Thursday, February 17, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 117

It's a ten-game day, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso faces a lesser foe in Samuel Montembeault in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Paul Byron goal, courtesy of Artturi Lehkonen and Jeff Petry. St. Louis tied it on a shorthanded Robert Thomas goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Buchnevich goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Justin Faulk. The Canadiens tied it again on a Cole Caufield goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Chris Wideman and Mike Hoffman. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Caufield goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, helped along by Petry. The three stars were Caufield, Petry, and Buchnevich. 

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Craig Anderson man the nets. Buffalo started in the first period with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Rasmus Asplund and Rasmus Dahlin. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Zach Sanford goal, his eighth of the year, via Tyler Ennis and Artem Zub. The Senators took the lead in the third period with an Austin Watson goal, his third of the season, guided in by Nick Holden and Dylan Gambrell. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with a Brady Tkachuk empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Holden. The three stars were Forsberg (23 for 24 in saves), Watson, and Holden.

In New York City, the Rangers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Igor Shesterkin are in the blue paint. Detroit began in the first period with a Troy Stecher goal, via Adam Erne and Joe Veleno. New York tied it in the second period with a K'Andre Miller goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Barclay Goodrow. The Red Wings took the lead with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Danny DeKeyser and Moritz Seider. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Lucas Raymond and Pius Suter lifted the Red Wings 3-2 over Zibanejad and the Rangers. The three stars were Zibanejad, Larkin, and Griess (37 for 39 in saves).

Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-third of the season, coming off of T.J. Brodie and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Morgan Rielly power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Campbell. Toronto extended the lead as David Kampf scored his seventh of the season shorthanded, set up by Rielly. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jeff Carter. Toronto shot back with a Michael Bunting goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Matthews and Marner. The final was 4-1, with the three stars handed to Matthews, Campbell (45 for 46 in saves), and Marner, while Rielly gets an honorable mention.

South again to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones are set to start in goal. Washington struck first in the first period with a Michal Kempny goal, assisted by Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway. Philadelphia tied it on a Gerry Mayhew power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, powered by Oskar Lindblom and Isaac Ratcliffe. The Capitals took the lead back with a Joe Snively power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Conor Sheary and Dmitry Orlov. The Flyers tied it on a Travis Sanheim goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. Philadelphia took the lead with another Mayhew goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Sanheim and Ivan Provorov. Washington retied it on a Hathaway goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by John Carlson and Carl Hagelin. The Capitals pulled ahead on another Hathaway goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, courtesy of Hagelin. Washington iced it at 5-3 with a Carlson empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Dowd. The three stars were Hathaway, Carlson, and Mayhew, while Dowd, Hagelin, and Sanheim get the honorable mentions.

To New York again, as the Islanders bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. Boston kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Craig Smith and Mike Reilly. New York tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, powered by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Dobson goal, his eighth of the season, via Brock Nelson. New York added on with a Barzal goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Kieffer Bellows and Adam Pelech. The Islanders finished it at 4-1 with a Nelson empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Zdeno Chara. The three stars were Dobson, Barzal, and Sorokin (26 for 27 in saves), while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Eric Comrie patrol the creases. Seattle was first to score in the first period with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jared McCann and Yanni Gourde. The Kraken added on with a Marcus Johansson goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Alexander Wennberg and Jordan Eberle. Winnipeg got on the board with a Dominic Toninato shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Adam Lowry and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg took the lead with a Wheeler goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Paul Stastny. Seattle tied it in the third period with an Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Johansson and Mark Giordano. The Jets retook the lead on a Josh Morrissey goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Kyle Connor and Kristian Reichel. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with a Connor empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by DeMelo. The three stars went to Wheeler, Connor, and Eberle, while Johansson and deMelo get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Arvid Soderblom receive the starting nods in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jakub Voracek and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Cole Sillinger. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Dominik Kubalik and Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks tied it on a Ryan Carpenter goal, coming off of Brett Connolly and Kurashev. Columbus retook the lead on a Max Domi goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Chinakhov. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Patrik Laine scored his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Vladislav Gavrikov and Jenner. Chicago pulled one back with a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Calvin de Haan and Carpenter. Columbus fired back in the third period with another Laine goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, fueled by Jenner. The Blackhawks pulled back with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Patrick Kane and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets responded with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fifteenth of the season, dished from Domi and Werenski. Columbus iced it at 7-4 with a Laine empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, set up by Nyquist and Gavrikov. The three stars belonged to Laine, Jenner, and Chinakhov, while Domi, Nyquist, Werenski, Gavrikov, Kurashev, and Caprenter get the honorable mentions.

In Canada once more, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Cam Fowler and Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks added on with a Sonny Milano power play goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. Edmonton got on the board with an Evander Kane power play goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Cody Ceci and Warren Foegele. Edmonton took the lead with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. The Oilers extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his thirty-fourth of the year, thanks to McLeod and Kane. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period on a Foegele goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan. Anaheim got one back with a Zegras goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Rickard Rakell and Milano. The Oilers answered with Draisaitl's second goal of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton continued with a Hyman goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from McDavid and Kailer Yamamoto. The final held at 7-3 with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Kane, and Ryan, while Hyman, Foegele, McDavid, McLeod, Zegras and Milano get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and James Reimer are between the pipes. Vancouver began in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of J.T. Miller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks added on with a Quinn Hughes goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Matt Nieto and Noah Gregor. Vancouver shot back with a Juho Lammikko goal, his fifth of the year, via Kyle Burroughs. The Sharks got one back with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov. San Jose tied it in the third period with another Meier power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Hertl and Barabanov. The Canucks retook the lead with a Conor Garland goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Elias Pettersson. The Sharks tied it on a Barabanov goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Meier and Brent Burns. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with a Miller goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Pettersson and Hughes. The three stars were handed to Meier, Miller, and Hughes, while Barabanov, Pettersson, and Hertl get the honorable mentions. 

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Wednesday, February 16, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 116

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

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Blake Wheeler. The Jets pulled ahead with a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, powered by Josh Morrissey and Wheeler. Winnipeg added on in the third period when Scheifele completed a natural hat trick with his seventeenth goal of the year, guided in by Wheeler and Brenden Dillon. The Jets extended the lead as Cole Perfetti scored his second of the season, thanks to Nate Schmidt and Logan Stanley. The Wild got one back with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman. Winnipeg shot back with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Perfetti. Minnesota got one back with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Kaprizov and Zuccarello. The Jets iced it at 6-3 with a Paul Stastny empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Wheeler and Scheifele. The three stars were Scheifele, Wheeler, and Perfetti, while Zuccarello and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina started in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. Florida tied it in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period on a Tony DeAngelo goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jordan Staal and Nino Niederreiter. The Panthers tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by MacKenzie Weegar and Ekblad. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with an Ekblad goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Huberdeau. The three stars were Ekblad, Huberdeau, and Reinhart.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary led off in the first period with a Dillon Dube goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Andersson and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Andersson. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his tenth of the season, via Isac Lundestrom and Cam Fowler. Calgary fired back on another Lindholm goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, passed from Andersson and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his twenty-third of the season on the power play, with assists provided by Gaudreau and Trevor Lewis. The Ducks got one back on a Lundestrom shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary responded with a Gaudreau empty net goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Lindholm and Tkachuk. The Flames padded the lead as Andrew Mangiapane scored his twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Dube and Monahan. The three stars were awarded to Lindholm, Tkachuk, and Gaudreau, while Andersson, Dube, and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Laurent Brossoit man the nets. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Cale Makar and Devon Toews. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Makar. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Kuemper (29 save shutout), Makar, and Landeskog. 

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Tuesday, February 15, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 115

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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Monday, February 14, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 114

Four games on Valentine's Day, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Kaapo Kahkonen are the young goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Moritz Seider. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Lindstrom goal, helped along by Tyler Bertuzzi and Marc Staal. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Boldy goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau. The Wild tied it on a Boldy power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota took the lead in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Zuccarello. The Wild extended the lead as Boldy completed his hat trick on his seventh of the season, thanks to Spurgeon and Zuccarello on the power play. Minnesota padded the lead in the third period with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Boldy and Kaprizov. Detroit got one back with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Larkin and Seider. The Red Wings pulled closer on a Sam Gagner goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Robby Fabbri and Bertuzzi. The Wild fired back with a Kaprizov empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, set up by Eriksson Ek. Minnesota iced it at 7-4 with a Ryan Hartman goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Gaudreau. The three stars were Boldy, Kaprizov, and Zuccarello, while Eriksson Ek, Gaudreau, Spurgeon, Larkin, Bertuzzi, and Seider get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Chicago got going in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kirby Dach and Jake McCabe. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Nate Schmidt and Ville Heinola. The Blackhawks took the lead with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago iced it at 3-1 with a Brandon Hagel empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Kane and Fleury. The three stars were Kane, Fleury (31 for 32 in saves), and DeBrincat.

Out west, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Toronto began in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his seventh of the season, via John Tavares and Timothy Liljegren. Seattle tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Mason Appleton. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Michael Bunting goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. Toronto added on with an Ondrej Kase power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Bunting and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the second period as Marner scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to William Nylander and Matthews. Toronto padded the lead in the third period on a David Kampf shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Marner. The Kraken got one back with a Jared McCann goal, his twentieth of the season, with helpers form Mark Giordano and Jarnkrok. The Maple Leafs finished it at 6-2 with a Jake Muzzin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Liljegren and Nylander. The three stars belonged to Marner, Bunting, and Matthews, while Jarnkrok, Nylander, and Liljegren get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and James Reimer are the goalies. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Warren Foegele goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Derek Ryan and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as Connor McDavid scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Bouchard. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Skinner (20 save shutout), Bouchard, and Foegele. 

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Sunday, February 13, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 113

There's four games on today, and all are early. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Samuel Montembeault are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Casey Fitzgerald and Alex Tuch. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Corey Schueneman and Paul Byron. The Sabres took the lead back with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Dahlin. The Canadiens tied it again with a Jeff Petry goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jake Evans and Rem Pitlick. Montreal took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his second of the season, assisted by Ryan Poehling and Brett Kulak. Buffalo tied it again with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Peyton Krebs and Skinner. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Skinner goal, completing his hat trick on his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Tuch. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with another Skinner goal, his fourth of the game and twentieth of the year, again from Tuch. The three stars were Skinner, Tuch, and Thompson.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with an Alex Formenton shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev. The Senators added on with an Adam Gaudette goal, his fifth of the year, via Zach Sanford and Chris Tierney. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Ottawa replied with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Josh Brown and Nick Paul. The Senators extended the lead in the third period as Connor Brown scored his seventh of the campaign, thanks to Tkachuk and Tierney. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Connor Brown, Tkachuk, and Tierney.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jon Gillies are in the blue paint. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Jack Hughes goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Yegor Sharangovich and Pavel Zacha. Pittsburgh tied it on a Mike Matheson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Chad Ruhwedel and Brian Boyle. The Penguins took the lead in the third period on a Bryan Rust goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Devils tied it again with a Nico Hischier goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Tatar and Damon Severson. Pittsburgh took the lead back with a Boyle goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matheson. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Jake Guentzel empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Rust and Crosby. The three stars were Boyle, Matheson, and Rust, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twentieth of the year, via Makar. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche finished it at 4-0 with a Landeskog empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Landeskog, Kuemper (23 save shutout), and Makar. 

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Saturday, February 12, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 112

There's eight games on for this Saturday, beginning with three matinees. First up...

The Detroit Red Wings host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Thomas Greiss are in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Robby Fabbri and Pius Suter. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Filip Zadina goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Marc Staal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Keith Yandle power play goal, powered by Scott Laughton and Isaac Ratcliffe. Detroit replied in the third period with a Moritz Seider power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Larkin and Lucas Raymond. The Flyers got one back on a Laughton goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Michael Rasmussen empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Larkin and Sam Gagner. The three stars were Larkin, Laughton, and Seider.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Samuel Montembeault are the goalies. Columbus began in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Patrik Laine. Montreal tied it in the third period on a Cole Caufield goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ryan Poehling. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 with a Laine power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Jakub Voracek. The three stars were Laine, Merzlikins (30 for 31 in saves), and Bjorkstrand.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Matt Murray man the nets. Boston opened in the first period with a Trent Frederic goal, his third of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on with a Curtis Lazar goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Anton Blidh. This held for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Swayman (30 save shutout), Frederic, and Lazar. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Thatcher Demko are the masked men. Vancouver started in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser. The Canucks added on with a Boeser power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Miller. Toronto got on the board in the second period on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by John Tavares and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs tied it on an Ondrej Kase power play goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jason Spezza and Rasmus Sandin. Vancouver retook the lead with a Juho Lammikko goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Alex Chiasson and Tyler Motte. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Boeser, Miller, and Demko (51 for 53 in saves).

Back in Nashville, the Predators host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his seventh of the season, via Filip Forsberg and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Ville Heinola and Blake Wheeler. The Jets tied it on a Kyle Connor power play goal in the second period, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Wheeler power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Scheifele and Morrissey. The Jets extended the lead as Pierre-Luc Dubois scored a power play goal, his twentieth of the year, thanks to Wheeler and Connor. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Scheifele. The three stars were Wheeler, Scheifele, and Connor, while Morrissey gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Frederick Gaudreau and Jon Merrill. The Wild added on in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twentieth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Fiala. Carolina got on the board with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes got closer with a Svechnikov power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and DeAngelo. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Fiala, Gaudreau, and Svechnikov, while DeAngelo gets an honorable mention.

South again to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Ville Husso patrol the creases. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on with a Dakota Joshua goal, his second of the year, via Torey Krug and Oskar Sundqvist. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Patrick Kane and Dominik Kubalik. St. Louis shot back with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues extended the lead as Sundqvist scored his third of the year in the third period, with the help of Niko Mikkola and Brandon Saad. St. Louis finished it at 5-1 with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Brayden Schenn and Ryan O'Reilly.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Ruzicka goal, his third of the season, helped along by Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. New York tied it on a Noah Dobson power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Flames retook the lead on a Christopher Tanev goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Oliver Kylington. Calgary added on in the second period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Ruzicka and Nikita Zadorov. The Islanders got one back with a Pageau goal, his sixth of the season, via Zach Parise and Oliver Wahlstrom. The Flames fired back with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, made possible by Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with an Elias Lindholm goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Matthew Tkachuk and Gaudreau. The three stars were Ruzicka, Gaudreau, and Pageau. 

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Friday, February 11, 2022

NHL 2021-22 - Day 111

Four games are on Friday night, beginning with...

The Dallas Stars hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon. Dallas tied it on a Jacob Peterseon goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Denis Gurianov and Jamie Benn. The Jets tied it on a Jansen Harkins goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Cole Perfetti and Mark Scheifele. Dallas took the lead back in the third period with a Benn goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Gurianov and Ryan Suter. Winnipeg tied it once more with a Scheifele goal, his twelfth of the year, via Neal Pionk. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Jason Robertson goal, his twentieth of the campaign, coming off of Roope Hintz and John Klingberg. The three stars were Benn, Gurianov, and Scheifele.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Mike Smith are set to start in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Cody Ceci goal, his second of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his fourteenth of the year, via McDavid in the second period. New York got on the board with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Pulock and Josh Bailey. Edmonton replied in the third period with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 3-1 with the three stars being McDavid, Hyman, and Smith (37 for 38 in saves).

Back south, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Karel Vejmelka receive the starts in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Corey Perry goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Ryan McDonagh and Pat Maroon. Arizona got on the board with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Janis Moser and Clayton Keller. Tampa Bay replied in the third period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Coyotes got one back with a Keller goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Travis Boyd and Phil Kessel. The Lightning responded on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, assisted by Mathieu Joseph and Jan Rutta. Arizona countered on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Christian Fischer and Jakob Chychrun. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Stamkos, Keller, and Perry.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and John Gibson are the masked men. Seattle struck first in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Austin Czarnik and Morgan Geekie. Anaheim tied it on an Isac Lundestrom goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jakob Silfverberg. The Kraken pulled ahead on a Vince Dunn goal, his sixth of the season, via Yanni Gourde and Calle Jarnkrok. The Ducks tied it in the second period with a Lundestrom goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, courtesy of Derek Grant and Troy Terry. Anaheim pulled ahead with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras. Seattle retied it on a Donato goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by Gourde. The Kraken won 4-3 with a Jordan Eberle goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by Riley Sheahan and Mark Giordano. The three stars were Donato, Gourde, and Lundestrom. 

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