NHL 2021-22 - Day 75

Matinees lead the way on Sunday, beginning with the first of seven games in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with another Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by Fox and Kreider. New York extended the lead as Ryan Strome scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Barclay Goodrow. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period on a Zibanejad goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, via Kreider. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Zibanejad, Shesterkin (38 save shutout), and Kreider, while Fox gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Casey DeSmith are the goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Marcus Pettersson and Danton Heinen. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Rodrigues scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Heinen and Dominik Simon. The Penguins padded the lead on a Rust goal, his third of the year, guided in by Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. San Jose got on the board with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Timo Meier and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Pittsburgh shot back with a Kasper Bjorkqvist goal, coming off of Radim Zohorna and Sam Lafferty. The Penguins continued on a Rust goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from John Marino and Pettersson. Zach Sawchenko replaced Reimer in goal in the second period. The Sharks got one back with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Nick Bonino and Noah Gregor. San Jose pulled closer in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Jacob Middleton and Andrew Cogliano. The Sharks chipped closer with an Erik Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Meier and Middleton. San Jose got within one on a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Meier. Pittsburgh replied with a Rodrigues power play goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, dished from Letang and Rust. The Penguins iced it at 8-5 with a Rust empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the year, set up by Crosby and Letang. The three stars were Rust, Rodrigues, and Meier, while Guentzel, Crosby, Heinen, Letang, Pettersson, and Middleton all get honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alex Nedeljkovic are the young goalies. Detroit opened in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Danny DeKeyser and Dylan Larkin. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Craig Smith and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Boston added on with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins extended the lead as Trent Frederic scored, thanks to Mike Reilly and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins capped it at 5-1 with a Nosek goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Oskar Steen and McAvoy. The three stars were McAvoy, Nosek, and Haula.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Anaheim started in the first period with a Sam Carrick goal, his eighth of the season, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Troy Terry. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Max Comtois and Shattenkirk. Colorado got on the board with a Devon Toews power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Colorado pulled ahead with a Logan O'Connor goal, his sixth of the season, passed from MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by MacKinnon. The three stars were Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Shattenkirk.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Ilya Samsonov guard the cages. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jack Hughes and P.K. Subban. The Devils added on with a Damon Severson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Dawson Mercer and Janne Kuokkanen. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael Sgarbossa and Dmitry Orlov. New Jersey replied in the second period with a shorthanded Nico Hischier goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Severson and Jonas Siegenthaler. Washington got one back in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Garnet Hathaway and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Lars Eller. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hischier goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hughes. The three stars were Hischier, Hughes, and Severson.

Westward again to Vegas, where the Golden Knights bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck faces his former backup, Laurent Brossoit, in goal. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, his third of the season, coming off of Keegan Kolesar and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his ninth of the year, via Amadio and Brett Howden. Winnipeg got on the board with a Jansen Harkins goal, his third of the season, fueled by Brenden Dillon. The Jets tied it on a Kristian Reichel goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets extended the lead on an Andrew Copp power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Vegas pulled back on a Mattias Janmark goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Whitecloud and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights tied it as Janmark scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Roy and Shea Theodore. Winnipeg won 5-4 in overtime with a Connor goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Morrissey. The three stars were Connor, Janmark, and Amadio, while Morrissey and Whitecloud get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe, Arvid Soderblom, in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Patrick Kane and Henrik Borgstorm. Calgary tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Gaudreau. Calgary added on with a Trevor Lewis shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames extended the lead as Oliver Kylington scored his fourth of the season into an empty net, with the help of Milan Lucic. Calgary finished it at 5-1 with a Gaudreau goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. The three stars were Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 74

New Year's Day is here, with nine games on throughout the day. First up...

The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Daniil Tarasov are the backups in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his sixth of the season, via Jack Roslovic and Emil Bemstrom. The Blue Jackets added on with an Adam Boqvist goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Gustav Nyquist. Columbus extended the lead on a shorthanded Nyquist goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Alexandre Texier. Frederik Andersen replaced Raanta in goal. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Texier goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Eric Robinson. Carolina got on the board with a Steven Lorentz goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Derek Stepan. The Hurricanes got closer with a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the year, fueled by Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Tarasov goal in the third period. Carolina got closer with another Skjei goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with helpers from Brett Pesce and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Ian Cole and the goalie Andersen. Carolina pulled ahead with an Ethan Bear goal, his second of the season, coming off of Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes surged with a Lorentz goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Jarvis. Carolina iced it at 7-4 with a Svechnikov empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Trocheck. The three stars were Lorentz, Svechnikov, and Skjei, while Trocheck, Jarvis, Texier, and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. Buffalo began in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Brett Murray and Rasmus Dahlin. Boston tied it in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his third of the year, via Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The Sabres replied with a Jeff Skinner goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. Buffalo added on with a Tuch power play goal, powered by Peyton Krebs and Thompson. The Bruins got one back on a Nick Foligno goal in the third period, helped along by Jake DeBrusk. Boston tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Matt Grzelcyk and McAvoy. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Marchand and McAvoy. The three stars were McAvoy, Marhand, and Tuch, while Thompson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Sergei Bobrovsky are the former teammates in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau. Montreal tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Sami Niku and David Savard. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jesse Ylonen and Niku. The Panthers tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Huberdeau. Florida took the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Reinhart and Owen Tippett. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by MacKenzie Weegar and Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead as Mason Marchment scored his second of the campaign, with the help of Anton Lundell. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Bennett, Huberdeau, and Reinhart, while Niku gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Ilya Sorokin are in the creases. New York struck first in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kieffer Bellows and Noah Dobson. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci in the second period. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his second of the season, assisted by Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid. The Islanders retied it in the third period on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Austin Czarnik and Ross Johnston. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Dobson goal, his fifth of the campaign, passed from Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. The three stars went to Dobson, Beauvillier, and Lee.

To Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Forsberg and Ekholm. Nashville extended the lead on a Nick Cousins power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ekholm and Philip Tomasino. Arvid Soderblom replaced Delia in goal. The Predators padded the lead in the second period as Tanner Jeannot scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin. Nashville kept going on a Roman Josi power play goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Johansen and Duchene. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his second of the year, passed from Calvin de Haan and Henrik Borgstrom. The Predators shot back with a Jeannot goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Matt Benning and Trenin. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Jeannot, Ekholm, and Forsberg, while Johansen, Duchene, and Trenin get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues for the Winter Classic. Jordan Binnington and Cam Talbot tend the twines. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a David Perron goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Marco Scandella. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Ryan Hartman. The Blues took the lead on a Jordan Kyrou goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Kyrou and Robert Thomas. The Blues extended the lead on an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis padded the lead on a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with a helper from Thomas. The Wild got one back with a Rem Pitlick goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Victor Rask and Nick Bjugstad. The Blues replied with a Torey Krug goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Barbashev. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Talbot in goal for the third period. Minnesota got one back in the third period with a Hartman goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. The Wild pulled closer with a Kevin Fiala goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kaprizov and Alex Goligoski. The final was 6-4, and the three stars belonged to Kyrou, Barbashev, and Kaprizov, while Hartman and Thomas get the honorable mentions.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Jack Campbell are the veterans in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded Justin Holl goal, set up by David Kampf and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs added on with an Ilya Mikheyev shorthanded goal, via Alexander Kerfoot and Brodie. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Brodie goal, his second of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period on a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Travis Dermott and Kerfoot. Toronto continued with a Mikheyev power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Ondrej Kase and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs struck again with another Nylander goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, coming off of John Tavares and Rasmus Sandin. This made it 6-0, the final, with the three stars going to Nylander, Mihkeyev, and Brodie, while Kerfoot gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with an unassisted Vasily Podkolzin goal, his seventh of the season. The Canucks added on with a Nils Hoglander power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brad Hunt and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Carson Soucy and Yanni Gourde. Vancouver replied in the third period with a Tyler Motte goal, his third of the year, made possible by Matthew Highmore and Juho Lammiko. The Kraken got one back with a Will Borgen goal, coming off of Alex Wennberg. The Canucks shot back with a Conor Garland goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Quinn Hughes and Tanner Pearson. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Pearson empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers. The three stars were Pearson, Motte, and Garland.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. Philadelphia tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his tenth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Claude Giroux. The Kings retook the lead on a Moore goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Danault and Arvidsson. Los Angeles added on with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings extended the lead as Brendan Lemieux scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Arthur Kaliyev and Doughty. The Flyers got one back in the third period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Giroux and Atkinson. Los Angeles fired back with a Danault goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Moore and Arvidsson. Philadelphia got one back with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Farabee and Atkinson. The Kings iced it at 6-3 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Moore. The three stars were Arvidsson, Moore, and Danault, while Doughty, Farabee, Atkinson, and Giroux get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 73

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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NHL 2021-22 - Day 72

A day unmarked by postponements is here, with seven games on. First up...

The Florida Panthers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Max Lagace and Spencer Knight are the backups in goal. Florida started in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Brandon Montour and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with a Huberdeau power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Florida extended the lead as Frank Vatrano scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Anton Lundell and Mason Marchment. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Zach Bogosian goal, his second of the year, via Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Corey Perry. The Panthers replied in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Radko Gudas and Ryan Lomberg. The Lightning got one back with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Ondrej Palat and Ross Colton. Florida responded with a Maxim Mamin goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Carter Verhaeghe and Luostarinen. The Panthers padded the lead on a Lundell goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Vatrano and MacKenzie Weegar. Hugo Alnefelt replaced Lagace in goal. Tampa Bay pulled one back in the third period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Killorn and Palat. Florida shot back on a Duclair goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, dished from Huberdeau and Weegar. The Panthers continued with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Huberdeau and Duclair. Florida struck again with a Barkov shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Huberdeau. The final stood at 9-3, with the three stars being Huberdeau, Barkov, and Duclair, while Lundell, Vatrano, Luostarinen, Weegar, and Palat get the honorable mentions.

Up in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Sebastian Aho and Slavin. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Teravainen scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Martin Necas and Aho on the power play. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the third period on a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Andrei Svechnikov and Slavin. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars going to Raanta (26 save shutout), Teravainen, and Slavin, while Aho gets an honorable mention.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Nashville Predators. David Rittich and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Nashville opened in the first period with a Michael McCarron goal, via Matt Luff and Philip Tomasino. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period on a Patrik Laine goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Jenner. The Predators tied it again on a Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Duchene and Dante Fabbro. Nashville took the lead on a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Duchene. Columbus tied it again in the third period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Texier and Gustav Nyquist topped Granlund to give the Blue Jackets a 4-3 win. The three stars were Duchene, Texier, and Jenner.

To New York, where the Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres. Malcolm Subban and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. New York began in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Noah Dobson. Buffalo tied it on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brett Murray and Victor Olofsson. The Islanders pulled ahead on a Kieffer Bellows goal, his third of the season, coming off of Andy Greene. New York added on with an Anders Lee power play goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Bellows and Barzal. The Islanders extended the lead as Dobson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Bailey and Barzal. The final held at 4-1 with the three stars going to Barzal, Dobson, and Bailey, while Bellows gets an honorable mention.

Out in Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe in Chris Driedger in goal. Seattle struck first in the first period with a Mark Giordano goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Colin Blackwell and Calle Jarnkrok. Calgary tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the year, via Nikita Zadorov and Matthew Tkachuk. The Kraken retook the lead with a Jarnkrok power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jared McCann and Giordano. The Flames tied it on a Gaudreau power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Sean Monahan and Tkachuk. Calgary took the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Christopher Tanev. Seattle tied it in the third period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Blackwell and Jarnkrok. The Flames took the lead with an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Oliver Kylington and Noah Hanifin. The Kraken tied it again with a McCann goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Giordano and Jordan Eberle. Calgary retook the lead on a Tkachuk goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Gaudreau. The Flames iced it at 6-4 with a Hanifin empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Giordano, while Hanifin, Jarnkrok, McCann, and Blackwell get the honorable mentions.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Jonathan Quick man the nets. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Christian Wolanin. Vancouver tied it in the third period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tie went to a shootout, where Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson lifted the Kings over Horvat and the Canucks by a 2-1 score. The three stars were Horvat, Quick (17 for 18 in saves), and Lemieux.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom is mismatched with James Reimer in goal. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Morgan Frost goal, his second of the season, via Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom. San Jose tied it on a shorthanded Logan Couture goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Andrew Cogliano and Jacob Middleton. The Sharks took the lead with a Brent Burns goal, his third of the season, guided in by Tomas Hertl and Middleton. The Flyers tied it on a Joel Farabee goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Lindblom and Keith Yandle. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Erik Karlsson. The three stars were Hertl, Middleton, and Lindblom. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 71

Six games are left on Wednesday's schedule. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are manning the nets. New Jersey started in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. The Devils added on with a Jesper Bratt goal, his ninth of the year, via P.K. Subban and Hughes. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Tage Thompson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres tied it on another Thompson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Dahlin. New Jersey retook the lead in the third period with a Hughes goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Yegor Sharangovich and Bratt. The Devils extended the lead as Sharangovich scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Ty Smith and Bratt. Buffalo got one back with an Ethan Prow goal, with helpers from Victor Olofsson and Mark Pysyk. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hughes, Bratt, and Thompson, while Sharangovich and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Ilya Samsonov guard the cages. Washington opened in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on with a Carlson goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and Dmitry Orlov. Washington extended the lead as Nic Dowd scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Carl Hagelin and Michal Kempny. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Tanner Jeannot and Dante Fabbro. The Predators got closer with a Luke Kunin goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Eeli Tolvanen and Ben Harpur. Nashville tied it as Filip Forsberg scored his fourteenth of the year, with the help of Fabbro and Mikael Granlund. The Capitals retook the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Kuznetsov shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by T.J. Oshie and Carlson. Washington iced it at 5-3 with a Carl Hagelin empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Orlov and Carlson. The three stars went to Carlson, Hagelin, and Orlov, while Fabbro gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Ryan Strome and Jacob Trouba. Florida tied it in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Ryan Lomberg. The Rangers retook the lead on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Panarin and Libor Hajek. The Panthers tied it again in the third period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, courtesy of Eetu Luostarinen and Mason Marchment. Florida took the lead with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Radko Gudas and Forsling. The Panthers added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Sam Bennett. New York pulled one back on a Chris Kreider goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Zibanejad. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Zibanejad, and Forsling.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jordan Binnington patrol the creases. St. Louis began in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his third of the season, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues added on with a Kyrou goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Tarasenko and Torey Krug. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Kailer Yamamoto and Slater Koekkoek. The Oilers tied it on an Evan Bouchard goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Connor McDavid. St. Louis retook the lead on a Tarasenko goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Kyrou and Justin Faulk. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Brandon Saad scored his twelfth of the year on the power play, thanks to David Perron and Krug. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Tarasenko, Kyrou, and Krug.

Northwest to Seattle, where the Kraken welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. Seattle tied it on a Yanni Gourde power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Carson Soucy and Morgan Geekie. The Kraken took the lead in the third period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, assisted by Adam Larsson and Calle Jarnkrok. The Flyers retied it on a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with an Ivan Provorov goal, his third of the year, guided in by Kevin Hayes.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and John Gibson are the American goalies. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sam Carrick goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Nicolas Deslauriers and Hampus Lindholm. Vancouver tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifth of the year, via Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks won 2-1 in overtime with a Miller goal, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Miller, Demko (22 for 23 in saves), and Pearson. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 70

Just three games are on as the NHL resumes its schedule. First up...

The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Maxime Lagace are the goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Lukas Vejdemo goal, via Michael Pezzetta and Cedric Paquette. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mathieu Joseph and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead with a Point goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Alex Killorn. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a Rafael Harvey-Pinard, assisted by Sami Niku and Corey Schueneman. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Ross Colton goal, his third of the season, guided in by Steven Stamkos and Perry. Montreal tied it again with a Kale Clague goal, helped along by Cole Caufield and Ryan Poehling. The Canadiens pulled ahead on an unassisted David Savard goal. The Lightning retied it with a Perry goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Killorn and Point. Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime with an Ondrej Palat goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Hedman. The three stars were Point, Perry, and Hedman, while Killorn gets an honorable mention. 

Way out west, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his second of the year, guided in by Ben Hutton and William Carrier. Los Angeles got on the board with an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Vegas replied on a Marchessault goal, his fifteenth of the year, via William Karlsson and Smith. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Chandler Stephenson scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Nicolas Roy. Vegas padded the lead on a Mattias Janmark goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Zach Whitecloud and Stephenson. The Kings pulled one back with a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Matt Roy. The Golden Knights countered with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles pulled one back on an Alex Iafallo goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Sean Durzi and Kempe. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Marchessault, Stephenson, and Smith, while Kempe gets an honorable mention.

Up in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. James Reimer and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. San Jose began in the first period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Timo Meier. Arizona tied it on a Lawson Crouse goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Phil Kessel. The Sharks took the lead on a Nick Bonino goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Matt Nieto and Andrew Cogliano. The Coyotes tied it on a Janis Moser goal, via Crouse. San Jose took the lead with a Radim Simek goal, with helpers from Jayden Halbegewachs and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with a Jeffrey Viel goal, courtesy of Jonah Gadjovich and Lane Pederson. Arizona got one back with a Clayton Keller goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Johan Larsson. San Jose replied with a Meier goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Barabanov and Couture. The Coyotes answered with a Moser power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Larsson and Loui Eriksson. San Jose responded with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Noah Gregor. Arizona fired back on a Crouse goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, fueled by Dysin Mayo and Kessel. San Jose countered with a Couture goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Barabanov and Erik Karlsson. The Coyotes got closer with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his fifth of the season, dished from Kessel and Larsson. Arizona tied it on an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his fifth of the year, with the help of Crouse and Gostisbehere. The tie went to a shootout, where Couture and Hertl gave the Sharks an 8-7 win. The three stars were Crouse, Kessel, and Moser, while Meier, Couture, Barabanov, Gostisbehere, and Larsson get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 69

Another one-game night, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Tampa Bay Lightning to lead the NHL into its holiday break. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Laurent Brossoit are the goalies. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Gabriel Fortier goal, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev. Vegas tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Max Pacioretty and Shea Theodore on the power play. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Stone goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Chandler Stephenson. Vegas added on with a Nicolas Roy goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Theodore and Zach Whitecloud. The Lightning took the lead with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Corey Perry and Pat Maroon. Tampa Bay tied it with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alex Killorn and Zach Bogosian. The Lightning pulled ahead in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Stone, and Theodore. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and I'll have more recaps hopefully next Monday.