NHL 2021-22 - Day 130

Four games on for this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jacob Bryson power play goal, powered by Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. Toronto tied it on a Rasmus Sandin goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Michael Bunting and Mitchell Marner. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Rasmus Asplund and Rasmus Dahlin. Buffalo added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period as Skinner scored his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo padded the lead as Kyle Okposo scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Cozens and Mark Pysyk. The final stood from here at 5-1, with the three stars being Anderson (29 for 30 in saves), Cozens, and Skinner.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York started in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Adam Fox. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, his twelfth of the year, via Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba. St. Louis got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Brandon Saad and David Perron. The Blues tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis pulled ahead on a Perron goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by O'Reilly and Colton Parayko. New York retied it in the third period on a Patrik Nemeth goal, guided in by Strome and Dryden Hunt. The Rangers took the lead on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Fox and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Panarin, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Fox. The three stars were Panarin, Fox, and Strome, while O'Reilly and Perron get the honorable mentions.

Further south to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Trevor Moore. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Luke Glendening goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Michael Raffl and Radek Faksa. The Kings took the lead on an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles added on with a Kaliyev power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, powered by Sean Durzi and Dustin Brown. The Stars got one back with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. Dallas tied it on a Ryan Suter goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Joel Kiviranta and Jacob Peterson. The Stars took the lead on an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Suter and Jamie Benn. This made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Suter, Kaliyev, and Radulov.

Out in Seattle, the Kraken host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros faces a lesser foe in Chris Driedger in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Philip Tomasino goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael McCarron and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Josi and Ryan Johansen. Seattle got on the board with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fifth of the season, via Marcus Johansson and Kole Lind. The Kraken tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Morgan Geekie. Seattle took the lead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Colin Blackwell and Vince Dunn. Nashville retied it on another Duchene goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro. The Kraken retook the lead in the third period with a Blackwell shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Gourde. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars given to Blackwell, Gourde, and Duchene, while Josi gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 129

Nine games are on the slate Tuesday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Ottawa started in the first period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Thomas Chabot and Connor Brown. The Senators added on with a Zach Sanford goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Colin White and Brady Tkachuk. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his tenth of the season, via Brayden Point. The Lightning tied it on a Point goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Jan Rutta. Tampa Bay took the lead in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Point. The Lightning extended the lead as Corey Perry scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Pat Maroon and Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his third of the season, fueled by Point. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Point, Kucherov, and Stamkos.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Carter Hart protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton iced it at 3-0 with a McDavid empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The three stars were Koskinen (39 save shutout), Draisaitl, and McDavid.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. New Jersey opened the scoring in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Jake Christiansen goal, coming off of Cole Sillinger and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek and Jack Roslovic. Columbus added on in the second period with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Patrik Laine and Voracek. The Devils got one back with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Damon Severson and Michael McLeod. The Blue Jackets answered in the third period with a Laine goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Jenner and Gabriel Carlsson. New Jersey pulled one back on a Pavel Zacha goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Laine, Jenner, and Voracek.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Teuvo Teravainen. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Carter Rowney goal, his fourth of the year, via Sam Gagner and Adam Erne. The Red Wings took the lead with a Michael Rasmussen goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, passed from Jordan Oesterle and Filip Zadina. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Jesper Fast goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce. Carolina took the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ian Cole and Nino Niederreiter. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Tyler Bertuzzi and Moritz Seider. The three stars were Raymond, Larkin, and Rasmussen.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli. The Flames added on with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Calgary answered with a Lindholm goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames extended the lead as Toffoli scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary padded the lead on a Backlund empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Mangiapane and Noah Hanifin. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Tkachuk, and Lindholm, while Backlund, Mangiapane, and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nate Schmidt and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with a Schmidt goal, his fourth of the year, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Svechnikov. Winnipeg extended the lead as Adam Lowry scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Dylan DeMelo. The Jets padded the lead on a Mark Scheifele goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Dubois and Connor. Montreal got on the board with a Josh Anderson goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jeff Petry. The Canadiens got closer with another Anderson power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Montreal pulled closer on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jake Evans. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with an Anderson goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, with a helper from Ryan Poehling. Winnipeg retook the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Neal Pionk and Paul Stastny on the power play. The Jets continued in the third period with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by Blake Wheeler on the power play. Winnipeg struck again on a Dubois power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Scheifele and Wheeler. Andrew Hammond replaced Montembeault in goal. The Jets kept going with a Stastny power play goal, his thirteenth of year, dished from Lowry and Copp. The final stood at 8-4, with the three stars handed to Scheifele, Dubois, and Anderson, while Connor, Lowry, Copp, Stastny, Svechnikov, Schmidt, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Cale Makar and Devon Toews. New York tied it on a Ryan Pulock goal, courtesy of Zach Parise and Josh Bailey. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Toews goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Andre Burakovsky and Makar. The Islanders retied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Parise and Cal Clutterbuck. New York took the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his sixth of the year, via Andy Greene and Pageau. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Toews. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a Burakovsky goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Kadri. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Erik Johnson, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Toews, Burakovsky, and Makar, while Pageau, Kadri, and Parise get the honorable mentions.

To Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his sixth of the season, via Brett Howden. Zach Sawchenko replaced an injured Reimer in goal. San Jose tied it on a Noah Gregor goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano in the second period. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Vegas added on in the third period with a Smith goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Karlsson and Marchessault. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Smith, Lehner (16 for 17 in saves), and Karlsson, while Marchessault gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Trevor Zegras. Boston tied it on a Nick Foligno goal, his second of the year, fueled by Brandon Carlo and Tomas Nosek. The Ducks took the lead back with an Isac Lundestrom goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Cam Fowler and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Troy Terry and Getzlaf. The Bruins got one back in the second period with a Carlo goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nosek and Foligno. Boston tied it in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by Taylor Hall and Erik Haula. The Ducks won 4-3 with a Zegras power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Jamie Drysdale and Getzlaf. The three stars were Zegras, Getzlaf, and Foligno, while Carlo and Nosek get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 128

There's just three games on this Monday, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Nico Daws are the goalies. New Jersey opened with a Jack Hughes goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Dawson Mercer and Hughes. New Jersey extended the lead on a Mercer power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Bo Horvat and Travis Hamonic. The Devils replied with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Ryan Graves. New Jersey padded the lead as Graves scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Sharangovich. The Devils chased Halak with a Bratt goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Pavel Zacha and Hischier. Thatcher Demko relieved Halak in goal. The Canucks got one back with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Brad Hunt and J.T. Miller. New Jersey shot back in the third period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Boqvist and Tomas Tatar. This stood for a 7-2 win, with the three stars given to Mercer, Sharangovich, and Bratt, while Hughes, Graves, Boqvist and Hischier get the honorable mentions.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Mitchell Marner and Rasmus Sandin. Washington tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a William Nylander goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot. Toronto added on with a Justin Holl goal, his second of the year, guided in by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Vitek Vanecek replaced Samsonov in the second period. The Capitals got one back in the second period with a Tom Wilson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Carlson. Washington tied it in the third period with a Wilson shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Martin Fehervary. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Sandin goal, his third of the season, helped along by Holl and Tavares. Toronto iced it at 5-3 with a Pierre Engvall empty net goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Ilya Mikheyev. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. Boston struck first in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with another DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston extended the lead as DeBrusk completed his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins padded the lead on a Bergeron power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Marchand. Boston continued with a Taylor Hall, goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Pastrnak and McAvoy. The Bruins struck again in the third period with an Erik Haula power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith. Boston kept going on a Haula goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Hall and DeBrusk. This made it 7-0, with the three stars awarded to DeBrusk, Haula, and Bergeron, while Swayman (34 save shutout), Hall, Marchand, Pastrnak, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 127

There's eight games on for a busy Sunday. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina opened in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Andrei Svechnikov and Jalen Chatfield. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Teravainen and Svechnikov. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Teravainen, Svechnikov, and Andersen (29 for 30 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. Dallas started in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Radek Faksa and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on with a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Thomas Harley in the second period. Buffalo got on the board with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson. Dallas replied with a Raffl goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, guided in by Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Dallas extended the lead in the third period on a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Esa Lindell and Jamie Benn. The Sabres got one back with a Cody Eakin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Robert Hagg. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Raffl, Oettinger (38 for 40 in saves), and Hintz.

North to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Robert Thomas. St. Louis extended the lead on a David Perron power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Blues padded the lead as Perron scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars given to Binnington (30 save shutout), Perron, and Schenn.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Scott Wedgewood draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his sixth of the season, via Nathan Beaulieu and Nate Schmidt. Arizona tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his third of the year, assisted by Vladislav Kolyachonok and Loui Eriksson. The Jets retook the lead with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Beaulieu and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Coyotes retied it on a Barrett Hayton goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nick Ritchie and Chychrun. Arizona took the lead with a Ritchie goal in the second period, his third of the season, guided in by Eriksson and Hayton. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny. The Jets took the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-first of the season, helped along by Svechnikov and Dubois. Winnipeg added with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, set up by Neal Pionk. The three stars were handed to Connor, Svechnikov, and Dubois, while Beaulieu, Hayton, Ritchie, Chychrun, and Eriksson get the honorable mentions in 5-3 game.

Back east, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Elvis Merzlikins are set to start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Jack Roslovic and Jakub Voracek. Pittsburgh tied it on a Chad Ruhwedel goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period on a Roslovic goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins tied it on a Malkin power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, fueled by Kris Letang and Rust. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Malkin, Rust, and Roslovic.

Next up, the New York Rangers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko faces a lesser foe in Alexandar Georgiev in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Myers goal, helped along by Miller and Matthew Highmore. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Juho Lammikko scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Luke Schenn. The Canucks padded the lead on a Highmore power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Myers. New York got on the board in the third period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers got closer with a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with an Elias Pettersson empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by the goalie Demko. The three stars were Miller, Myers, and Highmore. 

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Anthony Stolarz are set to start in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Noah Dobson goal, his ninth of the season, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Ross Johnston and Cal Clutterbuck in the second period. New York extended the lead in the third period as Andy Greene scored his second of the season, thanks to Johnston and Cizikas. The Islanders padded the lead with a Kieffer Bellows goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Oliver Wahlstrom and Sebastian Aho. The three stars of the 4-0 game were Sorokin (34 save shutout), Cizikas, and Johnston.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and James Reimer tend the twines. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Logan Couture and Noah Gregor. Seattle tied it on a Morgan Geekie goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Ryan Donato and Austin Czarnik. The Sharks took the lead in the second period with a Scott Reedy goal, helped along by Jasper Weatherby. San Jose added on in the third period with a Jonah Gadjovich power play goal, powered by Weatherby and Brent Burns. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Reimer (39 for 40 in saves), Weatherby, and Reedy. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 126

We're ready to go with ten games today, including three matinees and one outdoors. The action starts with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Carter Hart man the nets. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Joel Farabee. The Flyers added on with an Atkinson goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Scott Laughton and Rasmus Ristolainen. Washington got on the board in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Atkinson, Hart (27 for 28 in saves), and Giroux.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Warren Foegele and Devin Shore. Florida tied it on an Anton Lundell goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Frank Vatrano and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers took the lead with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Anthony Duclair and Aaron Ekblad. The Oilers retied it in the second period with a Ryan goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, fueled by Ryan McLeod and Markus Niemelainen. Edmonton took the lead on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie. The Oilers added on with a Ryan goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the year, helped along by Evander Kane and McDavid. Florida pulled one back with a Barkov power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Duclair. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars being Ryan, Barkov, and McDavid, while Duclair gets an honorable mention. 

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Jarry (27 save shutout), Malkin, and Shesterkin (25 for 26 in saves). 

At the usual time, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Andrew Hammond is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Montreal started in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eighth of the season, via Ben Chiarot. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Colin White power play goal, powered by Connor Brown and Victor Mete. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Lehkonen goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Jake Evans. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Lehkonen, Hammond (26 for 27 in saves), and Murray (30 for 32 in saves).

Stateside, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the blue paint. Toronto opened in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs added on with a Michael Bunting goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Holl and Mitchell Marner. Detroit got on the board with a Lucas Raymond goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Marc Staal and Filip Hronek. Toronto replied with a David Kampf goal, his eighth of the year, via Ilya Mikheyev and Alexander Kerfoot. Thomas Greiss replaced Nedeljkovic in goal. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the second period as Marner scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Auston Matthews and Bunting. Toronto padded the lead on a Marner goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, fueled by Matthews and Bunting. The Maple Leafs continued when Marner finished his natural hat trick on his twentieth of the season, with the help of Bunting and Matthews. The Red Wings got one back with a Sam Gagner goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto responded with a Matthews goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, helped along by T.J. Brodie and Marner. Nedeljkovic returned to the net in the third period, relieving Greiss. Detroit got one back with a Hronek goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Staal and Raymond. The Red Wings got closer with a Carter Rowney goal, his third of the season, passed from Hronek and Adam Erne. Detroit pulled closer on a Joe Veleno goal, his fifth of the year, with assists from Hronek and Danny DeKeyser. Petr Mrazek relieved Campbell in goal. The Red Wings chipped closer on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Moritz Seider and Veleno. The Maple Leafs responded with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his ninth of the year, dished from Kerfoot and Ilya Lyubushkin. Detroit shot back on a Raymond goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming off of Dylan Larkin and Seider. Toronto countered with an Ondrej Kase shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Kampf and Holl. The Maple Leafs continued with Marner's fourth goal of the game and his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Bunting. The final stood at 10-7, with the three stars awarded to Marner, Bunting, and Matthews, while Raymond, Hronek, Kampf, Kase, Mikheyev, Holl, Kerfoot, Veleno, Seider, and Staal get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the game goes outdoors as the Predators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stadium Series. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Tanner Jeannot power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Philip Tomasino and Colton Sissons. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos in the second period. The Lightning took the lead with a Kucherov power play goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Victor Hedman and Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Stamkos goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Cal Foote and Alex Killorn. The Predators got one back with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Johansen. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (26 for 28 in saves).

Out west, the Calgary Flames host the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jon Merrill and Kevin Fiala. Calgary tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twelfth of the year, via Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Toffoli. Calgary added on with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nikita Zadorov and Tkachuk. The Flames extended the lead as Andrew Mangiapane scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Blake Coleman and Andersson. Calgary padded the lead on a Coleman shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Lindholm. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Matt Boldy. Minnesota pulled closer with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Mats Zuccarello. The Flames responded with a Tkachuk empty net goal on the power play, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with an assist from Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary iced it at 7-3 with a Toffoli empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, passed from Christopher Tanev. The three stars were Tkachuk, Toffoli, and Coleman, while Lindholm and Andersson get the honorable mentions.

South to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Laurent Brossoit patrol the creases. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore. Colorado tied it on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Alex Newhook and Samuel Girard. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Reilly Smith. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jack Johnson and Logan O'Connor. Colorado took the lead on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The final was 3-2, with the three stars handed to MacKinnon, Compher, and Burakovsky.

In California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and James Reimer are the masked men. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Jake DeBrusk and Erik Haula. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Logan Couture. The Bruins retook the lead in the third period with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, assisted by Taylor Hall and Craig Smith. Boston added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourteenth of the year, via David Pastrnak and Marchand. The three stars of the 3-2 game belonged to Marchand, Bergeron, and Swayman (15 for 16 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Cal Petersen protect the nets. Los Angeles got going in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Trevor Moore and Tobias Bjornfot. The Kings added on with a Matt Roy goal, passed from Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Quinton Byfield scored his second of the year, going in unassisted. New York got on the board with an Anders Lee goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. The Kings shot back with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Arthur Kaliyev and Roy. The Islanders got one back with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, fueled by Dobson and Sebastian Aho. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Moore empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Viktor Arvidsson. The three stars were Moore, Roy, and Dobson. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 125

There's six games on for this Friday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jean-Francois Berube and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Carolina got going in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nino Niederreiter and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Niederreiter scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Martin Necas. The three stars were Niederreiter, Andersen (19 save shutout), and Staal. 

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Ville Husso are set to start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Asplund and Kyle Okposo. St. Louis tied it on a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by David Perron and Justin Faulk. The Blues took the lead with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, courtesy of Faulk and Ivan Barbashev. The Sabres retied it in the second period with an Okposo goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and Cozens. St. Louis regained the lead on a Jake Walman goal, his second of the season, via Brandon Saad and Barbashev. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch. The Blues retook the lead with a Colton Parayko goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Kyrou and Barbashev. St. Louis iced it at 5-3 with a Brayden Schenn empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars went to Kyrou, Barbashev, and Okposo, while Cozens and Faulk get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Kevin Lankinen are the goalies. Chicago led off in the first period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Ryan Graves. The Devils took the lead with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Seth Jones. Chicago pulled ahead on another Kane power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Seth Jones and DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Hagel power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Kane and DeBrincat. New Jersey got one back with a Jesper Bratt goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Damon Severson and Siegenthaler. The Devils tied it in the third period on a Siegenthaler goal, courtesy of Dougie Hamilton. Chicago regained the lead with a Kirby Dach goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Connor Murphy and Caleb Jones. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Ryan Carpenter scored his second of the season, thanks to MacKenzie Entwistle and Seth Jones. New Jersey pulled one back with Bratt's second goal of the game and eighteenth of the year, fueled by Severson and Hughes. Chicago responded with a Kane empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks finished it at 8-5 with a Hagel empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the year, set up by Caleb Jones. The three stars were Kane, Hagel, and DeBrincat, while Seth Jones, Caleb Jones, Sigenthaler, Severson, Bratt, and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Further west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Cononr Hellebuyck and Pavel Francouz patrol the creases. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Brenden Dillon. The Jets added on with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Josh Morrissey and Dubois. Winnipeg extended the lead on an Adam Lowry shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Dominic Toninato and Nathan Beaulieu. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. The Avalanche got closer on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Rantanen. Colorado tied it with another Landeskog goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Valeri Nichushkin and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche took the lead as Burakovsky scored his fifteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Toews and Cale Makar. Colorado padded the lead with a MacKinnon goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Rantanen and Makar. The Avalanche continued as Landeskog completed his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the season, with the help of Nichushkin and Kadri. The final held at 6-3 with the three stars awarded to Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Rantanen, while Burakovsky, Kadri, Nichushkin, Makar, Toews, and Dubois get the honorable mentions.

Along to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Scott Wedgewood are the masked men. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a William Carrier goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Zach Whitecloud and Brayden McNabb. Arizona tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his ninth of the year, via Jakob Chychrun and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Anton Stralman and Travis Boyd. Arizona iced it at 3-1 with a Schmaltz empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Clayton Keller. The three stars were Schmaltz, Wedgewood (43 for 44 in saves), and Gostisbehere.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the American goalies. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Quinton Byfield and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with an Adrian Kempe goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Kopitar power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Kempe and Drew Doughty. The Kings padded the lead on another Kempe goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Troy Terry goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars given to Kempe, Kopitar, and Quick (24 for 25 in saves). 

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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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