Thursday, March 30, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 164

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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Wednesday, March 29, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 163

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

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. New York got going in the second period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Brock Nelson and Alexander Romanov. Washington tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat lifted the Islanders 2-1 over Evgeny Kuznetsov and the Capitals. The three stars were Sorokin (25 for 26 in saves), Kuemper (28 for 29 in saves), and Engvall.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Florida began in the first period with an Anton Lundell goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Eetu Luostarinen. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his eighth of the year, via T.J. Brodie and Wayne Simmonds. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Mitch Marner. The Panthers tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Montour goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart. The three stars were Montour, Reinhart, and Lundell.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Dumba. Colorado tied it on a Bowen Byram goal, his tenth of the year, via J.T. Compher and Jack Johnson. The Wild took the lead back with a Sam Steel goal, his ninth of the season, passed from John Klingberg and Ryan Hartman. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Jonas Brodin. The Avalanche got one back with a Lars Eller goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Devon Toews and Samuel Girard. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Gaudreau shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gaudreau, Steel, and Johansson. 

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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 162

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

The Boston Bruins hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Cody Glass goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Dante Fabbro. The Predators added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Jeremy Lauzon, his fourth of the year, set up by Glass. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifty-second of the campaign, helped along by Jake DeBrusk. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Glass, Saros (35 for 36 in saves), and Pastrnak.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Pyotr Kochetkov man the nets. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-first of the season, via Mikhail Sergachev and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal, his forty-sixth of the year, assisted by Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Point scored his second of the game and forty-seventh of the season, thanks to Stamkos and Kucherov. The Lightning padded the lead on an Alex Killorn empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Point and Erik Cernak. The final was 4-0, with the three stars given to Point, Vasilevskiy (31 save shutout), and Stamkos, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Detroit began in the first period with a Jonatan Berggen power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Austin Czarnik and Joe Veleno. The Red Wings added on with an Andrew Copp goal, his ninth of the year, via Moritz Seider and Pius Suter. Detroit extended the lead as Dominik Kubalik scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Gustav Lindstrom and Jordan Oesterle. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Rickard Rakell and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins got closer with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with assists provided by Malkin and Rakell. Pittsburgh tied it on another power play goal by Jeff Carter, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Bryan Rust and Jeff Petry. The Red Wings gained the lead in the third period with a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Larkin. The Penguins retied it on a Josh Archibald goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Drew O'Connor and Petry. Detroit pulled ahead with a Perron goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, made possible by Seider and Copp on the power play. The Red Wings padded the lead as Perron finished his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, with the help of Larkin and Oesterle. Detroit iced it at 7-4 with a Larkin empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Suter. The three stars belonged to Perron, Larkin, and Copp, while Suter, Seider, Oesterle, Malkin, Rakell, and Petry get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Michael Hutchinson is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Filip Chytil goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Alexis Lafreniere and K'Andre Miller. The Rangers added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Braden Schneider and Ben Harpur. New York extended the lead as Patrick Kane scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider. Columbus got on the board with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Jack Roslovic and Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Gaudreau goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Boone Jenner and Jake Christiansen. The Rangers fired back in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. New York padded the lead on a Zibanejad goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, coming off of Panarin. The Rangers iced it at 6-2 with a Trocheck empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Lafreniere. The three stars were Panarin, Zibanejad, and Trocheck, while Lafreniere and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Felix Sandstrom are the backups in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Morgan Frost goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Kevin Hayes and Rasmus Ristolainen. Montreal tied it with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers pulled ahead in the third period with a Frost goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, guided in by Cam York. Philadelphia added on with an Owen Tippett empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens got one back with a Rafael Harvey Pinard goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jake Evans and Jesse Ylonen. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Frost, Harvey-Pinard, and Gallagher.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Quinn Hughes goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. St. Louis tied it on an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead with a Justin Faulk goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Pavel Buchnevich and Sammy Blais. The Canucks tied it with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Miller and Elias Pettersson. St. Louis regained the lead in the second period on a Jakub Vrana goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Brandon Saad. The Blues added on with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Faulk and Saad. St. Louis extended the lead as Buchnevich scored his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Kasperi Kapanen and Blais. Vancouver got one back with a Boeser power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Hughes. The Canucks got closer with a Kuzmenko power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the season, helped along by Pettersson and Tyler Myers. Vancouver tied it on another Hughes goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Boeser and Dakota Joshua. The Blues won 6-5 in overtime with a Vrana goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, made possible by Brayden Schenn and Faulk. The three stars were Vrana, Faulk, and Buchnevich, while Saad, Blais, Boeser, Kuzmenko, Pettersson, Hughes, and Miller get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger faces a lesser foe in Alex Stalock in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Jani Hakanpaa and Radek Faksa. The Stars added on with a Colin Miller power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Evgenii Dadonov and Max Domi. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Joe Pavelski scored his twenty-second of the season, thanks to Joel Hanley and Ryan Suter. The Stars padded the lead in the third period on a Luke Glendening shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Ty Dellandrea and Esa Lindell. Chicago got on the board with a Tyler Johnson goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Jason Dickinson and Wyatt Kaiser. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Oettinger (17 for 18 in saves), Miller, and Glendening.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Joonas Korpisalo and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Calgary struck first in the first period with an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm. Los Angeles tied it on a Sean Durzi goal, his eighth of the year, via Arthur Kaliyev and Carl Grundstrom. The Flames retook the lead with a Walker Duehr goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Trevor Lewis. This held as the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars handed to Markstrom (33 for 34 in saves), Duehr, and Mangiapane.

South to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jonathan Quick are in the creases. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev. Edmonton tied it on an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights retied it on a William Karlsson shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Alex Pietrangelo. Edmonton retook the lead with a Draisaitl power play goal, his forty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Vegas tied it again in the second period with a Michael Amadio goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Chandler Stephenson and Phil Kessel. The Oilers regained the lead with a Darnell Nurse goal, his tenth of the season, via Warren Foegele and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton added on with an Evander Kane goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored a power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with the help of McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Laurent Brossoit replaced Quick in goal. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period with a Brett Kulak goal, his third of the year, an unassisted goal. The Golden Knights got one back with another Marchessault goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Pietrangelo and Jack Eichel. This only made it 7-4, with the three stars given to Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Draisaitl, while Marchessault and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and James Reimer are the veteran goalies. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Noah Gregor goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jacob Peterson and Fabian Zetterlund. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Nico Sturm and Gregor. San Jose extended the lead on a Martin Kaut power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars going to Reimer (41 save shutout), Gregor, and Labanc. 

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Monday, March 27, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 161

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

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Eric Comrie are set to start in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Jordan Harris goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jonathan Drouin and Mike Matheson. Buffalo tied it on a Lukas Rousek goal, assisted by Tyson Jost and Owen Power. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Belzile goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of David Savard. The Sabres tied it again with a JJ Peterka power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. Buffalo pulled ahead on a Riley Stillman goal, via Victor Olofsson and Rousek. Montreal retied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, guided in by Jake Evans and Jesse Ylonen. The tie went to a shootout, where Ylonen and Michael Pezzetta lifted the Canadiens to a 4-3 win over Jack Quinn and the Sabres. The three stars were Rousek, Ylonen, and Gallagher.

On to Ottawa, as the Senators welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mads Sogaard draw the starts in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Thomas Chabot. The Senators added on with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Erik Brannstrom. Florida got on the board with a Gustav Forsling goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Eric Staal. Ottawa replied with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Drake Batherson and Tkachuk. The Panthers got one back in the third period with another Forsling goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Aaron Ekblad and Eetu Luostarinen. The Senators fired back with a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Travis Hamonic and Claude Giroux. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Shane Pinto empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Forsling, Tkachuk, and DeBrincat.

Stateside again to New York, as the Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. New York started in the first period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Scott Mayfield. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Erik Haula goal, his ninth of the year. The Islanders retook the lead with a Palmieri goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Brock Nelson. New York added on in the third period with a Palmieri goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders extended the lead on a Bo Horvat empty net goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, thanks to Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee. New York iced it at 5-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Zach Parise, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars were Palmieri, Sorokin (30 for 31 in saves), and Engvall.

Out west, the Minnesota Wild host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jacob Middleton goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jared Spurgeon and Marcus Johansson. The Wild added on in the second period with a power play goal by Matt Boldy, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Johansson and Spurgeon. Minnesota extended the lead as Boldy scored his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild padded the lead in the third period on another Boldy goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Eriksson Ek. Martin Jones replaced Grubauer in goal. Minnesota continued with a Ryan Hartman goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Jon Merrill. Seattle got on the board with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Vince Dunn. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Johansson, while Spurgeon gets an honorable mention.

Further along to Anaheim, as the Ducks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Derek Grant goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jakob Silfverberg. Colorado tied it on a Bowen Byram goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-second of the season, fueled by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Colorado added on in the second period with a Jack Johnson goal, via Denis Malgin and Matt Nieto. The Avalanche extended the lead as Valeri Nichushkin scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to MacKinnon and Makar. Colorado padded the lead in the third period on a Samuel Girard power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Evan Rodrigues and Byram. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Byram, MacKinnon, and Makar.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his ninth of the season, via Jack McBain and Lawson Crouse. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Barrett Hayton power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Crouse and Nick Schmaltz. The Oilers tied it again on an Evan Bouchard goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Warren Foegele and Nick Bjugstad. Edmonton gained the lead on a shorthanded Darnell Nurse goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his forty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona replied in the third period with a Maccelli goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Crouse and McBain. The Coyotes tied it on another Hayton goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Edmonton pulled ahead with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the campaign, guided in by Bouchard and Draisaitl. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Draisaitl, Maccelli, and Hayton, while Nugent-Hopkins, Bouchard, Crouse, McBain, and Schmaltz get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, March 26, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 160

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

The Arizona Coyotes hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Ingram are set to start in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with an unassisted Mikko Rantanen goal, his forty-eighth of the season. The Avalanche added on with a Bowen Byram goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Logan O'Connor and Andrew Cogliano. Arizona got on the board with a Matias Maccelli goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jack McBain. The Coyotes tied it on a Christian Fischer goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Michael Kesselring. Colorado retook the lead with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Rantanen and Devon Toews. Arizona tied it again on a Clayton Keller goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, fueled by Juuso Valimaki and Nick Schmaltz. The tie went to a shootout, where Nichushkin's lone tally gave the Coyotes a 4-3 win. The three stars were Rantanen, Nichushkin, and Byram. 

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fiftieth of the season, coming off of Charlie McAvoy and Dmitry Orlov. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Jack Drury goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jalen Chatfield and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Bruins retook the lead with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and fifty-first of the season, powered by Pavel Zacha and McAvoy. Boston added on with a Jakub Lauko goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Tomas Nosek and Matt Grzelcyk. The Hurricanes replied in the third period with a Brady Skjei goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Martin Necas and Brett Pesce. Carolina tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-third of the year, guided in by Jordan Martinook and Pesce. The tie went to a shootout, where Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk gave the Bruins a 4-3 win. The three stars were Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Pesce. 

Over in Nashville, the Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Kevin Lankinen are the backups in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a John Tavares power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Tavares and Justin Holl. Nashville got on the board with a Cody Glass power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Tyson Barrie and Thomas Novak in the third period. Toronto shot back with another Tavares power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Matthews. The Predators pulled one back on a Barrie goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Philip Tomasino. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Tavares, Barrie, and Matthews. 

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia faces his former team and Petr Mrazek in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a shorthanded Connor Murphy goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Jason Dickinson and Boris Katchouk. Vancouver tied it in the second period on a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks took the lead with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Ethan Bear and Andrei Kuzmenko in the third period. Vancouver added on with a Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Kuzmenko and Brock Boeser. The Blackhawks got one back with a Lukas Reichel goal, his fifth of the season, via Andreas Athanasiou and Seth Jones. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 with a Boeser empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Bear. The three stars were given to Pettersson, Kuzmenko, and Boeser, while Bear gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Pheonix Copley are in the blue paint. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Kevin Fiala and Phillip Danault. The Kings added on with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Arvidsson and Danault. Los Angeles extended the lead as Adrian Kempe scored a shorthanded goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, set up by Trevor Moore. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Robert Thomas and Sammy Blais. The Kings fired back with an Arvidsson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Sean Durzi. Los Angeles continued with a Moore power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Danault and Durzi. Jordan Binnington replaced Hofer in goal. The Blues shot back in the second period with a Justin Faulk goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Tyler Pitlick. St. Louis got closer with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Blais and Calle Rosen. The Blues chipped closer on a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, helped along by Thomas and Faulk. The Kings answered with a Kempe goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Vladislav Gavrikov. St. Louis fired back with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Buchnevich and Nick Leddy. Los Angeles countered with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Fiala. The Blues countered with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the campaign, dished from Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. This only made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars being Arvidsson, Kempe, and Danault, while Moore, Fiala, Durzi, Kyrou, Faulk, Buchnevich, Thomas, and Blais get the honorable mentions. 

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Saturday, March 25, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 159

This is a loaded Saturday, with 15 games on throughout the day. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Alex Killorn. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Matt Grzelcyk and Tomas Nosek. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves), Hathaway, and Bergeron. 

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Carter Hart patrol the creases. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Kieffer Bellows goal, his third of the season, made possible by Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton. The Flyers added on with a Laughton goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Rasmus Ristolainen. Philadelphia iced it at 3-0 with a Tyson Foerster empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Joel Farabee and Noah Cates. The three stars were Hart (29 save shutout), Laughton, and Bellows.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Juuse Saros man the nets. Seattle began in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Brandon Tanev. The Kraken added on with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Nashville got one back with a Tyson Barrie goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Philip Tomasino and Matt Duchene. Seattle shot back with a Tolvanen goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Barrie and Tomasino. The Kraken responded with an Adam Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from McCann and Vince Dunn. Seattle extended the lead as Matty Beniers scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Dunn and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken padded the lead on an unassisted McCann goal, his thirty-fifth of the year. Seattle continued with a Bjorkstrand goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Yanni Gourde. This produced the 7-2 final score, with the three stars going to Tolvanen, McCann, and Bjorkstrand, while Duchene, Barrie, Dunn, and Tomasino get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Joonas Korpisalo receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Trevor Moore. The Kings added on in the second period with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Phillip Danault and Sean Walker. Winnipeg got on the board with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Kyle Connor and Neal Pionk. Los Angeles replied in the third period with a Drew Doughty goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Mikey Anderson and Doughty. The three stars were Arvidsson, Doughty, and Korpisalo (25 for 26 in saves).

Northeast to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Calgary opened in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau. San Jose got on the board with a Logan Couture goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Andrew Agozzino. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Nico Sturm goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Noah Gregor and Karlsson. San Jose took the lead on a Martin Kaut goal, his third of the season, fueled by Steven Lorentz and Oskar Lindblom. Calgary retied it on a Walker Duehr goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Trevor Lewis. The Flames pulled ahead in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Duehr and Milan Lucic. Calgary iced it at 5-3 with a Toffoli empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Duehr, Toffoli, and Karlsson.

Back east, the Florida Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Anthony Duclair and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Marc Staal. New York got on the board in the second period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers tied it on a Lafreniere goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Jacob Trouba and Tyler Motte. New York took the lead in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers extended the lead as Chytil scored his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Kakko. Florida replied on a Barkov goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Chytil, Kakko, and Lafreniere, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Stalock and Filip Gustavsson are between the pipes. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it in the third period with a Lukas Reichel goal, his fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Wild took the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Frederick Gaudreau, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Gustavsson (22 for 23 in saves), Hartman, and Reaves.

East to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Semyon Varlamov are the backups in goal. Buffalo cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ilya Lyubushkin. The Sabres iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Jeff Skinner, his thirty-first of the year, set up by Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. The three stars went to Comrie (27 save shutout), Okposo, and Varlamov (33 for 34 in saves).

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matt Murray and Pyotr Kochetkov start in goal. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Martin Necas and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Martinook and Jesper Fast. Toronto got on the board with a Calle Jarnkrok goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner. The Maple Leafs tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Toronto retied it on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, guided in by Michael Bunting and Morgan Rielly. The Hurricanes shot back with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Jaccob Slavin and Necas. Carolina finished it at 5-3 with a Teuvo Teravainen empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Aho and Fast. The three stars were Aho, Matthews, and Necas, while Fast and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko faces a lesser foe in Matt Murray in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Ryan Suter goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Ty Dellandrea. Vancouver tied it on a Dakota Joshua shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Nils Aman. The Canucks took the lead with a Brock Boeser goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Filip Hronek. Vancouver added on with a Jack Rathbone goal, courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Demko (25 for 26 in saves), Boeser, and Rathbone.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Sam Montembeault have the green light to start in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Lane Pederson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kent Johnson and Jack Roslovic. Montreal tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Michael Matheson and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens took the lead with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his sixth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Kirill Marchenko goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Andrew Peeke and Gavin Bayreuther. Montreal pulled ahead in the second period with a Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Matheson and Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with another Harvey-Pinard goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Hoffman and Suzuki. Montreal extended the lead as Gallagher scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jake Evans and Ylonen. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Harvey-Pinard goal to finish his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Hoffman and Matheson. Michael Hutchinson replaced an injured Merzlikins in goal. Montreal kept going in the third period with an Alex Belzile goal, his fifth of the season, with assists from Chris Tierney and Johnathan Kovacevic. The Canadiens struck again with a Suzuki goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Kovacevic and Jordan Harris. The final held at 8-2, with the three stars being Suzuki, Harvey-Pinard, and Matheson, while Hoffman, Gallagher, Ylonen, and Kovacevic get the honorable mentions.

Stateside again, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Ottawa Senators. Dylan Ferguson and Mackenzie Blackwood are the starting goalies. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-third of the season, guided in by Tim Stutzle. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes power play goal, his fortieth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils took the lead on an unassisted Jesper Bratt goal, his thirty-first of the season. New Jersey added on with a Dawson Mercer goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Nico Hischier. The Senators got one back with a Thomas Chabot goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Stutzle and Drake Batherson. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Kastelic goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Travis Hamonic. The Devils regained the lead with a Dougie Hamilton goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Hughes and Ondrej Palat. New Jersey finished it at 5-3 with a Tomas Tatar empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Hischier and John Marino. The three stars went to Hughes, Hischier, and Stutzle.

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Casey DeSmith are given the starting nods in goal. Pittsburgh scored first in the second period with a Ryan Poehling goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Danton Heinen. The Penguins added on with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, via Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period on a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell. Washington got on the board with a Tom Wilson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals got closer with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-second of the year, with assists provided by John Carlson and Dylan Strome. Washington tied it on a Strome goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Conor Sheary and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The Penguins reclaimed the lead with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Strome, Malkin, and Guentzel.

Westward to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Stuart Skinner occupy the blue paint. Vegas started in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Ivan Barbashev and Jonathan Marchessault. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Pavel Dorofeyev power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Phil Kessel. The Oilers retied it in the second period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his forty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Vegas regained the lead in the third period with a Marchessault goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Eichel and Shea Theodore. Edmonton tied it again with a Warren Foegele goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Darnell Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Nicolas Roy goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Eichel and Theodore. The three stars were Eichel, Marchessault, and Draisaitl, while Theodore gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and John Gibson are the veterans in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Troy Terry power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jakob Silfverberg. St. Louis tied it on a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn. The Ducks retook the lead with a Nikita Nesterenko goal, via Mason McTavish and Terry. The Blues tied it on a Sammy Blais goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Colton Parayko. St. Louis took the lead with a Schenn goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Faulk. The Blues added on in the second period with a Schenn goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, passed from Vrana and Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead as Kapanen scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Torey Krug and Blais. The Blues padded the lead on another Kapanen goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Nick Leddy and Parayko. Anaheim got one back with a Ryan Strome goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Trevor Zegras and Max Jones. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars being Kapanen, Schenn, and Parayko, while Vrana, Blais, Terry, and Faulk get the honorable mentions. 

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Friday, March 24, 2023

NHL 2022-23 - Day 158

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

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. The Sabres added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his forty-fourth of the year, guided in by Alex Tuch. New Jersey got on the board with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Michael McLeod and Damon Severson. Buffalo answered with a Quinn goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Cozens and Peterka. Vitek Vanecek replaced Schmid in goal. The Devils fired back on a Kevin Bahl goal, his second of the season, via Jack Hughes and Erik Haula. The Sabres responded on a Tuch goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Jeff Skinner and Peyton Krebs in the second period. Buffalo extended the lead on a Tuch power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson. New Jersey got one back with a Hughes goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Jesper Bratt and Bahl. The Devils pulled closer with a Hughes power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Nico Hischier and Dougie Hamilton. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Tuch, Hughes, and Quinn, while Cozens, Peterka, and Bahl get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin faces a lesser foe in Michael Hutchinson in goal. New York began in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Hudson Fasching. Columbus tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Jack Roslovic and Boone Jenner in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead on a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri. The Blue Jackets tied it again on a Liam Foudy goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roslovic. Columbus took the lead with a Kent Johnson goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with an Eric Robinson goal, his tenth of the year, via Emil Bemstrom and Hunter McKown. New York fired back in the third period with a Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield. The Islanders tied it on a Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, with assists provided by Bo Horvar and Noah Dobson. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Jenner power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, made possible by Adam Boqvist and Gaudreau. The three stars were Jenner, Gaudreau, and Nelson, while Palmieri and Roslovic get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and J.J. Moser. The Avalanche took the lead back in the third period with a Makar goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by MacKinnon and Nichushkin. Colorado added on with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Makar and MacKinnon. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Makar, MacKinnon, and Nichushkin.

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