NHL 2021-22 - Day 163

We've got four games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus opened in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twentieth of the year, via Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle and McAvoy. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Jakub Voracek and Patrik Laine. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, with a lone helper by Hampus Lindholm. The three stars were DeBrusk, McAvoy, and Voracek. 

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Toronto started in the first period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of David Kampf. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Steven Stamkos. The Maple Leafs took the lead back in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-second of the season, made possible by Michael Bunting and Mitchell Marner. The Lightning tied it again with a Jan Rutta goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Stamkos. Toronto retook the lead on a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-third of the season, helped along by Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from T.J. Brodie and Justin Holl. Toronto extended the lead as Matthews completed his hat trick in the third period with his fifty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Marner goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Matthews. The final was 6-2, with the three stars handed to Matthews, Marner, and Stamkos.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Ivan Prosvetov and Ville Husso are the goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Calle Rosen and David Perron. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis extended the lead on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Perron and Nick Leddy. The Blues padded the lead on a Buchnevich shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Cam Dineen and Nick Ritchie. St. Louis fired back with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Thomas and Buchnevich. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Tarasenko, Buchnevich, and Thomas, while Perron gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Cal Petersen protect the nets. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings took the lead with a Kempe power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, powered by Kopitar and Sean Durzi. The Flames tied it on an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary took the lead with a Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Ryan Carpenter and Michael Stone. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Kempe, and Kopitar. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 162

There's another nine games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Dustin Tokarski are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Mattias Samuelsson and Cody Eakin. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Claude Giroux. The Panthers took the lead on an Anton Lundell goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Mason Marchment. Florida added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Gustav Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Duclair scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The Sabres got one back with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. Buffalo got closer with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, with assists provided by Skinner and Mittelstadt. Florida finished it at 5-3 with a Weegar power play goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Giroux and Barkov. The three stars were Duclair, Weegar, and Skinner, while Barkov, Giroux, and Mittelstadt get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Anton Forsberg receive the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jakub Vrana and Filip Hronek. Ottawa tied it on an Artem Zub goal, his sixth of the year, via Brady Tkachuk and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Josh Norris power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Tim Stutzle and Tkachuk. Ottawa added on with another Norris goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Nick Holden and Joseph. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Hronek and Marc Staal. The Senators replied with a Norris empty net goal, his thirtieth of the year completing his hat trick, set up by Joseph and Nikita Zaitsev. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Zaitsev empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Norris, Joseph, and Zaitsev, while Tkachuk, Holden, and Hronek get the honorable mentions. 

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Islanders. Cory Schneider and Nico Daws are the goalies. New York opened in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Adam Pelech. The Islanders added on with a Pageau power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Anders Lee. New York extended the lead as Pageau scored his thirteenth of the season in the second period to complete his hat trick, with the help of Pelech and Palmieri. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Damon Severson and Janne Kuokkanen. The Devils got closer in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Dawson Mercer. The Islanders replied with a Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Pageau and Pelech. New Jersey answered with a Nico Hischier goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, made possible by Mercer and Dougie Hamilton. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pageau, Palmieri, and Pelech, while Mercer gets an honorable mention. 

Next up, the New York Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Cam York goal, his third of the season, via Nate Thompson. The Flyers added on with an Owen Tippett goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Joel Farabee scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Travis Sanheim and Oskar Lindblom. New York got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller. The Rangers got closer with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Frank Vatrano and Ryan Lindgren. New York tied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Panarin and Barclay Goodrow. The tie went to a shootout, where Hayes lifted the Flyers to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Hayes, Panarin, and Farabee.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Jordan Greenway and Alex Goligoski. The Wild added on with a Tyson Jost goal, his seventh of the year, via Jonas Brodin and Ryan Hartman. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Eriksson Ek scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, thanks to Greenway and Marcus Foligno. The Wild padded the lead in the third period as Foligno scored his twentieth of the year, with the help of Greenway and Eriksson Ek. Washington got on the board with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Minnesota iced it at 5-1 with a Nicolas Deslauriers empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Jared Spurgeon and Nick Bjugstad. The three stars were Eriksson Ek, Greenway, and Foligno.

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Kevin Lankinen are between the pipes. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Alex DeBrincat. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Michael Carcone goal, his second of the year, helped along by Anton Stralman. The Coyotes took the lead with a Travis Boyd goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Dysin Mayo. The Blackhawks retied it in the third period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Seth Jones and DeBrincat. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Gostisbehere power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Nick Schmaltz and Phil Kessel. The three stars were Gostisbehere, DeBrincat, and Vejmelka (29 for 31 in saves).

Out in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Vegas was first to score in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with an unassisted Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-eighth of the year. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller goal in the third period, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Shea Theodore goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Marchessault and William Karlsson.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid and Evander Kane. The Oilers added on with a McDavid power play goal, his fortieth of the year, powered by Barrie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Barrie and Brett Kulak. The Oilers padded the lead on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his thirteenth of the year, via McDavid and Kane. Anaheim got on the board with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton replied with a Kulak goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Cody Ceci and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers kept going with a Draisaitl goal, his fiftieth of the season, helped along by Kulak. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being McDavid, Barrie, and Kulak, while Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Chris Driedger patrol the creases. Seattle got on the board first in the first period with a Jared McCann shorthanded goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Alex Wennberg and Carson Soucy. The Kraken added on in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Soucy and Wennberg. Dallas got on the board with a John Klingberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn and Joel Hanley. Seattle replied with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Victor Rask and Karson Kuhlman. The Kraken iced it at 4-1 with a Kuhlman empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Wennberg, Soucy, and Kuhlman. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 161

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

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrew Hammond draw the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with an unassisted Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-sixth of the year. Florida got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey shot back in the second period with a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Dawson Mercer. The Devils extended the lead as Janne Kuokkanen scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Andreas Johnsson and Ty Smith. The Panthers pulled one back with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, helped along by Brandon Montour. New Jersey replied with a Sharangovich shorthanded goal, completing his hat trick on his nineteenth of the season, set up by Nico Hischier. The Devils padded the lead on a Johnsson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Kuokkanen and Jesper Boqvist. Spencer Knight replaced Bobrovsky in goal. Florida countered in the third period with a Montour goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Anthony Duclair and Mason Marchment. The Panthers got closer on a Gustav Forsling goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Sam Reinhart. Florida chipped closer with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers tied it as Barkov scored his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, with the help of MacKenzie Weegar and Huberdeau. Florida won 7-6 in overtime with a Forsling goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Bennett. The three stars were Forsling, Barkov, and Sharangovich, while Montour, Huberdeau, Bennett, Johnsson, and Kuokkanen get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Colorado got going in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Nathan MacKinnon. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. The Avalanche took the lead back with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alex Newhook and Nico Sturm. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Mike Matheson goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Guentzel. Colorado retook the lead on a Devon Toews goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by MacKinnon and Rantanen. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions. 

At the regular time, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Minnesota led off in the first period with a power play goal by Mats Zuccarello, his twentieth of the season, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on in the second period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his fifth of the year, via Tyson Jost and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Kaprizov scored his thirty-ninth of the season, thanks to Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. Carolina got on the board with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Fleury (37 for 38 in saves), Kaprizov, and Zuccarello.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Brian Elliott are the former teammates in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up Nick Paul. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Rem Pitlick in the second period. Tampa Bay shot back with a Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Canadiens got one back on a Corey Schueneman goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Nick Suzuki. Montreal tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Mike Hoffman. The Lightning took the lead back with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Ondrej Palat and Kucherov. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Poehling and Tyler Pitlick. Montreal won 5-4 in the shootout with a lone tally by Suzuki. The three stars were given to Suzuki, Kucherov, and Hedman.

Back north, the Boston Bruins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins is mismatched with Jeremy Swayman in goal. Boston kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Charlie McAvoy. Columbus tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Cole Sillinger and Andrew Peeke. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Justin Danforth goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Yegor Chinakhov and Sean Kuraly. The Bruins tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Haula power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Brandon Carlo and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins added on with a DeBrusk empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Marchand and McAvoy. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Charlie Coyle, his fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Bergeron and Marchand. The three stars belonged to Haula, Marchand, and DeBrusk, while Bergeron and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Carter Hart return from injury to start in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Kevin Hayes goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ivan Provorov and Oskar Lindblom. Toronto tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Timothy Liljegren goal, his third of the season, via Mark Giordano and Michael Bunting. The Flyers tied it again with a Provorov goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Hayes. Toronto took the lead back in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-first of the year, passed from Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Pierre Engvall shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Rielly. Philadelphia answered with a Provorov goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Patrick Brown and Zack MacEwen. Toronto replied with a Rielly goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Bunting and Marner. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as John Tavares scored his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of William Nylander. The final was 6-3, with the three stars given to Rielly, Provorov, and Marner, while Bunting and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Los Angeles Kings. Cal Petersen and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Adrian Kempe shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by Phillip Danault and Alexander Edler. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Mark Scheifele. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Kempe and Sean Durzi. Los Angeles added on with a power play goal by Gabriel Vilardi, his third of the year, powered by Jordan Spence and Kopitar. The Jets got one back with an Adam Lowry goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ville Heinola and Neal Pionk. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kempe, Kopitar, and Vilardi.

In Calgary, the Flames welcome the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Justin Faulk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Calgary tied it on a Brett Ritchie goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Erik Gudbranson. The Blues tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn. St. Louis took the lead back with a Faulk goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by David Perron and Brandon Saad. Calgary tied it on a Hanifin goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues retook the lead with a Nathan Walker goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Thomas and Marco Scandella. St. Louis added on with an Ivan Barbashev empty net goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists by Schenn and Faulk. The Flames got one back with a Dillon Dube goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. The Blues iced it at 6-4 with a Saad empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Pavel Buchnevich. The three stars went to Thomas, Faulk, and Hanifin, while Saad and Schenn get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Noah Gregor and Erik Karlsson. Dallas tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Tyler Seguin. The Stars gained the lead with a Jani Hakanpaa goal, his third of the season, guided in by Seguin and Namestnikov. Dallas added on with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from John Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. The Stars extended the lead as Jason Robertson scored his thirty-second of the season, thanks to Denis Gurianov and Seguin. James Reimer relieved Kahkonen in goal in the second period. The Sharks got one back in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Sasha Chmelevski and Jaycob Megna. Dallas responded in the third period with a Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Hintz and Robertson. San Jose pulled back with a John Leonard goal, assisted by Karlsson and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks got closer with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Chmelevski and Gregor. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Seguin, Pavelski, and Hintz, while Robertson, Namestnikov, Karlsson, Gregor, and Chmelevski get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 160

We've got a busy Friday with seven games on. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Craig Anderson man the nets. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Peyton Krebs goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Dylan Cozens and Victor Olofsson. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen. The Sabres retook the lead with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Buffalo added on with a Thompson goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, passed from Tuch. The Predators got one back with a Michael McCarron goal, his seventh of the season, via Matt Benning and Eeli Tolvanen. Nashville tied it on a Jeremy Lauzon goal, his second of the year, guided in by Duchene and Johansen. The Sabres regained the lead in the second period with an Olofsson power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, powered by Cozens and Krebs. This made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Thompson, Olofsson, and Krebs, while Cozens, Tuch, Duchene, and Johansen get the honorable mentions. 

Along to New York City, as the Rangers welcome their cross-town rivals, the Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Igor Shesterkin are the Russian goalies. The Islanders began in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his ninth of the season, via Ryan Pulock. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the year, coming off of Mathew Barzal and Ross Johnston. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Barzal scored his fourteenth of the campaign, thanks to Oliver Wahlstrom. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Barzal, Varlamov (27 save shutout), and Cizikas. 

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Point goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Kucherov and Stamkos. Chicago got on the board with a Calvin de Haan goal, his third of the season, assisted by Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks tied it on an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Dylan Strome. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the second period with a Ross Colton goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Cernak and Nick Paul. The Lightning extended the lead as Colton scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, thanks to Paul and Cal Foote. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Brandon Hagel empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Colton and Victor Hedman. The three stars belonged to Colton, Point, and Stamkos, while Kucherov and Paul get the honorable mentions. 

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Alex Nedeljkovic make the starts in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with an Austin Watson shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Mathieu Joseph. Detroit tied it on a Lucas Raymond goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Jake Walman. The Senators retook the lead in the third period with a Josh Norris power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Erik Brannstrom and Drake Batherson. Ottawa added on with a Joseph goal, his ninth of the year, via Tyler Ennis and Colin White. The Senators extended the lead as Joseph scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Tim Stutzle. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Raymond goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Filip Hronek and Dylan Larkin. Ottawa finished it at 5-2 with a Joseph empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the campaign, which went in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Joseph, Raymond, and Norris. 

Out in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Mike Smith are the veterans in goal. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl. St. Louis tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers retook the lead with an unassisted goal by Hyman, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season. Edmonton added on with an Evander Kane shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Yamamoto and Cody Ceci. The Oilers extended the lead as Connor McDavid scored his thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Kane and Tyson Barrie. Ville Husso replaced Binnington in goal. The Blues got one back in the second period with a Robert Thomas goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Brandon Saad and Colton Parayko. St. Louis pulled closer with a Brayden Schenn goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Ivan Barbashev and Justin Faulk. Edmonton answered with a Darnell Nurse goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Kane and Ceci. The Blues fired back in the third period with another Buchnevich goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, made possible by Parayko and Thomas. St. Louis tied it on a Barbashev goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Robert Bortuzzo. The Oilers won 6-5 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Draisaitl and Nurse. The three stars went to McDavid, Hyman, and Buchnevich, while Kane, Draisaitl, Nurse, Yamamoto, Ceci, Thomas, Barbashev, and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Philipp Grubauer are in the blue paint. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his eighth of the season, via Alec Martinez and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov. Vegas extended the lead as Shea Theodore scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Dadonov and Stephenson. Seattle got on the board in the third period with an Alex Wennberg goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jared McCann and Will Borgen. The Golden Knights replied with a Jonathan Marchessault empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The Kraken got one back with a Kole Lind goal, fueled by Ryan Donato and Derrick Pouliot. Vegas finished it at 5-2 with a William Karlsson empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Brayden McNabb and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Eichel, Dadonov, and Stephenson.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Karel Vejmelka draw the starts in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Isac Lundestrom goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Troy Terry and Andrej Sustr. The Ducks added on with a Gerry Mayhew goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Max Comtois and Adam Henrique. Anaheim extended the lead as Trevor Zegras scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Terry and Cam Fowler. Josef Korenar replaced Vejmelka in goal. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period with a Fowler goal, his eighth of the year, via Lundestrom and Jamie Drysdale. Anaheim kept going with another Lundestrom goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Zach Aston-Reese and Derek Grant. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Lundestrom, Stolarz (22 save shutout), and Fowler, while Terry gets an honorable mention. 

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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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