore goal, his tenth of the year. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Conor Garland and Alex Goligoski. The Kings retied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles gained the lead with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Kopitar. Calvin Petersen replaced an injured Quick in the third period. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Iafallo, and Moore.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose struck first in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the season, an unassisted goal. San Jose added on with a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, passed from Hertl and Alexander Barabanov. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Graves. The Sharks answered with a Timo Meier goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brent Burns and Mario Ferraro. Colorado pulled back with a Landeskog goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone helper by MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it with an unassisted Nazem Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a Burakovsky goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Cale Makar and Rantanen. The three stars were Burakovsky, Rantanen, and Landeskog, while Kane, Hertl, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 110

Just one game scheduled for Sunday, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Christopher Gibson and Jonathan Bernier are in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Barclay Goodrow. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his third of the year, guided in by Yanni Gourde and Coleman. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Zadina goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Erne. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Coleman, Gibson (22 for 23 in saves), and Sergachev. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 109

One of the busiest days of the season is here, with 15 games on. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jeremy Swayman receive the starting nods in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, via David Krejci and Taylor Hall. Buffalo tied it on a Riley Sheahan shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jacob Bryson and Casey Mittelstadt. The Bruins retook the lead with a Sean Kuraly goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nick Ritchie. Boston added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Jeremy Lauzon and Brad Marchand. Dustin Tokarski replaced an injured Luukkonen in the third period. The Bruins extended the lead as Ritchie scored his thirteenth of the season, with the help of Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller. Boston padded the lead on Smith's second goal of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Mike Reilly and Krejci. The Sabres got one back with an Arttu Ruotsalainen goal, his fifth of the season, via Rasmus Asplund and Mittelstadt. The Bruins capped it at 6-2 with Smith completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year on the power play, powered by Krejci and Charlie Coyle. The three stars were Smith, Krejci, and Ritchie, while Mittelstadt gets an honorable mention. 

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Thomas Greiss are set to start in goal. The game was scoreless into a shootout, where Jakub Vrana, Filip Zadina, Valtteri Filppula, and Sam Gagner lifted the Red Wings 1-0 over Ross Colton, Brayden Point, and Tyler Johnson for the Lightning. The three stars were Greiss (33 save shutout), McElhinney (15 save "shutout"), and Gagner. 

At the regular time, the Washington Capitals bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on in the second period with another Rust goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, an unassisted goal. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Kris Letang. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Rust, Jarry (23 save shutout), and Carter.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. The Islanders opened in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Bailey. The Islanders extended the lead as Beauvillier scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, thanks to Brock Nelson and Bailey. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Varlamov (30 save shutout), Beauvillier, and Bailey.

Up to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jack Campbell are in the blue paint. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. Toronto tied it with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, fueled by Mitchell Marner and Nick Foligno. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, via Marner. Toronto added on in the third period with an Adam Brooks goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Justin Holl and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Alex Galchenyuk scored his fourth of the season, made possible by William Nylander and John Tavares. Toronto iced it at 5-1 with a Joe Thornton empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Travis Dermott and Morgan Rielly. The three stars went to Matthews, Marner, and Campbell (26 for 27 in saves).

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Alex Nedeljkovic are between the pipes. Columbus started in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his eighth of the season, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eric Robinson. Carolina tied it with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in overtime with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper by the goalie Nedeljkovic. The three stars were Nedeljkovic (31 for 32 in saves), Hamilton, and Teravainen.

To Canada again, with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Cayden Primeau are the unknown goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Artem Zub and Colin White. The Senators added on in the third period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Shane Pinto. Montreal got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens tied it on a Toffoli goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Nick Suzuki and Corey Perry. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Cole Caufield goal, courtesy of Petry and Jake Evans. The three stars belonged to Toffoli, Petry, and Caufield.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Brian Elliott have the green light to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Pavel Zacha and Kevin Bahl. The Devils added on in the second period with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Nico Hischier scored his sixth of the season, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. The Devils padded the lead on a Sharangovich goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Hughes. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Shayne Gostisbehere and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sharangovich, Hughes, and Blackwood (31 for 32 in saves).

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Kevin Lankinen protect the nets. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Nikita Gusev goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ryan Lomberg and Radko Gudas. Chicago got on the board with a Connor Murphy power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brett Connolly and Adam Gaudette. The Blackhawks tied it with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Gaudette and Ian Mitchell. Florida retook the lead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Forsling and Duclair. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Duclair scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Barkov and Grigori Denisenko. Florida padded the lead on an Owen Tippett goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Bennett. Chicago answered with a Kirby Dach power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Philipp Kurashev and Brandon Hagel. The Blackhawks got one back with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with helpers from Patrick Kane and DeBrincat. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Duclair, Barkov, and DeBrincat, while Bennett, Forsling, and Gaudette get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces a lesser foe in Kaapo Kahkonen in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues added on with a Sammy Blais goal, his eighth of the year, via Tyler Bozak and Robert Bortuzzo. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Dumba. St. Louis replied with a David Perron goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Niko Mikkola and Ryan O'Reilly. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Nico Sturm goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jonas Brodin. Minnesota tied it with a Brodin goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Jared Spurgeon and Kevin Fiala. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Fiala goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Fiala, Brodin, and Sturm.

Back south to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Nashville won 1-0 in overtime with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Mattias Ekholm. The three stars were Saros (28 save shutout), Haula, and Khudobin (33 for 34 in saves).

To the west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Josef Korenar and Devan Dubnyk are set to start in goal. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexander Barabanov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twentieth of the year, via Conor Timmins and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche took the lead with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by J.T. Compher. Colorado added on with a Patrik Nemeth goal, his third of the year, fueled by Cale Makar and MacKinnon. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a shorthanded Logan Couture goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Evander Kane. The Avalanche responded with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Devon Toews and Timmins. San Jose got one back with a Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Barabanov. The final was 4-3 with the three stars being MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Timmins, while Hertl and Barabanov get the honorable mentions.

Along to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Vegas led off in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights added on with a Mark Stone goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Chandler Stephenson. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Christian Fischer goal, his third of the season, made possible by Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes tied it on a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Clayton Keller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Marchessault power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Marchessault, Stone, and Karlsson.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Ryan Miller start in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Comtois and Jacob Larsson. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, his seventh of the year, via Larsson and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead as Nicolas Deslauriers scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Derek Grant and Heinen. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period with a Max Jones goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Heinen and Jamie Drysdale. Los Angeles got on the board with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Sean Walker. Anaheim fired back with a Larsson goal, helped along by Haydn Fleury. The Ducks continued with a Comtois goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Zegras and Troy Terry. The Kings got one back with a Tobias Bjornfot goal, assisted by Adrian Kempe and Andreas Athanasiou. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Larsson, Heinen, and Zegras, while Comtois gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith tend the twines. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie. The Oilers added on with an Ethan Bear goal, his second of the year, via McDavid and Draisaitl. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Christopher Tanev. Edmonton replied with a Josh Archibald empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Draisaitl and McDavid. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Darnell Nurse empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Archibald and Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Smith (29 for 30 in saves), while Archibald gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 108

Just four games on for Friday, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen are the goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Dylan DeMelo and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on in the second period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, via Jansen Harkins. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg replied with an unassisted Lewis goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year. The Canadiens pulled one back on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Ben Chiarot and Jake Evans. Montreal tied it with a Joel Armia power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Suzuki power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Corey Perry. Montreal iced it at 5-3 with a Toffoli empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Phillip Danault. The three stars went to Suzuki, Lewis, and Toffoli. 

Stateside, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Makar power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi. Colorado iced it at 3-0 with a Rantanen empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Landeskog and Carl Soderberg. This stood for a 3-0 final score, with the three stars going to Rantanen, Grubauer (21 save shutout), and Makar, while Landeskog gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner faces a lesser foe in Adin Hill in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a John Hayden goal, his second of the season, coming off of Derick Brassard and Jason Demers. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Michael Bunting goal, his ninth of the year, via Nick Schmaltz. Arizona iced it at 3-0 with a Christian Fischer empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Christian Dvorak and Lawson Crouse. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Hill (25 save shutout), Hayden, and Bunting.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the American goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Haydn Fleury goal, his second of the season, helped along by Trevor Zegras. Los Angeles tied it on a Lias Andersson goal, his third of the year, via Gabriel Vilardi and Trevor Moore. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twelfth of the campaign, courtesy of Dustin Brown and Mikey Anderson. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Kopitar, Quick (33 for 34 in saves), and Andersson. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 107

Ten games on for Thursday's slate, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Vitek Vanecek are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jason Zucker and Colton Sceviour. The Capitals retied it with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Backstrom. Washington took the lead with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the season, via Schultz and Orlov. Pittsburgh tied it again with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Sceviour. The Penguins took the lead with a Kapanen goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by Jared McCann and Jeff Carter. The Capitals tied it again with a Tom Wilson goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with helpers from John Marino and McCann. The three stars were Kapanen, McCann, and Sceviour, while Backstrom, Orlov, and Schultz get the honorable mentions.

Onward to New York, as the Rangers welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Igor Shesterkin are the Russian goalies. The Islanders began in the first period with a Leo Komarov goal, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Anthony Beauvillier scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Scott Mayfield and Nelson. The Islanders iced it at 4-0 with a Mathew Barzal empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Mayfield. The three stars were Varlamov (25 save shutout), Nelson, and Mayfield.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded penalty shot goal, his twelfth of the year. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Brayden Point empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Vasilevskiy. The three stars were Vasilevksiy (20 save shutout), Palat, and Coleman.

Back north, the Boston Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Buffalo tied it with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his tenth of the year, via Arttu Ruotsalainen and Rasmus Asplund. The Bruins retook the lead with a David Krejci power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Craig Smith. The Sabres retied it in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Victor Olofsson and Jeff Skinner. Boston retook the lead with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on with a Taylor Hall goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Krejci and Smith. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Krejci, Marchand, and Smith.

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Brady Skjei goal, his third of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on with a Warren Foegele goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce. Detroit got on the board with a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina replied in the third period with a Teravainen goal, his third of the year, fueled by Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Teravainen, Aho, and Reimer (16 for 17 in saves).

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Will Butcher and Damon Severson. The Devils added on with another Sharangovich power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Severson and Janne Kuokkanen. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Scott Laughton goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey replied with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nicholas Merkley and Mikhail Maltsev. The Flyers got one back with a Sean Couturier goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Braun and Jakub Voracek. The Devils fired back in the third period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Will Butcher and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey extended the lead with a Bratt empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Zacha and Ryan Murray. Philadelphia got one back with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Voracek. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Sharangovich, Zacha, and Severson, while Butcher, Bratt, and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and David Rittich received the starting nods in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Joe Thornton. Toronto extended the lead as Pierre Engvall scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Rasmus Sandin and Jason Spezza. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. The Maple Leafs continued with a Marner goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Alexander Kerfoot. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Marner, Matthews, and Rittich (15 for 16 in saves).

Stateside to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Kevin Lankinen patrol the creases. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Adam Gaudette goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. Florida tied it in the second period with an Alex Wennberg power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his third of the season, via Brandon Hagel and Kirby Dach. The Panthers tied it again with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brandon Montour and Grigori Denisenko. Florida pulled ahead on a Montour goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Wennberg and Markus Nutivaara. Chicago tied it again with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Patrick Kane and Wyatt Kalynuk. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with a Sam Bennett goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Weegar. The three stars were Weegar, Wennberg, and Montour.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Sammy Blais goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Torey Krug and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on in the second period with a Tyler Bozak shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis extended the lead as Marco Scandella scored his third of the season, with the help of Jordan Kyrou. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. The Wild got closer in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Victor Rask. The Blues shot back with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by David Perron and Krug. Minnesota shot back on a Rask goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Fiala and Carson Soucy. The Wild tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Fiala and Jared Spurgeon. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime on an O'Reilly goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Kyrou. The three stars were O'Reilly, Fiala, and Kyrou, while Krug and Rask get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith tend the twines. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Edmonton tied it on a James Neal goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Kris Russell and Josh Archibald. The Flames retook the lead in the second period on a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Andersson and Tkachuk. Calgary added on in the third period with a Dillon Dube goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Milan Lucic and Andersson. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars handed to Lindholm, Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves), and Tkachuk, while Andersson gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 106

Seven games on for Wednesday's schedule, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Marcus Hogberg are the backups in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Victor Mete goal, assisted by Alex Formenton and Shane Pinto. The Senators added on in the second period with a Chris Tierney goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Thomas Chabot and Connor Brown. Ottawa extended the lead as Josh Norris scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Brady Tkachuk. Vancouver got on the board with a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Olli Juolevi and Nils Hoglander. The Senators shot back with a Chabot goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Nick Paul and Formenton. The Canucks answered with a Jake Virtanen goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Motte. Ottawa responded with a Tkachuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Drake Batherson and Erik Brannstrom. The Senators padded the lead with a Colin White empty net goal in the third period, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Vancouver got one back with a Quinn Hughes goal, his fourth of the campaign, from Myers. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Chabot, and Formenton, while Myers gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. The Wild added on in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Greenway. St. Louis got on the board with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron. Minnesota replied with a Foligno goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Matt Dumba. The Blues pulled back in the third period with another Hoffman power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Perron and Torey Krug. St. Louis tied it with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Robert Thomas. The Blues won 4-3 with a Thomas goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Hoffman and Kyrou. The three stars were Hoffman, Thomas, and Kyrou, while Perron, Foligno, and Greenway get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jake Allen are the goalies. Toronto opened in the first period with a William Nylander power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno and Rielly. Toronto extended the lead as Jake Muzzin scored his third of the season, with the help of Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson. The Maple Leafs answered in the third period with an Adam Brooks goal, his third of the season, helped along by Spezza and Justin Holl. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Rielly, Spezza, and Matthews.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Edmonton started in the first period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the year, via Andrew Copp. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Barrie and McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a Leon Draisaitl empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars belonged to McDavid, Barrie, and Nugent-Hopkins.

Next up, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Devan Dubnyk and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Vegas struck first in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez. Colorado tied it on a Devon Toews goal, his seventh of the year, via Carl Soderberg. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Shea Theodore and Mark Stone. Vegas added on with a Stone goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Pacioretty. The Avalanche got one back on a Ryan Graves goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nathan MacKinnon. The Golden Knights replied in the third period with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Stone. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with a Jonathan Marchessault empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Pacioretty, Stone, and Fleury (35 for 37 in saves).

To Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Calvin Petersen are the netminders. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with a shorthanded Kempe goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Carrick goal, his second of the season, fueled by Alexander Volkov and Haydn Fleury. The Ducks tied it with a Sam Steel goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Rickard Rakell. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Cam Fowler goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Gibson (28 for 30 in saves), Fowler, and Steel.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Josef Korenar in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Alexander Barabanov and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Logan Couture and John Leonard. San Jose extended the lead as Kevin Labanc scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Alexander True and Noah Gregor. Arizona got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes got closer in the second period with a Johan Larsson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Dryden Hunt. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Hertl empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Mario Ferraro and Couture. The three stars went to Hertl, Couture, and Labanc. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 105

Eight games on today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Vitek Vanecek are the young goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov. This held up as a 1-0 win for the Capitals, with the three stars awarded to Vanecek (18 save shutout), Sprong, and Sorokin (32 for 33 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a David Krejci goal, his seventh of the season, via Charlie McAvoy and the goalie Rask. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by David Pastrnak and Curtis Lazar. Boston extended the lead as Taylor Hall scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Krejci and Mike Reilly. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jeff Carter goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Kris Letang and Kasperi Kapanen. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Krejci, Rask (25 for 26 in saves), and Marchand.

To New Jersey, as the Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and MacKenzie Blackwood are in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Pavel Zacha. The Devils added on in the second period with a Zacha power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Hughes and Ty Smith. New Jersey extended the lead as Miles Wood scored his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got on the board with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jackson Cates and Nolan Patrick. The Flyers pulled closer in the third period with a Philippe Myers goal, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Robert Hagg. The Devils regained the lead on a Connor Carrick goal, guided in by Smith and Michael McLeod. The Flyers retied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey restored the lead with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Janne Kuokkanen. The Devils iced it at 6-4 with a Mikhail Maltsev empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by McLeod. The three stars were Zacha, Hughes, and Smith, while McLeod gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Brendan Smith goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Casey Mittelstadt. The Rangers took the lead with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Strome and Adam Fox in the third period. New York added on with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Chris Kreider and Strome. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Strome, Lafreniere, and Shesterkin (36 for 37 in saves).

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. The game remained scoreless into the shootout, where Patrik Laine and Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 win. The three stars belonged to Merzlikins (41 save shutout), Greiss (33 save "shutout"), and Laine.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville started in the first period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Mattias Ekholm. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers retook the lead with an Anthony Duclair power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Sam Bennett. The Predators tied it on a Luke Kunin goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Calle Jarnkrok and Mikael Granlund. Nashville took the lead with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his third of the season, passed from Roman Josi and Colton Sissons. Florida retied it on another Barkov goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Owen Tippett and MacKenzie Weegar. The Predators reclaimed the lead with Ellis' second goal of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Matt Duchene and Nick Cousins. Spencer Knight replaced Bobrovsky in goal in the third period. The Panthers tied it again in the third period with a Tippett goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Huberdeau and Bennett. Florida gained the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Wennberg and Aleksi Heponiemi. The Panthers added on with a Huberdeau power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Barkov and Bennett. Florida iced it at 7-4 with an awarded goal for Huberdeau, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Huberdeau, Barkov, and Bennett, while Tippett and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kevin Lankinen are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Erik Cernak goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Blake Coleman. Chicago got on the board with a Brandon Hagel goal, his eighth of the season, via Kirby Dach. Tampa Bay responded with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, his second of the year, fueled by Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. The Blackhawks got one back with a Wyatt Kalynuk goal, his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. Malcolm Subban replaced Lankinen in goal to start the second period. The Lightning fired back in the second period with a Point goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Palat. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Coleman scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Johnson and Barclay Goodrow. The Lightning padded the lead on an Alex Killorn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Sergachev and Point. Chicago got one back with a Duncan Keith goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks pulled closer in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-4 with a Killorn goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Cernak. The final was 7-4, with the three stars going to Point, Cernak, and Coleman, while Killorn, Palat, Sergachev, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Khudobin are in the creases. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on with an Aho goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Brett Pesce and Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Staal scored on the power play again, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with the help of Aho and Svechnikov. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz. The Hurricanes replied in the third period with a Max McCormick goal, his second of the season, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Steven Lorentz. Carolina padded the lead with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Staal. The final was 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Staal, Aho, and Svechnikov. 

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