There's four games left on the New Year's Eve schedule. Two are matinees, beginning with...
The New Jersey Devils hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and MacKenzie Blackwood are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Ryan McLeod and Cody Ceci. The Devils retook the lead with a Nico Hischier goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jesper Boqvist and Ryan Graves. The Oilers tied it again on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Slater Koekkoek and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. New Jersey retook the lead again with a Dawson Mercer goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Damon Severson. Edmonton tied it on another McDavid goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, passed from Duncan Keith and Yamamoto. The Devils regained the lead in the third period with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Johnsson and Mercer. The Oilers tied it again with a Devin Shore goal, his second of the year, with helpers from McLeod and William Lagesson. Edmonton pulled ahead on a Yamamoto goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Keith. New Jersey tied it once more with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Hamilton and Hughes. The Devils won 6-5 in overtime with a Hughes goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Bratt and Severson. The three stars were Hughes, Mercer, and Yamamoto, while McDavid, Bratt, Johnsson, Hamilton, Severson, McLeod, and Keith get the honorable mentions.
Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Laurent Brossoit are the goalies. Vegas began in the first period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ben Hutton. The Golden Knights added on with an Adam Brooks goal, his second of the year, via Dylan Coghlan and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Mattias Janmark scored his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal in the third period, his second of the year, powered by Sonny Milano and Vinni Lettieri. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Brooks, Janmark, and Brossoit (15 for 16 in saves).
Back east, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin faces a lesser foe in Brian Elliott in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. New York tied it in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead on a Barclay Goodrow shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Greg McKegg. The Lightning retied it on a Ross Colton goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brayden Point and Alex Killorn. New York pulled ahead in the third period with another Goodrow goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, coming off of Artemi Panarin and K'Andre Miller. Tampa Bay tied it again with a Corey Perry goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Stamkos and Palat. The tie went to a shootout, where Mika Zibanejad's lone tally lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Goodrow, Stamkos, and Palat.
Finally, the Detroit Red Wings host the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Thomas Greiss draw the starts in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Pius Suter goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sam Gagner and Vladislav Namestnikov. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his eleventh of the year, via Lucas Johansen and Matt Irwin. The Capitals took the lead in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington iced it at 3-1 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Garnet Hathaway and John Carlson. The three stars were Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Samsonov (19 for 20 in saves).
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