NHL 2021-22 - Day 90

There's eight games on for a holiday Monday, so there's some matinees in the mix. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Aaron Dell are in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his second of the season, via Rasmus Dahlin and Jeff Skinner. The Sabres added on with a Skinner goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Tage Thompson in the third period. Detroit got on the board with a shorthanded Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Moritz Seider and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Robby Fabbri. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Larkin goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Nick Leddy. 

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with an Alex Newhook goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Samuel Girard and Andre Burakovsky. Minnesota got on the board with a Kevin Fiala goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Boldy. Pavel Francouz replaced Kuemper in goal. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Mats Zuccarello and Matt Dumba. Colorado retook the lead with a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. Minnesota tied it again on another Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, made possible by Zuccarello. The Avalanche won 4-3 in the shootout with a Rantanen goal. The three stars were Rantanen, Kaprizov, and MacKinnon while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Arizona led off in the first period with a Travis Boyd goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes added on with a Johan Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Phil Kessel and Dysin Mayo. Montreal got on the board with a Rem Pitlick goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Jonathan Drouin. Arizona replied in the second period with a Janis Moser goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back with a Ryan Poehling goal, his fifth of the season powered by Drouin and Jeff Petry on the power play. The Coyotes answered with a Schmaltz goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Antoine Roussel and Larsson. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with a Keller empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Schmaltz and Moser. The three stars were Schmaltz, Moser, and Larsson, while Keller and Drouin get the honorable mentions.

To California, as the San Jose Sharks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and James Reimer are the veterans in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his fourth of the year, via Tomas Hertl. San Jose extended the lead as Meier scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks padded the lead on a Meier goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Hertl. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. San Jose shot back on a Meier power play goal, his fourth of the game and nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Karlsson and Hertl. The Sharks continued with Meier's fifth goal of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by Hertl and Karlsson. The Kings pulled one back in the third period with a Mikey Anderson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. The final stood from here at 6-2, with the three stars handed to Meier, Hertl, and Karlsson.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken host the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Chicago got going in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his ninth of the season, via Erik Gustafsson. Seattle tied it on a Vince Dunn goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Riley Sheahan and Adam Larsson. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Brandon Hagel power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kubalik and Patrick Kane. The Kraken tied it in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kraken won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies by Donato and Joonas Donksoi. The three stars were Donato, Dunn, and Kubalik. 

Back east, the New York Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Ilya Sorokin patrol the creases. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Josh Bailey and Andy Greene. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, via Robin Salo and Cal Clutterbuck. Philadelphia took the lead with a Travis Konecny goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Travis Sanheim and Scott Laughton. New York replied in the third period on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Oliver Wahlstrom and Nelson. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a Matt Martin empty net goal, set up by Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech.

Westward again to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Ville Husso are the Finnish goalies. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Roman Josi. St. Louis got on the board with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues tied it on an O'Reilly power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Torey Krug. St. Louis pulled ahead in the second period on a Schenn goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Barbashev and Colton Parayko. The Blues extended the lead as Barbashev scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, thanks to Justin Faulk and Schenn. Nashville pulled one back with a Yakov Trenin goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Tanner Jeannot and Philippe Myers in the third period. St. Louis finished it at 5-3 with a Schenn goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Barbashev and O'Reilly. The three stars belonged to Schenn, Barbashev, and O'Reilly.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Dadonov goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas extended the lead on a Nicolas Roy power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Pietrangelo and Jonathan Marchessault. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen. The Penguins got closer with a Teddy Blueger goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Brian Boyle and Mike Matheson. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period on a Zucker goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Kasperi Kapanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins took the lead as Jake Guentzel scored his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Carter and Kris Letang. The three stars went to Zucker, Dadonov, and Kapanen, while Carter and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 89

Just a single game on today, as the Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Ilya Samsonov tend the twines. Washington struck first in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Bo Horvat and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks took the lead with another Pettersson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, made possible by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nils Hoglander. Vancouver added on with a Horvat power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by J.T. Miller and Hughes. The Capitals got one back with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Miller empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Brock Boeser. The three stars were Pettersson, Horvat, and Miller, while Hughes and Kuznetsov get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 88

We've got thirteen games on today's schedule, beginning with three matinees. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina led off in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Tony DeAngelo. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Luke Schenn. The Hurricanes retook the lead in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. Carolina added on with a Necas goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Svechnikov and Trocheck. The Hurricanes capped it at 4-1 with a Steven Lorentz goal in the third period, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. The three stars were Trocheck, Necas, and Andersen (30 for 31 in saves), while Svechnikov gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Boston began in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Mike Reilly goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Erik Haula and Taylor Hall. Nashville got on the board with a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper by Dante Fabbro. The Predators tied it in the second period with a Luke Kunin goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Nick Cousins and Mark Borowiecki. Boston retook the lead in the third period with a Marchand power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Bergeron. Nashville tied it again on a Roman Josi goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Philip Tomasino. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime with a Hall goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by David Pastrnak and Urho Vaakanainen. The three stars were Hall, Marchand, and Bergeron. 

Along to New York, as the Islanders bring in the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Semyon Varlamov are in the creases. Washington opened in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his tenth of the season, via Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals iced it at 2-0 with an Alex Ovechkin empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom in the third period. The three stars were Vanecek (23 save shutout), Wilson, and Ovechkin. 

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Florida started in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twelfth of the season, via MacKenzie Weegar and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead on a Weegar shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Sam Reinhart and Ekblad. The Panthers padded the lead on another Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, passed from Reinhart and Weegar. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Merzlikins in goal. Florida continued in the second period with a Huberdeau goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett. The Panthers struck again with an Anton Lundell goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Ryan Lomberg and Patric Hornqvist. Columbus got on the board with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Max Domi and Jake Bean. Florida replied with a Bennett goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Duclair. The Panthers kept going with another Lundell goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, dished from Weegar and Ekblad. Florida pushed on with a Hornqvist goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Lomberg and Eetu Luostarinen. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Boone Jenner goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Nyquist and Andrew Peeke. This made it 9-2, the final, with the three stars being Weegar, Verhaeghe, and Lundell, while Ekblad, Huberdeau, Bennett, Duclair, Hornqvist, Reinhart, Lomberg, and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Aaron Dell and Alex Nedeljkovic receive the starting nods in goal. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Dylan Larkin and Filip Zadina. The Red Wings added on with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Raymond scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Larkin and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Bertuzzi, Raymond, and Nedeljkovic (22 save shutout), while Larkin gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with an Esa Lindell goal, his second of the season, fueled by Joe Pavelski. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Ross Colton goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Kucherov and Cal Foote. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with an Alex Killorn empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (19 for 20 in saves), and Colton.

North again to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Carter Hart protect the nets. New York struck first in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Philadelphia tied it on an Oskar Lindblom goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Cam York goal, going in unassisted. The Rangers tied it on a Filip Chytil goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Panarin and Ryan Strome. New York pulled ahead with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Fox and Kaapo Kakko. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Fox, Panarin, and Kreider.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jordan Binnington tend the twines. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist. Toronto tied it with a Michael Bunting goal, his eighth of the year, via Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Mitchell Marner goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto added on with a John Tavares goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Alexander Kerfoot and Morgan Rielly. The Blues got one back in the second period with an O'Reilly goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, fueled by Niko Mikkola. St. Louis tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Robert Thomas. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a Timothy Liljegren goal, made possible by Travis Dermott and Pierre Engvall. The Blues tied it again with a Thomas goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jordan Kyrou and Saad. St. Louis gained the lead in the third period with a Mikkola goal, his third of the year, guided by Kyrou and Justin Faulk. Toronto tied it once more with a Matthews power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Marner and Rielly. The Maple Leafs gained the lead on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Engvall. The final held at 6-5, with the three stars being Matthews, Marner, and O'Reilly, while Thomas, Saad, Mikkola, Rielly and Kyrou get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his ninth of the season, via Erik Gustafsson and Riley Stillman. The Blackhawks added on in the third period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Jonathan Toews. Chicago iced it at 3-0 with a Dominik Kubalik empty net goal, his eighth of the season, set up by DeBrincat and Calvin de Haan. The three stars were Fleury (38 save shutout), DeBrincat, and Hagel.

Along to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Rantanen goal, his eighteenth of the year, via MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Rantanen goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado iced it at 5-0 with a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kuemper (20 save shutout), MacKinnon, and Rantanen.

In Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Chris Driedger are the backups in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Alex Iafallo and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mikey Anderson and Trevor Moore. Seattle got on the board with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and Yanni Gourde. Los Angeles replied in the third period with an empty net goal by Danault, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Moore and Viktor Arvidsson. The three stars were Danault, Petersen (17 for 18 in saves), and Moore.

Across the border, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Stuart Skinner are the alliterative goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Josh Norris power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk. Edmonton tied it on a power play goal by Zack Kassian, his fifth of the year, helped along by Leon Draisaitl and Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers took the lead in the second period on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his eighth of the season, via Warren Foegele and William Lagesson. Edmonton added on with a Brendan Perlini goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Duncan Keith and Colton Sceviour. The Senators got one back with an Adam Gaudette goal, his third of the season, made possible by Alex Formenton and Chris Tierney. Ottawa tied it on a Formenton goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Gaudette and Tierney. The Senators pulled ahead on an Artem Zub goal, his third of the season, assisted by Josh Brown and Drake Batherson. The Oilers tied it with a Darnell Nurse goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Zach Hyman and Puljujarvi. Ottawa gained the lead with a Norris power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot. The Oilers iced it at 6-4 with a Zach Sanford empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Norris, Formenton, and Gaudette, while Tierney and Puljujarvi get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Louis Domingue and Adin Hill draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his third of the season, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Teddy Blueger. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime with a Guentzel goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, via Sidney Crosby and Letang. The three stars were Guentzel, Letang, and Domingue (40 for 41 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 87

It's a three-game Friday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Florida led off in the first period with a Gustav Forsling goal, assisted by Sam Bennett and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Carter Verhaeghe scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Aleksander Barkov and Brandon Montour. The Panthers padded the lead on a Huberdeau goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Duclair. Anton Khudobin replaced Oettinger in goal. Florida continued with a Bennett power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Montour and Anton Lundell. The Panthers struck again with another Bennett goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Roope Hintz goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Esa Lindell. Florida shot back on a Bennett goal to complete his hat trick with his fourteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Duclair and Huberdeau. The three stars of the 7-1 game were given to Bennett, Huberdeau, and Duclair, while Montour gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. Minnesota began in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Matt Boldy and Nico Sturm. The Wild added on with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. Anaheim got on the board with a Max Comtois goal, his second of the season, via Trevor Zegras and Kevin Shattenkirk. Minnesota replied on a Zuccarello goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper by Kaprizov. The Wild extended the lead in the third period as Boldy scored his second of the season, thanks to Frederick Gaudreau. Minnesota padded the lead on an unassisted Zuccarello goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year. The Wild chased Stolarz with a Victor Rask goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Marcus Foligno. Lukas Dostal replaced Stolarz in goal. The Ducks got one back with a Derek Grant goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Jamie Drysdale and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim got closer on a Zegras goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Cam Fowler and Comtois. Minnesota replied with a Matt Dumba goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Hartman. The final held from here at 7-3, with the three stars being Zuccarello, Hartman, and Boldy, while Zegras, Comtois, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Ivan Prosvetov and Pavel Francouz make spot starts in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Devon Toews and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche added on with a Tyson Jost goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Kurtis MacDermid. Arizona got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Clayton Keller goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Coyotes tied it in the second period with a Johan Larsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Andrew Ladd and Phil Kessel. Arizona pulled ahead with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his seventh of the season, via Kessel and Lawson Crouse. Colorado tied it on a Burakovsky goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Toews and Cale Makar. The Avalanche won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Nazem Kadri. The three stars were Burakovsky, Toews, and Kessel. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 86

We've got a big 11-game slate today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Erik Haula and Taylor Hall. The Bruins added on with another Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Cam Atkinson, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ivan Provorov and Keith Yandle. The Flyers tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Atkinson and Yandle. Boston retook the lead with a Pastrnak power play goal, completing his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, helped along by McAvoy. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Atkinson, and McAvoy, while Yandle gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Columbus started in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, assisted by Jack Roslovic and Jake Bean. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his third of the season, via Vladislav Gavrikov and Eric Robinson. Columbus extended the lead in the third period as Patrik Laine scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on another Chinakhov goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, helped along by Robinson and Sean Kuraly. Jack Lafontaine relieved Andersen in goal. Columbus continued on a Cole Sillinger goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Bean. The Blue Jackets struck again with a Roslovic goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Texier. This made it 6-0, the final, with the three stars going to Chinakhov, Merzlikins (31 save shutout), and Roslovic, while Robinson and Bean get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Vancouver tied it on a Matthew Highmore goal, coming off of Tyler Motte. The Lightning took the lead with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his eleventh of the year, via Alex Killorn and Erik Cernak. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Boris Katchouk goal, his second of the season, passed from Ross Colton. The Canucks got one back with a Motte goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Juho Lammikko and Highmore. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Brayden Point empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Kucherov. The three stars were Kucherov, Motte, and Highmore.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Winnipeg opened in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Evgeny Svechnikov and Dylan Samberg. The Jets added on in the second period with another Copp goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Kyle Connor and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with a Connor shorthanded empty net goal in the third period, his twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Copp, Connor, and Hellebuyck (33 save shutout).

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Ilya Sorokin are set to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by P.K. Subban and Colton White. New York tied it on a Josh Bailey power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with an Adam Pelech goal, assisted by Parise and Kieffer Bellows. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Nathan Bastian power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Ty Smith and Nico Hischier. New York took the lead again on a Mathew Barzal goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Bailey and Scott Mayfield. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Bailey, Parise, and Barzal.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Ville Husso are the backups in goal. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Carson Soucy. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Robert Thomas goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Brandon Saad and Torey Krug. The Blues took the lead with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Ivan Barbashev and Jordan Kyrou. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars belonging to Husso (31 for 32 in saves), Buchnevich, and Thomas.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Buffalo Sabres. Aaron Dell and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Buffalo kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Jankowski goal, guided in by Mark Pysyk. Nashville tied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. The Sabres retook the lead on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Cozens and Kyle Okposo. Buffalo added on in the third period with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Alex Tuch. The Sabres finished it at 4-1 with a Vinnie Hinostroza empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Robert Hagg. The three stars were Skinner, Dell (29 for 30 in saves), and Jankowski.

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Marc-Andre Fleury are the goalies. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his seventh of the season, via Jonathan Toews and Riley Stillman. Montreal tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, assisted by Artturi Lehkonen and Alexander Romanov in the second period. The Canadiens took the lead with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Cole Caufield and Ben Chiarot. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat. Chicago won 3-2 in overtime with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his third of the year, helped along by Brandon Hagel and Gustafsson. The three stars were Gustafsson, Kurashev, and Kane.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray is mismatched with Jacob Markstrom in goal. Ottawa cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his fifth of the season, via Alex Formenton. The Senators added on with another Paul goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Connor Brown and Formenton. Ottawa extended the lead as Drake Batherson scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Brady Tkachuk. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Christopher Tanev and Johnny Gaudreau. The Senators shot back on a Brown goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Paul, Brown, and Formenton.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the first period with a Kris Letang goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brian Dumoulin and Dominik Simon. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his tenth of the year, via Alex Iafallo. The Kings took the lead with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Trevor Moore and Sean Durzi. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Radim Zohorna goal, passed from Teddy Blueger and Chad Ruhwedel. Los Angeles retook the lead on a mikey Anderson goal, with helpers by Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Moore and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles extended the lead as Kopitar scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Iafallo and Durzi. The Kings padded the lead on a Durzi goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Brown and Rasmus Kupari. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars being Kopitar, Durzi, and Brown, while Iafallo and Moore get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Adin Hill are called upon to start in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Chris Kreider shorthanded goal, his twenty-second of the season, set up by Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on with a Braden Schneider goal, via Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Kreider empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, helped along by Kevin Rooney. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Kreider, Shesterkin (37 save shutout), and Schneider. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 85

Just three games are on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Tomas Nosek and Curtis Lazar. The Bruins added on with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, assisted by Craig Smith and Patrice Bergeron. Samuel Montembeault entered the game in place of Allen. Boston extended the lead as Lazar scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jake DeBrusk and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins padded the lead on a Marchand shorthanded goal, completing his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, set up by John Moore and Bergeron in the second period. Montreal got on the board with a Michael Pezzetta goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brett Kulak. Boston replied in the third period on a Lazar goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Urho Vaakanainen and Anton Blidh. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Marchand, Lazar, and Bergeron.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Dallas started in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. Seattle tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Jared McCann. The Stars took the lead with a Pavelski goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Miro Heiskanen and Ryan Suter. Dallas added on with a Robertson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Hintz and Pavelski. The Kraken got one back with a McCann goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Jordan Eberle and Vince Dunn. The Stars shot back with a Pavelski goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by Esa Lindell. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Jani Hakanpaa scored an empty net goal, set up by Hintz and Pavelski. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Pavelski, Robertson, and Hintz, while McCann gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Karel Vejmelka draw the starts in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Michael Bunting and Jake Muzzin. The Coyotes retook the lead on another Dzingel goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Alex Galchenyuk. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Dzingel, Vejmelka (45 for 46 in saves), and Matthews. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 84

We're ready for seven games today, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Florida led off in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Frank Vatrano and Anton Lundell. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his tenth of the year, via Radko Gudas and Aleksander Barkov. Vancouver got on the board with a Jason Dickinson goal, his third of the season, passed from Conor Garland and Brad Hunt. Florida replied in the second period with a Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Ekblad. The Panthers extended the lead as Maxim Mamin scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Lundell and Vatrano. Florida padded the lead on a Barkov shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Ekblad and Reinhart. The Canucks pulled one back in the third period on a Juho Lammikko goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Hunt and Matthew Highmore. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars handed to Reinhart, Ekblad, and Barkov, while Lundell, Vatrano, and Hunt get the honorable mentions.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Victor Hedman and Jan Rutta. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Alex Killorn. Malcolm Subban replaced Luukkonen in goal in the second period. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. The Lightning padded the lead on a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and third of the year, courtesy of Corey Perry and Stamkos. Tampa Bay continued with a Stamkos goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Killorn and Cirelli. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Vinnie Hinostroza power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Colin Miller and Will Butcher. The Lightning replied with a Kucherov goal to complete his hat trick on his fourth of the season, fueled by Hedman and Killorn. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Killorn, while Cirelli and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Gustav Nyquist and Zach Werenski. Chicago tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Riley Stillman. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with a Calvin de Haan goal, coming off of Philipp Kurashev and MacKenzie Entwistle. Chicago added on in the third period with a Connor Murphy goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Nyquist shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a DeBrincat empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Stillman. The three stars were DeBrincat, Stillman, and Nyquist.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville opened in the first period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Matt Luff and Matt Borowiecki. The Predators added on with a Luke Kunin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar. The Avalanche tied it on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Aube-Kubel and Samuel Girard. Nashville retook the lead on a Kunin goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Nick Cousins. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Makar and Kadri. The Predators retook the lead with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alexandre Carrier and Josi. The Avalanche tied it again on a Makar goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Valeri Nichushkin and Girard. Nashville won 5-4 in overtime with another Duchene goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Josi and Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Duchene, Makar, and Kunin, while Josi, Aube-Kubel, Kadri, and Girard get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vegas, as the Golden Knights welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Alexander Kerfoot. Vegas tied it on a Keegan Kolesar power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Chandler Stephenson. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Michael Bunting and Ondrej Kase in the second period. Toronto added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Wayne Simmonds and Justin Holl. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period on a William Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Reilly Smith and Mattias Janmark. Vegas tied it with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in the shootout after a lone tally by Nylander. The three stars belonged to Nylander, Mikheyev, and Matthews.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Anthony Stolarz are between the pipes. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Jeff Carter goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, powered by Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. Anaheim got on the board with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Sonny Milano. Pittsburgh replied with another Malkin goal, his second of the game, passed from John Marino and Kasperi Kapanen. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Carter empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Malkin and Kapanen. The three stars were Malkin, Carter, and Kapanen.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Adin Hill patrol the creases. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Dahlen and Brent Burns. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Filip Hronek and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period with a Nick Leddy goal, assisted by Hronek and Bertuzzi. The Sharks tied it on a Jeffrey Viel goal, his second of the season, passed from Burns. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Logan Couture goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Burns and Dahlen. The three stars were Burns, Bertuzzi, and Dahlen, while Hronek gets an honorable mention. 

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