NHL 2023 Playoffs - First Round Day 2

The other four series are set to begin now. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, courtesy of K'Andre Miller and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, powered by Adam Fox and Panarin. New York extended the lead as Ryan Lindgren scored, thanks to Fox and Filip Chytil. The Rangers padded the lead in the third period on another Kreider goal, his second of the game, via Fox and Patrick Kane. New Jersey got on the board with a Jack Hughes penalty shot goal. New York fired back with a Chytil empty net goal, set up by Kaapo Kakko and Fox. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Fox, Kreider, and Panarin, while Chytil gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, coming off of Corey Perry. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, via Brandon Hagel. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Alex Killorn. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, assisted by John Tavares and Mitch Marner. The Maple Leafs got closer with a William Nylander power play goal, fueled by Auston Matthews and Tavares. The Lightning fired back with a Brayden Point power play goal, made possible by Kucherov and Cirelli. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Perry power play goal, with a helper from Ross Colton. The Lightning continued with another Point goal, his second of the game, guided in by Perry and Kucherov. Joseph Woll replaced Samsonov in goal for the third period. Tampa Bay kept going in the third period with a Colton goal, helped along by Nick Perbix and Ian Cole. Toronto shot back with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, passed from Matthews and Marner. The final held at 7-3, with the three stars being Point, Kucherov, and Perry, while Cirelli, Colton, Marner, and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

West to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit are the former teammates in goal. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Dubois goal, helped along by Blake Wheeler. Vegas got on the board with a William Karlsson goal, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Jonathan Marchessault. Winnipeg shot back in the third period with a Wheeler goal, passed from Nino Niederreiter and Nate Schmidt. The Jets extended the lead with an Adam Lowry empty net goal, set up by Wheeler and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg iced it at 5-1 with another Lowry power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Niederreiter and Vladislav Namestnikov. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Lowry, and Dubois, while Niederreiter gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Seattle struck first in the first period with an unassisted Eeli Tolvanen goal. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, via Nathan MacKinnon and Bowen Byram. The Kraken took the lead in the second period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Jamie Oleksiak. Seattle added on in the third period with a Morgan Geekie goal, fueled by Wennberg and Justin Schultz. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Wennberg, Grubauer (34 for 35 in saves), and Geekie. 

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NHL Playoffs 2023 - First Round Day 1

The NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs begin with four games on a Monday to open round one. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Antti Raanta are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, powered by Brent Burns and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Stefan Noesen power play goal, with assists provided by Burns and Necas. New York got on the board with an unassisted Ryan Pulock goal. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Raanta (25 for 26 in saves), Burns, and Necas. 

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Alex Lyon and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, powered by Tyler Bertuzzi and David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, via Charlie McAvoy and Dmitry Orlov. Florida got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, going in unassisted. Boston shot back with a Jake DeBrusk goal, coming off of Bertuzzi and Pavel Zacha. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Bertuzzi, Ullmark (31 for 32 in saves), and Marchand. 

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Minnesota started in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Mats Zuccarello. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, coming off of Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Jason Robertson power play goal, with assists provided by Miro Heiskanen and Joe Pavelski. The Wild tied it on a Sam Steel goal, guided in by Gustav Nyquist. Minnesota won 3-2 in double-overtime with a Ryan Hartman goal, fueled by Steel. The three stars were Steel, Hartman, and Gustavsson (52 for 54 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Joonas Korpisalo and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Leon Draisiatl goal, via Mattias Janmark. The Oilers added on with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with an Adrian Kempe goal, courtesy of Matt Roy and Anze Kopitar. Edmonton replied with another Draisaitl goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. The Kings shot back on a Kempe goal, his second of the game, passed from Quinton Byfield and Kopitar. Los Angeles tied it with Kopitar power play goal, with assists provided Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, helped along by Arvidsson and Kopitar. The three stars were Kopitar, Kempe, and Draisaitl, while Arvidsson gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 178

The regular season ends with a pair of games. First up...

The Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Jon Gillies are set to start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Tim Berni and Adam Boqvist. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres took the lead with a Victor Olofsson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Dylan Cozens and Kale Clague. Buffalo added on with an Alex Tuch goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Skinner. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Tyler Angle goal, helped along by Andrew Peeke and Gavin Bayreuther. Michael Hutchinson replaced Gillies in the third period. The Sabres extended the lead as Mittelstadt scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Skinner. Buffalo finished it at 5-2 with a Peyton Krebs goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Skinner, Mittelstadt, and Tuch. 

Finally, the Nashville Predators bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Kevin Lankinen patrol the creases. Colorado began in the first period with a Devon Toews goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Evan Rodrigues. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon goal, his fortieth of the year, guided in by Toews and Mikko Rantanen. Nashville got on the board with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado shot back with a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and forty-first of the year, passed from Samuel Girard. The Predators got one back in the second period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Thomas Novak and Cal Foote. Nashville tied it on a Sherwood power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Yakov Trenin and Colton Sissons. The Avalanche pulled ahead again in the third period with a MacKinnon goal, completing his hat trick on his forty-second of the campaign, with helpers from Rantanen. The three stars were MacKinnon, Toews, and Sherwood, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 177

There's 15 games on the last big day of the season. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Craig Anderson are in goal. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his third of the season, assisted by Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres added on with a Victor Olofsson goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. Ottawa got on the board with a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by Jake Sanderson and Drake Batherson. The Senators tied it on a Dylan Gambrell goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Egor Sokolov. Ottawa pulled ahead on a Claude Giroux goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, made possible by Brady Tkachuk and Stutzle. Buffalo tied it in the third period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his forty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Skinner and Alex Tuch. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with a Mittelstadt goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and Skinner. The three stars were Skinner, Mittelstadt, and Stutzle,

To Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Michael Hutchinson man the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Kris Letang power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. Columbus tied it on an Andrew Peeke goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Hunter McKown. The Penguins took the lead in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Letang and Crosby on the power play. The Blue Jackets tied it on an Emil Bemstrom goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Mikael Pyyhtia and Stanislav Svozil on the power play. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twentieth of the campaign, with helpers from Adam Boqvist and Sean Kuraly. The three stars went to Letang, Crosby, and Gaudreau.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Alex Lyon are between the pipes. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida got on the board in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Sam Reinhart and Radko Gudas. The Panthers tied it on a Ryan Lomberg goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Gudas. Carolina retook the lead with another Burns goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, guided in by Jack Drury. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Jesper Fast scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere. Carolina padded the lead on an empty net goal by Gostisbehere, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida got one back with an Anthony Duclair goal, his second of the year, assisted by Eric Staal and Gudas. The Panthers got closer with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his forty-second of the season, fueled by Matthew Tkachuk. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-4 with an Aho empty net goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, set up by Jarvis. The three stars were Burns, Aho, and Gudas, while Gostisbehere and Jarvis get the honorable mentions.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sam Montembeault draw the starts in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Lucas Condotta goal, via Michael Pezzetta and Joel Teasdale. Boston tied it on a Trent Frederic goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Connor Clifton and David Pastrnak. The Bruins took the lead with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The Canadiens tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal in the second period, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Joel Edmundson. Montreal pulled ahead with a Pezzetta goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Rem Pitlick and Chris Tierney. Boston tied it again with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Jakub Lauko. The Canadiens regained the lead in the third period on a shorthanded Justin Barron goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jake Evans and Pitlick. The Bruins retied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston took the lead with a Pastrnak goal, his sixty-first of the year, coming off of Orlov and Bertuzzi. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Pastrnak, Orlov, and Pezzetta, while Pitlick gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. New York got going in the second period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Vincent Trocheck. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Timothy Liljegren goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by David Kampf and Jake McCabe. The Rangers took the lead with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad in the third period. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a William Nylander goal, his fortieth of the year, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly. Toronto took the lead with a Noel Acciari goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Acciari, Nylander, and Liljegren.

South again to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Brian Elliott are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Ross Colton. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his thirtieth of the year, assisted by Brayden Point and Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Point scored his fiftieth of the season, thanks to Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev on the power play. The Lightning padded the lead on a Point empty net goal, his second of the game and fifty-first of the year, set up by Hagel and Sergachev. Tampa Bay continued with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Colton. The final was 5-0, with the three stars going to Point, Elliott (32 save shutout), and Killorn, while Hagel, Colton, and Sergachev get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils. Mackenzie Blackwood and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Washington led off in the first period with a Joe Snively goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sonny Milano. The Capitals added on with a Rasmus Sandin goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead as Craig Smith scored his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey got on the board with an Erik Haula goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Yegor Sharangovich and Luke Hughes. The Capitals shot back in the second period with a Tom Wilson goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Nick Jensen and Dylan Strome. Akira Schmid replaced Blackwood in goal. The Devils got one back on a power play goal by Miles Wood, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Tomas Tatar and Dawson Mercer. New Jersey got closer in the third period with a Haula goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. The Devils tied it on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Damon Severson and Jesper Boqvist. New Jersey won 5-4 in overtime with a Luke Hughes goal, with helpers from Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. The three stars were Luke Hughes, Jack Hughes, and Haula.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Winnipeg Jets. David Rittich and Alexandar Georgiev man the creases. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Denis Malgin goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Lars Eller and Alex Newhook. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with an Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Neal Pionk and Brenden Dillon. The Jets took the lead with a shorthanded Kevin Stenlund goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Morgan Barron. The Avalanche tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fifty-fifth of the year, powered by Evan Rodrigues and Devon Toews. Colorado took the lead with a Rodrigues goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Brad Hunt in the third period. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Lehkonen, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Bowen Byram and Lars Eller. The three stars were Rodrigues, Lehkonen, and Rantanen.

Southeast to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Jamie Benn. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Oettinger (25 save shutout), Johnston, and Binnington (33 for 34 in saves).

Over to Nashville, where the Predators host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Mark Jankowski, his seventh of the season, set up by Tyson Barrie and Michael McCarron. Minnesota tied it on a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Jon Merrill and Gustav Nyquist. The Predators took the lead with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Thomas Novak and Luke Evangelista. The Wild tied it again with another Gaudreau goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, passed from Marcus Foligno and Nyquist. Nashville retook the lead in the third period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Juuso Parssinen and Colton Sissons. Minnesota tied it again with a Nic Petan goal, helped along by Sammy Walker and Damien Giroux. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime with a Parssinen goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Ryan McDonagh and Cody Glass. The three stars were Parssinen, Gaudreau, and Nyquist.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Alex Stalock are in the creases. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Morgan Frost. The Flyers added on with another Konecny goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, courtesy of Frost. Chicago got on the board with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Connor Murphy and Wyatt Kaiser. The Blackhawks tied it on an Anders Bjork goal, his second of the year, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Ian Mitchell. Philadelphia took the lead back in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers extended the lead with a Noah Cates power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Konecny and Tippett. Chicago got one back with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Athanasiou and Seth Jones. The Blackhawks tied it on an Athanasiou goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Tyler Johnson. Philadelphia won 5-4 in overtime on an Ivan Provorov goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The three stars were Konecny, Athanasiou, and Tippett, while Frost gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Stuart Skinner are the goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mattias Ekholm and the goalie Skinner. The Oilers added on with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fifty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. San Jose got on the board with a Noah Gregor goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Thomas Bordeleau and Steven Lorentz. Edmonton fired back in the second period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto. The Oilers extended the lead on another Janmark goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, set up by Derek Ryan. The Sharks answered with a Lorentz power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson. Edmonton countered in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Draisaitl and Cody Ceci. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars being Draisaitl, Janmark, and Lorentz.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Joonas Korpisalo and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim started in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Cam Fowler. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Adrian Kempe and Matt Roy. The Kings took the lead on a Kempe power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson in the second period. Los Angeles added on with a Trevor Moore goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Arvidsson. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Max Jones goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan Strome. The Kings replied with a Kempe power play goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the year, with assists provided by Doughty and Arvidsson. Anaheim got closer with a Trevor Zegras goal, his twenty-third of the season, helped along by Adam Henrique and Terry. Los Angeles iced it at 5-3 with a Kempe empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-first of the year, set up by Kopitar and Roy. The three stars were Kempe, Arvidsson, and Kopitar, while Terry, Doughty, and Roy get the honorable mentions.

East to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia and Karel Vejmelka are the less experienced goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Kyle Burroughs. Arizona tied it on a Liam O'Brien goal, his second of the year, coming off of Michael Kesselring and Jack McBain. The Canucks took the lead with a Conor Garland power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Anthony Beauvillier and Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, with assists provided by Hughes and Phillip Di Giuseppe. The Canucks extended the lead as Garland scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Burroughs and Kuzmenko. The Coyotes pulled one back with a Travis Boyd goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Arizona got closer in the second period with another O'Brien goal, his second of the game and third of the season, courtesy of Kesselring and McBain. The Coyotes tied it in the third period with a Schmaltz goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Victor Soderstrom and Matias Maccelli. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with a Garland goal, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the campaign, with helpers from Miller and Hughes.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Vegas opened in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Seattle tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Alexander Wennberg and Morgan Geekie. The Golden Knights retook the lead with an Alec Martinez shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel in the second period. Vegas finished it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Chandler Stephenson in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Martinez, Brossoit (30 for 31 in saves), and Smith. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 176

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

The New York Islanders hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Ilya Sorokin are set to start in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, via Kyle Palmieri and Adam Pelech. Montreal tied it on a Rem Pitlick goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jake Evans. The Islanders took the lead on a Hudson Fasching goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Zach Parise and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. New York added on in the second period with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, made possible by Noah Dobson and Scott Mayfield. The Canadiens got one back with a Nick Suzuki shorthanded goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period on an Anders Lee power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Sebastian Aho and Dobson. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Nelson, Dobson, and Lee.

Out in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Ryan Suter and Jamie Benn. St. Louis tied it on a Jakub Vrana power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Justin Faulk. The Stars took the lead back with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Blues tied it again with a Thomas goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Jordan Kyrou. Dallas retook the lead in the second period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Benn and Robertson. The Stars added on with a Johnston power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Evgenii Dadonov and Tyler Seguin. Dallas extended the lead as Seguin scored his twenty-first of the season on the power play, thanks to Heiskanen and Robertson. This made it a 5-2 win for the Stars, with the three stars being Johnston, Robertson, and Seguin, while Thomas, Benn, and Heiskanen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Dustin Wolf are the young goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Noah Gregor goal, his ninth of the season, via Radim Simek. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. The Flames took the lead in the third period with another Zadorov goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri. Calgary iced it at 3-1 with a Zadorov empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Zadorov, Wolf (23 for 24 in saves), and Gregor. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 175

There's 10 games on again today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. Boston got going in the second period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Marchand. Washington got on the board with a Nick Jensen goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston replied in the third period with a Tomas Nosek goal, his seventh of the year, an unassisted goal. Darcy Kuemper replaced an injured Lindgren in the third period. The Capitals fired back with a power play goal by Tom Wilson, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and John Carlson. The Bruins shot back on a Garnet Hathaway goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nosek and Charlie McAvoy. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Jake DeBrusk, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Marchand. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Nosek.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic and Antti Raanta receive the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Brady Skjei and Jesper Fast. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Robert Hagg goal, his second of the season, assisted by Joe Veleno and David Perron. Carolina shot back with a Brent Burns goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Kotkaniemi empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kotkaniemi, Raanta (20 for 21 in saves), and Martinook.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Vitek Vanecek patrol the creases. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Miles Wood and Nathan Bastian. The Devils added on in the second period with a Jonas Siegenthaler goal, his fourth of the year, via Nico Hischier and Tomas Tatar. Buffalo got on the board with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. New Jersey replied with a Wood goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Bastian and Hischier. The Devils extended the lead as Tatar scored his nineteenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Damon Severson and Kevin Bahl. The Sabres got one back with a Mattias Samuelsson goal, his second of the year, guided in by Tuch. New Jersey replied with an empty net goal by Tatar, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, set up by Bastian and Timo Meier. The Devils iced it at 6-2 with a Jack Hughes empty net goal, his forty-third of the year, with helpers from Jesper Bratt and the goalie Vanecek. The three stars were handed to Tatar, Bastian, and Wood, while Hischier and Tuch get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Michael Hutchinson and Carter Hart start in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Liam Foudy goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Carson Meyer and Tim Berni. The Blue Jackets added on with a Trey Fix-Wolansky goal, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost. The Flyers tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Ivan Provorov and Scott Laughton. Philadelphia took the lead in the second period with a Owen Tippett power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Noah Cates and Rasmus Ristolainen. Columbus tied it in the third period on a Sean Kuraly goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Jake Christiansen and Johnny Gaudreau on the power play. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with another Tippett goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Provorov and Cam York. The three stars were Tippett, Provorov, and Kuraly.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a William Nylander power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Calle Jarnkrok. Tampa Bay tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Luke Schenn goal, his fourth of the season, via Noel Acciari. The Lightning tied it again in the second period with a Nick Perbix goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. Toronto took the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his twentieth of the season, with assists provided by John Tavares and Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with an O'Reilly goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Knies and Nylander. Tampa Bay got one back on a Sergachev goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Nylander, O'Reilly, and Sergachev, while Jarnkrok gets an honorable mention.

In Pennsylvania again, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Tristan Jarry protect the nets. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Connor Murphy goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Austin Wagner and Wyatt Kaiser. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell and Jeff Petry. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Buddy Robinson goal, via Caleb Jones and Anders Bjork. Chicago added on with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Bjork and Robinson. The Blackhawks extended the lead on an empty net goal by Tyler Johnson, his twelfth of the year, set up by Seth Jones and Jason Dickinson. The Penguins got one back with a Danton Heinen goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Petry and Josh Archibald. Chicago finished it at 5-2 with a MacKenzie Entwistle empty net goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Nikita Zaitsev and Andreas Englund. The three stars were Robinson, Bjork, and Petry.

Out west, the Minnesota Wild host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Nino Niederreiter and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele goal, his forty-second of the year, guided in by Nate Schmidt and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Minnesota got one back in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Marcus Johansson. Winnipeg fired back with a Mason Appleton goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler and Kevin Stenlund. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (33 for 34 in saves), Scheifele, and Appleton.

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ben Meyers goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Along to Vegas, where the Golden Knights bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Reilly Smith and William Karlsson. Seattle tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the second period with another Amadio goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, coming off of Smith and Karlsson. Vegas added on with a Smith goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Amadio and Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the third period on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Chandler Stephenson. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Amadio, Smith, and Karlsson, while

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Lukas Dostal are in the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a power play goal by Brock Boeser, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on with an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, coming off of Akito Hirose and the goalie Demko. Anaheim got on the board with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Cam Fowler and Trevor Zegras. The Ducks tied it with a Drew Helleson goal, via Troy Terry and Zegras. Vancouver took the lead back with a Miller goal in the third period, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Pettersson. The final stayed at 3-2, with the three stars were given to Miller, Pettersson, and Zegras. 

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NHL 2022-23 - Day 174

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

The Florida Panthers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Alex Lyon are in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fortieth of the season, assisted by Mitch Marner and T.J. Brodie. Florida tied it in the third period with a Brandon Montour goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Carter Verhaeghe and Marc Staal. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, courtesy of Morgan Rielly. The three stars went to Tavares, Matthews, and Samsonov (45 for 46 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Mads Sogaard are set to start in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirty-third of the season, via Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on with a Stutzle goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, coming off of Giroux and Tkachuk. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Brett Pesce goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Martin Necas and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Seth Jarvis and Necas. Ottawa retook the lead with a Giroux goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the campaign, helped along by Shane Pinto and Erik Brannstrom. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Giroux, Stutzle, and Tkachuk, while Necas gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Igor Shesterkin are in the blue paint. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jack Quinn and Tyson Jost. New York tied it in the second period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Patrick Kane. The Rangers took the lead with another Panarin goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Alex Tuch. The tie went to a shootout, where Owen Power and Mittelstadt lifted the Sabres to a 3-2 win over Tarasenko and the Rangers. The three stars were Panarin, Mittelstadt, and Tarasenko.

Along to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Ville Husso man the nets. Dallas began in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on with an Esa Lindell goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Hintz and Robertson. Dallas extended the lead as Ty Dellandrea scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Max Domi and Tyler Seguin. Magnus Hellberg replaced Husso in goal. The Stars padded the lead in the second period on a Robertson power play goal, his forty-sixth of the year, powered by Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas continued with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Heiskanen and Hintz. The Stars kept going with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-third of the year, fueled by Colin Miller and Wyatt Johnston. Detroit got on the board with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign with a lone assist by Dylan Larkin. Scott Wedgewood played the third period instead of Oettinger, but the score stayed at 6-1. The three stars were Hintz, Robertson, and Heiskanen.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Washington opened in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twenty-second of the season, via John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Rasmus Sandin goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Craig Smith and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead as Smith scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Martin Fehervary. New York got on the board in the third period with a Hudson Fasching goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Cal Clutterbuck and Noah Dobson. The Capitals fired back with a Tom Wilson empty net goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders got one back on a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Bo Horvat and Sebastian Aho. Washington iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Strome, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Conor Sheary and Wilson. The three stars went to Strome, Smith, and Wilson.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Connor Hellebuyck are the veterans in goal. San Jose started in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jacob Peterson and Logan Couture. Winnipeg tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets took the lead with an Adam Lowry goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Nino Niederreiter and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg added on with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-second of the year, helped along by Dylan DeMelo and Josh Morrissey. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Mason Appleton scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Niederreiter and Lowry. The Sharks got one back with a Karlsson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Tomas Hertl. Winnipeg shot back with a Morrissey goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by DeMelo and Appleton. The Jets finished it at 6-2 with a Scheifele power play goal, his forty-first of the year, guided in by Connor and Morrissey. The three stars were Morrissey, Karlsson, and Lowry, while Scheifele, Appleton, Niederreiter, and DeMelo get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alex Stalock receive the starting nods in goal. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his thirty-first of the season, via Marcus Johansson and Calen Addison. Chicago tied it on a Joey Anderson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Boris Katchouk and Jujhar Khaira. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period on an Anders Bjork goal, made possible by Buddy Robinson and Andreas Athanasiou. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Johansson shorthanded goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota took the lead with another Johansson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, assisted by Boldy. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Ryan Hartman. The three stars were Johansson, Boldy, and Gustavsson (40 for 42 in saves).

Back in Canada, the Calgary Flames welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Nashville was first to score in the first period with an Egor Afanasyev goal, via Mark Jankowski. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Troy Stecher goal, his third of the season, passed from Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube. The Predators took the lead in the third period with a Zach Sanford goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Cody Glass and Jake Livingstone. The Flames tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Mangiapane and Jonathan Huberdeau. The tie went to a shootout, where Glass and Thomas Novak lifted the Predators to a 3-2 win over Huberdeau and the Flames. The three stars were Glass, Mangiapane, and Huberdeau.

Way south to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Ivan Prosvetov patrol the creases. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Jack McBain goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Liam O'Brien. Seattle tied it in the second period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Eeli Tolvanen. The Kraken took the lead with a Justin Schultz goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Seattle added on with a Matty Beniers goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Jared McCann and Will Borgen. The Kraken extended the lead as McCann scored his fortieth of the season on the power play in the third period, thanks to Schultz. The final stayed at 4-1, with the three stars given to Schultz, McCann, and Grubauer (22 for 23 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Collin Delia and Joonas Korpisalo are the starting goalies. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Blake Lizotte and Sean Durzi. The Kings added on in the third period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault. Los Angeles iced it at 3-0 with a Drew Doughty empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Korpisalo (20 save shutout), Kaliyev, and Gavrikov. 

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