There's eight games on for this Thursday, beginning with...
The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Michael Pezzetta goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Rem Pitlick and Jesse Ylonen. Carolina tied it with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Martin Necas and Brent Burns. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Seth Jarvis goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman and Joel Armia. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with an Aho goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Calvin de Haan and Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on with a Jarvis goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, made possible by Burns and Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead as Jordan Staal scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Jordan Martinook and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a shorthanded Jarvis goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, set up by Derek Stepan. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Jarvis, Svechnikov, and Aho, while Burns gets an honorable mention.
Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Florida led off in the first period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Eetu Luostarinen and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Marc Staal goal, via Brandon Montour and Verhaeghe. Florida extended the lead as Colin White scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Anton Lundell. Washington got on the board with a Dylan Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of T.J. Oshie and Erik Gustafsson. The Panthers answered with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Givani Smith. The Capitals got one back with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal in the third period, his third of the season, powered by Gustafsson. Washington got closer with a power play goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Oshie and Gustafsson. Florida replied with a Lundell empty net goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers iced it at 6-3 with a Sam Reinhart empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Lundell. The three stars were Lundell, Verhaeghe, and Gustafsson, while Oshie gets an honorable mention.
Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Winnipeg Jets. David Rittich and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Winnipeg opened in the first period on a power play goal by Kyle Connor, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus tied it in the second period on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Adam Boqvist and Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period on a Kent Johnson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Cole Sillinger and Emil Bemstrom. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Boone Jenner, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Laine. The three stars were Korpisalo (36 for 37 in saves), Johnson, and Laine.
Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Boston started in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the year, via Charlie McAvoy. Boston extended the lead as Bergeron scored a power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Taylor Hall. The Bruins padded the lead as Derek Forbort scored his fifth of the year, with the help of Nick Foligno and Matt Grzelcyk. Boston continued in the third period with a Trent Frederic goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Foligno and Lindholm. The final was 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Swayman (29 save shutout), Bergeron, and Lindholm, while Foligno gets an honorable mention.
Next up, the St. Louis Blues host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Ryan O'Reilly. New Jersey tied it on a Dawson Mercer goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jesper Boqvist and Damon Severson. The Blues took the lead in the second period on an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Nathan Walker and Colton Parayko. St. Louis added on with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas. The Devils got one back with an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Fabian Zetterlund and Yegor Sharangovich. The Blues replied in the third period with a power play goal by Schenn, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Kyrou and Thomas. The final was 4-2, with the three stars being Schenn, Kyrou, and Thomas.
Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg and Dan Vladar are in the creases. Calgary struck first in the first period with an Elias Lindholm shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Mikael Backlund. Detroit tied it on a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Tyler Bertuzzi and Jordan Oesterle. The Red Wings took the lead with a Robby Fabbri power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, powered by Dylan Larkin and David Perron. The Flames retied it on a Dillon Dube goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Rasmus Andersson and Tyler Toffoli. Detroit gained the lead on a Kubalik goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, made possible by Larkin and Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on with a Bertuzzi power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Fabbri and Larkin. Detroit extended the lead in the third period as Pius Suter scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Filip Zadina and Ben Chiarot. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Bertuzzi, Kubalik, and Larkin, while Fabbri gets an honorable mention.
South to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Adin Hill are set to start in goal. San Jose got going in the second period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture. Vegas tied it in the third period on a Paul Cotter goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights took the lead with a William Carrier goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Carrier, Hill (26 for 27 in saves), and Kahkonen (35 for 37 in saves).
Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with a Jared McCann shorthanded goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kraken added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Justin Schultz and Eeli Tolvanen. Seattle extended the lead in the second period on a Schultz power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken padded the lead on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Gourde and Jamie Oleksiak. Samuel Ersson replaced Hart in goal. Seattle continued with a Gourde power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with assists provided Jaden Schwartz and Eberle. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Noah Cates and Ivan Provorov. The Kraken fired back with a Beniers goal, his eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Flyers got one back with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Cates. The final was 6-2, and the three stars were Gourde, Beniers, and Schultz, while Konecny, Eberle, and Cates get the honorable mentions.
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