NHL 2023-24 - Day 51

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

The San Jose Sharks welcoming the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Kaapo Kahkonen are set to start in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Jacob MacDonald goal, his second of the season, via Mario Ferraro and Ty Emberson. New Jersey tied it on a Dawson Mercer power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Simon Nemec. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a MacDonald goal, his second of the game and third of the season, guided in by Matt Benning and Justin Bailey. San Jose added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mikael Granlund. The Devils responded in the third period with a Jack Hughes goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks shot back with a Duclair goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Granlund. New Jersey pulled one back with an Ondrej Palat goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jesper Bratt and Nemec. San Jose answered with a Granlund unassisted goal, his second of the year. The Sharks iced it at 6-3 with a William Eklund empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Ryan Carpenter and Tomas Hertl. The three stars were Granlund, MacDonald, and Duclair, while Nemec gets an honorable mention. 

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo faces his former team and Elvis Merzlikins in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brady Tkachuk and Artem Zub. The Senators added on with a Tkachuk power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson. Columbus got on the board with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets tied it on an unassisted Dmitri Voronkov goal, his fifth of the year. Columbus pulled ahead with an Adam Fantilli goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Justin Danforth. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Boone Jenner scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Werenski and Gaudreau. The final held at 4-2 with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Werenski, and Tkachuk. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 50

There's a big 14 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, his third of the season, guided in by Matthew Poitras. The Bruins added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. Boston extended the lead in the third period on a Zacha power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars going to Swayman (27 save shutout), Zacha, and Pastrnak.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Alex Lyon handle the goaltending duties. Detroit started in the first period with a J.T. Compher shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Andrew Copp and Jake Walman. Chicago tied it on a power play goal by Lukas Reichel, his second of the year, powered by Tyler Johnson and Connor Bedard. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Robby Fabbri goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Walman. Detroit added on in the second period with a Ben Chiarot goal, his second of the year, via Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings extended the lead as Compher scored on the power play for his second goal of the game and sixth of the season, with the help of David Perron and Raymond. Detroit padded the lead in the third period with a Fabbri power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sprong and Moritz Seider. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Compher, Fabbri, and Walman, while Raymond gets an honorable mention.

Across the border, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Cayden Primeau in goal. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Sam Bennett goal, his third of the year, fueled by Carter Verhaeghe. Florida extended the lead as Evan Rodrigues scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Sam Reinhart and Barkov. The Panthers padded the lead on a Verhaeghe power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Rodrigues. Montreal got on the board with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Cole Caufield and Jake Evans. Florida finished it at 5-1 with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Cousins. The three stars were Barkov, Rodrigues, and Verhaeghe get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Carter Hart are in the creases. New Jersey opened in the first period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his seventh of the season, via Michael McLeod and Colin Miller. The Devils added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Tyler Toffoli and Dawson Mercer. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Morgan Frost power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Travis Konecny and Cam York. New Jersey replied with a Toffoli power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. The Flyers got one back with a Sean Walker goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Konecny. Philadelphia tied it on a Tyson Foerster power play goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Scott Laughton and Bobby Brink. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Luke Hughes goal, his third of the campaign, passed from Jack Hughes and Hischier. The three stars were given to Jack Hughes, Toffoli, and Hischier, while Konecny gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Tanner Jeannot power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Mikhail Sergachev and Kucherov. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Jake Guentzel. The Penguins tied it on a Drew O'Connor goal, his second of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh pulled ahead with a Jeff Carter goal, helped along by Matt Nieto and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Jarry empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jarry (39 for 41 in saves), Carter, and Kucherov.

North again to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Joseph Woll are the masked men. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with another Marner goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Matthews and Conor Timmins. Seattle got on the board with a Jared McCann power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle. Toronto replied with a Marner goal, completing his hat trick on his eighth of the year, fueled by Jake McCabe. The Kraken got one back in the third period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Tye Kartye and Adam Larsson. Seattle tied it on a McCann goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by Alexander Wennberg and Justin Schultz. The tie went to a shootout, where Matthews and Marner gave the Maple Leafs a 4-3 win. The three stars were Marner, Matthews, and McCann.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Pyotr Kochetkov draw the starts in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his second of the season, via Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov. New York tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jordan Martinook. The Islanders tied it on a shorthanded Simon Holmstrom goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. New York took the lead with a Pierre Engvall goal, his second of the season, coming off of Barzal and Noah Dobson. Carolina tied it on a Jack Drury goal in the third period, his second of the year, fueled by Stefan Noesen and Martin Necas. The Islanders reclaimed the lead with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Dobson and Barzal. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Sebastian Aho goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Staal and Brent Burns. New York won 5-4 in overtime with a Barzal goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Barzal, Dobson, and Staal.

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Juuse Saros are in the creases. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Connor Dewar goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Duhaime and Marco Rossi. The Wild added on with a Jake Middleton goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Marcus Foligno and Dewar. Minnesota extended the lead with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild chased Saros in the second period with a Pat Maroon goal, his third of the year, via Alex Goligoski and Frederick Gaudreau. Kevin Lankinen entered in goal for Nashville. Minnesota padded the lead as Dewar scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Kaprizov. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Juuso Parssinen goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Luke Evangelista. The Wild shot back with a Dewar goal to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the season, made possible by Vinni Lettieri and Zach Bogosian. The three stars of the 6-1 game went to Dewar, Kaprizov, and Gustavsson (26 for 27 in saves).

Further west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jordan Binnington are the starting goalies. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Robert Thomas. St. Louis extended the lead as Jake Neighbours scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Nick Leddy and Pavel Buchnevich. Buffalo got on the board with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Kyle Okposo and Peyton Krebs. The Sabres got closer in the second period with a Zach Benson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Dylan Cozens. Buffalo tied it Krebs goal, assisted by Dahlin and Jordan Greenway. The Blues regained the lead on a Kevin Hayes goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Kyrou and Schenn. St. Louis padded the lead on a Schenn goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with helpers from Kyrou and Hayes. The Blues continued in the third period with a Neighbours goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. The Sabres pulled one back with a JJ Peterka goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Cozens and Benson. The final stood at 6-4, with the three stars given to Schenn, Neighbours, and Benson, while Hayes, Kyrou, Buchnevich, Dahlin, and Cozens get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Cole Perfetti power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. Edmonton tied it in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ryan McLeod and Mattias Janmark. The Oilers took the lead with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a McLeod empty net goal, set up by Cody Ceci. The three stars went to Skinner (25 for 26 in saves), McLeod, and Hyman.

Way south to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Ingram are in the blue paint. Colorado started in the first period with a Cale Makar power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Travis Boyd goal, his second of the year, via Liam O'Brien and J.J. Moser. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Miles Wood goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Caleb Jones and Jack Johnson. The Coyotes tied it with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Alexander Kerfoot and Clayton Keller. Arizona gained the lead on a Michael Carcone goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Troy Stecher. Colorado retied it on a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Makar and Rantanen. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Makar, Rantanen, and Bjugstad.

Northward to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Jacob Markstrom play in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Thomas Harley goal, his fourth of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Calgary tied it on a Chris Tanev goal, made possible by Andrew Mangiapane and Dennis Gilbert. The Flames took the lead with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund. The Stars tied it on a Mason Marchment goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas pulled ahead in the third period with a Marchment penalty shot goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year. Calgary tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Huberdeau and the goalie Markstrom. The three stars were Huberdeau, Marchment, and Kadri.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and John Gibson are between the pipes. Washington led off in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim tied it on a Tristan Luneau unassisted goal. The Ducks took the lead with a Brett Leason goal, his third of the year, made possible by Leo Carlsson. The Capitals tied it again on a Tom Wilson goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington took the lead with a Wilson power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Nic Dowd goal, his second of the season, coming off of Rasmus Sandin and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Anaheim got one back in the third period with a Brock McGinn goal, courtesy of Leason and Luneau. Washington shot back with a Wilson power play goal to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the year, with helpers from Ovechkin and Carlson. The Ducks got one back with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Alex Killorn. The final held here at 5-4, with the three stars going to Wilson, Ovechkin, and Carlson, while Luneau and Leason get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vegas began in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights added on with an Eichel goal, his ninth of the year, via Barbashev and Nicolas Hague. Vegas extended the lead on a William Karlsson power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo. Logan Thompson replaced Hill for the third period. The Golden Knights padded the lead on a Brett Howden goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Pietrangelo and Michael Amadio. Vancouver got on the board with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Eichel, Barbashev, and Pietrangelo. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 49

We've got just three games this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus got going in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on an Alex Newhook goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kaiden Guhle and Nick Suzuki. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his third of the season, assisted by Dmitri Voronkov and Zach Werenski. The Canadiens tied it on a Cole Caufield goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Christian Dvorak and Juraj Slafkovsky. Montreal took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his second of the season, passed from Michael Matheson and Justin Barron. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with a Gustav Lindstrom empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Matheson. The three stars were Matheson, Armia, and Caufield. 

East to New York, as the Rangers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Alexis Lafreniere and K'Andre Miller. Detroit tied it on a Moritz Seider power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Andrew Copp and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings took the lead with a Fabbri goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jonathan Berggren and Copp. The Rangers tied it on a Miller goal, his third of the year, coming off of Mika Zibanejad and Jacob Trouba. New York pulled ahead with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Miller, Lafreniere, and Fabbri, while Copp gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Andreas Englund and Jordan Spence. Washington tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals took the lead with a McMichael goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Mantha and Protas in the second period. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being McMichael, Mantha, and Lindgren (37 for 38 in saves), while Protas gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 48

There's 10 games on for this Tuesday, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Vitek Vanecek are between the pipes. New York led off in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. New Jersey tied it on a Michael McLeod goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Curtis Lazar. The Devils took the lead with a Dawson Mercer goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jack Hughes and Tyler Toffoli. The Islanders tied it on a Barzal goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Anders Lee and Dobson. New York took the lead with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his third of the season, made possible by Casey Cizikas and Julien Gauthier. The Islanders added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, helped along by Barzal and Alexander Romanov. Akira Schmid replaced Vanecek in goal. New Jersey got one back in the third period with a Jack Hughes goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Mercer and Brendan Smith. The Devils tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes on the power play. New Jersey puled ahead with a Lazar goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Kevin Bahl and McLeod. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Jack Hughes, Barzal, and Lazar, while McLeod, Mercer, and Dobson get the honorable mentions.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll receive the starts in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jonah Gadjovich and Aaron Ekblad. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Noah Gregor goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Auston Matthews and Gregor lifted the Maple Leafs to a 2-1 win over Sam Reinhart and the Panthers. The three stars went to Gregor, Woll (37 for 38 in saves), and Stolarz (31 for 32 in saves).

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Carter Hart man the nets. Carolina opened in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Sebastian Aho and Dmitry Orlov. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Tyson Foerster. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina added on in the third period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Bunting and Aho. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Jesperi Kotkaniemi, his eighth of the season, set up by Jesper Fast. The three stars were Bunting, Aho, and Kochetkov (28 for 29 in saves).

West to Minnesota, as the Wild host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Filip Gustavsson protect the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon. St. Louis tied it on a Colton Parayko goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Sammy Blais and Alexey Toropchenko. The Wild retook the lead with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, coming off of Pat Maroon and Marcus Foligno. Minnesota added on in the third period with a Matt Boldy goal, his second of the season, passed from Jonas Brodin. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Gustavsson (22 for 23 in saves), Gaudreau, and Boldy.

Southeast to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Michael McCarron goal, his second of the season, via Tyson Barrie and Gustav Nyquist. The Predators added on with another McCarron goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Philip Tomasino and Filip Forsberg. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Reilly Smith. The Penguins tied it in the third period with a Bryan Rust goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by John Ludvig and Jake Guentzel. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the campaign, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Roman Josi. The three stars went to Forsberg, McCarron, and Saros (29 for 31 in saves).

Backtracking to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Dallas got going in the second period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on in the third period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars handed to Oettinger (27 save shutout), Pavelski, and Seguin.

South again to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Boris Katchouk goal, his second of the season, coming off of Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic. The Blackhawks added on with a Jason Dickinson goal, his seventh of the year, via Isaak Phillips and Joey Anderson. Seattle got on the board with a Matty Beniers goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jared McCann. The Kraken tied it on an Alexander Wennberg shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Adam Larsson and the goalie Grubauer. Chicago took the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Taylor Raddysh and Lukas Reichel. The Blackhawks extended the lead as MacKenzie Entwistle scored his second of the year, thanks to Anderson. Seattle got one back in the third period with a Tye Kartye goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Beniers. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Anderson, Beniers, and Entwistle.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Connor Ingram have the green light to play in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Michael Carcone goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Michael Kesselring and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Travis Boyd goal, made possible by Josh Brown and the goalie Ingram. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. Arizona replied in the third period with another Carcone goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, coming off of Jason Zucker and Kerfoot. The final remained at 3-1, with the three stars going to Carcone, Ingram (31 for 32 in saves), and Kerfoot.

North to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Stuart Skinner are the young goalies. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his third of the season, courtesy of James Hamblin. Vegas tied it in the second period on a Mark Stone goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Kaedan Korczak and Jack Eichel. The Oilers retook the lead with a Mattias Janmark goal, via Mattias Ekholm and Connor McDavid. The Golden Knights tied it again on a Michael Amadio goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Nicolas Roy. Edmonton pulled ahead again on a McDavid goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Cody Ceci. The Oilers added on with an Evander Kane power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Evan Bouchard and McDavid. Vegas got one back with a Ben Hutton goal in the third period, with helpers from Paul Cotter and Amadio. The Golden Knights tied it on a Keegan Kolesar goal, made possible by Zach Whitecloud and Roy. The tie went to a shootout, where McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the tallies for a 5-4 Oilers win. The three stars were McDavid, Amadio, and Roy.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Thatcher Demko are the masked men. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Filip Hronek and J.T. Miller. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Strome power play goal in the second period, his third of the year, powered by Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Tyler Myers and Ilya Mikheyev. Vancouver added on with a Boeser empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Miller. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Boeser, Demko (30 for 31 in saves), and Miller. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 47

It's a six-game Monday this time around, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. Buffalo began in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Victor Olofsson and Owen Power. The Sabres added on in the second period with an Alex Tuch goal, his seventh of the year, via Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin. New York got on the board in the third period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Artemi Panarin. Buffalo shot back with another Tuch goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Mittelstadt and Power. The Sabres extended the lead as Mittelstadt scored an empty net goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Jeff Skinner. Buffalo finished it at 5-1 as Kyle Okposo scored his third of the year, thanks to Henri Jokiharju and Olofsson. The three stars were given to Tuch, Mittelstadt, and Power, while Olofsson gets an honorable mention.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Spencer Martin are the goalies. Columbus led off in the first period with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Yegor Chinakhov. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his second of the year, via David Jiricek and Cole Sillinger. Linus Ullmark replaced Swayman in goal. Columbus extended the lead as Chinakhov scored his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine. Boston got on the board with a Matthew Poitras goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Charlie McAvoy and Danton Heinen. Columbus shot back on a Justin Danforth empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Sean Kuraly and Jenner. The Bruins pulled one back with a John Beecher goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Kevin Shattenkirk and Trent Frederic. This stood for a 5-2 final score, with the three stars going to Chinakhov, Jenner, and Martin (31 for 33 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo patrol the creases. Florida opened in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on with a Reinhart power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Sam Bennett and Barkov. Florida extended the lead as Bennett scored his second of the season on the power play, thanks to Barkov and Brandon Montour. The Panthers padded the lead with a Carter Verhaeghe goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov. Florida finished it at 5-0 with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Reinhart, Barkov, and Bobrovsky (20 save shutout), while Bennett gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Colorado started in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on in the second period with another Johansen goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Tomas Tatar and Cale Makar. Colorado extended the lead on a Makar power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his third of the year, fueled by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Avalanche replied in the third period with a Valeri Nichushkin empty net goal, his tenth of the season, set up by MacKinnon. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Johansen, Makar, and MacKinnon.

North to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Dan Vladar protect the nets. Vegas struck first in the first period with a William Karlsson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Nicolas Roy and Michael Amadio. Calgary tied it in the third period with an A.J. Greer goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Vladar (25 for 26 in saves), Weegar, and Greer.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Mackenzie Blackwood are the masked men. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Nikita Okhotiuk and Mikael Granlund. Washington tied it in the second period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Martin Fehervary. The Sharks took the lead with a Luke Kunin power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, powered by Justin Bailey and Ty Emberson. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Blackwood (33 for 34 in saves), Kunin, and Zetterlund. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 46

There's five games on today, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alex Lyon are in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a David Perron power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Lucas Raymond and Shayne Gostisbehere. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The Red Wings took the lead back in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Gostisbehere. Detroit added on with a Perron power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Gostisbehere and Larkin. The Red Wings iced it at 4-1 with a Gostisbehere empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by J.T. Compher and Michael Rasmussen. The three stars were Gostisbehere, Perron, and Larkin.

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces a lesser foe in Arvid Soderblom in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his sixth of the season, via Pavel Buchnevich and Torey Krug. The Blues added on with a Kevin Hayes goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Kyrou and Brandon Saad. Chicago got on the board with a Ryan Donato goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Isaak Phillips and Wyatt Kaiser. St. Louis fired back with a Buchnevich power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Robert Thomas and Krug. The Blues extended the lead in the third period as Neighbours scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, with the help of Buchnevich and Thomas. The Blackhawks pulled one back with a Boris Katchouk goal, coming off of Donato and Kaiser. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Neighbours, Buchnevich, and Krug, while Donato, Thomas, and Kaiser get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Pyotr Kochetkov are the goalies. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his sixth of the season, via Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets added on with a Gaudreau goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes tied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his third of the year, fueled by Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. Carolina took the lead with a Svechnikov goal, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Jarvis. This gave them a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Svechnikov, Jarvis, and Gaudreau.

Over in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Nashville opened in the first period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Josi goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Kiefer Sherwood and Ryan McDonagh. Nashville extended the lead on a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Josi. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets got closer with a Cole Perfetti power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Josi, Saros (32 for 34 in saves), and Nyquist.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Stuart Skinner are the young goalies. Anaheim started in the first period with a Max Jones goal, his second of the season, passed from Brett Leason and Urho Vaakanainen. Edmonton tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Connor Brown and Leon Draisaitl. The Ducks retook the lead with another Jones goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg and Pavel Mintyukov. The Oilers tied it again on a Connor McDavid goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Zach Hyman and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton took the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifth of the season, via Nurse and McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Hyman goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by McDavid and Vincent Desharnais. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as James Hamblin scored his second of the season, thanks to Adam Erne and Desharnais. The Oilers chased Dostal with a Hyman goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of McDavid. John Gibson took over in goal. Edmonton padded the lead in the third period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers continued with a Mattias Ekholm power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Nurse and Kane. This made it 8-2, the final, with the three stars going to McDavid, Hyman, and Nurse, while Kane, Draisaitl, Desharnais, and Jones get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 45

We've got eight games on for a light Saturday slate. First up...

The New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Jonathan Quick start in goal. New York started in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Artemi Panarin. Boston got on the board with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Trent Frederic and James van Riemsdyk. The Bruins tied it with a Morgan Geekie goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jakub Lauko and Derek Forbort. New York pulled ahead with a Kreider shorthanded goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, set up by Jacob Trouba. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with an assist from Pavel Zacha. The Rangers retook the lead with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Vincent Trocheck and Panarin. New York extended the lead as K'Andre Miller scored his second of the season, thanks to Mika Zibanejad and Kreider. The Rangers padded the lead in the third period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, with helpers from Vesey and Barclay Goodrow. The Bruins got one back on a Coyle goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from van Riemsdyk and Geekie. New York shot back with a Panarin goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Braden Schneider and Zac Jones. This stood for a 7-4 win, with the three stars going to Kreider, Vesey, and Panarin, while Coyle, Geekie, and van Riemsdyk get the honorable mentions. 

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Pheonix Copley are the starting goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his seventh of the season, via Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andreas Englund. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Arthur Kaliyev and Dubois. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Trevor Lewis scored his third of the season, with the help of Jaret Anderson-Dolan. The Kings padded the lead on a Moore goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, assisted by Kevin Fiala. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Moore, Copley (18 save shutout), and Dubois.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils host the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Vitek Vanecek man the nets. New Jersey led off in the first period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his sixth of the season, via Erik Haula and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brendan Smith and Dawson Mercer. New Jersey extended the lead as Nico Hischier scored his third of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt. The Devils padded the lead on a Palat goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Bratt and Hischier. Devon Levi replaced Comrie at the start of the second period. Buffalo got on the board with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. New Jersey fired back on a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, passed from Holtz and Luke Hughes. The Devils continued in the third period with a Mercer goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Hamilton and Jack Hughes. The Sabres got one back with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his second of the year, fueled by Owen Power and JJ Peterka. New Jersey fired back with a Luke Hughes power play goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The final was 7-2, with the three stars given to Toffoli, Hischier, and Luke Hughes, while Palat, Holtz, Mercer, Hamilton, and Bratt get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Tristan Jarry patrol the creases. Toronto began in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his seventh of the year, via Drew O'Connor and Sidney Crosby. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Matthew Knies goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Calle Jarnkrok. The Penguins tied it on a Noel Acciari goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh took the lead with an Erik Karlsson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Kris Letang and Jeff Carter. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Karlsson, Acciari, and Guentzel.

Next up, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Ilya Sorokin occupy the blue paint. The game stayed scoreless through overtime and required a shootout, where Tyson Foerster scored the lone tally in four rounds for a 1-0 Flyers win. The three stars were Ersson (25 save shutout), Sorokin (40 save "shutout"), and Foerster.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Ivan Prosvetov are in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman. Colorado answered with a MacKinnon goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being MacKinnon, Prosvetov (30 for 31 in saves), and Johansen.

To San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ty Emberson goal, via Tomas Hertl and Mike Hoffman. Vancouver tied it on a Filip Hronek goal, his second of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Sharks took the lead back in the second period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Hertl. The Canucks tied it again with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Miller and Hronek. San Jose pulled ahead in the third period with a Mikael Granlund goal, courtesy of Calen Addison and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks added on with a Hoffman power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Granlund and Addison. Vancouver got one back with a Boeser goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, made possible by Miller and Elias Pettersson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Hoffman, Granlund, and Boeser, while Hertl, Addison, Hronek, and Miller get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Logan Thompson protect the nets. Arizona got going in the third period with a Clayton Keller goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes added on with a Lawson Crouse empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars handed to Ingram (32 save shutout), Keller, and Crouse. 

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