NHL 2021-22 - Day 124

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Igor Shesterkin are the Russian goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Alexis Lafreniere and Zac Jones. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Lafreniere goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Ryan Lindgren. New York extended the lead as Kreider scored his thirty-fourth of the season, thanks to Adam Fox and Zibanejad in the third period. The Rangers padded the lead on a Barclay Goodrow goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Kevin Rooney and Ryan Reaves. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Evgeny Kuznetsov. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Lafreniere, Zibanejad, and Shesterkin (36 for 37 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Petr Mrazek are the backups in goal. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matt Boldy and Kevin Fiala. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Timothy Liljegren and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Mitchell Marner. Toronto iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Alexander Kerfoot goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Mrazek (29 for 30 in saves), and Marner.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jean-Francois Berube and Jonas Johansson draw the starts in goal. Florida started in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. Columbus tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead in the second period with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Vladislav Gavrikov. Columbus added on in the third period with a Gabriel Carlsson goal, his second of the year, guided in by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jack Roslovic. The Panthers got one back with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Mason Marchment and Gustav Forsling. The Blue Jackets fired back on a Cole Sillinger goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Voracek. Columbus extended the lead as Justin Danforth scored his fourth of the season, assisted by Adam Boqvist. Florida got one back on a Sam Bennett goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Barkov and Huberdeau. The Blue Jackets fired back on an empty net goal by Bjorkstrand, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Roslovic and Dean Kukan. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars being Bjorkstrand, Huberdeau, and Voracek, while Roslovic and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Tristan Jarry are in the creases. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Nico Hischier and Pavel Zacha. The Devils added on with another Bratt goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey extended the lead as Yegor Sharangovich scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of P.K. Subban. The Devils padded the lead in the second period on a Dawson Mercer goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jack Hughes. Pittsburgh got on the board with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby. New Jersey shot back on a Damon Severson power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Hughes and Hischier. Casey DeSmith replaced Jarry in goal. The Devils continued in the third period with a Hischier power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Hughes. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars going to Bratt, Hischier, and Hughes.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Nashville began in the first period with a Philip Tomasino goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Dante Fabbro. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter. The Predators won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Saros (27 for 28 in saves), Tomasino, and Oettinger (19 for 20 in saves).

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Hughes and Pettersson. Vancouver extended the lead as Bo Horvat scored his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks padded the lead on a Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Miller and Boeser. Vancouver continued with a Miller goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, coming on a penalty shot. The Canucks struck again in the third period with a Conor Garland goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Tanner Pearson and Miller. Vancouver kept going with a Pettersson shorthanded goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars going to Miller, Pettersson, and Horvat, while Hughes and Boeser get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Seattle struck first with a Mark Giordano shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Riley Sheahan and Jamie Oleksiak. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Craig Smith. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk. The Kraken tied it again with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Marcus Johansson and Calle Jarnkrok. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Charlie Coyle and McAvoy. The three stars were DeBrusk, Pastrnak, and McAvoy.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and James Reimer are between the pipes. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Scott Mayfield and Kieffer Bellows. San Jose tied it on an Alexander Barabanov power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks took the lead with a Jasper Weatherby goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jeffrey Viel. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a Zach Parise goal, his seventh of the year, via Sebastian Aho and Mathew Barzal. San Jose pulled ahead with a Logan Couture power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Merkley and Hertl. New York retied it on an Adam Pelech goal, his third of the year, guided in by Barzal and Parise. The tie went to a shootout, where Couture's lone tally gave the Sharks a 4-3 win. The three stars were Parise, Couture, and Hertl, while Barzal gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 123

There's five games on Wednesday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Thomas Greiss are the backups in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Cale Makar and Darren Helm. The Avalanche added on with a Tyson Jost goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Logan O'Connor and Alex Newhook. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Zadina goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, made possible by Moritz Seider and Dylan Larkin. Colorado replied with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Valeri Nichushkin scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Andre Burakovsky and Newhook. The Red Wings got one back on a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Seider and Larkin. Colorado finished it at 5-2 with a Landeskog empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Rantanen and Makar. The three stars were Landeskog, Newhook, and Rantanen, while Makar, Seider, and Larkin get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Pat Maroon goal, his ninth of the season, via Anthony Cirelli. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Leon Draisaitl. The Lightning retook the lead on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay added on with a Brayden Point goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning extended the lead as Corey Perry scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Sergachev and Maroon. The Oilers got one back with a Zach Hyman goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Draisaitl. Edmonton got closer with a McDavid goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Hyman and Draisaitl. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Kucherov, while Maroon, Sergachev, and Hyman get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Neal Pionk and Mark Scheifele. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Jamie Benn shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Roope Hintz. The Jets took the lead with a Scheifele power play goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Pionk and Kyle Connor. The Stars tied it on a Denis Gurianov goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Seguin goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, made possible by Benn. The three stars were Benn, Seguin, and Scheifele, while Pionk gets an honorable mention.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Samuel Montembeault are the goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Suzuki penalty shot goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Caufield scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Suzuki. The Canadiens iced it at 4-0 with a Jake Evans empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Ben Chiarot. The three stars were Suzuki, Montembeault (32 save shutout), and Caufield.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Scott Wedgewood are in the creases. Arizona got going in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Nick Schmaltz and Janis Moser. Los Angeles tied it on a Blake Lizotte goal, his seventh of the year, via Mikey Anderson and Brendan Lemieux. The Kings took the lead with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault. The Coyotes tied it on a Barrett Hayton goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by Vladislav Kolyachonok. Los Angeles took the lead with another Arvidsson goal in the third period, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Matt Roy and Moore. The three stars were Arvidsson, Moore, and Lizotte.

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 122

It's a six-game day this time, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Nashville Predators. David Rittich and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Florida began in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Matt Duchene and Alexandre Carrier. The Panthers took the lead in the second period on a Radko Gudas goal, via Reinhart. Florida added on with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators pulled one back on a Roman Josi goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Duchene and Forsberg. Nashville tied it on a Yakov Trenin goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Dante Fabbro. The Panthers gained the lead with a Sam Bennett goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. The Predators tied it on a shorthanded goal by Tanner Jeannot, his sixteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Nashville pulled ahead with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Forsberg and Josi. The Predators iced it at 6-4 as Jeannot scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the year into an empty net, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jeannot, Josi, and Forsberg, while Reinhart, Huberdeau, and Duchene get the honorable mentions.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell faces a lesser foe in Jean-Francois Berube in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. Columbus tied it in the second period on a Patrik Laine goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Boone Jenner and Zach Werenski. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Matthews goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by David Kampf and Bunting. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with an Adam Boqvist power play goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by the goalie Berube. Columbus took the lead with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it again on a Jason Spezza goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Matthews and John Tavares. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime with a Laine goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Jakub Voracek and Werenski. The three stars were Laine, Werenski, and Matthews, while Bunting gets an honorable mention.

Further north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Artem Zub and Chris Tierney. The Senators added on with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Chabot and Connor Brown. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Bjugstad. The Wild tied it on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ryan Hartman and Fiala. Ottawa retook the lead on a Tim Stutzle goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Josh Brown and Connor Brown. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Jon Merrill goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators pulled ahead again with another Chabot goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Adam Gaudette and Erik Brannstrom. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Chabot, Fiala, and Connor Brown.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Martin Jones man the nets. St. Louis started in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Ivan Barbashev and Jordan Kyrou. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his third of the year, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny. The Blues took the lead back with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas and Niko Mikkola. St. Louis added on with an Barbashev empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Oskar Sundqvist and Mikkola. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Barbashev, Mikkola, and Binnington (25 for 26 in saves). 

Out west, the Seattle Kraken welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Anthony Beauvillier and Ryan Pulock. The Islanders added on with a Zach Parise goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. New York extended the lead in the second period as Kyle Palmieri scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Parise. The Islanders padded the lead as Casey Cizikas scored his fifth of the year, with the help of Scott Mayfield and Sebastian Aho. Seattle got on the board with a Yanni Gourde goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Kraken got closer in the third period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Parise empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Zdeno Chara. The three stars belonged to Parise, Nelson, and Sorokin (23 for 25 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Anthony Stolarz are given the starting nods in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Derek Grant goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Sam Carrick and Nicolas Deslauriers. San Jose tied it with a Logan Couture goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead with a Burns goal, his fifth of the season, via Matt Nieto and Timo Meier. The Ducks tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler. San Jose retook the lead on a Couture power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, powered by Burns and Meier. Anaheim retied it with another Rakell goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Adam Henrique. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zegras and Rakell lifted the Ducks to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Rakell, Couture, and Burns, while Meier gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 121

There's five games, including three matinees, on Monday. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Bergeron goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Taylor Hall and Matt Grzelcyk. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Boston shot back with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Hall and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins extended the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Curtis Lazar and McAvoy. Boston padded the lead in the third period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Hall. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Pastrnak, Bergeron, and Hall, while McAvoy gets an honorable mention. 

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Martin Jones are the veterans in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Jesper Fast and Jaccob Slavin. Philadelphia tied it on a Gerry Mayhew goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Justin Braun and Ivan Provorov. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. The Flyers tied it again in the third period with a Patrick Brown goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Isaac Ratcliffe and Rasmus Ristolainen. Carolina regained the lead on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Martin Necas and Ian Cole. Philadelphia tied it on an Oskar Lindblom goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime with a Brett Pesce goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Trocheck and Jordan Staal. The three stars were Trocheck, Pesce, and Andersen (38 for 41 in saves).

Westward to Calgary, as the Flames host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Andrew Mangiapane and Noah Hanifin. Winnipeg tied it on a Dominic Toninato goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Neal Pionk and Brenden Dillon. The Flames took the lead in the third period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames iced it at 3-1 with a Tyler Toffoli empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. 

Back east, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Samuel Montembeault are the goalies. Montreal began in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jeff Petry and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on with a Caufield goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Anderson. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Mike Hoffman scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens padded the lead on an Anderson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, helped along by Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Montreal continued on a Rem Pitlick goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Gallagher and Ben Chiarot. Toronto got on the board in the third period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Morgan Rielly and Ondrej Kase. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Pierre Engvall goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Jason Spezza and Justin Holl. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Anderson, Caufield, and Gallagher. 

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Thatcher Demko are set to start in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Tyler Motte goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Juho Lammikko and Matthew Highmore. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Marcus Johansson and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken took the lead with a shorthanded Mark Giordano goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Joonas Donskoi and Riley Sheahan. The Canucks tied it on a Travis Hamonic goal, via Lammikko and Motte. Vancouver took the lead with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his eighth of the year, coming off Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Pettersson. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Tanner Pearson empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Miller. The three stars were Motte, Lammikko, and Pettersson, while Miller gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 120

There's eight games on for a busy Sunday, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Tristan Jarry are in the blue paint. Carolina started in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Jake Guentzel and Rust. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Jesper Fast goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Nino Niederreiter and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes extended the lead on a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Teuvo Tervainen and Tony DeAngelo. Pittsburgh got one back with an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Malkin and Letang. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Rust, Malkin, and Letang.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Andrew Hammond is mismatched with Ilya Sorokin in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Jeff Petry goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brett Kulak and Ryan Poehling. New York tied it in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Zach Parise and Josh Bailey in the second period. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Josh Anderson goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The Islanders tied it in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Kieffer Bellows and Sebastian Aho. The tie went to a shootout, where Caufield and Rem Pitlick lifted the Canadiens to a 3-2 win over Anthony Beauvillier and the Islanders. The three stars were Caufield, Hammond (30 for 32 in saves), and Anderson.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Florida began in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jake McCabe. The Panthers reclaimed the lead in the second period on a Brandon Montour goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on in the third period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Carter Verhaeghe and Barkov. The Blackhawks got one back on a Caleb Jones power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Kane. The Panthers responded with a Barkov empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Gustav Forsling and Huberdeau. Florida iced it at 5-2 with an Anton Lundell empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Noel Acciari and Ekblad. The three stars were Barkov, Ekblad, and Kane, while Huberdeau gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Filip Gustavsson draw the starts in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Adam Gaudette and Nikita Zaitsev. New York tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Braden Schneider and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers pulled ahead with a Panarin power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, via Mika Zibanejad and Strome. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Panarin, Shesterkin (29 for 30 in saves), and Strome.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Jean-Francois Berube receive the starting nods in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Dean Kukan goal, his second of the season, assisted by Yegor Chinakhov and Max Domi. Buffalo tied it on a Mark Pysyk goal, his second of the year, coming off of Victor Olofsson and Dylan Cozens. The Sabres gained the lead with a Tage Thompson goal, his twentieth of the season, via Alex Tuch. The Blue Jackets tied it again on a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Jakub Voracek and Patrik Laine. Columbus retook the lead in the second period with a Kukan goal, his second of the game and third of the season, made possible by Gavin Bayreuther and Brendan Gaunce. The Blue Jackets added on with a Zach Werenski goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Boone Jenner. Columbus extended the lead as Gaunce scored his second of the season, thanks to Laine and Kukan. Buffalo pulled back on a Kyle Okposo goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Peyton Krebs. The Blue Jackets fired back in the third period with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Sean Kuraly and Vladislav Gavrikov. Columbus iced it at 7-3 with a Justin Danforth goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Gaunce. The three stars were Kukan, Gaunce, and Jenner, while Laine gets an honorable mention.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood patrol the creases. Arizona got going in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Nick Schmaltz. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Miro Heiskanen. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Schmaltz power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Clayton Keller. Arizona iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Keller empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Schmaltz and Dysin Mayo. The three stars were Schmaltz, Wedgewood (32 for 33 in saves), and Keller. 

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Mike Smith are the starting goalies. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Duhaime goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad. The Wild added on with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota extended the lead as Kevin Fiala scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Jonas Brodin. The Wild chased Smith with another Fiala goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, via Matt Boldy. Mikko Koskinen came on in relief. Edmonton got on the board with an Evander Kane power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. Minnesota shot back in the second period with a Connor Dewar goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Dmitry Kulikov. The Wild continued as Boldy scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Frederick Gaudreau and Fiala. The Oilers got one back on a Tyler Benson goal, fueled by Zach Hyman and William Lagesson. Minnesota replied in the third period with a Zuccarello goal, his seventeenth of the year, with an assist from Ryan Hartman. Edmonton pulled one back on a Hyman goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Ryan McLeod. The three stars of the 7-3 game were Fiala, Boldy, and Zuccarello, while Hyman gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brett Howden and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Jack Eichel goal, via Chandler Stephenson and Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his fifteenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Theodore and Eichel. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Nick Bonino goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Andrew Cogliano and Jacob Middleton. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a Stephenson empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Pacioretty and Nicolas Roy. The three stars were Eichel, Pacioretty, and Stephenson, while Theodore gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 119

We're ready to go for seven games on a light slate for a Saturday. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Dustin Tokarski are in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Tage Thompson goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Cale Makar and Devon Toews. The Avalanche took the lead on a J.T. Compher goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The Sabres tied it again with another Thompson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. Colorado pulled ahead again with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Valeri Nichushkin. Buffalo tied it in the second period as Thompson completed his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Mattias Samuelsson. The Avalanche regained the lead in the third period on an Alex Newhook goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Mikko Rantanen. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Thompson, Rantanen, and Skinner. 

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead as McDavid scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Leon Draisaitl and Barrie. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with an Adam Lowry shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Dominic Toninato. The Jets got one back with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Josh Morrissey and Blake Wheeler. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with a Darnell Nurse shorthanded empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDavid, Barrie, and Koskinen (22 for 24 in saves). 

Over in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Anton Forsberg draw the starts in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jack Studnicka. Ottawa tied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Austin Watson and Artem Zub. The Bruins took the lead back with a Brandon Carlo goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Mike Reilly. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Nick Holden goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Connor Brown and Nick Paul. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Taylor Hall. The three stars were Pastrnak, Carlo, and DeBrusk.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Jack Campbell are the masked men. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. The Blues added on with a Klim Kostin goal, his fourth of the year, via Tyler Bozak and Jake Walman. Toronto got on the board with a William Nylander goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Kerfoot and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a Nylander goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, coming off of Kerfoot and Justin Holl. St. Louis retook the lead with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Justin Faulk and Oskar Sundqvist. Toronto tied it on a T.J. Brodie goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by David Kampf and Ondrej Kase. The Blues regained the lead in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by David Perron and Colton Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead as Ryan O'Reilly scored his eleventh of the year, passed from Niko Mikkola and Perron. The Blues padded the lead on a Buchnevich empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Thomas. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars given to Buchnevich, Perron, and Nylander, while Thomas and Kerfoot get the honorable mentions.

Way down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Karel Vejmelka man the nets. Arizona started in the first period with an Anton Stralman goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Janis Moser and Loui Eriksson. Los Angeles tied it with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Tobias Bjornfot. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Alex Galchenyuk and Phil Kessel. Arizona added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Travis Boyd and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Kings got one back with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kempe and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Moore goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault in the third period. The Kings pulled ahead with a Doughty goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles extended the lead as Kempe scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, thanks to Doughty and Kopitar. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Kempe, Doughty, and Kopitar.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Thatcher Demko are the American goalies. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Hampus Lindholm and the goalie Gibson. The Ducks added on with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his third of the year, via Derek Grant and Sam Carrick. Anaheim extended the lead as Rickard Rakell scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, powered by Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks padded the lead on an Adam Henrique power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Jakob Silfverberg and Terry. Anaheim continued with a Sam Steel goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Zegras and Sonny Milano. Jaroslav Halak replaced Demko in goal. Vancouver got on the board with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Conor Garland and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks got closer with a Pettersson power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Ducks fired back on a Henrique goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Zegras and Simon Benoit. Anaheim struck again in the third period with a Deslauriers goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, passed from Carrick. Vancouver got one back with a Garland goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Pearson and Pettersson. The Canucks pulled closer with a Hughes goal, his fourth of the season, dished from Tyler Motte. The final stood at 7-4, with the three stars given to Zegras, Deslauriers, and Henrique, while Pettersson, Hughes, Garland, Pearson, Terry, and Carrick get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Seattle tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Lindholm goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Christopher Tanev and Tkachuk. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars handed to Lindholm, Tkachuk, and Markstrom (22 for 23 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 118

Just four games are on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina led off in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Martin Necas and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his tenth of the year, via Necas and Skjei in the second period. Nashville got on the board with a Luke Kunin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. Carolina shot back with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his third of the year, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes extended the lead on a Svechnikov power play goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Aho. The Predators got one back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Josi and Matt Duchene. Nashville pulled closer on a Tanner Jeannot goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Josi. Carolina iced it at 5-3 with a Svechnikov empty net goal on the power play, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, set up by Slavin. The three stars were Svechnikov, Skjei, and Slavin, while Josi, Necas, and Aho get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Minnesota began in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Mats Zuccarello. Florida tied it on a Mason Marchment goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers took the lead on another Marchment goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, coming off of Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart. Florida added on in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period with an Ekblad power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Duclair and Huberdeau. The Wild got one back on a Zuccarello power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Florida shot back with a Carter Verhaeghe empty net goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers iced it at 6-2 with a Marchment empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Lundell. The three stars were Marchment, Ekblad, and Duclair, while Huberdeau, Lundell, Kaprizov, and Zuccarello receive the honorable mentions. 

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. There was no scoring until the shootout, where Jason Robertson and Jacob Peterson lifted the Stars to a 1-0 win over Alex DeBrincat and the Blackhawks. The three stars were awarded to Oettinger (34 save shutout), Fleury (29 save "shutout"), and Peterson.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Laurent Brossoit are in the creases. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Marchessault and William Karlsson. Los Angeles got on the board with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings tied it on an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar in the second period. Vegas retook the lead on another Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, fueled by Jack Eichel and Ben Hutton. Los Angeles tied it again with a Phillip Danault goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Viktor Arvidsson and Matt Roy. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Kempe goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, guided in by Sean Durzi and Kopitar. The three stars were Kempe, Pacioretty, and Kopitar, while Marchessault gets an honorable mention. 

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