Thursday, January 5, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 84

We've got ten games on today, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Matt Murray are set to start in goal. Seattle got going in the second period with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Jared McCann. Toronto tied it on a John Tavares power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. The Kraken took the lead back with a Dunn goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Seattle added on with a McCann goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Dunn. The Kraken extended the lead as Matty Beniers scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Jordan Eberle and Andre Burakovsky. Seattle padded the lead in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fifth of the year, via Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev. The final was 5-1, with the three stars given to Dunn, McCann, and Jones (26 for 27 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in shorthanded and unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Braden Schneider goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Artemi Panarin and Vitali Kravtsov. New York extended the lead as Filip Chytil scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Joel Armia goal, via Arber Xhekaj and Jake Evans. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Chytil empty net goal on the power play, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller. The three stars went to Chytil, Schneider, and Halak (17 for 18 in saves).

Stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Akira Schmid draw the starts in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. New Jersey tied it in the second period on a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Damon Severson and Erik Haula. The Devils took the lead with a Hughes goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Tomas Tatar. The Blues tied it with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brandon Saad and Justin Faulk. St. Louis gained the lead in the third period with a Saad goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Barbashev and Noel Acciari. The Blues added on with a Thomas power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Buchnevich. New Jersey pulled one back with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. St. Louis iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Thomas, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Buchnevich. The three stars were given to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Hughes, while Saad and Barbashev get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Carter Hart man the nets. Arizona started in the first period with a Michael Carcone goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Barrett Hayton. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Morgan Frost. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Nick Ritchie goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Hayton and Nick Schmaltz. The Flyers tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his eighth of the year, via Frost and Konecny. Philadelphia gained the lead with a Wade Allison goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton. The Flyers added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his second of the year, coming off of Hayes and Cam York. Philadelphia extended the lead as Hayes scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Konecny and Frost. The Flyers padded the lead on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Owen Tippett and Frost. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Konecny, Frost, and Hayes, while Hayton gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Pyotr Kochetkov are in the blue paint. Carolina began in the first period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Juuso Parssinen and Roman Josi. The Hurricanes pulled ahead in the second period with a Brady Skjei goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Pesce and Martin Necas. The Predators tied it on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Parssinen. Carolina took the lead back with a Jordan Staal goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook. Nashville tied it again with a Cody Glass goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators gained the lead in the third period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene. Nashville iced it at 5-3 with a Colton Sissons empty net goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Saros (64 for 67 in saves), Parssinen, and Pesce.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the season, via Emil Bemstrom. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nick Jensen and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals took the lead with a Nicolas Aube-Kubal goal, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Gavin Bayreuther goal, passed from Adam Boqvist and Bemstrom. Washington retook the lead with a Martin Fehervary goal, his third of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Alexander Alexeyev. The Capitals added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas. Washington extended the lead as Oshie scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, powered by Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals padded the lead on a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Strome and Kuznetsov. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars going to Oshie, Strome, and Kuznetsov, while Bemstrom gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Kailer Yamamoto shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by McDavid. New York got on the board with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Josh Bailey and Casey Cizikas. Edmonton replied with a Dylan Holloway goal, his second of the year, via Ryan McLeod and Philip Broberg. The Oilers extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. The Islanders got one back with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Scott Mayfield. The final was 4-2, and the three stars were Draisaitl, McDavid, and Nugent-Hopkins.

Further along, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev faces a lesser foe in Collin Delia in goal. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche added on with a Samuel Girard goal, his third of the year, via Andreas Englund and Alex Newhook in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ilya Mikheyev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks tied it on a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, coming off of Elias Pettersson and Ethan Bear. Vancouver took the lead with a Brock Boeser goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Bo Horvat. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an empty net goal by J.T. Miller, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Pettersson and Ekman-Larsson. The three stars were Kuzmenko, Pettersson, and Ekman-Larsson.

Down in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Adin Hill are the backups in goal. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, via Paul Cotter and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Nicolas Roy. Vegas extended the lead on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Eichel. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the second period on a Stone goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Brayden McNabb and Eichel. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Ty Smith goal, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Vegas replied with a Cotter goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Kessel and Karlsson. The Penguins got one back on a Crosby goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Guentzel. The final was 5-2, with the three stars going to Eichel, Cotter, and Crosby, while Kessel, Stone, Karlsson, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Pheonix Copley are the masked men. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Alex Iafallo and Mikey Anderson. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy in the second period. The Bruins took the lead with a Marchand power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by McAvoy. The Kings tied it on a Sean Durzi goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Matt Roy and Anze Kopitar. Boston took the lead with a Trent Frederic goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brandon Carlo. The Bruins added on with another Frederic goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno and Charlie Coyle. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Frederic, Pastrnak, and Marchand, while McAvoy gets an honorable mention. 

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Wednesday, January 4, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 83

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Ville Husso man the nets. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. The Devils added on with a Hischier power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Michael McLeod scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Alexander Holtz and Miles Wood. The Devils padded the lead on a Holtz goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Wood and Damon Severson. New Jersey continued with a Hughes goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar. Detroit got on the board with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Hughes, Hischier, and Hamilton, while Holtz and Wood get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Filip Gustavsson are the backups in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Calen Addison and Marcus Foligno. The Wild added on with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Matt Boldy and Addison. Minnesota extended the lead as Addison scored his third of the season, thanks to Ryan Hartman and Boldy. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov. The Wild replied with a Sam Steel goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota padded the lead on a Kaprizov empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Addison, Kaprizov, and Boldy.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and John Gibson patrol the creases. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mason McTavish and Troy Terry. The Ducks added on with a McTavish power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler. This held up for a 2-0 win, with the three stars handed to Gibson (35 save shutout), McTavish, and Henrique. 

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Tuesday, January 3, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 82

There's eleven games on for this Tuesday slate, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ilya Samsonov are the veteran goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Brandon Saad shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Noel Acciari and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. Toronto got on the board with a Pierre Engvall goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Kerfoot and David Kampf. St. Louis answered in the second period with a Kyrou power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Schenn and Thomas. The Maple Leafs got one back with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Michael Bunting and Auston Matthews. The Blues countered with a Josh Leivo goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jake Neighbours and Acciari. Toronto answered with a Bunting goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by T.J. Brodie. St. Louis shot back on a Saad goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Schenn and Parayko. The Maple Leafs replied with a Matthews goal, his nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Nylander and Timothy Liljegren. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Bunting goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, made possible by Nylander and Mitch Marner on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Schenn lifted the Blues 6-5 over Matthews, Marner and the Maple Leafs. The three stars were Saad, Bunting, and Schenn, while Kyrou, Acciari, Parayko, Nylander, and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

Also in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jake Sanderson and Claude Giroux. The Senators added on with a Tim Stutzle goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Giroux. Ottawa extended the lead as Drake Batherson scored his thirteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. The Senators iced it at 4-0 in the third period with an Austin Watson shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Travis Hamonic. The three stars were Forsberg (22 save shutout), Stutzle, and Giroux.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Spencer Knight start in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with an Eric Staal goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Marc Staal. Arizona got on the board with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes tied it on a Keller goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, via Juuso Valimaki. Florida retook the lead with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, fueled by Josh Mahura. Arizona tied it again with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by J.J. Moser and Jack McBain. The Panthers retook the lead with an Eric Staal goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Ryan Lomberg and Tkachuk. Florida extended the lead as Tkachuk finished his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, with the help of Sam Reinhart and the goalie Knight. The final stayed at 5-3, with the three stars handed to Tkachuk, Eric Staal, and Keller.

Back north, the New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. Carolina opened in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his fifth of the season, via Paul Stastny and Jaccob Slavin. New York tied it on a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Vitali Kravtsov and Filip Chytil. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Martin Necas goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Stastny. The Rangers tied it on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina retook the lead on a Jalen Chatfield goal, his second of the season, fueled by Teuvo Teravainen. New York tied it in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. The Rangers pulled ahead with a K'Andre Miller goal, his third of the season, helped along by Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. New York added on with a Chytil empty net goal, his ninth of the year, coming on the power play set up by Miller and Trouba. The three stars of the 5-3 game were were Zibanejad, Miller, and Trouba, while Chytil and Stastny get the honorable mentions.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Darcy Kuemper are in the blue paint. Buffalo started in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano goal, his sixth of the year, via Anthony Mantha and Matt Irwin. The Sabres took the lead back with a Thompson power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens. Buffalo added on in the second period with a Thompson goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Tuch and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Capitals got one back with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington tied it in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Milano and Nick Jensen. The Capitals pulled ahead on an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with a helper from Conor Sheary. The Sabres retied it on a Tyson Jost goal, his third of the year, helped along by Casey Mittelstadt and Owen Power. Buffalo won 5-4 in overtime as Thompson completed his hat trick on his thirtieth of the campaign, with an assist provided by Tuch. The three stars were awarded to Thompson, Ovechkin, and Tuch, while Milano gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Nashville Predators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cody Glass power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Nino Niederreiter. The Predators added on with a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the year, via Filip Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead as Ekholm scored his third of the season, thanks to Mikael Granlund and Niederreiter. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got closer in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Richard. The Predators responded with a Thomas Novak goal, his third of the year, guided in by Yakov Trenin and Tanner Jeannot. Nashville padded the lead as Roman Josi scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Novak and Niederreiter. The Predators continued in the third period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Josi and Granlund. Montreal pulled one back with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Christian Dvorak. The final was 6-3, and the three stars belonged to Niederreier, Josi, and Novak, while Ekholm and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brenden Dillon goal, assisted by Dylan DeMelo and Mark Scheifele. Calgary tied it on a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fifth of the season, via Tyler Toffoli and Elias Lindholm. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Flames tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Andrew Mangiapane. Winnipeg pulled ahead with a Sam Gagner goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Gagner, Morrissey, and Dillon.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Taylor Raddysh and Max Domi. Tampa Bay tied it on a Pat Maroon goal, his second of the year, assisted by Victor Hedman. The Lightning pulled ahead with an Alex Killorn goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brandon Hagel. Tampa Bay added on with a Hagel power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Nick Paul shorthanded empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Hedman. The three stars were Hagel, Hedman, and Elliott (25 for 26 in saves).

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Seattle Kraken. Martin Jones and Stuart Skinner occupy the creases. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-third of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Brett Kulak. Seattle got on the board with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Daniel Sprong and Justin Schultz. The Kraken tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Beniers and Adam Larsson. Seattle pulled ahead with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Eeli Tolvanen and Schultz. The Kraken extended the lead as Jared McCann scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and Schwartz. Jack Campbell replaced Skinner in goal. Seattle iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Wennberg empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Brandon Tanev and Schwartz. The three stars went to Schwartz, Beniers, and Wennberg, while Schultz gets an honorable mention.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Spencer Martin receive the starts in goal. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brock Boeser. New York tied it in the second period with an Aatu Raty goal, his second of the year, via Ross Johnston and Matt Martin. The Islanders took the lead with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Pulock and Mathew Barzal. New York added on with a Barzal goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks pulled one back with a Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Islanders shot back with an Anders Lee goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Brock Nelson. New York extended the lead as Casey Cizikas scored his third of the season, thanks to Barzal and Parker Wotherspoon. The Islanders iced it at 6-2 with a Pageau shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Cizikas. The three stars were Barzal, Pageau, and Horvat, while Cizikas gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Pheonix Copley draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Rasmus Kupari goal, his third of the season, via Kevin Fiala. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz. The Kings retook the lead on an Anze Kopitar goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield. The Stars tied it again with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Hintz. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Fiala, Hintz, and Kempe. 

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Monday, January 2, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 81

Three games on today, leading off with...

The Winter Classic at Fenway Park, where the Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Linus Ullmark got the starts in goal, but Jarry was injured and replaced by Casey DeSmith in the first period. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixth of the season, via Danton Heinen and Jeff Carter. Boston tied it in the third period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins took the lead with a DeBrusk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of Taylor Hall and David Krejci. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to DeBrusk, Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves), and Kapanen. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Colorado opened in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen. Vegas tied it on a Michael Amadio goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nicolas Hague and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his sixth of the season, via Keegan Kolesar and Kaedan Korczak. Vegas added on with another Roy goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by William Carrier and Alex Pietrangelo. The Avalanche got one back with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Lehkonen and MacKinnon. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Roy, MacKinnon, and Rantanen, while Lehkonen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Noah Cates and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Morgan Frost goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Cam York and Farabee. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Konecny scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Kevin Hayes and Cates. The Flyers padded the lead on a Scott Laughton goal, his ninth of the year, via Hayes in the third period. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Strome goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Trevor Zegras. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Farabee, Konecny, and Cates, while Hayes gets an honorable mention. 

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Sunday, January 1, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 80

We've got five games on New Year's Day. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goalies. Carolina got going in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his third of the season, via Stefan Noesen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Dawson Mercer and Erik Haula. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a shorthanded and unassisted Sebastian Aho goal, his twelfth of the season. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Tomas Tatar. Carolina pulled ahead again with a Stepan goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, helped along by Noesen and Calvin de Haan. New Jersey retied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Bratt and Tatar. The Devils pulled ahead with a Bratt goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Graves. The Hurricanes retied it on a Martin Necas power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Aho. In the shootout, Andrei Svechnikov had the lone tally for a 5-4 Hurricanes win. The three stars were Bratt, Stepan, and Aho, while Tatar and Noesen get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on with a Zibanejad goal in the second period, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Kaapo Kakko and Braden Schneider. Florida got on the board with a Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the season, via Eric Staal and Josh Mahura. New York answered with a Chris Kreider goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Kakko and Fox. The Panthers got one back with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling. The Rangers countered in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Kreider. Florida pulled back with a Staal goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. New York fired back with a Panarin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Trocheck and Ben Harpur. This stood for a 5-3 win, with the three stars being Zibanejad, Panarin, and Trocheck, while Kreider, Kakko, Staal, and Fox get the honorable mentions. 

Back north, the Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Anton Forsberg are the veteran goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Claude Giroux. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mattias Samuelsson and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Senators retook the lead on a Jake Lucchini power play goal, powered by Derick Brassard and Giroux. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Stutzle empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Thomas Chabot. The three stars were Stutzle, Forsberg (33 for 34 in saves), and Giroux. 

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventh of the season, via Ian Mitchell. The Blackhawks added on with a Sam Lafferty goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Andreas Athanasiou. San Jose got on the board with a Jonah Gadjovich goal, his second of the season, assisted by Oskar Lindblom and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks tied it on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, passed from Matt Benning and Logan Couture. San Jose pulled ahead with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Couture and Karlsson. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Timo Meier scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Tomas Hertl and Scott Harrington. San Jose padded the lead on an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nick Bonino and Lindblom. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Karlsson, Couture, and Lindblom. 

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Seattle struck first in the first period with an Adam Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan Donato and Daniel Sprong. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey. The Kraken retook the lead with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal in the second period, his third of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Jared McCann. Seattle added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jamie Oleksiak and Yanni Gourde. The Kraken iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Brandon Tanev empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Dunn and Gourde. The three stars were Dunn, Gourde, and Tolvanen. 

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Saturday, December 31, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 79

We've got 12 games on to close out 2022. The action begins in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by David Krejci and Pavel Zacha. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Tuch goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Ilya Lyubushkin. The Bruins retied it in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. Boston pulled ahead with a Marchand goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Pastrnak and Krejci. Buffalo tied it again with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with a Tuch goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Cozens. The three stars were Tuch, Cozens, and Marchand, while Pastrnak and Krejci get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Chicago led off in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his eighth of the season, via Isaak Phillips and Sam Lafferty. Columbus tied it on an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a shorthanded Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Jack Roslovic. Columbus added on with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Gaudreau and Gavin Bayreuther. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-1 with a Nyquist shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Sean Kuraly. The three stars belonged to Nyquist, Gaudreau, and Marchenko. 

Further west, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Logan Thompson are in the creases. Nashville opened in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, via Mikael Granlund and Dante Fabbro. Vegas got on the board with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Daniil Miromanov and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights tied it on a Michael Amadio goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas took the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Kolesar and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Stephenson scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Stone. Nashville got one back with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Ryan McDonagh and Colton Sissons. The Predators tied it with a Forsberg power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with a Nicolas Hague goal, his second of the year, assisted by Stone and Stephenson. The three stars were Stephenson, Stone, and Forsberg, while Kolesar gets an honorable mention.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala. Philadelphia tied it on a Scott Laughton power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Cam York and Owen Tippett. The Kings took the lead back with a Phillip Danault goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Viktor Arvidsson. The Flyers tied it in the second period with a Tippett goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Tony DeAngelo. Philadelphia pulled ahead in the third period with a Noah Cates shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Travis Konecny empty net goal, his eighteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Tippett, Cates, and Ersson (27 for 29 in saves).

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. Washington started in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Conor Sheary. The Capitals added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the year, via Aliaksei Protas and Nic Dowd. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Cole Caufield power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach. Washington answered on a Dowd goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Protas and Gustafsson. The Capitals extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk and Lars Eller. The Canadiens got one back with another Caufield goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Washington answered on a Dylan Strome power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals padded the lead on an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Gustafsson and Johansson. Washington continued with a Johansson goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Kuznetsov and Martin Fehervary. The Capitals struck again with an Anthony Mantha goal, his ninth of the year, an unassisted goal. Washington kept going as Ovechkin completed his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the season, with the help of Sheary. The final held at 9-2, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Johansson, and Kuznetsov, while Caufield, Gustafsson, Dowd, Sheary, and Protas get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Boyd goal, his fourth of the season, via Clayton Keller. The Coyotes added on with a Christian Fischer goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nick Ritchie and Barrett Hayton. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning tied it with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Point and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Hedman and Kucherov. Arizona tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Lawson Crouse. The Lightning retook the lead on an unassisted Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the season. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brandon Hagel scored his fourteenth of the year on the power play, thanks to Hedman and Stamkos. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars going to Hedman, Point, and Stamkos, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington are between the pipes. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Calle Rosen goal, his fifth of the season, via Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Sam Steel. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Frederick Gaudreau and Marcus Foligno. The Blues retied it on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Kyrou. Minnesota regained the lead on another Hartman goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Wild added on in the third period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Greenway empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Spurgeon. The three stars were Hartman, Spurgeon, and Greenway, while Kyrou got the honorable mention.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Magnus Hellberg start in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his third of the season, via Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson. The Senators added on with a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Pius Suter goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Raymond goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Olli Maatta and Jonatan Berggren. Detroit pulled ahead on an Elmer Soderblom goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Joe Veleno and Jake Walman. The Red Wings extended the lead as Michael Rasmussen scored his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 4-2, and the three stars went to Raymond, Soderblom, and Rasmussen.

Over in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitch Marner goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Calle Jarnkrok and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on with a Pierre Engvall goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of David Kampf and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado got on the board with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Logan O'Connor and Evan Rodrigues. Toronto replied in the second period with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Tavares and Auston Matthews. The Avalanche got one back with a Devon Toews goal, his third of the season, assisted by Compher and Denis Malgin. The Maple Leafs shot back on a Matthews goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as T.J. Brodie scored his second of the season, going in unassisted. Jonas Johansson replaced Georgiev in goal. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Bunting empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Nylander. The final was 6-2, and the three stars belonged to Bunting, Matthews, and Compher, while Tavares and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

Southeast to Dallas, where the Stars host the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Jake Oettinger receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose began in the first period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fifth of the season, via Matt Benning and Erik Karlsson. Dallas tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead with a Robertson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Heiskanen and Pavelski. The Sharks tied it in the second period with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his third of the year, fueled by Nico Sturm and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Dallas took the lead back with a Fredrik Olofsson goal, coming off of Pavelski and Radek Faksa. The Stars added on in the third period with a Roope Hintz shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the season, set up by Jamie Benn. Dallas iced it at 5-2 with an Esa Lindell empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Pavelski, Robertson, and Heiskanen.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Jacob Markstrom play in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the season, via Tyler Toffoli. The Flames added on with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. Calgary extended the lead as Weegar scored, thanks to Chris Tanev and Nazem Kadri. Vancouver got on the board with a Sheldon Dries goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Caucks got closer in the third period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Ethan Bear. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Weegar, Coleman, and Lindholm.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Edmonton tied it in the third period with a Klim Kostin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Mattias Janmark. The Jets retook the lead on a Connor goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Pionk and Kristian Reichel. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Connor, Pionk, and Hellebuyck (31 for 32 in saves). 

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Friday, December 30, 2022

NHL 2022-23 - Day 78

Just four games on this Friday, beginning with a matinee in...

Anaheim, as the Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and John Gibson man the nets. Nashville led off in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Filip Forsberg. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Sam Carrick goal, his second of the year, via Urho Vaakanainen and Jayson Megna. The Predators retook the lead with an unassisted Yakov Trenin goal, his fourth of the season. Nashville added on with a Forsberg goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Juuso Parssinen and Sissons. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Thomas Novak scored his second of the season, thanks to Cole Smith and Tanner Jeannot. Nashville padded the lead on a Roman Josi power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Parssinen and Forsberg. The Predators finished it at 6-1 with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Mikael Granlund and Cody Glass. The three stars went to Forsberg, Sissons, and Parssinen. 

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. The Penguins replied with a Jeff Carter goal, his sixth of the season, via Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Rickard Rakell. The Devils retied it on a Hamilton goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Dawson Mercer and Jonas Siegenthaler. New Jersey pulled ahead on a shorthanded Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Michael McLeod and Brendan Smith. The Devils iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Hughes empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Erik Haula and Mercer. The three stars were Hamilton, Hughes, and Mercer.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Antti Raanta receive the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Burns and Martin Necas. Carolina extended the lead as Teuvo Teravainen scored his third of the season on the power play, thanks to Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes padded the lead in the third period on a Kotkaniemi goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Brett Pesce and Jarvis. The final was 4-0, with the three stars going to Raanta (19 save shutout), Kotkaniemi, and Burns, while Jarvis gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Philipp Grubauer start in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Klim Kostin goal, his third of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead as Darnell Nurse scored his sixth of the season, thanks to McDavid and Kailer Yamamoto. Martin Jones replaced Grubauer in goal. The Oilers padded the lead on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his third of the year, courtesy of McDavid. Seattle got on the board with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Morgan Geekie and Ryan Donato. Edmonton fired back with a Kostin goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Nurse and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers continued with a Hyman power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The Kraken got one back with a Brandon Tanev goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn. Edmonton responded in the third period with a McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, going in unassisted. The final held at 7-2, with the three stars being McDavid, Hyman, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Kostin and Nurse get the honorable mentions. 

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