There's five games this Friday, beginning with...
The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Elvis Merzlikins are in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Adam Boqvist and Johnny Gaudreau. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn. The Kraken took the lead with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourteenth of the season, via McCann and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period on a Boqvist goal, his third of the year, guided in by Laine and Erik Gudbranson. Seattle retook the lead with a Wennberg power play goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Dunn. The Kraken iced it at 4-2 with a Brandon Tanev empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Jaden Schwartz. The three stars were Wennberg, McCann, and Laine, while Boqvist and Dunn get the honorable mentions.
Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with an unassisted Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-ninth of the year. Edmonton extended the lead as Kailer Yamamoto scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers padded the lead on another Yamamoto goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Klim Kostin and Brett Kulak. David Rittich replaced Skinner in goal for the third period. Edmonton continued with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Draisaitl. Winnipeg got on the board with an Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from David Gustafsson and Saku Maenalanen. The Oilers fired back on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, guided in by McDavid and Yamamoto. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, thirty-fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Nino Niederreiter. Winnipeg got closer on a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Jonsson-Fjallby and Saku Maenalanen. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto, while McDavid and Maenalanen get the honorable mentions.
Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Carolina opened in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, via Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Skjei. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Slavin scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Burns and Seth Jarvis. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by J.J. Moser and Victor Soderstrom. The Hurricanes shot back on a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Svechnikov. Carolina padded the lead on an Aho power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Burns and Necas. The Hurricanes struck again in the third period on a Necas power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, coming off of Burns and Aho. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Aho, Necas, and Burns, while Slavin and Svechnikov get the honorable mentions.
Backtracking to Vegas, where the Golden Knights bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Adin Hill are the inexperienced goalies. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Brayden McNabb and Ivan Barbashev. New Jersey tied it on a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils took the lead with a Dawson Mercer goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with another Marchessault goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, passed from Barbashev and Jack Eichel. Vegas took the lead in the third period with an Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Marchessault. New Jersey tied it on a Miles Wood goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Jesper Boqvist. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Shea Theodore's lone tally was the difference in the Golden Knights' 4-3 win. The three stars were Marchessault, Eichel, and Barbashev.
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, via Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson. Anaheim tied it on a Jayson Megna goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Comtois and Derek Grant. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Trevor Zegras. Anaheim added on with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Grant and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Canadiens got one back with a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Christian Dvorak and Drouin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Drouin, Grant, and Silfverberg.
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