NHL 2021-22 - Day 152

We've got ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman tend the twines. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brandon Hagel shorthanded goal, his twenty-second of the season, set up by Ondrej Palat. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Hampus Lindholm. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Brayden Point and Nikita Kuchreov. The Bruins retied it on another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Haula and Connor Clifton. Boston took the lead with a Pastrnak goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Taylor Hall and Haula. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Haula, and Hagel.

In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Jake Allen are the goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Cole Caufield and Chris Wideman. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Robert Hagg and Claude Giroux. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Mason Marchment goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens tied it on a Jake Evans goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Alexander Romanov and Mike Hoffman. Florida retook the lead on an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Giroux. Montreal pulled one back with a Paul Byron goal, his third of the season, assisted by Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Huberdeau, Giroux, and Reinhart.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Dallas got going in the second period with a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. Carolina tied it with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Stars tied it on a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Carolina retook the lead on a Niederreiter goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Skjei and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Dallas tied it on another Hintz goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, with helpers from Robertson and Pavelski. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Tyler Seguin's lone tally lifted the Stars to a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Hintz, Niederreiter, and Robertson, while Pavelski and Skjei receive honorable mentions.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Ilya Sorokin are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his twelfth of the year, via Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead in the second period as Brock Nelson scored his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Lee and Barzal. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Greiss in goal. The Islanders padded the lead on a Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Detroit got on the board with a Pius Suter goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Filip Hronek and Tyler Bertuzzi. New York shot back with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Beauvillier and Lee. The Red Wings got one back with a Sam Gagner goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Jakub Vrana. The three stars of the 5-2 game belonged to Nelson, Beauvillier, and Lee, while Barzal gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Jordan Binnington are the experienced backups in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kevin Connauton and Hayden Hodgson. The Flyers added on with a Patrick Brown goal, his fourth of the year, via Cam York and Owen Tippett. St. Louis got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. Philadelphia replied with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Kevin Hayes and York. The Blues shot back with an Alexei Toropchenko goal, his second of the season, passed from Logan Brown. The Flyers replied in the third period with a Hodgson goal, helped along by Hayes. Philadelphia finished it at 5-2 with a Joel Farabee empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by James van Riemsdyk. The three stars were Konecny, Hodgson, and Hayes, while York gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Vancouver started in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brock Boeser. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-third of the year, courtesy of Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks retied it in the third period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, via Kaprizov and Jonas Brodin. The three stars were Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Fiala.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Connor Hellebuyck man the nets. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his tenth of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Artem Zub and Josh Norris. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mathieu Joseph and Chris Tierney. Ottawa added on with a Colin White power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Tim Stutzle and Erik Brannstrom. The Senators extended the lead as Connor Brown scored his tenth of the season, passed from Stutzle and Michael Del Zotto. The Jets got one back with a Kyle Connor goal, his fortieth of the year, assisted by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Scheifele. Ottawa finished it at 5-2 with a Tkachuk empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Del Zotto. The three stars were Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Del Zotto, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Mike Smith patrol the creases. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his tenth of the season, via Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. Edmonton tied it on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan McLeod and Duncan Keith on the power play. The Oilers took the lead with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his forty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton added on with a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Jesse Puljujarvi and Evan Bouchard. The Sharks got one back with a Hertl goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Meier and Karlsson. The Oilers replied with a Draisaitl power play goal, his second of the game and forty-fourth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with an Evander Kane empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by McDavid and Yamamoto. The three stars were Draisaitl, Yamamoto, and McDavid, while Karlsson, Hertl, and Meier get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Logan Thompson are given the starting nods in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his ninth of the season, via Alex Pietrangelo and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with a Nicolas Roy goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas extended the lead on an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Stephenson. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, helped along by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Golden Knights responded with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Marchessault and Dadonov. Vegas padded the lead as Stephenson scored his sixteenth of the year on the power play in the third period, with the help of Eichel and Marchessault. The Golden Knights continued as Pietrangelo scored his eleventh of the campaign, thanks to Roy and Dadonov. The final was 6-1, with the three stars awarded to Dadonov, Stephenson, and Marchessault, while Pietrangelo, Roy, and Eichel get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Erik Gustafsson. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Sean Durzi. The Blackhawks took the lead with a DeBrincat goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Dylan Strome and Kane. The Kings tied it on a power play goal by Phillip Danault, his twentieth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Durzi. Chicago retook the lead with a Sam Lafferty goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Taylor Raddysh and Seth Jones. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with another Danault goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, passed from Viktor Arvidsson and Durzi. The tie lasted to a shootout, where DeBrincat's lone tally lifted the Blackhawks to a 4-3 win. The three stars were DeBrincat, Danault, and Durzi, while Kane gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 151

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

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period on a Damon Severson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Toronto tied it on an Ilya Mikheyev shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Alexander Kerfoot. The Devils took the lead on a Hischier goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting. Toronto took the lead on a Pierre Engvall shorthanded goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Engvall, Mikheyev, and Hischier.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Mattias Samuelsson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. The Sabres took the lead with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Kyle Okposo. The Penguins tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Rust. Buffalo retook the lead in the third period with another Thompson goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Malkin and Crosby. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Thompson and Tuch lifted the Sabres 4-3 over the Penguins. The three stars were Thompson, Tuch, and Crosby, while Malkin and Rust get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Darcy Kuemper make the starts in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Tanner Pearson and Conor Garland. Colorado got on the board with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin. Vancouver iced it at 3-1 with a Bo Horvat empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Miller and Pearson. The three stars were Halak (32 for 33 in saves), Miller, and Pearson.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Chicago began in the first period with a Taylor Raddysh power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Patrick Kane. Anaheim tied it on a Sam Carrick goal, his tenth of the year, via Buddy Robinson and Max Comtois. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with a Kane power play goal, his twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Alex DeBrincat and Seth Jones. The Ducks tied it in the third period with another Carrick goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, fueled by Adam Henrique and Trevor Zegras. Chicago took the lead back with a Strome goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Riley Stillman and Kane. The Blackhawks finished it at 4-2 with a DeBrincat empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, set up by Jonathan Toews and Jake McCabe. The three stars were Kane, Carrick, and Strome, while DeBrincat gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 150

There's eleven games on today, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Carolina got going in the second period with a Martin Necas power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Ethan Bear and Seth Jarvis. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nick Paul goal, his twelfth of the year, via Ross Colton. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin. The Lightning got one back with an Alex Killorn goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Jarvis, Aho, and DeAngelo.

Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Jakub Voracek. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Radim Zohorna goal, his second of the year, via Brian Boyle and Chad Ruhwedel. The Penguins took the lead on a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues. Pittsburgh added on with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins extended the lead as Guentzel scored his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, thanks to Crosby and Mike Matheson. Pittsburgh padded the lead in the third period with a Malkin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Rust and Crosby. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Guentzel, Crosby, and Malkin, while Rust gets an honorable mention.

To DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by John Carlson and Tom Wilson. St. Louis tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals took the lead back with a Wilson goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Anthony Mantha. The Blues tied it again on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Saad and David Perron. St. Louis pulled ahead in the second period with a Nathan Walker goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brayden Schenn and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Schenn goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Perron empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Schenn in the third period. The three stars were Schenn, Saad, and Perron, while Wilson gets an honorable mention.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin faces a lesser foe in Nico Daws in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, passed from Chris Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers added on with an Adam Fox goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Zibanejad and Andrew Copp. New Jersey got on the board with a Ryan Graves goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Jesper Bratt in the second period. The Devils tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Andreas Johnsson and Ty Smith. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Dawson Mercer goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Graves. The Devils extended the lead as Tomas Tatar scored his twelfth of the year, fueled by Damon Severson and Bratt. New Jersey padded the lead on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Nico Hischier and Dougie Hamilton. Alexandar Georgiev replaced Shesterkin in goal. New York pulled one back in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. The Devils shot back on a Jack Hughes power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Hischier. New Jersey struck again with another Hughes goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, made possible by Sharangovich and Subban. The Rangers pulled one back on a Kreider power play goal, his forty-second of the season, dished from Copp and Fox. This only made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars going to Hughes, Graves, and Subban, while Sharangovich, Hischier, Bratt, Kreider, Fox, Zibanejad, and Copp get the honorable mentions.

In New York, the Islanders welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Semyon Varlamov are given the starts in goal. New York cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Scott Mayfield goal, his third of the season, guided in by Brock Nelson and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with a Lee goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Casey Cizikas and Nelson. New York finished it at 3-0 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Nelson and Mayfield. The three stars were handed to Varlamov (24 save shutout), Lee, and Mayfield, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Alex Nedeljkovic protect the nets. Detroit started in the first period with a Joe Veleno goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Givani Smith and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings added on with a Jakub Vrana goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Pius Suter and Tyler Bertuzzi. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Lucas Raymond scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Dylan Larkin and Gustav Lindstrom. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny. The Flyers pulled one back with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Konecny and Hayes. The Red Wings answered with a Vrana goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Larkin and Bertuzzi. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Cam Atkinson and Farabee. Detroit responded with an Oskar Sundqvist empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Suter and Hronek. The Red Wings iced it at 6-3 with a Bertuzzi empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Sundqvist and Marc Staal. The three stars were Bertuzzi, Vrana, and Farabee, while Sundqvist, Larkin, Suter, Hronek, Hayes, and Konecny get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Dylan DeMelo. Winnipeg extended the lead as Neal Pionk scored his third of the season, thanks to Connor and Paul Stastny. The Jets padded the lead on an Ehlers goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Scheifele and Wheeler. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (42 save shutout), Scheifele, and Ehlers, while Connor and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, with the Stars welcoming the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jake Oettinger patrol the creases. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid. Dallas tied it on a Jason Robertson goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Jamie Benn and Esa Lindell in the second period. The Stars took the lead with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Roope Hintz. The Oilers tied it on an Evander Kane shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by McDavid and Ceci. Edmonton took the lead on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his forty-second of the season, passed from Devin Shore. Dallas retied it on a Hintz goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Klingberg and Robertson. The Stars took the lead on a Denis Gurianov goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers provided by Tyler Seguin and Benn. Dallas iced it at 5-3 with a Seguin empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Pavelski. The three stars were Hintz, Robertson, and Seguin, while Pavelski, Benn, Klingberg, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Calgary Flames bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on with a Dillon Dube goal, his eighth of the year, via Tkachuk. San Jose got on the board with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary answered in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Gaudreau. The Sharks got one back with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Brent Burns and Alexander Barabanov. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Barabanov goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Tomas Hertl. The Sharks took the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-first of the season, twenty-first of the season, guided in by Noah Gregor and Sasha Chmelevski. This gave them a 4-3 win, with the three stars handed to Barabanov, Gaudreau, and Tkachuk.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Karel Vejmelka are in the creases. Arizona drew first blood in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Shayne Gostisbehere. Seattle tied it on a Carson Soucy goal, his eighth of the year, via Jordan Eberle and Alex Wennberg. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Loui Eriksson. The Kraken tied it on a Daniel Sprong power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn. Seattle took the lead on a Soucy goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Morgan Geekie. The Kraken added on in the third period with a Geekie goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jared McCann and Kole Lind. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars given to Soucy, Geekie, and Sprong.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Nashville Predators. David Rittich and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, via Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with an Arthur Kaliyev power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Quinton Byfield and Jordan Spence. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Blake Lizotte. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Philip Tomasino goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. The Kings responded in the third period with a Byfield goal, his third of the season, fueled by Rasmus Kupari and Moore. Los Angeles padded the lead with a Kempe empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings continued on a Byfield goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Byfield, Kempe, and Moore, while Kopitar gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 149

We've got four games on after today's trade deadline. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Jake Allen are in the creases. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Erik Haula and Connor Clifton. Montreal tied it in the second period on a David Savard goal, his second of the year, guided in by Alexander Romanov and Paul Byron. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Joel Armia shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins retied it on a Clifton goal, his second of the year, fueled by Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Haula. The three stars were Marchand, Clifton, and Haula. 

Over in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Minnesota began in the first period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Brandon Duhaime and Tyson Jost. The Wild added on in the third period with a Matt Dumba goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Ryan Hartman goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Marcus Foligno. The three stars were awarded to Talbot (28 save shutout), Deslauriers, and Dumba. 

Along to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Darcy Kuemper protect the nets. Colorado opened in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri. Edmonton tied it on a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, assisted by Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin. The Oilers tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Yamamoto. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a MacKinnon goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, made possible by Makar. The three stars were Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Makar, while Yamamoto get the honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim started in the first period with a Derek Grant goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Philip Tomasino and Nick Cousins. The Predators took the lead with a Ryan Johansen power play goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund. The Ducks tied it on a Troy Terry goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Zegras. Nashville took the lead in the third period with a Forsberg goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, with assists provided by Forsberg and Granlund. Anaheim got one back with a Grant goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, passed from Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. Nashville replied with a Duchene power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, helped along by Forsberg and Josi. The Predators iced it at 6-3 with a Forsberg empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Johansen and Duchene. The three stars belonged to Forsberg, Duchene, and Josi, while Grant, Johansen, Granlund, Zegras, and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 148

It's a six-game Sunday on the schedule, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Carter Hart man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee. The Flyers took the lead with another Hayes goal on the power play, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, powered by Farabee and Konecny. The three stars on the 2-1 game were Hayes, Farabee, and Konecny. 

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Dallas began in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his fourth of the season, via Esa Lindell and Marian Studenic. The Stars added on with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fortieth of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Dallas replied on a Hintz power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Pavelski and Tyler Seguin. The Capitals got one back in the third period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Tom Wilson. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Hintz, Pavelski, and Radulov.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. New York got going in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his forty-first of the season, guided in by Jacob Trouba and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers iced it at 2-0 with a Frank Vatrano empty net goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, set up by Mika Zibanejad. The three stars were Georgiev (44 save shutout), Kreider, and Vatrano.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Nate Schmidt. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his eighth of the year, via Taylor Raddysh and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Dylan Strome goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. The Jets tied it on a Jansen Harkins goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Dylan DeMelo and Andrew Copp. Winnipeg pulled ahead with another Harkins goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Copp and Evgeny Svechnikov. The Jets added on with a Connor power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead as Josh Morrissey scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Scheifele and Wheeler. Chicago got one back in the third period with a Raddysh goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Strome on the power play. The Blackhawks pulled closer with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Sam Lafferty and Seth Jones. The Jets finished it at 6-4 with a Wheeler empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Connor and Copp. The three stars were handed to Connor, Harkins, and Raddysh, while Wheeler, Scheifele, Copp, Strome, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and James Reimer are between the pipes. San Jose started in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Andrew Cogliano and Noah Gregor. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Crouse power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Kessel and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Sharks retied it on a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Alexander Barabanov and Jaycob Megna. San Jose pulled ahead with a Gregor goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Logan Couture. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Rudolfs Balcers empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gregor, Crouse, and Kessel.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his third of the season, coming off of Victor Olofsson and Colin Miller. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Conor Garland and Luke Schenn in the second period. The Sabres retook the lead on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Dahlin and Mittelstadt. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Miller and Quinn Hughes. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Dahlin goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. The three stars were Dahlin, J.T. Miller, and Mittelstadt. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 147

There's eleven games on today, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. New York got going in the second period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his second of the season, via Adam Pelech and Cal Clutterbuck. Dallas tied it on a Denis Gurianov goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jacob Peterson and Ryan Suter. The Islanders retook the lead in the third period with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. New York added on with another Nelson goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Anthony Beauvillier and Anders Lee. The Stars got one back with a Peterson goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Tyler Seguin and Gurianov. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with a Nelson empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-seventh of the year. The three stars went to Nelson, Peterson, and Gurianov. 

West to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Kevin Fiala and Jon Merrill. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Seth Jones goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Dylan Strome. The Wild retook the lead on a Ryan Hartman goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with a Jordan Greenway empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Merrill. The three stars were Hartman, Merrill, and Talbot (21 for 22 in saves). 

Further along in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Jon Gillies and Mikko Koskinen man the nets. Edmonton began in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his forty-first of the season, assisted by Jesse Puljujarvi and Cody Ceci. New Jersey tied it on a Jesper Bratt goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Nico Hischier and Dougie Hamilton. The Oilers reclaimed the lead in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid. The Devils retied it in the third period with a Bratt goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, coming off of Ryan Graves and Andreas Johnsson. New Jersey pulled ahead on a Hischier goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Bratt. Edmonton retied it on a Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Kris Russell and Devin Shore. The Oilers pulled ahead with a Kane power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by McDavid and Barrie. Edmonton added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Draisaitl and Puljujarvi. The Oilers finished it at 6-3 with a McDavid empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDavid, Kane, and Draisaitl, while Barrie, Bratt, Puljujarvi, and Hischier get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Logan Thompson are the younger goalies. Vegas started in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Ben Hutton. The Golden Knights added on with a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault in the second period. Los Angeles got on the board with a Phillip Danault goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Trevor Moore and Jordan Spence. Vegas replied with Mattias Janmark shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Nicolas Roy and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Pietrangelo scored his tenth of the season into an empty net in the third period, going in unassisted. Vegas finished it at 5-1 with a Michael Amadio goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Keegan Kolesar. The three stars were Pietrangelo, Thompson (38 for 39 in saves), and Stephenson. 

Further south, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Scott Wedgewood receive the starts in goal. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Jeff Carter. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Anton Stralman. The Penguins took the lead back with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his eleventh of the season, via Bryan Rust in the third period. Pittsburgh added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Jake Guentzel. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-second of the season, set up by Evan Rodrigues and Brian Dumoulin. The three stars went to Crosby, Malkin, and Jarry (20 for 21 in saves). 

Back east, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Elvis Merzlikins make the starts in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his third of the season, via Eric Robinson and Vladislav Gavrikov. St. Louis tied it on a David Perron power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Patrik Laine and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus added on in the second period with a Laine goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Nyquist and Jack Roslovic. The Blues got one back with an Alexei Toropchenko goal, helped along by Justin Faulk and Perron. The Blue Jackets replied in the third period with a Sean Kuraly goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Robinson and Bemstrom. St. Louis answered on a Perron power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, with helpers from Schenn and Krug. Columbus fired back with a Jakub Voracek goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Bjorkstrand and Jake Bean. The Blues pulled back on a Perron goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Perron, Laine, and Nyquist, while Bemstrom, Bjorkstrand, Robinson, Schenn, and Krug get the honorable mentions. 

South to Nashville, as the Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin. The Predators added on in the second period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his ninth of the year, via Jeremy Davies and Mikael Granlund. Toronto got on the board with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Michael Bunting and Auston Matthews. Nashville shot back with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Alexandre Carrier and Tolvanen. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Matthews goal, his forty-sixth of the season, helped along by Marner in the third period. The Predators countered on a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. Nashville extended the lead as Duchene scored his thirty-second of the season, thanks to Forsberg and Josi. Toronto pulled one back on a Marner goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, with helpers from William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Predators ended it at 6-3 with a Trenin empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Sissons and Josi. The three stars were handed to Marner, Josi, and Forsberg, while Duchene, Matthews, Trenin, Tolvanen, and Sissons get the honorable mentions. 

Up north in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Jake Allen are in goal. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jake Evans goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Artturi Lehkonen. Ottawa tied it on a Josh Norris power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Colin White and Tim Stutzle. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period with a Paul Byron goal, his second of the season, via Michael Pezzetta and Evans. Montreal added on with a Cole Caufield goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Joel Edmundson. The Canadiens extended the lead on a Joel Armia power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Corey Schueneman and Rem Pitlick. Montreal padded the lead in the third period as Brett Kulak scored his third of the year, with the help of Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Evans, Allen (29 for 30 in saves), and Byron. 

Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman. New York tied it on a Jacob Trouba goal, his tenth of the year, via Dryden Hunt and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers won 2-1 with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The three stars were Shesterkin (28 for 29 in saves), Zibanejad, and Trouba.

Across the continent, the Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Calle Jarnkrok. The Flames added on with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Rasmus Andersson scored his third of the season, thanks to Tkachuk and Dillon Dube. The Flames padded the lead in the second period on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Tyler Toffoli. Calgary kept going on a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal in the third period, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Tkachuk and Andersson. Vancouver got on the board with a Matthew Highmore goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Juho Lammikko and Brad Hunt. The Canucks got one back with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. This held for a 5-2 win, with the three stars handed to Tkachuk, Andersson, and Lindholm.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Philipp Grubauer guard the cages. Detroit cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Joe Veleno goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings added on with a Taro Hirose power play goal, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond. Seattle got on the board in the third period with an Adam Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, via Vince Dunn and Jared McCann. The Kraken tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Dunn and Alex Wennberg. Seattle took the lead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Hadyn Fleury. The Kraken iced it at 4-2 with a Gourde empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Mason Appleton and Colin Blackwell. The three stars were Gourde, Schwartz, and Larsson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 146

It's a six-game Friday slate, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Antti Raanta patrol the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his ninth of the season, via Steven Lorentz. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals took the lead with a John Carlson goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Connor McMichael and Garnet Hathaway. The Hurricanes retied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Ethan Bear. Carolina took the lead on a Jarvis goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, guided in by Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov. Washington tied it in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom. The tie went to a shootout, where Ovechkin's lone tally won it 4-3 for the Capitals. The three stars were Ovechkin, Jarvis, and Carlson.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Anton Forsberg man the nets. Ottawa began in the first period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Formenton and Connor Brown. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Justin Braun and James van Riemsdyk. The Senators retook the lead in the third period with a Josh Norris power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Erik Brannstrom and Brown. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with a Formenton shorthanded empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Nikita Zaitsev. The three stars belonged to Formenton, Brown, and Forsberg (28 for 29 in saves). 

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Boston got going in the second period on a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and Jack Studnicka. The Bruins added on with a Trent Frederic goal, his fifth of the year, via Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith. Winnipeg got on the board with an Adam Lowry goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Evgeny Svechnikov and Nate Schmidt in the third period. The Jets tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Kyle Connor. Boston retook the lead with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Coyle and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a McAvoy shorthanded empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Tomas Nosek and Coyle. The three stars belonged to Coyle, McAvoy, and Frederic. 

Further west, the Calgary Flames host the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Buffalo won 1-0 in overtime on an unassisted Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season. The three stars were Tokarski (24 save shutout), Thompson, and Markstrom (33 for 34 in saves).

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and John Gibson are the masked men. Florida opened in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Anthony Duclair. The Panthers added on with another Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Aleksander Barkov and Mason Marchment. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Joe Thornton scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Noel Acciari and Carter Verhaeghe. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars being Huberdeau, Knights (17 save shutout), and Thornton.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Zach Sawchenko are the backups in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Darren Helm goal, his fifth of the year, via Andre Burakovsky. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Makar scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Makar and MacKinnon. San Jose got on the board with a Jeffrey Viel goal, his third of the season, coming off of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Nicolas Meloche. The Sharks got closer in the third period with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Alexander Barabanov and Tomas Hertl. San Jose pulled closer on an Erik Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Logan Couture. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Nichushkin empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The three stars were Makar, MacKinnon, and Nichushkin, while Rantnaen gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.