NHL 2022-23 - Day 31

Four games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Spencer Knight are the backups in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Nick Cousins goal, via Brandon Montour and Sam Bennett. The Panthers added on in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Carter Verhaeghe and Montour. Florida iced it at 3-0 with a Bennett empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Anton Lundell and Montour. The three stars were Knight (40 save shutout), Montour, and Bennett.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on with an Arber Xhekaj goal, his second of the year, coming off of Sean Monahan. Montreal extended the lead as Kirby Dach scored his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Johnathan Kovacevic and Christian Dvorak. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Luke Schenn goal, courtesy of Brock Boeser. The Canucks got closer with a Nils Hoglander goal, his passed from Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Montreal finished it at 5-2 with a Dach goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, helped along by Suzuki. The three stars were Dach, Suzuki, and Hoffman.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his third of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins added on with a Brock McGinn shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Jeff Carter. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jeff Petry scored his second of the season, thanks to Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Washington got on the board with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Sonny Milano and Nick Jensen. The Penguins answered with a Guentzel empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson. The final was 4-1, with the three stars being DeSmith (24 for 25 in saves), Guentzel, and McGinn.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and John Gibson man the nets. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pavol Regenda goal, assisted by Frank Vatrano and Dmitry Kulikov. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Matt Boldy and Calen Addison. The Wild took the lead in the third period with a Matt Dumba goal, via Connor Dewar and Mason Shaw. Minnesota added on with a Kaprizov power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild extended the lead as Joseph Cramarossa scored, thanks to Tyson Jost. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Kaprizov, Gustavsson (31 for 32 in saves), and Dumba. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 30

It's an 11-game day Tuesday schedule, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Eric Comrie are set to start in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Matias Maccelli. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Jack Quinn. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Maccelli power play goal, with assists provided by Juuso Valimaki and Barrett Hayton. Arizona added on in the third period with a Liam O'Brien goal, made possible by J.J. Moser and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes finished it at 4-1 with a Keller empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by O'Brien and Travis Boyd. The three stars were O'Brien, Maccelli, and Keller.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Erik Kallgren are the goalies. Vegas opened in the first period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by William Carrier. Toronto tied it on a Timothy Liljegren goal, coming off of David Kampf and Zach Aston-Reese. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jack Eichel goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Mitchell Marner goal, his third of the season, via Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin. Toronto took the lead with a Liljegren goal, his second of the game, passed from Marner and Morgan Rielly. Vegas tied it on a Reilly Smith shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with Smith's second goal of the game and his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Shea Theodore and Karlsson. The three stars were Smith, Liljegren, and Karlsson, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Ottawa began in the first period with a Drake Batherson goal, his fourth of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Ethan Bear and Jack Rathbone. The Senators retook the lead with a Travis Hamonic goal, coming off of Tim Stutzle. The Canucks tied it in the second period on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. Vancouver pulled ahead in the third period with another Horvat goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with an assist from Conor Garland. The Canucks added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, assisted by Garland and Brock Boeser. Ottawa got one back with a Stutzle power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by DeBrincat. Vancouver shot back on a Jack Studnicka goal, going in unassisted. The Senators pulled back with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jake Sanderson. The Canucks iced it at 6-4 with a Pettersson empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers. The three stars were Horvat, Pettersson, and Stutzle, while DeBrincat and Garland get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Vitek Vanecek receive the starting nods. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Rasmus Andersson and Elias Lindholm. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Ryan Graves goal, his third of the year, via Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar. The Devils took the lead on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Fabian Zetterlund and Jesper Bratt. The Flames tied it on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Andersson and Adam Ruzicka. New Jersey retook the lead with a Hischier goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Hamilton and Tatar. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Hischier, Hamilton, and Tatar, while Andersson gets an honorable mention.

In New York, the Rangers welcome their crosstown rivals, the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Igor Shesterkin protect the nets. The Islanders struck first in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Ryan Pulock. The Rangers tied it on a Filip Chytil goal, his third of the year, assisted by K'Andre Miller and Adam Fox. The Rangers went ahead in the second period on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers added on with a Trocheck power play goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The Islanders pulled one back with an Adam Pelech goal in the third period, with helpers from Palmieri and Parise. The Islanders tied it on a Brock Nelson power play goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Noah Dobson and Barzal. The Islanders took the lead on an Anders Lee goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Alexander Romanov. The final held from here at 4-3, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Trocheck, and Parise, while Panarin gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Thomas Greiss and Felix Sandstrom are the backups in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Wade Allison goal, his third of the season, passed from Ivan Provorov and Joel Farabee. The Flyers added on with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Owen Tippett and Kevin Hayes. Philadelphia extended the lead as Noah Cates scored his second of the season, thanks to Travis Sanheim and Scott Laughton. St. Louis got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his second of the year, via Ivan Barbashev and Nick Leddy. The Flyers answered with a Lukas Sedlak goal, courtesy of Nick Seeler and Cates. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Tippett goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Konecny. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Konecny, Cates, and Tippett.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Ville Husso are the masked men. Montreal started in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brendan Gallagher and Jordan Harris. Detroit tied it on an Austin Czarnik goal, guided in by Dominik Kubalik and Andrew Copp. The Canadiens took the lead back with another Hoffman goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Gallagher and Christian Dvorak. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Pius Suter and Filip Hronek. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki lifted the Canadiens to a 3-2 win over David Perron and the Red Wings. The three stars were Hoffman, Gallagher, and Allen (41 for 43 in saves).

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Warren Foegele shorthanded goal, set up by Ryan McLeod. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brandon Hagel goal, his fifth of the season, via Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie. Edmonton added on with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by McDavid and Zach Hyman. The Lightning got one back in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Nick Perbix and Point. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being McDavid, Point, and Campbell (35 for 37 in saves).

North again to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Connor Hellebuyck man the nets. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Roope Hintz. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mason Appleton and Kyle Connor. The Jets took the lead with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Cole Perfetti and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, via Connor and Appleton. The Jets extended the lead as Saku Maenalanen scored, thanks to Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg padded the lead on an Appleton empty net goal, set up by Adam Lowry and Connor. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Scheifele, Appleton, and Connor.

Westward to Seattle, as the Kraken host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Martin Jones play in goal. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his second of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Kraken added on with a Borgen goal, his second of the year, guided in by Burakovsky and Morgan Geekie. Seattle extended the lead as Burakovsky scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Alex Wennberg. The Kraken padded the lead on another Eberle goal, his second of the game and third of the year, going in unassisted. Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros in goal. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted tally. Seattle finished it at 5-1 with a Brandon Tanev empty net goal, his third of the year, set up Yanni Gourde. The three stars were Burakovsky, Eberle, and Jones (24 for 25 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Anze Koptiar and Drew Doughty. This was the game's only goal, with the three stars going to Quick (21 save shutout), Vilardi, and Fleury (29 for 30 in saves). 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 29

Another three-game day is on, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Linus Ullmark protect the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his third of the year, fueled by Jordan Kyrou and Torey Krug. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Marchand and David Krejci. Boston added on with an unassisted Trent Frederic goal, his third of the year. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Marchand, and Ullmark (25 for 26 in saves).

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Calgary opened in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Mackey. New York tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, via Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey. The Flames reclaimed the lead with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Tyler Toffoli. Calgary added on in the second period with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, courtesy of Nikita Zadorov. The Islanders got one back in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Brock Nelson and Barzal. New York tied it on an unassisted Kyle Palmieri goal, his fourth of the season. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Noah Dobson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Barzal and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars were Barzal, Backlund, and Dobson.

Finally, the Washington Capitals bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with a Strome power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Erik Gustafsson. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie. Washington shot back on a Kuznetsov power play goal, with assists provided by Strome and Gustafsson. The Oilers got one back with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Zach Hyman. The Capitals replied on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Gustafsson and Kuznetsov. Edmonton got one back in the third period with a Draisaitl goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Hyman and Evander Kane. Washington answered with a Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Ovechkin on the power play. The Oilers fired back with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by Darnell Nurse and McDavid. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Kuznetsov, Strome, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Gustafsson, Ovechkin, McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 28

Things calm down with just three games on today. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Andrei Svechnikov and Brent Burns. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his third of the year, guided in by Pierre Engvall and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a John Tavares goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Mitchell Marner and Nick Robertson. Toronto added on with a William Nylander goal, his fifth of the year, via Auston Matthews. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Tavares, Kallgren (29 for 30 in saves), and Nylander.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Jaroslav Halak make the starts in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his third of the season, via Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Matt Luff goal, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings tied it on a Pius Suter goal, his third of the season, assisted by Filip Hronek and Dylan Larkin. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by David Perron and Seider. The three stars were Kubalik, Seider, and Nedeljkovic (27 for 29 in saves). 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and John Gibson are the masked men. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Brandon Montour and Anton Lundell. The Panthers added on with a Montour goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, guided in by Aleksi Heponiemi and Lundell. Anaheim got on the board with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Strome and John Klingberg. The Ducks tied it on a Strome goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Troy Terry. Florida pulled ahead in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, passed from Ryan Lomberg and Marc Staal. The Panthers extended the lead as Sam Bennett scored his second of the season, thanks to Eetu Luostarinen and Montour. Anaheim got one back with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Isac Lundestrom. Florida iced it at 5-3 with a Reinhart power play empty net goal, set up by Verhaeghe and Montour. The three stars were Montour, Reinhart, and Verhaeghe, while Strome and Lundell get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 27

A massive Saturday features 14 games, including four early ones. First up...

The Detroit Red Wings host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Ville Husso start in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Larkin. Varlamov left the game hurt and was replaced by Ilya Sorokin. The Red Wings added on with a Pius Suter shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Adam Erne and Moritz Seider. Detroit extended the lead as Kubalik scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Andrew Copp. The final stood at 3-0 with the three stars being Husso (24 save shutout), Kubalik, and Raymond.

Across the Atlantic, the Columbus Blue Jackets play host to the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his third of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Zach Werenski and Jack Roslovic. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Martin Kaut goal in the second period, via Cale Makar and MacKinnon. Colorado added on with an O'Connor goal, his third of the season, assisted by Makar and Devon Toews. The Avalanche extended the lead as Toews scored, thanks to MacKinnon and Makar. Colorado padded the lead in the third period on an Alex Newhook goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Evan Rodrigues and Kaut. The final was 5-1, with the three stars being Makar, MacKinnon, and Teows, while Kaut gets an honorable mention.

Along to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Josh Morrissey power play goal, powered by Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets added on with a shorthanded Adam Lowry goal, his third of the season, set up by Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon. Winnipeg extended the lead as Dubois scored his fifth of the year on the power play, thanks to Kyle Connor and Morrissey. Soderblom left in the third period with an injury, replaced by Dylan Wells in goal. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with a Nate Schmidt power play goal, his second of the season, helped along by Cole Perfetti. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (30 save shutout), Dubois, and Morrissey.

Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Jack Campbell are in the blue paint. Dallas started in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on in the second period with a Colin Miller goal, via Denis Gurianov and Tyler Seguin. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. Dallas fired back with a Jason Robertson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Pavelski and Jani Hakanpaa. The Stars extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his second of the year on the power play, thanks to Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Oilers got one back with a Darnell Nurse goal, his third of the season, guided in by Jesse Puljujarvi and Evander Kane. Dallas fired back with a Benn power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Heiskanen and Hintz. The Stars padded the lead as Benn completed his hat trick with his fourth of the season, with the help of Ty Dellandrea and Ryan Suter. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars being Benn, Robertson, and Heiskanen, while Pavelski and  Hintz gets the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Michael Bunting and Mitchell Marner. Boston tied it in the second period with a Brad Marchand power play penalty shot goal, his fourth of the year. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with another Matthews power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by William Nylander and Marner. Erik Kallgren replaced an injured Samsonov in goal in the third period. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Matthews, Marner, and Kallgren (seven saves in relief).

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Jake Allen are the goalies. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nicolas Hague goal, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Cole Caufield goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Kirby Dach and Joel Edmundson. The Golden Knights pulled ahead on a Reilly Smith goal, his fourth of the year, via William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Dach and Kaiden Guhle. Vegas reclaimed the lead with another Smith goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Phil Kessel and Shea Theodore on the power play. The Golden Knights added on with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Hague. Vegas extended the lead as Nicolas Roy scored his third of the year, thanks to Kolesar and William Carrier. Montreal fired back with a Suzuki power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Dach and Caufield. The Golden Knights answered with a Marchessault power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo. The Canadiens pulled one back with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his third of the season, fueled by Guhle. The final stood at 6-4, with the three starts handed to Smith, Hague, and Kolesar, while Marchessault, Suzuki, Caufield, Guhle, and Dach get the honorable mentions.

Back to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Ottawa began in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. Philadelphia tied it on a power play goal by Kevin Hayes, his second of the year, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Travis Konecny. The Flyers pulled ahead in the second period with a Zack MacEwen goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. This held up for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars awarded to Hart (31 for 32 in saves), MacEwen, and Hayes.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Brian Elliott receive the starting nods in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Brandon Hagel. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the year, coming off of Owen Power and Tage Thompson. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period with a power play Brayden Point goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Sabres retied it on a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Power and Kyle Okposo. Buffalo pulled ahead in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his third of the season, made possible by Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens. Tampa Bay tied it on a Hagel goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead with a Nick Perbix goal, courtesy of Kucherov and Hagel. Tampa Bay added on with a Kucherov empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Point. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Kucherov, Hagel, and Point, while Power gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. Seattle tied it on a Vince Dunn goal, his second of the year, via Yanni Gourde. The Kraken took the lead with a Gourde goal, his second of the season, fueled by Brandon Tanev and Morgan Geekie. The Penguins tied it on a Guentzel goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Crosby and Letang. Seattle retook the lead with a Tanev goal, his second of the season, guided in by Gourde and Geekie. The final was 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Gourde, Tanev, and Guentzel, while Geekie, Crosby, and Letang get the honorable mentions.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Washington drew first blood in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Anthony Mantha. The Capitals added on with a Mantha goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona got on the board with a Josh Brown goal, his second of the season, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jack McBain. The Coyotes tied it on a Brett Ritchie goal, his fifth of the year, via Travis Boyd and Gostisbehere. Arizona pulled ahead in the third period with a Ritchie goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, passed from Barrett Hayton and Clayton Keller. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Ritchie, Gostisbehere, and Mantha.

Out west again, the Calgary Flames bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Calgary opened in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Trevor Lewis. New Jersey tied it on a Nathan Bastian goal, his second of the year, via Jack Hughes and Miles Wood. The Devils took the lead with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Nico Hischier. New Jersey added on with a Wood goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Michael McLeod and Bastian. The Flames got one back in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Noah Hanifin and Tyler Toffoli. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Zetterlund power play goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Hughes. The three stars were Zetterlund, Wood, and Hughes, while Bastian gets an honorable mention.

Further west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver started in the first period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his third of the season, via Quinn Hughes and Luke Schenn. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Nils Hoglander and Bo Horvat. Vancouver extended the lead as Andrei Kuzmenko scored his seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Miller and Hughes. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Gross goal, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Mattias Ekholm on the power play. The Predators got closer in the third period with another Gross goal, helped along by Zach Sanford and Mark Jankowski. Nashville tied it as Niederreiter scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Ekholm and Dante Fabbro. The tie went to a shootout, where Matt Duchene's lone tally secured a 4-3 win for the Predators. The three stars went to Gross, Niederreiter, and Ekholm, while Millers and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Florida began in the first period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his second of the season, via Rudolfs Balcers. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Rasmus Kupari goal, passed from Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. The Panthers retook the lead with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. The Kings retied it on a Trevor Moore goal, his second of the season, fueled by Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault. Los Angeles pulled ahead with an Arvidsson power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Moore. Florida tied it on an Eetu Luostarinen goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Nick Cousins. The Kings retook the lead with a Blake Lizotte goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Matt Roy. The Panthers tied it again with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk. Los Angeles gained the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Alexander Edler and Kopitar. The final stood at 5-4, with the three stars being Arvidsson, Verhaeghe, and Moore, while Kopitar gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and James Reimer will handle the goaltending. San Jose led off in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his second of the season, coming off of Timo Meier and Matt Benning. Anaheim tied it on a Brett Leason goal, assisted by John Klingberg and Mason McTavish. The Ducks took the lead with a Max Comtois goal, his fourth of the year, via Trevor Zegras and Leason. The Sharks retied it in the second period with a Meier goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. San Jose pulled ahead with a Luke Kunin power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Hertl and Labanc. The Sharks added on with a Hertl goal, his second of the season, made possible by Labanc and Meier. Anaheim got one back with a McTavish goal, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov. The Ducks tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Ryan Strome and Troy Terry. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zegras, McTavish and Henrique lifted the Ducks to a 5-4 win over Labanc, Nick Bonino, and the Sharks. The three stars were Labanc, Hertl, and Meier, while McTavish and Leason get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 26

Just two games again today, with one being early from Europe. First...

The Colorado Avalanche play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. Colorado led off in the first period with a Logan O'Connor goal, his second of the season, via Alex Newhook and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche added on with a J.T. Compher power play goal, powered by Devon Toews and Samuel Girard. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Mikko Rantanen scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Evan Rodrigues and Nathan MacKinnon. Columbus got on the board with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, helped along by Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Laine goal, his second of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Sean Kuraly goal, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Liam Foudy and Eric Robinson. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Rantanen power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Cale Makar and MacKinnon. Colorado padded the lead on a Makar goal, guided in by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Avalanche iced it at 6-3 with a Rantanen empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the campaign, set up by MacKinnon and Toews. The three stars belonged to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Laine, while Makar and Toews get the honorable mentions. 

The other game sees the Carolina Hurricanes host the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Antti Raanta are the veteran goalies. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jacob Bryson goal, via Dylan Cozens. Carolina tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis. The Sabres retook the lead with a Victor Olofsson goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jack Quinn and Kale Clague. The Hurricanes tied it again with an Aho power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina took the lead in the second period with a Necas goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Aho. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, guided in by Necas and Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead on an Aho empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the season, set up by Teravainen and Jarvis. Buffalo got one back late with a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by JJ Peterka and Quinn. The three stars were Aho, Necas, and Teravainen, while Svechnikov, Jarvis, and Quinn get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 25

We'll get 13 games tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Ville Husso man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Detroit tied it on a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Dominik Kubalik and David Perron. The Red Wings gained the lead in the third period on an Andrew Copp goal, via Adam Erne and Dylan Larkin. Detroit iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Larkin, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Copp and Michael Rasmussen. The three stars were Copp, Larkin, and Husso (33 for 34 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Carolina began in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his third of the season, coming off of Paul Stastny. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Ross Colton power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning took the lead with a Nick Paul goal, his third of the season, helped along by Steven Stamkos. The Hurricanes retied it on a Martin Necas power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Brent Burns and Andrei Svechnikov. Tampa Bay retook the lead with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Alex Killorn and Brayden Point. Carolina retied it on a Brady Skjei shorthanded goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Sebastian Aho. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Teuvo Teravainen and Aho lifted the Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over Colton and the Lightning. The three stars were Aho, Colton, and Skjei.

Way up north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson opposes Anton Forsberg in goal. Vegas led off in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Alex DeBrincat. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his third of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Phil Kessel. Vegas added on with a Zach Whitecloud goal, via Stone and Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights extended the lead on a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, set up by Nicolas Roy. Vegas padded the lead on a William Carrier goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. Cam Talbot replaced Forsberg in goal. The Senators got one back on Giroux's second of the game and fifth of the year, fueled by Jake Sanderson and Brady Tkachuk. Ottawa got closer with a Tim Stutzle goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Tkachuk and Nikita Zaitsev. The Senators pulled closer with another Stutzle goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Tkachuk. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Stone, Giroux, and Stutzle, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Stateside again, the New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Igor Shesterkin are between the pipes. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Taylor Hall. New York tied it in the second period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, via Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Hampus Lindholm and Nick Foligno. The Rangers retied it on an Adam Fox goal, his third of the season, passed from Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko. Boston reclaimed the lead on a Trent Frederic goal, his second of the year, assisted by Foligno and Connor Clifton. The Bruins added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Pavel Zacha and Hall. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Lindholm, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lindholm, Hall, and Foligno, while Kakko gets an honorable mention.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jordan Binnington are in the creases. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourth of the season, via Torey Krug and Justin Faulk. New York tied it in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his third of the year, guided in by Noah Dobson. The Islanders gained the lead with a Brock Nelson goal, his fifth of the season coming on the power play from Anders Lee and Dobson. New York added on with a Josh Bailey goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Mathew Barzal and Wahlstrom. The Islanders extended the lead as Lee scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier. The Blues got one back with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ivan Barbashev and Tarasenko. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lee, Nelson, and Tarasenko, while Dobson gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his fourth of the season, via Daniel Sprong and Ryan Donato. The Kraken added on with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his third of the year, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Justin Schultz. Seattle extended the lead on the power play as Alexander Wennberg scored his second of the season, powered by Sprong and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Kraken padded the lead in the third period on a Wennberg goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with the help of Will Borgen and Andre Burakovsky. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Jones (22 save shutout), Wennberg, and Sprong.

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Connor Hellebuyck draw the starts in goal. Montreal started in the first period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Cole Caufield and David Savard. Winnipeg tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Kyle Connor and Sam Gagner. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period with a Kirby Dach goal, his second of the season, helped along by Suzuki and Caufield. The Jets retied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his third of the year, fueled by Dubois and Dylan Samberg. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with a Connor goal, via Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The three stars were Connor, Dubois, and Suzuki, while Caufield gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Arvid Soderblom will play in goal. Chicago cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Caleb Jones and Filip Roos. Los Angeles tied it on a Blake Lizotte goal, his third of the year, via Arthur Kaliyev and Sean Walker. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with a Jonathan Toews goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Jake McCabe and Andreas Athanasiou. The three stars were Soderblom (32 for 33 in saves), Toews, and Dickinson.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Stuart Skinner receive the starting nods in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse. New Jersey tied it on a Miles Wood goal, his third of the year, via Nathan Bastian and Michael McLeod. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period with a Derek Ryan goal, his second of the season, coming off of Tyson Barrie and Dylan Holloway. Blackwood left the game injured and was replaced by Vitek Vanecek. Edmonton added on with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by McDavid and Barrie. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Wood goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, courtesy of Erik Haula. New Jersey tied it with a Ryan Graves goal, his second of the year, helped along by Tomas Tatar and Wood. The Devils pulled ahead with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by John Marino and Nico Hischier. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Wood, Bratt, and McDavid, while Barrie gets an honorable mention. 

Also in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Jankowski goal, via Michael McCarron and Cole Smith. The Predators added on in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Duchene and Jeremy Lauzon. Nashville extended the lead as Roman Josi scored his second of the year on the power play, thanks to Ryan Johansen and Forsberg. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, assisted by Mikael Backlund. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with a Duchene empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Lankinen (29 for 30 in saves), Forsberg, and Duchene.

To the west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Spencer Martin play in the blue paint. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Troy Terry power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and the goalie Gibson. Vancouver tied it on an Bo Horvat power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Pettersson goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Ilya Mikheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his sixth of the year, via Horvat and Conor Garland. The Ducks got one back with a Ryan Strome goal, his third of the season, assisted by Trevor Zegras and Terry. The Canucks replied with a Dakota Joshua goal, his second of the year, fueled by Nils Aman. Vancouver extended the lead as Kuzmenko scored his fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Pettersson and Hughes. Anaheim got one back with a Max Comtois goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper from Strome. The Ducks pulled closer on a Zegras goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Klingberg and Terry. The Canucks replied with a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Pettersson. Vancouver padded the lead as Kuzmenko finished his hat trick on his sixth of the season, with the help of Pettersson. Anaheim responded with a Max Jones goal, with helpers from Nathan Beaulieu and Mason McTavish. The Canucks countered with a Horvat shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Pettersson, Kuzmenko, and Horvat, while Terry, Zegras, Strome, Hughes, and Klingberg get the honorable mentions.

South to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Connor Ingram are the backups in goal. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Denis Gurianov goal, assisted by Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. The Stars added on with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas extended the lead as Ty Dellandrea scored, thanks to Colin Miller and Miro Heiskanen. Karel Vejmelka replaced Ingram in goal. The Stars padded the lead on a Jason Robertson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. Dallas continued in the second period with a Robertson power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Hintz. The Stars struck again in the third period with a Benn unassisted goal. Arizona got on the board with a Juuso Valimaki goal, fueled by Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad. The Coyotes got closer with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Maccelli. Dallas fired back with a Jani Hakanpaa goal, his second of the season, guided in by Benn and Esa Lindell. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars handed to Robertson, Benn, and Hintz, while Maccelli gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and James Reimer patrol the creases. Florida started in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Anton Lundell and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Radko Gudas goal, assisted by Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Alexander Barabanov and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks tied it on a Karlsson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Nick Bonino. San Jose pulled ahead with a Matt Benning goal, fueled by Karlsson and Logan Couture. Florida tied it again with a Verhaeghe goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Tkachuk and Lundell. The Panthers won 4-3 in the shootout with a Sam Reinhart tally. The three stars were Karlsson, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe, while Lundell gets an honorable mention. 

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