NHL 2023-24 - Day 43

After a completely empty Tuesday, we've got 14 games for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Antti Raanta are in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jesper Fast goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Martinook and Jalen Chatfield. The Hurricanes added on with a Jack Drury goal, courtesy of Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov. Carolina extended the lead as Teuvo Teravainen scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Jarvis goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Teravainen and Chatfield. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in goal. Edmonton got on the board with a Zach Hyman goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Pyotr Kochetkov relieved an injured Raanta in goal. Carolina continued in the second period with a Martin Necas goal, his sixth of the season, via Andrei Svechnikov and Brady Skjei. The Oilers got one back on a Mattias Ekholm shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Ryan McLeod and Warren Foegele. Edmonton got closer on a Hyman goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the third period. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-3 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Brent Burns, his fifth of the year, set up by Staal. The three stars were Jarvis, Teravainen, and Hyman, while Chatfield gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, via Danton Heinen and Hampus Lindholm. Florida tied it in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Niko Mikkola. The Bruins retook the lead with a John Beecher goal, his third of the season, helped along by Jakub Lauko and Patrick Brown. Boston added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his second of the year, passed from Matthew Poitras. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Ullmark (27 for 28 in saves), Beecher, and DeBrusk.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Elvis Merzlikins patrol the creases. Columbus started in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Zach Werenski and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets added on with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kirill Marchenko. Columbus extended the lead as Jenner scored again the power play, his tenth of the season, with the help of Johnny Gaudreau and Werenski. Chicago got on the board with a Connor Bedard goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Philipp Kurashev and Isaak Phillips. The Blue Jackets shot back in the second period with a Cole Sillinger goal, via Werenski and Yegor Chinakhov. Columbus padded the lead on a Dmitri Vorokov goal, his third of the season, helped along by Werenski and Sillinger. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek in goal. The Blue Jackets continued with a Marchenko goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Boqvist and Ivan Provorov. Columbus kept going with a Patrik Laine goal, his third of the season, made possible by Adam Fantilli. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got closer with a Reese Johnson goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The final was 7-3, with the three stars being Jenner, Werenski, and Marchenko, while Sillinger and Boqvist get the honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek faces a lesser foe in Alex Lyon in goal. Detroit kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Robby Fabbri and J.T. Compher. The Red Wings added on with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Alex DeBrincat. Detroit extended the lead as Fabbri scored his third of the season, thanks to Daniel Sprong and Joe Veleno. The Red Wings padded the lead in the second period with a Moritz Seider power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Sprong and Fabbri. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Lyon (16 save shutout), Fabbri, and Sprong.

East to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Tristan Jarry are in the blue paint. New York opened in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Mika Zibanejad. This was the only goal in a 1-0 Rangers win, with the three stars handed to Quick (32 save shutout), Lafreniere, and Jarry (35 for 36 in saves).

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jonas Johansson have the green light to start in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the season, guided in by Dylan DeMelo and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Morrissey and Kyle Connor. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning tied it in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brandon Hagel. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with an Adam Lowry goal, his third of the season, assisted by Neal Pionk and Vladislav Namestnikov. The three stars belonged to Morrissey, Lowry, and Hellebuyck (29 for 31 in saves).

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Darcy Kuemper are between the pipes. Buffalo began in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Tyson Jost and Victor Olofsson. The Sabres added on with a Zach Benson goal, courtesy of Olofsson. Washington got on the board with an Alexander Alexeyev goal, assisted by Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal in the second period, passed from Connor McMichael. Buffalo took the lead with a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt. Washington tied it on a Tom Wilson goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, coming off of Dylan Strome and John Carlson. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Strome goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Carlson. The three stars were Strome, Carlson, and Olofsson.

Next up, the New York Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. New York was first to score in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his third of the season, coming off of Oliver Wahlstrom. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Pierre Engvall. Philadelphia got on the board with a Cam York goal, his third of the season, guided in by Owen Tippett and Ryan Poehling. New York shot back in the third period with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Engvall and Pelech. The Flyers got one back with a Joel Farabee goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonged to Nelson, Engvall, and Pelech. 

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Karel Vejmelka are the starting goalies. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone helper by Jake Neighbours. Arizona tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Matias Maccelli. The Blues retook the lead on a Colton Parayko goal, his third of the season, via Brandon Saad. The Coyotes tied it on a Jason Zucker goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Michael Carcone. Arizona took the lead in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Maccelli and Bjugstad. St. Louis tied it again with a Nick Leddy shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Kasperi Kapanen. The Blues pulled ahead with an Alexey Toropchenko shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Justin Faulk. Connor Ingram replaced Vejmelka in goal. The Coyotes tied it on a Carcone goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Alexander Kerfoot and Travis Boyd. Arizona pulled ahead on a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by J.J. Moser and Clayton Keller. Joel Hofer replaced Binnington in goal. St. Louis tied it up with a Robert Thomas goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jordan Kyrou and Scott Perunovich. The Blues gained the lead in the third period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his third of the season, dished from Saad. This held for a 6-5 win, with the three stars going to Saad, Bjugstad, and Carcone, while Maccelli gets an honorable mention.

East again to Nashville, where the Predators host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville started in the first period with a Colton Sissons shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Roman Josi and Cole Smith. Calgary tied it on a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Andrew Mangiapane and Chris Tanev. The Predators retook the lead with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryan McDonagh and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville added on in the third period with an Alexandre Carrier goal, going in unassisted. The Predators extended the lead on a Juuso Parssinen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Philip Tomasino and McDonagh. The Flames pulled one back with a shorthanded Yegor Sharangovich goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The three stars were McDonagh, Carrier, and Saros (24 for 26 in saves).

South to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Vegas led off in the first period with a Michael Amadio power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Nicolas Roy and Chandler Stephenson. Dallas tied it on a second period Roope Hintz goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. The Golden Knights won 2-1 with a Jack Eichel goal in overtime, his eighth of the season, fueled by Jonathan Marchessault.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Alex Newhook goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tanner Pearson and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his second of the year, passed from Jesse Ylonen and Jake Evans. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Mason McTavish power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov. Montreal replied with a Mike Matheson goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nick Suzuki and Justin Barron. The Ducks fired back on another McTavish goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Frank Vatrano and Tristan Luneau. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Vatrano goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by McTavish and Cam Fowler. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Newhook goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Evans. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Newhook, McTavish, and Vatrano, while Evans gets an honorable mention.

Northeast to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Alexandar Georgiev are between the pipes. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Anthony Beauvillier and Sam Lafferty. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Jonathan Drouin. The Avalanche took the lead with a Drouin goal, his second of the season, fueled by Cale Makar and Bowen Byram. The Canucks tied it in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. Colorado retook the lead with a Riley Tufte goal, made possible by Miles Wood and Ross Colton. The Avalanche added on with a Makar goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado extended the lead on a Rantanen empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Nathan MacKinnon and Nichushkin. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Makar, Nichushkin, and Drouin, while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Joey Daccord are the backups in goal. Seattle began in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his second of the season, via Alexander Wennberg and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Yanni Gourde. Seattle extended the lead as Adam Larsson scored, thanks to Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken padded the lead on a Gourde goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Will Borgen and Bjorkstrand. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced Kahkonen in goal for the second period. Seattle continued in the second period with a McCann power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Justin Schultz and Bjorkstrand. The Kraken struck again in the third period with a Tolvanen goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Bjorkstrand and Brian Dumoulin. San Jose got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nikita Okhotiuk and Kyle Burroughs. Seattle responded with Tolvanen's second goal of the game and fifth of the season, guided in by Oleksiak. The final was 7-1, with the three stars going to Tolvanen, Bjorkstrand, and Gourde, while McCann and Oleksiak get the honorable mentions. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 42

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

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tyler Motte and Mikey Eyssimont. Boston tied it on a Pavel Zacha goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Nick Paul power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Pastrnak goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Mason Lohrei and Charlie McAvoy. Boston took the lead with a John Beecher goal, his second of the season, helped along by Danton Heinen and Brandon Carlo. Tampa Bay tied it on an Austin Watson fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Nick Perbix. The Bruins pulled ahead on a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of James van Riemsdyk. The Lightning tied it again with a Stamkos goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime with a Hagel goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Victor Hedman and Brayden Point. The three stars were Hagel, Stamkos, and Pastrnak.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with an Evander Kane goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Derek Ryan and Ryan McLeod. Florida got on the board with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour. The Panthers tied it on a Niko Mikkola goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kevin Stenlund. Edmonton pulled ahead in the second period on a McDavid penalty shot goal, his sixth of the year. Florida retied it on a Mikkola goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Verhaeghe. The Panthers pulled ahead with a Stenlund goal, his fifth of the season, via Eetu Luostarinen. Florida iced it at 5-3 with a Sam Bennett empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Stenlund. The three stars were given to Stenlund, Mikkola, and McDavid, while Verhaeghe gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Scott Wedgewood man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Erik Gustafsson. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his second of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino and Jacob Trouba. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Pavelski goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Miro Heiskanen and Hintz. Dallas pulled ahead on a Mason Marchment power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene. The Stars extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Marchment. Dallas padded the lead on a Sam Steel shorthanded empty net goal, going in unassisted. Dallas kept going with a Hintz shorthanded empty net goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Seguin. New York got one back with a Barclay Goodrow goal, courtesy of Braden Schneider and Trouba. The three stars of the 6-3 game went to Hintz, Seguin, and Pavelski, while Marchment and Trouba get the honorable mentions.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Colorado began in the first period with a shorthanded Andrew Cogliano goal, his third of the season, set up by Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Cody Glass and Philip Tomasino. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche retied it with a Devon Toews goal, his third of the season, fueled by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Colorado took the lead again with a Nichushkin power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Makar and MacKinnon. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Nyquist and Colton Sissons. The Predators took the lead on a Yakov Trenin goal, his second of the year, coming off of Cole Smith. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Forsberg, Makar, and Nyquist, while Nichushkin and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

West to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Connor Ingram patrol the creases. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Trevor Moore shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Phillip Danault. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Quinton Byfield. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Moore scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Matias Maccelli. The Kings replied in the third period with a Danault goal, his fourth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Laferriere and Matt Roy. The three stars went to Moore, Danault, and Copley (30 for 31 in saves) in the Kings' 4-1 win.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. Seattle tied it on a Vince Dunn goal, his third of the year, via Alexander Wennberg. The Flames retook the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Andersson and Nazem Kadri. The Kraken retied it in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dunn and Yanni Gourde. Seattle pulled ahead with a Jared McCann goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper from Adam Larsson. Calgary tied it again in the third period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with an Andersson goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Mikael Backlund and Huberdeau. The three stars were Andersson, Dunn, and Huberdeau.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Thatcher Demko are in the blue paint. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Quinn Hughes goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Nils Hoglander and Anthony Beauvillier. The Canucks added on with a Sam Lafferty shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Teddy Blueger. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Calen Addison and Mikael Granlund. Vancouver answered with a J.T. Miller goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Brock Boeser and Hughes. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Hughes, Demko (27 for 28 in saves), and Lafferty. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 41

There's five games on today, including the finale of the Global Series. First up...

The Minnesota Wild face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Marc-Andre Fleury are in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Jon Merrill goal, assisted by Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Matthew Knies goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mitchell Marner and Mark Giordano. Toronto added on with a Rielly goal, his third of the season, coming off of Matthews and Marner in the third period. The Wild got one back with a Jake Middleton goal, his third of the year, passed from Marcus Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota tied it on a Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with a Nylander goal, his twelfth of the yea, with a lone helper from Rielly. The three stars were Nylander, Rielly, and Matthews, while Zuccarello and Marner get the honorable mentions. 

Back in North America, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin and Samuel Ersson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Ryan Poehling and Cam York. Columbus tied it on an Alexandre Texier goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. The Flyers retook the lead in the second period with a Bobby Brink power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Sean Walker and Farabee. Philadelphia added on with a Poehling shorthanded goal, his second of the year, set up by Garnet Hathaway and Walker. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Boone Jenner goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Ivan Provorov. The Flyers replied with a Travis Konecny goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Louie Belpedio. Philadelphia iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by York, his second of the campaign, courtesy of Poehling. The three stars were Poehling, Farabee, and York, while Walker gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Ryan Graves goal, via Radim Zohorna and Drew O'Connor. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Noel Acciari goal, coming off of Matt Nieto. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Evgeni Malkin scored an empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Nedeljkovic (38 save shutout), Graves, and Acciari.

Next up, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Buffalo began in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Zach Benson and JJ Peterka. Chicago tied it on a Taylor Raddysh goal in the second period, his third of the year, via Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno. The Sabres retook the lead with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Dahlin and Peterka. The Blackhawks tied it on a Kurashev goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Connor Bedard and Luksa Reichel. Buffalo pulled ahead again in the third period with an Erik Johnson goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Dahlin. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Dahlin, Kurashev, and Peterka.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues visit the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Joel Hofer are the young goalies. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Scott Perunovich. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Alexey Toropchenko scored his third of the season, thanks to Justin Faulk and Kevin Hayes. Anaheim got on the board with a Mason McTavish goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Alex Killorn and Max Jones. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars being Hofer (30 for 31 in saves), Buchnevich, and Toropchenko. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 40

It's a 13-game Saturday, beginning in Sweden once again. First up...

The Ottawa Senators face the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Anton Forsberg draw the starts in goal. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Marco Rossi goal, his sixth of the season, via Brock Faber and Mats Zuccarello. Ottawa tied it on an Erik Brannstrom goal in the third period, passed from the goalie Forsberg and Travis Hamonic. The tie went to a shootout, where Josh Norris gave the Senators a 2-1 win with the lone tally. The three stars were Forsberg (24 for 25 in saves), Gustavsson (30 for 31 in saves), and Brannstrom.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Carter Hart are set to start in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with an Owen Tippett power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Travis Sanheim and Cam Atkinson. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Tyson Foerster power play goal, with assists provided by Sanheim and Tippett. Vegas got on the board with a William Karlsson goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights tied it on a Marchessault goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel. Philadelphia retook the lead on a Sean Walker goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Nick Seeler and Sean Couturier. Vegas tied it again with a Marchessault power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Mark Stone and Theodore. The Flyers won 4-3 in overtime with a Couturier goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Couturier, Marchessault, and Tippett, while Sanheim and Theodore get the honorable mentions. 

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Kevin Lankinen are the backups in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Yakov Trenin goal, via Colton Sissons. The Predators added on with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his third of the year, fueled by Connor Bedard and Seth Jones. Nashville responded with a Cole Smith goal, his third of the season, passed from Philip Tomasino and Michael McCarron. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Jason Dickinson. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Smith empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Trenin. The three stars were Smith, Trenin, and Lankinen (29 for 31 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jonas Johansson are the alliterative goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a shorthanded Derek Ryan goal, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Cody Ceci. The Oilers added on with a James Hamblin goal, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. The Lightning tied it in the second period with another Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Sergachev and Darren Raddysh. Edmonton retook the lead on a Ryan goal, his second of the game, guided in by Warren Foegele and Mattias Ekholm. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his third of the season, helped along by Mikey Eyssimont and Sergachev. The Oilers pulled ahead on an Evan Bouchard goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nugent-Hopkins. The Lightning evened it with a Stamkos power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Point. Tampa Bay gained the lead with a Luke Glendening goal, his second of the year, passed from Calvin de Haan and Raddysh. The Lightning iced it at 6-4 with a Sergachev empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Nick Paul. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Sergachev, and Ryan, While Stamkos, Point, Raddysh, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Boston Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jeremy Swayman man the nets. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Charlie McAvoy power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with a Trent Frederic goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Pavel Zacha scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Hampus Lindholm and David Pastrnak. Montreal got on the board with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his second of the year, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook. The Bruins shot back on a Frederic goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, passed from Coyle and Jake DeBrusk. Boston padded the lead with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Marchand and Pastrnak. The Canadiens got one back with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, his second of the season, guided in by Christian Dvorak and Slafkovsky. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Frederic, Coyle, and Pastrnak, while Slafkovsky and Marchand get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Antti Raanta are the veterans in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Erik Karlsson. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Brent Burns goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Andrei Svechnikov. The Penguins tied it on a Crosby goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Kris Letang and Bryan Rust. Carolina took the lead with a Jarvis goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Slavin and Burns. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Jarvis on the power play, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Aho and Teravainen. The three stars were Jarvis, Burns, and Crosby, while Aho, Teravainen, and Slavin get the honorable mentions.

North again to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a power play goal by Artemi Panarin, his ninth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Erik Gustafsson. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler. The Rangers took the lead back with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his second of the season, guided in by Braden Schneider and Zac Jones. The Devils tied it on a Ondrej Palat power play goal, via Jesper Bratt and Tyler Toffoli. New Jersey pulled ahead in the third period with an Erik Haula goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Hughes and Hamilton. New York tied it again with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with a lone assist from Trocheck. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Vesey goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Tyler Pitlick and Trocheck. New York added on with a Blake Wheeler empty net goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Panarin, Vesey, and Trocheck, while Hughes and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Laurent Brossoit are in the blue paint. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his third of the season, via J.J. Moser and Alexander Kerfoot. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Neal Pionk and Brenden Dillon. The Jets took the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Josh Morrissey. The Coyotes retied it in the second period with a Matt Dumba goal, his second of the year, fueled by Travis Boyd and Nick Schmaltz. Winnipeg pulled ahead again with a Kyle Connor goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Scheifele and Dillon. The Jets added on in the third period with a Morrissey goal, his second of the year, helped along by Scheifele and Connor. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Mason Appleton, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Nino Niederreiter. The three stars were Connor, Scheifele, and Morrissey, while Dillon gets an honorable mention.

Further west, the Calgary Flames welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Martin Pospisil goal, his third of the season, fueled by Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary. New York tied it on a Hudson Fasching goal, guided in by Cal Clutterbuck and Brock Nelson. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson. New York added on with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames got one back with a Blake Coleman goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Nick DeSimone and Jonathan Huberdeau. Calgary tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Zary. The Islanders reclaimed the lead with a Nelson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Palmieri. The Flames tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. The tie went to a shootout, where Horvat and Oliver Wahlstrom lifted the Islanders 4-3 over Sharangovich and the Flames. The three stars were Nelson, Palmieri, and Zary.

Eastward to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Charlie Lindgren are set to start in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, guided in by Boone Jenner and Damon Severson. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano goal, his third of the year, assisted by Aliaksei Protas and Hendrix Lapierre. The Capitals took the lead with a Protas goal, his second of the season, passed from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Lapierre. Washington added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dylan Strome. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period with an Ivan Provorov goal, made possible by Cole Sillinger. The Capitals fired back with a Lapierre goal, courtesy of Milano and Protas. Columbus got one back with a Justin Danforth goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Sean Kuraly and Zach Werenski. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Protas, Lapierre, and Milano.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Seguin scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, with the help of Marchment and Esa Lindell. Colorado got on the board with a Miles Wood goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ross Colton and Cale Makar. The Avalanche got one back with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Makar and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Avalanche took the lead with a Rantanen goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Devon Toews and Nichushkin. Colorado padded the lead with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his second of the year, via Joel Kiviranta and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche iced it at 6-3 with a Colton empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Makar. The three stars went to Nichushkin, Rantanen, and Makar, while Seguin, Colton, and Marchment get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Thatcher Demko protect the nets. Vancouver led off in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his eleventh of the season, via Tyler Myers and Phillip Di Giuseppe. Seattle tied it in the second period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, courtesy of Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken took the lead with a Eberle goal, his second of the year, passed from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Justin Schultz. The Canucks tied it on a Quinn Hughes goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson. Seattle pulled ahead again in the third period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the year, coming off of Will Borgen and Eeli Tolvanen. The Kraken added on with a Beniers goal, his third of the season, helped along by Eberle. Vancouver got one back with a Nils Hoglander goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Myers. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Eberle, Beniers, and Myers.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Cam Talbot occupy the creases. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Quinton Byfield power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with a Blake Lizotte goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Kempe shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Kings padded the lead as Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Arthur Kaliyev and Jordan Spence. Los Angeles continued in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Phillip Danault and Drew Doughty. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his third of the year, fueled by Sammy Blais and Nick Leddy. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kempe, Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), and Lizotte. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 39

There's three games on this Friday, beginning with the second NHL Global Series game in Sweden with...

The Detroit Red Wings playing host to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Alex Lyon draw the starts in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Daniel Sprong penalty shot goal, his fifth of the season. The Red Wings added on with a Lucas Raymond goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Ben Chiarot and Alex DeBrincat. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by William Nylander and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Nylander power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Tavares. Toronto pulled ahead on a Tavares goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Bertuzzi and Nylander. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Tavares, Nylander, and Bertuzzi. 

Across the Atlantic, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie faces his former team and Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Neal Pionk. The Jets added on with a Mason Appleton goal, his fifth of the year, via Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry. Buffalo got on the board with an Alex Tuch goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg fired back with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Niederreiter and Namestnikov. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a JJ Peterka goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and Zach Benson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ehlers, Niederreiter, and Namestnikov. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and John Gibson are the former teammates in goal. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, courtesy of Anton Lundell. The Panthers added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Lundell and Nick Cousins. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Adam Henrique and Cam Fowler. They couldn't find an equalizer, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Stolarz (33 for 34 in saves), Lundell, and Ekman-Larsson. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 38

There's nine games on this Thursday, including the first of four Global Series games. First up...

The Ottawa Senators play host to the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Joonas Korpisalo start in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Stutzle and Claude Giroux. Ottawa extended the lead as Jake Sanderson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Josh Norris. The Senators padded the lead on a Norris goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, made possible by Mathieu Joseph and Tarasenko. Detroit got on the board with a Lucas Raymond goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings got closer with a David Perron goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Olli Maatta and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit pulled closer with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Gostisbehere and J.T. Compher. The Red Wings tied it on a Gostisbehere goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Compher and Maatta. Ottawa won 5-4 in overtime with a Stutzle goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Batherson and Sanderson. The three stars went to Stutzle, Gostisbehere, and Tkachuk, while Sanderson, Norris, Batherson, Tarasenko, Compher, and Maatta get the honorable mentions. 

Back in North America, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus got going in the second period with a Damon Severson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dmitri Voronkov and Ivan Provorov. Arizona tied it on a Barrett Hayton goal, his second of the year, assisted by Michael Kesselring and Matt Dumba. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Logan Cooley power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Sean Durzi and Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Lawson Crouse goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Nick Bjugstad. The Blue Jackets got one back with another Severson goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Zach Werenski and Alexandre Texier. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Severson, Crouse, and Ingram (39 for 41 in saves).

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill faces a lesser foe in Cayden Primeau in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alex Newhook goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The Canadiens added on with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, assisted by Newhook and Suzuki. Vegas got on the board with a Brett Howden shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Keegan Kolesar. Montreal shot back with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights answered with a Brayden McNabb goal, coming off of Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Michael Amadio. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Ylonen goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with helpers from Michael Pezzetta and Gustav Lindstrom. The Golden Knights retied it with a Theodore power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Eichel and Mark Stone. Vegas pulled ahead on an Eichel power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Theodore and Stone. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Stone scored a power play goal, his fifth of the year, with the help of William Karlsson and Theodore. Montreal got one back with a Justin Barron goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Cole Caufield and Matheson. This made it a 6-5 final, with the three stars being Theodore, Eichel, and Stone, while Ylonen, Newhook, Matheson, and Suzuki get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Tristan Jarry patrol the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Jake Guentzel. New Jersey tied it on a Curtis Lazar shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Erik Haula. The Penguins took the lead back with a Rust goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. The Devils retied it on a Haula goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Dougie Hamilton and Tomas Nosek. New Jersey pulled ahead in the third period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Luke Hughes and Lazar. The Devils added on with an Alexander Holtz goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dawson Mercer and Ondrej Palat. New Jersey extended the lead as Tyler Toffoli scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Bratt and Hughes. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Lazar, Bratt, and Hughes, while Rust and Haula get the honorable mentions.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Petr Mrazek start in goal. Chicago started in the first period with a Lukas Reichel power play goal, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Kevin Korchinski. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Brayden Point, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead with a Mikhail Sergachev goal, coming off of Point and Steven Stamkos. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Corey Perry goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jason Dickinson and Boris Katchouk. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Hedman goal, his fourth of the season, via Erik Cernak and Point. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Brandon Hagel, his eighth of the year, set up by Sergachev. The three stars were Point, Hedman, and Sergachev.

Further along, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Vancouver struck first in the first period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. Calgary tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his third of the year, via A.J. Greer and Elias Lindholm. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Dillon Dube goal, his third of the season, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary added on with a Noah Hanifin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Blake Coleman and Lindholm. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his third of the season, thanks to Mikael Backlund and Coleman. The Canucks got one back with a Nils Hoglander goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Sam Lafferty. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Lindholm empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Lindholm, Huberdeau, and Coleman.

In Seattle, the Kraken host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Philipp Grubauer are the veterans in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson. Seattle tied it on a Matty Beniers power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Vince Dunn and Kailer Yamamoto. The Kraken took the lead with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his second of the season, made possible by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle. The Islanders tied it in the second period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. New York took the lead in the third period with a Noah Dobson power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Barzal and Kyle Palmieri. Seattle tied it on a Yamamoto power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Jaden Schwartz and Eeli Tolvanen. The tie went to a shootout, where Bjorkstrand, Eberle, and Yamamoto lifted the Kraken to a 4-3 win over Horvat and Oliver Wahlstrom. The three stars were Yamamoto, Barzal, and Eberle.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Talbot tend the twines. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the season, passed from Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. The Kings added on in the second period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Fiala and Drew Doughty. Florida got on the board with a Sam Reinhart goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Talbot (30 for 31 in saves), Fiala, and Kopitar.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mike Hoffman goal, his second of the season, via Nico Sturm and Filip Zadina. The Sharks added on in the second period with a William Eklund goal, his third of the year, passed from Nikita Okhotiuk. San Jose extended the lead as Givani Smith scored, thanks to Luke Kunin and Ryan Carpenter. Jordan Binnington replaced Hofer in goal. The Sharks padded the lead on a Kunin goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Smith and Carpenter. San Jose kept going with a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and third of the year, guided in by Zadina and Okhotiuk. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Justin Faulk and Robert Thomas. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars being Hoffman, Kunin, and Smith, while Carpenter, Zadina, and Okhotiuk get the honorable mentions

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 37

There's four games on this Wednesday slate, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Pyotr Kochetkov start in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with an Owen Tippett goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Morgan Frost and Louie Belpedio. The Flyers added on with a Travis Konecny goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Nick Seeler and Sean Couturier. Philadelphia extended the lead as Ryan Poehling scored in the second period, thanks to Sean Walker and Scott Laughton. Carolina got on the board with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Tony DeAngelo and Jack Drury. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Hart (31 for 32 in saves), Konecny, and Poehling.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Edmonton got going in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken took the lead with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his second of the season, coming off of Vince Dunn and Tye Kartye. Seattle added on with an Alexander Wennberg goal, passed from Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Oilers got one back in the third period with an Evander Kane goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton tied it on a Kane goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, helped along by Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Kane goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the year, set up by Zach Hyman and Bouchard. The three stars were Kane, Bouchard, and Draisaitl.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Samuel Girard goal, via Jack Johnson and Tomas Tatar. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Devon Toews and Cale Makar. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Carrick goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Radko Gudas and Brock McGinn. Colorado fired back with a Fredrik Olofsson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Logan O'Connor and Joel Kiviranta. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Ross Colton scored his fifth of the year, thanks to O'Connor and Miles Wood. Colorado padded the lead with another Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, powered by Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The Ducks got one back on a Max Jones goal, guided in by Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg. The Avalanche responded with a Kiviranta goal, with helpers from Girard and the goalie Georgiev. Colorado continued on an Andrew Cogliano goal, made possible by Kiviranta and Johnson. The Avalanche piled on with a Toews goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Makar and MacKinnon. This stood for an 8-2 win, with the three stars going to Nichushkin, Kiviranta, and Makar, while Toews, MacKinnon, Johnson, Girard and O'Connor get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period with a Pierre Engvall power play goal, powered by Oliver Wahlstrom and Sebastian Aho. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko. New York shot back with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifth of the season, via Barzal. The Canucks pulled one back on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Miller and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver tied it in the third period with a Filip Hronek power play goal, guided in by Hughes and Boeser. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Hughes goal, his sixth of the campaign, assisted by Miller and Boeser. The three stars were Boeser, Miller, and Hughes, while Barzal gets an honorable mention. 

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