We've got nine games on a rather busy Tuesday night, beginning with...
The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Dustin Tokarski are in the blue paint. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Casey Fitzgerald and Cody Eakin. New York tied it on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his second of the year, passed from Anthony Beauvillier and Sebastian Aho. The Sabres retook the lead in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Tage Thompson, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Dylan Cozens. The Islanders tied it again with an Anders Lee goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Zdeno Chara and Mathew Barzal. Buffalo took the lead with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Peyton Krebs and Rasmus Dahlin. New York tied it in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Lee and Noah Dobson. The Sabres took the lead again with a Victor Olofsson goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Krebs and Cozens. Buffalo added on with a Henri Jokiharju empty net goal, his third of the year, made possible by Tuch. The Sabres extended the lead as Olofsson scored his second of the game and seventh of the campaign into an empty net, thanks to Cozens. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Olofsson, Cozens, and Tuch, while Palmieri, Lee, and Krebs get the honorable mentions.
Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Jon Gillies in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. Tampa Bay tied it on a Pat Maroon goal, his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Devils took the lead on a Sharangovich power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Tomas Tatar and Mercer. New Jersey added on in the second period with a Hughes goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Mercer. The Lightning got one back on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Jan Rutta. Tampa Bay tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Mikhail Sergachev and Victor Hedman. The Lightning pulled ahead in the third period with a Hedman goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers from Corey Perry and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Kucherov scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Brayden Point. The Lightning padded the lead on a Bellemare goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Perry and Maroon. Nico Daws replaced Gillies in goal. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars given to Hedman, Mercer, and Kucherov, while Maroon, Bellemare, Hughes, Sharangovich, and Perry get the honorable mentions.
Back in New York, the Rangers bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Igor Shesterkin protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the season, via Craig Smith. New York tied it on a Filip Chytil goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Dryden Hunt and Braden Schneider. Shesterkin exited the game in overtime, with Alexandar Georgiev entering in the crease, but Shesterkin was able to play the shootout. In the shootout, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and K'Andre Miller lifted the Rangers 2-1 over Jake DeBrusk, Coyle, and the Bruins. The three stars were Shesterkin (31 for 32 in saves), Miller, and Chytil.
Westward to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Casey DeSmith man the nets. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Oskar Lindblom. Pittsburgh tied it on a Dominik Simon goal, his third of the year, helped along by Marcus Pettersson and Brian Boyle. The Penguins took the lead with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Scott Laughton goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Philadelphia took the lead with a Nick Seeler goal, coming off of Travis Konecny and James van Riemsdyk. The Flyers added on with a Justin Braun goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of van Riemsdyk and Laughton. Pittsburgh got one back on a Jake Guentzel power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Kris Letang and Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Chad Ruhwedel goal, passed from Danton Heinen and Jeff Carter. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Letang goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Crosby, Letang, and Laughton, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.
Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Matt Murray are in the creases. St. Louis started in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Ryan O'Reilly. Ottawa tied it on a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Erik Brannstrom. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. St. Louis added on with a Thomas goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Tarasenko and Buchnevich. The Senators got one back with a Parker Kelly goal, his second of the season, assisted by Brannstrom and Clark Bishop. The Blues replied in the third period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Klim Kostin and Justin Faulk. Anton Forsberg replaced Murray in goal. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Tarasenko empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Thomas and Buchnevich. The three stars were Tarasenko, Thomas, and Buchnevich, while Brannstrom gets an honorable mention.
Back stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joe Snively goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Conor Sheary and Dmitry Orlov. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Michael McCarron goal, his second of the year, coming off of Roman Josi and Dante Fabbro. The Capitals tied it on a Nick Jensen goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Garnet Hathaway and Carl Hagelin. Washington added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Tom Wilson. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Ovechkin, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ovechkin, Samsonov (33 for 34 in saves), and Jensen.
To Canada again, as the Calgary Flames host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Daniel Vladar are set to start in goal. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his third of the season, made possible by Milan Lucic. The Flames added on with an Elias Lindholm goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus got on the board with an Adam Boqvist goal, his ninth of the season, via Patrik Laine and Boone Jenner. Calgary shot back in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Johnny Gaudreau and Lindholm. The Flames extended the lead as Dillon Dube scored his fifth of the season shorthanded, set up by Andrew Mangiapane. Calgary padded the lead in the third period on an Adam Ruzicka goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Trevor Lewis and Nikita Zadorov. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Zach Werenski goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Gustav Nyquist and Sean Kuraly. The Flames responded with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Gaudreau and Lindholm. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Lindholm, Gaudreau, and Toffoli.
South to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Pavel Francouz are between the pipes. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jason Robertson and Tyler Seguin. The Stars added on in the second period with a Robertson goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Pavelski. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Cale Makar and Alex Newhook. Dallas replied with a Pavelski power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Seguin and Roope Hintz. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Seguin empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jamie Benn and Pavelski. The three stars belonged to Pavelski, Oettinger (46 for 47 in saves), and Seguin, while Robertson gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Cal Petersen are the masked men. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his ninth of the season, via Brendan Lemieux. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan. The Kings tied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Viktor Arvidsson and Drew Doughty. Edmonton pulled ahead again with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by McDavid and Tyson Barrie. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with a Kane goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Cody Ceci into an empty net. The three stars were McDavid, Kane, and Yamamoto.
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