NHL 2022-23 - Day 103

There's eleven games to play today, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sam Montembeault are in goal. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kirby Dach power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman. Boston tied it on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a David Krejci goal, his twelfth of the season, via Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The Canadiens tied it on another Dach goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, coming off of Alex Belzile and Justin Barron. Boston took the lead back on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Brad Marchand and Pastrnak. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, set up by Krejci. The three stars were Pastrnak, Dach, and Krejci.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Jake Middleton. Tampa Bay tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Ross Colton and Mikhail Sergachev. The Wild took the lead with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy. The Lightning tied it again with a Perry goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, via Colton and Alex Killorn on the power play. Tampa Bay pulled ahead in the third period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Sergachev and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Brandon Hagel. The three stars were Perry, Colton, and Eriksson Ek, while Kucherov and Sergachev get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Carter Hart man the nets. Philadelphia began in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Owen Tippett and Ivan Provorov. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. The Flyers took the lead on a Wade Allison goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Kevin Hayes and Provorov. The Kings retied it on another Kopitar goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, fueled by Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield. The Flyers pulled ahead in the second period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his second of the season, with helpers from van Riemsdyk and Morgan Frost. Los Angeles tied it again with a Samuel Fagemo goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Blake Lizotte. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Fiala goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Kopitar, Fiala, and van Riemsdyk, while Provorov gets an honorable mention.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Brandon Montour and Barkov. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Ryan Poehling and Drew O'Connor. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Letang goal, his third of the season, assisted by Brian Dumoulin and Heinen. Florida tied it again with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Ekblad. The Panthers gained the lead in the second period with an Ekblad shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Reinhart and Tkachuk. The Penguins retied it on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Jake Guentzel and Jeff Petry. Florida gained the lead in the third period with a Colin White goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Nick Cousins and Ryan Lomberg. Pittsburgh tied it on an O'Connor goal, his third of the year, fueled by Poehling and Heinen. The Penguins took the lead with a Malkin power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Crosby and Letang. The Panthers tied it once again with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh won 7-6 in overtime with a Letang power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Malkin and Crosby. The three stars were awarded to Letang, Malkin, and Crosby, while Heinen, O'Connor, Poehling, Ekblad, Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Tkachuk, and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Ville Husso are in the creases. Detroit got going in the second period with an Adam Erne goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. The Red Wings retook the lead with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks retied it on a Logan Couture goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Karlsson and Jaycob Megna. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with an Andrew Copp goal, his fifth of the campaign, guided in by Rasmussen. The three stars were Rasmussen, Karlsson, and Copp.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Vitek Vanecek protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Ben Hutton goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nicolas Hague and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights took the lead on a William Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Devils tied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Bratt and Jack Hughes. New Jersey won 3-2 in overtime with another Hamilton power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, powered by Hughes and the goalie Vanecek. The three stars went to Hamilton, Hughes, and Bratt.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jordan Binnington are set to start in goal. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Tage Thompson and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres added on with an Alex Tuch goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Skinner and Henri Jokiharju. Buffalo extended the lead as Owen Power scored his second of the season, thanks to JJ Peterka and Thompson. The Sabres padded the lead in the second period with a Thompson goal, his thirty-third of the year, coming off of Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson. St. Louis got on the board with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his eighth of the season, via Torey Krug and Justin Faulk. The Blues got closer with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Faulk and Krug. St. Louis chipped closer on a Jordan Kyrou goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Brandon Saad and Nick Leddy. Buffalo iced it at 5-3 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Dylan Cozens, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Thompson, Skinner, and Tuch, while Faulk and Krug get the honorable mentions.

To Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville started in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Cole Perfetti and Dylan DeMelo. Nashville tied it in the second period on a Cody Glass goal, his sixth of the year, via Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. The Predators pulled ahead in the third period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Thomas Novak. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Saros (32 for 33 in saves), Jeannot, and Hellebuyck (39 for 41 in saves).

Over in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Alexandar Georgiev are between the pipes. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Avalanche added on with an Andrew Cogliano goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, via Kurtis MacDermid and Logan O'Connor. Washington got on the board with a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Martin Fehervary and Anthony Mantha. Colorado answered with an Alex Newhook goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by O'Connor and Samuel Girard. The Capitals got one back in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, guided in by Dylan Strome. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being O'Connor, Newhook, and Georgiev (37 for 39 in saves).

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Connor Ingram patrol the creases. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Troy Terry. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Terry goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Cam Fowler and Jayson Megna. Anaheim extended the lead on a Fowler power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Terry and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks padded the lead on another Fowler goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Kevin Shattenkirk and Vatrano in the third period. Arizona got on the board with a Barrett Hayton goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes got closer with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Hayton and Jakob Chychrun. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Adam Henrique, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Jakob Silfverberg. The three stars were Terry, Fowler, and Vatrano, while Hayton gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Collin Delia are given the starting nods in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his ninth of the season, via Caleb Jones and Max Domi. Vancouver tied it in the second period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Ilya Mihkeyev and Elias Pettersson. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a Sam Lafferty goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jake McCabe and Seth Jones. The Canucks tied it again with another Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, passed from Pettersson and Luke Schenn. Vancouver pulled ahead in the third period with a Dakota Joshua goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with a Sheldon Dries goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Conor Garland and J.T. Miller. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Bo Horvat shorthanded empty net goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, set up by Schenn. The three stars went to Kuzmenko, Pettersson, and Schenn. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 102

We've got four games for this Monday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon and Igor Shesterkin are the goalies. New York opened in the first period with an Adam Fox goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. Florida tied it on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. The Rangers pulled ahead with a Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Panarin and Fox. New York added on in the second period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Barclay Goodrow and Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers extended the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his sixth of the season in the third period, thanks to Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. New York padded the lead on another Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, helped along by Panarin and Fox. The Panthers got one back on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour. The Rangers iced it at 6-2 with a Chytil empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Kakko and Lafreniere. The three stars were Zibanejad, Fox, and Panarin, while Chytil, Lafreniere, and Kakko get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Ilya Samsonov are the Russian goalies. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Sebastian Aho. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of John Tavares and Mark Giordano in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead with another Lee goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Tavares power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Nylander and the goalie Samsonov. Toronto pulled ahead with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Nylander and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs added on with another Nylander goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Auston Matthews scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Holl. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Nylander, Lee, and Tavares, while Holl gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Craig Anderson and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Dallas led off in the first period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. Buffalo tied it on a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson. The Stars retied it on a Jason Robertson goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Pavelski. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with an Owen Power goal, helped along by Thompson and Alex Tuch.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Dan Vladar receive the starts in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Walker Duehr goal, his second of the season, via MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames added on in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Nikita Zadorov and Andrew Mangiapane. Columbus got on the board with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Laine power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Gaudreau and Adam Boqvist. Calgary retook the lead with a Mangiapane goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Columbus tied it again in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Laine and Erik Gudbranson. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Dillon Dube goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Mangiapane. The three stars were Mangiapane, Laine, and Gaudreau. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 101

Five games on this Sunday, beginning with one matinee in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Vitek Vanecek guard the cages. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his thirtieth of the season, made possible by Dougie Hamilton. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Jeff Petry and Jake Guentzel. The tie went to overtime, where Hamilton scored his eleventh of the campaign on the power play, powered by Hughes and Nico Hischier. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Hamilton, Hughes, and Vanecek (25 for 26 in saves). 

Along to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Boston began in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Craig Smith. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fourth of the year, passed from David Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. Boston extended the lead as Nick Foligno scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Lindholm and Joona Koppanen. The Bruins padded the lead in the third period on a Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars being Lindholm, Pastrnak, and McAvoy.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Winnipeg Jets. David Rittich and Felix Sandstrom are the backups in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period with an Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brenden Dillon and Neal Pionk. The Jets added on with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers. Philadelphia got on the board with an Ivan Provorov goal, his third of the year, made possible by Owen Tippett and Cam York. The Flyers got closer in the second period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Noah Cates and Tony DeAngelo. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with another Hayes power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Morgan Frost and DeAngelo. The Jets retook the lead on a Karson Kuhlman goal, his third of the season, guided in by Dylan DeMelo and Dillon. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with a Kevin Stenlund empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Pierre-Luc Dubois. The three stars were handed to Dillon, Hayes, and DeAngelo.

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Jaret Anderson-Dolan goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Kevin Fiala and Blake Lizotte. The Kings added on in the second period with another Anderson-Dolan goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, guided in by Fiala and Drew Doughty. Chicago got on the board in the third period with an Ian Mitchell goal, via Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Anderson-Dolan, Fiala, and Copley (18 for 19 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Karel Vejmelka protect the nets. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Dylan Guenther goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and Michael Carcone. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun. Vegas got on the board with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Arizona replied in the third period with a Keller goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Juuso Valimaki. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Keller empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Schmaltz. The three stars were Keller, Vejmelka (35 for 36 in saves), and Schmaltz. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 100

A massive Saturday of 14 games, including the full Hockey Day In Canada slate, begins with a pair of matinees. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Rasmus Dahlin and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Sabres added on with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Strome and Max Comtois. The Ducks tied it on another Zegras goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, fueled by Nathan Beaulieu. Buffalo retook the lead on a Peyton Krebs goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Dahlin and Kyle Okposo. Anaheim tied it again with a Simon Benoit goal, his third of the year, helped along by Zegras and Adam Henrique. The Sabres took the lead back in the third period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Lyubushkin. Buffalo extended the lead as Olofsson scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, thanks to Tyson Jost and Owen Power. The Sabres finished it at 6-3 with a Krebs goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Tuch and Lyubushkin. The three stars were Olofsson, Krebs, and Zegras, while Lyubushkin, Tuch, and Dahlin get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Dan Vladar man the nets. Calgary started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Rasmus Andersson. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nick Paul and Pat Maroon. The Flames tied it on a Toffoli goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Elias Lindholm and Dillon Dube. Calgary took the lead with an Andersson goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on in the third period with a Dube goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Andersson and Noah Hanifin. Tampa Bay got one back with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Calgary responded with a Jonathan Huberdeau empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Milan Lucic and Hanifin. The Flames iced it at 6-3 with a Blake Coleman empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Hanifin. The three stars were Andersson, Toffoli, and Dube, while Hanifin gets an honorable mention. 

Southeast to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavssson and Alex Lyon are the lesser-known goalies. Florida led off in the first period with an Anton Lundell goal, his seventh of the season, via Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov. Florida replied with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Brandon Montour and Matthew Tkachuk. The Wild got one back in the third period with a power play goal by Eriksson Ek, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kaprizov and Calen Addison. The Panthers answered with a Gustav Forsling goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Grigori Denisenko and Nick Cousins. Minnesota got one back with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Boldy and Kaprizov. Florida iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Reinhart, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Lundell and Marc Staal. The three stars went to Lundell, Reinhart, and Eriksson Ek, while Boldy and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Mark Giordano goal, his third of the season, courtesy of William Nylander and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Conor Timmins and Mitch Marner. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Nick Suzuki and Rem Pitlick. The Canadiens tied it on a Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, coming off of Michael Pezzetta and Alex Belzile. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Pitlick goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mike Hoffman and David Savard. The three stars were Pitlick, Harvey-Pinard, and Anderson.

To Ottawa, where the Senators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Anton Forsberg receive the starts in goal. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. Ottawa tied it on a Josh Norris goal, his second of the year, via Claude Giroux. The Jets took the lead back with a Scheifele goal in the second period, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Ehlers and Neal Pionk. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Scheifele scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Wheeler. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Cole Perfetti power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Ehlers and Wheeler. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Scheifele, Ehlers, and Wheeler.

Stateside, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ville Husso patrol the creases. Philadelphia got going in the third period with a Scott Laughton goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Wade Allison. The Flyers added on with a Noah Cates goal, his sixth of the year, via Travis Konecny. Detroit got on the board with a Lucas Raymond goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Dominik Kubalik and Moritz Seider. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Hart (30 for 31 in saves), Cates, and Laughton.

Down in Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Noah Gregor and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighth of the year, via Nico Sturm and Jaycob Megna. Columbus got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Nick Blankenburg. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Kent Johnson and Gustav Nyquist. San Jose regained the lead in the third period with a Sturm goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Laine goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Jack Roslovic and Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Nyquist goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Johnson. Columbus iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Sean Kuraly, his ninth of the year, set up by Blankenburg and Andrew Peeke. The three stars were Laine, Gaudreau, and Nyquist, while Johnson, Blankenburg, and Sturm get the honorable mentions.

East to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Carolina drew first blood in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jalen Chatfield and Brent Burns. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Staal. New York got on the board with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his second of the season, via Anders Lee. The Islanders tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina pulled ahead with a Sebastian Aho goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Aho scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Aho, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Teravainen and Paul Stastny. The three stars were Aho, Staal, and Teravainen.

Westward to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jaxson Stauber is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. Chicago started in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Sam Lafferty and Seth Jones. The Blackhawks added on with a Lafferty shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Dickinson. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Reese Johnson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Colin Blackwell and MacKenzie Entwistle. St. Louis got on the board with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Blackhawks fired back with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Dickinson and Isaak Phillips. Thomas Greiss replaced Binnington in goal. The Blues got one back with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Kyrou and Robert Thomas. St. Louis got closer in the third period with a Nick Leddy goal, courtesy of Colton Parayko and Barbashev. Chicago answered with a Max Domi goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Tyler Johnson and Patrick Kane. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars given to Dickinson, Lafferty, and Barbashev, while Kyrou gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Alexandre Carrier and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Cody Glass and Roman Josi. Jonathan Quick replaced Copley in goal. Los Angeles got on the board with a Sean Durzi goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar. The Kings tied it in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles pulled ahead with a Quinton Byfield power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Phillip Danault and Durzi. Nashville tied it again with a Johansen power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Granlund and Josi. The Predators pulled ahead with a Duchene goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Carrier and Glass. Nashville extended the lead as Cole Smith scored, thanks to Josi and Juuso Parssinen. The final stood at 5-3 with the three stars being Duchene, Johansen, and Josi, while Granlund, Glass, Carrier, Kopitar, and Durzi.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Jake Oettinger are between the pipes. Dallas opened in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifth of the season, via Denis Gurianov and Jani Hakanpaa. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead as Faksa scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Fredrik Olofsson and Esa Lindell. The Stars padded the lead in the second period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Heiskanen and Colin Miller. The final held from here at 4-0, with the three stars being Oettinger (33 save shutout), Faksa, and Heiskanen.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Spencer Martin are the inexperienced goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fortieth of the season, assisted by Zach Hyman. The Oilers added on with a Hyman power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Leon Draisaitl scored his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins. Vancouver got on the board with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks got closer with a J.T. Miller goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Hughes and Conor Garland. The Oilers finished it at 4-2 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Hyman. The three stars were Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, and McDavid, while Hughes gets an honorable mention.

In Seattle, the Kraken host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer are in the blue paint. Colorado got going in the second period with an Alex Newhook goal, his tenth of the season, via Artturi Lehkonen and Jacob MacDonald. Seattle tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his eleventh of the year, an unassisted goal. The tie went to a shootout, where Nathan MacKinnon's lone tally earned the Avalanche a 2-1 win. The three stars were Francouz (26 for 27 in saves), Grubauer (26 for 27 in saves), and Newhook.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson guard the cages. Vegas led off in the first period with an Alec Martinez goal, coming off of Chandler Stephenson and Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights added on with a Nicolas Roy goal, his ninth of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and Martinez. Vegas extended the lead as Michael Amadio scored his seventh of the year in the second period, thanks to Stephenson. The Golden Knights padded the lead on a Byron Froese goal, passed from Jonas Rondbjerg and Pietrangelo. Charlie Lindgren replaced Kuemper in goal. Vegas continued with a Paul Cotter goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Roy. Washington got on the board with a T.J. Oshie goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Erik Gustafsson and Dylan Strome. The Golden Knights replied with a Cotter goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, assisted by Roy and Keegan Kolesar. The Capitals got one back with a Marcus Johansson goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The final stayed at 6-2, with the three stars being Roy, Cotter, and Martinez, while Stephenson and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 99

Just two games on this Friday, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins welcoming the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot and Tristan Jarry man the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Jake Guentzel and Jeff Petry. The Penguins added on with a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Guentzel scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Bryan Rust. Ottawa got on the board with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Tim Stutzle. The Penguins shot back with a Guentzel goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Rust in the third period. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Jarry (44 for 45 in saves), Guentzel, and Rust. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Collin Delia are the goalies. Colorado began in the first period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Alex Newhook. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by J.T. Compher and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his thirty-second of the season on the power play, thanks to MacKinnon and Evan Rodrigues. Vancouver got on the board with an Elias Pettersson goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Brock Boeser and Andrei Kuzmenko. The Avalanche answered with a Brad Hunt goal, his third of the season, fueled by Rantanen. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Georgiev (28 for 29 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 98

There's 13 games on for a packed Thursday schedule, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Michael Bunting and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Bunting and William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead on a Mitch Marner shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele. Toronto replied with a Mark Giordano empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Pierre Engvall and Alexander Kerfoot. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Matthews, Bunting, and Samsonov (37 for 38 in saves).

Over in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Sam Montembeault draw the starts in goal, but Alex Lyon relieved an injured Bobrovsky early in the first period. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Gustav Forsling and Anton Lundell. Florida extended the lead as Matthew Tkachuk scored his twenty-third of the season on the power play, thanks to Reinhart and Brandon Montour. The Panthers padded the lead on a Givani Smith goal, via Nick Cousins and Radko Gudas. Florida continued with another Tkachuk power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Reinhart and Barkov. Cayden Primeau replaced Montembeault in goal. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Rem Pitlick goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Mike Hoffman and Justin Barron. The Canadiens got closer with a Josh Anderson goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Pitlick and Jesse Ylonen. The Panthers replied with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Carter Verhaeghe and Bennett.  The final was 6-2, with the three stars being Tkachuk, Reinhart, and Bennett, while Barkov and Pitlick get the honorable mentions.

To New York, as the Rangers bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Igor Shesterkin are set to start in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Craig Smith. Boston extended the lead in the third period as Connor Clifton scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Marchand and Krejci. New York got on the board with a Ben Harpur goal, coming off of Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Swayman (31 for 32 in saves), Marchand, and Krejci.

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Carter Hart are in the blue paint. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Morgan Frost goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Seth Jones and Jake McCabe. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Reese Johnson goal, his third of the season, via Colin Blackwell. Chicago added on in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and McCabe. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-1 with a Philipp Kurashev empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Toews and Taylor Raddysh. The three stars were Mrazek (38 for 39 in saves), McCabe, and Toews.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek. Carolina tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Brady Skjei power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Martin Necas and Stefan Noesen. Carolina added on with a Teuvo Teravainen shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jalen Chatfield and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Chatfield scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Svechnikov. Carolina padded the lead on a Necas power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Seth Jarvis and Skjei. The Wild got one back with a Matt Boldy goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Hartman and Jonas Brodin. The final held at 5-2 with the three stars being Chatfield, Skjei, and Necas, while Svechnikov gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Elvis Merzlikins receive the starting nods in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Mathieu Olivier goal, his third of the season, fueled by Eric Robinson and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets added on with a Jack Roslovic goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus extended the lead as Nick Blankenburg scored his third of the season, thanks to Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau. John Gibson replaced Stolarz in goal. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with an Adam Henrique goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Troy Terry and Isac Lundestrom. The Ducks got closer with a Cam Fowler goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Max Comtois and Trevor Zegras. Anaheim tied it as Simon Benoit scored his second of the year, with the help of Terry and Henrique. The Ducks pulled ahead with a Zegras goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Fowler and Ryan Strome. Anaheim padded the lead with a Max Jones goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jayson Megna and Lundestrom. The final was 5-3, with the three stars given to Zegras, Henrique, and Fowler, while Terry and Lundestrom get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the masked men. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. Buffalo tied it in the second period with an Alex Tuch goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Rasmus Dahlin and Jeff Skinner. The Islanders took the lead with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas. The Sabres tied it on a Victor Olofsson goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Casey Mittelstadt and Tyson Jost. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Dylan Cozens goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Dahlin and Tage Thompson. The three stars were Dahlin, Cozens, and Olofsson.

Moving on to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jordan Binnington draw the starts in goal. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Justin Faulk and Niko Mikkola. Nashville got on the board with a Colton Sissons goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Cole Smith. The Blues took the lead back with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Tyler Pitlick and Tyler Tucker. St. Louis added on with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Thomas scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Calle Rosen and Kyrou. St. Louis padded the lead on an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his third of the year, passed from Pitlick and Nathan Walker. The Predators got one back with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Alexandre Carrier and Thomas Novak. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Saad, Thomas, and Pitlick.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jack Campbell guard the cages. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his seventh of the season, via Vincent Desharnais and Derek Ryan. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. Edmonton replied with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Warren Foegele. The Lightning got one back with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Brayden Point and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay tied it on a Point goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Oilers retook the lead with a McDavid goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Darnell Nurse. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a Hyman empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, set up by Draisaitl. The three stars were Hyman, Draisaitl, and McDavid, while Point and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Washington was first to score in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Dmitry Orlov and Nick Jensen. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his eighth of the year, via Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead on a Wilson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period as Strome scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, thanks to Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Kuemper (27 save shutout), Strome, and Wilson, while Kuznetsov and Orlov get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Adin Hill protect the nets. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Dylan Larkin. Vegas tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nicolas Hague and Reilly Smith. The Red Wings took the lead with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Oskar Sundqvist and Filip Hronek. Detroit added on with a Joe Veleno goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Jordan Oesterle and Jonatan Berggren. The Golden Knights got one back with a William Karlsson goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Jack Eichel and Smith. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Smith, Veleno, and Kubalik.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken bring in the New Jersey Devils. Mackenzie Blackwood and Martin Jones are in the creases. Seattle started in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his ninth of the season, via Will Borgen. The Kraken added on with another Donato goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, courtesy of Jared McCann and Cale Fleury. New Jersey got on the board with a Damon Severson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jesper Bratt and Brendan Smith. The Devils tied it in the third period on an Erik Haula shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Dawson Mercer. Seattle took the lead back with a Brandon Tanev goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Donato and Yanni Gourde. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Jack Hughes and Ondrej Palat. The Kraken won 4-3 in overtime with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Vince Dunn and Matty Beniers. The three stars were Donato,m Burakovsky, and Tanev.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Pheonix Copley have the green light to start in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on with another Seguin goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Dallas extended the lead as Esa Lindell scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn. The Stars padded the lead on a Robertson goal, his thirty-first of the year, made possible by Seguin and Miro Heiskanen. Jonathan Quick replaced Copley in goal. The final stood at 4-0, and the three stars went to Wedgewood (34 save shutout), Seguin, and Robertson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2022-23 - Day 97

This Wednesday features five games, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Cam Talbot man the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Marcus Pettersson and Evgeni Malkin. Ottawa tied it on an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot. The Senators took the lead with a power play goal by Tim Stutzle, his twentieth of the season, with an assist provided by Brady Tkachuk. The Penguins retied it on a Malkin power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Ty Smith and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh took the lead in the second period with a Mark Friedman goal, assisted by Pettersson and Crosby. Ottawa tied it again with a power play goal by Batherson, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Tkachuk and Chabot. The Senators retook the lead in the third period with a Shane Pinto power play goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Tkachuk and Claude Giroux. The Penguins tied it on a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Crosby and Malkin. Ottawa won 5-4 in overtime with a Tkachuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Stutzle and Chabot. The three stars were Tkachuk, Chabot, and Malkin, while Stutzle, Batherson, Crosby, and Pettersson get the honorable mentions.

Down in New York, the Islanders welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. New York started in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Sebastian Aho and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Boston tied it in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his third of the year, coming off of Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins took the lead with a Derek Forbort goal, his third of the season, passed from David Krejci and Pavel Zacha. Boston added on in the third period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and McAvoy. The Bruins extended the lead as Trent Frederic scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Coyle and Craig Smith. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to McAvoy, Coyle, and Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves).

Out west, the Calgary Flames host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Colorado led off in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of J.T. Compher and Devon Toews. The Avalanche added on with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado extended the lead on a Lehkonen power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, powered by Rantanen and MacKinnon. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his  of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Andersson and Elias Lindholm. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lehkonen, Rantanen, and MacKinnon.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Spencer Martin are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his nineteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Point scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Erik Cernak and Ross Colton. The Lightning padded the lead on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, via Killorn. Collin Delia replaced Martin in goal. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks got closer with a Hughes power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Miller and Bo Horvat. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Stamkos empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Kucherov. The three stars were Stamkos, Point, and Kucherov, while Hughes, Killorn, and Miller get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and James Reimer are between the pipes. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Ty Dellandrea goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, his thirtieth of the year, via Colin Miller and Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead as Radek Faksa scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Fredrik Olofsson and Nils Lundkvist. San Jose got on the board with a Steven Lorentz goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Noah Gregor. The Sharks pulled closer with a Nick Bonino goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Alexander Barabanov and Erik Karlsson. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a Karlsson goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Bonino and Nico Sturm. San Jose iced it at 5-3 with a Logan Couture empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Karlsson. The three stars were Karlsson, Bonino, and Heiskanen. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.