There's 11 games on this Thursday, beginning with...
The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Michael Hutchinson and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Liam Foudy. Boston tied it on a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, powered by Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifty-third of the campaign, made possible by Hampus Lindholm. The three stars were Pastrnak, Ullmark (25 for 26 in saves), and Bertuzzi.
In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon and Sam Montembeault are the backups in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Sean Farrell goal, via Jake Evans. Florida tied it on an Anton Lundell goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and Radko Gudas. The Panthers took the lead with a Tkachuk power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour. Florida added on with another Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the season, coming off of Lundell and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Lundell scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back with a Rafael Harvey-Pinard power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mike Hoffman and Mike Matheson. Florida iced it at 5-2 with a Tkachuk empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his thirty-eighth of the year, set up by Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart. The three stars were Tkachuk, Lundell, and Reinhart.
Stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek protect the nets. New Jersey began in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler. The Devils added on with a Timo Meier power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider power play goal in the second period, his thirty-third of the season, helped along by Mika Zibanejad. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vanecek (22 for 23 in saves), Meier, and Haula.
Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with an Austin Watson goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Cam York and Kevin Hayes. The Senators took the lead back on a Tim Stutzle goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Brady Tkachuk and Nick Holden. Ottawa added on with a Shane Pinto power play goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Mathieu Joseph. The Senators extended the lead in the third period as Claude Giroux scored his twenty-ninth of the season, with the help of Stutzle and Tyler Kleven. The Flyers got one back on a York goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got closer with a Noah Cates power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Rasmus Ristolainen and DeAngelo. The Flyers tied it on an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Travis Sanheim and Kieffer Bellows. Ottawa won 5-4 in overtime with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Stutzle, York and DeAngelo.
South to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Brian Dumoulin and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel power play goal in the third period, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell and Kris Letang. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars going to Jarry (28 save shutout), Zucker, and Guentzel.
Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning added on with a Stamkos goal, his thirty-second of the year, coming off of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Anthony Mantha and Rasmus Sandin. Tampa Bay replied in the third period with a Pat Maroon goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning extended the lead as Maroon scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Cirelli and Killorn. Tampa Bay padded the lead on an Erik Cernak empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted and shorthanded. The final was 5-1, with the three stars being Killorn, Stamkos, and Cirelli, while Maroon gets an honorable mention.
North again to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Alex Nedeljkovic draw the starts in goal. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by David Perron and Moritz Seider. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Slavin goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal. The Red Wings tied it on a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Alex Chiasson and Perron. Detroit took the lead in the third period with a Jake Walman goal, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Andrew Copp and Adam Erne. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Perron, Slavin, and Walman.
Over in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Petr Mrazek receive the starting nods in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jakub Vrana goal, his tenth of the season, via Brandon Saad and Brayden Schenn. Chicago tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh. The Blues took the lead back with a Logan Brown goal, his second of the season, assisted by Justin Faulk and Josh Leivo. St. Louis added on with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Tyler Pitlick and Faulk. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Johnson power play goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Raddysh and Lukas Reichel. The Blues replied with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Sammy Blais and Kasperi Kapanen. Chicago shot back with a Boris Katchouk goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Seth Jones and Caleb Jones. St. Louis iced it at 5-3 with a Saad empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Saad, Faulk, and Johnson, while Raddysh gets an honorable mention.
Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Joonas Korpisalo and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Connor McDavid shorthanded goal, his sixty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 2-0 game were Skinner (43 save shutout), McDavid, and Kane.
In Seattle, the Kraken host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Martin Jones are the goalies. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Will Borgen and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with a Matty Beniers goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Jared McCann. Anaheim got on the board with a Brock McGinn goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Derek Grant. Seattle replied with a Daniel Sprong power play goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, powered by Beniers and Justin Schultz. The Kraken finished it at 4-1 with an Alexander Wennberg empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign,
Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and James Reimer occupy the creases. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mario Ferraro goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Henry Thrun and Thomas Bordeleau. The Sharks added on with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ferraro and Thrun. Vegas got on the board with a Nicolas Hague goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ben Hutton. The Golden Knights tied it on an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nicolas Roy and Jack Eichel. San Jose retook the lead with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Martin Kaut and Jacob Peterson. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Michael Amadio goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Chandler Stephenson and Hutton. The Sharks won 4-3 in overtime with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ferraro, Thrun, and Hutton.
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