NHL 2023-24 - Day 20

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

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jeff Skinner. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his second of the year, assisted by Skinner and Henri Jokiharju. Buffalo extended the lead as Tyson Jost scored, thanks to Alex Tuch and Owen Power. The Sabres iced it at 4-0 with a Rasmus Dahlin empty net goal in the third period, his second of the campaign, set up by Tage Thompson. The three stars were Luukkonen (23 save shutout), Skinner, and Peterka. 

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Vitek Vanecek protect the nets. New Jersey began in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Marino and Kevin Bahl. Minnesota tied it on a Pat Maroon goal, via Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Hartman power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Calen Addison and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Devils tied it on a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Bratt and Luke Hughes. New Jersey pulled ahead on an Erik Haula goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with a Bratt power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, made possible by Timo Meier and Luke Hughes. Minnesota got one back with a Jake Middleton goal, helped along by Maroon and Marcus Foligno. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Bratt, Maroon, and Luke Hughes.

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. San Jose opened with a Luke Kunin goal in the first period, assisted by Ty Emberson and Mario Ferraro. Washington tied it in the third period with a Dylan Strome goal, his sixth of the season, via Nick Jensen and Hardy Haman Aktell. The Capitals took the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Washington iced it at 3-1 with an Evgeny Kuznetsov empty net goal, set up by Ovechkin and Carlson. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Carlson, and Kuemper (29 for 30 in saves).

Finally, the game goes outdoors in Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Calgary Flames in the Heritage Classic. Edmonton started in the first period with a Brett Kulak goal, assisted by Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a Zach Hyman goal, his third of the season, guided in by Leon Draisaitl. Calgary got on the board with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, powered by MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. Edmonton replied with an Evan Bouchard goal, his third of the year, fueled by Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Flames got one back on an A.J. Greer power play goal in the second period, with helpers from Weegar and the goalie Markstrom. The Oilers shot back in the third period with a Vincent Desharnais goal, courtesy of Kane and Hyman. Edmonton finished it at 5-2 with a Kane empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Derek Ryan. The three stars were handed to Kane, Hyman, and Weegar, while Draisaitl gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 19

It's a lighter slate this Saturday with nine games, including one matinee. We begin with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Samuel Ersson are the backups in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his second of the season, via Mason McTavish. The Ducks added on with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and McTavish. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Vatrano scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Jackson LaCombe and Strome. The Ducks padded the lead on an Adam Henrique goal, courtesy of Max Jones and Jakob Silfverberg. Philadelphia got on the board with a Cam Atkinson goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Owen Tippett and Cam York. The Flyers got closer with a Travis Konecny goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Sean Walker and Scott Laughton. Anaheim fired back in the third period with a Trevor Zegras power play goal, with a lone assist from Strome. The Ducks padded the lead on a Brett Leason goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Sam Carrick. Philadelphia got one back with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, guided in by Sean Couturier and Bobby Brink. Anaheim responded with a shorthanded Vatrano goal, completing his hat trick on his eighth of the year, set up by Henrique. The Flyers got one back with a Joel Farabee goal, his fourth of the campaign, dished from Brink and Noah Cates. The Ducks won 7-4, with the three stars being Vatrano, Strome, and Henrique, while Konecny, McTavish, and Brink get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Sergei Bobrovsky patrol the creases. Seattle opened in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Yanni Gourde and Will Borgen. The Kraken added on with an Eeli Tolvanen goal in the second period, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Borgen. Florida got on the board with a Gustav Forsling power play goal, powered by Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, helped along by Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola. Florida gained the lead in the third period with a Nick Cousins goal, made possible by Josh Mahura and Kulikov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Kulikov, Borgen, and Cousins.

North to Boston, as the Bruins bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Jeremy Swayman are in the blue paint. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a Charlie McAvoy goal, going in unassisted. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Joe Veleno goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Daniel Sprong. Boston replied with a Pastrnak penalty shot goal, his seventh of the season. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Pastrnak, his second of the game and eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Pastrnak, Swayman (23 for 24 in saves), and McAvoy.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Spencer Martin are in the creases. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his third of the season, fueled by Pierre Engvall and Sebastian Aho. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Matt Martin goal, coming off of Casey Cizikas. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Varlamov (35 save shutout), Palmieri, and Matt Martin.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jake Allen man the nets. Winnipeg began in the first period with an Adam Lowry penalty shot goal. Montreal tied it on a Justin Barron goal, his third of the season, guided in by Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Kaiden Guhle. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with another Lowry goal, made possible by Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton. Winnipeg added on with a Niederreiter goal, his second of the year, via Appleton. The Canadiens got one back with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson. Montreal tied it in the third period with a Joel Armia goal, courtesy of Guhle. The tie went to a shootout, where Suzuki's lone tally gave the Canadiens a 4-3 win. The three stars were Suzuki, Guhle, and Lowry, while Niederreiter and Appleton get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Toronto struck first in the first period with a William Nylander power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. Nashville tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his third of the year, via Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with a Mark Giordano goal, assisted by David Kampf and Max Domi. The Predators tied it on another O'Reilly power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with assists provided by Forsberg and Luke Evangelista. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime with a Josi made possible by Evangelista and Thomas Novak. The three stars were Josi, O'Reilly, and Forsberg, while Evangelista gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Ridly Greig power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakob Chychrun. The Senators added on with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fifth of the year, via Giroux and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead in the second period as Dominik Kubalik scored, thanks to Greig and Mathieu Joseph. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Bryan Rust and Kris Letang. The Senators fired back in the third period with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Stutzle and Travis Hamonic. Ottawa padded the lead on a Drake Batherson goal, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko. The Penguins got one back with a Jake Guentzel goal, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Crosby and Chad Ruhwedel. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Crosby, and Giroux, while Greig and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Casey DeSmith are set to start in goal. New York drew first blood in the first period with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Myers shorthanded and unassisted goal, his second of the season. The Rangers retied it on a power play goal by Adam Fox, his third of the year, with helpers from Panarin and Zibanejad. New York pulled ahead on a Zibanejad goal, made possible by Fox on the power play. Vancouver retied it on a Carson Soucy goal, his second of the season, helped along by Hronek and Anthony Beauvillier. The Rangers won 4-3 with a K'Andre Miller goal in overtime, set up by Chris Kreider. The three stars were Fox, Zibanejad, and Panarin, while Hronek gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his second of the season, coming off of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Matt Roy. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the year, via Mikey Anderson and Blake Lizotte. Vegas got on the board with a Michael Amadio goal, his second of the season, assisted by William Karlsson. The Golden Knights tied it on a William Carrier goal, guided in by Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden. Vegas pulled ahead with a Mark Stone power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. Los Angeles tied it on a Drew Doughty goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe. The tie went to a shootout, where Jack Eichel had the only tally for a 4-3 Golden Knights win. The three stars were given to Stone, Carrier, and Amadio. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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). 

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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). 

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