Thursday, December 29, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 77

Eleven games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the backups in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his sixth of the season, via JJ Peterka and Owen Power. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead as Mittelstadt scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Power and Peterka. The Sabres padded the lead on a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons and Peyton Krebs. Buffalo continued with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, fueled by Tyson Jost and Victor Olofsson. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Elmer Soderblom. The Red Wings got another with a power play goal by Kubalik, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren. Detroit got closer with a Jordan Oesterle goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Andrew Copp and Berggren. Buffalo iced it at 6-3 with an Okposo empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his sixth of the year, set up by Girgensons and Dylan Cozens. The three stars were Okposo, Mittelstadt, and Kubalik, while Peterka, Power, and Berggren get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his twentieth of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The tie went to a shootout, where Point and Alex Killorn lifted the Lightning 2-1 over Artemi Panarin and the Rangers. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (45 for 46 in saves), Point, and Shesterkin (39 for 40 in saves).

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Florida began in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on with another Barkov power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk. Montreal got on the board with an Arber Xhekaj goal, his fifth of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Evgenii Dadonov. Florida answered with a Barkov goal to complete his hat trick on his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back with a power play goal by Josh Anderson, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Xhekaj. The Panthers answered in the second period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Brandon Montour and Barkov. Florida padded the lead on a Verhaeghe goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers continued with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Barkov and Montour on the power play. Florida struck again with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Sam Bennett and Tkachuk. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Barkov, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe, while Montour and Xhekaj get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Washington got going in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Garnet Hathaway. The Capitals added on with a Dylan Strome goal, his seventh of the year, via Conor Sheary and Nick Jensen. Ottawa got on the board with a Jake Sanderson goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Washington replied with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Senators got one back with a Tim Stutzle goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Claude Giroux. Ottawa tied it in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson. The Senators won 3-2 in overtime with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, coming off of Giroux. The three stars were DeBrincat, Giroux, and Stutzle.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Ilya Sorokin are set to start in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eighth of the season, via Hudson Fasching. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brock Nelson and Pageau. Columbus got on the board in the third period with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marcus Bjork and Johnny Gaudreau. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Pageau, Sorokin (20 for 21 in saves), and Barzal.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Josh Leivo goal, his third of the season, via Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Seth Jones and Max Domi. The Blues took the lead back with a Calle Rosen goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Brandon Saad empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Justin Faulk. The three stars were Binnington (21 for 22 in saves), Rosen, and Leivo.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Wyatt Johnston. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Jon Merrill. The Stars took the lead back with a Johnston goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Nils Lundkvist and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas added on with a power play goal by Jamie Benn, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Seguin empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Seguin, Johnston, and Oettinger (24 for 25 in saves).

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia and Connor Hellebuyck receive the starts in goal. Vancouver struck first in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Elias Pettersson. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor. The Jets took the lead with a Pierre-Luc Dubois penalty shot goal, his seventeenth of the season. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Connor and Morrissey. The Canucks got one back with a Conor Garland goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Quinn Hughes and Kuzmenko. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with Scheifele completed his hat trick on his twenty-third of the year, an empty net goal set up by Adam Lowry. The three stars belonged to Scheifele, Connor, and Morrissey, while Kuzmenko gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Mikey Anderson. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Evan Rodrigues. The Kings took the lead back with a Phillip Danault power play goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Viktor Arvidsson and Alex Iafallo. The Avalanche tied it again with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fifth of the year, via Cale Makar. Colorado pulled ahead with a Makar goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Rodrigues goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Rantanen and Makar. Los Angeles got one back in the third period with an Iafallo power play goal, his sixth of the season, with helpers from Arvidsson and Sean Durzi. The Kings tied it on a Sean Walker goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Blake Lizotte. The tie went into a shootout, where Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe lifted the Kings to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Makar, Iafallo, and Arvidsson, while Rodrigues and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

South to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Karel Vejmelka patrol the creases. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it on a Pontus Holmberg power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Conor Timmins and Pierre Engvall. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Timmins and Morgan Rielly. The Coyotes retied it on a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nick Ritchie and Shayne Gostisbehere. Toronto took the lead back with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Mark Giordano and Justin Holl. Arizona tied it on a J.J. Moser power play goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Juuso Valimaki and Barrett Hayton. The Coyotes took the lead with a Jack McBain goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Lawson Crouse and Bjugstad. Arizona added on with a McBain empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, set up by Hayton. The Coyotes iced it at 6-3 with a Hayton empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McBain, Bjugstad, and Hayton, while Timmins gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Kaapo Kahkonen are the lesser-known goalies. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Kevin Labanc. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Tony DeAngelo. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period with a Hertl power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, powered by Timo Meier and Logan Couture. San Jose added on in the third period with a Labanc goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Hertl and Karlsson. The Flyers got one back with an Owen Tippett goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Nick Seeler. Philadelphia tied it on another Konecny goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with helpers from DeAngelo and Scott Laughton. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a DeAngelo goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Tippett. The three stars were Konecny, DeAngelo, and Tippett, while Hertl, Labanc, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions. 

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Wednesday, December 28, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 76

Five games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Point scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period as Brandon Hagel scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Zach Bogosian and Hedman. Montreal got on the board with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Joel Edmundson and Christian Dvorak. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Point, Vasilevskiy (25 for 26 in saves), and Hedman. 

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Vitek Vanecek tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Hampus Lindholm. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Fabian Zetterlund and Tomas Tatar. The Bruins took the lead back with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Lindholm and Brad Marchand. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a Pavel Zacha empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak. The three stars were Lindholm, Ullmark (30 for 31 in saves), and Bergeron. 

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Casey DeSmith are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Drew O'Connor goal, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen and Teddy Blueger. The Penguins added on with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kapanen and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jason Zucker scored his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. The Penguins padded the lead as Zucker scored his second of the game and eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Carter and Rust. Husso was replaced by Magnus Hellberg. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Lucas Raymond and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings got another with a Joe Veleno goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Ben Chiarot and Elmer Soderblom. Detroit got closer in the third period on a Jonatan Berggren unassisted goal, his fifth of the year. The Red Wings tied it as David Perron scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, with the help of Michael Rasmussen and Raymond. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Jake Walman goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Andrew Copp. The three stars were handed to Zucker, Carter, and Raymond, while Rust and Kapanen get the honorable mentions. 

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim led off in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks added on with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Zegras and Terry. Hill was replaced by Logan Thompson in goal. Vegas got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Mark Stone goal, his sixteenth of the season. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with a Ben Hutton goal, passed from Michael Amadio and Phil Kessel. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zegras and Terry lifted the Ducks to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Henrique, Zegras, and Terry. 

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Calgary began in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Dillon Dube and Noah Hanifin. Seattle tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his eighth of the year, via Jordan Eberle and Adam Larsson. The Kraken took the lead with a Jamie Oleksiak goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper from Eberle. The Flames retied it with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary took the lead in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Andersson and Kadri. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kadri, Andersson, and Eberle. 

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Tuesday, December 27, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 75

We're back in action with eleven games coming out of the holiday break. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Martin Necas goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns and Paul Stastny. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Jordan Martinook scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Jordan Staal. The final was 3-0, and the three stars were Raanta (24 save shutout), Necas, and Fast.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Erik Gustafsson. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Gustafsson goal, his fifth of the year, via Conor Sheary and Dylan Strome. Washington extended the lead as Lars Eller scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Anthony Mantha. The Capitals iced it at 4-0 in the third period with a Sheary shorthanded empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Kuemper (32 save shutout), Gustafsson, and Sheary.

Further north, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy. The Senators regained the lead on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Batherson and Nick Holden. The Bruins retied it on a Pavel Zacha goal in the third period his fourth of the year, passed from Hampus Lindholm and Charlie Coyle. The tie went to a shootout, where DeBrincat had the lone tally for a 3-2 Senators win. The three stars were DeBrincat, Talbot (49 for 51 in saves), and Batherson.

Back in New York, the Islanders host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Pierre-Olivier Joseph goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders pulled ahead in the second period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his sixth of the season, via Hudson Fasching and Josh Bailey. New York added on with a Bailey goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov. The Islanders extended the lead as Barzal scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted. New York padded the lead in the third period on a Lee goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nelson and Ryan Pulock. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Barzal, Lee, and Bailey, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Jordan Binnington man the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Justin Holl goal, his second of the season, via Auston Matthews and Mark Giordano. St. Louis retied it on a Calle Rosen goal, his third of the year, fueled by Logan Brown and Alexey Toropchenko. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a John Tavares goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Mitch Marner and Calle Jarnkrok. Toronto added on in the second period with a shorthanded Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Jarnkrok and Timothy Liljegren. The Blues got one back with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Brayden Schenn. St. Louis tied it on a Justin Faulk power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Maple Leafs retook the lead on a Jarnkrok goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Pontus Holmberg and Pierre Engvall. The Blues tied it again in the third period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Colton Parayko and Robert Thomas. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jarnkrok, Nylander, and Kyrou.

Back east a bit to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Juuse Saros are between the pipes. Dallas started in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Alexandre Carrier and Mattias Ekholm. The Stars retook the lead with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Predators tied it on a Yakov Trenin shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Cole Smith and Jeremy Lauzon. Dallas took the lead in the third period with another Hintz goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, via Benn and Joe Pavelski. The final was 3-2, with the three stars being Hintz, Benn, and Oettinger (26 for 28 in saves).

North to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Hartman and Sam Steel. The Wild added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Steel. Winnipeg got on the board with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. Minnesota replied in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Zuccarello and Spurgeon. The Wild iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Samuel Walker empty net goal, set up by Matt Boldy and Gaudreau. The three stars were Zuccarello, Spurgeon, and Gaudreau, while Steel gets an honorable mention.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman. Edmonton tied it on a Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Skinner (47 for 48 in saves), McDavid, and Barrie.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev faces a lesser foe in Connor Ingram in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller. Colorado tied it on an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Cale Makar and J.T. Compher. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Nick Bjugstad. Arizona added on in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nick Ritchie and Chychrun. The Avalanche got one back on a Makar goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Compher and Devon Toews. The Coyotes replied with a J.J. Moser goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Crouse and Juuso Valimaki. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Michael Carcone scored, thanks to Crouse and Chychrun. Colorado got one back with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Erik Johnson and Samuel Girard. The Coyotes finished it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Keller, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Schmaltz. The three stars were Crouse, Chychrun, and Schmaltz, while Keller, Makar, and Compher get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Spencer Martin are in the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Brock Boeser and Ilya Mikheyev. The Canucks added on with an Elias Pettersson goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Lane Pederson and Luke Schenn. San Jose got on the board with a Timo Meier power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Erik Karlsson. Vancouver replied in the second period with a Mikheyev goal, his twelfth of the year, via Andrei Kuzmenko and Tyler Myers. The Canucks extended the lead as Quinn Hughes scored, thanks to Mikheyev and Horvat. Vancouver padded the lead on a Horvat goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Boeser. The Sharks answered with a Meier goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, coming off of Karlsson. The Canucks replied with a Boeser goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Horvat and Mikheyev. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Horvat, Mikheyev, and Boeser, while Meier and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Pheonix Copley are in the creases. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Blake Lizotte. Vegas tied it on a Michael Amadio power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Brayden McNabb goal in the second period, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Brayden Pachal. The Kings tied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the season, via Viktor Arvidsson and Alex Iafallo. Los Angeles took the lead back with an Iafallo goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Arvidsson and Danault. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Danault. The three stars were Danault, Arvidsson, and Iafallo. 

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Friday, December 23, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 74

We head into the holiday break with 11 games. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Sanheim goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Morgan Frost and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Martin Necas power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Andrei Svechnikov and Stefan Noesen. Carolina added on with a Fast goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Martinook and Staal. The Flyers got one back in the second period with a DeAngelo goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Joel Farabee. The Hurricanes replied with a Svechnikov goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Necas and Paul Stastny. Carolina extended the lead as Martinook scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Brett Pesce and Staal. Ersson was replaced by Carter Hart in goal. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Jesperi Kotkaniemi power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Teuvo Teravainen and Pesce. Hart was injured and Ersson reentered the game before the end of the period. Philadelphia got one back in the third period with a Nick Seeler goal, his third of the season, guided in by Rasmus Ristolainen and Noah Cates. The Flyers got closer with a shorthanded Scott Laughton goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Travis Konecny. Philadelphia pulled closer on a Konecny shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Laughton and Cam York. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars handed to Fast, Martinook, and Staal, while Svechnikov, Necas, Pesce, Konecny, DeAngelo, and Laughton get the honorable mentions.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. MacKenzie Blackwood and Linus Ullmark are the masked men. New Jersey began in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Nico Hischier. Boston tied it in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins took the lead on a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Pavel Zacha. Boston added on with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Krejci and Connor Clifton. The Bruins extended the lead as DeBrusk scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Brad Marchand. The Devils got one back in the third period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Hischier and Brendan Smith. New Jersey got closer on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Hamilton and Tatar. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Pastrnak, DeBrusk, and Tatar, while Krejci, Hischier, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

To DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Winnipeg Jets. David Rittich and Charlie Lindgren are the goalies. Washington opened in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Dylan Strome and Conor Sheary. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Sheary and Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Nic Dowd scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Garnet Hathaway and Erik Gustafsson. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his second of the year, assisted by Karson Kuhlman and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. The Capitals finished it at 4-1 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The three stars were Ovechkin, Sheary, and Lindgren (25 for 26 in saves).

In New York, the Islanders host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ilya Sorokin are the Russian goalies. Florida started in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Brandon Montour. New York tied it in the second period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Noah Dobson and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead with a Ryan Pulock goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jean-Gabriel Pageau. New York added on in the third period with an Aatu Raty goal, via Anders Lee and Beauvillier. The Islanders extended the lead as Zach Parise scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Alexander Romanov. New York finished it at 5-1 with a Beauvillier empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Lee. The three stars were Beauvillier, Sorokin (22 for 23 in saves), and Lee.

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Thomas Novak and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his tenth of the year, via Cody Glass and Nino Niederreiter. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Logan O'Connor. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a J.T. Compher goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Artturi Lehkonen and Rantanen. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Samuel Girard goal, his second of the campaign, coming off of Evan Rodrigues. The three stars went to Rantanen, Girard, and Compher.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jake Oettinger are the similarly named goalies. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jake Evans power play goal, powered by Michael Pezzetta and Jordan Harris. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Pezzetta goal, his second of the season, via Arber Xhekaj. Dallas got on the board with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn. The Stars tied it with another Hintz power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of Robertson and Joe Pavelski. Dallas took the lead with a Wyatt Johnston power play goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper by Ryan Suter. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Joel Kiviranta empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hintz, Robertson, and Pezzetta.

North to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Alex Stalock are in the creases. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Max Domi goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Kane and Tyler Johnson. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Andreas Athanasiou scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Sam Lafferty and Ian Mitchell. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Taylor Raddysh goal, his tenth of the year, via Toews and Philipp Kurashev. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Tarasov in goal. Columbus got on the board with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Marcus Bjork and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets got closer in the third period with a Bjork goal, his third of the year, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Roslovic. Chicago fired back with a Toews power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Kane and Domi. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Kane, Toews, and Bjork, while Roslovic gets an honorable mention.

Along to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia and Stuart Skinner receive the starting nods in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Warren Foegele. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the year, via Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks tied it on a Miller power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, powered by Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat. Vancouver took the lead in the third period with a Horvat goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Tyler Myers and Garland. The Canucks extended the lead as Ilya Mihkeyev scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Horvat. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Horvat, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Pettersson and Myers. The three stars were Horvat, Miller, and Pettersson, while Myers and Garland get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Karel Vejmelka are between the pipes. Arizona got going in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Shayne Gostisbehere. Los Angeles tied it on an Alex Iafallo power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Sean Durzi and Phillip Danault. The Coyotes won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Nick Bjugstad. The three stars were Vejmelka (26 for 27 in saves), Schmaltz, and Quick (23 for 24 in saves).

To Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Logan Thompson protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twelfth of the year, via Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Golden Knights retook the lead on a Mark Stone goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Amadio and Stephenson. The Blues tied it again with a Tarasenko power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Buchnevich and Torey Krug. St. Louis pulled ahead on a Justin Faulk goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tarasenko and Krug. Vegas retied it on an Amadio goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Stone and Stephenson. The Blues retook the lead in the third period with a Noel Acciari goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Brandon Saad and Brayden Schenn. The Golden Knights retied it on a Stephenson power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Pietrangelo and William Karlsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Stephenson and Stone lifted Vegas to a 5-4 win over Tarasenko and St. Louis. The three stars were Stephenson, Amadio, and Tarasenko, while Pietrangelo, Stone, Buchnevich, and Krug get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe in Lukas Dostal in goal. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Michael Stone goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Adam Ruzicka and Nikita Zadorov. Anaheim tied it on a Mason McTavish power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Troy Terry. The Flames regained the lead with a Brett Ritchie goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted in the second period. The Ducks tied it in the third period on a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Tyler Toffoli and Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars were Andersson, Ritchie, and Stone. 

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Thursday, December 22, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 73

We've got eight games for today, beginning with a matinee in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kevin Hayes and James van Riemsdyk. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Mitch Marner and Pierre Engvall. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Marner power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by John Tavares and William Nylander. Toronto added on in the third period with a Michael Bunting goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Auston Matthews and Nylander. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Nylander scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Mark Giordano and Justin Holl. The Flyers got one back with a Morgan Frost goal, his seventh of the year, via DeAngelo and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia got closer with a Joel Farabee goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Konecny. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Nylander, Marner, and Konecny, while DeAngelo gets an honorable mention. 

In Boston, the Bruins welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jeremy Swayman start in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Cole Perfetti and Karson Kuhlman. The Jets added on with a Jansen Harkins goal, his third of the year, guided in by Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry. Boston got on the board in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Nick Foligno and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins tied it on a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm. Boston took the lead with a Foligno goal in the third period, his sixth of the season, made possible by Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Foligno, Pastrnak, and DeBrusk.

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Ottawa led off in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his tenth of the season, via Nick Holden and Shane Pinto. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Capitals took the lead in the second period on a Sonny Milano goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with a Marcus Johansson goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Erik Gustafsson and Kuznetsov. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Johansson.

To New York, as the Rangers bring in the crosstown rival Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. The Islanders began in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson. The Rangers tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox. The Islanders pulled ahead in the second period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Josh Bailey. The Rangers tied it on a Julien Gauthier goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Barclay Goodrow. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Romanov goal, passed from Barzal. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Goodrow goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Gauthier and Ben Harpur. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Kaapo Kakko goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by K'Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers added on with a Vincent Trocheck empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Goodrow and Ryan Lindgren. The final was 5-3, and the three stars were Goodrow, Gauthier, and Barzal, while Romanov gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. Carolina tied it on a Martin Necas goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Calvin de Haan and Dylan Coghlan. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Jalen Chatfield goal, coming off of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Penguins tied it in the second period with a Brock McGinn shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by Teddy Blueger and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh pulled ahead in the third period with a Bryan Rust goal, his ninth of the year, via Marcus Pettersson. Carolina tied it again with a Jordan Staal goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Coghlan and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Seth Jarvis and Brent Burns. The three stars were Coghlan, Slavin, and Staal.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Spencer Martin are in the blue paint. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Matty Beniers and Carson Soucy. Vancouver tied it on a Lane Pederson goal, coming off of Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko. The Kraken took the lead back with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, made possible by Jaden Schwartz. Seattle added on with a Daniel Sprong goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Adam Larsson and Morgan Geekie. The Canucks got one back with a Pettersson goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Luke Schenn and Kuzmenko. The Kraken replied with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Bjorkstrand and Will Borgen. Vancouver got one back in the third period with a Kuzmenko goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Pederson and Pettersson. Seattle answered with a Sprong goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Brandon Tanev. The Canucks countered on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver tied it on a Pettersson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by J.T. Miller. The tie went to a shootout, where Miller and Pettersson helped the Canucks earn a 6-5 win over Jordan Eberle and the Kraken. The three stars were Pettersson, Kuzmenko, and Sprong, while Pederson and Bjorkstrand get the honorable mentions.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and James Reimer are between the pipes. San Jose was first to score in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jaycob Megna and Alexander Barabanov. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jon Merrill. The Sharks took the lead back with a Noah Gregor goal, his second of the season, coming off of Karlsson and Matt Benning. San Jose added on in the second period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Karlsson and Nick Bonino. The Sharks extended the lead as Oskar Lindblom scored his second of the season, thanks to Karlsson and Meier. The Wild got one back with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Kevin Labanc empty net power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Karlsson, Meier, and Lindblom.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Pheonix Copley are the backups in goal. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Milan Lucic. Los Angeles tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Sean Walker and Blake Lizotte. The Kings took the lead in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alex Iafallo. Los Angeles added on with a Lizotte goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Vilardi. The Flames got one back with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Andersson and Adam Ruzicka. Calgary tied it on a Dillon Dube goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Viktor Arvidsson. The three stars were Vilardi, Lizotte, and Kempe. 

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Wednesday, December 21, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 72

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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Tuesday, December 20, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 71

We've got another eight games today, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Pyotr Kochetkov man the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Seth Jarvis and Calvin de Haan. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his ninth of the year, via Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead on a Teuvo Teravainen shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Slavin and Jesper Fast. MacKenzie Blackwood replaced Vanecek in goal in the third period. New Jersey got on the board with a Jack Hughes goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Brendan Smith and Jesper Bratt. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Stefan Noesen goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Slavin, Kochetkov (37 for 38 in saves), and Teravainen.

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Carter Hart patrol the creases. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Travis Konecny shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Scott Laughton. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jake Christiansen and Eric Robinson. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Kent Johnson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. The Flyers retied it on a Morgan Frost goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Cam York and James van Riemsdyk. Philadelphia pulled ahead on an Owen Tippett goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Joel Farabee and York. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus got one back with an Andrew Peeke goal, his third of the season, helped along by Jack Roslovic and Gustav Nyquist. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Tippett, his second of the game and tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Konecny, Tippett, and York.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. New York opened in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The Penguins took the lead with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Jason Zucker. Pittsburgh added on with a Crosby goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, via Jake Guentzel and Rickard Rakell. The Rangers got one back with a Kreider goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, fueled by Trocheck and Jonny Brodzinski. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Crosby, Kreider, and Trocheck.

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Matt Murray are the masked men. Toronto began in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Rasmus Sandin and Mitch Marner. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his second of the season, via Steven Stamkos. Toronto replied with a Pierre Engvall empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by David Kampf and Mark Giordano. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Nylander empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with a helper from Calle Jarnkrok. The three stars were Nylander, Matthews, and Murray (18 for 19 in saves).

Westward to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and David Rittich are set to start in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kevin Stenlund goal, assisted by David Gustafsson and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. The Jets added on with a Josh Morrissey goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Dylan DeMelo and Kyle Connor. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Thomas Chabot and Alex DeBrincat. Winnipeg replied with a Sam Gagner goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Brenden Dillon and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets extended the lead as Connor scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Morrissey and DeMelo. Winnipeg padded the lead on another Connor goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, fueled by Dubois and Jonsson-Fjallby. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Connor, Morrissey, and Dubois, while Jonsson-Fjallby and DeMelo get the honorable mentions.

Further west, the Seattle Kraken welcome the St. Louis Blues. Thomas Greiss and Martin Jones are the backups in goal. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his  of the season, assisted by Adam Larsson and Morgan Geekie. The Kraken added on in the second period with a Carson Soucy goal, his second of the year, passed from Will Borgen and Alexander Wennberg. Seattle extended the lead as Daniel Sprong scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Geekie and Brandon Tanev. The Kraken padded the lead on a Jared McCann goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Colton Parayko goal, his second of the season, made possible by Logan Brown and Alexey Toropchenko. The Blues got closer with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Brayden Schenn. Seattle responded with a Tanev empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn. The three stars of the 5-2 game were went to Geekie, Tanev, and Sprong.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and James Reimer protect the nets. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on with a Dube goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Lindholm and Toffoli. San Jose got on the board with a Nico Sturm goal, his ninth of the season, via Timo Meier. Calgary replied in the second period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Adam Ruzicka and Rasmus Andersson. The Sharks got one back with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Scott Harrington and Matt Nieto. San Jose tied it on a Meier goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Erik Karlsson. The Flames retook the lead on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Milan Lucic and Jonathan Huberdeau. Calgary extended the lead as Lucic scored his second of the year, thanks to Huberdeau. The Flames padded the lead on a Toffoli empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, set up by Lindholm. Calgary finished it at 7-3 with a Kadri goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, passed from Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Toffoli, Kadri, and Huberdeau, while Dube, Lindholm, Meier, and Lucic get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Pheonix Copley are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Anaheim tied it on a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jakob Silfverberg. The Kings retook the lead with an Alex Iafallo goal, his third of the season, made possible by Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Arthur Kaliyev and Blake Lizotte. The Kings extended the lead as Kevin Fiala scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Kempe. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Kempe, Iafallo, and Copley (24 for 25 in saves). 

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