Sunday, November 21, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 41

There's seven games on today, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with a Pat Maroon goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Corey Perry and Mikhail Sergachev. Minnesota got on the board with a Marcus Foligno power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Matt Dumba and Alex Goligoski. The Wild tied it on a Brandon Duhaime goal, his third of the year, fueled by Jordie Benn and Rem Pitlick. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Cirelli goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Cal Foote and Alex Killorn. The Lightning extended the lead as Alex Barre-Boulet scored his second of the year, thanks to Steven Stamkos and Ryan McDonagh. Minnesota got one back with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dmitry Kulikov and Goligoski. The Wild tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Fiala. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Stamkos won it 5-4 for the Lightning. The three stars were Cirelli, Stamkos, and Fiala, while Goligoski gets an honorable mention.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Aaron Dell and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Rasmus Asplund power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Sabres retook the lead in the second period with an unassisted Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the season. The Rangers tied it again with a Jacob Trouba goal, his second of the year, guided in by Panarin and Filip Chytil. New York pulled ahead with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his third of the season, made possible by Ryan Strome and Panarin. Buffalo evened the score on a Tage Thompson goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Rasmus Dahlin and Mark Pysyk. The Sabres gained the lead as Dahlin scored his third of the season, coming off of Okposo and Thompson. The Rangers retied it on a K'Andre Miller goal, his second of the year, helped along by Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves. New York won 5-4 on a third period goal by Ryan Lindgren, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Mika Zibanejad and Fox. The three stars were Panarin, Fox, and Dahlin, while Thompson gets an honorable mention.

Over in Boston, the Bruins bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Calgary led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Juuso Valimaki and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames added on in the second period with a Noah Hanifin goal, via Tkachuk and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary extended the lead in the third period on a shorthanded Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Dillon Dube. The Flames padded the lead as Mikael Backlund scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Elias Lindholm. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Vladar (27 save shutout), Tkachuk, and Gaudreau.

Along to Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll is mismatched with Ilya Sorokin in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by David Kampf and Ondrej Kase. Toronto extended the lead as Marner scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Michael Bunting. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Woll (20 save shutout), Marner, and Kase.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Erik Gustafsson and Dylan Strome. This made it 1-0, the final, with the three stars given to Fleury (40 save shutout), Hagel, and Demko (23 for 24 in saves).

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Washington struck first in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Morgan Geekie. The Kraken took the lead with a Schwartz goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Carson Soucy and Colin Blackwell. Seattle added on with an Adam Larsson goal, via Yanni Gourde and Calle Jarnkrok. The Kraken extended the lead as Jarnkrok scored, thanks to Schwartz. The Capitals fired back in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Wilson. Seattle iced it at 5-2 with a Gourde empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Brandon Tanev and Schwartz. The three stars belonged to Schwartz, Jarnkrok, and Wilson, while Gourde gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his fourth of the season, via Blake Lizotte. Arizona tied it in the third period on a Travis Boyd goal, his third of the year, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime with a Kyle Capobianco goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Keller and Boyd. The three stars were Vejmelka (37 for 38 in saves), Boyd, and Keller. 

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Saturday, November 20, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 40

There's twelve games on this Saturday, and we'll begin out west with...

The Los Angeles Kings hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Calvin Petersen are the goalies. Carolina led off in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Tony DeAngelo. Los Angeles tied it on a Blake Lizotte goal, via Brendan Lemieux and Alexander Edler. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Derek Stepan goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jordan Martinook and Brady Skjei. The Kings tied it again with an Adrian Kempe goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Edler and Anze Kopitar. Carolina took the lead in the second period with an Aho goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Andrei Svechnikov and the goalie Andersen. Los Angeles tied it again on a Kempe shorthanded goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes restored the lead on a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Stepan and Jaccob Slavin. The Kings evened it again on a Lemieux goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Matt Roy. Carolina pulled ahead once more with a Martin Necas goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nino Niederreiter and Jordan Staal. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Aho, Stepan, and Kempe, while Lemieux and Edler get the honorable mentions.

Way east to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Jan Rutta goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, via Alexander Holtz. The Lightning retook the lead with a Pat Maroon goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ross Colton and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with a Victor Hedman goal, his third of the season, coming off of Boris Katchouk and Rutta. The Devils pulled one back in the third period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Sharangovich and Jonas Siegenthaler. New Jersey tied it on a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by P.K. Subban and Siegenthaler. The Devils pulled ahead on a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game, helped along by Jesper Bratt. New Jersey iced it at 5-3 with a Tomas Tatar empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Ryan Graves. The three stars were awarded to Sharangovich, Rutta, and Siegenthaler.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. Florida opened in the first period with an Owen Tippett goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Aaron Ekblad and Frank Vatrano. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Vatrano goal, his fifth of the year, via Joe Thornton and Radko Gudas. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. Florida responded with another Vatrano goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, courtesy of Gustav Forsling. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Kaprizov goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Frederick Gaudreau. The Panthers shot back with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by MacKenzie Weegar and Ekblad. Minnesota got closer with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Alex Goligoski and Victor Rask. Florida replied with an empty net goal by Sam Bennett, his sixth of the year, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau. The Wild got one back with a Ryan Hartman goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a helper from Eriksson Ek. The final was 5-4, with the three stars going to Vatrano, Kaprizov, and Eriksson Ek, while Ekblad gets an honorable mention.

Up north, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Martin Jones are in the creases. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his second of the season, assisted by Anton Blidh and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Derek Forbort goal, his third of the year, via Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Philadelphia got on the board with a Derick Brassard goal, his third of the season, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Claude Giroux. The Flyers tied it with a Brassard power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Giroux and Ivan Provorov. Boston retook the lead with a Forbort goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, guided in by Craig Smith and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period as Smith scored, thanks to Erik Haula and DeBrusk. Boston padded the lead with a Pastrnak goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jakub Zboril and Charlie Coyle. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars given to Forbort, Pastrnak, and Smith, while Brassard, DeBrusk and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Along to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Bryan Rust and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins added on with a Jeff Carter goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Jarry (26 save shutout), Guentzel, and Carter.

Over in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Samuel Montembeault are in the blue paint. Montreal started in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, assisted by David Savard and Jake Evans. The Canadiens added on with a Christian Dvorak goal, his third of the season, guided in by Josh Anderson and Jonathan Drouin in the second period. Montreal extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored on the power play, his fourth of the year, powered by Drouin and Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Ryan Poehling goal, his second of the season, coming off of Chris Wideman and Lehkonen. Montreal continued with another Poehling goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Toffoli and Wideman. David Rittich replaced Saros in goal. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Predators got closer with another Duchene power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Eeli Tolvanen. Nashville pulled one back as Duchene completed his natural hat trick with his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Johansen and Granlund. The Canadiens iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Toffoli, his fourth of the year, set up by Joel Armia. The three stars were handed to Duchene, Poehling, and Toffoli, while Lehkonen, Drouin, Wideman, Johansen, and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Semyon Varlamov are the experienced goalies. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brad Richardson goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames added on with an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Noah Hanifin and Johnny Gaudreau. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Richard Panik and Kyle Palmieri. Calgary replied in the second period with a Mangiapane power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Hanifin and Mikael Backlund. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Flames shot back with a Trevor Lewis empty net goal, going in unassisted. Calgary iced at 5-2 with a Gaudreau empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Elias Lindholm and Hanifin. The three stars were Mangiapane, Gaudreau, and Hanifin, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Texas, where the Dallas Stars welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Dallas got going with a Ryan Suter power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Denis Gurianov and Jamie Benn in the second period. The Stars added on with a shorthanded Roope Hintz goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Michael Raffl and Esa Lindell. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by David Perron and Torey Krug. Dallas replied in the third period with a Hintz shorthanded goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, via Raffl. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Benn empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, coming off of Joe Pavelski and Lindell. The three stars belonged to Hintz, Benn, and Raffl, while Lindell gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Scott Wedgewood are set to start in goal. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his ninth of the season, via Lucas Raymond. Arizona tied it in the third period on a Ryan Dzingel goal, his second of the year, guided in by Cam Dineen and Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime with a Clayton Keller goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Jakob Chychrun and Phil Kessel. The three stars were Wedgewood (33 for 34 in saves), Keller, and Dzingel.

Up in Vegas, the Golden Knights host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Laurent Brossoit are in net. Columbus led off in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his third of the season, via Jake Bean and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alexandre Texier shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Bean and Werenski. Vegas got on the board in the second period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, assisted by Jake Leschyshyn. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a shorthanded Reilly Smith goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas pulled ahead on a Mattias Janmark goal, coming off of Nicolas Hague and Kolesar. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kolesar, Bean, and Werenski.

Further north, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Stuart Skinner are the backups in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead as Kailer Yamamoto scored a shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Colton Sceviour. The Oilers padded the lead on a Ryan McLeod goal, his second of the year, guided in by Warren Foegele and Philip Broberg. Chicago got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Kirby Dach and Seth Jones. The Blackhawks got closer with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, fueled by Philipp Kurashev. Edmonton replied with a Draisaitl shorthanded goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Bouchard. The final held from here at 5-2, with the three stars given to McDavid, Draisaitl, and DeBrincat, while Bouchard gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Adin Hill protect the nets. Washington struck first in the first period on a Conor Sheary goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Daniel Sprong and Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Sheary scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Carlson and Ovechkin. The Capitals iced it at 4-0 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Nic Dowd. The three stars were Ovechkin, Samsonov (22 save shutout), and Sheary, while Carlson gets an honorable mention. 

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Friday, November 19, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 39

Just two games on tonight, beginning with...

The Vancouver Canucks welcoming the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Thatcher Demko are in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and Vasily Podkolzin. The Canucks added on with a Kyle Burroughs goal, via Tyler Myers and Jason Dickinson. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Vancouver replied with a Conor Garland power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Chiasson and J.T. Miller. The Jets got one back in third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. This made it 3-2, with the three stars being Garland, Burroughs, and Demko (37 for 39 in saves).

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Chris Driedger in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a shorthanded Valeri Nichushkin goal, his second of the year, set up by Tyson Jost and Ryan Murray. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Cale Makar scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Burakovsky power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Makar and Kadri. Philipp Grubauer relieved Driedger in goal. Colorado continued with a Makar goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, helped along by Darren Helm. The Avalanche struck again with an Erik Johnson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Kiefer Sherwood. Colorado kept going in the third period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, made possible by Jost and Alex Newhook. Seattle got on the board with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Vince Dunn. The Kraken got one back with a Brandon Tanev power play goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Carson Soucy and Adam Larsson. Seattle got closer with a Colin Blackwell goal, assisted by Joonas Donskoi. The final held at 7-3, with the three stars given to Makar, Burakovsky, and Kadri, while Jost gets an honorable mention. 

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Thursday, November 18, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 38

We've got another 11-game schedule today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Dustin Tokarski are set to start in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Matthew Tkachuk and Christopher Tanev. The Flames added on in the second period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Oliver Kylington and Tanev. Calgary extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. The Flames padded the lead on a Mangiapane goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Mikael Backlund and Nikita Zadorov. Calgary continued with a Gaudreau power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Tkachuk. Aaron Dell replaced Tokarski in goal. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Markstrom (27 save shutout), while Mangiapane and Tanev get the honorable mentions. 

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Jack Campbell tend the twines. Toronto opened in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his second of the season, coming off of Wayne Simmonds and Michael Bunting. The Maple Leafs added on with a Rielly power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, powered by Auston Matthews. New York got on the board with a Dryden Hunt goal, via Ryan Strome and Kaapo Kakko. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rielly, Campbell (27 for 28 in saves), and Hunt.

Over to Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Cayden Primeau are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, courtesy of Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. The Penguins added on with a Danton Heinen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by John Marino and Kasperi Kapanen. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Guentzel scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Rust and Kris Letang. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his fourth of the season, via Zach Aston-Reese. Pittsburgh continued on a Brock McGinn goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Mike Matheson and Blueger. Samuel Montembeault replaced Primeau in goal. The Penguins struck again in the third period with a Blueger goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Aston-Reese and Marino. The three stars were Blueger, Jarry (24 save shutout), and Guentzel, while Aston-Reese, Rust, and Marino get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Spencer Knight are the young goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jimmy Vesey and P.K. Subban. Florida tied it on a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Ryan Lomberg and Patric Hornqvist. Florida added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Anthony Duclair. The Panthers extended the lead as Duclair scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Jonathan Bernier replaced Blackwood in goal. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Knight (45 for 46 in saves), Huberdeau, and Duclair.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carter Hart guard the cages. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard. The Flyers added on with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Lightning tied it with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his third of the year, fueled by Alex Killorn and Zach Bogosian. Tampa Bay took the lead on a Stamkos goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Hedman and Killorn. Philadelphia retied it with a Giroux goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Brassard. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Stamkos and Point lifted the Lightning 4-3 over the Flyers. Stamkos, Giroux, and Point were the three stars while Killorn, Hedman, and Brassard get the honorable mentions.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Ville Husso draw the starts in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. The Blues added on in the second period with a Robert Thomas goal, his second of the year, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Scott Perunovich. San Jose got on the board with a Jonathan Dahlen goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Timo Meier and Logan Couture. St. Louis shot back with another Saad goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Oskar Sundqvist and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Jordan Kyrou scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Perron. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Saad, Perron, and Husso (26 for 27 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rem Pitlick goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nico Sturm and Brandon Duhaime. The Wild added on with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Victor Rask. Minnesota extended the lead as Ryan Hartman scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Alex Goligoski and Kevin Fiala in the second period. Dallas got on the board with a Jacob Peterson goal, his second of the year, via Tyler Seguin and Luke Glendening. The Wild shot back with a Goligoski goal, assisted by Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. Minnesota continued with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kaprizov and Rask. The Stars got one back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Esa Lindell and Denis Gurianov. The Wild shot back with a Zuccarello goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kaprizov and Goligoski. Minnesota continued with a Rask goal, his second of the year, coming off of Kaprizov and Zuccarello. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kaprizov, Zuccarello and Goligoski, while Rask gets an honorable mention.

Further west to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck faces a lesser foe in Stuart Skinner in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cody Ceci and Duncan Keith. In the shootout, McDavid and Kyle Turris lifted the Oilers a 2-1 win. The three stars were McDavid, Skinner (45 for 46 in saves), and Hellebuyck (32 for 33 in saves).

South to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Scott Wedgewood occupy the creases. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and Kyle Capobianco. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Zach Werenski. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period on a Phil Kessel goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets tied it again with another Jenner goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, coming off of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jake Bean. Columbus took the lead on a Justin Danforth goal, courtesy of Vladislav Gavrikov and Jack Roslovic. Arizona tied it on a Lawson Crouse goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Travis Boyd and Jakob Chychrun. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the third period with a Werenski power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Voracek and Bjorkstrand. The Coyotes tied it again with a Chychrun goal, his second of the year, guided in by Clayton Keller and Ilya Lyubushkin. The tie lasted to a shootout where Voracek, Gustav Nyquist and Yegor Chinakhov lifted the Blues Jackets 5-4 over Galchenyuk, Chychrun, and the Coyotes. The three stars were Jenner, Werenski, and Chychrun, while Voracek and Bjorkstrand get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Vegas, where the Golden Knights host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Vegas got going in the second period with a Nicolas Hague goal, his third of the season, via Evgenii Dadonov and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights added on with a Zach Whitecloud goal, assisted by Mark Stone and Brett Howden. Detroit got on the board with a Givani Smith goal, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Robby Fabbri. Vegas shot back with Whitecloud's second goal of the game, coming off of Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Paul Cotter scored his second of the year, courtesy of Keegan Kolesar. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Greiss in goal. Vegas padded the lead in the third period with a Reilly Smith goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Jake Leschysyn and Mattias Janmark. The Red Wings got one back with a Joe Veleno goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Sam Gagner. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Whitecloud, Cotter, and Lehner (26 for 28 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and John Gibson are the strong goalies. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Ethan Bear goal, via Martin Necas. Anaheim tied it with a Troy Terry goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Adam Henrique and Ryan Getzlaf. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Andersen (31 for 32 in saves), Jarvis, and Bear. 

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 37

There's three games on today, beginning with...

The Vancouver Canucks hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Thatcher Demko are the masked men. Colorado led off in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Nazem Kadri. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his fourth of the year, via Jason Dickinson and Tucker Poolman. The Canucks took the lead on a Poolman goal, guided in by Tyler Motte and Juho Lammikko. The Avalanche tied it again with a Kadri power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. Colorado pulled ahead on a Makar power play goal, his third of the year, helped along by Devon Toews and Kadri. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Landeskog empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Rantanen. The three stars were Kadri, Rantanen, and Makar, while Landeskog and Poolman get the honorable mentions.

Down in Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp Grubauer are set to start in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a Seth Jones goal, his second of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a DeBrincat goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Kirby Dach. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Philipp Kurashev and Connor Murphy. Seattle got on the board with a Jared McCann power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Jaden Schwartz and Morgan Geekie. The Kraken got closer with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Jake McCabe empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kane, DeBrincat, and Fleury (31 for 33 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Washington dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals iced it at 2-0 with a Hathaway empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Carlson. The three stars were Samsonov (34 save shutout), Hathaway, and Carlson. 

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Tuesday, November 16, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 36

The sixth week of the season begins here with 11 games after the first postponement of the season. Leading off...

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jack Campbell are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a David Kampf goal, his third of the year, via Ondrej Kase and Alexander Kerfoot. Toronto extended the lead on a Mitchell Marner empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Kampf and Matthews. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Campbell (24 save shutout), Matthews, and Kampf.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Florida opened in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fifth of the season, via Anthony Duclair and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Ryan Lomberg goal, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Brandon Montour. Florida extended the lead as Carter Verhaeghe scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Sam Bennett and Montour. The Panthers padded the lead on a Hornqvist goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Semyon Varlamov replaced Sorokin in goal for the second period. Florida continued in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fifth of the year, passed from MacKenzie Weegar. New York got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri goal, assisted by Kieffer Bellows and Noah Dobson. The Panthers shot back in the third period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Owen Tippett. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars given to Hornqvist, Montour, and Lomberg.

Back north, the New York Rangers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his second of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Montreal tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Brendan Gallagher and Brett Kulak. The Rangers retook the lead with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the season, via Mika Zibanejad. New York added on with a Julien Gauthier goal, going in unassisted. The Canadiens replied with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dvorak and Chris Wideman. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Gauthier, Dvorak, and Kreider.

To Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Carter Hart guard the cages. Calgary began in the first period with an Oliver Kylington goal, his third of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, via Rasmus Ristolainen. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Sean Couturier and Ivan Provorov. The three stars were Hart (33 for 34 in saves), Atkinson, and Markstrom (41 for 43 in saves).

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Colin Miller goal, his second of the season, assisted by Drake Caggiula and Dylan Cozens. The Sabres added on with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Zemgus Girgensons and Rasmus Dahlin. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Tokarski (45 for 46 in saves), Okposo, and Miller.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Jordan Binnington draw the starts in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Kyle Capobianco power play goal, courtesy of Lawson Crouse and Alex Galchenyuk. St. Louis tied it with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Pavel Buchnevich. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Barrett Hayton goal, going in unassisted. The Blues tied it with a Torey Krug goal, his third of the year, via O'Reilly. Arizona took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Hayton, his second of the game, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Phil Kessel. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Hayton, Capobianco, and O'Reilly.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Cam Talbot are the veterans in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mario Ferraro goal, his second of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Timo Meier. The Sharks added on with a Meier goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Couture. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kevin Fiala and Jonas Brodin. San Jose replied with an Erik Karlsson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jacob Middleton and Rudolfs Balcers. San Jose extended the lead in the third period as Tomas Hertl scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Alexander Barabanov and Balcers. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Meier, Couture, and Balcers.

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg extended the lead as Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his ninth of the season on the power play, powered by Morrissey and Nate Schmidt. The Jets padded the lead on a Mark Scheifele goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Logan Stanley and Dylan DeMelo. Stuart Skinner replaced Koskinen in goal in the third period. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers got closer with another Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Kyle Connor empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Blake Wheeler. The three stars belonged to Morrissey, Draisaitl, and McDavid.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Oettinger are the young goalies. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Suter goal, his second of the season, coming off of Radek Faksa and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on in the second period with a Jamie Benn goal, his third of the year, via Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead as Roope Hintz scored his third of the season, thanks to Esa Lindell. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Zadina goal, his third of the season, passed from Sam Gagner and Marc Staal. The Red Wings got closer with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. The Stars answered in the third period with a Robertson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Jani Hakanpaa. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with a Robertson empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Luke Glendening. The three stars were Robertson, Oettinger (28 for 30 in saves), and Hintz.

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Robin Lehner patrol the creases. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Tony DeAngelo goal, his third of the season, fueled by Martin Necas and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. Vegas got on the board with a Brett Howden goal, his second of the season, via Ben Hutton and Dylan Coghlan. The Golden Knights tied it with a Shea Theodore goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. Carolina retook the lead with a Seth Jarvis goal in the third period, his second of the season, made possible by Ethan Bear and Aho. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Trocheck scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Teravainen and Necas. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Aho, Trocheck, and Teravainen, while Necas gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and John Gibson receive the starting nods in goal. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Cam Fowler goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Troy Terry. Washington tied it in the third period on a Garrett Pilon goal, coming off of Martin Fehervary and John Carlson. The Ducks retook the lead with a Trevor Zegras goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Sonny Milano. The Capitals retied it on a Tom Wilson goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Carlson and Fehervary. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Zegras goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Hampus Lindholm and Adam Henrique. The three stars were Zegras, Carlson, and Fehervary. 

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Monday, November 15, 2021

NHL 2021-22 - Day 35

There's two games on today, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning welcoming the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russian goalies. New York opened in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Zach Parise. Tampa Bay tied it on a Mathieu Joseph goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Alex Killorn. The Lightning took the lead on an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning extended the lead on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Hedman and Point. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Point, Hedman, and Vasilevskiy (25 for 26 in saves).

The other game has the Detroit Red Wings bringing in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Thomas Greiss are in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventh of the season, via Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, coming off of Vladislav Namestnikov. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and Andrew Peeke. The Blue Jackets tied it on an Adam Boqvist goal, fueled by Yegor Chinakhov and Gavin Bayreuther. Detroit retook the lead in the third period with a Raymond goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bertuzzi and Larkin. Columbus tied it again with a Chinakhov goal, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Cole Sillinger. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead with a Zach Werenski goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nyquist and Jenner. Columbus iced it at 5-3 with an Alexandre Texier empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Eric Robinson and Sean Kuraly. The three stars were Chinakhov, Raymond, and Larkin, while Nyquist gets an honorable mention. 

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