Thursday, May 13, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 121

Just three games on as we march closer to the end of the regular season. First up...

The St. Louis Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Nico Sturm goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Nick Bonino and Nick Bjugstad. The Wild added on with a Ryan Suter goal, his third of the year, guided in by Marcus Foligno. Minnesota extended the lead as Foligno scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Ian Cole and Jordan Greenway. St. Louis got on the board with a Zach Sanford goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Kyle Clifford and Niko Mikkola. The Blues got closer with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Mike Hoffman. St. Louis tied it on a David Perron goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Ivan Barbashev and Justin Faulk. The Blues pulled ahead with another Schenn power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Perron and Hoffman. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period with another Perron power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, helped along by Hoffman and Torey Krug. The Blues continued with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Klim Kostin and Marco Scandella. St. Louis kept going with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, coming off of Robert Bortuzzo and Steven Santini. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars going to Perron, Schenn, and Kyrou, while Hoffman and Foligno get the honorable mentions.

Over in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Troy Grosenick and Jonas Johansson draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sean Walker goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Tyson Jost goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche took the lead with a Jost goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Conor Timmins and Rantanen. Colorado added on with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jayson Megna and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche extended the lead as Joonas Donskoi scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Nazem Kadri and Timmins. Colorado padded the lead with a Burakovsky power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Devon Toews and Cale Makar. The final stood at 5-1 with the three stars being Jost, Burakovsky, and Rantanen, while Timmins gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Vancouver started in the first period with a Matthew Highmore goal, assisted by Travis Hamonic and Brock Boeser. Calgary tied it with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. The Flames pulled ahead with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Nikita Nesterov and Joakim Nordstrom. Calgary added on in the third period with a Lindholm goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Christopher Tanev. The Flames extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his twelfth of the year on the power play, thanks to Gaudreua and Mikael Backlund. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Lindholm, Gaudreau, and Tkachuk. 

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Wednesday, May 12, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 120

Five games on today, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Cayden Primeau are set to start in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Cole Caufield goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his ninth of the year, via James Neal and Dmitry Kulikov. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Nick Suzuki shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Oilers tied it again with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. Edmonton took the lead in the second period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, with assists provided by Chiasson and McDavid. Montreal retied it in the third period with a Suzuki goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Caufield. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Dominik Kahun goal, his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Draisaitl and Barrie.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Filip Gustavsson start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Shane Pinto. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Alexander Kerfoot. The Senators retook the lead with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the season, set up by Zaitsev. Ottawa added on with a Parker Kelly goal, made possible by Erik Brannstrom and Artem Anisimov. The Maple Leafs got one back with a John Tavares goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of William Nylander and Muzzin. Toronto tied it in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Josh Norris goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Brady Tkachuk. The three stars were Zaitsev, Muzzin, and Norris.

Out in San Jose, the Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Alexei Melnichuk are in the blue paint. Vegas led off in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his third of the year, via William Carrier and Nicolas Roy. Vegas extended the lead as Carrier scored his sixth of the season, made possible by Alex Tuch and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights padded the lead with a Marchessault goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Smith and Zach Whitecloud. Vegas continued in the third period with a Dylan Sikura goal, passed from Mattias Janmark and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights struck again with another Sikura goal, his second of the game, with a lone helper from Dylan Coghlan. The three stars of the 6-0 game were Sikura, Fleury (19 save shutout), and Marchessault, while Carrier and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Ville Husso are the masked men. St. Louis began in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of David Perron and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Torey Krug scored his second of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Perron. The Blues padded the lead with a Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Krug and Justin Faulk. This held for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Perron, Krug, and Husso (31 save shutout).

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Philipp Grubauer tend the twines. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Joonas Donskoi power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Andre Burakovsky and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Jayson Megna and Kiefer Sherwood. Colorado extended the lead as J.T. Compher scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche padded the lead in the second period on another Compher goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Devon Toews and Samuel Girard. Colorado continued with a Landeskog goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Toews and Rantanen. The Avalanche struck again when Compher finished his hat trick on his tenth of the year, with a lone helper from Valeri Nichushkin. The final held at 6-0, with the three stars handed to Compher, Grubauer (18 save shutout), and Rantanen, while Landeskog and Toews get the honorable mentions. 

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Tuesday, May 11, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 119

Just two games on for today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals welcoming the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Vitek Vanecek are the goalies. Boston got going in the second period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jarred Tinordi and Jake DeBrusk. Washington tied it on a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Garnet Hathaway and Zdeno Chara. The Capitals took the lead in the third period on a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Justin Schultz. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Raffl, Hagelin, and Vanecek (25 for 26 in saves).

In Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets added on in the second period with a Wheeler goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Connor and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Wheeler and Jordie Benn. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with another Wheeler goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Connor and Scheifele. Winnipeg continued with a Mason Appleton goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Mathieu Perreault and Derek Forbort. The three stars went to Wheeler, Connor, and Hellebuyck (24 save shutout), while Scheifele gets an honorable mention. 

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Monday, May 10, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 118

A nine-game slate of rescheduled matches begins with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Chris Driedger are set to start in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Mason Marchment and Juho Lammikko. The Panthers added on in the second period with a shorthanded Lammikko goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida extended the lead as Carter Verhaeghe scored his eighteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Anthony Duclair and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers iced it at 4-0 with an Alex Wennberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Radko Gudas and Keith Yandle. The three stars were Lammikko, Driedger (30 save shutout), and Weegar.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by David Krejci and Brad Marchand. New York tied it in the second period with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Mathew Barzal and Nick Leddy. The Bruins took the lead back with a Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Krejci and David Pastrnak. The Islanders retied it on a Barzal goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Ryan Pulock and Anthony Beauvillier. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Hall goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, fueled by Krejci and Mike Reilly. The three stars went to Hall, Krejci, and Barzal, while Marchand gets an honorable mention.

To Montreal, as the Canadiens bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jake Allen are in the creases. Montreal led off in the first period with a Jake Evans goal, his third of the season, coming off of Artturi Lehkonen and Paul Byron. Edmonton tied it on a James Neal goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ryan McLeod and Alex Chiasson. The Oilers took the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl. The Canadiens tied it on a Byron goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Lehkonen and Evans. Edmonton regained the lead with a Dominik Kahun goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Caleb Jones. Montreal tied it again with a Lehkonen goal, his seventh of the year, via Evans and Ben Chiarot. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, helped along by Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Lehkonen, and Evans, while Byron and Draisaitl get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New Jersey Devils. Scott Wedgewood and Brian Elliott are the goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. The Devils added on with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Will Butcher and Yegor Sharangovich. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Hayes and Wade Allison. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Couturier and Giroux. The Flyers finished it at 4-2 with a Farabee goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, fueled by Allison and Hayes. The three stars were Farabee, Couturier, and Hayes, while Allison and Giroux receive the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Rocco Grimaldi shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Tanner Jeannot. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Yakov Trenin and Ryan Johansen. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Duchene scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Brad Richardson and Cousins. The Predators padded the lead on a Johansen power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Filip Forsberg and Dante Fabbro. Nashville iced it at 5-0 in the third period with a shorthanded and unassisted Jeannot goal, his fifth of the campaign. The three stars were Rinne (30 save shutout), Jeannot, and Duchene, while Johansen gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Collin Delia draw the starts in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirty-second of the season, coming off of Pius Suter. The Blackhawks added on with a Suter goal, his fourteenth of the year, via DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Dallas got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of John Klingberg and Joel Hanley. Chicago replied in the second period with a Strome goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Vinnie Hinostroza and Dominik Kubalik. The Stars shot back on a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Blackhawks responded in the third period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by David Kampf and Mike Hardman. Dallas pulled back with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Denis Gurianov and Heiskanen. The Stars tied it as Jason Dickinson scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Jason Robertson. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime with a Robertson goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Benn and Klingberg. The three stars were Robertson, DeBrincat, and Klingberg, while Heiskanen, Benn, Suter, Strome, and Hinostroza get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Matthew Highmore. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele. Vancouver replied in the third period with a Hoglander goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of J.T. Miller and Jack Rathbone. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Hoglander, Horvat, and Demko (39 for 40 in saves). 

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Calvin Petersen are between the pipes. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Justin Faulk. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Iafallo goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Gabriel Vilardi and Olli Maatta. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Faulk goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars went to Faulk, Binnington (26 for 27 in saves), and Bozak.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Vegas was first to score in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nicolas Hague and Mark Stone. Colorado tied it in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Alex Newhook. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventh of the season, via Newhook and Conor Timmins. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Newhook, Compher, and Grubauer (36 for 37 in saves). 

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Sunday, May 9, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 117

The NHL regular season entered overtime today with two games. First up...

The Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Kevin Lankinen play in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, assisted by Mike Hardman and Patrick Kane. Dallas tied it on a Denis Gurianov goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a Brandon Hagel goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Dominik Kubalik and Philipp Kurashev. Chicago added on with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Kane and Hagel. The Stars got one back with a Mark Pysyk goal, his third of the year, coming off of Radek Faksa in the third period. The Blackhawks finished it at 4-2 with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, fueled by Pius Suter and Connor Murphy. The three stars belonged to DeBrincat, Hagel, and Kane. 

Over in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Jacob Markstrom in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames added on in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his ninth of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane and Joakim Nordstrom. Calgary extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames padded the lead on a Michael Stone goal, his second of the year coming off of Glenn Gawdin and Milan Lucic. Filip Gustavsson replaced Forsberg in goal. Ottawa got on the board with a Josh Norris goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Drake Batherson. Calgary shot back in the third period with a Dillon Dube goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Derek Ryan. The Flames capped it at 6-1 with a Giordano power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Tkachuk and Gaudreau. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Giordano. 

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Saturday, May 8, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 116

The last huge day on the schedule sees 14 games. Only two are matinees, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New York Rangers. Keith Kinkaid and Tuukka Rask make the starts in goal. New York got going in the second period with a K'Andre Miller goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Justin Richards and Filip Chytil. Boston tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Brad Marchand. The Rangers tied it again with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Strome. New York took the lead with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Anthony Bitetto and Buchnevich. The Rangers added on with a Vitali Kravtsov goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Zac Jones. Boston pulled back on a Marchand power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by David Krejci. New York countered with a Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Buchnevich. The Bruins responded on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by Matt Grzelcyk and McAvoy. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and Marchand, while Strome and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michael Houser and Maxime Lagace are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Frederick Gaudreau. This stood for a 1-0 final score, with the three stars being Lagace (29 save shutout), Carter, and Houser (22 for 23 in saves). 

At the regular time, the Florida Panthers bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Florida started in the first period with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Gustav Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Luke Schenn goal, his second of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow. Florida shot back with a Wennberg goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Frank Vatrano. The Panthers extended the lead as Huberdeau scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Bennett. Florida padded the lead in the third period when Wennberg completed his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Wennberg, Huberdeau, and Bennett.

Way north to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the season, coming off of Alex Belzile. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Petry. Toronto got on the board with a Pierre Engvall goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jason Spezza and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs tied it on a William Nylander goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by John Tavares and Jake Muzzin. Toronto pulled ahead with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Auston Matthews. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Marner, Nylander, and Engvall.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon and Craig Anderson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Scott Laughton goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by James van Riemsdyk. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the year, via Anthony Mantha and Justin Schultz. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with a Conor Sheary goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Nic Dowd and Dmitry Orlov. The three stars were Sheary, Eller, and Anderson (28 for 29 in saves).

Over in New York, the Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Ilya Sorokin draw the starts in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Leo Komarov. New Jersey tied it on an Andreas Johnsson goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Matt Tennyson and Michael McLeod. The Islanders took the lead with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Oliver Wahlstrom and Nick Leddy. New York added on with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, coming off of Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Kyle Palmieri scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Wahlstrom and Adam Pelech. New York padded the lead with a Barzal goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Komarov. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars handed to Barzal, Nelson, and Wahlstrom, while Komarov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. Ottawa began in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Victor Mete and Shane Pinto. The Senators added on with a Tim Stutzle goal, his tenth of the year, via Artem Zub. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Mason Appleton goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele. Ottawa replied in the third period with a Stutzle goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Brown and Pinto. The Jets got one back with a Scheifele goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Derek Forbort. The Senators iced it at 4-2 as Stutzle finished his hat trick on a power play empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brown. The three stars went to Stutzle, Brown, and Scheifele, while Pinto gets an honorable mention.

Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Calvin Pickard and Matiss Kivlenieks play in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Dennis Cholowski and Richard Panik. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Patrik Laine and Seth Jones. The Red Wings took the lead back in the second period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Michael Rasmussen and Evgeny Svechnikov. The Blue Jackets retied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Eric Robinson and Gabriel Carlsson. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Robinson goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Nathan Gerbe. Detroit retied it on a Sam Gagner power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Filip Hronek and Christian Djoos. The Blue Jackets regained the lead on a Jack Roslovic goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jones and Laine. The Red Wings pulled even again with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Cholowski and Vrana. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Max Domi goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Bjorkstrand and Jones. The three stars belonged to Bjorkstrand, Jones, and Robinson, while Laine, Vrana, and Cholowski get the honorable mentions.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Juuse Saros are the younger goalies. Nashville was first to score in the second period with a Luke Kunin goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on in the third period with another Kunin goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Granlund and Ryan Ellis. Carolina got on the board with a Morgan Geekie goal, his third of the season, coming off of Steven Lorentz and Max McCormick. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with an Erik Haula empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Kunin, Granlund, and Saros (21 for 22 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Cam Talbot are the veteran goalies. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Josh Mahura and Josh Manson. Minnesota tied it on a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota added on with a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Nico Sturm. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his third of the season, fueled by Max Comtois and Jamie Drysdale. Anaheim tied it with a Comtois goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Rakell and Troy Terry. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Victor Rask goal, his tenth of the campaign, with assists from Matt Dumba and Zuccarello. The three stars were Kaprizov, Comtois, and Zuccarello, while Rakell gets an honorable mention.

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by William Carrier and Keegar Kolesar. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis got on the board with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas replied in the third period with another Smith power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Alec Martinez and Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Smith empty net goal to complete his hat trick with his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Smith, Fleury (20 for 21 in saves), and Pietrangelo.

To Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and Calvin Petersen are in the blue paint. Colorado began in the first period with a Devon Toews goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche added on with a Cale Makar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Burakovsky. Los Angeles got on the board with a Sean Walker goal, his fourth of the season, via Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo. Colorado replied in the second period with a Toews goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, coming off of Makar and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Rasmus Kupari goal, courtesy of Lias Andersson and Walker. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Toews, Makar, and Burakovsky, while Walker gets an honorable mention.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Mike Smith protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Ethan Bear and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Vancouver got on the board with an unassisted J.T. Miller goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Canucks tied it with a Travis Boyd goal, his fourth of the year, via Jimmy Vesey. Edmonton retook the lead with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by James Neal and McDavid. Vancouver tied it again with a Tyler Graovac goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jayce Hawryluk and Quinn Hughes. The Oilers reclaimed the lead with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Nurse. The final held from here at 4-3, with the three stars given to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nurse.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Alexei Melnichuk are the inexperienced goalies. Arizona opened in the first period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Phil Kessel and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. San Jose tied it with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his eighth of the year, via Alexander Chmelevski and Dylan Gambrell. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Dvorak power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, powered by Christian Fischer and Kessel. The Sharks tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose pulled ahead in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Labanc. Arizona retied it with a Jan Jenik goal, his second of the year, fueled by Fischer and Victor Soderstrom. The Coyotes pulled ahead on a Conor Garland goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun. The Sharks tied it again with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. Arizona won 5-4 in overtime with a Kessel goal, his twentieth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kessel, Dvorak, and Fischer, while Labanc gets an honorable mention. 

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Friday, May 7, 2021

NHL 2021 - Day 115

Seven games on a Friday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Curtis McElhinney are the goalies. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Miro Heiskanen and Tanner Kero. The Stars added on in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Barclay Goodrow. Dallas replied with a Pavelski goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, via Hintz. The Stars extended the lead as Hintz scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Joel Kiviranta and Pavelski. Dallas padded the lead in the third period with a Kiviranta goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Pavelski and Jamie Benn. The Lightning got one back with an Alex Barre-Boulet power play goal, his third of the campaign, powered by Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Hintz, and Kiviranta. 

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Hayes. Washington tied it on a Daniel Sprong goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Anthony Mantha. The Flyers took the lead with a Wade Allison goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Oskar Lindblom and Justin Braun in the second period. Philadelphia added on with another Allison goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Philippe Myers and James van Riemsdyk. The Capitals got one back with a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Brenden Dillon and Lars Eller. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Sean Couturier empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by van Riemsdyk and the goalie Elliott in the third period. The three stars were Allison, van Riemsdyk, and Elliott (28 for 30 in saves). 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Matiss Kivlenieks are in the creases. Columbus opened in the first period with a Gavin Bayreuther goal, assisted by Liam Foudy and Patrik Laine. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, coming off of Eric Robinson and Vladislav Gavrikov. Detroit got on the board with a Joe Veleno power play goal, powered by Jakub Vrana and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings tied it on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mathias Brome and Valtteri Filppula. Detroit took the lead on a Vrana goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Richard Panik and Valtteri Filppula. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Vladislav Namestnikov scored his seventh of the season, set up by Sam Gagner and Filppula. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a Namestnikov empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Filppula and Hronek. The three stars were Vrana, Filppula, and Namestnikov, while Hronek gets an honorable mention. 

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Kaapo Kahkonen are the masked men. Anaheim started in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Trevor Zegras. Minnesota tied it on a Victor Rask goal, his ninth of the year, via Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild took the lead with a Nico Sturm goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nick Bonino and Nick Bjugstad. The Ducks retied it in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Marcus Foligno. Anaheim tied it again on a Derek Grant goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Henrique and Alexander Volkov. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Kaprizov goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, with a lone helper from Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Henrique.

Southwest to Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Nicolas Hague and William Karlsson. St. Louis tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Tyler Bozak and Justin Faulk. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a David Perron goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Zach Sanford and Marco Scandella. St. Louis added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Bozak and Brayden Schenn. The Golden Knights got one back with an Alec Martinez goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas tied it on a Nicolas Roy goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Hague and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, passed from Alex Tuch and the goalie Lehner. The three stars were Hague, Bozak, and Marchessault.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Calvin Petersen get the starts in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Carl Grundstrom and Sean Walker. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Cale Makar and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Tyson Jost goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jacob MacDonald and Devon Toews. Colorado added on with a Makar goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Burakovsky and Alex Newhook. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his tenth of the campaign, guided in by Lias Andersson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Makar, Burakovsky, and Jost.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Josef Korenar are between the pipes. San Jose was first to score in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ivan Chekhovich. Arizona got on the board with a Victor Soderstrom goal, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. The Coyotes tied it with a Garland power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jakob Chychrun. Arizona took the lead in the third period with a Phil Kessel goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Christian Dvorak and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes extended the lead as Michael Bunting scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Garland. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Jan Jenik empty net goal, set up by Derick Brassard and Kessel. The three stars went to Garland, Kessel, and Soderstrom. 

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