NHL 2023-24 - Day 18

Six games on a rather busy Friday, beginning with...

The Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Adin Hill protect the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, assisted by Michael Amadio and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights added on with a Karlsson goal, his third of the season, passed from Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Chicago got on the board with a Ryan Donato goal, his second of the year, coming off of Corey Perry and Wyatt Kaiser. The Blackhawks tied it on a Connor Bedard goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Nick Foligno and Alex Vlasic. Chicago took the lead with a Taylor Raddysh goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Vegas retied it on a Theodore goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jack Eichel. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kurashev, Karlsson, and Theodore.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Antti Raanta are in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Teravainen goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield. Carolina extended the lead in the third period as Teravainen finished his hat trick on his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Jarvis and Aho. The final was 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Teravainen, Raanta (20 save shutout), and Jarvis, while Aho gets an honorable mention.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Vitek Vanecek are in the blue paint. Buffalo opened in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his third of the season, fueled by Henri Jokiharju and Owen Power. New Jersey tied it on an Alexander Holtz goal, his second of the year, via Luke Hughes and Michael McLeod. The Sabres regained the lead on a Tage Thompson goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway. The Devils tied it on a Jesper Bratt goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey took the lead in the second period with an Erik Haula shorthanded goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. Buffalo tied it again with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, made possible by Mattias Samuelsson and Jeff Skinner. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with a Jack Hughes power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, powered by Luke Hughes and Timo Meier. The Sabres retied it on a Dylan Cozens goal, his third of the season, helped along by Kyle Okposo. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Haula goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from Kevin Bahl and John Marino. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Haula, Luke Hughes, and Jack Hughes.

Along to Washington, as the Capitals host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper are the veterans in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Marco Rossi goal, his third of the season, coming off of Marcus Foligno and Marcus Johansson. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson shorthanded goal, set up by Connor McMichael and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals took the lead with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Wild tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal in the third period, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where John Carlson's lone tally gave the Capitals a 3-2 win. The three stars were Strome, Wilson, and Kuemper (39 for 41 in saves). 

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Karel Vejmelka patrol the creases. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Matias Maccelli goal, via Nick Bjugstad and J.J. Moser. Los Angeles tied it on a Mikey Anderson goal, courtesy of Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Moser goal, helped along by Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Jack McBain goal, his second of the season, assisted by Liam O'Brien and Troy Stecher. Cam Talbot replaced Copley in goal. The Coyotes extended the lead as Sean Durzi scored his third of the year, thanks to Zach Sanford and the goalie Vejmelka. The Kings got one back in the second period on a Drew Doughty power play goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Kempe and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles got closer with a Byfield goal in the third period, his second of the year, made possible by Arthur Kaliyev and Jordan Spence. The Kings tied it with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles pulled ahead on a Doughty goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Trevor Moore and Anderson. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Doughty, Anderson, and Byfield, while Moser and Kempe get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Quinn Hughes goal, his second of the season, via Filip Hronek. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Hughes goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Phillip Di Giuseppe and J.T. Miller. Vancouver extended the lead as Di Giuseppe goal, his second of the season, thanks to Tyler Myers and Miller. The Canucks padded the lead on a shorthanded Miller goal, his third of the year, set up by Elias Pettersson. Vancouver kept going in the third period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his second of the season, passed from Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars being Demko (22 save shutout), Miller, and Hughes, while Pettersson gets an honorable mention. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 17

We've got 11 games on this Thursday schedule. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Radko Gudas goal, assisted by Urho Vaakanainen and Ryan Strome. Boston tied it in the second period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, via David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins took the lead with a Matt Grzelcyk goal, courtesy of McAvoy and Matthew Poitras. Boston added on with a Pastrnak goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Pavel Zacha and McAvoy. The Ducks got one back with a Leo Carlsson goal, his second of the year, passed from Troy Terry and Sam Carrick. Anaheim tied it on a Terry goal, his second of the season, guided in by Pavel Mintyukov and Strome. The Ducks won 4-3 in overtime with a Mason McTavish goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Seattle started in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with a Devin Shore goal, passed from Bjorkstrand. Carolina got on the board with a Martin Necas goal, his third of the year, coming off of Michael Bunting and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Kotkaniemi goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Necas and Brady Skjei. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Necas goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Tony DeAngelo and Sebastian Aho. The three stars belonged to Necas, Kotkaniemi, and Bjorkstrand.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and James Reimer are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, assisted by Cole Perfetti and Dylan Samberg. The Jets added on with a Kyle Connor goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Josh Morrissey. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his second of the year, passed from Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider. Winnipeg fired back in the third period with a Mason Appleton goal, his third of the season, fueled by Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter. The Jets iced it at 4-1 with a Niederreiter empty net goal, set up by Appleton. The three stars were Appleton, Niederreiter, and Hellebuyck (35 for 36 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his second of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Ivan Provorov and Roslovic. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Nick Suzuki goal, going in unassisted. Columbus replied with another Bemstrom power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, powered by Roslovic and Dmitri Voronkov. The Canadiens got one back with a Mike Matheson goal on the power play, his second of the year, with assists provided by Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Montreal tied it in the third period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Caufield and Matheson. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime with a Caufield goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Suzuki and Jordan Harris. The three stars were Caufield, Suzuki, and Bemstrom, while Matheson and Roslovic get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with another Smith goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Lars Eller scored, with the help of Radim Zohorna. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jake Guentzel. Ivan Prosvetov entered the game in place of Georgiev in the third period. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars being Smith, Jarry (30 save shutout), and Eller.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonas Johansson are the goalies. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Mikhail Sergachev and Nick Perbix. The Lightning added on with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his second of the year, passed from Calvin de Haan and Perbix. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Sergachev. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period as Brandon Hagel scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Alex Barre-Boulet and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay continued on a Nicholas Paul goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Stamkos and Hedman. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Blackwood in goal. The Lightning kept going in the third period with a Luke Glendening goal, with helpers from Conor Sheary and Darren Raddysh. This stood for a 6-0 win, with the three stars going to Johansson (23 save shutout), Stamkos, and Sergachev, while Hedman and Perbix get the honorable mentions.

North to New York, where the Islanders host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Ilya Sorokin are in the creases. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Noah Dobson. The Islanders added on with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his second of the year, via Casey Cizikas. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris. The Senators tied it on a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Rourke Chartier and Parker Kelly. New York retook the lead with a Dobson goal in the third period, his second of the season, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Horvat. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Dobson, Horvat, and Sorokin (45 for 47 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Carter Hart are between the pipes. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Nick Seeler. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Sean Couturier power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Cam Atkinson and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia extended the lead as Bobby Brink scored on the power play, thanks to Couturier and Atkinson. Minnesota got on the board with a Dakota Mermis goal in the third period, his second of the season, via Pat Maroon and Jon Merrill. The Wild got closer with a Marcus Foligno goal, his second of the year, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Marco Rossi. The Flyers replied with an Owen Tippett goal, passed from Atkinson. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Brink goal, his second of the game, made possible by Joel Farabee and Sanheim. The Flyers kept going with a Sanheim goal, assisted by Tyson Foerster and Konecny. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars given to Sanheim, Brink, and Konecny, while Atkinson and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

Way down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Scott Wedgewood are the backups in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with Morgan Rielly goal, his second of the season, via William Nylander. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Mason Marchment goal, coming off of Matt Duchene and Ryan Suter. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Mitchell Marner goal, his second of the year, passed from Auston Matthews and Calle Jarnkrok. Toronto added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal in the third period, his second of the season, powered by Rielly and Matthew Knies. The Maple Leafs finished it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by John Tavares, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rielly, Woll (31 for 32 in saves), and Marner.

In Canada again, the Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Jacob Markstrom patrol the creases. St. Louis began in the first period with a shorthanded Kasperi Kapanen goal, set up by Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues added on with a Nick Leddy goal, helped along by Kevin Hayes and Alexey Toropchenko. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period with a Sundqvist empty net goal, set up by Robert Thomas. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars going to Hofer (26 save shutout), Sundqvist, and Kapanen.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Stuart Skinner draw the starts in goal. New York got going in the second period with an Adam Fox power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Braden Schneider goal, courtesy of Jimmy Vesey and Fox. New York extended the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Panarin and Schneider. This made it 3-0, the eventual final, with the three stars being Quick (29 save shutout), Fox, and Schneider, while Panarin gets an honorable mention. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 16

There's just one game on today, as the New Jersey Devils host the Washington Capitals. Hunter Shepard and Akira Schmid are the backups in goal. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, via Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals added on with a Dylan Strome goal, his third of the season, guided in by Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. Washington extended the lead as Sonny Milano scored, thanks to T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Vitek Vanecek replaced Schmid in goal for the second period. New Jersey got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Timo Meier and Jack Hughes. The Devils added on with a Meier goal, assisted by Jack Hughes and Toffoli. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jesper Bratt and John Marino. The Devils pulled ahead with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Luke Hughes and Jack Hughes. The Capitals tied it in the third period with a power play goal by Strome, his second of the game and fourth of the season, powered by Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Washington pulled ahead with a Connor McMichael goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Mantha and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals padded the lead with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final was 6-4, with the three stars going to Strome, Mantha, and Toffoli, while Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Jack Hughes, and Meier get the honorable mentions. 

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

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.