NHL 2021-22 - Day 63

Three games on for this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom. Chicago tied it on an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Patrick Kane and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, with assists provided by Kirby Dach and Caleb Jones. Chicago added on with a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Jonathan Toews. The Capitals got one back with a Daniel Sprong goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Lars Eller. Washington tied it in the third period with an Eller goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Oshie and Conor Sheary. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a DeBrincat power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Hagel and Dylan Strome. The Capitals tied it on a Sheary goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Ovechkin and John Carlson. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime with a Caleb Jones goal, set up by Dach.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the New York Rangers. Keith Kinkaid and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Arizona led off in the first period with a Loui Eriksson shorthanded goal, set up by Clayton Keller and Ilya Lyubushkin. New York tied it on a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider in the second period. The Coyotes took the lead on a Keller goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Nick Schmaltz and Anton Stralman. The Rangers tied it again with a Zibanejad power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Kreider. New York pulled ahead on a Kakko power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with assists provided by Kreider and Ryan Strome. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Kakko, Kreider and Zibanejad.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Anthony Stolarz are set to start in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Sonny Milano and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Ducks added on with a Derek Grant shorthanded goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Anaheim extended the lead on a Troy Terry power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Sam Steel and Jakob Silfverberg. Seattle got on the board with a Ryan Donato power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Jordan Eberle and Vince Dunn. The Ducks shot back in the third period with a Sam Carrick goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Simon Benoit and Buddy Robinson. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Stolarz (19 for 20 in saves), Grant, and Terry. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 62

We've got twelve games left on the schedule after postponements today. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Jeremy Swayman are between the pipes. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ben Hutton and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Stephenson and Mark Stone. Vegas extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights padded the lead on a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Stone and Stephenson. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his tenth of the season, via Taylor Hall. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Pacioretty, Stephenson, and Stone.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Alex Iafallo and Anze Kopitar. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Pat Maroon. The Kings took the lead in the second period on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Matt Roy and Phillip Danault. The Lightning tied it on a Taylor Raddysh goal, his fourth of the year, via Jan Rutta and Boris Katchouk. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime on a Mathieu Joseph goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Ross Colton. The three stars were Joseph, Raddysh, and Hedman.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Spencer Knight get the starting nods in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nick Paul and Thomas Chabot. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his tenth of the year, via Sam Reinhart and Lucas Carlsson. The Senators took the lead in the second period on a Dylan Gambrell shorthanded goal, set up by Connor Brown. The Panthers retied it with a Reinhart goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Anton Lundell. Ottawa retook the lead with a Josh Norris goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Drake Batherson and Nikita Zaitsev. The Senators added on with a Tim Stutzle goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brown and Alex Formenton. Ottawa extended the lead as Norris scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, passed from Batherson. The Senators padded the lead on a Batherson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Norris. Ottawa continued on a Paul goal, his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Chabot. The Senators struck again with another Paul power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with assists provided by Brown and Tyler Ennis. The final was 8-2, and the three stars were Paul, Norris, and Batherson, while Brown, Chabot, and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Carter Hart patrol the creases. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, coming off of Rasmus Ristolainen and James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers added on with a Cam Atkinson goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ristolainen and Sanheim. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Justin Braun goal, his second of the year, thanks to Oskar Lindblom and Ivan Provorov. New Jersey got on the board with a P.K. Subban goal, his second of the season, fueled by Michael McLeod. The Flyers shot back on an Atkinson shorthanded goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Provorov. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Lindblom goal, his second of the season, helped along by Atkinson. Akira Schmid replaced Blackwood in goal. The Flyers kept going in the third period when Atkinson finished his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Claude Giroux and Max Willman. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars given to Atkinson, Sanheim, and Lindblom, while Provorov and Ristolainen get the honorable mentions.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Evan Rodrigues. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Rodrigues power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Kris Letang and Jeff Carter. Montreal replied on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Laurent Dauphin. Pittsburgh replied with a Mike Matheson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Rodrigues. The Canadiens pulled one back with a Jesse Ylonen goal, helped along by Drouin. The Penguins shot back in the third period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, courtesy of Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Brian Boyle scored his third of the season, thanks to Dominik Simon and Chad Ruhwedel. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars being Rodrigues, Crosby, and Drouin.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Alex Nedeljkovic are the masked men. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his third of the year, guided in by Adam Erne. New York got on the board with an Anders Lee goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Noah Dobson and Brock Nelson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Nedeljkovic (33 for 34 in saves), Rasmussen, and Larkin.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Buffalo kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Tage Thompson. Winnipeg tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Josh Morrissey. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with an Anders Bjork goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Vinnie Hinostroza and Cody Eakin. The Jets tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eleventh of the year, via Dubois and Brenden Dillon. Buffalo took the lead back on a Dahlin goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, fueled by Victor Olofsson and Thompson. The Sabres added on in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Olofsson and Henri Jokiharju. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Dahlin, Olofsson, and Thompson, while Dubois gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the St. Louis Blues. Charlie Lindgren and Jake Oettinger draw the starts in goal. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Riley Damiani goal, assisted by John Klingberg and Jason Robertson. St. Louis replied on a Colton Parayko goal, his third of the season, via Vladimir Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. St. Louis added on with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Tarasenko and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues extended the lead on a Tarasenko power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Barbashev and Buchnevich. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Tarasenko, Faulk, and Barbashev.

Along to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Colorado drew first blood in the first period on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Nathan MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche added on with a Cale Makar power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri. New York got on the board with a Ryan Strome goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, via Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Colorado replied on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by J.T. Compher and Kadri. The Rangers pulled one back in the third period on a Julien Gauthier goal, his second of the season, fueled by Dryden Hunt and Barclay Goodrow. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Nichushkin goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Kadri. The three stars were Nichushkin, Kadri, and MacKinnon.

North to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Ondrej Kase. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his fourth of the year, via Morgan Rielly and Kyle Clifford. Toronto extended the lead as T.J. Brodie scored, thanks to Timothy Liljegren and David Kampf. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Colton Sceviour goal, helped along by Zack Kassian and Tyson Barrie. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Rielly goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by William Nylander. Toronto padded the lead as Matthews scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with the help of Kase. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Matthews, Rielly, and Kase.

In Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jaroslav Halak are in the blue paint. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Eric Robinson goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alexandre Texier and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with a Max Domi goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jack Roslovic and Gabriel Carlsson. Columbus extended the lead as Robinson scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Texier and Gavin Bayreuther. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser. The Canucks got closer in the third period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Conor Garland and Tyler Myers. Vancouver tied it on a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Hughes and Myers. The Canucks took the lead on a Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Hughes. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars handed to Horvat, Hughes, and Robinson, while Myers and Texier get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and James Reimer make the starts in goal. Seattle tallied first in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Carson Soucy. The Kraken added on with a Brandon Tanev goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Morgan Geekie and Calle Jarnkrok. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. The Kraken iced it at 3-1 with a Jarnkrok empty net goal, his second of the year, set up Mason Appleton and Alex Wennberg. The three stars were Driedger (33 for 34 in saves), Jarnkrok, and Tanev. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 61

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. Nashville got going in the second period with a Philip Tomasino goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Alexandre Carrier. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Saros (32 save shutout), Tomasino, and Georgiev (23 for 24 in saves). 

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Jon Gillies are the backups in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Buddy Robinson goal, coming off of Nicolas Deslauriers and Sam Carrick. St. Louis tied it in the second period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, made possible by Nathan Walker and Brayden Schenn. The Blues took the lead in the third period on a Walker goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Schenn. The Ducks retied it with a Troy Terry goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Cam Fowler and Sam Steel. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Terry penalty shot goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign. The three stars were Terry, Walker, and Schenn. 

Further west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darcy Kuemper are the goalies. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the third period with another Burakovsky goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, fueled by Rantanen. Florida got on the board with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Carter Verhaeghe and Frank Vatrano. The Panthers tied it on a Brandon Montour goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling. Colorado retook the lead on a Burakovsky goal, completing his hat trick on his twelfth of the season, made possible by MacKinnon and Rantanen. This stood for a 3-2 final score, with the three stars awarded to Burakovsky, Rantanen, and MacKinnon, while Verhaeghe gets an honorable mention.

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Vegas started in the first period on a Zach Whitecloud goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Chandler Stephenson. Minnesota tied it on an Alex Goligoski goal, his third of the year, helped along by Brandon Duhaime and Jared Spurgeon. The Golden Knights retook the lead with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Stephenson. The Wild tied it again with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Spurgeon and Ryan Hartman. Minnesota pulled ahead in the second period on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Dumba and Jon Merrill. Vegas tied it again on a Whitecloud goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, via Dadonov. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Pacioretty goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Stephenson and Stone. The Wild retied it on a Marcus Foligno goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Spurgeon and Joel Eriksson Ek. Vegas pulled ahead again with a Stone power play goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Pacioretty and Stephenson. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-4 with an Alex Pietrangelo empty net goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Thatcher Demko are in the creases. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by J.T. Miller and Tanner Pearson. The Canucks added on with an Elias Pettersson goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Conor Garland and Tyler Myers. Carolina got on the board with a Martin Necas goal, his seventh of the season, via Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the third period. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Demko (29 for 30 in saves), Pettersson, and Boeser. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 60

We've got twelve games on Saturday, though just one matinee. First up...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Anton Forsberg are the goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his twelfth of the season, via Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot. The Senators added on in the second period with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Tim Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead as Tkachuk scored on the power play again, his second goal of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Chabot and Batherson. The Senators iced it at 4-0 in the third period with a Tkachuk empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, set up by Batherson. The three stars were Tkachuk, Forsberg (25 save shutout), and Batherson, while Chabot gets an honorable mention. 

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are in the blue paint. Washington started in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Conor Sheary and T.J. Oshie. Buffalo tied it on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Robert Hagg and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Will Butcher goal, assisted by Rasmus Asplund and Kyle Okposo. The Capitals tied it on a Martin Fehervary goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Daniel Sprong and Oshie lifted the Capitals over Victor Olofsson and the Sabres by a 3-2 score. The three stars were Oshie, Fehervary, and Eller.

Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Petr Mrazek are the backups in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his second of the season, assisted by Reese Johnson and Connor Murphy. Toronto tied it on a John Tavares power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Nylander goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Tavares and Timothy Liljegren. Toronto added on with a Matthews power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Ondrej Kase and Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Pierre Engvall scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Kyle Clifford and Alex Steeves. The Blackhawks got one back with a Murphy goal, his second of the year, guided in by Brandon Hagel. Chicago got closer in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Philipp Kurashev and Jake McCabe. The Blackhawks tied it on a McCabe goal, his second of the year, via Riley Stillman and Ryan Carpenter. Toronto retook the lead on a David Kampf goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Nylander, Matthews, and Tavares, while Murphy and McCabe get the honorable mentions.

To Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Casey DeSmith draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Brock McGinn goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zach Aston-Reese and Chad Ruhwedel. Anthony Stolarz replaced an injured Gibson in the third period. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to DeSmith (33 save shutout), McGinn, and Stolarz (13 saves in relief).

In St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Charlie Lindgren face their former teams in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues added on with a Dakota Joshua goal, via Logan Brown and Matthew Peca in the second period. St. Louis extended the lead as Ivan Barbashev scored his tenth of the year on the power play, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Buchnevich. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an Alexander Romanov goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Poehling. The Blues answered with a Torey Krug power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists from O'Reilly and Brown. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Buchnevich, Lindgren (22 for 23 in saves), and O'Reilly, while Brown and Tarasenko get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New York Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid is mismatched with Ilya Sorokin in goal. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jonas Siegenthaler. New York tied it on a Noah Dobson power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Oliver Wahlstrom. The Devils retook the lead with a Jack Hughes goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Pavel Zacha. The Islanders tied it on an Andy Greene goal, coming off of Barzal and Josh Bailey. New York took the lead on a Zach Parise shorthanded goal, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Scott Mayfield. The Islanders added on with a Pageau goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Wahlstrom. The final remained at 4-2, with the three stars going to Pageau, Barzal, and Wahlstrom.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Karel Vejmelka are given the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona tied it on a Jay Beagle goal, via Antoine Roussel and Loui Eriksson. The Flyers took the lead on a Scott Laughton goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, assisted by Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier. The Coyotes tied it again on a Nick Schmaltz goal, passed from Cam Dineen and Barrett Hayton. Philadelphia retook the lead on a Patrick Brown goal, going in unassisted. The Flyers added on with a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with assists provided by Konecny and Keith Yandle on the power play. Philadelphia extended the lead as Claude Giroux scored his tenth of the year, helped along by Cam Atkinson and Morgan Frost. Arizona pulled one back with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Schmaltz and Dineen. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars handed to van Riemsdyk, Konecny, and Schmaltz, while Dineen gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Jacob Markstrom are the Swedes in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Connor Clifton goal, courtesy of Trent Frederic and Anton Blidh. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, his eleventh of the season, via David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. Boston extended the lead as Charlie McAvoy scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Bergeron and Marchand. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Andersson and Johnny Gaudreau on the power play. The Bruins replied in the third period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his second of the year, assisted by Frederic and Matt Grzelcyk. The Flames pulled one back on a Sean Monahan goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Milan Lucic and Andersson. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Frederic, while Andersson gets an honorable mention.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Mikko Koskinen are the veteran goalies. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Aho. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jesse Puljujarvi and Darnell Nurse. Carolina replied in the third period with another Aho goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Aho, Andersen (22 for 23 in saves).

Down in Seattle, the Kraken host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Columbus got going in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Jack Roslovic goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Max Domi and Jakub Voracek. Seattle got on the board with a Jared McCann goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jordan Eberle. Columbus replied on a Domi goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Roslovic Jake Bean. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Domi scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Bjorkstrand and Jenner. The Kraken got one back in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Mark Giordano. Seattle got closer on a Morgan Geekie goal, his third of the year, made possible by Mason Appleton and Brandon Tanev. The Kraken tied it as Vince Dunn scored his third of the season, with the help of Adam Larsson and Calle Jarnkrok. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Bean goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Voracek and Sean Kuraly. The three stars went to Domi, Bean, and Bjorkstrand, while Roslovic, Jenner, and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

South to Los Angeles, as the Kings welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marcus Foligno power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Matt Dumba and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles tied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Drew Doughty. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Carl Grundstrom and Trevor Moore. This held for a 2-1 final score, with the three stars going to Quick (29 for 30 in saves), Lemieux, and Danault.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and James Reimer guard the cages. San Jose began in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Timo Meier and Alexander Barabanov. The Sharks added on in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Meier and Barabanov. Dallas got on the board with a Michael Raffl goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Radek Faksa and Jani Hakanpaa. The comeback fell short at 2-1, with the three stars being Reimer (34 for 35 in saves), Meier, and Barabanov. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 59

Seven games on a rather busy Friday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Fox and Filip Chytil. Buffalo got on the board with a Brett Murray goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Mark Pysyk and Kyle Okposo. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Fox, Georgiev (36 for 37 in saves), and Lafreniere. 

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Samsonov are the masked men. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of John Marino and Mike Matheson. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Brock McGinn goal, his sixth of the year, via Matheson and Zach Aston-Reese. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Kasperi Kapanen scored his sixth of the season, fueled by Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues. Washington got on the board in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Alex Ovechkin and Daniel Sprong. The Capitals got closer with a Lars Eller goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ovechkin and Conor Sheary. The Penguins finished it at 4-2 with a Jeff Carter empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Crosby and the goalie Jarry. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Matheson, and Ovechkin. 

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Philip Tomasino and Filip Forsberg. The Predators took the lead with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Josi. Nashville added on in the third period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Nick Cousins and Tanner Jeannot. The Devils got one back on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Jack Hughes and Andreas Johnsson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Josi, Trenin, and Tolvanen. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Darcy Kuemper get the starting nods in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a J.T. Compher goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Devon Toews and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Alex Newhook and Jack Johnson. Colorado extended the lead as Darren Helm scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Greiss in goal. Detroit got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Pius Suter and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings got closer in the second period with a Joe Veleno goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Sam Gagner and Filip Hronek. The Avalanche replied with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Gabriel Landeskog and Toews. Colorado padded the lead on a Burakovsky goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche continued on a Samuel Girard goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Jost and Erik Johnson. Detroit got one back with a Hronek power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Filip Zadina and Nick Leddy. Colorado iced it at 7-3 with a Makar empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Toews. The three stars were Burakovsky, Toews, and Makar, while Hronek gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Scott Wedgewood man the nets. Florida started in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ryan Lomberg and Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers added on with a Sam Bennett goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad. Arizona got on the board with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Travis Boyd and Barrett Hayton. Florida responded on a Reinhart power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Hornqvist and Jonathan Huberdeau. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Reinhart, Hornqvist, and Bobrovsky (22 for 23 in saves).

Along to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Laurent Brossoit protect the nets. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his second of the season, via Scott Laughton. Vegas tied it on a William Karlsson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Flyers retook the lead with a Max Willman goal in the second period, assisted by Patrick Brown and Zack MacEwen. The Golden Knights tied it again on a Max Pacioretty goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo and Mark Stone. Philadelphia took the lead with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Claude Giroux in the third period. The Flyers added on with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Travis Konecny and Yandle. Vegas pulled one back with a Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Shea Theodore and Pietrangelo. This cut it to 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Pacioretty, Yandle, and Pietrangelo.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie is mismatched with Thatcher Demko in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Bo Horvat and Quinn Hughes. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler power play goal, powered by Nate Schmidt and Kyle Connor. The Canucks retook the lead on another Hoglander goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Horvat. The Jets tied it in again in the second period on a Connor goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Wheeler. Vancouver regained the lead on a Conor Garland goal, his ninth of the year, via J.T. Miller. Winnipeg tied it again on a Mark Scheifele goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Connor and Wheeler. The Canucks won 4-3 in the shootout on a lone tally by Elias Pettersson. The three stars were Hoglander, Wheeler, and Horvat, while Connor gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 58

We've got another ten-game schedule on, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jake Allen start in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, powered by Seth Jones and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on in the third period with a Henrik Borgstrom goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (30 save shutout), Toews, and Borgstrom.

Over in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jack Campbell tend the twines. Toronto led off in the first period with an Ondrej Kase power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. Tampa Bay tied it on a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his second of the year, via Corey Perry. The Lightning took the lead on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Alex Killorn. The Maple Leafs tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with an assist provided by Auston Matthews. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Stamkos and Taylor Raddysh. The Lightning added on with a Raddysh goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Palat and Stamkos. Toronto pulled one back on a Kase goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the season, coming off of Jake Muzzin and Tavares. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Palat empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Stamkos and Killorn. The three stars went to Stamkos, Palat, and Kase, while Raddysh, Killorn, and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus began in the first period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Eric Robinson and Sean Kuraly. Anaheim tied it on an Isac Lundestrom goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted.  The tie lasted to a shootout, where Trevor Zegras and Rickard Rakell lifted the Ducks to a 2-1 win over Jakub Voracek and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were Gibson (33 for 34 in saves), Lundestrom, and Merzlikins (25 for 26 in saves).

East to New York, as the Islanders host the Nashville Predators. David Rittich and Semyon Varlamov patrol the creases. New York opened in the first period with an Austin Czarnik goal, fueled by Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Luke Kunin. The Predators took the lead with a Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year, guided in by Tanner Jeannot and Matt Benning. The Islanders tied it in the second period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mathew Barzal and Wahlstrom. New York took the lead in the third period with a Noah Dobson goal, his second of the year, assisted by Andy Greene and Ross Johnston. Nashville tied it again with a Yakov Trenin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jeannot and Sissons. The Predators pulled ahead on an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Roman Josi and Johansen. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Johansen, Sissons, and Jeannot, while Wahlstrom gets an honorable mention.

In St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic faces a lesser foe in Charlie Lindgren in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Nathan Walker goal, via Brayden Schenn and Dakota Joshua. The Blues added on with another Walker goal, his second of the game, passed from Niko Mikkola and Ryan O'Reilly. Detroit got on the board with a Robby Fabbri goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, assisted by Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. St. Louis replied with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the year, guided in by Joshua and Mikkola. Thomas Greiss replaced Nedeljkovic in goal in the third period. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Walker completed his hat trick, with the help of Torey Krug and Marco Scandella. St. Louis padded the lead on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Krug and Pavel Buchnevich. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Fabbri goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Raymond and Filip Hronek. The Blues iced it at 6-2 with a Scandella empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Walker, Joshua, and Scandella, while Fabbri, Krug, Mikkola, and Raymond get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Nino Niederreiter. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his second of the year, via Rasmus Andersson and Elias Lindholm. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in overtime on an Aho goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, coming off of the goalie Andersen and Teuvo Teravainen. The three stars went to Aho, Andersen (26 for 27 in saves), and Hanifin.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Stuart Skinner are set to start in goal. Boston struck first in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Brad Marchand, his tenth of the season, set up by Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. The Oilers tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Draisaitl, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Barrie. Boston regained the lead on a Matt Grzelcyk goal, passed from Hall and Craig Smith. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Hall, while Barrie gets an honorable mention.

In Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Philipp Grubauer guard the cages. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Dominic Toninato goal, his third of the season, coming off of Paul Stastny. The Jets added on in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Logan Stanley. Winnipeg extended the lead as Connor scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, thanks to Scheifele. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (25 save shutout), Connor, and Scheifele. 

To California, as the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Dustin Brown and Phillip Danault. The Kings added on with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Rasmus Kupari and Tobias Bjornfot in the third period. Los Angeles extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored his fifth of the season into an empty net, going in unassisted. The Kings finished it at 4-0 with an Andreas Athanasiou empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Matt Roy and Alexander Edler. The three stars went to Quick (27 save shutout), Kempe, and Kaliyev.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Adin Hill are in the creases. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the season, via Jon Merrill and Brandon Duhaime. The Wild added on in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov on the power play. Minnesota extended the lead as Jordan Greenway scored his third of the season on the power play, thanks to Fiala and Alex Goligoski. San Jose got on the board with a Jonathan Dahlen goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks got closer with a Hertl power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Dahlen and Logan Couture. The Wild answered with a Greenway empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Ryan Hartman and Eriksson Ek. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Kaprizov empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Greenway, Fiala, and Eriksson Ek, while Kaprizov, Hertl, and Dahlen get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 57

We've got just four games today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and MacKenzie Blackwood are the goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Nico Hischier and Damon Severson. The Devils added on with a Dawson Mercer power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Ty Smith and Bratt. New Jersey iced it at 3-0 in the third period on a Michael McLeod empty net goal, set up by Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. The three stars were Bratt, Blackwood (25 save shutout), and Mercer.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Adam Huska in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Devon Toews. New York tied it on a Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Reaves. The Rangers took the lead with a Nils Lundkvist power play goal, powered by Filip Chytil and Trouba. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his second of the season, via Gabriel Landeskog and Samuel Girard. Colorado took the lead with a Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche added on with an Alex Newhook power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Girard and Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Logan O'Connor scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Kadri and Kurtis MacDermid. The Avalanche padded the lead on another O'Connor goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, going in unassisted. New York got one back in the third period with a Chytil goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Alexis Lafreniere and K'Andre Miller. Colorado shot back with another Rantanen goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with helpers from Erik Johnson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars going to Rantanen, O'Connor, and Kadri, while Chytil, Toews, Girard, and Trouba get the honorable mentions.

Out in Vancouver, the Canucks brings in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Miller and Bo Horvat lifted the Canucks to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Demko (35 for 36 in saves), Miller, and Swayman (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Dallas started in the first period with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and John Klingberg. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his second of the year, via Alex Pietrangelo and Nicolas Hague. The Stars retook the lead with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and Ryan Suter. Dallas added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Klingberg and Robertson. The Golden Knights got one back on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Pietrangelo and William Karlsson. The Stars replied in the third period with a Pavelski goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Hintz and Andrej Sekera. Vegas responded with a Michael Amadio goal, his second of the season, helped along by Keegan Kolesar and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights tied it on a Stone goal, his second of the game and third of the year, coming off of Dylan Coghlan and Max Pacioretty. Vegas took the lead with a Pacioretty goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Stone and Hague. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Pacioretty, Stone, and Pavelski, while Pietrangelo, Hague, Robertson, Klingberg, and Hintz get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.