Friday, March 10, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 144

There's only two games tonight, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers welcoming the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Chicago started in the first period with a Caleb Jones goal, his third of the season, coming off of Taylor Raddysh and Tyler Johnson. The Blackhawks added on with a Boris Katchouk goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Joey Anderson and Jujhar Khaira. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Sam Bennett goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Matthew Tkachuk and Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Tkachuk and Brandon Montour. Florida took the lead with a Luostarinen goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Tkachuk and Marc Staal. Chicago retied it on a Cole Guttman goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Khaira and Jason Dickinson. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with a Montour goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. The three stars were Tkachuk, Montour, and Luostarinen, while Khaira gets an honorable mention.

The other game sees the Calgary Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Calgary got going in the second period with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli. Anaheim tied it on a Max Comtois goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Frank Vatrano and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead with a Brett Leason goal, his fifth of the season, via Comtois and Derek Grant. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Grant in the third period, his fourth of the year, set up by Jakob Silfverberg and Simon Benoit. The three stars were Gibson (35 for 36 in saves), Comtois, and Grant. 

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Thursday, March 9, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 143

There's 11 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Eric Comrie are set to start in goal. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jani Hakanpaa and Evgenii Dadonov. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Benn scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Miro Heiskanen and Ryan Suter. Buffalo got on the board with a Jordan Greenway goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson. The Stars shot back in the second period with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Robertson and Joel Hanley. The Sabres got one back with a Kyle Okposo goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by JJ Peterka and Ilya Lyubushkin. Dallas answered again with a Suter goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mason Marchment and Ty Dellandrea. Buffalo got one back in the third period with a Skinner goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, made possible by Greenway and Thompson. The Stars replied with a Dadonov goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Benn and Hakanpaa. Dallas padded the lead on a Radek Faksa goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Max Domi and Kiviranta. The Stars continued with another Faksa goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, dished from Marchment. Dallas kept going on a Roope Hintz goal, his thirty-first of the year, with helpers from Robertson and Pavelski. The Sabres got one back with a Victor Olofsson goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists from Peterka and Peyton Krebs. The Stars shot back on a Marchment goal, his eleventh of the year, delivered by Heiskanen and Colin Miller. This made it 10-4, the final, with the three stars going to Faksa, Benn, and Marchment, while Robertson, Pavelski, Dadonov, Kiviranta, Heiskanen, Hakanpaa, Skinner, Thompson, Greenway, and Peterka get the honorable mentions.

Down to Raleigh, where the Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Pyotr Kochetkov are the inexperienced goalies. Carolina opened in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Brent Burns. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Kochetkov (19 save shutout), Svechnikov, and Sandstrom (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Sam Montembeault draw the starts in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Denis Gurianov and Rem Pitlick. New York tied it on an Alexis Lafreniere power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. The Canadiens took the lead back with an Alex Belzile goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Guhle and Chris Wideman. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the year, via Panarin and Patrick Kane. Montreal pulled ahead with a Josh Anderson shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the season, set up by Chris Tierney. New York tied it on a Kane power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Trouba and Panarin. The tie went to a shootout, where Mika Zibanejad had the lone tally for a 4-3 win for the Rangers. The three stars were Kane, Trouba, and Panarin, while Guhle gets an honorable mention.

Stateside again to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Tristan Jarry protect the nets. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Marcus Pettersson and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Petry. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Josh Archibald goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Brian Dumoulin and Petry. The Islanders got one back with a Hudson Fasching goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Casey Cizikas and Sebastian Aho. New York tied it on another Lee goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Noah Dobson and Brock Nelson. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Nelson goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, guided in by the goalie Sorokin. The three stars were Lee, Nelson, and Petry.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Jonathan Quick and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Vegas began in the first period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Teddy Blueger and Brett Howden. Tampa Bay tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his fortieth of the year, via Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Golden Knights pulled ahead in the third period with a William Karlsson shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Alex Pietrangelo. Vegas added on with a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith. The Lightning got one back with a Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Point. Tampa Bay tied it again with a Point power play goal, his second of the game and forty-first of the year, with assists provided by Kucherov and Sergachev. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with an Alec Martinez goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. The three stars were Point, Kucherov, and Sergachev.

Backtracking to DC, where the Washington Capitals bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. Washington drew first blood in the first period with a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it in the second period with an Erik Haula power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Dawson Mercer and Damon Severson. The Devils took the lead with a Mercer goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar. The Capitals tied it again with a Dylan Strome goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of T.J. Oshie and Sonny Milano. The tie went to a shootout, where Timo Meier had the lone tally for a 3-2 Devils win. The three stars were Mercer, Haula, and Kuempre (38 for 40 in saves).

Along to Boston, as the Bruins host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jeremy Swayman are the young goalies. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo.The Bruins added on with a Pastrnak goal, his forty-fifth of the year, guided in by David Krejci. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his fourth of the season, via Mattias Janmark. The Oilers tied it on a Ryan McLeod goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Devin Shore. Edmonton pulled ahead in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Cody Ceci and Leon Draisaitl. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Nurse, and McLeod.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jordan Binnington are in the blue paint. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his twentieth of the season, via Alexander Barabanov and Andreas Johnsson. St. Louis tied it on a Torey Krug goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Robert Thomas. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Sammy Blais goal, his third of the season, coming off of Colton Parayko. The Sharks tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Barabanov. St. Louis took the lead in the third period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and Kasperi Kapanen. The Blues added on with a Thomas power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Brandon Saad and Buchnevich. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Barabanov.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros faces a lesser foe in Ivan Prosvetov in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his seventh of the season, via J.J. Moser and Christian Fischer. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Barrett Hayton power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Clayton Keller and Travis Boyd. Arizona extended the lead as Jack McBain scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli. Nashville got on the board with a Cody Glass goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Luke Evangelista and Thomas Novak. The Coyotes replied with an empty net goal by Nick Schmaltz, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Patrik Nemeth and Keller. The three stars were Prosvetov (39 for 40 in saves), Keller, and Hayton.

North to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Los Angeles Kings. Joonas Korpisalo and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Los Angeles led off in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Matt Roy. The Kings added on with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Colorado got on the board in the second period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Samuel Girard and Alex Newhook. Los Angeles answered in the third period with a Kempe goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, passed from Vladislav Gavrikov and Kopitar. The Avalanche got one back with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The Kings fired back with a Phillip Danault goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Jordan Spence and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Danault empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Trevor Moore. The three stars were Kempe, Danault, and Kopitar.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard is mismatched with Philipp Grubauer in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Shane Pinto goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nick Holden and Jakob Chychrun. The Senators added on with a Chychrun goal, his ninth of the year, via Holden and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead as Patrick Brown scored his third of the season, thanks to Mathieu Joseph. Seattle got on the board with a Jared McCann shorthanded goal, his thirty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Kraken got closer in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Seattle tied it as McCann scored his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, with the help of Daniel Sprong and Yanni Gourde. The Kraken took the lead in the third period on a Dunn goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Gourde. The Senators retied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Stutzle. Ottawa gained the lead with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Jake Sanderson and Giroux. The final was 5-4, with the three stars going to Giroux, McCann, and Chychrun, while Stutzle, Dunn, Holden, and Gourde get the honorable mentions. 

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Wednesday, March 8, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 142

There's three games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Ville Husso man the nets. Chicago started in the first period with a Taylor Raddysh power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Lukas Reichel and Andreas Athanasiou. The Blackhawks added on with another Raddysh goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, via Cole Guttman and Connor Murphy. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Jake Walman goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Moritz Seider and Alex Chiasson. The Red Wings tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Chiasson and David Perron on the power play. Chicago took the lead back in the third period with a Joey Anderson goal, his third of the season, passed from Jujhar Khaira. Detroit retied it on a Lucas Raymond goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Robert Hagg and Ben Chiarot. The Red Wings took the lead with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off off of Gustav Lindstrom and Andrew Copp. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars going to Raddysh, Chiasson, and Kubalik.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Middleton. The Wild added on with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Foligno and Sundqvist. Winnipeg got on the board with a Logan Stanley goal, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers. Minnesota replied on a Ryan Hartman goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Kirill Kaprizov and Middleton. The Jets got one back with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Nate Schmidt and Kyle Connor. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Mason Shaw, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Mats Zuccarello. The three stars went to Foligno, Sundqvist, and Middleton.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Thatcher Demko are in the blue paint. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Mason McTavish and Max Jones. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller shorthanded goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Elias Pettersson. The Canucks took the lead with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Anthony Beauvillier and Pettersson. The Ducks tied it on a Brock McGinn goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Trevor Zegras and Ryan Strome. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Miller goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, via Quinn Hughes. The three stars were Miller, Pettersson, and Kuzmeno. 

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Tuesday, March 7, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 141

There's 10 games on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Sergei Bobrovsky start in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Josh Mahura. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Anthony Duclair and Nick Cousins. Vegas got on the board with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jack Eichel and Reilly Smith. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves), Barkov, and Lomberg.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Jake Allen are between the pipes. Montreal started in the first period with an Alex Belzile goal, his third of the season, assisted by Michael Pezzetta and Chris Tierney. The Canadiens added on with a Mike Hoffman goal, his tenth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin. Carolina got on the board with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Derek Stepan and Paul Stastny. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period with a Brady Skjei goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen. Montreal retook the lead with a Pezzetta goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tierney and Belzile. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Jesper Fast goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Pesce. The tie went to a shootout, where Brent Burns, Teuvo Teravainen, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi lifted the Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over Rem Pitlick, Nick Suzuki, and the Canadiens. The three stars were Belzile, Pezzetta, and Tierney, while Pesce gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek protect the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by William Nylander and Sam Lafferty. New Jersey tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Jesper Boqvist. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Mitch Marner shorthanded goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it on a Palat goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Dawson Mercer and Haula on the power play. New Jersey gained the lead with a Haula goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Palat and Boqvist. Toronto tied it on a Michael Bunting goal, his twentieth of the year, via David Kampf and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Nylander and Marner. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Haula, Palat, and Marner, while Nylander gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Tristan Jarry are in the blue paint. Columbus led off in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Lane Pederson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Liam Foudy. Columbus extended the lead as Patrik Laine scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Jack Roslovic and Johnson. Michael Hutchinson replaced an ill Merzlikins to begin the second period. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the second period with a Foudy goal, his third of the year, coming off of Bemstrom. Casey DeSmith replaced Jarry in goal. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jason Zucker goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Alex Nylander. The Penguins got closer in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. Pittsburgh got closer on another Zucker goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with a helper from Malkin. The Penguins tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Rakell and Crosby. Pittsburgh won 5-4 with a Crosby goal in overtime, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, made possible by Malkin. The three stars were Crosby, Zucker, and Malkin, while Rakell, Foudy, Bemstrom, and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Morgan Frost goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett. Tampa Bay tied it on an Alex Killorn power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning took the lead with a Kucherov power play goal in the second period, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Mikhail Sergachev and Killorn. Tampa Bay added on with a Ross Colton goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Tanner Jeannot and Nick Paul. The Lightning extended the lead as Killorn scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel. The Flyers got one back with a Brendan Lemieux goal, via Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen. Tampa Bay replied with a Kucherov power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Brayden Point. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Kucherov, Killorn, and Sergachev.

North again to New York, where the Islanders bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Ilya Sorokin are in the creases. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Henri Jokiharju. New York tied it on a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Hudson Fasching and Alexander Romanov. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Josh Bailey goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Cizikas and Romanov. The Sabres tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Owen Power. New York took the lead with a Fasching goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Bailey and Scott Mayfield. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going Fasching, Bailey, and Cizikas, while Romanov gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Minnesota Wild host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Filip Gustavsson are the Swedish goalies. The tie went to a shootout, where Nazem Kadri and Tyler Toffoli lifted the Flames to a 1-0 win over Frederick Gaudreau and the Wild. The three stars were awarded to Markstrom (40 save shutout), Gustavsson (26 save "shutout"), and Toffoli.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Karel Vejmelka start in goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Faulk and Jordan Kyrou. Arizona tied it on a Christian Fischer goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Connor Mackey and Matias Maccelli. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Barrett Hayton and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on in the third period with a Travis Boyd goal, his tenth of the year, via Keller and J.J. Moser. The Blues pulled one back with a Buchnevich goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, guided in by Robert Thomas and Tyler Tucker. The Coyotes fired back with another Boyd goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with helpers from Fischer and Victor Soderstrom. Arizona extended the lead as Keller scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Schmaltz and Hayton. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Lawson Crouse goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Maccelli. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Boyd, Keller, and Buchnevich, while Schmaltz, Hayton, Fischer, and Maccelli get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cale Makar goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Devon Toews and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche added on with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Toews and Nichushkin. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his forty-second of the season on the power play, with the help of Samuel Girard and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche padded the lead in the second period on a Nichushkin goal, his twelfth of the year, thanks to Makar and MacKinnon. Colorado continued with a Denis Malgin goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Matt Nieto and Makar. James Reimer replaced Kahkonen in goal. The Avalanche kept going with a Lehkonen goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Makar and Nichushkin. The final was 6-0, with the three stars awarded to Makar, Nichushkin, and Georgiev (13 save shutout), while MacKinnon, Lehkonen, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Philipp Grubauer draw the starts in goal. Seattle was first to score in the first period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers. The Kraken added on with a Jared McCann goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Adam Larsson and Beniers. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Ryan Strome and Scott Harrington. Seattle answered with a Daniel Sprong goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Tanev and Justin Schultz. The Kraken extended the lead in the third period on an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by McCann and Vince Dunn. The Ducks got one back with a Max Comtois goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Jakob Silfverberg and Cam Fowler. Seattle iced it at 5-2 with a Jaden Schwartz empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McCann, Beniers, and Grubauer (20 for 22 in saves). 

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Monday, March 6, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 140

There's six games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Craig Anderson are set to start in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifty-third of the season, via Ryan McLeod and Cody Ceci. Buffalo tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Tage Thompson. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period on a Derek Ryan goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Devin Shore and Darnell Nurse. The Sabres tied it again in the third period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Jacob Bryson and Casey Mittelstadt. Edmonton pulled ahead again with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and fifty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Warren Foegele and Mattias Ekholm. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to McDavid, Ryan, and Foegele.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and David Rittich man the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with a Steven Lorentz goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Oskar Lindblom and Kevin Labanc. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Nate Schmidt goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler. The Sharks tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and Logan Couture. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Couture goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Karlsson. The three stars went to Couture, Karlsson, and Hertl. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Calgary opened in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames added on in the second period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Troy Stecher and Nazem Kadri. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. The Stars tied it on a Max Domi goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Calgary went ahead on an Elias Lindholm goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames extended the lead as Rasmus Andersson scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Kadri. Dallas got closer on a Roope Hintz shorthanded goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Joe Pavelski. The Stars tied it on a Benn goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpaa. Calgary won 5-4 with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Huberdeau. The three stars went to Huberdeau, Kadri, and Benn.

Back north, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Chicago started in the first period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his ninth of the season, via Jarred Tinordi. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Seth Jones goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Anders Bjork and Jason Dickinson. Chicago extended the lead as Jones scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Bjork and Andreas Athanasiou. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Dickinson goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Bjork and MacKenzie Entwistle. Chicago continued in the third period with a Lukas Reichel goal, his second of the season, coming off of Athanasiou. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Stalock (35 save shutout), Jones, and Bjork, while Dickinson and Athanasiou get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Arturs Silovs are in the blue paint. Vancouver struck first in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirtieth of the season, via Andrei Kuzmenko and Anthony Beauvillier. Nashville tied it on a Colton Sissons goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Cole Smith and Jeremy Lauzon. The Canucks took the lead back with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, his third of the season, fueled by Kyle Burroughs and Christian Wolanin. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Dakota Joshua goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Nils Aman and Quinn Hughes. The Predators got one back on a Luke Evangelista goal, coming off of Kiefer Sherwood and Lauzon. Nashville tied it on another Evangelista goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Tyson Barrie. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pettersson had the lone tally for a 4-3 Canucks win. The three stars were given to Pettersson, Evangelista, and Lauzon.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Pheonix Copley are set to start in goal. Washington got going in the second period with a Rasmus Sandin goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Sonny Milano and Dylan Strome. Los Angeles tied it on a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fourth of the year, via Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson. The Kings took the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Arvidsson and Matt Roy. The Capitals retied it in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Sandin and Nicklas Backstrom. Los Angeles retook the lead with a Mikey Anderson goal, his third of the season, guided in by Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a Kempe empty net goal, his thirtieth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Sandin, Arvidsson, and Kempe. 

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Sunday, March 5, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 139

There's five games on this Sunday slate, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Carolina led off in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his twenty-second of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shayne Gostisbehere. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Teravainen scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Martin Necas and Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Gostisbehere power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Necas and Kotkaniemi. Carolina continued in the third period on a Teravainen power play goal to complete his hat trick on his tenth of the season, helped along by Gostisbehere and Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-0 with a Kotkaniemi power play goal, his twelfth of the year, via Brent Burns and Necas. The three stars were Teravainen, Gostisbehere, and Kotkaniemi, while Necas and Andersen (14 save shutout) get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Carter Hart protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a David Perron goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Andrew Copp. Philadelphia tied it on a Nicolas Deslauriers shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead with a Noah Cates goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with a Scott Laughton empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Cates, Hart (25 for 26 in saves), and Deslauriers.

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jonathan Quick are the veterans in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Teddy Blueger and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Reilly Smith scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to William Karlsson. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Mike Matheson goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jonathan Drouin. The Golden Knights answered with a Barbashev goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, assisted by Michael Amadio and Nicolas Hague. The Canadiens pulled one back with an Alex Belzile goal, his second of the year, guided in by Michael Pezzetta and Joel Edmundson. Montreal got closer on a Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Jesse Ylonen and Nick Suzuki. The final stayed at 4-3, with the three stars going to Barbashev, Smith, and Theodore.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek faces a lesser foe in Connor Ingram in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt. Arizona tied it on a Matias Maccelli goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jack McBain and Victor Soderstrom. The Devils took the lead back with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Damon Severson and Erik Haula. New Jersey added on in the second period with a Severson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Dawson Mercer and Haula. The Coyotes got one back with a Zack Kassian goal, his second of the season, coming off of Liam O'Brien and Connor Mackey. The Devils responded with another Boqvist goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Ondrej Palat. Arizona got closer in the third period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Clayton Keller and Juuso Valiamki. The Coyotes tied it as McBain scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Valimaki and Lawson Crouse. New Jersey won 5-4 in overtime with a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hamilton. The three stars were Boqvist, Haula, and Severson, while Hamilton, McBain, and Valimaki get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin. Seattle tied it in the second period with a Alexander Wennberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Will Borgen and Jaden Schwartz. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Denis Malgin goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Cale Makar and Evan Rodrigues. The Kraken tied it in the third period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Schwartz. Seattle won 3-2 in overtime with a Yanni gourde goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Vince Dunn and Matty Beniers. The three stars were Schwartz, Gourde, and Tanev. 

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Saturday, March 4, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 138

There's 12 games on today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brian Elliott and Eric Comrie are in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson power play goal, his forty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres took the lead with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his second of the season, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens. Buffalo added on with an unassisted Tyson Jost goal, his sixth of the year. The Sabres extended the lead as Jack Quinn scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Thompson and Jeff Skinner. Buffalo padded the lead in the third period on a Skinner power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning got one back with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Perbix and Nick Paul. Tampa Bay got closer with a shorthanded Killorn goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Tanner Jeannot and Victor Hedman. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Thompson, Skinner, and Killorn. 

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Magnus Hellberg is mismatched with Ilya Sorokin in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Moritz Seider and Robby Fabbri. New York tied it in the third period with a Zach Parise goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Kyle Palmieri. The Islanders took the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Hudson Fasching and Casey Cizikas. New York added on with a Palmieri power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Noah Dobson and Brock Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead as Lee scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, with the help of Josh Bailey. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Lee, Palmieri, and Sorokin (22 for 23 in saves). 

Next up, the Boston Bruins bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Boston began in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi and Trent Frederic. The Bruins added on with a Tomas Nosek shorthanded goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, set up by Coyle. New York got on the board with an Alexis Lafreniere power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jacob Trouba and Vladimir Tarasenko. Boston replied in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Dmitry Orlov. The Bruins extended the lead as David Pastrnak scored his forty-fourth of the season, thanks to Charlie McAvoy and David Krejci. The Rangers got one back with a Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Niko Mikkola and Kaapo Kakko. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Coyle, Lafreniere, and Bergeron. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas started in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, via Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn. Colorado got on the board with a Samuel Girard goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Alex Newhook. Dallas replied with a Pavelski goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Robertson and Hintz. The Stars extended the lead in the second period as Mason Marchment scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin. Dallas padded the lead on a Radek Faksa goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Esa Lindell. Keith Kinkaid replaced Georgiev in goal. The Stars kept going in the third period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche got one back with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Girard and Logan O'Connor. Colorado got closer with a power play goal by Evan Rodrigues, his twelfth of the season, powered by Newhook and Girard. Dallas iced it at 7-3 with a Robertson empty net goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Robertson, Girard, and Pavelski, while Hintz and Newhook get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Florida Panthers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Florida struck first in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers added on with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Brandon Montour. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Kris Letang power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. Florida replied with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Barkov. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Carter Verhaeghe scored his thirty-second of the season, with the help of Tkachuk and Montour. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Verhaeghe, Barkov, and Tkachuk, while Montour gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Kaapo Kahkonen are the masked men. San Jose opened in the first period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and William Eklund. The Sharks added on with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Logan Couture and Andreas Johnsson. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano. The Capitals tied it on a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Nic Dowd. Washington gained the lead on a Matt Irwin goal, coming off of Gabriel Carlsson and Aube-Kubel. The Capitals extended the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Rasmus Sandin and Strome. Washington padded the lead in the third period with a power play goal by T.J. Oshie, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Ovechkin and Sandin. San Jose pulled one back with a Nico Sturm goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Noah Gregor and Karlsson. The Capitals replied with an Ovechkin goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, made possible by Tom Wilson and Carlsson. Washington continued with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Vincent Iorio and Sandin. The Capitals piled on with a Strome goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Milano. The final held at 8-3, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Sandin, and Smith, while Strome, Aube-Kubel, Milano, Carlsson, and Karlsson get the honorable mentions.

Heading east again, the Ottawa Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Cam Talbot draw the starts in goal. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his fourth of the season, via Mathieu Joseph and Jake Sanderson. Columbus tied it on a Jack Roslovic goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead back with a Tim Stutzle goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Brady Tkachuk and Jakob Chychrun. Ottawa added on in the second period with another Hamonic goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Alex DeBrincat and Sanderson. The Senators extended the lead as Chychrun scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Erik Brannstrom and Julien Gauthier. Michael Hutchinson relieved Merzlikins in goal. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Kirill Marchenko. Ottawa answered in the third period with a shorthanded Stutzle goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, set up by Joseph. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars given to Stutzle, Hamonic, and Chychrun, while Joseph and Sanderson get the honorable mentions.

Westward again to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Thatcher Demko patrol the creases. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser. Toronto tied it in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with assists provided by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Canucks took the lead with an Elias Pettersson shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers. Vancouver added on with a Miller shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Pettersson and Hughes. The Canucks extended the lead as Nils Aman scored his third of the season, thanks to Boeser and Phillip Di Giuseppe. This stood for a 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Miller, and Boeser, while Hughes gets an honorable mention.

In Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Connor Hellebuyck occupy the creases. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, coming off of Dylan DeMelo and Nino Niederreiter. The Jets took the lead with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Neal Pionk. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton pulled ahead with a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg retied it on an Adam Lowry goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Morgan Barron and Brenden Dillon. The Jets gained the lead on a Kyle Capobianco goal, his second of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler. The Oilers retied it as Draisaitl completed his hat trick on his forty-first of the year, with the help of Connor McDavid and Bouchard on the power play. Winnipeg retook the lead with a Barron goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Morrissey power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Connor and Scheifele. Edmonton replied in the third period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Devin Shore and Bouchard. Winnipeg iced it at 7-5 with a DeMelo empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov. The three stars went to Morrissey, Draisaitl, and Scheifele, while Barron, DeMelo, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Seth Jones goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Lukas Reichel. Nashville tied it on a Philip Tomasino power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Yakov Trenin and Kiefer Sherwood. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Thomas Novak and Ryan McDonagh. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Colton Sissons empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Trenin and Cole Smith. The three stars were Saros (27 for 28 in saves), Trenin, and Barrie.

Next up, the Calgary Flames welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Minnesota got the first goal on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Matt Boldy. The Wild added on in the third period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Frederick Gaudreau and Sam Steel. Minnesota extended the lead as Boldy scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Eriksson Ek. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Gustavsson (31 save shutout), Eriksson Ek, and Boldy.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Joonas Korpisalo are between the pipes. Los Angeles initiated the scoring on a Carl Grundstrom goal, his seventh of the season, via Matt Roy and Rasmus Kupari. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. The Kings took the lead with an Adrian Kempe goal in the second period, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Quinton Byfield. The Blues tied it in the third period with a Kasperi Kapanen shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Brandon Saad. Los Angeles took the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with a Fiala empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Viktor Arvidsson and Doughty. The three stars were Fiala, Doughty, and Vilardi. 

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