NHL 2022-23 - Day 60

There's ten games on for a busy Friday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Petry. Buffalo tied it on a Victor Olofsson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tyson Jost and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Tage Thompson and Mittelstadt. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Danton Heinen. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Brock McGinn goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen and Jan Rutta. Buffalo tied it on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Jack Quinn and Mittelstadt. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Rakell and Malkin. The three stars were Rakell, Mittelstadt, and Malkin.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Vitek Vanecek are between the pipes. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Alexander Romanov. The Islanders took the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Romanov and Scott Mayfield. New York added on with with a Casey Cizikas goal, passed from Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders extended the lead as Oliver Wahlstrom scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal. The Devils got one back with a Dawson Mercer goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jack Hughes and Ryan Graves. New York fired back with a Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Barzal. The Islanders padded the lead in the third period on an unassisted Clutterbuck goal, his second of the season. New Jersey pulled back with a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jonas Siegenthaler and Bratt. The Devils got closer on a Hughes goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Hamilton and Siegenthaler. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars going to Nelson, Clutterbuck, and Barzal, while Romanov, Hughes, Bratt, Hamilton, and Siegenthaler get the honorable mentions.

To DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Charlie Lindgren receive the starts in goal. Seattle started in the first period with an Adam Larsson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Morgan Geekie and Karson Kuhlman. Washington tied it in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventh of the year, via Matt Irwin and Alexander Alexeyev. The Capitals took the lead with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Sonny Milano and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on in the third period with a Lars Eller empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Mantha. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. The three stars were Ovechkin, Mantha, and Lindgren (25 for 26 in saves).

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Joonas Korpisalo are the veteran goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Jack Roslovic and Yegor Chinakhov. Elvis Merzlikins replaced an injured Korpisalo in the second period. The Blue Jackets added on with an unassisted Eric Robinson goal, his third of the year. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Michael Stone goal, his third of the season, guided in by Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with a Sean Kuraly empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Boone Jenner and Mathieu Olivier. The three stars were Robinson, Laine, and Merzlikins (19 for 20 in saves in relief).

West to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. David Rittich and Arvid Soderblom are the backups in goal. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, powered by Morrissey and Kyle Connor. Chicago got on the board with a Taylor Raddysh goal, his eighth of the season, via Philipp Kurashev. Winnipeg fired back in the third period on an Adam Lowry goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Jansen Harkins and Morgan Barron. The final held from here at 3-1, with the three stars being Morrissey, Wheeler, and Rittich (22 for 23 in saves).

Out to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev faces his former teammate and Igor Shesterkin in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Newhook and Samuel Girard. New York tied it in the second period with a Braden Schneider goal, his fourth of the year, via Artemi Panarin and Barclay Goodrow. In the shootout, Mika Zibanejad and Panarin lifted the Rangers to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Panarin, Shesterkin (41 for 42 in saves), and Georgiev (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Devin Shore and Klim Kostin. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Tyson Barrie. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it in the second period on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon. Edmonton took the lead with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, guided in by Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. The Oilers extended the lead in the third period as Leon Draisaitl scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The three stars went to Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Way south to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Karel Vejmelka start in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Josh Brown goal, his third of the season, fueled by Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Jake DeBrusk. The Coyotes retied it on a Crouse goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun. Arizona took the lead with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Clayton Keller and Gostisbehere. Boston tied it on a Nick Foligno power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by David Krejci and Hampus Lindholm. The Coyotes took the lead with a Crouse goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Maccelli. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Crouse, Maccelli and Gostisbehere.

Backtracking to Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Adin Hill are in the blue paint. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a William Carrier goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on an unassisted Scott Laughton goal, his fourth of the year. The Golden Knights won 2-1 in overtime with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twelfth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Marchessault, Hill (27 for 28 in saves), and Carrier.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the San Jose Sharks. Eetu Makiniemi is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Scott Harrington goal, via Kevin Labanc and Meier. San Jose extended the lead on a Karlsson power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alexander Barabanov and Hertl. The Sharks padded the lead as Nico Sturm scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Matt Benning. Anaheim got on the board with a Trevor Zegras goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Cam Fowler and Dmitry Kulikov. Anthony Stolarz replaced Gibson in goal. San Jose replied in the third period with a Nick Bonino empty net goal, his third of the season, set up by Benning. The Sharks finished it at 6-1 with a Steven Lorentz goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Evgeny Svechnikov and Barabanov. The three stars were Karlsson, Meier, and Hertl, while Benning and Barabanov get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 59

Five games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Brian Elliott are the goalies. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his twelfth of the season, via Ian Cole and Erik Cernak. The Lightning added on with a Corey Perry power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Nashville got on the board with a Mark Jankowski shorthanded goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators tied it in the second period with an Alexandre Carrier goal, passed from Filip Forsberg and Nino Neiderreiter. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the third period with a Point goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning extended the lead as Nick Paul scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Stamkos. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Brandon Hagel shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Mikhail Sergachev and Elliott. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Point, Stamkos, and Elliott (33 for 35 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ilya Samsonov are set to start in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with a Pierre Engvall power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Conor Timmins and Alexander Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs added on with a David Kampf goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Pontus Holmberg and T.J. Brodie. Toronto extended the lead as William Nylander scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Michael Bunting and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Mitchell Marner goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto continued in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Bunting and Nylander. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars going to Samsonov (29 save shutout), Nylander, and Bunting.

Back south, the Florida Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrobsky man the nets. Florida began in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, coming off of Marc Staal. The Panthers added on with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart in the second period. Florida extended the lead as Josh Mahura scored his third of the year, thanks to Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Detroit got on the board with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond. The Panthers replied with a Matt Kiersted goal, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Eric Staal. Florida padded the lead with a Tkachuk goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad. The final stayed at 5-1, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Bobrovsky (20 for 21 in saves), and Luostarinen.

Backtracking to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thomas Greiss are in the blue paint. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Logan Stanley. The Jets added on in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Mikey Eyssimont and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg extended the lead as Blake Wheeler scored his eighth of the season on the power play, powered by Scheifele and Dubois. St. Louis got on the board with a Robert Thomas goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Vladimir Tarasenko and Calle Rosen. The Jets fired back with a Dubois goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. The Blues fired back with a Josh Leivo goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and Brayden Schenn. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Cole Perfetti empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Wheeler and Pionk. The three stars were handed to Dubois, Wheeler, and Scheifele, while Pionk gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on with another Heiskanen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Wyatt Johnston and Nils Lundkvist. Ottawa got on the board with a Derick Brassard goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Drake Batherson. The Senators tied it on a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk and Mathieu Joseph. Ottawa took the lead with a Travis Hamonic goal, his third of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Jake Sanderson. Dallas tied it on a Lundkvist goal, his second of the year, coming off of Hintz. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Johnston. The three stars were Heiskanen, Lundkvist, and Johnston, while Hintz gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 58

Seven games on an unusually busy Wednesday. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Carter Hart are the goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Travis Konecny and Tony DeAngelo. Washington tied it in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Dylan Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals pulled ahead in the third period with a Strome goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of John Carlson and Erik Gustafsson. Washington added on with an empty net goal by Alex Ovechkin, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Anthony Mantha and Carlson. The Capitals iced it at 4-1 with another Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Strome, Ovechkin, and Carlson.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. The Sabres added on with a Thompson goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Alex Tuch. Buffalo extended the lead as Dahlin scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Cozens and Jack Quinn. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Korpisalo in goal. The Sabres padded the lead on another Thompson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, helped along by Tuch and Jeff Skinner. Buffalo continued with Thompson completing his hat trick on his nineteenth of the season on the power play, with assists provided by Skinner and Cozens. The Sabres struck again as Thompson scored his fourth of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by Skinner and Dahlin on the power play. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Buffalo countered with Thompson's fifth of the game and twenty-first of the season, assisted by Tuch and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres kept going with a Peyton Krebs goal, going in unassisted. Buffalo piled on with a Tuch goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Skinner and Bryson. Korpisalo reentered the game in place of Merzlikins in the third period. Columbus got one back with a Laine goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, passed from Vladislav Gavrikov and Yegor Chinakhov. The Blue Jackets chipped away with a Nyquist goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, dished from Marcus Bjork. The final held at 9-4, with the three stars awarded to Thompson, Tuch, and Skinner, while Dahlin, Cozens, Bryson, Laine, and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Dan Vladar patrol the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Matt Dumba and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild added on with a Mason Shaw goal, his fourth of the year, via Connor Dewar and Jon Merrill. Calgary got on the board with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames tied it on a Blake Coleman goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Adam Ruzicka and Mikael Backlund. Calgary pulled ahead with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Andersson and Lindholm. Minnesota retied it on a Merrill goal in the third period, coming off of Shaw and Dewar. The Flames fired back with an Andersson goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Coleman and Ruzicka. Calgary iced it at 5-3 with a Toffoli empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Andersson, Toffoli, and Coleman, while Lindholm, Ruzicka, Shaw, Dewar, and Merrill get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on with a Taylor Hall goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. Boston extended the lead in the third period as Frederic scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Hall and Coyle. The Bruins padded the lead on a Hall goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Jake DeBrusk. The final was 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Ullmark (23 save shutout), Hall, and Frederic, while Coyle gets an honorable mention.

Back in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Stuart Skinner are the young goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Klim Kostin and Philip Broberg. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Leon Draisaitl scored his eighteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Arizona got on the board with a Jack McBain goal, his third of the year, guided in by Christian Fischer. The Oilers fired back with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto. Edmonton padded the lead on a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the year, coming off of Yamamoto and Dylan Holloway. The Oilers kept going in the third period with a Kostin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Ryan. Edmonton struck again with a McDavid goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers continued with another McDavid goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Zach Hyman and Barrie. The Coyotes got one back with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Fischer and Jakob Chychrun. The final held at 8-2, with the three stars handed to McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl, while Kostin, Ryan, Yamamoto, Barrie, and Fischer get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Logan Thompson tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by K'Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The Rangers took the lead in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. New York added on with a Filip Chytil goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Barclay Goodrow and Panarin. The Rangers extended the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Zibanejad and Fox. New York padded the lead on a Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars given to Zibanejad, Panarin, and Fox.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Kaapo Kahkonen are in the blue paint. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his second of the season, via Matt Benning and Logan Couture. Vancouver tied it on a Dakota Joshua goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Ethan Bear. The Canucks took the lead with another Joshua power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, powered by Conor Garland and Ekman-Larsson. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his third of the year, made possible by Bo Horvat. The Sharks got one back with a Timo Meier power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alexander Barabanov and Tomas Hertl. San Jose tied it on a Couture shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Jaycob Megna. The Canucks retook the lead with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Tyler Myers. Eetu Makiniemi replaced Kahkonen in goal for the third period. The Sharks retied it in the third period with a Jonah Gadjovich goal, going in unassisted. San Jose took the lead with a Kevin Labanc goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Hertl and Erik Karlsson. Vancouver tied it on an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Elias Pettersson and Horvat. The Canucks won 6-5 in overtime with a Pettersson goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Kuzmenko and Quinn Hughes. The three stars went to Pettersson, Joshua, and Horvat, while Kuzmenko, Ekman-Larsson, Couture, and Hertl get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 57

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

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley is mismatched with Cam Talbot in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Matt Roy goal, his fourth of the season, via Sean Durzi and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Mikey Anderson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Blake Lizotte and Alex Iafallo. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot. Los Angeles replied with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Trevor Moore and Durzi. The Kings extended the lead as Arvidsson scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Kevin Fiala and Kopitar. Los Angeles padded the lead in the second period with a Fiala power play goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Drew Doughty and Kopitar. Anton Forsberg replaced Talbot in goal. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Chabot power play goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Alex DeBrincat and Stutzle. The final was 5-2, with the three stars going to Arvidsson, Kopitar, and Fiala, while Durzi, Chabot, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Detroit got going in the second period with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his fourth of the season, via Dominik Kubalik and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his third of the year, assisted by Olli Maatta and Joe Veleno. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Victor Hedman and Corey Perry. Detroit replied with an Adam Erne empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Andrew Copp. The Lightning got one back with a Brayden Point goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a David Perron empty net goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Copp and Hronek. The three stars were Husso (43 for 45 in saves), Hronek, and Copp.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Vitek Vanecek are in the creases. New Jersey started in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Jack Hughes. The Devils added on with a Nico Hischier goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Jonas Siegenthaler and Hamilton. New Jersey extended the lead as Jesper Bratt scored his tenth of the season, powered by Hughes and Hamilton on the power play. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Vanecek (24 save shutout), Hamilton, and Hughes.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Patrik Laine. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Bryan Rust goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins took the lead with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Rickard Rakell. Pittsburgh added on with a Crosby power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, powered by Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Teddy Blueger scored, thanks to Rust. The final stayed at 4-1, with the three stars given to Crosby, Rust, and Guentzel.

In New York, the Islanders welcome the St. Louis Blues. Thomas Greiss and Ilya Sorokin are the veteran goalies. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Josh Leivo goal, assisted by Brayden Schenn. New York tied it on a Noah Dobson goal, his eighth of the season, via Mathew Barzal and Oliver Wahlstrom. The Blues took the lead in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Will Bitten and Niko Mikkola. St. Louis added on with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Leivo and Justin Faulk. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Noel Acciari scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Nathan Walker and Faulk. St. Louis padded the lead on a Colton Parayko goal, made possible by Jordan Kyrou and Nick Leddy. The Islanders got one back with a Zach Parise power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Dobson. New York pulled closer on a Hudson Fasching goal, helped along by Matt Martin and Brock Nelson. The Islanders chipped away with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Parise. The Blues answered with a Robert Thomas empty net goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Brandon Saad. St. Louis iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Acciari, his second of the game and eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Acciari, Leivo, and Faulk, while Dobson and Parise get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Morrissey. Florida tied it on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour. The Jets retook the lead with a Kyle Connor goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Dubois and Brenden Dillon. Winnipeg added on in the second period with another Connor goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, coming off of Dubois. Sergei Bobrovsky replaced Knight in goal. The Jets extended the lead as Scheifele scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Connor and Nate Schmidt. The Panthers got one back in the third period with a Zac Dalpe goal, courtesy of Chris Tierney and Matt Kiersted. Winnipeg fired back with an Adam Lowry empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Dylan Samberg. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars handed to Connor, Scheifele, and Dubois.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Mitchell Marner and Mark Giordano. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Rasmus Sandin scored his second of the season, thanks to Michael Bunting and Matthews. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period with an Alexander Kerfoot empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Timothy Liljegren. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Murray (44 save shutout), Matthews, and Tavares.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his eighth of the season, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Troy Terry. Carolina tied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Jack Drury and Paul Stastny. The Ducks took the lead back with a Max Comtois goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin. Anaheim retook the lead with a Brett Leason goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Mason McTavish and Max Jones. Carolina tied it again with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brent Burns and Jesper Fast. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with a Ryan Strome goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Cam Fowler and Frank Vatrano. The three stars were Strome, Leason, and Comtois

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Martin Jones are the goalies. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, made possible by Mike Matheson and Kirby Dach. Seattle tied it on a Shane Wright goal, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Cole Caufield goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Suzuki in the second period. Montreal added on with a Josh Anderson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Christian Dvorak and Juraj Slafkovsky. The Canadiens extended the lead as Rem Pitlick scored, thanks to Joel Edmundson and Jake Evans. The Kraken got one back with a Jared McCann goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Andre Burakovsky. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Anderson, Kovacevic, and Wright. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 56

Six games are on this Monday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jeremy Swayman are the goalies. Vegas opened in the first period with a Paul Cotter goal, his third of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Cotter scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Mark Stone and Theodore. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Patrice Bergeron and Brandon Carlo. The Bruins got closer with a David Pastrnak goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Boston tied it in the third period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Marchand. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Reilly Smith's lone tally lifted the Golden Knights to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Cotter, Marchand, and Theodore.

Over in New York, the Rangers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York led off in the first period with a Braden Schneider goal, his third of the season, assisted by Julien Gauthier. St. Louis tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Nick Leddy and Robert Thomas. The Rangers reclaimed the lead with an Adam Fox power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. The Blues tied it again in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. New York pulled ahead again with a Trocheck goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Panarin and Jacob Trouba. St. Louis tied it with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Justin Faulk and Ivan Barbashev. The Blues pulled ahead on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Brayden Schenn and Kyrou. The Rangers retied it in the third period with a K'Andre Miller goal, with a lone assist by Alexis Lafreniere. New York went ahead on a Lafreniere goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider shorthanded and unassisted goal, his thirteenth of the campaign. This made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars going to Trocheck, Lafreniere, and Panarin, while Kyrou gets an honorable mention.

To Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Carter Hart man the nets. Colorado started in the first period with an Alex Newhook power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Sanheim goal, his third of the year, coming off of Scott Laughton and Zack MacEwen. The Flyers pulled ahead with a Tanner Laczynski goal, his second of the season, via Joel Farabee and Patrick Brown. Philadelphia added on in the second period with a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Morgan Frost and Kevin Hayes. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Owen Tippett scored his seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Laughton and Ivan Provorov. The Avalanche got one back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Erik Johnson. Colorado got closer with a Newhook goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, made possible by J.T. Compher and Devon Toews. Philadelphia replied with a Travis Konecny empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Hayes and Sanheim. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Sanheim, Newhook, and Laughton, while Hayes gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Stuart Skinner are in the blue paint. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Brett Kulak goal, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Washington tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Sonny Milano. The Oilers retook the lead with a Connor McDavid shorthanded and unassisted goal, his twenty-second of the year. The Capitals tied it again on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington took the lead in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Aliaksei Protas and Nick Jensen. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Dowd, Oshie, and Eller.

Also in Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Dan Vladar start in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Dillon Dube goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Chris Tanev and Nazem Kadri. The Flames added on with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. Arizona got on the board with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Matias Maccelli and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with a Chychrun goal, his third of the year, passed from Clayton Keller and Gostisbehere. Calgary took the lead with a Kadri power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Tyler Toffoli and Huberdeau. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars given to Kadri, Chychrun, and Gostisbehere, while Huberdeau gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Spencer Martin are the inexperienced goalies. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cole Caufield goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jordan Harris. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Kaiden Guhle. Montreal extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Suzuki and Mike Matheson. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Michael Pezzetta goal, made possible by Harris and Jake Evans. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Andrei Kuzmenko. The Canucks got closer with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. Vancouver chipped away in the third period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Nils Hoglander and Riley Stillman. The Canucks tied it on a Mikheyev goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Pettersson and Stillman. Vancouver pulled ahead with a Jack Studnicka goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Evgenii Dadonov and Joel Armia. The Canadiens regained the lead with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Canucks tied it again with a Kuzmenko power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver won 7-6 in overtime with a Pettersson goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Pettersson, Mikheyev, and Kuzmenko, while Stillman, Suzuki, and Harris get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 55

We're set for five games on a Sunday, beginning with...

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fourth of the season, via Frank Vatrano and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Brett Leason goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg got on the board with a Saku Maenalanen goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nate Schmidt and Adam Lowry. The Jets tied it on a Dylan Samberg goal, assisted by Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Morgan Barron goal, his second of the year, coming off of Lowry and Maenalanen. The Jets extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Blake Wheeler and Cole Perfetti. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Schmidt power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Josh Morrissey and Connor. The final was 5-2, and the three stars were Maenalanen, Connor, and Lowry, and Schmidt gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Calen Addison. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Roope Hintz goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jason Robertson. The Wild retook the lead with a shorthanded Connor Dewar goal, his third of the season, set up by Mason Shaw. Minnesota added on with a Jake Middleton goal, his second of the year, passed from Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Reaves. The Wild extended the lead as Jordan Greenway scored, thanks to Reaves. Scott Wedgewood replaced Oettinger in goal in the third period. Minnesota padded the lead on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Marcus Foligno and Spurgeon. The Stars answered with a Hintz goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Mason Marchment. Dallas got closer with a Robertson goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Hintz and Esa Lindell. The Stars pulled closer with a Marchment goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Pavelski and Radek Faksa. Dallas tied it with a Hintz goal to complete his hat trick on his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Pavelski and Colin Miller. The tie went to a shootout, where Zuccarello, Kaprizov, and Frederick Gaudreau lifted the Wild to a 6-5 win over Robertson, Pavelski, and the Stars. The three stars were Hintz, Pavelski, and Robertson, while Marchment, Reaves, and Spurgeon get the honorable mentions. 

To Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with an Austin Czarnik goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jonatan Berggren and Olli Maatta. The Red Wings added on with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Filip Hronek and David Perron. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Lucas Raymond scored his seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Hronek and Perron. Columbus got on the board with a Marcus Bjork power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets got closer in the third period with a Kent Johnson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Jenner. The Red Wings answered with an Andrew Copp goal, his third of the year, helped along by Maatta and Oskar Sundqvist. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Hronek, Perron, and Maatta, while Jenner gets an honorable mention.

East to Buffalo, as the Sabres bring in the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the backups in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens. San Jose tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, via Luke Kunin and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks took the lead with a Kevin Labanc power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Matt Benning and Matt Nieto. The Sabres retied it in the second period with a J.J. Peterka goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist from Cozens. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Henri Jokiharju. The Sabres added on with a Jack Quinn power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Victor Olofsson and Dahlin. Buffalo extended the lead in the third period as Quinn scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, thanks to Cozens. San Jose got one back with an Oskar Lindblom goal, fueled by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture. The Sabres iced it at 6-3 with an Alex Tuch empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Skinner and Thompson. The three stars were Quinn, Cozens, and Thompson, while Skinner and Dahlin get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the New York Islanders host the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Semyon Varlamov make the starts in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Casey Cizikas and Scott Mayfield. The Islanders added on with a Zach Parise goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. New York extended the lead as Brock Nelson scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Anthony Beauvillier and Anders Lee. The final stayed at 3-0, with the three stars going to Varlamov (21 save shutout), Martin, and Parise. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 54

It's a loaded Saturday with 13 games, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Filip Gustavsson are in goal. Minnesota began in the first period with a Calen Addison goal, his second of the season, assisted by Marcus Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his sixth of the year, via Frank Vatrano. The Wild took the lead with a Connor Dewar goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mason Shaw and Ryan Reaves. The Ducks tied it in the second period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Mason McTavish and Trevor Zegras. Anaheim pulled ahead with a Zegras goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Troy Terry and Dmitry Kulikov. Minnesota retied it in the third period with an Eriksson Ek power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Addison and Matt Boldy. The Ducks regained the lead on a Terry power play goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Adam Henrique and McTavish. The Wild tied it again on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. The tie went to a shootout, where Kaprizov and Boldy lifted the Wild to a 5-4 win over Zegras and the Ducks. The three stars were Eriksson Ek, Spurgeon, and Boldy, while Terry, Zegras, and McTavish receive the honorable mentions. 

To the east, the Boston Bruins welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. Boston struck first in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on with a Trent Frederic goal, his fourth of the year, passed from McAvoy and Pavel Zacha. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Pastrnak scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, helped along by David Krejci. Colorado got on the board in the third period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins replied with another Frederic goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle. Boston padded the lead on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Derek Forbort and Patrice Bergeron. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars handed to Pastrnak, Frederic, and McAvoy.

In Ottawa, the Senators bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Anton Forsberg draw the starts in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Alexander Barabanov and Timo Meier. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle on the power play. The Sharks retook the lead with another Hertl goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, fueled by Erik Karlsson and Kevin Labanc. The Senators tied it in the second period on a Claude Giroux goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa took the lead with a Stutzle power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Batherson and Alex DeBrincat. The Senators added on in the third period with a Thomas Chabot power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Mathieu Joseph and Giroux. Ottawa extended the lead as Giroux scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Tyler Motte. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Giroux, Stutzle, and Hertl, while Batherson gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill is mismatched with Ville Husso in goal. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Chandler Stephenson and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Shea Theodore and Mark Stone. Detroit got on the board with an Oskar Sundqvist power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Larkin. Vegas replied with a Phil Kessel goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Reilly Smith, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Kessel and McNabb. The three stars were Kessel, Hill (24 for 25 in saves), and McNabb.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Mitchell Marner shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by David Kampf. Tampa Bay tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, assisted by Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting. The Lightning tied it in the third period on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Corey Perry. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Ross Colton power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Mikhail Sergachev and Perry. Toronto tied it on a Marner power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with an Alex Killorn goal, his  of the year, guided in by Cirelli. The three stars were Cirelli, Marner, and Perry.

North to Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Carter Hart draw the starts in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Miles Wood and Michael McLeod. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Noah Cates and Kevin Hayes. The Devils took the lead in the third period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Wood. New Jersey added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Erik Haula. The Flyers got closer with a Lukas Sedlak goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Travis Sanheim and Tony DeAngelo. The Devils held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Hughes, Mercer, and Wood.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his third of the season, via Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Bryan Rust. The Penguins added on with a Rust goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jason Zucker and Evgeni Malkin. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko. Pittsburgh answered with another Kapanen power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Malkin and Jeff Carter. The Penguins extended the lead as Zucker scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Malkin and Rust. Thomas Greiss replaced Binnington in goal. The Blues got one back with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Robert Thomas and Parayko. Pittsburgh replied with a Kapanen power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fifth of the season, with helpers from Rust and Zucker. The Penguins iced it at 6-2 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Jake Guentzel in the third period. The three stars went to Kapanen, Rust, and Zucker, while Malkin and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Stuart Skinner are in the creases. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mike Matheson and Kirby Dach. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid on the power play in the second period. The Oilers took the lead with a Draisaitl goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Tyson Barrie on the power play. Edmonton added on with a McDavid goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Barrie and Zach Hyman. The Canadiens got one back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Joel Armia and Johnathan Kovacevic. Montreal tied it on an Arber Xhekaj power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Juraj Slafkovsky. The Oilers regained the lead with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Draisaitl and Hyman. Edmonton extended the lead as McDavid scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, thanks to Draisaitl. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars awarded to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Hyman, while Barrie gets an honorable mention.

East again to New York, as the Rangers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Reese Johnson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jake McCabe and Boris Katchouk. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jonathan Toews and Seth. Chicago extended the lead as Max Domi scored his eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Jones and Kane. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. Arvid Soderblom replaced an injured Mrazek in the third period. The Blackhawks replied with a Taylor Raddysh power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Kane and Domi. The Rangers got one back with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Zibanejad and Panarin. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Domi empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, set up by Jason Dickinson and McCabe. The three stars belonged to Domi, Kane, and Zibanejad, while Jones, McCabe, and Panarin get the honorable mentions.

Westward once more to Calgary, as the Flames host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Dan Vladar protect the nets. Calgary opened in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Adam Ruzicka and Mikael Backlund. Washington tied it on a Conor Sheary power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Sonny Milano and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Flames took the lead in the second period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Backlund and Ruzicka. Charlie Lindgren replaced Kuemper late in the second period. Calgary added on in the third period with a Ruzicka goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Backlund and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames extended the lead as Mangiapane scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Dillon Dube and Nazem Kadri. The Capitals got one back with a John Carlson goal, his eighth of the year, via Lars Eller and Dylan Strome. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with an Elias Lindholm empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ruzicka, Mangiapane, and Backlund.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Spencer Martin are the inexperienced goalies. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Christian Fischer goal, his fifth of the season, via Liam O'Brien and Juuso Valimaki. Vancouver tied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Jakob Chychrun, his second of the season, with assists provided by Shayne Gostisbehere and Matias Maccelli. The Canucks tied it in the third period with a Brock Boeser goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Pettersson. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Hughes and J.T. Miller. The three stars belonged to Horvat, Hughes, and Pettersson.

Stateside, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Marc Staal. The Panthers added on with a Verhaeghe power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Brandon Montour and Tkachuk. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Jared McCann goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle. Florida fired back with a Tkachuk power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Aaron Ekblad and Bennett. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Aleski Heponiemi scored, thanks to Eric Staal and Gustav Forsling. Florida padded the lead on a Forsling power play goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Verhaeghe, Tkachuk, and Forsling, while Bennett gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jonathan Quick occupy the blue paint. Carolina started in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his third of the season, passed from Jordan Martinook and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes added on with a Martin Necas power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Stefan Noesen. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Sebastian Aho scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Necas and Seth Jarvis. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Phillip Danault and Sean Durzi. The Hurricanes answered with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Burns and Brett Pesce. The Kings got one back with a Samuel Fagemo goal, guided in by Blake Lizotte and Matt Roy. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Necas, Burns, and Aho. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.