NHL 2021-22 - Day 53

There's ten games on today, including one matinee. We begin with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Logan Brown goal, his second of the season, via Dakota Joshua and Ivan Barbashev. Florida tied it on a Maxim Mamin goal, his second of the year, guided in by Lucas Carlsson and Anton Lundell. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Jake Walman goal, passed from Ryan O'Reilly. The Panthers tied it again with a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Carlsson and Jonathan Huberdeau. St. Louis regained the lead in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by O'Reilly. Florida tied it again with a Mamin goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Lundell. The tie went to a shootout, where Huberdeau and Reinhart topped Brown to give the Panthers a 4-3 win. The three stars were Mamin, Lundell, and Carlsson, while O'Reilly gets an honorable mention. 

At the regular time, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his second of the season, helped along by Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jonas Brodin and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota extended the lead as Marcus Foligno scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Eriksson Ek. Toronto got on the board with a Jason Spezza goal, his his sixth of the year, via Nick Ritchie and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Spezza power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Auston Matthews and Rielly. Toronto tied it on a Matthews power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Spezza and Rielly. The tie went to a shootout, where Zuccarello and Kaprizov lifted the Wild 4-3 over Matthews and the Maple Leafs. The three stars belonged to Spezza, Matthews, and Rielly, while Eriksson Ek gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Washington Capitals bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov is mismatched with Ilya Samsonov in goal. Washington started in the first period with an Aliaksei Protas goal, his second of the season, via Justin Schultz. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by John Carlson. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Eric Robinson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Justin Danforth. Washington replied with a Garnet Hathaway empty net goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ovechkin, Protas, and Samsonov (17 for 18 in saves).

Over to Boston, as the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman are between the pipes. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Taylor Raddysh shorthanded goal, set up by Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman. Boston got on the board with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Craig Smith. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Curtis Lazar goal, via Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from Sergachev. The three stars were Sergachev, Stmakos, and Raddysh.

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Cal Clutterbuck shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Adam Pelech. Detroit tied it on a Filip Hronek goal, his second of the year, passed from Adam Erne and Michael Rasmussen. The Red Wings took the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the season, via Givani Smith and Carter Rowney. The Islanders tied it on an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. Detroit retook the lead with a Smith goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on another Wahlstrom power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Barzal and Zach Parise. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Moritz Seider goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Pius Suter and Filip Zadina.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and Anton Forsberg are the goalies. Colorado began in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Alex Newhook. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his sixth of the year, via Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot. The Senators took the lead on an Austin Watson goal, made possible by Dylan Gambrell. The Avalanche tied it again with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon. Ottawa took the lead in the second period with a Stutzle goal, his second of the year, helped along by Connor Brown and Nick Paul. The Senators added on with a Josh Norris power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Chabot. Justus Annunen replaced Johansson in goal. Ottawa extended the lead as Stutzle scored his second of the game and third of the year, with the help of Drake Batherson and Norris on the power play. Colorado got one back with a Newhook goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche got closer with a Tyson Jost goal, his third of the year, assisted by MacKinnon and Jack Johnson. Colorado tied it on a Toews goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from MacKinnon and Landeskog. The Senators won 6-5 in overtime with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Norris, while Chabot, Landeskog, Toews, Newhook, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Juuse Saros are set to start in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Luke Kunin. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Chris Wideman and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens took the lead with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifth of the season, via David Savard and Tyler Toffoli. The Predators tied it on a Tanner Jeannot goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Ekholm and Alexandre Carrier. Montreal took the lead in the third period with a Brett Kulak goal, helped along by Caufield and Toffoli in the third period. Nashville tied it on a Kunin goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Matt Benning. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Mikael Granlund and Roman Josi. The three stars were Kunin, Ekholm, and Toffoli, while Caufield gets an honorable mention.

Eastward to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Malcolm Subban and Antti Raanta are the netminders. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes added on with a Martin Necas goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Seth Jarvis and Vincent Trocheck. Buffalo got on the board with a Henri Jokiharju goal, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson. Carolina replied in the second period with an Ian Cole goal, via Trocheck. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Trocheck scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina padded the lead as Niederreiter scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Aho. The Sabres got one back with a Zemgus Girgensons power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jacob Bryson and Kyle Okposo. The Hurricanes answered with a shorthanded Teravainen goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Aho. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars handed to Teravainen, Aho, and Niederreiter, while Trocheck gets an honorable mention.

In New York, the Rangers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Alexandar Georgiev are the backups in goal. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Brandon Hagel and Seth Jones. New York tied it on a Ryan Strome power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers took the lead with a Fox goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Panarin and Strome. New York added on in the third period with a Panarin goal, his seventh of the year, via Strome and Jacob Trouba. The Blackhawks got one back with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Kane and Jones. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Strome, Panarin, and Fox, while Kane and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. Vancouver tied it on a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his fifth of the year, via Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brock Boeser. The Penguins took the lead back with a Guentzel power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Jeff Carter. Pittsburgh added on with a Guentzel power play goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Crosby and Letang. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Crosby scored his third of the season, with the help of Letang and Guentzel. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Guentzel, Crosby, and Letang. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 52

Just five games on for this Friday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the San Jose Sharks. Adin Hill and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. Alexandar Georgiev replaced an injured Shesterkin in the third period and sealed a 1-0 win. The three stars were Strome, Fox, and Hill (26 for 27 in saves). 

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jonathan Bernier and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his third of the season, assisted by Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Brenden Dillon. Winnipeg extended the lead as Kristian Vesalainen scored his second of the season, thanks to Paul Stastny. New Jersey got on the board with a Damon Severson power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Tomas Tatar and Ty Smith. The Devils got closer with a Jack Hughes goal, his third of the season, fueled by Ryan Graves and Dougie Hamilton. New Jersey tied it in the second period as Nico Hischier scored his third of the year, with the help of Jesper Bratt. The Devils took the lead on a Graves goal, his third of the season, helped along by Janne Kuokkanen and Jesper Boqvist. The Jets retied it with an Ehlers goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Dubois and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg pulled ahead on a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Wheeler and Scheifele. The Jets padded the lead on a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Pionk and the goalie Hellebuyck. MacKenzie Blackwood replaced Bernier in goal for the third period. Winnipeg continued when Scheifele completed his hat trick on his fifth of the season, passed from Wheeler and Kyle Connor. The Jets finished it at 8-4 with an Adam Lowry goal, his third of the year, helped along by Logan Stanley and Jansen Harkins. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Ehlers, while Graves, Dubois, and Pionk get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Karel Vejmelka are the backups in goal. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nicolas Roy and Reilly Smith. Arizona tied it on a Travis Boyd goal, his sixth of the year, via Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel. The Golden Knights retook the lead on a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Shea Theodore and Evgenii Dadonov. Vegas added on in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Smith and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Pacioretty scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Mark Stone. Vegas padded the lead on a Michael Amadio goal, fueled by William Carrier and Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights continued with a Dadonov goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Mattias Janmark and Dylan Coghlan. Vegas finished it at 7-1 with a Roy goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Theodore and Amadio. The three stars were Pacioretty, Dadonov, and Roy, while Amadio, Theodore, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

West to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Daniel Vladar and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Josh Manson and Trevor Zegras. Calgary tied it on a Blake Coleman goal, his fourth of the year, via Sean Monahan and Trevor Lewis. The Flames took the lead with an Elias Lindholm goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary added on with a Monahan goal, his third of the year, fueled by Lewis and Oliver Kylington. The Ducks got one back with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Isac Lundestrom and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Vinni Lettieri power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. In the shootout, Tkachuk and Gaudreau tallied to give the Flames a 4-3 win. The three stars were Mohanan, Lewis, and Zegras.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner is mismatched with Philipp Grubauer in goal. Seattle began in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his sixth of the season, via Ryan Donato. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Kraken retook the lead on an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Jared McCann and Joonas Donskoi. The Oilers tied it on an Evan Bouchard goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi. Seattle regained the lead with a Colin Blackwell goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kole Lind and Riley Sheahan. The Kraken added on with an Alex Wennberg goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jamie Oleksiak and Mason Appleton. Edmonton got closer with a McDavid goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Bouchard and Draisaitl. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Bouchard. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 51

There's ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and Jake Allen are in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Logan O'Connor. Montreal tied it on a Ben Chiarot power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Cole Caufield and Joel Armia. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Cale Makar goal, his tenth of the season, via Samuel Girard. Colorado added on in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Nichushkin and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Gabriel Landeskog, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. The three stars were Nichushkin, Makar, and Burakovsky.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Ross Colton and Steven Stamkos. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Scott Perunovich. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with an Anthony Cirelli power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman. The Blues tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Perunovich and Thomas. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Hedman goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Pat Maroon. The Lightning added on with another Hedman goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Hedman, Thomas, and Perunovich.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his third of the season, coming off of Rasmus Dahlin and Cody Eakin. The Sabres added on with a Dylan Cozens goal, his seventh of the year, via Kyle Okposo. Buffalo extended the lead as Hinostroza scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Cozens. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Lucas Carlsson goal, with helpers from Jonathan Huberdeau and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres replied with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, made possible by Rasmus Asplund and Henri Jokiharju. Spencer Knights replaced Bobrovsky in goal. The Panthers got one back on a Reinhart goal, his sixth of the season, again from Carlsson and Huberdeau. Florida got closer with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Huberdeau and Reinhart. The Panthers tied it in the third period on an Ekblad power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with helpers from Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida took the lead on an Anton Lundell goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe and Ekblad. The Panthers padded the lead with an empty net goal by Huberdeau, his eighth of the season, set up by Reinhart. Florida iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Lundell, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with assists provided by Weegar and Verhaeghe. The three stars were Huberdeau, Reinhart, and Lundell, while Ekblad, Carlsson, Weegar, Verhaeghe, Hinostroza and Cozens get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Vitek Vanecek protect the nets. Chicago started in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Patrick Kane and Seth Jones. Washington tied it in the second period with a Nic Dowd goal, his third of the year, via Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by DeBrincat and Kirby Dach. The Capitals tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Alex Ovechkin. Washington took the lead with a Hathaway goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, assisted by Dowd. Chicago tied it on a Seth Jones goal, his third of the year, fueled by Josiah Slavin and Jake McCabe. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Kane had the lone tally for a 4-3 Blackhawks win. The three stars were DeBrincat, Seth Jones, and Kane, while Dowd and Hathaway get the honorable mentions.

To Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with an Alex Formenton goal, his third of the year, fueled by Tyler Ennis. The Senators added on with another Formenton goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Ennis and Artem Zub. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes tied it on an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Seth Jarvis and Aho. Ottawa retook the lead on a Josh Norris goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Formenton, Ennis, and Aho.

Up in New York, the Islanders bring in the San Jose Sharks. Adin Hill and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Andy Greene and Scott Mayfield. San Jose tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his third of the year, via Jonathan Dahlen and Timo Meier. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Karlsson, Bonino, and Hill (24 for 25 in saves).

Along to Nashville, as the Predators host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Juuse Saros are between the pipes. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Brandon Carlo goal, his second of the year, via Erik Haula. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars handed to Swayman (42 save shutout), DeBrusk, and Carlo.

In Minnesota, the Wild welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen are the young goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his eighth of the season, via Ryan Hartman and the goalie Kahkonen. The Wild added on with a Rem Pitlick goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Victor Rask. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Kaprizov scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Mats Zuccarello and Alex Goligoski. New Jersey got on the board with a Ryan Graves goal, his second of the year, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Michael McLeod. The Devils pulled closer with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Hamilton. The Wild replied with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his second of the year, helped along by Hartman and Kaprizov. Minnesota padded the lead in the third period with a Hartman goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Goligoski. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Kaprizov, Hartman, and Goligoski, while Hamilton gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Jake Oettinger man the nets. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his sixth of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Jani Hakanpaa. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead with an Alexandre Texier goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Adam Boqvist and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Stars tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Hakanpaa and Radek Faksa. Dallas took the lead with a Robertson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Pavelski and Ryan Suter. The final stood from here at 3-2, with the three stars going to Robertson, Pavelski, and Hakanpaa.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Calvin Petersen are in the blue paint. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Alexander Edler and Viktor Arvidsson. Calgary tied it on an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington. Calgary added on in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eleventh of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Erik Gudbranson. The Kings pulled one back with an Edler goal, helped along by Arvidsson and Phillip Danault. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Mangiapane, Edler, and Arvidsson. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 50

We've got six games on for tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. New York led off in the first period with a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kaapo Kakko and Nils Lundkvist. The Rangers added on with a Dryden Hunt goal, his third of the year, guided in by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. New York extended the lead in the second period as Chris Kreider scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Kakko and Mika Zibanejad. Philadelphia got on the board with a Morgan Frost goal, fueled by Cam Atkinson and Claude Giroux. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Panarin empty net goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, set up by

Next up, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson is mismatched with Jack Campbell in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs added on with a Jason Spezza goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Wayne Simmonds and Nick Ritchie. Toronto extended the lead as Auston Matthews scored his eleventh of the season, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Michael Bunting. Colorado got on the board with a Samuel Girard goal, his second of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Logan O'Connor. The Avalanche got one back in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jack Johnson and Valeri Nichushkin. The Maple Leafs replied with a Travis Dermott goal, guided in by Nylander and Tavares. Toronto answered on a Tavares goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Kerfoot and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs continued in the third period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Marner and Bunting. Toronto kept going with a Matthews goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs struck again on a Pierre Engvall goal, his third of the season, dished from Bunting and Morgan Rielly. Colorado got one back with a Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon. This produced an 8-3 final score, with the three stars handed to Matthews, Tavares, and Kadri, while Bunting, Nylander, Marner, Kerfoot, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Filip Gustavsson are the young goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourth of the season, via Conor Garland and Luke Schenn. Ottawa tied it on an Adam Gaudette power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Connor Brown and Chris Tierney. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Tyler Motte goal, his second of the season, assisted by Garland and Kyle Burroughs. Vancouver added on with a Schenn goal, coming off of Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Bo Horvat scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Hughes and the goalie Demko. Vancouver padded the lead on a power play goal by Alex Chiasson, his third of the season, with assists provided by Miller and Hughes. The Senators got one back with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Victor Mete and Josh Norris. The Canucks replied with a Miller power play goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Elias Pettersson and Hughes. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars being Miller, Hughes, and Schenn, while Garland gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Detroit Red Wings host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Thomas Greiss are in the creases. Detroit got going in the second period with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Dylan Larkin and Pius Suter. Seattle tied it on a Vince Dunn power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Marcus Johansson and Alex Wennberg. The Kraken took the lead with a Ryan Donato goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde and Joonas Donskoi. The Red Wings tied it again with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eighth of the year, via Jordan Oesterle and Moritz Seider. Detroit pulled ahead with a Lucas Raymond goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Larkin and Seider. Seattle tied it again with another Donato goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Jamie Oleksiak. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Larkin and Adam Erne lifted the Red Wings 4-3 over Donskoi and the Kraken. The three stars were Larkin, Donato, and Seider.

Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Connor McDavid. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his tenth of the year, via John Marino and Sidney Crosby. The Oilers took the lead back with a Hyman goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, coming off of McDavid. The Penguins tied it in the second period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Evan Rodrigues and Kris Letang. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Kris Russell. The Oilers added on with an Evan Bouchard goal, his third of the year, helped along by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with a McDavid empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Jesse Puljujarvi and Bouchard. The three stars were McDavid, Hyman, and Bouchard.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Anthony Stolarz are between the pipes. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Troy Terry goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Jamie Drysdale and Sam Steel. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Sonny Milano and Trevor Zegras. Vegas got on the board with a William Carrier goal, his third of the season, guided in by Michael Amadio. Anaheim replied with a Josh Manson goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks extended the lead as Hampus Lindholm scored his third of the season, thanks to Milano and Zegras. The Golden Knights got one back with a Zach Whitecloud shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Mattias Janmark and Brett Howden. Vegas got closer in the third period with a Janmark shorthanded goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Stone. Anaheim replied with a Drysdale goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Milano and Zegras. The Golden Knights pulled one back with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Shea Theodore. The Ducks countered with an Isac Lundestrom empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas pulled one back on a Reilly Smith power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Alex Pietrangelo and Pacioretty. This only made it 6-5, with the three stars going to Milano, Zegras, and Drysdale, while Pacioretty and Janmark get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 49

We're up for eight games today. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Filip Zadina goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Pius Suter. Boston tied it in the third period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Charlie McAvoy. The Red Wings took the lead with a Marc Staal goal, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Gustav Lindstrom. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Nedeljkovic (41 for 42 in saves), Staal, and Zadina.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Washington began in the first period with a Connor McMichael goal, his third of the season, coming off of Nick Jensen and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals added on with a Beck Malenstyn goal, via Brett Leason and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Florida got on the board with a Joe Thornton goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau. Washington shot back in the second period with a Lars Eller goal, his second of the season, fueled by Tom Wilson and Orlov. The Capitals extended the lead as Jensen scored his third of the year, with the help of Carl Hagelin and Nic Dowd. The Panthers got one back in the third period on a Ryan Lomberg goal, his second of the season, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida pulled closer on a Luostarinen shorthanded goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Lomberg and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers tied it on a Sam Bennett power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ekblad and Huberdeau. Florida pulled ahead with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Ekblad and Huberdeau. The three stars were Ekblad, Huberdeau, and Luostarinen, while Lomberg, Jensen, and Orlov get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and MacKenzie Blackwood man the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with a Noah Gregor goal, assisted by Radim Simek and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Jacob Middleton goal, his second of the season, via Gregor and Alexander Barabanov. San Jose extended the lead as Timo Meier scored his tenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Logan Couture and Jonathan Dahlen. The Sharks padded the lead on an Erik Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Barabanov and Rudolfs Balcers. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Pavel Zacha and Nico Hischier. The Devils got closer with a Jesper Bratt goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Andreas Johnsson. San Jose replied with a Meier empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Meier, Gregor, and Barabanov.

In St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his seventh of the year, via Taylor Raddysh and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Corey Perry power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Alex Killorn and Hedman. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Erik Cernak scored, thanks to Raddysh and Ross Colton. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko. The Blues got closer with a Logan Brown goal, helped along by Oskar Sundqvist. St. Louis tied it on an Ivan Barbashev power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Scott Perunovich and Pavel Buchnevich. The tie went to a shootout, where O'Reilly's lone tally lifted the Blues to a 4-3 win. The three stars were O'Reilly, Raddysh, and Hedman.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Nashville opened in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene. The Predators added on with a Yakov Trenin goal, his third of the year, via Colton Sissons and Tanner Jeannot. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Granlund. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Merzlikins in goal. The Predators padded the lead on a Forsberg goal to complete his hat trick with his ninth of the year, courtesy of Granlund and Duchene. Nashville continued with another Forsberg goal on the power play, his fourth of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Granlund and Ryan Johansen. The Predators struck again in the third period with a Nick Cousins goal, his second of the year, guided in by Philip Tomasino and Thomas Novak. This made it 6-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Forsberg, Granlund, and Saros (27 save shutout), while Duchene gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Kaapo Kahkonen are in the blue paint. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Phil Kessel and Shayne Gostisbehere. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his ninth of the year, via Dmitry Kulikov and Jordan Greenway. The Wild took the lead with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ryan Hartman and Alex Goligoski in the second period. Minnesota added on with a Greenway goal, coming off of Jon Merrill and Victor Rask. The Wild extended the lead as Jonas Brodin scored his third of the year, thanks to Kaprizov and Hartman. The Coyotes got one back with an Anton Stralman goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun and Keller. Minnesota responded with a Marcus Foligno goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Brodin and Greenway. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars given to Greenway, Kaprizov, and Brodin, while Keller and Hartman get the honorable mentions.

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on in the second period with another Hintz goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Pavelski scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Robertson. Carolina got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Nino Niederreiter. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Hintz empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his tenth of the campaign, set up by Miro Heiskanen. The three stars were awarded to Hintz, Pavelski, and Holtby (39 for 40 in saves), while Robertson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Troy Terry goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Iafallo goal, his seventh of the year, via Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault. The Ducks retook the lead with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted tally. Anaheim added on in the third period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Adam Henrique and Shattenkirk. The Ducks extended the lead as Isac Lundestrom scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings got one back with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Matt Roy and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles pulled closer on an Iafallo goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Sean Durzi. The Kings tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his third of the year, assisted by Roy and Kopitar. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Shattenkirk and Trevor Zegras lifted the Ducks to a 5-4 win over Lias Andersson and the Kings. The three stars were Shattenkirk, Iafallo, and Roy, while Kopitar gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 48

Just four games are on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Dustin Tokarski are the backups in goal. Seattle opened in the first period with a Carson Soucy shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Yanni Gourde. The Kraken added on with a Brandon Tanev shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Seattle extended the lead as Jared McCann scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Jamie Oleksiak and Morgan Geekie. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Brett Murray goal, via Kyle Okposo. The Kraken replied with a McCann goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, made possible by Geekie and Tanev. The Sabres pulled back with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Seattle answered with a Mason Appleton goal, helped along by Will Borgen and Alex Wennberg. Buffalo shot back in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, guided in by Victor Olofsson. The Kraken responded on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Gourde and Joonas Donskoi. The Sabres countered on a Dylan Cozens goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Okposo and Murray. Seattle finished it at 7-4 with an Appleton empty net goal, with assists provided by Tanev and Adam Larsson. 

In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jake Allen patrol the creases. Vancouver started in the first period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. Montreal tied it on a Ryan Poehling goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jonathan Drouin. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Demko (33 for 34 in saves), Garland, and Pettersson.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Arizona got going in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his third of the season, via Loui Eriksson and Ilya Lyubushkin. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Vejmelka (46 save shutout), Roussel, and Eriksson. 

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Milan Lucic goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Oliver Kylington and Christopher Tanev. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. In the shootout, Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund lifted the Flames 2-1 over Kris Letang and the Penguins. The three stars were Markstrom (21 for 22 in saves), Letang, and Lucic. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 47

Six games on today after another postponement for the Islanders. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on with an Aliaksei Protas goal, via John Carlson. Carolina got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jordan Martinook and Tony DeAngelo in the third period. The Hurricanes tied it with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Martin Necas and Brett Pesce. Washington retook the lead with an Orlov power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Wilson and Carlson. The Capitals iced it at 4-2 with a Carlson empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Orlov, Carlson, and Wilson. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nico Sturm and the goalie Talbot. Tampa Bay tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his second of the year, coming off of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Mikhail Sergachev. The Wild retook the lead with a Victor Rask goal, his third of the season, passed from Kevin Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau. The Lightning tied it again in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Steven Stamkos. Minnesota gained the lead again in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Kirill Kaprizov and Rem Pitlick. The Wild finished it at 4-2 with a Marcus Foligno empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hartman, Rask, and Bjugstad. 

East to Boston, as the Bruins bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Linus Ullmark are in the creases. Vancouver started in the first period with a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander. Boston tied it on an Anton Blidh goal, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted tally. The Bruins tied it again in the third period on a Brad Marchand power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Nick Foligno and Patrice Bergeron. Boston took the lead with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Marchand and Bergeron. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak.

In New Jersey, the Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and MacKenzie Blackwood man the nets. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his sixth of the season, via Andreas Johnsson and Jesper Bratt. Philadelphia tied it on a Scott Laughton shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ivan Provorov and Sean Couturier. The Devils retook the lead in the second period with a Johnsson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Bratt. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Joel Farabee goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Laughton. New Jersey gained the lead again with a Bratt goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Johnsson. The Devils added on with a Nathan Bastian goal, his second of the year, guided in by Hamilton and Michael McLeod. New Jersey iced it at 5-2 with a Johnsson empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Dawson Mercer. The three stars were Johnsson, Bratt, and Hamilton, while Laughton gets an honorable mention.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veteran goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Rudolfs Balcers and Logan Couture. The Sharks iced it at 2-0 with a Meier empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Couture. The three stars were Reimer (29 save shutout), Meier, and Couture.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and John Gibson tend the twines. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his tenth of the season, via T.J. Brodie and Michael Bunting. The Maple Leafs added on with a Bunting goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Mitchell Marner and Jake Muzzin. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Alexander Kerfoot scored his fourth of the season, thanks to William Nylander and John Tavares. Anaheim got on the board with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf. The Maple Leafs replied with a Nylander empty net goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Kerfoot. Toronto finished it at 5-1 with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his third of the year, helped along by Pierre Engvall. The three stars belonged to Bunting, Kerfoot, and Nylander. 

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