NHL 2023-24 - Day 22

A quiet Halloween night features two games, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcoming the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Joseph Woll are set to start in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Andreas Englund goal, via Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Kings added on with a Phillip Danault goal, his second of the season, assisted by Trevor Moore and Jordan Spence. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period on an Arthur Kaliyev power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Mitchell Marner and William Nylander. The Kings replied with an Adrian Kempe goal, his third of the year, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Byfield. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Talbot (30 for 31 in saves), Byfield and Danault.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Thatcher Demko patrol the creases. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his second of the season, coming off of Quinn Hughes and Anthony Beauvillier. Nashville tied it on a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Roman Josi and Liam Foudy. The Predators took the lead with a Dante Fabbro goal, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. The Canucks tied it in the second period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Hughes and Ilya Mikheyev. Vancouver took the lead on another Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Andrei Kuzmenko and Filip Hronek. The Canucks added on in the third period with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brock Boeser and Hughes. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Pettersson empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fifth of the year, set up by Beauvillier and Tyler Myers. The three stars were Pettersson, Hughes, and Beauvillier. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 21

There's nine games on for a busy Monday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Florida started in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his second of the season, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Barkov. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Charlie McAvoy goal, his second of the year, made possible by David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Zacha goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Zacha, Barkov, and McAvoy.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart are the veterans in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his second of the season, coming off of Andrei Svechnikov and Dmitry Orlov. Philadelphia tied it with an Owen Tippett goal, his second of the year, assisted by Sean Couturier. The Flyers pulled ahead on a Garnet Hathaway goal, courtesy of Nicolas Deslauriers and Scott Laughton. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Noesen. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Bunting and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Bunting, Noesen, and Teravainen.

Across the state, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Tristan Jarry patrol the creases. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Erik Karlsson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Reilly Smith. Anaheim tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, passed from Max Jones and Pavel Mintyukov. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Cam Fowler and Mason McTavish. The Penguins retied it on a Malkin power play goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh pulled ahead in the third period with a Radim Zohorna goal, his second of the year, guided in by Drew O'Connor and Lars Eller. Anaheim tied it again with a McTavish goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Mintyukov. The Ducks pulled ahead on a McTavish shorthanded goal, set up by Adam Henrique. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being McTavish, Mintyukov, and Malkin, while Karlsson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Jonas Johansson are set to start in goal. Seattle began in the first period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, assisted by Justin Schultz and Jaden Schwartz. The Kraken added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his second of the season, made possible by Kailer Yamamoto and Jared McCann. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his second of the year, guided in by Haydn Fleury and Darren Raddysh. Seattle replied with a Yamamoto power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen. The Lightning pulled one back in the second period with an Alex Barre-Boulet power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Brandon Hagel and Jeannot. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period on a Hagel goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Anthony Cirelli and Barre-Boulet. The Kraken won 4-3 in overtime with a McCann power play goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The three stars went to Yamamoto, Hagel, and McCann, while Schwartz, Barre-Boulet, and Jeannot get the honorable mentions.

Up in New York, the Islanders welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Ilya Sorokin protect the nets. New York got going in the second period with a shorthanded Casey Cizikas goal, his second of the season, set up by Bo Horvat. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Noah Dobson and Pierre Engvall. Detroit got on the board with a Daniel Sprong goal, his third of the season, assisted by Michael Rasmussen and Jake Walman. The Red Wings tied it on a Walman goal, his second of the year, passed from Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Detroit pulled ahead on a J.T. Compher goal, his second of the season, made possible by Seider and Andrew Copp. New York tied it with a Horvat power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Dobson. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Raymond goal, his third of the season, guided in by Compher. The three stars were Compher, Horvat, and Raymond, while Walman, Seider, and Dobson get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller. Winnipeg tied it on a David Gustafsson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Cole Perfetti. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his second of the season, fueled by Perfetti and Mark Scheifele. The Rangers tied it with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Adam Fox and Panarin. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Panarin and Miller. The three stars were Panarin, Miller, and Perfetti.

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Thomas Harley goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. Columbus tied it on a Dmitri Voronkov goal, helped along by Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Damon Severson goal, passed from Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski. The Stars retied it in the second period with a Hintz goal, his third of the year, coming off of Robertson and Nils Lundkvist. Dallas pulled ahead in the third period with a Matt Duchene goal, courtesy of Ryan Suter and Mason Marchment. The Stars added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead on a Johnston empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Dadonov and Benn. Columbus got one back with a Sean Kuraly goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Ivan Provorov and Mathieu Olivier. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Hintz, Dadonov, and Johnston, while Robertson and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Connor Ingram are the backups in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Connor Bedard goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kevin Korchinski and Seth Jones. Arizona tied it on a Michael Carcone goal, his second of the year, passed from Logan Cooley and Sean Durzi. The Coyotes took the lead on a Josh Brown goal, via Jack McBain and Alexander Kerfoot. Arizona added on with a Carcone power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, powered by Lawson Crouse and Nick Bjugstad. The Coyotes extended the lead in the second period as Carcone scored his fourth of the year to complete his hat trick with an unassisted goal. Arizona padded the lead on a McBain goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kerfoot and Liam O'Brien. The Coyotes continued with a Durzi goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Carcone and Travis Boyd. Arizona kept going with an O'Brien goal, with helpers from McBain and Matias Maccelli. Petr Mrazek replaced Soderblom in goal. The Coyotes struck again in the third period with a McBain goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, set up by Kerfoot. The final stood at 8-1, with the three stars being Carcone, McBain, and Kerfoot, while Durzi, O'Brien, and Boyd get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault is mismatched with Adin Hill in goal. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Paul Cotter power play goal, his third of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Alex Pietrangelo. Montreal tied it on a shorthanded Sean Monahan goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a William Carrier goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Chandler Stephenson and Jack Eichel. The Canadiens retied it on a Nick Suzuki goal in the third period, his second of the year, passed from Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Cole Caufield. The tie went to a shootout, where Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore lifted the Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over Suzuki and the Canadiens. The three stars were Hill (37 for 39 in saves), Carrier, and Cotter. 

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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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