NHL 2021-22 - Day 159

There's nine games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Linus Ullmark are starting in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Matt Grzelcyk goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted.  New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Nico Hischier and Damon Severson. The Bruins took the lead with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Hampus Lindholm. Boston added on in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his tenth of the year, passed from David Pastrnak. The Bruins extended the lead as Brad Marchand scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to DeBrusk and Grzelcyk. Boston padded the lead on a Bergeron power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Jon Gillies replaced Daws in goal. The Bruins kept going with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, with helpers from Mike Reilly and Bergeron. Boston continued with a Marc McLaughlin goal, coming off of Trent Frederic. The Bruins piled on with a Taylor Hall goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Pastrnak. The final was 8-1, with the three stars given to Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak, while DeBrusk and Grzelcyk get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Frederik Andersen patrol the creases. Carolina started in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Jaccob Slavin and Max Domi. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Teravainen scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Aho and DeAngelo. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-0 with a Svechnikov empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Slavin. The three stars belonged to Andersen (32 save shutout), Svechnikov, and Teravainen, while Aho, DeAngelo, and Slavin get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Joe Thornton and Radko Gudas. Florida extended the lead as Forsling scored his third of the season, thanks to Sam Reinhart and Mason Marchment. The Panthers padded the lead on a Barkov power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Reinhart. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Barkov, Bobrovsky (37 save shutout), and Forsling, while Reinhart gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Semyon Varlamov will play in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, via Brock Nelson. The Islanders added on with an Oliver Wahlstrom goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Zach Parise and Mathew Barzal. Columbus got on the board in the second period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Eric Robinson and Jake Bean. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Justin Danforth goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Vladislav Gavrikov and Yegor Chinakhov. The Islanders pulled ahead in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Josh Bailey and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Barzal scored his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Ryan Pulock, his third of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Barazal, Palmieri, and Varlamov (30 for 32 in saves).

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Erik Kallgren man the nets. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Zach Sanford and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. Toronto got on the board with a Mark Giordano goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Ilya Mikheyev and Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner in the second period. Winnipeg retook the lead with an Ehlers goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Josh Morrissey on the power play. Toronto retied it on a John Tavares goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Carl Dahlstrom and Mikheyev. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead with another Nylander power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Toronto extended the lead on a shorthanded Mikheyev goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Pierre Engvall. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with a Matthews empty net goal in the third period, his fiftieth of the campaign, fueled by Marner. Toronto continued with a Liljegren power play goal, his second of the campaign, dished from Nylander and Giordano. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars going to Nylander, Mikheyev, and Marner, while Matthews, Giordano, Liljegren, Ehlers, and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighteenth of the season, via John Marino and Jason Zucker. Minnesota tied it with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Matt Boldy. The Penguins took the lead back in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, with assists provided by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh added on with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby. The Wild replied with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Kevin Fiala and Boldy. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by Ryan Hartman and Jared Spurgeon. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Malkin goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with helpers from Bryan Rust and Marino. The three stars were Malkin, Rakell, and Marino, while Boldy gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Pavel Francouz are the backups in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex Newhook goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Kurtis MacDermid and Erik Johnson. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his thirty-first of the year, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Alexander Barabanov. The Avalanche took the lead with a Darren Helm goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, assisted by Valeri Nichushkin. The Sharks tied it again with a Brent Burns goal, his eighth of the year, via Hertl. Colorado pulled ahead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Johnson and Kadri. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Kadri, Hertl, and Johnson.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Los Angeles got going in the second period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Adrian Kempe and Alexander Edler. Calgary tied it in the third period on a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Sean Monahan and Milan Lucic. The Kings tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Phillip Danault and Olli Maatta. The tie went to a shootout, where Lias Andersson had the lone tally for a 3-2 win for the Kings. The three stars were Arvidsson, Iafallo, and Petersen (26 for 28 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and John Gibson guard the cages. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Suter power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Jacob Peterson. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Jamie Drysdale goal, his fourth of the year, via Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick. The Stars took the lead with an Andrej Sekera goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The Ducks retied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Urho Vaakanainen and Troy Terry. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Jamie Benn goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Miro Heiskanen. The three stars were Benn, Sekera, and Suter. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 158

There's six games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his ninth of the season, via Will Butcher and Kyle Okposo. Winnipeg tied it in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Pierre-Luc Dubois and Paul Stastny. The Sabres took the lead back with another Girgensons goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, assisted by Henri Jokiharju and Okposo. The Jets tied it with a Mason Appleton goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Nikolaj Ehlers and Ville Heinola. The tie went to a shootout, where Dubois, Mark Scheifele, and Wheeler lifted the Jets 3-2 over Victor Olofsson, Alex Tuch and the Sabres. The three stars were Girgensons, Okposo, and Wheeler.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his ninth of the year, via Taro Hirose and Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings took the lead with a Jakub Vrana power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Moritz Seider. The Rangers tied it on a Filip Chytil goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Patrik Nemeth and Braden Schneider. Detroit took the lead in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Seider and Lucas Raymond. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Frank Vatrano and Mika Zibanejad. The Red Wings pulled ahead with an Adam Erne goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Marc Staal and Pius Suter. The Rangers tied it again on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his forty-sixth of the year, helped along by Panarin and Adam Fox. New York won 5-4 in overtime with an Andrew Copp goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, coming off of Panarin. The three stars were Panarin, Seider, and Copp.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Mikko Koskinen are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an Alexander Edler goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carl Grundstrom. Edmonton tied it on a Cody Ceci goal, his fourth of the year, via Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his forty-ninth of the season, coming off of Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak. Edmonton added on in the second period with a McDavid goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings got one back with a Quinton Byfield goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Los Angeles tied it on a Grundstrom goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Phillip Danault and Edler. The tie went to a shootout, where Draisaitl and McDavid lifted the Oilers to a 4-3 win. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Edler, while Grundstrom gets an honorable mention.

Along to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Vancouver got going in the second period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Brad Richardson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. St. Louis tied it on a Nick Leddy goal, his second of the year, via Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. The Canucks took the lead back with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Nic Petan. The Blues tied it again with a shorthanded Robert Thomas goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Brandon Saad. St. Louis pulled ahead with an O'Reilly power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Saad. The Blues added on in the third period with a Nathan Walker goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by MacKenzie MacEachern and Justin Faulk. Vancouver pulled one back with a Pettersson goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Conor Garland and J.T. Miller. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to O'Reilly, Pettersson, and Saad.

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Chris Driedger are the backups in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Shea Theodore goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jonas Rondbjerg. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Michael Amadio goal, his eighth of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Vegas iced it at 3-0 with a Marchessault empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Thompson (23 save shutout), Theodore, and Marchessault.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Karel Vejmelka are between the pipes. San Jose began in the first period with a Scott Reedy power play goal, his second of the season, powered by John Leonard and Ryan Merkley. Arizona tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal, his tenth of the year, via Nick Schmaltz and Anton Stralman. The Coyotes pulled ahead in the second period with a Jan Jenik goal, coming off of Phil Kessel. The Sharks tied it with a Brent Burns goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. Arizona regained the lead in the third period on a Jenik goal, his second of the game, helped along by Kessel and Stralman. The Coyotes added on with a Barrett Hayton goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Travis Boyd. Arizona finished it at 5-2 with a Schmaltz empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jenik, Schmaltz, and Kessel, while Stralman gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 157

We're set for nine games this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Jeremy Swayman man the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Colin Blackwell goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Jason Spezza. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. Erik Kallgren replaced Mrazek in the first period. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a Morgan Rielly goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of William Nylander and John Tavares. Toronto added on with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the second period as Mitchell Marner scored his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting. Toronto padded the lead on a Matthews goal, his forty-ninth of the year, coming off of Marner and Rielly on the power play. The Maple Leafs kept going with a David Kampf goal, his ninth of the season, via Rielly and Kerfoot. The Bruins got one back with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Linus Ullmark replaced Swayman in goal. Boston got one back in the third period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Connor Clifton and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins pulled one back with a Taylor Hall goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Pastrnak and Derek Forbort. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars handed to Matthews, Marner, and Rielly, while Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Jordan Staal and Ian Cole. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on an Alex Killorn power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Seth Jarvis goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen. The Lightning tied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Anthony Cirelli and Steven Stamkos. Carolina retook the lead with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirtieth of the season, via Tony DeAngelo and Jarvis. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period on a Point power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Stamkos and Kucherov. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Stamkos power play goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, made possible by Kucherov and Cirelli. The three stars belonged to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Point, while Jarvis and Cirelli get the honorable mentions.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veteran goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Chris Wideman goal, his third of the season, via Jesse Ylonen and Laurent Dauphin. Florida tied it on a shorthanded Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers took the lead on a Ryan Lomberg goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton. Florida added on in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, fueled by Ben Chiarot. The Panthers extended the lead as Lomberg scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The Canadiens got one back with a Joel Edmundson goal, helped along by Nick Suzuki and Justin Marron. Montreal got closer on a Dauphin goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Mathieu Perreault and Wideman. The Canadiens tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Rem Pitlick and David Savard. Florida reclaimed the lead with another Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, coming off of Bennett and Lomberg. The Panthers padded the lead on a Mason Marchment goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Bennett and Sam Reinhart. Florida iced it at 7-4 with a Barkov empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Huberdeau and Claude Giroux. The three stars were handed to Huberdeau, Lomberg, and Bennett, while Barkov, Wideman, and Dauphin get the honorable mentions.

Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang. New York tied it in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The Rangers took the lead with a Braden Schneider goal, his second of the season, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp. New York added on in the third period with a Kreider power play goal, his forty-fifth of the year, powered by Adam Fox and Panarin. The Penguins got one back with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Evgeni Malkin and Letang. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kreider, Panarin, and Letang.

To Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Patrik Laine and Andrew Peeke. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. The Islanders took the lead with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jean-Gabriel Pageau. New York added on in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eleventh of the year, via Nelson and Lee. The Islanders extended the lead as Zach Parise scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Noah Dobson and Barzal. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Gavrikov goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Laine. Columbus pulled closer in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Nelson, Gavrikov, and Lee, while Barzal and Laine get the honorable mentions.

South to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris. Nashville tied it on a Michael McCarron shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Mattias Ekholm and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators took the lead with a McCarron goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Ekholm and Nick Cousins. Nashville added on in the third period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Yakov Trenin and Ekholm. The Predators finished it at 4-1 with a Matt Duchene empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Filip Forsberg and Carrier. The three stars were McCarron, Ekholm, and Saros (36 for 37 in saves), while Carrier gets an honorable mention.

North in Minnesota, the Wild host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury draw the starts in goal. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Matt Boldy and Frederick Gaudreau. The Wild added on with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Jordan Greenway scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno. The Wild padded the lead on a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Dmitry Kulikov and Gaudreau. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Morgan Frost power play goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The final stayed at 4-1, with the three stars going to Fleury (32 for 33 in saves), Eriksson Ek, and Gaudreau.

Out to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary got going in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Andersson and Matthew Tkachuk. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Cale Makar and Devon Toews. The Avalanche pulled ahead in the third period with a Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Toews. The final stuck at 2-1, with the three stars being Nichushkin, Kuemper (44 for 45 in saves), and Toews.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and John Gibson protect the nets. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Luke Glendening and Michael Raffl. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Derek Grant goal, his twelfth of the year, via Trevor Zegras and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Ducks took the lead with a Troy Terry goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Grant and Zegras. The Stars tied it on a Roope Hintz goal in the third period, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Jason Robertson. Dallas pulled ahead with a Jacob Peterson goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of John Klingberg. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Grant, Zegras, and Oettinger (26 for 28 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 156

We've got a five-game night ahead, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Vitek Vanecek receive the starts in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his eighth of the season, via Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Max Domi. The Hurricanes added on with a Martin Necas goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Andrei Svechnikov. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina shot back with a Sebastian Aho shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Teuvo Teravainen and Ian Cole. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Brett Pesce scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Teravainen and Brady Skjei. Carolina padded the lead on a Necas goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, fueled by Domi and Jaccob Slavin. Ilya Samsonov replaced Vanecek for the third period. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-1 with a Skjei goal, his eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Necas and Trocheck. The three stars were Necas, Skjei, and Teravainen, while Domi and Trocheck get the honorable mentions. 

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Ville Husso are in the creases. St. Louis began in the first period with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the season, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Robert Thomas. The Blues added on with a David Perron goal, his twenty-third of the year, helped along by Ivan Barbashev. St. Louis extended the lead as Tarasenko scored his twenty-second of the season in the third period, thanks to Pavel Buchnevich and Thomas. Vancouver got on the board with a Brad Hunt goal, his third of the year, passed from Juho Lammikko and Vasily Podkolzin. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Tarasenko empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Brandon Saad and Brayden Schenn. The three stars were Tarasenko, Husso (35 for 36 in saves), and Thomas. 

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Kevin Lankinen are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Calvin de Haan goal, his second of the season, assisted by Taylor Raddysh and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks added on with a Sam Lafferty goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jake McCabe and Reese Johnson. Chicago extended the lead on a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Kubalik. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period as Seth Jones scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Buffalo got on the board with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Dylan Cozens and Henri Jokiharju. The Sabres got closer with another Olofsson goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, made possible by Jeff Skinner. Buffalo pulled closer on a Kyle Okposo goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Cozens and Will Butcher. The Sabres tied it as Vinnie Hinostroza scored his eleventh of the year in the third period, with the help of Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. Chicago regained the lead with a DeBrincat power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, with helpers from Patrick Kane and Strome. Buffalo tied it again on an Alex Tuch goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Olofsson and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres pulled ahead with a Thompson power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Dahlin and Tuch. This stood for a 6-5 win, with the three stars going to Olofsson, Tuch, and Thompson, while Cozens, Dahlin, DeBrincat, Strome, and Kubalik get the honorable mentions. 

Out to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Mikko Koskinen are set to start in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers added on with a Ryan McLeod goal, his seventh of the year, via Darnell Nurse and Derek Ryan. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Shayne Gostisbehere. Edmonton replied in the second period with a McLeod power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Kailer Yamamoto and Duncan Keith. The Oilers extended the lead as Warren Foegele scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Tyson Barrie and McLeod. Edmonton padded the lead on a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers continued in the third period with a Draisaitl goal, his forty-eighth of the season, helped along by Puljujarvi. This made it 6-1, with the three stars awarded to McLeod, Draisaitl, and Puljujarvi.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Cal Petersen man the nets. Seattle struck first in the first period with an Alex Wennberg goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ryan Donato and Vince Dunn. Los Angeles tied it on an Arthur Kaliyev power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson. The Kraken retook the lead with an Adam Larsson goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Dunn. Seattle added on in the second period with a Victor Rask goal, his sixth of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Karson Kuhlman. The Kraken extended the lead in the third period with an unassisted Jordan Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the season. Seattle padded the lead on a Jared McCann goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of Morgan Geekie and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken kept going with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Riley Sheahan and Joonas Donskoi. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Dunn, Driedger (36 for 37 in saves), and Larsson. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 155

There's eight games on for this Sunday slate. First up...

The New York Islanders host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin are the Russian goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-first of the season, via Adam Pelech. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Brayden Point and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The Lightning took the lead with an Alex Killorn goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Anthony Cirelli. Semyon Varlamov replaced an injured Sorokin in the third period Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Ross Colton goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning extended the lead as Sergachev scored his sixth of the campaign, with the help of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Sergachev, Killorn, and Vasilevskiy (23 for 24 in saves). 

Also in New York, the Rangers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Alexandar Georgiev are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with another Vatrano goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo got on the board with a Rasmus Asplund goal, his sixth of the season, via Mattias Samuelsson and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres tied it in the second period with a Will Butcher goal, his second of the year, helped along by Peyton Krebs and Vinnie Hinostroza. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Kyle Okposo goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons and Rasmus Dahlin. New York tied it again with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Filip Chytil and Jonny Brodzinski. The Rangers pulled ahead in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Jacob Trouba and Andrew Copp. The Sabres tied it again with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Dahlin and Mittelstadt. New York won 5-4 in overtime with a K'Andre Miller goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Lafreniere and Copp. The three stars were Vatrano, Lafreniere, and Copp, while Mittelstadt and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.

Along to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jeff Carter and Mike Matheson. The Penguins added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Radim Zohorna and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored on the power play in the second period, his fourteenth goal of the season, with the help of Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead on a Carter shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Blueger and John Marino. Calvin Pickard replaced Nedeljkovic in goal. Pittsburgh continued on a Bryan Rust power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Crosby and Malkin. The Penguins struck again with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Rust and Rickard Rakell. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Lucas Raymond and Jakub Vrana. The Red Wings got another on an unassisted Vrana goal, his sixth of the year. Pittsburgh answered with a Crosby goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Evan Rodrigues and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins kept going in the third period with a Danton Heinen power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Mike Matheson and Rakell. Pittsburgh added another with a Malkin goal to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, passed from Rust and Letang. The Penguins piled on with a Brian Boyle goal, his eighth of the year, dished from Chad Ruhwedel and Blueger. Pittsburgh put up another with a Rakell goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Blueger and Marino. The final was a whopping 11-2, with the three stars handed to Malkin, Blueger, and Rust, while Rakell, Crosby, Carter, Heinen, Letang, Marino, and Vrana get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via J.T. Compher and Devon Toews. The Avalanche pulled ahead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with assists provided by Andre Burakovsky and Kadri. The Wild retied it with a Hartman goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Zuccarello and Matt Dumba. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, assisted by Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek. The three stars were Zuccarello, Hartman, and Kadri.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Juuse Saros draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Morgan Frost. The Flyers added on with a Joel Farabee goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Cam Atkinson and James van Riemsdyk. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Tanner Jeannot. Philadelphia replied on a Max Willman goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators pulled one back with another Trenin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Mikael Granlund and Jeannot. Nashville tied it on a Luke Kunin goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Granlund. The Predators took the lead with a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Carrier and Matt Duchene. The Flyers tied it on a van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov. Nashville gained the lead in the third period with a Jeannot goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, passed from Josi and Carrier. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Jeannot, Trenin, and Josi, while Granlund, van Riemsdyk, and Carrier get the honorable mentions.

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by T.J. Brodie and Auston Matthews. Florida tied it on a Brandon Montour goal, his eighth of the year, via Sam Bennett and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Eetu Luostarinen. The Maple Leafs retied it on a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Rielly. Toronto pulled ahead on another Tavares power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Marner and Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Marner and Justin Holl. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Matthews empty net goal, his forty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tavares, Marner, and Rielly, while Matthews gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Nico Daws are the lesser-known goalies. New Jersey drew first blood in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on in the second period with a Hughes power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and Damon Severson. Montreal got on the board with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Jesse Ylonen and Chris Wideman. The Canadiens tied it on a Rem Pitlick goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Christian Dvorak and Cole Caufield. The tie went to a shootout, where Bratt, Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Yegor Sharangovich lifted the Devils to a 4-3 win over Caufield, Pitlick, and Mike Hoffman. The three stars were Hughes, Bratt, and Caufield.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Paul Stastny and Ville Heinola. Arizona tied it in the third period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Nick Schmaltz and Cam Dineen. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime with another Scheifele goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, via Blake Wheeler and Josh Morrissey. The three stars were Scheifele, Hellebuyck (28 for 29 in saves), and Vejmelka (38 for 40 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 154

There's 12 games on this Saturday, including three matinees. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Linus Ullmark start in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirtieth of the season, via Zdeno Chara and Anders Lee. Boston replied in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Hall. The Bruins extended the lead as Marchand scored his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Patrice Bergeron. The Islanders shot back with a Lee power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Noah Dobson. Boston answered with a Haula goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Pastrnak and Hall. The Bruins padded the lead with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Marchand and McAvoy. New York got one back in the third period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Anthony Beauvillier and Kyle Palmieri. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hall, Marchand, and Pastrnak, while Haula, Lee, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his sixth of the season, via Pius Suter and Adam Erne. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning won 2-1 in overtime with a Point power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Stmakos and Cirelli. The three stars were Point, Stamkos, and Cirelli. 

Out in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Logan Thompson are the lesser-known goalies. Chicago began in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jake McCabe and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a second period with a Toews goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Alex DeBrincat. Chicago extended the lead as Dylan Strome scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Caleb Jones and Patrick Kane. Vegas got on the board in the third period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Evgenii Dadonov. The Golden Knights got closer with a William Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Dylan Coghlan and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a DeBrincat goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, guided in by Kane and Seth Jones. The Golden Knights tied it again with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Nicolas Roy and Mattias Janmark. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with a Dadonov goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, coming off of Roy and Marchessault. The three stars were Dadonov, Stephenson, and Roy, while Marchessault, DeBrincat, Toews, and Kane get the honorable mentions. 

At the usual time, the Montreal Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Jake Allen make the starts in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-seventh of the season, assisted by Michael Bunting and Mitchell Marner. Montreal tied it on a David Savard goal, his third of the year, via Laurent Dauphin and Nick Suzuki in the second period. The Canadiens took the lead with a Cole Caufield power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Chris Wideman and Suzuki. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with a William Nylander power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Marner. Montreal took the lead with a Paul Byron goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with a Christian Dvorak empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Byron and Savard. The three stars were Byron, Savard, and Suzuki, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Anton Forsberg are in the blue paint. Ottawa started in the first period with an Alex Formenton goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Michael Del Zotto. The Senators added on with an Artem Zub goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Josh Norris and Drake Batherson. Ottawa extended the lead as Dylan Gambrell scored his second of the season, thanks to Tyler Ennis. Florida got on the board with an Anthony Duclair power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers got closer on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Gustav Forsling and Noel Acciari. Florida tied it in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with helpers from Jonathan Huberdeau and Giroux. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Barkov's lone tally gave the Panthers a 4-3 win. The three stars were Barkov, Giroux, and Duclair.

Stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Vitek Vanecek are the goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Yegor Sharangovich and Dawson Mercer. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson goal, his twentieth of the year, via Conor Sheary and John Carlson. The Devils retook the lead on a Damon Severson goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Graves and Jesper Boqvist. The Capitals tied it on a Connor McMichael goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, passed from Justin Schultz and Carlson. Washington took the lead with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Anthony Mantha. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-second of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom. New Jersey got one back with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Hughes and Nico Hischier. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Backstrom, Hughes, and Carlson.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jacob Peterson goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Jamie Benn. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with a Pettersson goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, coming off of Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vancouver added on with a Bo Horvat empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Miller goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, helped along by Luke Schenn and Tanner Pearson. The three stars were Pettersson, Miller, and Demko (35 for 36 in saves).

Back north, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Ville Husso are the Finnish goalies. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Martin Necas shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Jesper Fast and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Seth Jarvis goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Ian Cole. Carolina extended the lead as Brett Pesce scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Jesperi Kotkaniemi. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twentieth of the year, via Nick Leddy and Robert Thomas. The Hurricanes shot back with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Teravainen. The Blues got one back on a Buchnevich power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Jordan Kyrou and Thomas. Carolina shot back with an empty net goal by Svechnikov, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Necas. The Hurricanes padded the lead with a Nino Niederreiter empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers from Pesce and Fast. Carolina finished it at 7-2 with a Jarvis goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, dished from Cole and Tony DeAngelo. The three stars belonged to Svechnikov, Necas, and Buchnevich, while Jarvis, Cole, Aho, Teravainen, Fast, and Thomas get the honorable mentions.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Jake Bean goal, his fifth of the year, via Jack Roslovic and Dean Kukan. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Jakub Voracek goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Vladislav Gavrikov and Patrik Laine. The Wild tied it in the third period on another Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Jonas Brodin and Kevin Fiala. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau. The three stars were Kaprizov, Fiala, and Spurgeon.

Out west, the Calgary Flames host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Derick Brassard goal, his eighth of the season, via Evan Bouchard and Duncan Keith. Calgary tied it on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-third of the year, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames took the lead with a Christopher Tanev goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Blake Coleman and Dillon Dube. Calgary added on with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Andrew Mangiapane and Tyler Toffoli. The Oilers got one back with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his forty-fifth of the season, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zack Kassian. Edmonton tied it on a Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and forty-sixth of the year, powered by Zach Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins. The Flames reclaimed the lead on an Oliver Kylington goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Gaudreau and Tanev. The Oilers tied it again with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. Calgary regained the lead on a Tkachuk goal, his thirty-first of the season, guided in by Gaudreau and Tanev. The Flames extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, thanks to Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. Edmonton pulled one back with a Draisaitl power play goal, completing his hat trick on his forty-seventh of the season, passed from McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Calgary answered with a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, fueled by Gaudreau and Tkachuk. The Flames padded the lead on a Backlund goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with helpers from Toffoli and Hanifin. Calgary continued with a Dube goal, his ninth of the year, dished from Backlund. The final held at 9-5, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Lindholm, while Backlund, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, Tanev, Dube, Toffoli, Hanifin, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Cal Petersen patrol the creases. Los Angeles got on the board first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his second of the season, passed from Olli Maatta. The Kings added on in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe. Seattle got on the board with a Daniel Sprong goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Carson Soucy. Los Angeles replied with a Jordan Spence goal, coming off of Arthur Kaliyev and Blake Lizotte. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Sean Durzi scored his third of the year on the power play, with the help of Kopitar and Kempe. The Kraken got one back with a Morgan Geekie goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Will Borgen and Kole Lind. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Kempe, and Spence.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal is mismatched with James Reimer in goal. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Merkley and Scott Reedy. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Alexander Barabanov. Anaheim got on the board in the third period a Gerry Mayhew goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Dominik Simon. San Jose replied with a Meier power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Barabanov and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks extended the lead as Meier completed his hat trick on his thirtieth of the season, made possible by Hertl and Brent Burns. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars handed to Meier, Barabanov, and Hertl.

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 153

Five games on for a Friday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Dustin Tokarski are in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. Buffalo tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Tage Thompson. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with a Nick Jensen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Conor Sheary. The Sabres tied it again with a Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo took the lead on a Victor Olofsson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Asplund. Washington tied it again with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-first of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov. The tie went to a shootout, where Kuznetsov and Ovechkin lifted the Capitals to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Skinner, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov.

In New York City, the Rangers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider goal, his forty-third of the year, fueled by Mika Zibanejad. New York extended the lead as Vatrano scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Zibanejad and Kreider. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period on a Kreider shorthanded goal, his second of the game and forty-fourth of the year, set up by Zibanejad. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen. New York finished it at 5-1 with an Andrew Copp goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. The three stars were Kreider, Zibanejad, and Shesterkin (20 for 21 in saves). 

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Eric Comrie are set to start in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Dominic Toninato goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Brenden Dillon and Zach Sanford. The Jets added on with a Kyle Connor shorthanded goal, his forty-first of the year, set up by Toninato. Columbus got on the board with an Adam Boqvist power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets tied it in the second period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Emil Bemstrom. Winnipeg retook the lead on a Josh Morrissey power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with helpers from Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Columbus retied it in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Zach Werenski and Jakub Voracek. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twentieth of the campaign, helped along by Connor. The three stars were Connor, Toninato, and Ehlers. 

Further along, the Calgary Flames bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Calgary got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. The Flames added on with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Tkachuk and Gaudreau. Calgary extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his thirtieth of the season, thanks to Nikita Zadorov. Arizona got on the board with a Michael Carcone goal, going in unassisted. The Flames replied with a Rasmus Andersson power play goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Vladislav Kolyachonok goal, helped along by Nick Schmaltz. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Andersson.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Pavel Francouz receive the starts in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by J.T. Compher and Erik Johnson. Philadelphia tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Cale Makar power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Kadri. Colorado added on with a Compher goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Kadri and Josh Manson. The Avalanche extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his thirty-second of the season, thanks to Nathan MacKinnon and Johnson. Colorado padded the lead in the second period with a Kurtis MacDermid goal, his second of the year, coming off of Andrew Cogliano and Darren Helm. The Flyers got one back with a Zack MacEwen goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper by Cam York. Philadelphia pulled closer with a Max Willman goal, his third of the year, guided in by Travis Sanheim and Kevin Hayes. The Avalanche fired back with a Makar goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Rantanen. The final was 6-3, with the three stars going to Makar, Kadri, and Rantanen, while Compher and Johnson get the honorable mentions. 

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