NHL 2021-22 - Day 185

There's thirteen games on a big day in the final week of the season. First up...

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-ninth of the season, guided in by Jason Spezza and Colin Blackwell. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via William Nylander and Ilya Lyubushkin. Toronto extended the lead as Matthews scored his second of the game and sixtieth of the season on the power play, thanks to Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Matthews, Campbell (20 save shutout), and Nylander.

Stateside, the Boston Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Florida started in the first period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it with an Erik Haula goal, his eighteenth of the year, via David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. The Bruins took the lead with a Hall goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Pastrnak. The Panthers tied it on a power play goal by Sam Reinhart, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Anthony Duclair. Boston retook the lead in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Marchand empty net goal, his thirty-second of the year, set up by Bergeron. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Hall, Marchand, and Pastrnak, while Bergeron gets an honorable mention.

Back in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Anton Forsberg are to start in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Thomas Chabot power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on in the second period with a Drake Batherson goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Tkachuk and Travis Hamonic. New Jersey got on the board with a Nolan Foote goal, via Fabian Zetterlund and Reilly Walsh. Ottawa shot back with a Stutzle power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Josh Norris. The Devils replied with another Foote goal, his second of the game, coming off of Pavel Zacha and Ty Smith. The Senators answered in the third period with a shorthanded Stutzle goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey pulled back with a Zacha goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Jesper Bratt. The Devils tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Damon Severson. Ottawa won 5-4 in overtime with Batherson's second goal of the game and his seventeenth of the campaign, with a helper from Stutzle. The three stars were Stutzle, Batherson, and Tkachuk, while Foote and Zacha get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Nick Paul. Columbus tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Jack Roslovic and Zach Werenski. The Lightning retook the lead with a Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, helped along by Kucherov. The Lightning extended the lead in the third period as Ondrej Palat scored his eighteenth of the campaign, thanks to Kucherov and Stamkos. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (20 for 21 in saves).

North again to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Brady Skjei and Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Derek Stepan and Martin Necas. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifty-second of the season, assisted by Frank Vatrano. Carolina replied with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Trocheck and Skjei. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period as Sebastian Aho scored his thirty-seventh of the season, with the help of Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin. The Rangers got one back with a Jacob Trouba goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from K'Andre Miller and Mika Zibanejad. New York got closer on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Kreider and Adam Fox. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Trocheck, Skjei, and Kreider.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Casey DeSmith receive the starts in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his twelfth of the season, via Connor McDavid and Evander Kane. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jeff Carter goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Mike Matheson and Kasperi Kapanen. The Oilers took the lead back with a Kane goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and McDavid. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as McDavid scored his forty-fourth of the season on the power play, with the help of Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie. Edmonton iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by Zack Kassian, his sixth of the year, set up by Brett Kulak and Cody Ceci. The three stars were McDavid, Kane, and Smith (33 for 34 in saves).

To DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Ilya Samsonov are the Russian goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Nick Jensen. New York tied it on a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Kieffer Bellows and Kyle Palmieri. The Islanders took the lead with a Noah Dobson power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. New York added on with a Casey Cizikas shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders extended the lead as Anders Lee scored his twenty-seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Sorokin (32 for 33 in saves), Dobson, and Cizikas.

Along to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dillon Dube power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Roman Josi goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Philip Tomasino and Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead with a Matt Duchene goal, his forty-second of the season, fueled by Mikael Granlund and Josi. The Flames tied it on another Dube goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Calle Jarnkrok and Oliver Kylington. Nashville took the lead with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his forty-first of the season, with assists provided by Duchene and Granlund. Calgary tied it again with a Noah Hanifin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Brett Ritchie and Milan Lucic. The Predators took the lead back with another Forsberg power play goal, his second of the game and forty-second of the season, with helpers from Granlund and Duchene. The Flames tied it again on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his forty-first of the year, guided in by Hanifin and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary won 5-4 in overtime with an Elias Lindholm goal, his forty-first of the campaign, coming off of Andersson and Gaudreau. The three stars were Dube, Hanifin, and Andersson, while Gaudreau, Duchene, Forsberg, Granlund, and Josi get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. Arizona tied it on an Anton Stralman goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, via Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Jack McBain goal, assisted by Stralman and Shayne Gostisbehere. Arizona added on with an Antoine Roussel goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Gostisbehere and Stralman. The Wild got one back with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Marcus Foligno and Kaprizov. Minnesota tied it on a Foligno goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Travis Boyd power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Gostisbehere and Phil Kessel. Arizona iced it at 5-3 with a Kessel empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Schmaltz. The three stars belonged to Stralman, Kessel, and Gostisbehere, while Schmaltz, Eriksson Ek, Foligno, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jake Oettinger are the young goalies. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a William Carrier goal, his ninth of the season, via Brayden McNabb. Dallas tied it on a Jason Robertson goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, assisted by Thomas Harley and Roope Hintz. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Jack Eichel. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Robertson goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the year, guided in by John Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. The tie went to a shootout, where Miro Heiskanen's lone tally lifted the Stars to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Robertson, Oettinger (33 for 35 in saves), and Stephenson.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper tend the twines. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with an Erik Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of J.T. Compher and Alex Newhook. Colorado extended the lead as Josh Manson scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Newhook and Samuel Girard. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche fired back with an Artturi Lehkonen goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Nichushkin. The Blues got one back on an O'Reilly goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Kyrou and Torey Krug. St. Louis pulled closer on another O'Reilly goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, guided in by Pavel Buchnevich and Kyrou. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Nazem Kadri empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Compher. The three stars were Nichushkin, Compher, and Newhook, while O'Reilly and Kyrou get the honorable mentions.

Continuing along, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Spencer Martin are the backups in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Sheldon Dries goal, his second of the season, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead on an Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Garland and Nic Petan. Seattle got on the board with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Matty Beniers and Jared McCann. The Kraken got closer with a Morgan Geekie goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Riley Sheahan and Adam Larsson. The Canucks replied in the third period with a Luke Schenn goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Matthew Highmore and Hughes. Vancouver padded the lead on a Hughes goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Garland. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Hughes, Garland, and Ekman-Larsson. 

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Kaapo Kahkonen man the creases. Anaheim started in the first period with a Trevor Zegras power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Max Comtois goal, his fifth of the year, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Simon Benoit. Anaheim extended the lead as Sonny Milano scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Troy Terry and Dominik Simon. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Logan Couture and Thomas Bordeleau. The Sharks got closer with a Scott Reedy goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Jaycob Megna and Sasha Chmelevski. The Ducks fired back in the third period with a Josh Mahura goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Milano and Comtois. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with a Zach Aston-Reese empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Stolarz. The three stars were Milano, Comtois, and Stolarz (31 for 33 in saves). 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 184

There's just one game tonight, as the Chicago Blackhawks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Kevin Lankinen make the starts in goal. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik. The Blackhawks added on with a Toews goal, his twelfth of the year, via Sam Lafferty. Philadelphia got on the board with a Kevin Hayes goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny. Chicago replied in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his forty-first of the year, guided in by Patrick Kane and Jake McCabe. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Toews, Lankinen (33 for 34 in saves), and DeBrincat. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 183

It's a busy 11-game Sunday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. Carolina led off in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. New York got on the board with a Ross Johnston goal, his second of the season, helped along by Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas. Pyotr Kochetkov replaced an injured Raanta. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Josh Bailey and Kieffer Bellows. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Max Domi goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes extended the lead on a Jesper Fast empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Jordan Staal. Carolina padded the lead with a Brendan Smith empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Domi, Jarvis, and Stepan.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Elvis Merzlikins are in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Connor McDavid. Columbus tied it on an Eric Robinson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jakub Voracek and Nick Blankenburg. The Oilers retook the lead with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his fifty-fifth of the season, powered by McDavid and Tyson Barrie. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Cole Sillinger and Gustav Nyquist. Columbus pulled ahead with a Blankenburg power play goal, with assists provided by Bjorkstrand and Voracek. The Blue Jackets added on with a Jack Roslovic goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Voracek and Nyquist. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Sillinger, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Bjorkstrand. The three stars were handed to Bjorkstrand, Voracek, and Blankenburg, while Sillinger, Nyquist, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Andrew Hammond start in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Bertuzzi empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Sundqvist and Danny DeKeyser. Detroit iced it at 3-0 with a Michael Rasmussen empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Adam Erne. The three stars were Sundqvist, Nedeljkovic (17 save shutout), and Bertuzzi. 

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Louis Domingue and Martin Jones are the backups in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Morgan Frost goal, his fifth of the season, via Owen Tippett and Noah Cates. The Flyers added on with a Cates goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Keith Yandle and Frost in the second period. Philadelphia extended the lead in the third period as Cates scored his second of the game and fifth of the season on the power play, powered by Ivan Provorov and Yandle. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-first of the year, passed from Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. The Flyers iced it at 4-1 with a Travis Konecny empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Kevin Hayes and Linus Hogberg. The three stars were Cates, Frost, and Yandle. 

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Spencer Knight are the masked men. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Pat Maroon and Ryan McDonagh. Florida tied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his thirtieth of the year, via Anton Lundell and Noel Acciari. The Lightning took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Kucherov. Tampa Bay added on with a Cal Foote goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Stamkos. The Panthers got one back with a Brandon Montour goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Florida tied it in the second period on a Mason Marchment goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Claude Giroux and MacKenzie Weegar. The Lightning regained the lead with a Nick Paul shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Hagel. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Paul scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to Alex Killorn and Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Hedman. The Panthers got one back with a Reinhart power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, with helpers from Jonathan Huberdeau and Giroux. Tampa Bay replied with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Stamkos and Hedman. The Lightning finished it at 8-4 with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, guided in by Point and Kucherov. The three stars were Kucherov, Stamkos, and Hedman, while Paul, Point, Hagel, Reinhart, and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

North to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Vitek Vanecek are in the blue paint. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Anthony Mantha. Toronto tied it on an Ilya Lyubushkin goal, his second of the year, fueled by Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. The Capitals took the lead in the third period with a Lars Eller goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Martin Fehervary and John Carlson. Washington added on with a Marcus Johanson goal, his ninth of the year, via Conor Sheary and Justin Schultz. The Maple Leafs got one back with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Carl Dahlstrom and Pierre Engvall. Toronto tied it on a Jason Spezza goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Mikheyev and Matthews. The tie went to a shootout, where Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot topped Evgeny Kuznetsov for a 4-3 Maple Leafs win. The three stars were Mikheyev, Spezza, and Matthews.

Along to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Erik Johnson and Jack Johnson. Winnipeg tied it with an Adam Lowry goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Josh Morrissey. The Jets took the lead with a Blake Wheeler goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg added on with a Kyle Connor goal, his forty-fifth of the year, passed from Jansen Harkins. The Jets extended the lead as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his twenty-seventh of the campaign, thanks to Paul Stastny. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Hellebuyck (30 for 31 in saves), Wheeler, and Connor.

East to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sam Montembeault draw the starts in net. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with an Erik Haula penalty shot goal, his sixteenth of the year. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Josh Anderson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Brendan Gallagher and Jeff Petry. Boston responded with a Haula goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, guided in by Tomas Nosek and Connor Clifton. The Bruins extended the lead as Charlie McAvoy scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Bergeron. The Canadiens got one back with a Mike Hoffman power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Petry and Christian Dvorak. Montreal got closer on a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Michael Pezzetta. Boston finished it at 5-3 with a Bergeron empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, set up by Marchand. The three stars were Haula, Bergeron, and Marchand, while Petry gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in David Rittich in goal. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his fortieth of the year, via Dante Fabbro and Mikael Granlund. The Wild retook the lead in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Connor Dewar and Joseph Cramarossa. The Predators retied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his forty-first of the year, powered by Granlund and Forsberg. Nashville took the lead with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Forsberg and Granlund. Minnesota retied it with an Eriksson Ek power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Kevin Fiala and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild pulled ahead with a Fiala goal, his thirty-third of the season, with a lone helper from Matt Boldy. The Predators pulled even in the third period with a Fabbro goal, his third of the year, guided in by Duchene and Roman Josi. Minnesota won 5-4 in overtime with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov. The three stars were Eriksson Ek, Fiala, and Forsberg, while Granlund, Kaprizov, Duchene, and Fabbro get the honorable mentions.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks host the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Max Comtois goal, his fourth of the season, via Vinni Lettieri and Sam Steel. The Ducks added on with a Gerry Mayhew goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Trevor Zegras and Andrej Sustr. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Ivan Barbashev and Justin Faulk. The Blues tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by Niko Mikkola and Robert Thomas. St. Louis pulled ahead with a Barbashev goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Kyrou and Tyler Bozak. The Blues extended the lead as Faulk scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Colton Parayko and Tarasenko. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period as Pavel Buchnevich scored his thirtieth of the season, with the help of Ryan O'Reilly and Mikkola. The Blues continued with a Marco Scandella goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Barbashev and Buchnevich. Anaheim pulled one back on an Adam Henrique goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Ryan Getzlaf and Troy Terry. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars belonging to Barbashev, Buchnevich, and Faulk, while Kyrou, Tarasenko and Mikkola get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Logan Thompson protect the nets. San Jose got going in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Alexander Barabanov and Jaycob Megna. Vegas tied it on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Pacioretty goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Shea Theodore and Stephenson. Vegas added on with a William Carrier goal, his eighth of the year, via Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy. The Sharks got one back with a Nick Bonino goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Megna and Matt Nieto. The Golden Knights shot back in the third period with a Roy goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by William Karlsson and Theodore. San Jose got one back with another Bonino goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, coming off of Logan Couture and Brent Burns. San Jose won 5-4 in the shootout with a lone tally by Thomas Bordeleau. The three stars were Bonino, Pacioretty, and Roy, while Megna and Theodore get the honorable mentions. 

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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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