NHL 2021-22 - Day 182

There's twelve games on for today, including four matinees. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Dustin Tokarski are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Okposo and Casey Fitzgerald. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Noah Dobson and Sebastian Aho. The Sabres took the lead back in the second period with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Buffalo added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, via Jacob Bryson and Victor Olofsson. The Sabres extended the lead as Vinnie Hinostroza scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Anders Bjork and Zemgus Girgensons. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Dobson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara. New York got closer with a Kieffer Bellows goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Ryan Pulock and Otto Koivula. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with a Skinner goal, his thirty-third of the year, passed from Thompson and Oloffson. The three stars were Thompson, Skinner, and Dobson, while Olofsson gets an honorable mention. 

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Thomas Greiss receive the starts in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Teddy Blueger and Brock McGinn. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirtieth of the year, made possible by Rickard Rakell and Kris Letang. Detroit got on the board with a Jakub Vrana power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings tied it in the second period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Danny DeKeyser and the goalie Greiss. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Rakell goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Mike Matheson. The Penguins extended the lead as Letang scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh padded the lead with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Jake Guentzel and Crosby. Alex Nedeljkovic took over in goal for Greiss in the third period. The Penguins kept going with a Danton Heinen goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Letang and Jeff Carter. Pittsburgh finished it at 7-2 with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Jason Zucker and Ruhwedel. The three stars were given to Letang, Malkin, and Ruhwedel, while Crosby and Rakell get the honorable mentions. 

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jon Gillies are the little-known goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Jesper Boqvist and Damon Severson. The Devils added on in the third period with a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Sharangovich and Nikita Okhotiuk. Carolina got on the board with a Brady Skjei goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Jesper Fast and Tony DeAngelo. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Seth Jarvis goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, via DeAngelo. The three stars were DeAngelo, Sharangovich, and Jarvis. 

Along to Boston, as the Bruins host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Linus Ullmark are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, via Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Taylor Hall, goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula and Pastrnak. New York got on the board in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere. Boston replied with a Trent Frederic goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Hall, and Ullmark (30 for 31 in saves). 

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Brian Elliott are in the creases. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Mikhail Sergachev. Nashville got on the board with a Roman Josi power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg. Tampa Bay replied with a Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Brayden Point. The Predators got one back in the second period with an Alexandre Carrier power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Philip Tomasino and Mattias Ekholm. The Lightning shot back on a Stamkos goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, made possible by Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Ross Colton scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Hedman and Nick Paul. The Lightning padded the lead on a Pat Maroon goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Stamkos. David Rittich replaced Saros in goal. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars being Stamkos, Hedman, and Kucherov.

Further down, the Florida Panthers bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Sergei Bobrovsky are protecting the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, via T.J. Brodie and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a Justin Holl goal, his third of the year, coming off of David Kampf and Brodie. Florida got on the board in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Mason Marchment and Claude Giroux. The Panthers tied it on a Giroux power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Brandon Montour goal, his tenth of the campaign, courtesy of Marchment and Giroux. The three stars were Giroux, Barkov, and Brodie, while Marchment gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Anton Forsberg patrol the creases. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Kastelic goal, courtesy of Scott Sabourin and Chris Tierney. Montreal tied it on a Rem Pitlick goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jake Evans. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with an Austin Watson goal, his ninth of the year, via Nick Holden and Parker Kelly. Ottawa added on with a Kelly goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Watson. The Senators extended the lead as Josh Norris scored his thirty-fourth of the year, thanks to Brady Tkachuk and Darake Batherson. Ottawa padded the lead on another Kastelic goal, with a helper from Sabourin. The Canadiens got one back with a Cole Caufield goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Mike Hoffman and David Savard. Montreal pulled closed with a Joel Edmundson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Evans and Jake Petry. The Senators fired back on an Alex Formenton shorthanded goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens pulled one back with another Pitlick goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. The final held at 6-4, with the three stars being Kastelic, Pitlick, and Keller, while Watson, Sabourin and Evans get the honorable mentions.

South again to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his third of the season, via Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Derrick Pouliot and Kole Lind. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, coming off of Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelskin. The Stars tied it on a Hintz power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Robertson and the goalie Oettinger. Dallas pulled ahead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Denis Gurianov. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Hintz, Robertson, and Oettinger (30 for 32 in saves).

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Kaapo Kahkonen are the Finnish goalies. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Jasper Weatherby goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Scott Reedy and Sasha Chmelevski. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Timo Meier. San Jose extended the lead as Meier scored his thirty-fourth of the season, made possible by Alexander Barabanov. Chicago got on the board with a Tyler Johnson goal, his third of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Seth Jones. The Sharks shot back in the third period with a Nick Bonino power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Logan Couture. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Meier, Kahkonen (27 for 28 in saves), and Hertl.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Dan Vladar are in the blue paint. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. The Flames added on with a Dillon Dube goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Calle Jarnkrok and Christopher Tanev. Vancouver got on the board with a Quinn Hughes goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Vasily Podkolzin and J.T. Miller. The Canucks tied it on a Conor Garland goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Tyler Myers and Miller. Calgary retook the lead on a Brett Ritchie goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tanev and Trevor Lewis. The Flames extended the lead as Dube scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to Lindholm. Calgary padded the lead as Nikita Zadorov scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Mikael Backlund. Vancouver got one back with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirty-second of the year, courtesy of Hughes. The Flames answered with a Gaudreau empty net goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, set up Matthew Tkachuk and Tanev. The final was 6-3, with the three stars going to Dube, Tanev, and Lindholm, while Gaudreau, Miller, and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Harri Sateri receive the starting nods in goal. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Justin Faulk goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Nathan Walker and Logan Brown. The Blues added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Faulk and Nick Leddy. St. Louis extended the lead on a Brandon Saad power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona got on the board with a Nathan Smith goal, his second of the year, via Anton Stralman and Michael Carcone. The Blues shot back in the second period with a Brown goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Dakota Joshua. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Bokondji Imama goal, courtesy of Alex Galchenyuk. Arizona got closer with a Carcone goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Stralman and Phil Kessel. The Coyotes tied it with a Janis Moser goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Jan Jenik. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Faulk goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. The three stars were Faulk, Brown, and Carcone, while Stralman gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Jonathan Quick have the green light to play in goal. Los Angeles got on the board first in the first period with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Quinton Byfield and Carl Grundstrom. Anaheim tied it on a Trevor Zegras power play goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sonny Milano. The Ducks took the lead with a Gerry Mayhew goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Josh Mahura. The Kings tied it on a Matt Roy goal, his second of the year, coming off of Kaliyev and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles took the lead with an Alexander Edler goal, his third of the season, made possible by Byfield. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an Alex Iafallo power play goal into an empty net, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Adrian Kempe and Kopitar. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Kaliyev, Kopitar, and Byfield. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 181

Four games on for this Friday night action, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Elvis Merzlikins are in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Drake Batherson and Josh Norris in the third period. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Tim Stutzle had the lone tally for a 2-1 Senators win. The three stars were Gustavsson (33 for 34 in saves), Tkachuk, and Merzlikins (25 for 26 in saves). 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Seattle began in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Joonas Donskoi. The Kraken added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Karson Kuhlman and Jared McCann. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala. The Wild tied it in the second period with an Eriksson Ek goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, guided in by Fiala and Matt Boldy. Minnesota pulled ahead on a Kaprizov power play goal, his forty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Fiala and Eriksson Ek. The Wild extended the lead as Ryan Hartman scored his thirty-third of the year, thanks to Kaprizov. Minnesota padded the lead on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Fiala and Kaprizov. The Wild continued with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Fiala and Tyson Jost. Seattle got one back in the third period with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Vince Dunn and McCann. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars given to Fiala, Kaprizov, and Eriksson Ek, while McCann gets an honorable mention. 

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Mike Smith protect the nets. Colorado opened in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Bowen Byram and Cale Makar. Edmonton tied it in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead with an Evan Bouchard goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kris Russell. The Avalanche tied it again with a Nichushkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky. Edmonton retook the lead with Kane's second goal of the game and nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Duncan Keith and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on with another Kane goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Brett Kulak. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as as Yamamoto scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Kane and McDavid. Colorado got one back on a MacKinnon goal, his thirty-second of the year, made possible by Burakovsky and J.T. Compher. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with a Russell empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Leon Draisaitl. The three stars were Kane, McDavid, and Yamamoto, while Russell, Nichushkin, MacKinnon, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Washington Capitals. Vitek Vanecek and Karel Vejmelka are the Czech netminders. Washington started in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Justin Schultz. The Capitals iced it at 2-0 with a John Carlson empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Nic Dowd and Sheary. The three stars were Vanecek (19 save shutout), Sheary, and Carlson. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 180

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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NHL 2021-22 - Day 179

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

The Edmonton Oilers hosting the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Mike Smith are set to start in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Connor McDavid and Kris Russell. The Oilers added on with a Derek Ryan goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Ryan McLeod and Tyson Barrie. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, fueled by Roope Hintz and John Klingberg. The Stars tied it on a Hintz goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Robertson and Joe Pavelski in the second period. Edmonton retook the lead on a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers extended the lead as Jesse Puljujarvi scored his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Bouchard and McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with a McDavid empty net goal, his forty-third of the campaign, set up by Duncan Keith. The three stars were McDavid, Bouchard, and Robertson, while Hintz gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Jake McCabe goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks added on with a Kubalik goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Tyler Johnson and Toews. Arizona got on the board with a Barrett Hayton goal, his ninth of the season, via Nick Schmaltz and Andrew Ladd in the second period. Chicago replied with an Alex Vlasic goal, fueled by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Nathan Smith goal, passed from Phil Kessel and Alex Galchenyuk. Arizona tied it on an Anton Stralman goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Schmaltz and Kessel. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a DeBrincat goal, his fortieth of the campaign, assisted by Kane and Seth Jones. The three stars were DeBrincat, Kubalik, and Kane, while Toews, Schmaltz, and Kessel get the honorable mentions.

Along to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Washington began in the first period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Alex Ovechkin and Nick Jensen. Vegas tied it on an Alec Martinez goal, his second of the year, via Zach Whitecloud and Mattias Janmark. Logan Thompson replaced Lehner in goal to start the second period. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period on an Ovechkin goal, his forty-ninth of the season, assisted by Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Shea Theodore. Vegas took the lead with a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Alex Pietrangelo. Washington tied it on another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and fiftieth of the year, coming off of Dmitry Orlov and Conor Sheary. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Theodore goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Dadonov and William Karlsson.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. Seattle led off in the first period with a Kole Lind goal, his second of the season, assisted by Will Borgen and Victor Rask. The Kraken added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Matty Beniers and Ryan Donato. Seattle extended the lead as Yanni Gourde scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Jared McCann and Karson Kuhlman. Colorado got on the board with a Cale Makar goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Nazem Kadri and J.T. Compher. The Avalanche got closer in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Gourde, Eberle, and Lind. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 178

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York drew first blood in the second period with a Ryan Strome power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on in the third period with an Adam Fox goal, his eleventh of the year, via Panarin and Andrew Copp. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Strome empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Copp and Chris Kreider. The three stars were Shesterkin (31 save shutout), Strome, and Panarin, while Copp gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ross Colton goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. Detroit tied it on an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his seventh of the year, via Danny DeKeyser and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings pulled ahead on a Jakub Vrana goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Filip Zadina and Jake Walman. Detroit added on with a Lucas Raymond goal, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Stamkos. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with another Colton goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, fueled by Stamkos and Erik Cernak. The Red Wings regained the lead with another Vrana goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Vrana, Stamkos, and Colton.

North to Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Carey Price are the veteran goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild added on in the third period with a Matt Boldy goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Fiala and Jordie Benn. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars given to Fiala, Talbot (26 save shutout), and Boldy.

Over in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Jack Campbell draw the starts. Toronto got going in the second period with a Timothy Liljegren goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and William Nylander. Philadelphia tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Keith Yandle and Travis Konecny. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a Nylander power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and John Tavares. Toronto added on with a Jason Spezza goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Mark Giordano and Wayne Simmonds. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the third period as David Kampf scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Ilya Lyubushkin and Ilya Mikheyev. The Flyers got one back on a Ronnie Attard goal, his second of the year, helped along by Konecny. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Mikheyev empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Pierre Engvall and T.J. Brodie. The three stars were Nylander, Mikheyev, and Konecny.

Back in New York, the Islanders welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ilya Sorokin are the Russian goalies. New York cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his second of the season, made possible by Andy Greene and Kieffer Bellows. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, helped along by Claude Giroux and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Islanders retook the lead in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. The Panthers tied it again with a Barkov goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, assisted by Radko Gudas and Huberdeau. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Barkov goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the campaign, fueled by Huberdeau and Gustav Forsling. The three stars were Barkov, Huberdeau, and Bobrovsky (24 for 26 in saves).

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Ville Husso are between the pipes. St. Louis began in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Jordan Kyrou. Boston tied it in the second period on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins took the lead with a Taylor Hall goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Derek Forbort and Erik Haula. The Blues tied it again with a Robert Thomas goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Tarasenko and Buchnevich. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers from DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle. The three stars were DeBrusk, Buchnevich, and Tarasenko.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his fortieth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got one back with an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames tied it on a Mangiapane goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Noah Hanifin. The tie went to a shootout, where Mikael Granlund had the lone tally for a 3-2 Predators win. The three stars were Mangiapane, Forsberg, and Duchene.

Northwest to Vancouver as the Canucks welcome the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Jaroslav Halak are the backups in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a power play goal by J.T. Miller, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Brad Hunt and Miller. Thatcher Demko replaced Halak for the second period. Ottawa got on the board with an Alex Formenton goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Nikita Zaitsev and Tim Stutzle. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Parker Kelly goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Erik Brannstrom and Artem Zub. Ottawa gained the lead with another Formenton goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, fueled by Zaitsev and Travis Hamonic. Vancouver retied it with a Travis Dermott goal, his second of the year, guided in by Boeser and Hughes. The tie went to a shootout, where Drake Batherson and Adam Gaudette lifted the Senators 4-3 over the Canucks. The three stars were Formenton, Miller, and Boeser, while Zaitsev and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the American goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Anze Kopitar. Anaheim tied it on an Adam Henrique power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Troy Terry and Cam Fowler. The Kings took the lead back in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Viktor Arvidsson and Matt Roy. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars given to Quick (29 for 30 in saves), Danault, and Kempe.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Kaapo Kahkonen are in the creases. San Jose started in the first period with a power play goal by Scott Reedy, his fourth of the season, powered by Noah Gregor and Logan Couture. The Sharks added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his eleventh of the year, via Thomas Bordeleau. San Jose extended the lead as Reedy scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Sasha Chmelevski. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a Jack Roslovic power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Justin Danforth and Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets got closer with another Roslovic goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Jake Bean. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Reedy, Roslovic, and Balcers. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 177

Six games on tonight, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Kevin Lankinen are the goalies. Calgary started in the first period with a Dillon Dube goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Blake Coleman. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Nikita Zadorov. Chicago got on the board with a Tyler Johnson goal, his second of the season, via Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik. The Flames shot back with a Coleman goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Oliver Kylington. The Blackhawks got one back in the second period on an Alec Regula goal, with helpers from Jake McCabe and Alex DeBrincat. The Flames replied in the third period with a Gaudreau empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, set up by Tkachuk. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Kylington empty net goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by the goalie Markstrom. The three stars were Gaudreau, Coleman, and Kylington, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Darcy Kuemper protect the nets. Washington opened in the first period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Johan Larsson and Justin Schultz. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Bowen Byram and Cale Makar. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-eighth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. The Avalanche tied it again in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Nico Sturm and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Washington reclaimed the lead with a Marcus Johansson goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Conor Sheary. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Johansson, Ovechkin, and Hathaway. 

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Karel Vejmelka are set to start in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Brady Skjei and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina extended the lead as Max Domi scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Nino Niederreiter and Brett Pesce. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Ritchie goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Nathan Smith and Phil Kessel. The Hurricanes shot back with a Niederreiter goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Domi and Pesce. The Coyotes pulled one back with a Loui Eriksson goal, his third of the year, passed from Kyle Capobianco and Andrew Ladd. Arizona got closer with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Capobianco and Travis Boyd. Carolina responded in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Niederreiter, Domi, and Pesce, while Capobianco gets an honorable mention.

Up in Vegas, the Golden Knights host the New Jersey Devils. Andrew Hammond is mismatched with Robin Lehner in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Nathan Bastian goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Michael McLeod and Damon Severson. Vegas tied it on a Keegan Kolesar goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Nicolas Roy and Shea Theodore. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Bastian and Kevin Bahl. New Jersey added on with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights got one back on a Chandler Stephenson goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Bastian, Boqvist, and Johnsson.

Way up in Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Chris Driedger are the lesser-known goalies. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Daniel Sprong power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Victor Rask and Vince Dunn. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Connor Brown. The Senators took the lead with a Nick Holden goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nikita Zaitsev and Parker Kelly. The Kraken retied it with a Matty Beniers goal, his second of the year, passed from Adam Larsson and Dunn. Seattle pulled ahead on a Rask goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Joonas Donskoi and Alex Wennberg. The Kraken added on with a Jared McCann empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Larsson and Dunn. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Dunn, Rask, and Larsson.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Vasily Podkolzin and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Alexander Radulov and Joe Pavelski. The Canucks took the lead back with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Sheldon Dries. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Pettersson and Jason Dickinson. The Stars got one back with a Hintz shorthanded goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, set up by Radek Faksa and Jani Hakanpaa. The Canucks responded with a Dickinson goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Boeser and Brad Hunt. Vancouver extended the lead in the third period as Podkolzin scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Quinn Hughes and Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks iced it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Pettersson, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Boeser and Dickinson. The three stars were Pettersson, Dickinson, and Boeser, while Hintz, Podkolzin, and Ekman-Larsson receive the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 176

We've got six games on for this Sunday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Florida got going in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov and Brandon Montour. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Mason Marchment and Petteri Lindbohm. Florida extended the lead as Anton Lundell scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Reinhart. The Panthers padded the lead on a Maxim Mamin goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Eetu Luostarinen and Patric Hornqvist. Florida continued in the third period with a Lundell shorthanded goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, set up by Barkov. Detroit got on the board with a Pius Suter goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Vrana and Filip Zadina. The Panthers answered with a Gustav Forsling goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Claude Giroux and Montour. The final was 6-1, with the three stars going to Lundell, Reinhart, and Barkov, while Montour gets an honorable mention. 

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Felix Sandstrom are the backups in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Noah Cates and Ivan Provorov. Buffalo tied it on a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Peyton Krebs. The Sabres took the lead with an Anders Bjork goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Dahlin. The Flyers tied it again in the second period with a Cates goal, his third of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Hayes. Buffalo retook the lead with an Olofsson power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Dylan Cozens and Krebs. The Sabres added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, helped along by Jeff Skinner. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a Zack MacEwen goal, his third of the season, made possible by Oskar Lindblom and Travis Sanheim. Buffalo won 5-3 on a Thompson empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, set up by Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson. The three stars were Olofsson, Thompson, and Krebs, while Hayes, Cates, Skinner, and Dahlin get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville began in the first period with a Nick Cousins goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Mark Borowiecki and Luke Kunin. St. Louis tied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. The Blues took the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-third of the season, assisted by O'Reilly and Colton Parayko in the second period. St. Louis added on with a Calle Rosen goal, via Robert Thomas and Tarasenko. The Blues extended the lead as Jordan Kyrou scored his twenty-fourth of the year, thanks to Pavel Buchnevich and Parayko. David Rittich replaced Saros in goal. St. Louis padded the lead on Rosen's second goal of the game, with helpers from Tarasenko and Justin Faulk. The Blues kept going with a Nathan Walker goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Logan Brown and Dakota Joshua. St. Louis continued on a Schenn goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Ivan Barbashev and Rosen. The Predators got one back with a Kunin goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Cousins and Mattias Ekholm. The Blues answered on a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Barbashev. Nashville pulled one back in the third period with a Dante Fabbro goal, his second of the campaign, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene. This made it 8-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Rosen, Tarasenko, and Schenn, while Kyrou, O'Reilly, Barbashev, Parayko, Kunin and Cousins get the honorable mentions. 

Back north, the Minnesota Wild host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his sixth of the season, via Kevin Fiala and Matt Boldy. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Marcus Foligno. San Jose got on the board with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Thomas Bordeleau and Noah Gregor. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Nick Bonino and Brent Burns. Minnesota retook the lead with a Boldy goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau. San Jose tied it again with a Gregor goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Burns and Balcers. The Sharks pulled ahead in the third period with a Bonino shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Meloche. The Wild tied it on a Fiala goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with helpers from Jordie Benn and Faudreau. Minnesota won 5-4 in overtime with a Spurgeon goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, made possible by Fiala and Gaudreau. The three stars were Fiala, Spurgeon, and Gaudreau, while Boldy, Bonino, Gregor, Balcers, and Burns get the honorable mentions. 

Eastward to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jack Campbell guard the cages. New York started in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock. Toronto tied it on a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, via Mark Giordano and Michael Bunting. The Islanders retook the lead in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Pierre Engvall goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Alexander Kerfoot and Justin Holl. Toronto took the lead with a William Nylander power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, with assists provided by John Tavares and Bunting. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with a David Kampf empty net goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, set up by Nylander. The three stars were Nylander, Bunting, and Campbell (27 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jean-Francois Berube and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf. Columbus tied it on a Jake Bean goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Jack Roslovic and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Ducks retook the lead with another Terry goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk. Anaheim added on with a Gerry Mayhew goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Trevor Zegras and Derek Grant. The Blue Jackets pulled one back in the second period with another Bean goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, fueled by Adam Boqvist. Columbus tied it on a Sean Kuraly goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Eric Robinson and Justin Danforth. The Ducks retook the lead in the third period with a Zegras goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Grant and Mayhew. Anaheim extended the lead as Cam Fowler scored his ninth of the year, via Getzlaf and Terry. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Cole Sillinger goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Jakub Voracek and Gustav Nyquist. The Ducks iced it at 6-4 with a Grant empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Terry, Grant, and Bean, while Zegras, Mayhew, Fowler, and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions. 

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