NHL 2021-22 - Day 166

There's ten games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York got going in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. New York iced it at 3-0 in the third period with an empty net goal by Dryden Hunt, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Zibanejad. The three stars were Shesterkin (30 save shutout), Vatrano, and Zibanejad.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with an Eric Robinson shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Vladislav Gavrikov and Sean Kuraly. Philadelphia tied it on a Kevin Connauton goal, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead with an Owen Tippett goal, his eighth of the year, via Travis Sanheim and Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia added on with a Noah Cates goal, his second of the season, made possible by Ivan Provorov. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Travis Konecny scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Morgan Frost and Sanheim. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Jones (26 for 27 in saves), Sanheim, and Tippett.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Andrew Hammond are in the creases. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Rem Pitlick and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on with a Jake Evans goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Corey Schueneman and Mike Hoffman. New Jersey got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Dawson Mercer and Damon Severson. Montreal replied with a Caufield goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Suzuki. The Devils got one back in the second period on an A.J. Greer goal, assisted by Michael McLeod and Ryan Graves. The Canadiens shot back with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Chris Wideman and Brendan Gallagher. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Wideman scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Kale Clague and Christian Dvorak. The Canadiens padded the lead as Dvorak scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Wideman and Clague. New Jersey countered on a Ty Smith goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. The Devils got closer with a Bratt goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Tatar and Hischier. Montreal pushed back with a Clague goal, his second of the year, guided in by Gallagher and Dvorak. This made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars handed to Dvorak, Wideman, and Clague, while Suzuki, Caufield, Gallagher, Bratt, Tatar, and Hischier get the honorable mentions.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Anton Forsberg are between the pipes. Nashville led off in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, via Mikael Granlund and Roman Josi. Ottawa tied it on a Mathieu Joseph goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Erik Brannstrom and Parker Kelly in the second period. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Josh Norris goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Brady Tkachuk. The Predators tied it on a Josi goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Dante Fabbro and Yakov Trenin. Nashville took the lead with a power play goal by Ryan Johansen, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Duchene and Josi. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Josi, Duchene, and Johansen.

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Antti Raanta are the veteran goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Tage Thompson goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres added on with a Tuch goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Skinner and Thompson. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. Buffalo replied on a Victor Olofsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Mattias Samuelsson. The Hurricanes answered with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Brett Pesce and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes took the lead with an Aho goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, with helpers from Svechnikov and Jarvis. Carolina extended the lead on a Staal empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Aho, Staal, and Svechnikov, while Thompson, Tuch, Jarvis, and Skinner get the honorable mentions.

Over in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Scott Wedgewood make the starts in goal. Toronto struck first in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Ilya Mikheyev and Justin Holl. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Jamie Benn and Marian Studenic. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fifty-fifth of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and John Tavares. The Stars tied it in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Toronto pulled ahead with a Morgan Rielly goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Michael Bunting. Dallas tied it on a Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan Suter and Robertson. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Nylander and T.J. Brodie. The three stars belonged to Matthews, Nylander, and Pavelski, while Robertson gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Kevin Lankinen receive the starts in goal. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ryan Donato and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken added on in the third period with an Eberle goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Riley Sheahan. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars being Grubauer (29 save shutout), Eberle, and Wennberg.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jaroslav Halak and Harri Sateri are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Horvat goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Vasily Podkolzin and Conor Garland. Vancouver extended the lead as Horvat scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, thanks to Podkolzin and Garland. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Travis Boyd. The Canucks replied with a Pettersson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Chiasson and J.T. Miller. Vancouver padded the lead on a Chiasson power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Pettersson. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Horvat, Chiasson, and Pettersson, while Podkolzin and Garland get the honorable mentions.

Along to California, as the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick are the experienced goalies. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-second of the season, guided in by Evan Bouchard. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Phillip Danault. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Derek Ryan. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Bouchard goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by McDavid and Evander Kane. The Kings got one back with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Moore. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Bouchard, McDavid, and Moore.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jaycob Megna and Matt Nieto. The Flames took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. Calgary added on in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Sharks got one back in the third period on a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Timo Meier and Mario Ferraro. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Lindholm empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, set up by Tkachuk and Gaudreau. The three stars were Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Gaudreau. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 165

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

The Washington Capitals hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Samsonov are in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a Martin Fehervary goal, his sixth of the season, via John Carlson and Conor Sheary. The Capitals added on with a Carlson power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Victor Hedman. Washington replied with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-third of the year, fueled by Carlson and Kuznetsov. The Lightning got one back with a Nick Paul goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Jan Rutta. The Capitals replied in the second period with a Carlson power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin. Tampa Bay got one back in the third period with a Ross Colton power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Sergachev and Pat Maroon. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Carlson, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Connor Hellebuyck receive the starts in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a shorthanded Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Dylan Larkin. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Nate Schmidt and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Red Wings took the lead back in the third period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Oskar Sundqvist and Kyle Criscuolo. Detroit added on with a Gagner empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, fueled by Pius Suter and Dylan Larkin. The three stars were Gagner, Greiss (33 for 34 in saves), and Larkin.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Ville Husso man the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues added on with a Justin Faulk goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Nick Leddy. Seattle got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Will Borgen and Ryan Donato. St. Louis answered in the third period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Schenn and Robert Bortuzzo. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Ryan O'Reilly empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Brandon Saad and Calle Rosen. The three stars were Husso (27 for 28 in saves), Schenn, and Faulk.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Anthony Stolarz are the goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Stone. The Flames added on in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Anaheim got on the board with a Trevor Zegras goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Vinni Lettieri and Sam Steel. Calgary replied in the third period with a Stone goal, assisted by Mangiapane. The Ducks got one back with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, set up by Gaudreau. The three stars were Stone, Gaudreau, and Mangiapane.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Robin Lehner guard the cages. Vegas began in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Brayden McNabb. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks took the lead with a Brad Richardson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jason Dickinson and Conor Garland. Vancouver added on with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks extended the lead as Pettersson scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Ekman-Larsson and Miller. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on a Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Alex Chiasson. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Pettersson, Miller, and Ekman-Larsson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 164

Ten games are on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Craig Anderson man the nets. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Nino Niederreiter and Jordan Staal. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Tage Thompson. The Sabres took the lead with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Rasmus Asplund and Mattias Samuelsson. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period on a Niederreiter goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Staal and Brett Pesce. Buffalo took the lead with a Victor Olofsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres added on with a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Olofsson and Peyton Krebs. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Olofsson, Niederreiter, and Staal.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Jake Allen make the starts in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jake Evans. Ottawa tied it on an Austin Watson goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead with a Tim Stutzle power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. The Canadiens tied it on a Justin Barron goal, via Josh Anderson and Mike Hoffman. Ottawa gained the lead with a Tkachuk goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Mathieu Joseph and Michael Del Zotto. Montreal tied it again with a Cole Caufield goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Hoffman and Gallagher on the power play. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with an assist provided by Norris. Ottawa added on with a Colin White goal, his third of the season, made possible by Batherson and Nick Holden. The Senators finished it at 6-3 with a Watson empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Joseph. The three stars went to Tkachuk, Batherson, and Gallagher, while Norris and Joseph get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Florida started in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Mitchell Marner shorthanded goal, his thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto added on with another Marner power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, helped along by Matthews and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Colin Blackwell scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Rielly and Pierre Engvall. Spencer Knight replaced Bobrovsky in goal. Toronto padded the lead on a Jake Muzzin goal, his third of the year, via Matthews and Marner. The Panthers got one back with Reinhart's second power play goal of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Barkov and MacKenzie Weegar. Florida pulled closer on a Radko Gudas shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Anton Lundell and Barkov. The Panthers got closer with a Claude Giroux goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Huberdeau and Sam Bennett. Florida tied it in the third period with a Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Barkov and Giroux on the power play. The Panthers pulled ahead on a Barkov goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, dished from Huberdeau. The Maple Leafs tied it with a Tavares power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Marner and Nylander. Florida won 7-6 in overtime with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, fueled by Barkov and Weegar. The three stars were Huberdeau, Barkov, and Marner, while Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Reinhart, Giroux, Weegar, and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Nico Daws are the backups in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a power play goal by Ryan Strome, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers took the lead with a Kreider goal, his forty-seventh of the season, assisted by Panarin and Adam Fox on the power play. New York added on in the third period with a Justin Braun goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Braden Schneider and Andrew Copp. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Kreider, Panarin, and Georgiev (20 for 21 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Carter Hart are the masked men. Columbus began in the first period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Carson Meyer and Eric Robinson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Meyer goal, via Zach Werenski and Robinson. Philadelphia got on the board with a Noah Cates goal, fueled by Patrick Brown. The Flyers tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Ronnie Attard and Kevin Hayes. Columbus took the lead in the third period with a Justin Danforth goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jake Bean and Sean Kuraly. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Kuraly empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Cole Sillinger and Gustav Nyquist. The three stars were Meyer, Kuraly, and Robinson.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Tristan Jarry tend the twines. Colorado led off in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Mikko Rantanen. Pittsburgh tied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Marcus Pettersson and Jake Guentzel. The Avalanche took the lead back in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Alex Newhook and Devon Toews. Colorado added on with a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Burakovsky and Rantanen. The Penguins got one back on an Evan Rodrigues goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche replied in the third period with a Josh Manson goal, his fifth of the year, via Toews and Compher. Colorado extended the lead as Darren Helm scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Logan O'Connor. Pittsburgh got one back on a Guentzel goal, his thirty-third of the year, helped along by Jeff Carter and Evgeni Malkin. The Avalanche replied with an Artturi Lehkonen empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Helm and Toews. The Penguins fired back on a Mike Matheson goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Danton Heinen and Brian Boyle. The final was 6-4, and the three stars belonged to MacKinnon, Comphoer, and Toews, while Helm, Rantanen, Guentzel, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

In Detroit, the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins added on with a Brandon Carlo shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Derek Forbort and Patrice Bergeron. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his thirtieth of the season, fueled by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings tied it in the second period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Adam Erne and Danny DeKeyser. Detroit pulled ahead on a Filip Zadina goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jakub Vrana and Pius Suter. The Red Wings extended the lead as Vrana scored his eighth of the year on the power play in the third period, thanks to Filip Hronek and Jake Walman. Boston got one back on a Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Charlie McAvoy and Hall. Detroit finished it at 5-3 with a Sam Gagner empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by the goalie Nedeljkovic. The three stars were handed to Vrana, Bergeron, and Hall.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Philip Tomasino. Minnesota tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov. The Predators took the lead back with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund. Nashville added on with another Johansen power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, helped along by Josi and Matt Duchene. The Predators extended the lead as Tomasino scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Josi and Ekholm. The Wild got one back with a Kaprizov power play goal, his fortieth of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Zuccarello. Nashville answered in the third period with a Duchene goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Forsberg and Mark Borowiecki. The Predators iced it at 6-2 with a Johansen empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, set up by Tomasino and Forsberg. The three stars were awarded to Johansen, Josi, and Tomasino, while Forsberg, Duchene, Kaprizov, Zuccarello, and Ekholm receive the honorable mentions.

In Dallas, the Stars bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Marian Studenic goal, his third of the season, via Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. New York tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Noah Dobson and Josh Bailey. The Stars pulled ahead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Joel Hanley and John Klingberg. The Islanders tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-third of the year, guided in by Dobson. Dallas took the lead back with a Radek Faksa shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Luke Glendening. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Faksa, Dobson, and Seguin.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and James Reimer are the veteran goalies. San Jose got going in the first period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Timo Meier. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shorthanded goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, set up by Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-first of the campaign, assisted by the goalie Smith. The three stars were Smith (31 for 32 in saves), McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

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. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.