There's eleven games on today, beginning with...
The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Carey Price are the goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Bobby Brink. The Flyers added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by van Riemsdyk and Brink. Montreal got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. The Canadiens tied it in the second period on a Jake Evans goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Jeff Petry and Rem Pitlick. Philadelphia pulled ahead with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Zack MacEwen and Linus Hogberg. The Flyers extended the lead as Travis Konecny scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Ronnie Attard and Provorov. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Morgan Frost goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Noah Cates and Owen Tippett. The Flyers kept going with a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. Montreal got one back with a Cole Caufield goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, coming off of Chris Wideman and Nick Suzuki. The final was 6-3, with the three stars being van Riemsdyk, Provorov, and Brink.
Way down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Pius Suter. Florida tied it on a Noel Acciari goal, his second of the year, passed from Brandon Montour and Joe Thornton. The Panthers took the lead with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on with a Mason Marchment goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings got one back in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Suter and Gustav Lindstrom. The Panthers answered with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Marchment and Patric Hornqvist. Florida extended the lead as Sam Reinhart scored on the power play, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Sam Bennett and Huberdeau. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Marchment, Huberdeau, and Suter.
Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond are the former teammates in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Kyle Okposo shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the season, set up by Rasmus Dahlin and the goalie Anderson. The Sabres added on with an Alex Tuch shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, via Victor Olofsson. Buffalo extended the lead as Dahlin scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Olofsson. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Michael McLeod and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils got closer in the third period with a Nikita Okhotiuk goal, helped along by Janne Kuokkanen and Pavel Zacha. The Sabres answered with an Owen Power goal, assisted by Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson. Buffalo padded the lead on a Skinner goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Thompson and Olofsson. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Skinner, Olofsson, and Dahlin, while Thompson gets an honorable mention.
Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Casey DeSmith are in the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins added on in the second period on a Jason Zucker goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jeff Carter and John Marino. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Guentzel scored his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the season, thanks to Kris Letang. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period as Guentzel completed his hat trick on his fortieth of the year into an empty net, going in unassisted. The final was 4-0, with the three stars awarded to DeSmith (52 save shutout), Guentzel, and Zucker.
South again to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his forty-fourth of the season, via Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets added on with a Dubois goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Dylan DeMelo. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. Carolina pulled ahead with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Brendan Smith and Teravianen. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with a Jordan Staal empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei. The three stars were Teravainen, Dubois, and Jarvis.
Up in New York, the Islanders bring in their crosstown rivals, the Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. The Rangers struck first in the first period with an Andrew Copp goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on with another Copp goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, via Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers extended the lead as Copp completed his natural hat trick on his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Panarin. The Islanders got on the board in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, helped along by Josh Bailey. The Rangers replied with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifty-first of the season, powered by Fox and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers padded the lead on a Strome goal, his twentieth of the year, with the help of Panarin and Fox. The Islanders got one back in the third period with another Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. The Rangers shot back on a Ryan Reaves goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow. The Islanders answered with a Bailey goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Dobson and Zdeno Chara. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars awarded to Copp, Panarin, and Fox, while Strome, Nelson, Bailey, and Dobson get the honorable mentions.
South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Andrei Vasilevskiy are given the starting nods in goal. Tampa Bay cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Erik Cernak and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning added on with a Ross Colton goal, his twentieth of the year, via Nick Paul and Corey Perry. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead on a Kucherov power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Perry and Killorn. Tampa Bay continued in the third period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Stamkos. The Lightning struck again with another Killorn goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Stamkos and Hedman on the power play. Toronto got on the board with an Ilya Mikheyev power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza and Mark Giordano. Tampa Bay shot back with Colton's second goal and the game and his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Palat and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning kept going with a Pat Maroon goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Palat and Colton. The final was 8-1, with the three stars handed to Colton, Killorn, and Stamkos, while Palat, Kucherov, Hedman, and Perry get the honorable mentions.
Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his thirty-first of the season, fueled by Frederick Gaudreau and Matt Boldy. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirtieth of the year, via Conor Garland and Brock Boeser. The Wild took the lead again with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Duhaime and Jacob Middleton. The Canucks tied it again with a Matthew Highmore goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Vancouver gained the lead with another Pettersson goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, guided in by Garland and Travis Dermott. Minnesota retied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twenty-third of the year, helped along by Kirill Kaprizov and Jon Merrill. The Wild gained the lead with a Fiala goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, made possible by Jonas Brodin and Gaudreau. Minnesota added on with a Kaprizov goal, his forty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Hartman and Zuccarello. The Wild iced it at 6-3 with a Hartman empty net goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, set up by Kaprizov and Zuccarello. The three stars were Fiala, Kaprizov, and Zuccarello, while Pettersson, Hartman, Gaudreau, and Garland get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary drew first blood in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Rasmus Andersson. Dallas tied it on a Jason Robertson power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. The Flames took the lead with a Noah Hanifin goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Andersson. The Stars tied it on a Luke Glendening goal, his ninth of the year, via Fredrik Karlstrom. Calgary pulled ahead with a Christopher Tanev goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Oliver Kylington and Andrew Mangiapane. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Mangiapane empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Mangiapane, Andersson, and Tkachuk.
Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period on a Phillip Danault power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe and Sean Durzi. The Kings added on in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Alexander Edler and Kempe. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat. Los Angeles replied in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings extended the lead as Trevor Moore scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Viktor Arvidsson and Edler. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Kempe, Edler, and Kopitar.
Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and James Reimer protect the nets. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Noah Gregor goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Rudolfs Balcers and Brent Burns. St. Louis tied it on a Dakota Joshua goal, his third of the year, via Logan Brown and Nathan Walker. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Buchnevich empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Brayden Schenn. The three stars were Thomas, Buchnevich, and Binnington (20 for 21 in saves).
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