NHL 2022-23 - Day 53

Three games on for this Friday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York began in the first period with a Vitali Kravtsov goal, via Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. Ottawa tied it in the second period on a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Alex DeBrincat. The Rangers took the lead back in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Chris Kreider and Braden Schneider. The Senators tied it on a Tkachuk goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Thomas Chabot. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, assisted by Chabot. The three stars were Tkachuk, Chabot, and Stutzle. 

Also in New York, the Islanders welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Ilya Sorokin are in the blue paint. Nashville led off in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Josi power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Forsberg and Duchene. New York got on the board in the third period with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson. Nashville fired back with a Duchene empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with a Mikael Granlund empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Mattias Ekholm. The three stars were Lankinen (48 for 49 in saves), Duchene, and Josi, while Forsberg gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and David Rittich are set to start in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his third of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets added on with an Erik Gudbranson goal, via Jack Roslovic and Kent Johnson. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Laine scored his second goal of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Boone Jenner and Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Gaudreau and Vladislav Gavrikov. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by Cole Perfetti and Blake Wheeler. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Laine, Gaudreau, and Korpisalo (37 for 38 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 52

We've got eleven games on the docket tonight. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Colorado Avalanche. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alexandar Georgiev are in the creases. Colorado began in the first period with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Buffalo tied it with a JJ Peterka goal, his fifth of the year, via Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens. The Sabres took the lead with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Jeff Skinner and Cozens. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with a MacKinnon power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado took the lead with a power play goal by Artturi Lehkonen, his seventh of the season, fueled by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with MacKinnon's second goal of the game and his eighth of the year, helped along by Makar and Toews. Buffalo got one back with a Cozens power play goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Thompson and Skinner. Colorado fired back with a Compher goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Logan O'Connor and Andrew Cogliano. The Sabres pulled one back with an Alex Tuch goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Rasmus Dahlin and Thompson. The Avalanche iced it at 6-4 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Compher and MacKinnon. The three stars were awarded to MacKinnon, Compher, and Rantanen, while Toews, Makar, Cozens, Thompson, and Skinner get the honorable mentions.

To New Jersey, as the Devils welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. Nashville led off in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Cole Smith and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Roman Josi. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Kevin Bahl goal, coming off of Jack Hughes and Erik Haula. The Devils tied it on a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Hughes and Nico Hischier. New Jersey pulled ahead with an Alexander Holtz power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Damon Severson and Erik Haula. Nashville tied it in the third period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his third of the season, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Johansen. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Johansen goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Matt Duchene. The three stars were Johansen, Hughes, and Haula.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carter Hart are the masked men. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Nick Paul power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Corey Perry and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Paul goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Ian Cole and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Ross Colton scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Perry. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period on a Cole goal, his second of the year, made possible by Erik Cernak and the goalie Vasilevskiy. Philadelphia got on the board with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Travis Sanheim and Tony DeAngelo. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Paul, Perry, and Cole.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Vegas opened in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mark Stone. The Golden Knights added on with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and William Karlsson. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Brock McGinn goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Carter. The Penguins tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Vegas regained the lead in the third period with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Chandler Stephenson and Eichel. Pittsburgh tied it again with a Guentzel power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Petry. The Penguins took the lead on a Kapanen goal, his second of the season, via McGinn and Brian Dumoulin. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Kapanen, McGinn, and Guentzel, while Eichel gets an honorable mention.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Jordan Binnington are set to start in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues added on in the second period with a Noel Acciari goal, his sixth of the year, via Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko. Carolina got on the board with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jordan Martinook goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. Carolina took the lead with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Martin Necas. St. Louis retied it on a Torey Krug power play goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Buchnevich and Tarasenko. Pyotr Kochetkov replaced Raanta in goal for the third period. The Hurricanes pulled ahead in the third period with a Martinook goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead with a Jordan Staal empty net goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues replied with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Jordan Kyrou. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-4 with a Martinook goal to finish his hat trick on his seventh of the campaign, set up by Burns. The three stars belonged to Martinook, Burns, and Buchnevich, while Tarasenko gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kirill Kaprizov. The Oilers took the lead back with a McDavid goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The Wild tied it on a Kaprizov power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Matt Boldy and Eriksson Ek. Minnesota pulled ahead with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Nic Petan and Jon Merrill. The Wild added on in the third period with a Sam Steel goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and Merrill. Minnesota extended the lead as Zuccarello scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Matt Dumba and Kaprizov. Edmonton pulled one back on a Klim Kostin goal, guided in by Devin Shore and Derek Ryan. The final stayed at 5-3, with the three stars given to Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Zuccarello, while Draisaitl, McDavid, and Merrill get the honorable mentions.

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Roope Hintz and Colin Miller. The Stars added on in the second period with a Robertson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Joe Pavelski. Dallas extended the lead as Joel Kiviranta scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin. The Stars padded the lead in the third period as Robertson finished his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, with the help of Heiskanen and Hintz. Dallas continued with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jani Hakanpaa. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Robertson, Heiskanen, and Oettinger (31 save shutout), while Hintz gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Kaiden Guhle. Calgary tied it in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Adam Ruzicka. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Cole Caufield, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Monahan. The final was 2-1, with the three stars going to Allen (45 for 46 in saves), Monahan, and Caufield.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Thatcher Demko are the young goalies. Florida got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eleventh of the season, via Josh Mahura. The Panthers added on with a Gustav Forsling goal, his third of the year, assisted by Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida extended the lead as Ryan Lomberg scored his third of the season, thanks to Patric Hornqvist and Eric Staal. Spencer Martin relieved an injured Demko. The Panthers padded the lead in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Carter Verhaeghe and Tkachuk. Vancouver got on the board with a Dakota Joshua goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Ethan Bear and Sheldon Dries. Florida fired back with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Tkachuk. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Tkachuk, Bennett, and Knight (32 for 33 in saves).

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Washington cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Martin Fehervary goal, his second of the season, assisted by Conor Sheary and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals added on with a Sheary power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Ovechkin. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Vince Dunn and Andre Burakovsky. The Kraken tied it in the third period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the year, passed from Daniel Sprong and Dunn. Seattle won 3-2 in overtime with a Matty Beniers goal, his tenth of the campaign, coming off of Burakovsky. The three stars went to Burakovsky, Dunn, and Sheary, while Ovechkin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a shorthanded Christian Fischer goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Gabriel Vilardi and Kevin Fiala. The Coyotes took the lead back in the second period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his second of the campaign, via Troy Stecher and Dylan Guenther. Arizona added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Guenther and Matias Maccelli. The Kings fired back with a Trevor Moore power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Viktor Arvidsson and Sean Durzi. Los Angeles tied it on a Carl Grundstrom goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Samuel Fagemo and Jaret Anderson-Dolan. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Kopitar goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Drew Doughty and Tobias Bjornfot. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with a Fiala empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Adrian Kempe. The three stars were Kopitar, Fiala, and Maccelli, while Guenther gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 51

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

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mac Hollowell and Michael Bunting. San Jose tied it on a Matt Nieto goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Logan Couture and Nick Cicek. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Pierre Engvall goal in the third period, his third of the season, via Alexander Kerfoot and David Kampf. Toronto iced it at 3-1 with a Mitchell Marner empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Kerfoot. The three stars were Engvall, Samsonov (23 for 24 in saves), and Kerfoot.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Cam Talbot man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his third of the season, fueled by Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Lindgren and Sammy Blais. Ottawa got on the board with a Shane Pinto goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Drake Batherson and Nick Holden. New York fired back in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his eleventh of the year, via Lindgren and Mika Zibanejad. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Lindgren, Halak (35 for 36 in saves), and Goodrow.

To Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Alex Nedeljkovic are the goalies. Detroit opened in the first period with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his second of the season, assisted by Filip Hronek and Joe Veleno. Buffalo tied it on a shorthanded Dylan Cozens goal, his seventh of the year, set up by the goalie Anderson. The Sabres took the lead with a Matias Samuelsson goal, courtesy of Rasmus Dahlin. Buffalo added on in the second period with a Cozens goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, coming off of JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn. The Sabres extended the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Tage Thompson and Dahlin on the power play. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a David Perron goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Hronek. Detroit got closer with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his second of the year, helped along by Andrew Copp and Jordan Oesterle. The Red Wings tied it on a Sundqvist goal, his second of the game and third of the season, guided in by Copp. The tie went to a shootout, where Quinn's tally sealed the Sabres 5-4 win. The three stars were Cozens, Sundqvist, and Dahlin, while Hronek and Copp get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Arvid Soderblom are in the creases. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Jesse Puljujarvi and Mattias Janmark. Chicago got on the board with a Boris Katchouk goal, assisted by Jack Johnson and MacKenzie Entwistle. Edmonton replied in the third period with a Connor McDavid goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Draisaitl and Kulak. The Oilers extended the lead as Janmark scored, thanks to Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. The Blackhawks got one back with a Max Domi power play goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got closer on an Entwistle goal, helped along by Reese Johnson. Edmonton fired back with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with helpers from McDavid and Zach Hyman. The Blackhawks pulled back on a Domi power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Patrick Kane. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Draisaitl, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Domi, Janmark, Entwistle, and Kulak get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 50

It's a nine-game slate this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman are in the creases. Boston led off in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his seventh of the season, via Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with another Hall power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, coming off of Nick Foligno and Hampus Lindholm. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Brad Marchand empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by David Krejci. The three stars went to Hall, Swayman (27 for 28 in saves), and Marchand.

In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jake Allen man the nets. San Jose began in the first period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fifth of the season, via Alexander Barabanov and Logan Couture. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Kevin Labanc and Nick Cicek. San Jose extended the lead as Couture scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Matt Benning and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks padded the lead on another Hertl empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Labanc and Timo Meier. The three stars of the 4-0 game were Kahkonen (28 save shutout), Hertl, and Couture, while Labanc gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Jake Guentzel and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Martin Necas goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Brett Pesce and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes took the lead with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Aho and Stefan Noesen. The Penguins tied it on a Guentzel goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Jeff Petry and Crosby. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Pesce goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. The three stars were Pesce, Aho, and Svechnikov, while Guentzel and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Across Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Carter Hart protect the nets. New York started in the first period with a Noah Dobson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Sanheim shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Noah Cates and Lukas Sedlak. The Flyers took the lead with a Kevin Hayes goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Sedlak. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with a Hayes empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Ivan Provorov. The three stars were Hayes, Hart (23 for 24 in saves), and Sedlak.

To Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Juuse Saros are in between the pipes. Nashville got going in the second period with a Colton Sissons goal, his second of the season, via Matt Duchene and Tanner Jeannot. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Troy Terry goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. The Predators won 2-1 in overtime with a Roman Josi goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Duchene and Mikael Granlund. The three stars were Saros (34 for 35 in saves), Duchene, and Josi.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Josh Morrissey and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets added on with a Morrissey goal, his fifth of the year, via Dylan DeMelo and Cole Perfetti. Winnipeg extended the lead as Wheeler scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, assisted by Perfetti and Mark Scheifele. The Jets padded the lead on a Scheifele goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, passed from Kyle Connor and Wheeler. Winnipeg continued in the third period with a Wheeler goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the season, thanks to Perfetti and Scheifele. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Wheeler, Hellebuyck (40 save shutout), and Scheifele, while Perfetti and Morrissey get the honorable mentions.

West to Calgary, with the Flames hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Dan Vladar are set to start in goal. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded Dillon Dube goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Andrew Mangiapane. The Flames added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary extended the lead as Andersson scored his third of the season, thanks to Noah Hanifin and Dube. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Nick Cousins goal, his third of the year, guided in by Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad. The Flames fired back with a Brett Ritchie goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by MacKenzie Weegar and Trevor Lewis. The Panthers pulled one back with a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Anton Lundell and Marc Staal. Calgary replied with a Toffoli goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Huberdeau. The Flames iced it at 6-2 with a Mangiapane goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Dube and Hanifin. The three stars belonged to Dube, Mangiapane, and Andersson, while Huberdeau, Toffoli, and Hanifin get the honorable mentions.

Further west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Spencer Martin in goal. Washington was first to score in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Dylan Strome and Anthony Mantha. Vancouver got on the board with a Nils Hoglander goal, his second of the season, courtesy of J.T. Miller. Washington shot back with a Mantha goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Marcus Johansson and Lars Eller. The Capitals extended the lead as John Carlson scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway. Washington padded the lead in the third period on a Martin Fehervary empty net goal, going in unassisted. The final was 5-1, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Mantha, and Kuemper (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. Seattle tied it on a Matty Beniers power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alex Wennberg and Justin Schultz. The Kraken took the lead with a Jared McCann goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Schultz. The Kings tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his fifth of the year, with a helper from Sean Durzi. Seattle retook the lead with a Wennberg power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Daniel Sprong and Schultz. Los Angeles tied it again with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Fiala and Doughty. The Kraken reclaimed the lead in the second period with another Beniers goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Eberle. The Kings tied it again with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Blake Lizotte and Sean Walker. Seattle pulled ahead with a McCann goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, guided in by Adam Larsson and Eberle. Cal Petersen replaced Quick in goal. Los Angeles evened the score again with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Fiala. The Kraken reclaimed the lead on an unassisted Sprong goal, his fifth of the season. Seattle added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings fired back with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, passed from Kopitar and Mikey Anderson. The Kraken answered with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the year, with the help of Wennberg and Will Borgen. Los Angeles got one back in the third period with a Durzi goal, his fourth of the season, dished from Matt Roy and Fiala. The Kings tied it as Anderson scored, thanks to Kempe and Doughty. Seattle won 9-8 in overtime with a Burakovsky power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, created by Eberle and Vince Dunn. The three stars were Burakovsy, Beniers, and McCann, while Vilardi, Eberle, Fiala, Schultz, Doughty, Wennberg, Sprong, Kempe, Kopitar, Anderson, and Durzi get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 49

We've got six games this Monday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen get the starts in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning added on with a Corey Perry goal, his third of the year, guided in by Steven Stamkos. Buffalo got on the board with an unassisted Tage Thompson goal, his fourteenth of the season. The Sabres tied it on a Jack Quinn goal, his fourth of the year, via J.J. Peterka and Owen Power. Buffalo pulled ahead in the second period on a Tyson Jost goal, fueled by Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. Tampa Bay tied it again with another Point power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. The Sabres gained the lead in the third period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo extended the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Thompson and Alex Tuch. The Lightning got one back on a Stamkos goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Alex Killorn and Sergachev. Tampa Bay tied it with a Hagel power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Kucherov and Sergachev. The Lightning won 6-5 in overtime with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Nick Paul. The three stars were Stamkos, Point, and Sergachev, while Kucherov, Hagel, and Thompson get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Daniil Tarasov are the young goalies. Vegas led off in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with a William Carrier goal, his eighth of the year, via Zach Whitecloud. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Gustav Nyquist and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Nyquist and Gaudreau. The tie went to a shootout, where Marchessault and Paul Cotter lifted the Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over Nyquist and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were Gaudreau, Marchessault, and Nyquist. 

Back east, the New York Rangers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his sixth of the season, via Filip Chytil and K'Andre Miller. The Rangers added on with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba. New Jersey got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. The Devils tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Jack Hughes goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Dawson Mercer. The Devils extended the lead as Michael McLeod scored his third of the year, thanks to Miles Wood and Fabian Zetterlund. New York got one back in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Kreider and Adam Fox. New Jersey iced it at 5-3 with a Sharangovich empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Tatar. The three stars were Sharangovich, Tatar, and Kreider. 

To Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Ville Husso are the masked men. Detroit started in the first period with a Moritz Seider goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Dylan Larkin and Dominik Kubalik. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Michael Hunting and Mac Hollowell. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a William Nylander power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Rasmus Sandin. Toronto added on in the second period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mark Giordano and Calle Jarnkrok. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Sandin scored, thanks to Matthews and Alexander Kerfoot. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with an Adam Erne goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Seider and Ben Chiarot. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Matthews, Sandin, and Seider. 

Down in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Jordan Binnington are in the creases. Dallas got going in the second period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jamie Benn. The Stars added on in the third period with a Ty Dellandrea goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Johnston and Benn. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Josh Leivo. Dallas replied with a Jason Robertson goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Miro Heiskanen empty net goal, his third of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Johnston, Wedgewood (23 for 24 in saves), and Benn. 

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Stuart Skinner are between the pipes. Florida struck first in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Nick Cousins and Sam Bennett. Edmonton tied it in the second period on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Hyman and Brett Kulak. The Panthers retied it on an Anton Lundell goal, his fourth of the year, via Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida regained the lead with a Brandon Montour power play goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Aaron Ekblad and Tkachuk. Edmonton tied it on an Evan Bouchard goal, his third of the year, passed from McDavid and Hyman. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars were McDavid, Hyman, and Tkachuk. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 48

We're onto a five-game Sunday here, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild added on in the second period with a Sam Steel goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Kaprizov and Jonas Brodin. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his third of the season, guided in by Shayne Gostisbehere and Clayton Keller. Minnesota replied in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his second of the year, assisted by Jake Middleton and Eriksson Ek. The Wild extended the lead on a Matt Boldy power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Kaprizov and Calen Addison. The Coyotes got one back with a Lawson Crouse goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Matias Maccelli. Arizona got closer with a J.J. Moser goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Nick Bjugstad and Maccelli. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Maccelli. 

In Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Jansen Harkins goal, his second of the season, via Adam Lowry and Michael Eyssimont. The Jets added on in the second period with a Saku Maenalanen goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Morgan Barron and Dominic Toninato. Chicago got on the board with a Taylor Raddysh goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Philipp Kurashev and Jake McCabe. Winnipeg shot back with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Josh Morrissey and Blake Wheeler. The Jets extended the lead as Maenalanen scored his second of the game and third of the season, with the help of Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. The Blackhawks got one back on a Jujhar Khaira power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Caleb Jones and Kurashev. Winnipeg fired back with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Wheeler and Cole Perfetti. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Connor. Winnipeg finished it at 7-2 with a Dubois power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Morrissey and Connor. The three stars were Dubois, Maenalanen, and Morrissey, while Connor, Wheeler, and Kurashev get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Kaapo Kahkonen are the goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Kyle Burroughs goal, his second of the season, via Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Luke Kunin goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Nick Bonino and Matt Benning. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Alexander Barabanov. The Canucks retied it on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson. Vancouver pulled ahead with a Pettersson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Mikheyev. San Jose tied it again with another Kunin goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Karlsson and Bonino. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Kuzmenko goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Miller and Quinn Hughes. The three stars were Kuzmenko, Pettersson, and Mikheyev, while Kunin, Bonino, Karlsson, and Miller get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and John Gibson start in goal. Seattle started in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers. The Kraken added on with an Alex Wennberg goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Andre Burakovsky and Adam Larsson. Anaheim got on the board with a Troy Terry power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler. Seattle shot back with a Vince Dunn goal, his fourth of the year, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde. The Ducks got one back in the second period with a Derek Grant goal, his second of the season, made possible by Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome. The Kraken responded with a Beniers power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sprong and Justin Schultz. Anaheim fired back with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Zegras and Fowler. The Ducks tied it on an Adam Henrique power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Terry and Zegras. Seattle retook the lead in the third period with a Sprong goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Ryan Donato and Beniers. Anthony Stolarz replaced an injured Gibson in goal. The final held from here at 5-4, with the three stars going to Beniers, Zegras, and Sprong, while Terry and Fowler get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Quick are the veteran goalies. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his ninth of the season, via Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on an Arthur Kaliyev power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault. The Senators took the lead with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. The Kings tied it again with a Kaliyev power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Sean Durzi and Danault. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime on a Giroux goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Stutzle and Chabot. The three stars were Giroux, Tkachuk, and Stutzle, while Chabot, Kaliyev, and Danault get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 47

A calm Saturday features eight games. First up...

The New York Rangers host the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Igor Shesterkin protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his third of the season, made possible by Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Lindgren and Artemi Panarin. New York extended the lead as Julien Gauthier scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Ryan Carpenter and Sammy Blais. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with an Evan Bouchard goal, assisted by Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan McLeod. The Oilers got closer with another Bouchard goal, via Warren Foegele and McLeod. Edmonton tied it on a Dylan Holloway goal, passed from McLeod. The Oilers gained the lead on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The final stood from here at 4-3, with the three stars given to Bouchard, McLeod, and Lindgren. 

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Antti Raanta man the nets. Carolina began in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns. Calgary tied it on an Adam Ruzicka power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Michael Stone and Noah Hanifin. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Martin Necas power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov. The Flames tied it again with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Mikael Backlund. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with a Brett Pesce power play goal, helped along by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Paul Stastny. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Pesce, Necas, and Jarvis.

Further south, the Florida Panthers host the St. Louis Blues. Thomas Greiss and Spencer Knight start in goal. Florida opened in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fourth of the season, via Eetu Luostarinen and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Florida extended the lead as Carter Verhaeghe scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Sam Reinhart. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Josh Leivo and Ryan O'Reilly. The Panthers shot back in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his third of the season, made possible by Reinhart and Forsling. The Blues got one back in the third period with an O'Reilly goal, his third of the year, helped along by Calle Rosen and Saad. St. Louis got closer with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Justin Faulk and Torey Krug. The Blues tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with another Kyrou goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, passed from Krug. The three stars were Kyrou, O'Reilly, and Saad, while Krug, Reinhart, and Forsling get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils added on with a Jack Hughes goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey extended the lead as Hughes scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Graves and Mercer. The Devils padded the lead in the third period on a Hughes goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Marcus Johansson. New Jersey fired back on a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Michael McLeod and Jonas Siegenthaler. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Hughes, Mercer, and Vanecek (38 for 39 in saves).

To Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Auston Matthews and Calle Jarnkrok. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his second of the year, guided in by Marner. Toronto extended the lead as William Nylander scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Matthews and Michael Bunting. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the year, via Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Matthews goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Bunting and Nylander. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Matthews, Marner, and Bunting, while Nylander gets an honorable mention.

East to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Adam Pelech goal, his third of the season, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier. Philadelphia tied it on a Lukas Sedlak goal, his second of the year, fueled by Kevin Hayes and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Joel Farabee goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Hayes and Sedlak. The Islanders tied it with a Zach Parise power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan Pulock. New York took the lead with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Pulock. The Islanders added on with a Beauvillier goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Pulock. New York extended the lead as Parise scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Josh Bailey and Pulock. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Pulock, Parise, and Beauvillier, while Sedlak and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Josh Manson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen. Dallas answered in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. Colorado fired back with a Dryden Hunt goal, his second of the year, made possible by Alex Newhook and Martin Kaut. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Cogliano scored his third of the season, via Logan O'Connor and Manson. The final held at 4-1 with the three stars being Manson, Georgiev (41 for 42 in saves), and Hunt.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Logan Thompson draw the starts in goal. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Elias Pettersson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Bo Horvat and Miller. The Canucks padded the lead on a Kuzmenko goal, his ninth of the year, via Nils Aman and Dakota Joshua. Vancouver continued with a Horvat goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Miller and Nils Hoglander. Vegas got one back with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Miller, Kuzmenko, and Hughes. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.