Seven games on this Wednesday, beginning with...
The Florida Panthers hosting the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. Florida began in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his third of the season, passed from Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins. New Jersey tied it on a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. The Panthers took the lead back with an Eetu Luostarinen power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, helped along by Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell. The Devils tied it with another Bratt goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Hamilton. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his ninth of the season, via Jonas Siegenthaler and Michael McLeod. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with a Tomas Tatar empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Bratt, Hamilton, and Sharangovich.
Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Ville Husso start in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Erik Cernak. Detroit tied it on an Olli Maatta goal, his third of the year, via Pius Suter. The Lightning took the lead back with an Alex Killorn goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Ross Colton and Nick Perbix. The Red Wings tied it again with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ben Chiarot and Oskar Sundqvist. Detroit pulled ahead on a Dylan Larkin goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, coming off of David Perron and Rasmussen. Tampa Bay retied it on a Colton goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings pulled ahead with an Elmer Soderblom goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, passed from Joe Veleno. Detroit added on with another Larkin goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Lightning got one back with a Kucherov goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Red Wings answered with a Perron empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Larkin. Detroit finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Rasmussen, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Perron. The three stars went to Larkin, Rasmussen, and Perron, while Kucherov and Colton get the honorable mentions.
Westward to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Alexander Georgiev are the masked men. Montreal opened in the first period with an Anthony Richard goal, courtesy of Jake Evans and Joel Armia. Colorado tied it on an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Devon Toews. The three stars were Rantanen, Georgiev (19 for 20 in saves), and Lehkonen.
Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Nashville started in the first period with a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Cody Glass and Dante Fabbro. Chicago tied it on a Connor Murphy goal, his third of the year, passed from Boris Katchouk and Max Domi. The Blackhawks took the lead on a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, his second of the season, made possible by Murphy. The Predators tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Mattias Ekholm and Alexandre Carrier. Nashville took the lead in the third period with a Roman Josi goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Juuso Parssinen. The Predators added on with a Thomas Novak power play goal, powered by Josi and Parssinen. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Josi, Parssinen, and Murphy.
South to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. Edmonton tied it on a Mattias Janmark goal, his second of the year, via Klim Kostin and Evan Bouchard. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Mason Marchment and Jamie Benn. The Oilers tied it with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton took the lead with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Janmark. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Marchment and Nils Lundkvist. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period with a Warren Foegele goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Cody Ceci and Jesse Puljujarvi. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Janmark, his second of the game and third of the campaign, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Kostin. The three stars went to Janmark, Nugent-Hopkins, and Marchment, while Kostin gets an honorable mention.
Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Logan Thompson are set to start in goal. Vegas got going in the second period with a Daniil Miromanov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Phil Kessel. Arizona tied it on a Juuso Valimaki goal, his second of the year, via Christian Fischer and Nick Ritchie. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the third period with a Mark Stone goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Alex Pietrangelo and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas added on with a William Carrier goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Chandler Stephenson and Stone. The Coyotes got one back with a Fischer goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Travis Boyd and Nick Schmaltz. The Golden Knights fired back on a Stone shorthanded goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Stephenson. Vegas extended the lead as Michael Amadio scored his second of the season, thanks to Nicolas Hague and Reilly Smith. The final was 5-2, with the three stars going to Stone, Stephenson, and Fischer.
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Lukas Dostal occupy the creases. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mason McTavish goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota tied it on a Connor Dewar goal, his fifth of the year, via Ryan Reaves and Mason Shaw. The Wild pulled ahead in the third period with a Matt Boldy goal, his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. Minnesota added on with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Calen Addison and Boldy. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Ryan Hartman empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Boldy and Frederick Gaudreau. The final was 4-1, with the three stars being Boldy, Fleury (21 for 22 in saves), and Eriksson Ek.
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