NHL 2021-22 - Day 110

There's seven games on again Thursday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Linus Ullmark patrol the creases. Carolina started in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Svechnikov goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina extended the lead as Sebastian Aho scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Teravainen and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Brett Pesce goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Jesper Fast and Jordan Staal. Carolina kept going in the third period on an Aho power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Teravainen and Svechnikov. The Hurricanes continued with a Staal goal, his third of the year, fueled by Brady Skjei. This made it 6-0, the final, with the three stars given to Aho, Svechnikov, and Andersen (34 save shutout), while Teravainen and Staal get the honorable mentions.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Dustin Tokarski man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his eighth of the season, via Vladislav Gavrikov and Trey Fix-Wolansky. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Henri Jokiharju and Tage Thompson. The Sabres took the lead with a Kyle Okposo goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Mark Jankowski and Mark Pysyk. Buffalo added on in the third period with an Alex Tuch goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jeff Skinner and Thompson. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Brendan Gaunce goal, coming off of Dean Kukan. Columbus tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Jakub Voracek. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Voracek goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner. The three stars were Voracek, Gaunce, and Thompson.

In Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Cayden Primeau are in the blue paint. Washington began in the first period with a Joe Snively goal, assisted by Justin Schultz. The Capitals added on with a Connor McMichael goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Lars Eller and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Washington extended the lead as Carl Hagelin scored his third of the year in the second period, thanks to Martin Fehervary and and John Carlson. Montreal got on the board with a Rem Pitlick goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Josh Anderson and Kale Clague. The Capitals fired back on another Snively goal, his second of the game, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Schultz. Samuel Montembeault replaced Primeau in goal. The Canadiens got one back with a Cole Caufield power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli. Washington iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Tom Wilson empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Snively and Kuznetsov. The three stars belonged to Snively, Kuznetsov, and Schultz.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Matt Murray are the former teammates in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Kris Letang. The Penguins added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Bryan Rust, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Sidney Crosby. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to DeSmith (26 save shutout), Carter, and Murray (42 for 43 in saves).

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Jordan Binnington are set to start in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a P.K. Subban goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with a Michael McLeod goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Damon Severson and Jimmy Vesey. St. Louis got on the board with a Klim Kostin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Oskar Sundqvist and Torey Krug. The Blues tied it in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his eleventh of the year, via Colton Parayko and Ryan O'Reilly. St. Louis took the lead on a Justin Faulk goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Nico Hischier and Ty Smith. The Devils pulled ahead with a Hischier goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Subban and Sharangovich. New Jersey extended the lead as Vesey scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Jonas Siegenthaler and Pavel Zacha. The Blues got one back on a Schenn goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Pavel Buchnevich. The Devils countered with a Jesper Boqvist empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Severson and Gillies. New Jersey iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Hischier, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Sharangovich. The three stars were handed to Hischier, Sharangovich, and Schenn, while Subban, Vesey, and Severson get the honorable mentions.

North again to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Rasmus Sandin goal, his second of the season, fueled by William Nylander and John Tavares. Calgary tied it on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. The Flames took the lead with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Rasmus Andersson and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary added on with an Oliver Kylington power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Hanifin and Backlund. The Flames extended the lead as Elias Lindholm scored his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Christopher Tanev. Calgary padded the lead on an Andersson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Tkachuk and Hanifin. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Michael Bunting goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Auston Matthews and Timothy Liljegren. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Hanifin, Andersson, and Backlund, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. The Avalanche added on with a Toews shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Nazem Kadri and Erik Johnson. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixth of the season, via Brayden Point and Jan Rutta. Colorado replied in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Andre Burakovsky. The Lightning got one back with a Point goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Ondrej Palat. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars given to Toews, Nichushkin, and Point. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 109

There's six games on tonight, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Carter Hart are in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Philadelphia tied it on an Isaac Ratcliffe goal, via Zack MacEwen and Nick Seeler. The Red Wings took the lead back on a Raymond goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Filip Hronek and Larkin. The Flyers tied it again with a Travis Sanheim goal, his third of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Oskar Lindblom. Detroit took the lead in the second period on a Pius Suter goal, his eleventh of the year, via Robby Fabbri and Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with a Fabbri goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Suter and Seider. Philadelphia got one back on a Scott Laughton goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Seeler. Detroit replied in the third period with a Givani Smith goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Joe Veleno and Gustav Lindstrom. The Red Wings iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Vladislav Namestnikov, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Sam Gagner. The three stars were Larkin, Raymond, and Suter, while Fabbri, Seider, and Seeler get the honorable mentions.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Chicago started in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Dylan Strome. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Hagel goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of DeBrincat and Kirby Dach. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with assists provided by Evander Kane and Connor McDavid. Chicago replied in the third period with a Strome power play goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from DeBrincat and Seth Jones. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Dach scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Hagel and Jake McCabe. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars handed to DeBrincat, Dach, and Hagel, while Strome and Fleury (40 for 41 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Roope Hintz. Nashville tied it on an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his seventh of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and Alexandre Carrier. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Robertson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Klingberg and Esa Lindell. The Predators retied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. Dallas retook the lead with a Hintz goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Ryan Suter. Nashville tied it again on a Yakov Trenin goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Tanner Jeannot and Josi. The Stars pulled ahead again in the third period with a Luke Glendening goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Michael Raffl. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Robertson, Hintz, and Klingberg, while Josi gets an honorable mention.

Back north to Calgary, where the Flames host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom are the Swedish goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Matthew Tkachuk and Erik Gudbranson. The Flames added on with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Oliver Kylington. Calgary extended the lead as Elias Lindholm scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Tkachuk and Christopher Tanev. The Flames padded the lead in the second period on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Backlund and Blake Coleman. Calgary continued in the third period with a Tkachuk goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Backlund and Nikita Zadorov. The Flames struck again with a Mangiapane goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with helpers provided by Backlund and Hanifin on the power play. The three stars of the 6-0 game were awarded to Markstrom (28 save shutout), Backlund, and Mangiapane, while Tkachuk and Hanifin get the honorable mentions.

In Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Philipp Grubauer make the starts in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Janis Moser. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Alex Galchenyuk and Ilya Lyubushkin. Seattle got on the board in the third period with a Colin Blackwell goal, his fifth of the season, via Yanni Gourde. Arizona replied with an Anton Stralman goal, his third of the year, coming off of Ryan Dzingel and Loui Eriksson. The Kraken got one back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Gourde and Alex Wennberg. The Coyotes responded with a Galchenyuk empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Kessel. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with another Schmaltz goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, fueled by Clayton Keller into an empty net. The three stars were Schmaltz, Kessel, and Galchenyuk, while Gourde gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jaroslav Halak guard the cages. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Noah Dobson. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Anders Lee scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Ryan Pulock and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders padded the lead on a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Anthony Beauvillier and Zdeno Chara. New York continued with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Lee and Clutterbuck. Vancouver got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks pulled one back in the second period on an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Vasily Podkolzin and Ekman-Larsson. Vancouver got closer with a Luke Schenn goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Brad Hunt and Conor Garland. The Islanders replied with a Matt Martin goal, his second of the season, with the help of Cizikas. The final stayed at 6-3, with the three stars going to Lee, Cizikas, and Clutterbuck. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 108

Seven games are on for the second day back from the All-Star break. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jeremy Swayman are the goalies. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Hall and Erik Haula. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Danton Heinen goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brock McGinn and Mike Matheson. The Penguins tied it on another Heinen goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by John Marino and Evan Rodrigues. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins extended the lead as Rust scored an empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Guentzel. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Heinen, and Rust, while Guentzel and Hall get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Pheonix Copley are set to start in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Nic Dowd and Carl Hagelin. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Dowd goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Martin Fehervary and Hagelin. Columbus got on the board with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Adam Boqvist and Jakub Voracek. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Boqvist goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Max Domi and Gustav Nyquist. Washington retook the lead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with helpers from Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Columbus tied it on a Laine goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Boone Jenner and Oliver Bjorkstrand on the power play. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead in the third period with a Trey Fix-Wolansky goal, assisted by Jack Roslovic and Domi. Ilya Samsonov replaced Copley in goal. The Capitals tied it on a Tom Wilson goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus retook the lead with a Jenner goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Nyquist and Laine. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars awarded to Laine, Jenner, and Boqvist, while Nyquist, Domi, Dowd, and Hagelin get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Anton Forsberg are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Tim Stutzle and Nick Holden. The Senators added on with an Alex Formenton goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Connor Brown and Nick Paul. Ottawa extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Stutzle and Holden. The Senators padded the lead on a Chris Tierney power play goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes got closer on a Brendan Smith goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nino Niederreiter and Jordan Staal. Carolina pulled closer with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Tony DeAngelo. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Holden.

Over in Montreal, the Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Cayden Primeau are the backups in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Michael McLeod goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Graves and Colton White. The Devils added on with a Dawson Mercer goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Jesper Boqvist and Ty Smith. Montreal got on the board with a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper by Ryan Poehling. New Jersey responded with a Nico Hischier goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Mercer and Yegor Sharangovich. The Devils extended the lead as Boqvist scored his third of the season, thanks to Damon Severson and Andreas Johnsson. New Jersey padded the lead on a McLeod goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, helped along by Graves and Smith. The Devils continued in the third period with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Severson and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey struck again with a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Zacha. The final was 7-1, with the three stars being McLeod, Mercer, and Zacha, while Boqvist, Graves, Severson, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on in the third period with a Nate Schmidt empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Connor and Brenden Dillon. The three stars were handed to Hellebuyck (27 save shutout), Scheifele, and Connor.

Along to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brett Howden goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Shea Theodore and William Carrier. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded William Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Reilly Smith. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Alex Pietrangelo scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period with a Smith goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Karlsson and Brayden McNabb. This produced the 4-0 final score, with the three stars handed to Brossoit (28 save shutout), Karlsson, and Smith.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his eleventh of the season, via Noah Juulsen and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks added on with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Ekman-Larsson and J.T. Miller. Vancouver extended the lead as Elias Pettersson scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Travis Boyd and Anton Stralman. The Canucks shot back with a Miller goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Ekman-Larsson and Juulsen in the third period. Vancouver padded the lead on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Pettersson and Horvat. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Miller, Horvat, and Pettersson, while Ekman-Larsson and Juulsen receive the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 107

We exit the All-Star break with a two-game day. First up...

The Ottawa Senators host the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Matt Murray are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Damon Severson. Ottawa tied it on a Nick Paul goal, his ninth of the year, via Connor Brown and Alex Formenton. The Senators took the lead with a Nick Holden goal, his third of the season, coming off of Zach Sanford and Mark Kastelic in the second period. Ottawa added on with an Adam Gaudette goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Thomas Chabot and Chris Tierney. The Senators extended the lead in the third period as Brown scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Paul and Artem Zub. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Brown, Paul, and Murray (32 for 33 in saves).

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Petr Mrazek face their former teams in net. Carolina began in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Ian Cole and Martin Necas. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by William Nylander and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, made possible by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. The Hurricanes retied it in the third period on a Tony DeAngelo goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jesper Fast and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina took the lead with a Derek Stepan goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of DeAngelo and Steven Lorentz. Toronto retied it on a Marner goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Marner goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Rielly and Tavares. The three stars were Matthews, Marner, and Rielly, while Tavares and DeAngelo get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - The All-Star Game

We're back with another edition of the NHL's midseason classic. First up...

The Pacific Division faces the Metropolitan Division. Frederik Andersen and John Gibson start in goal. The Metropolitan opened the scoring with a Tom Wilson goal, via Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Pacific answered with a Timo Meier goal, passed from Troy Terry and Johnny Gaudreau. The Metropolitan retook the lead on a Claude Giroux goal, made possible by Zach Werenski. The Metropolitan added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, guided in by Jake Guentzel. In the second half, Tristan Jarry and Thatcher Demko played in goal. The Pacific pulled back with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Mark Stone. The Pacific tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, with a lone assist by Meier. The Metropolitan retook the lead with a Jack Hughes goal, helped along by Adam Pelech. The Metropolitan extended the lead as Guentzel scored, thanks to Giroux. The Metropolitan padded the lead on a Hughes empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Chris Kreider. The Pacific got one back with a Stone goal, with assists provided by Marchessault and Alex Pietrangelo. This made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars going to Hughes, Giroux, and Guentzel, while Marchessault, Stone, and Meier get the honorable mentions. 

In the second semifinal, the Central Division takes on the Atlantic Division. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. The Central started with a Jordan Kyrou goal, assisted by Clayton Keller and Alex DeBrincat. The Atlantic tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, via Auston Matthews. The Central retook the lead with a DeBrincat goal, passed from Kyrou and Keller. The Central added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, powered by Cale Makar. The Atlantic responded on a Matthews goal, helped along by Huberdeau and Victor Hedman. The goalies for the second half were Jack Campbell and Juuse Saros. The Atlantic tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, fueled by Campbell and Rasmus Dahlin. The Central regained the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, guided in by Kadri. The Central extended the lead as Kyrou scored his second of the game, thanks to Roman Josi and Joe Pavelski. The Atlantic pulled one back with an unassisted Dahlin goal. The Central shot back with a Josi goal, courtesy of Kyrou. The Atlantic answered with a Steven Stamkos goal, with a lone helper by Brady Tkachuk. The Central responded with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist from Kirill Kaprizov. The Central iced it at 8-5 with an empty net goal by Pavelski, set up by Makar and Kaprizov. The three stars were Kyrou, DeBrincat, and Kadri, while Pavelski, Josi, Kaprizov, Keller, Makar, Matthews, Huberdeau, and Dahlin get the honorable mentions. 

The Finals saw the Metropolitan Division against the Central Division. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot again began in goal. The Metropolitan kicked off the scoring with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, fueled by the goalie Andersen. The Central tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, via Roman Josi and Joe Pavelski. The Metropolitan retook the lead with a Claude Giroux goal, helped along by Zach Werenski. The Metropolitan added on with a Chris Kreider goal, passed from Jack Hughes. The Central answered on a Nazem Kadri goal, guided in by Kyle Connor and Jordan Kyrou. The Metropolitan responded with a Hughes goal, assisted by Sebastian Aho. Tristan Jarry and Juuse Saros took over in goal in the second half. The Central got one back in the second half with a Pavelski goal, made possible by Kaprizov. The Metropolitan countered with a Giroux goal, his second of the game, with helpers from Jake Guentzel and Werenski. This held for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Giroux, Hughes, and Werenski, while Pavelski gets an honorable mention. Giroux was named the All-Star Game MVP. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 106

The last day before the All-Star break will have five games. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. Seattle got going in the second period with a Jared McCann goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Jordan Eberle and Marcus Johansson. The Kraken added on with a Vince Dunn goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mason Appleton and Adam Larsson. Seattle iced it at 3-0 with an Appleton empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by McCann. The three stars were Grubauer (19 save shutout), McCann, and Appleton.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Cody Ceci and Ryan McLeod. The Oilers added on with an Evander Kane goal, his second of the year, assisted by Duncan Keith and Ceci. Edmonton extended the lead on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Pheonix Copley replaced Samsonov in goal. Washington got on the board with a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Justin Schultz. The Capitals got closer in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Martin Fehervary and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington tied it in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers took the lead on a Nugent-Hopkins shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Zach Hyman. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Kane and Keith. The three stars belonged to Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Kane, while Ceci and Keith get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Alex Nedeljkovic are the masked men. Detroit started in the first period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Filip Zadina and Filip Hronek. Los Angeles tied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his eleventh of the year, via Austin Strand and Trevor Moore. The Kings took the lead with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Blake Lizotte and Strand. The Red Wings retied it in the third period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Gustav Lindstrom and Dylan Larkin. Los Angeles regained the lead with a Danault goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, assisted by Moore and Viktor Arvidsson. The Kings added on with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Detroit pulled one back with a Joe Veleno goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Gemel Smith. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with an Adrian Kempe empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Danault, Arvidsson, and Moore, while Strand gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Jonas Brodin and Kevin Fiala. The Wild added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Brandon Duhaime. Minnesota extended the lead as Kirill Kaprizov scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Zuccarello. The Wild padded the lead on a Fiala goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Matt Boldy and Gaudreau. Minnesota continued with a Nico Sturm goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Connor Dewar and Victor Rask. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Talbot (29 save shutout), Zuccarello, and Fiala, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Calgary led off in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Andrew Mangiapane and Christopher Tanev. Arizona tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller. The Flames took the lead with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Johnny Gaudreau and Tanev. The Coyotes tied it on a Keller goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz. Calgary retook the lead on a Tanev goal, his third of the season, assisted by Coleman and Mangiapane. The Flames added on with a Coleman goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Oliver Kylington and Tanev. This held for a 4-2 win, with the three stars handed to Tanev, Coleman, and Mangiapane, while Keller gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 105

There's eleven games scheduled tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Igor Shesterkin are the young goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers took the lead on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Barkov and Aaron Ekblad in the second period. The Rangers retied it on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Chris Kreider. New York took the lead with a Kreider power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on the third period with a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, helped along by Zibanejad and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Panarin empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, coming on the power play as an unassisted goal. The three stars belonged to Kreider, Panarin, and Zibanejad, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Washington opened in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Nic Dowd, his sixth of the season, set up by Carl Hagelin. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. Ilya Samsonov replaced an injured Vanecek later in the first period. The Penguins took the lead on a Bryan Rust power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Sidney Crosby and Guentzel. The Capitals tied it on a Dmitry Orlov power play goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh retook the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Rust, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, helped along by Crosby and Guentzel. Washington tied it on a Daniel Sprong goal, his eighth of the year, via John Carlson. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with another Orlov goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson. The three stars were Orlov, Rust, and Guentzel, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh. San Jose tied it on a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture. The Lightning retook the lead on an Alex Killorn power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Sharks tied it in the third period with a Couture power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Brent Burns and Alexander Barabanov. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Hedman goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hedman, Couture, and Killorn.

Back north in New Jersey, the Devils host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jon Gillies are the goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Pierre Engvall. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, fueled by Mitchell Marner and Michael Bunting. Toronto extended the lead as David Kampf scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Ilya Mikheyev and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Marner goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Matthews. Toronto continued in the second period on a Bunting goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Marner and Kampf. The Maple Leafs struck again on an Engvall goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Wayne Simmonds. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Jack Hughes goal, his twelfth of the season, with helpers from Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Bratt. Toronto shot back with another Marner goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 7-1, with the three stars going to Marner, Matthews, and Kampf, while Bunting and Engvall get the honorable mentions.

Along to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Linus Ullmark patrol the creases. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead with a Hall goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Tomas Nosek and Pastrnak. Seattle got on the board in the third period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, going in unassisted. The Kraken tied it on a Mason Appleton goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Adam Larsson and Colin Blackwell. Boston took the lead with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Patrice Bergeron and Marchand. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Hall, and Marchand.

To Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carter Hart protect the nets. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Cole Perfetti and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, via Scott Laughton. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with an Oskar Lindblom empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Cam Atkinson. The three stars were van Riemsdyk, Konecny, and Hart (32 for 33 in saves).

Next up, the New York Islanders host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Ilya Sorokin are between the pipes. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Nick Holden goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Ennis and Brady Tkachuk. New York tied it on an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead on an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Zdeno Chara and Noah Dobson. New York added on with a Mathew Barzal goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Scott Mayfield. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Adam Pelech scored his second of the season, passed from Mayfield and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars handed to Sorokin (26 for 27 in saves), Mayfield, and Wahlstrom.

Westward to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matthew Highmore goal, his second of the season, via Juho Lammikko. Nashville tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his thirteenth of the year, assists by Michael McCarron and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators took the lead with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Philippe Myers and Matt Duchene. The Canucks tied it again on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Brock Boeser and Tanner Pearson. Nashville took the lead in the second period with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Roman Josi and Mikael Granlund. The Predators added on in the third period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Mattias Ekholm and Colton Sissons. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars being Forsberg, Jeannot, and Johansen.

South to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the season, via Adam Ruzicka and Milan Lucic. Dallas tied it on a Joel Hanley goal, coming off of Riley Damiani and Tanner Kero. The Stars took the lead with a Jason Robertson goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas added on in the second period with a Jamie Benn goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Tyler Seguin and Denis Gurianov. Daniel Vladar replaced Markstrom in goal in the third period. The Flames got one back in the third period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Blake Coleman and Noah Hanifin. Calgary tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames pulled ahead on an Oliver Kylington goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Rasmus Andersson and Lindholm. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Lindholm, Kylington, and Gaudreau.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, via Ilya Lyubushkin and Clayton Keller. The Avalanche took the lead on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Andre Burakovsky. The Coyotes tied it on a Lawson Crouse goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Jakob Chychrun and Phil Kessel. Arizona won 3-2 in the shootout with a Galchenyuk tally as the lone goal. The three stars were Galchenyuk, Crouse, and Wedgewood (38 for 40 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Brett Howden goal, his seventh of the year, via Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Vegas extended the lead on a Marchessault power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nicolas Roy and Karlsson. The Golden Knights padded the lead on a Keegan Kolesar shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Howden. Buffalo got on the board with an Alex Tuch goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Henri Jokiharju. Vegas replied in the third period with a Stone goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Pacioretty and Nolan Patrick. The Sabres got one back wit ha John Hayden goal, helped along by Tage Thompson. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Marchessault, Stone, and Howden, while Pacioretty and Karlsson get the honorable mentions. 

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