NHL 2021-22 - Day 104

There's five games on for this Monday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Florida led off in the first period with a Mason Marchment goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Anton Lundell. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Lundell and Marchment. Columbus got on the board with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Gavin Bayreuther. Florida shot back with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers extended the lead as Reinhart scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, thanks to Marchment and Lundell. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Patrik Laine goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Jakub Voracek. Florida answered in the second period with a Reinhart goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Marchment and Lundell. Columbus pulled back on an Emil Bemstrom goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jack Roslovic and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets got closer on a Laine goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers responded with an Owen Tippett goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett. Florida padded the lead on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Marchment. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Merzlikins in goal for the third period. The Panthers continued on a Marchment goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Reinhart and Lundell. This stood for an 8-4 win, with the three stars awarded to Marchment, Reinhart, and Lundell, while Laine gets an honorable mention.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Matt Murray are the goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his third of the season, assisted by Brady Tkachuk and Zach Sanford. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Evan Bouchard and Kailer Yamamoto. The Senators retook the lead in the second period with a Nick Paul power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Erik Brannstrom and Chris Tierney. The Oilers retied it in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Derek Ryan and Zach Hyman. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Tim Stutzle goal, his eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Tkachuk and Chabot. The three stars were Chabot, Tkachuk, and Stutzle.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Alex Nedeljkovic are the masked men. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Filip Zadina and Gustav Lindstrom. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Adam Henrique. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime with a Jordan Oesterle goal, passed from Larkin. The three stars were Larkin, Nedeljkovic (14 for 15 in saves), and Oesterle.

Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vancouver started in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Justin Dowling. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Quinn Hughes and Jason Dickinson. Chicago got on the board in the third period with a Connor Murphy goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Patrick Kane and Kirby Dach. Vancouver iced it at 3-1 with a Luke Schenn empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars given to Halak (20 for 21 in saves), Boeser, and Chiasson.

Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Jack Campbell are in the blue paint. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Devils added on with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his second of the year, coming off of Colton White and Janne Kuokkanen. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Mitchell Marner and Timothy Liljegren. New Jersey replied with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Dawson Mercer. Petr Mrazek replaced Campbell in goal. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Marner. The Devils answered in the second period with a Nathan Bastian goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Graves and Boqvist. Toronto pulled back in the third period with a Jason Spezza goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ilya Mikheyev and Alexander Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Marner goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Matthews. Toronto took the lead on a Mihkeyev shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs iced it at 6-4 with a Matthews power play empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Matthews, Marner, and Mihkeyev, while Boqvist and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 103

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Igor Shesterkin protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Zibanejad and Zac Jones. Seattle got on the board with a Jared McCann goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jordan Eberle and Marcus Johansson. The Kraken tied it on a Yanni Gourde power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Mark Giordano and McCann in the third period. New York regained the lead with a K'Andre Miller goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Zibanejad. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Zibanejad, McCann, and Miller.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Anze Kopitar. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Kings took the lead back with a Trevor Moore goal, his sixth of the season, via Jacob Moverare. Los Angeles added on with a Drew Doughty goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The Penguins got one back with a Bryan Rust goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Letang. Pittsburgh tied it on a Rust power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The Kings retook the lead on another Moore goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Blake Lizotte. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Moore, Rust, and Kopitar, while Crosby and Letang get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina began in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ian Cole and Ethan Bear. San Jose tied it in the third period on a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Dahlen and Nicolas Meloche. The Hurricanes took the lead with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Brett Pesce and Sebastian Aho. The three stars of the 2-1 game were handed to Svechnikov, Trocheck, and Andersen (27 for 28 in saves). 

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Samuel Montembeault are in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Tyler Toffoli and Artturi Lehkonen. Columbus tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Jack Roslovic goal, his seventh of the season, via Gavin Bayreuther. Columbus added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Eric Robinson goal, his sixth of the year. Cayden Primeau took over for Montembeault in goal. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Yegor Chinakhov scored his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back in the second period with a Toffoli goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Lehkonen and Suzuki. Montreal got closer on a shorthanded Lehkonen goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Jake Evans and Jeff Petry in the third period. Columbus responded with a Cole Sillinger goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Andrew Peeke. The Blue Jackets iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Laine, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Sillinger and Nyquist. The three stars were Laine, Lehkonen, and Sillinger, while Suzuki, Toffoli, and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Dallas started in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on with an Alexander Radulov goal, his second of the year, via Esa Lindell. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Luke Glendening scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Stars chased Ullmark with a Jamie Benn goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Seguin and Denis Gurianov. Jeremy Swayman took over in goal. Dallas padded the lead in the third period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by John Klingberg. Boston got on the board with a Craig Smith goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. The Stars countered with a Seguin goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Gurianov and Benn. The three stars of the 6-1 game were Seguin, Benn, and Gurianov.

North again to New York, as the Islanders bring in the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Ilya Sorokin patrol the creases. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Duhaime goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on with an Eriksson Ek power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Robin Salo and Adam Pelech. Minnesota replied in the second period with a Boldy goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Victor Rask and Kevin Fiala. The Islanders got one back with a Ross Johnston goal, going in unassisted. The Wild answered in the third period with a Kaprizov goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Dumba and Jonas Brodin. New York got one back with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. This only made it 4-3, the final, and the three stars were Kaprizov, Boldy, and Eriksson Ek, while Dumba gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jeff Skinner. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Dylan Sikura and Alex Newhook. Colorado added on with a Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Cale Makar and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Nichushkin empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Logan O'Connor. The three stars were Rantanen, Nichushkin, and Kuemper (30 for 31 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 102

It's Hockey Day in Canada, so the games start early this Saturday. The first of ten is in...

Ottawa, as the Senators host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Anton Forsberg man the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Josh Manson and Sam Steel. Ottawa tied it on a Tyler Ennis goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Lassi Thomson and Thomas Chabot. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Troy Terry goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, via Ryan Getzlaf. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gibson (44 for 45 in saves), Terry, and Rakell.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Carter Hart are the goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Gerry Mayhew goal, his third of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Morgan Frost. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Claude Giroux. Los Angeles got on the board with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Sean Durzi and Phillip Danault. Philadelphia shot back on an Atkinson shorthanded and unassisted goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year. The Kings pulled back on an Arvidsson power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Arthur Kaliyev and Durzi. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Scott Laughton goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Atkinson and Ivan Provorov. The three stars went to Atkinson, Arvidsson, and Durzi. 

Over in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Ville Husso patrol the creases. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. Winnipeg tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg added on with a Nate Schmidt power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Mark Scheifele and Connor. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with a Stastny empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Neal Pionk. The three stars were handed to Stastny, Connor, and Comrie (28 for 29 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Rudolfs Balcers. The Sharks added on with a Jonathan Dahlen power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Noah Gregor. Florida got on the board with a Gustav Forsling goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment. San Jose replied in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nick Bonino and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Panthers got one back in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Jonathan Huberdeau and Carter Verhaeghe. The Sharks answered with another Dahlen power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Brent Burns and Bonino. Florida pulled back with a Marchment goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Reinhart. The Panthers tied it as Huberdeau scored his seventeenth of the year, with the help of Verhaeghe and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida won with a Sam Bennett goal in overtime, his twenty-first of the campaign, made possible by Huberdeau. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Huberdeau, Marchment, and Dahlen, while Bonino, Verhaeghe, and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Samuel Montembeault man the nets. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, assisted by Evan Bouchard and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his twelfth of the season, via Kris Russell and William Lagesson. Edmonton extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his thirtieth of the year, thanks to Warren Foegele. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Jake Evans. The Oilers answered with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Hyman and Zack Kassian. Edmonton padded the lead on a Hyman goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Darnell Nurse and Nugent-Hopkins. The Canadiens got one back with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman and Nick Suzuki. The Oilers responded on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, helped along by Foegele and Duncan Keith. Cayden Primeau replaced Montembeault in goal. Edmonton shot back in the third period with a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Devin Shore and Keith. The final was 7-2, and the three stars were Hyman, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Keith and Foegele get the honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Vladislav Namestnikov. Toronto tied it with a Pierre Engvall goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Jason Spezza. The Red Wings retook the lead with a Namestnikov goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Larkin and Moritz Seider. Detroit added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Robby Fabbri and Seider. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Michael Bunting goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Justin Holl and David Kampf. The Red Wings responded with a Larkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, powered by Fabbri and Lucas Raymond. Toronto got one back in the third period with a Bunting goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Auston Matthews and Holl. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Bunting goal, completing his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, with the help of Mitchell Marner and Matthews. Toronto pulled ahead with a Rasmus Sandin goal, via John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with a Marner power play empty net goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Kerfoot and Rielly. Toronto iced it at 7-4 with a Tavares empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Kampf. The three stars belonged to Bunting, Larkin, and Tavares, while Marner, Matthews, Kerfoot, Kampf, Rielly, Holl, Namestnikov, Seider, and Fabbri all get honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brett Howden goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by William Carrier. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Carrier goal, his fifth of the year, via Howden. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Ross Colton goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Corey Perry and Pat Maroon. The Lightning tied it with a Perry goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Nicolas Roy, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson and Mark Stone tallied for the Golden Knights to give them a 4-3 win over Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Colton, and the Lightning. The three stars were Howden, Carrier, and Perry.

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the season, helped along by Seth Jarvis and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Ian Cole. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Boqvist goal, coming off of Jimmy Vesey and Janne Kuokkanen. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Raanta (24 for 25 in saves), Svechnikov, and Martinook.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jacob Bryson and Cody Eakin. The Sabres added on with a Peyton Krebs goal, his third of the year, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period as Tuch scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Krebs and Tage Thompson. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars belonging to Anderson (27 for 28 in saves), Krebs, and Tuch.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary won 1-0 in overtime with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Elias Lindholm. The three stars were Gaudreau, Markstrom (15 save shutout), and Demko (31 for 32 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 101

We've got a five-game Friday on the schedule, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Calvin Pickard and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Givani Smith goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Joe Veleno. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in the second period. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Filip Zadina power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Michael Rasmussen and Nick Leddy. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Guentzel goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, helped along by Crosby. The tie went to a shootout, where Lucas Raymond's lone tally lifted the Red Wings to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Guentzel, Crosby, and Zadina. 

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jacob Trouba and Ryan Strome. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Trouba and Mika Zibanejad. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Ryan Hartman and Jordie Benn. The Wild tied it with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Minnesota took the lead in the third period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Fiala and Zuccarello. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Fiala, Zuccarello, and Trouba. 

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Marc-Andre Fleury are the goalies. Colorado got going in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a J.T. Compher goal, his eighth of the year, via Tyson Jost and Logan O'Connor. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Landeskog scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri. Chicago got on the board with a Brandon Hagel goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Connor Murphy and Dylan Strome. The Blackhawks got closer with a Patrick Kane goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Erik Gustafsson and Seth Jones. The Avalanche shot back on an Alex Newhook goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. Chicago pulled back with another Kane goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, passed from Strome. Colorado shot back on a Kadri empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Rantanen and Landeskog. The Blackhawks countered with a Hagel goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Gustafsson and Kane. The Avalanche iced it at 6-4 with a Makar empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, dished from Compher. The three stars were handed to Landeskog, Kadri, and Kane, while Makar, Compher, Rantanen, Hagel, Strome, and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Braden Holtby patrol the creases. Washington opened in the first period with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with a John Carlson power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Kuznetsov and Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Trevor van Riemsdyk scored, thanks to Connor McMichael and Joe Snively. The Capitals padded the lead in the second period on a McMichael goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Lars Eller and Justin Schultz. Washington continued with a Backstrom goal, his third of the year, passed from Dmitry Orlov. This held for a 5-0 win, with the three stars given to Backstrom, McMichael, and Vanecek (30 save shutout), while Kuznetsov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Scott Wedgewood are the veterans in goal. Boston started in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by David Pastrnak and Derek Forbort. Arizona tied it on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Shayne Gostisbehere and Clayton Keller. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Pastrnak. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars handed to Ullmark (31 for 32 in saves), Pastrnak, and McAvoy. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 100

The 100th game day of the season is here, with ten games to be played. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Cayden Primeau are the backups in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Sam Carrick goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Sam Steel and Buddy Robinson. The Ducks added on with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Adam Henrique and Kevin Shattenkirk. Anaheim extended the lead as Troy Terry scored his twenty-fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Fowler and Shattenkirk. Samuel Montembeault replaced Primeau in goal. Montreal got on the board with a Jake Evans goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Rem Pitlick and Josh Anderson. The Ducks replied with a Trevor Zegras goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jakob Silfverberg and Simon Benoit. The Canadiens got one back with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Tyler Toffoli. Anaheim shot back on a Zegras goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Terry and Jamie Drysdale. Montreal got one back with another Evans goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Pitlick. The Canadiens got closer on a Laurent Dauphin penalty shot goal, his second of the season. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Zegras, Terry, and Fowler, while Evans, Shattenkirk, and Pitlick get the honorable mentions.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Matt Murray protect the nets. Carolina got going in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Brady Skjei and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Ottawa tied it on a Nick Paul goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead with an Alex Formenton goal, his ninth of the season, via Victor Mete and Adam Gaudette. The Hurricanes retied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Vincent Trocheck. The tie went to a shootout, where Andrei Svechnikov's lone tally lifted the Hurricanes to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Niederreiter, Stepan, and Andersen (37 for 39 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Damon Severson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on an Alex Killorn goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos on the power play. The Lightning took the lead with a Mathieu Joseph shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jack Hughes goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Bratt and Severson. Tampa Bay retook the lead with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. This stood for a 3-2 final score, with the three stars going to Severson, Bratt, and Vasilevskiy (31 for 33 in saves).

Also in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Spencer Knight man the creases. Vegas opened in the first period with a Zach Whitecloud goal, his sixth of the season, via Mattias Janmark and Shea Theodore. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Anton Lundell. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida added on with a Mason Marchment empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Bennett empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. The three stars were awarded to Bennett, Barkov, and Knight (24 for 25 in saves).

Back north, the New York Islanders welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Quinton Byfield goal, assisted by Andreas Athanasiou and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on in the second period with an Athanasiou goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Brown and Drew Doughty. New York got on the board with a Mathew Barzal goal, his ninth of the year, via Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. Los Angeles replied with an empty net goal by Adrian Kempe, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Anze Kopitar and Trevor Moore. The Islanders got one back on a Casey Cizikas goal, his third of the year, helped along by Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Athanasiou, Byfield, and Brown.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Bryan Rust. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Vince Dunn and Marcus Johansson. The Kraken won 2-1 in overtime with an Adam Larsson goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars were Larsson, McCann, and Grubauer (23 for 24 in saves).

In Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Joonas Korpisalo draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twelfth of the season, via Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Braden Schneider and Panarin. Columbus got on the board with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Patrik Laine and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Jenner power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Zach Werenski and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus took the lead in the second period on a Sean Kuraly goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Max Domi and Werenski. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Jenner scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, with the help of Laine. New York got one back with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Panarin and Schneider. Columbus shot back with a Kuraly empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Werenski. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Jenner, Kuraly, and Werenski, while Panarin, Laine, and Schneider get the honorable mentions.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Ville Husso are the young goalies. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. Calgary tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his sixth of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane. The Blues took the lead on a Schenn goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Niko Mikkola. St. Louis added on with another Saad goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues extended the lead as Jordan Kyrou scored his seventeenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Robert Thomas and Marco Scandella. St. Louis padded the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Saad and Vladimir Tarasenko. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Saad, Schenn, and Husso (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period on another Miller goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Boeser and Luke Schenn. Vancouver added on with a Miller goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season, with the help of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Schenn. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Boeser scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Miller and Quinn Hughes on the power play. Vancouver padded the lead on a Pettersson goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Tyler Myers and Brad Hunt. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Miller, Boeser, and Pettersson, while Schenn gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Mikko Koskinen are the Finnish goalies. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Carrier and Mikael Granlund. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse. The Predators retook the lead in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Forsberg and Matt Benning. The Oilers tied it on a Evan Bouchard goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Devin Shore and Derek Ryan. The tie went to a shootout, where McDavid had the lone tally for a 3-2 Oilers win. The three stars were McDavid, Forsberg, and Bouchard. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 99

We've got five games on a Wednesday, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Sam Steel goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it on a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Nylander power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Auston Matthews. Toronto added on in the second period with a Tavares power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Marner and Matthews. The Ducks got one back with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his third of the season, passed from Buddy Robinson and Sam Carrick. Anaheim tied it in the third period on a Vinni Lettieri goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and Steel. The tie went to a shootout, where Jason Spezza and Matthews topped Trevor Zegras as the Maple Leafs won 4-3. The three stars were Matthews, Tavares, and Marner, while Nylander and Steel get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. San Jose opened in the first period with a Noah Gregor goal, his second of the season, via Brent Burns and Alexander Barabanov. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Nicolas Meloche goal, assisted by Matt Nieto. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom. San Jose replied with a Jonathan Dahlen goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Timo Meier. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with an Andrew Cogliano empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Logan Couture. The three stars were Reimer (32 for 33 in saves), Meloche, and Dahlen.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Elvis Merzlikins are in the creases. Calgary began in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Blake Coleman. The Flames added on with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Nikita Zadorov and Milan Lucic. Calgary extended the lead as Matthew Tkachuk scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames padded the lead in the third period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. Calgary continued with an Erik Gudbranson goal, helped along by Adam Ruzicka. The Flames struck again with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, with helpers from Gaudreau. This stood for a 6-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Tkachuk, Gaudreau, and Markstrom (23 save shutout).

In Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Alex Nedeljkovic are the masked men. Chicago started in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Philipp Kurashev. The Blackhawks added on with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. Chicago extended the lead as Strome scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Sam Lafferty goal, passed from Strome and Jake McCabe. Calvin Pickard replaced Nedeljkovic in goal to start the second period. Detroit got one back in the second period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings got closer with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Filip Hronek. Detroit pulled closer on a Pius Suter goal, his tenth of the year, via Jordan Oesterle and Fabbri. Chicago replied in the third period with a Strome power play goal, his seventh of the season completing his hat trick with the help of  Seth Jones and Brandon Hagel. The Blackhawks continued with a DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Jonathan Toews and Caleb Jones. The Red Wings got one back on a Moritz Seider power play goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Lucas Raymond and Bertuzzi. Detroit edged closer on a Dylan Larkin goal, his twentieth of the year, an unassisted goal. Chicago responded on a Hagel goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks iced it at 8-5 with a DeBrincat empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, also an unassisted tally. The three stars went to Strome, DeBrincat, and Hagel, while Seth Jones, Kane, Bertuzzi, and Fabbri get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Darcy Kuemper protect the nets. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin. Boston tied it in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by David Pastrnak. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Samuel Girard goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Cale Makar and Nazem Kadri. Colorado tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Kadri and Nichushkin. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a Makar power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Kadri and Landeskog. The three stars were Kadri, Makar, and Landeskog, while Nichushkin and McAvoy get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 98

We've got eight games on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Jesper Fast and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes added on with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his tenth of the year, via Andrei Svechnikov and Derek Stepan. Vegas got on the board with a Nolan Patrick goal, his second of the season, passed from Keegan Kolesar. Carolina shot back in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Teuvo Teravainen. The Golden Knights got one back with a Brett Howden goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Shea Theodore and Patrick. Vegas tied it on a Nicolas Hague goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from William Carrier and Mattias Janmark. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime with another Aho goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Svechnikov. The three stars were given to Aho, Patrick, and Svechnikov.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and Akira Schmid man the nets. Dallas led off in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Jason Robertson. The Stars added on with a Jacob Peterson goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Alexander Radulov and Joel Kiviranta. Dallas extended the lead as Pavelski scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz. Jon Gillies replaced Schmid in goal for the second period. The Stars padded the lead on a Hintz goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Pavelski in the second period. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Damon Severson. Dallas iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by Jani Hakanpaa, his second of the year, set up by Pavelski. The three stars were Pavelski, Hintz, and Holtby (36 for 37 in saves).

Along to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Aaron Dell and Matt Murray are in the creases. Ottawa began in the first period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his second of the season, coming off of Adam Gaudette and Josh Brown. The Senators added on with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa extended the lead as Ennis scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Chris Tierney and Gaudette. The Senators padded the lead in the second period on an Alex Formenton goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period when Ennis finished his hat trick with his fourth of the year, with the help of Josh Brown and Lassi Thomson. The final was 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Ennis, Murray (32 save shutout), and Gaudette, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his third of the season, assisted by Clayton Keller and Travis Boyd. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Coyotes retook the lead on a power play goal by Keller, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Shayne Gostisbehere and Schmaltz. The Penguins retied it on a Kris Letang power play goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Crosby and Rust. Arizona pulled ahead again in the third period with another Schmaltz goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it again with a Brock McGinn goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Evan Rodrigues and Malkin. The Penguins took the lead with a Crosby goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Rust and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh added on with a Letang goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Rodrigues and Jeff Carter. The Penguins extended the lead as Brian Boyle scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Zach Aston-Reese. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars going to Crosby, Rust, and Letang, while Schmaltz, Keller, Malkin, and Rodrigues get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Ilya Sorokin are the goalies. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Oskar Lindblom and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on with a Justin Braun goal, his third of the year, passed from Cam Atkinson. New York got on the board with a Noah Dobson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Zdeno Chara and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Islanders tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey. New York took the lead with a Barzal power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Brock Nelson. Philadelphia tied it in the third period on a Gerry Mayhew goal, his second of the year, helped along by Scott Laughton and Sanheim. The Islanders retook the lead with a Parise goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Anthony Beauvillier and Nelson. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars handed to Barzal, Parise, and Nelson, while Sanheim gets an honorable mention.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Florida opened in the first period with a Mason Marchment goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Anton Lundell. Winnipeg tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Brenden Dillon and Adam Lowry. The Panthers took the lead back with another Marchment goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Sam Reinhart and Lucas Carlsson. The Jets retied it on a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Cole Perfetti and Dylan Samberg. Florida took the lead back with a Lundell goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Marchment and Reinhart. Winnipeg tied it again on a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Perfetti and Nate Schmidt. The Panthers pulled ahead again with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fifteenth of the season, with helpers from Aaron Ekblad and Maxim Mamin. Florida added on in the third period with a Sam Bennett goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Anthony Duclair and Ekblad. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Marchment, Lundell, and Reinhart, while Ekblad and Perfetti get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Spencer Martin are between the pipes. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Motte shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by J.T. Miller. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan McLeod goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Kris Russell and Slater Koekkoek. The Oilers tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Connor McDavid goal, his twentieth of the campaign, assisted by Darnell Nurse. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and McLeod.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Seattle started in the first period with a Jared McCann power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and Marcus Johansson. Nashville tied it on a Luke Kunin goal, his tenth of the year, via Matt Benning and Roman Josi. The Kraken retook the lead with an Adam Larsson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Johansson. The Predators tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville took the lead with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his third of the season, passed from Tanner Jeannot and Colton Sissons. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Josi. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Josi, Johansson, and Ekholm. 

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