NHL 2023-24 - Day 15

We open the third week of the season with the Frozen Frenzy, a 16-game, everyone plays slate. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Darcy Kuemper are the goalies. Toronto led off in first period with a Morgan Rielly power play goal, powered by Timothy Liljegren and Max Domi. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his third of the season, assisted by Rielly and Tyler Bertuzzi. Toronto extended the lead as William Nylander scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Matthews power play goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Mitchell Marner and John Klingberg. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, guided in by John Carlson and Tom Wilson. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Rielly, Matthews, and Woll (36 for 37 in saves).

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Anton Forsberg are start to start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres added on with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his second of the year, via Connor Clifton and Kyle Okposo. Buffalo extended the lead as Skinner scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Dylan Cozens and Mittelstadt in the second period. Ottawa got on the board with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his third of the year, passed from Travis Hamonic and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Sabres answered with a Tuch power play goal, with assists provided by Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. Buffalo padded the lead on a Thompson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Owen Power and  Henri Jokiharju. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Forsberg in goal for the third period. The Senators got one back with a Tarasenko goal, his third of the season, helped along by Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph. Ottawa got closer with a Josh Norris power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Senators pulled closer on a Joseph goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Ridly Greig and Jake Sanderson. The Sabres iced it at 6-4 with a Thompson empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch, while Tarasenko, Mittelstadt, and Joseph get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jonas Johansson man the nets. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, his second of the season, via Darren Raddysh and Point. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period as Nick Paul scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Brandon Hagel and Mikhail Sergachev. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Johansson (32 save shutout), Point, and Barre-Boulet.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Cayden Primeau will start in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Justin Barron goal, his second of the season, via Michael Pezzetta. New Jersey tied it on an Alexander Holtz goal, fueled by Timo Meier and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jack Hughes. New Jersey added on in the third period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, powered by Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Devils extended the lead as Toffoli scored his second of the game and third of the season on the power play, thanks to Hughes. The Canadiens got one back with a Mike Matheson goal, made possible by Cole Caufield. New Jersey finished it at 5-2 with a Toffoli empty net goal to finish his hat trick on his fourth of the year, set up by Hughes. The three stars were Toffoli, Hughes, and Vanecek (27 for 29 in saves).

Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Jason Robertson goal, via Craig Smith and Roope Hintz. The Stars took the lead on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, passed from Matt Duchene and Thomas Harley. Dallas added on in the third period with a Harley goal, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Robertson. The Stars extended the lead as Wyatt Johnston scored his second of the year, thanks to Jamie Benn. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Harley, Robertson, and Oettinger (38 for 39 in saves).

South again to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Anthony Stolarz receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Fabian Zetterlund power play goal, his second of the season, powered by William Eklund and Filip Zadina. Florida tied it on a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his third of the year, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida pulled ahead with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers iced it at 3-1 with a Kevin Stenlund empty net goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Tkachuk and Anton Lundell. The three stars were Tkachuk, Stolarz (27 for 28 in saves), and Reinhart.

Up in New York, the Islanders host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. New York tied it on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, guided in by Noah Dobson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Makar goal, his third of the year, made possible by Rantanen and Devon Toews. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Mathew Barzal and Dobson. New York pulled ahead on a Simon Holmstrom goal, fueled by Clutterbuck and Pageau. Colorado tied it on a Bowen Byram goal, coming off of Valeri Nichushkin and Makar. The Avalanche went ahead on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nichushkin. New York retied it with an Anders Lee goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Colorado took the lead back with a Rantanen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Tomas Tatar. The Avalanche padded the lead with a Johansen empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Rantanen. Colorado iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Ross Colton, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rantanen, Johansen, and Makar, while Nichushkin, Clutterbuck, Pageau, and Dobson get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Ville Husso are the goalies. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joe Veleno goal, his fourth of the season, via Olli Maatta and Daniel Sprong. Seattle tied it on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Vince Dunn and Matty Beniers. The Kraken took the lead with another Schwartz goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Seattle added on with a Tye Kartye goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brian Dumoulin. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Moritz Seider and Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it on a Larkin power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Gostisbehere and Seider. The Red Wings pulled ahead with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Larkin and Gostisbehere. The Kraken retied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Beniers and Jordan Eberle. Seattle won 5-4 in overtime with an Eberle goal, made possible by McCann and Dunn. The three stars were Eberle, McCann, and Larkin, while Schwartz, Beniers, Dunn, Gostisbehere, and Seider get the honorable mentions.

Dropping down to Ohio, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Anaheim Ducks for a slightly delayed game. Lukas Dostal and Elvis Merzlikins are in the creases. Columbus was first to score in the first period with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, powered by Ivan Provorov and Adam Fantilli. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, courtesy of Pavel Mintyukov and Mason McTavish. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Fantilli goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jack Roslovic and Jake Bean. The Ducks tied it on a Brett Leason goal, passed from Ross Johnston. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Benoit-Olivier Groulx.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Petr Mrazek are the masked men. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Matthew Poitras goal, his third of the season, via Morgan Geekie. Boston extended the lead as Trent Frederic scored his second of the year, thanks to James van Riemsdyk and Charlie Coyle. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars given to Swayman (23 save shutout), Zacha, and Poitras.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a David Gustafsson goal, via Cole Perfetti and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets added on with a Mason Appleton goal, his second of the season, assisted by Adam Lowry and Neal Pionk. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, powered by Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou. Winnipeg replied in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nate Schmidt. The Blues got one back with a Robert Thomas goal, passed from Buchnevich. The Jets shot back with a Morgan Barron empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Mark Scheifele and Pionk. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Buchnevich, Pionk, and Connor.

Backtracking to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Filip Gustavsson are between the pipes. Edmonton led off in the first period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his second of the season, made possible by Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl. Minnesota tied it on a Marco Rossi goal, his second of the year, guided in by Ryan Hartman and Jake Middleton. The Oilers took the lead back with a Warren Foegele goal, his second of the season, assisted by Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. The Wild retied it on a Hartman goal, his second of the year, helped along by Middleton and Calen Addison. Edmonton took the lead back in the second period with a Foegele goal, his second of the game and third of the season, passed from Darnell Nurse and Zach Hyman. Minnesota tied it again on a Hartman goal in the third period, his second of the game and third of the year, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild took the lead with a Zuccarello goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Kaprizov and Hartman. Minnesota added on with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Pat Maroon and Marcus Johansson. The Oilers got one back with a power play goal by Kane, powered by Bouchard and Draisaitl. The Wild fired back with a Hartman goal to complete his hat trick on his fourth of the season, with helpers from Middleton and Kaprizov. Minnesota extended the lead as Marcus Foligno scored an empty net goal, set up by Eriksson Ek. The final stood at 7-4, with the three stars going to Hartman, Kaprizov, and Zuccarello, while Middleton, Eriksson Ek, Bouchard, Kane, Draisaitl, and Foegele get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Nashville Predators host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Vancouver began in the first period with an Ilya Mihkeyev goal, courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko and Ian Cole. Nashville tied it with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, passed from Brock Boeser. Vancouver added on with a Nils Hoglander goal, his second of the year, via Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. The Predators got one back on a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his second of the season, coming off of Thomas Novak. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Hoglander, Di Giuseppe, and Mikheyev.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Calgary opened in the first period with a Blake Coleman goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane. New York tied it in the second period with an Alexis Lafreniere power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Filip Chytil. The Rangers took the lead on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. New York added on with a Gustafsson goal, his second of the year, made possible by Chytil and K'Andre Miller. The final was 3-1, with the three stars given to Gustafsson, Chytil, and Shesterkin (24 for 25 in saves).

Into California, where the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Pheonix Copley are the backups in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Jack McBain goal, via Travis Boyd and Matias Maccelli. Los Angeles tied it on an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe. The Kings took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, made possible by Andreas Englund and Blake Lizotte. Los Angeles added on with a Trevor Moore goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Phillip Danault and Mikey Anderson. The Coyotes pulled one back in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his second of the season, fueled by Lawson Crouse and Michael Carcone. The Kings replied with a Lizotte goal, helped along by Drew Doughty. Arizona fired back on a Clayton Keller power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz. Los Angeles countered in the third period with a Fiala goal, passed from Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence. The Kings iced it at 6-3 with a Kempe empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Quinton Byfield and Kopitar. The three stars went to Fiala, Lizotte, and Kopitar, while Kempe gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Logan Thompson have the green light to play in goal. Vegas struck first in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. Philadelphia tied it on a Noah Cates goal, via Joel Farabee and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers took the lead on a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Owen Tippett and Cam York. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with a Paul Cotter goal, his second of the season, guided in by William Karlsson and Kaedan Korczak. Vegas pulled ahead on a Shea Theodore goal, his second of the year, fueled by Eichel and Brayden McNabb. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Eichel, Theodore, and Thompson (26 for 28 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 14

Just a single game on the schedule for Monday, with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Eric Comrie are set to start in goal. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Justin Barron goal, via Arber Xhekaj and Sean Monahan. Buffalo tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin. The Canadiens retook the lead in the third period on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his second of the year, guided in by David Savard and Tanner Pearson. Montreal added on with a Pearson power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Gallagher and Alex Newhook. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Gallagher, Pearson, and Allen (36 for 37 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 13

There's two games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings welcoming the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Justin Holl and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on with a Joe Veleno goal, his third of the year, via Ben Chiarot and Holl. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Dylan Larkin scored his third of the season, thanks to DeBrincat. Calgary got on the board with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his third of the year, assisted by Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. The Red Wings answered with another DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Larkin and Raymond. The Flames got one back with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, helped along by Walker Duehr and Nikita Zadorov. Detroit answered in the third period with a Jake Walman goal, fueled by Daniel Sprong and David Perron. The Red Wings padded the lead on a DeBrincat goal to complete his hat trick with his eighth of the year, with helpers from Raymond and Holl. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars being DeBrincat, Raymond, and Holl, while Larkin gets an honorable mention. 

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Mason McTavish goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. Boston tied it on a Matthew Poitras goal, via Morgan Geekie and Ian Mitchell. The Bruins took the lead with another Poitras goal, helped along by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. Boston added on with a Brad Marchand empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Charlie Coyle. The three stars went to Poitras, Ullmark (30 for 31 in saves), and Marchand. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 12

A 15-game Saturday is up, including two matinees. First off...

The Ottawa Senators host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Joonas Korpisalo are the Finnish goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Jake Sanderson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris. Detroit tied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Larkin and David Perron. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Joe Veleno goal, helped along by Christian Fischer. Detroit added on with a Perron power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Larkin and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Larkin scored his second of the year on the power play, thanks to Gostisbehere and Seider. Detroit padded the lead with another Veleno goal, his second of the game, fueled by Daniel Sprong. The Senators pulled one back on a Ridly Greig goal, coming off of Mathieu Joseph and Jakob Chychrun. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Larkin, Veleno, and Perron, while Gostisbehere and Seider get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Karel Vejmelka are in the creases. Arizona began in the first period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Juuso Valimaki and Matias Maccelli. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Sean Durzi. Anaheim got on the board with a Frank Vatrano power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Vejmelka (32 for 33 in saves), Keller, and Zucker.

At the regular time, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Eric Comrie man the nets. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his second of the season, coming off of Casey Mittelstadt. The Sabres added on with a Mattias Samuelsson goal, via Mittelstadt and Skinner. Buffalo extended the lead in the third period as Dylan Cozens scored his second of the year on the power play, thanks to Rasmus Dahlin and Jordan Greenway. New York got on the board with a Noah Dobson goal, courtesy of Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. The Sabres won 3-1, with the three stars going to Mittelstadt, Skinner, and Comrie (23 for 24 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the blue paint. Vancouver started in the first period with a Quinn Hughes power play goal, powered by J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal, going in unassisted. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Carson Soucy power play goal, made possible by Conor Garland. Vancouver added on with a Pettersson goal, his second of the season, via Andrei Kuzmenko and Ilya Mikheyev. The Panthers got one back in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Barkov. Florida tied it on another Reinhart goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, guided in by Rodrigues and Josh Mahura. The Canucks retook the lead with a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the year, helped along by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Miller. Vancouver iced it at 5-3 with a Brock Boeser empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kuzmenko, Pettersson, and Reinhart, while Miller, Barkov, and Rodrigues get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Jake Allen are the veterans in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, guided in by Monahan and Tanner Pearson. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Dylan Strome goal, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Matthew Phillips. The Capitals tied it another Strome goal, his second of the game, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Caufield goal, his third of the year, helped along by Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The three stars were Caufield, Monahan, and Strome, while Suzuki gets an honorable mention.

South again to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Jonas Johansson are set to start in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Matthew Knies and John Tavares. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, via Kucherov and Point. Tampa Bay added on with a Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with assists provided by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. Joseph Woll replaced Samsonov in goal. The Maple Leafs got closer in the third period with a Knies goal, made possible by Max Domi. Toronto tied it on another Knies goal, with helpers from Domi and David Kampf. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime on a Tavares goal, his second of the year, assisted by Nylander. The three stars were Knies, Kucherov, and Tavares, while Nylander, Domi, and Point get the honorable mentions.

West to Dallas, as the Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Scott Wedgewood are the backups in goal. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, helped along by Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Tyler Seguin goal, coming off of Ryan Suter and Miro Heiskanen. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his third of the season, via Bobby Brink and Noah Cates. The Flyers tied it on a shorthanded Travis Konecny goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Cates. Dallas retook the lead in the second period with a Roope Hintz goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Benn scored his second of the year, thanks to Johnston. Philadelphia got one back with a Konecny shorthanded goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Travis Sanheim and Scott Laughton. The Flyers tied it on a Sean Walker shorthanded goal, his second of the year, fueled by Egor Zamula. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime on a Pavelski goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Johnston. The three stars were Johnston, Pavelski, and Benn, while Konecny and Cates get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Arvid Soderblom start in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Connor Bedard power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Taylor Hall. Vegas tied it on a William Karlsson power play goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Paul Cotter and Kaedan Korczak. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore. The Blackhawks tied it on a Reese Johnson goal, passed from Connor Murphy and Ryan Donato. Vegas took the lead in the third period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his third of the year, via Keegan Kolesar and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights added on with a Mark Stone goal, helped along by Michael Amadio and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas extended the lead as Cotter scored on the power play, with the help of Amadio and Alec Martinez. Chicago got one back with a Corey Perry goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Nick Foligno and Kevin Korchinski. The final was 5-3, with the three stars given to Cotter, Amadio, and Stone.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Filip Gustavsson are the masked men. Columbus cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Justin Danforth goal, his third of the season, via David Jiricek and Mathieu Olivier. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Kent Johnson goal, assisted by Cole Sillinger. Minnesota got on the board with a Dakota Mermis goal, passed from Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal, courtesy of Ryan Hartman. Minnesota took the lead in the third period with a Jonas Brodin goal, helped along by Eriksson Ek and Pat Maroon. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Zach Werenski and Damon Severson. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead on an Adam Fantilli power play goal, powered by Ivan Provorov and Danforth. The Wild tied it on a Johansson goal, guided in by Maroon and Mermis. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Jack Roslovic goal, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau. The three stars were handed to Danforth, Johansson, and Mermis, while Eriksson Ek and Maroon get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Nashville Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Samuel Fagemo power play goal, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators added on in the second period with a Thomas Novak goal, his third of the season, guided in by Kiefer Sherwood and Roman Josi. Nashville extended the lead as Sherwood scored, thanks to Luke Evangelista and Tyson Barrie. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Novak power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Nyquist and Juuso Parssinen. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl goal, passed from Mario Ferraro and Nikolai Knyzhov. Nashville fired back with an Evangelista goal, helped along by Dante Fabbro. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars being Novak, Evangelista, and Sherwood, while Nyquist gets an honorable mention.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, via Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Kris Letang. The Blues took the lead back in the second period with a Jake Neighbours goal, passed from Kasperi Kapanen and Justin Faulk. St. Louis added on with a Colton Parayko goal, guided in by Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Saad scored his second of the game, thanks to Kapanen and Thomas. The Penguins got one back with a Radim Zohorna goal, assisted by Lars Eller and Drew O'Connor. The Blues held on for a 4-2 win, with the three stars handed to Saad, Thomas, and Kapanen.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Alexandar Georgiev patrol the creases. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his third of the season, coming off of Stefan Noesen and Jack Drury. Colorado tied it on a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Logan O'Connor shorthanded goal, his third of the season, set up by Andrew Cogliano. The Hurricanes retied it on a Brent Burns power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Dmitry Orlov and Noesen. Carolina pulled ahead on a Michael Bunting goal, his second of the season, passed from Martin Necas and Jaccob Slavin. Colorado retied it on a Fredrik Olofsson goal, helped along by O'Connor and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche gained the lead on a Lehkonen power play goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Johansen and Cale Makar. Colorado added on with a MacKinnon goal, his third of the season, guided in by Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his fourth of the year on the power play, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes got one back with a Slavin goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kotkaniemi and Seth Jarvis. This was as close as it got, with the Avalanche winning 6-4. The three stars were awarded to Lehkonen, MacKinnon, and O'Connor, while Johansen, Slavin, Kotkaniemi, and Noesen get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Stuart Skinner tend the twines. Edmonton started in the first period with a Darnell Nurse goal, coming off of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, powered by Draisaitl and McDavid. Winnipeg got on the board with a Josh Morrissey power play goal, via Dylan DeMelo and Morgan Barron. The Jets tied it in the second period on a shorthanded Vladislav Namestnikov goal, set up by Alex Iafallo. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Morrissey and Kyle Connor. The three stars were Morrissey, Draisaitl, and Hellebuyck (38 for 40 in saves), while McDavid gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Seattle Kraken welcome the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Philipp Grubauer draw the starts in goal. Seattle led off in the first period with a Justin Schultz goal, via Brian Dumoulin and Eeli Tolvanen. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Filip Chytil. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, assisted by Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller. New York added on with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his second of the year, passed from Chytil. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Panarin scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Chytil and Miller. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Panarin, Chytil, and Miller.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and James van Riemsdyk. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Alex Laferriere goal, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kevin Fiala. The Bruins took the lead on a Morgan Geekie goal, passed from Milan Lucic and Derek Forbort. Boston added on with a Marchand goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Pastrnak and Forbort. The Bruins extended the lead in the third period on a Marchand goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, set up by Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The Kings got one back with a Carl Grundstrom power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Matt Roy and Trevor Lewis. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Marchand, Pastrnak, and Forbort. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 11

Just two games on this Friday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets welcoming the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Spencer Martin are in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Sean Kuraly goal, via Justin Danforth and Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets added on with a Danforth goal in the third period, his second of the season, coming off of Jack Roslovic and Zach Werenski. Calgary got on the board with an Elias Lindholm shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Mikael Backlund. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with a Werenski empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Danforth, Martin (36 for 37 in saves), and Werenski. 

Over in New York, the Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Ilya Sorokin patrol the creases. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pierre Engvall and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey tied it on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Timo Meier and the goalie Schmid. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, with assists provided by Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Islanders retied it on a Nelson goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with a lone helper from Palmieri. New Jersey took the lead again on a Luke Hughes power play goal, fueled by Jack Hughes and Bratt. New York tied it again with a Bo Horvat goal, guided in by Noah Dobson and Matt Martin. The Devils pulled ahead in the third period on a Jack Hughes power play goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Ondrej Palat and Bratt. The Islanders tied it once more with a Horvat goal, his second of the game helped along by Mathew Barzal and Palmieri. New Jersey won 5-4 in overtime with a Jack Hughes goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, via John Marino and Meier. The three stars were Jack Hughes, Bratt, and Horvat, while Nelson, Meier, and Palmieri get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 10

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

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Devon Levi patrol the creases. Calgary started in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his second of the season, via Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson. Buffalo tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, courtesy of Rasmus Dahlin and Kyle Okposo. The Flames retook the lead with a Walker Duehr goal, passed from A.J. Greer and Yegor Sharangovich. The Sabres tied it on a Tage Thompson power play goal, powered by Dylan Cozens and Dahlin. Calgary pulled ahead with a Blake Coleman goal, helped along by Matthew Coronato and Dennis Gilbert. Buffalo tied it on a J.J. Peterka goal, his second of the year, assisted by Cozens and Henri Jokiharju. The Flames took the lead back with an Adam Ruzicka goal, his second of the season, guided in by Nazem Kadri and Dillon Dube. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Ruzicka, Cozens, and Dahlin.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Kevin Stenlund goal, going in unassisted. The Panthers added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, made possible by Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Toronto got on the board with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, powered by John Tavares and William Nylander. Florida iced it at 3-1 with a Reinhart empty net goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Dmitry Kulikov. The three stars were Reinhart, Bobrovsky (30 for 31 in saves), and Ekman-Larsson.

Back north, the New York Rangers bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Nashville led off in the first period with a Cole Smith goal, courtesy of Michael McCarron and Tyson Barrie. The Predators added on with another Smith goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Ryan O'Reilly scored his second of the season on the power play, thanks to Luke Evangelista and Filip Forsberg. The Predators padded the lead on a Forsberg power play goal, powered by Barrie and Roman Josi. Jonathan Quick replaced Shesterkin in goal. New York got on the board with an Adam Fox power play goal, with assists provided by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars handed to Smith, Forsberg, and Barrie.

South again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jonas Johansson are the goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nick Paul power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos. Vancouver tied it in the second period on a Brock Boeser goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead with a Tyler Myers goal, fueled by Elias Pettersson. The Lightning retied it on a Mikey Eyssimont goal, via Conor Sheary and Nick Perbix. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Paul and Brayden Point. Vancouver got one back on a Miller goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Filip Hronek and Pettersson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Kucherov, Paul, and Miller, while Pettersson gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Carter Hart are the masked men. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his second of the season, coming off of Bobby Brink and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his second of the year, via Owen Tippett. Edmonton got on the board with a Zach Hyman goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Cody Ceci and Connor McDavid. Philadelphia replied with a Sean Walker shorthanded goal, set up by Sean Couturier. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Atkinson scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Tippett and Couturier. The final was 4-1, with the three stars handed to Atkinson, Couturier, and Tippett.

Northwest to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Drew Doughty. Minnesota tied it on a Connor Dewar goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jon Merrill and Dakota Mermis. The Wild took the lead with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello. The Kings tied it on a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his second of the year, passed from Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles pulled ahead with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his second of the season, helped along by Kevin Fiala. The Kings added on with another Dubois goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Fiala. Los Angeles extended the lead as Trevor Moore scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Arthur Kaliyev and Andreas Englund. Minnesota got one back on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Marcus Johansson and Pat Maroon. The Kings responded with an Adrian Kempe empty net goal, set up by Matt Roy. Los Angeles iced it at 7-3 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Blake Lizotte, dished from Mikey Anderson. The three stars were Dubois, Kempe, and Fiala.

Next up, the St. Louis Blues host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, powered by Matias Maccelli and Juuso Valimaki. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz. St. Louis got on the board with a Jakub Vrana goal, assisted by Marco Scandella and Keivn Hayes. Arizona replied with a Michael Carcone goal, helped along by Sean Durzi. The Coyotes extended the lead as Schmaltz scored his second of the year, thanks to Keller. Arizona padded the lead in the third period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, with assists provided by Maccelli and Valimaki. The Blues got one back with a Sammy Blais goal, coming off of Vrana. The Coyotes fired back with a Durzi power play goal, his second of the season, guided in by Logan Cooley. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars being Schmaltz, Keller, and Durzi, while Vrana, Maccelli, and Valimaki get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit are between the pipes. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his second of the season, via Josh Morrissey and Nino Niederreiter. Vegas tied it with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a Brett Howden goal, made possible by Mark Stone. Vegas added on with an Alec Martinez goal, assisted by William Karlsson and Paul Cotter. The Jets shot back with a Cole Perfetti goal, helped along by Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with an Iafallo power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with assists provided by Mark Scheifele and Ehlers. The Golden Knights retook the lead on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Stone and Theodore. Vegas added on with an empty net goal by Nicolas Roy, his second of the season, set up by Theodore. The three stars were given to Theodore, Iafallo, and Stone, while Ehlers gets an honorable mention in the 5-3 game.

To California, as the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, courtesy of Trevor Zegras and Pavel Mintyukov. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Roope Hintz goal, powered by Joe Pavelski and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead with a Pavelski power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Ducks tied it in the third period on a Leo Carlsson goal, via Terry. Dallas retook the lead with a Heiskanen goal, helped along by Sam Steel and Tyler Seguin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Heiskanen, Pavelski, and Oettinger (27 for 29 in saves).

North to Seattle, as the Kraken host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Joey Daccord are set to start in goal. Seattle started in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Eeli Tolvanen. Carolina tied it on a Jesper Fast goal, via Jaccob Slavin and Jordan Staal. The Kraken took the lead back with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Kailer Yamamoto and Vince Dunn. Seattle added on with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare shorthanded goal, set up by Dunn. The Kraken extended the lead as Dunn scored on the power play, thanks to Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Pyotr Kochetkov replaced Raanta in goal. The Hurricanes got one back in the third period on a Seth Jarvis goal, his third of the year, coming off of Stefan Nosen. Carolina got closer with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Noesen and Jarvis. Seattle answered with a Jared McCann goal, courtesy of Bjorkstrand and Alex Wennberg. The Kraken padded the lead on a Tye Kartye goal, passed from Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. The Hurricanes pulled one back with a Jarvis power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Staal and Martin Necas. Seattle responded with a Bjorkstrand empty net goal, an unassisted goal. The final was 7-4, with the three stars handed to Bjorkstrand, Dunn, and Jarvis, while Burakovsky, Noesen, and Staal get the honorable mentions.

In Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado led off with a Logan O'Connor shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Andrew Cogliano and Josh Manson. The Avalanche added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, powered by Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Devon Toews scored, thanks to Valeri Nichushkin and Tomas Tatar. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his second of the year, via Tatar and Rantanen. The final held from here at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Georgiev (18 save shutout), Tatar, and Rantanen.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark faces a lesser foe in Kaapo Kahkonen in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, via John Beecher. The Bruins added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his third of the season, fueled by Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle. Boston extended the lead in the second period as David Pastrnak scored his fourth of the year, coming off of Brandon Carlo. San Jose got on the board with an Anthony Duclair goal, guided in by Tomas Hertl. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Ullmark (26 for 27 in saves), van Riemsdyk, and Marchand. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 9

It's a two-game Wednesday, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators welcoming the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg are the goalies. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his second of the season, assisted by Ridly Greig and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators added on with a Josh Norris power play goal, powered by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson goal, coming off of Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. Ottawa answered in the second period with a Norris goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist by Batherson. The Senators extended the lead as Artem Zub scored, thanks to Jake Sanderson and Tarasenko. Ottawa padded the lead on a Claude Giroux goal, with helpers from Thomas Chabot and Stutzle. The Senators kept going with a Sanderson goal in the third period, his second of the year, fueled by Stutzle and Giroux. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars going to Norris, Stutzle, and Tarasenko, while Sanderson, Giroux, and Batherson get the honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ville Husso patrol the creases. Pittsburgh started in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Erik Karlsson. Detroit tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Austin Czarnik and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Ben Chiarot goal, via Dylan Larkin and Jeff Petry. Detroit added on with an Andrew Copp goal, his second of the season, assisted by Petry and Michael Rasmussen. The Red Wings extended the lead on a David Perron power play goal, powered by Larkin and DeBrincat. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Karlsson goal, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Ryan Graves. Pittsburgh got closer with a Bryan Rust goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson. Detroit fired back with a Copp empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings iced it at 6-3 with a DeBrincat empty net power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Larkin. The three stars were DeBrincat, Copp, and Larkin, while Karlsson and Petry get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.