Tuesday, December 12, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 62

We've got a 10-game Tuesday on, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Igor Shesterkin are set to start in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by William Nylander and Noah Gregor. The Maple Leafs added on with a Conor Timmins goal, via Calle Jarnkrok and Max Domi. New York got on the board with a Blake Wheeler goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto replied with a Jarnkrok goal, his seventh of the season, passed from John Tavares. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Mitchell Marner scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Matthews and William Lagesson. The Rangers got one back in the second period on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. New York got closer with a Wheeler goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, made possible by Zibanejad and Jacob Trouba. Toronto replied in the third period with a Marner power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Morgan Rielly and Matthews. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, passed from Nylander and Jake McCabe. Toronto iced it at 7-3 with a David Kampf empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by T.J. Brodie and Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Marner, and Jarnkrok, while Wheeler, Zibanejad, and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Joonas Korpisalo man the nets. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his seventh of the season, via Erik Brannstrom and Claude Giroux. Carolina tied it on a Martin Necas power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brady Skjei and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Tony DeAngelo and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on with a Seth Jarvis goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Aho and Dmitry Orlov. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Aho scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Brett Pesce and Skjei. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Aho, Skjei, and Kochetkov (30 for 31 in saves).

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Valtteri Puustinen. Arizona tied it on a Lawson Crouse power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Zucker and Juuso Valimaki. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Matias Maccelli power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Crouse and Nick Bjugstad. The Penguins tied it on a shorthanded Jeff Carter goal, his second of the year, set up by Drew O'Connor. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Carter power play goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Reilly Smith. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Guentzel empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Marcus Pettersson. The three stars went to Guentzel, Carter, and Crouse.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Jordan Binnington are the veteran goalies. St. Louis started in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich and Kasperi Kapanen. Detroit tied it on a Jake Walman goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings took the lead with a Jonatan Berggren goal, his second of the season, via Jeff Petry and Daniel Sprong. The Blues tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko. St. Louis took the lead with another Hayes goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. Detroit retied it on a Moritz Seider goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Michael Rasmussen. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Marco Scandella shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Joe Veleno and Patrick Kane. Detroit gained the lead on a Robby Fabbri goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Raymond and Andrew Copp. The Red Wings iced it at 6-4 with a Rasmussen shorthanded empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Veleno. The three stars went to Raymond, Rasmussen, and Hayes, while Veleno gets an honorable mention.

In Nashville, the Predators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Alexandre Carrier and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a second period goal from Michael McCarron, his fourth of the year, assisted by Luke Schenn and Cole Smith. Philadelphia got on the board with a Sean Couturier goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his fourth of the year, via Travis Konecny and Couturier. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, made possible by Ryan O'Reilly and Roman Josi. The three stars were Forsberg, McCarron, and Nyquist.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Stuart Skinner are set to start in goal. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Connor Bedard goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixth of the year, via Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers took the lead with a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Derek Ryan. Edmonton added on in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Cody Ceci and Gagner. The Oilers extended the lead on a Zach Hyman power play goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, powered by McDavid and Bouchard. The final held from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Gagner, McDavid, and Bouchard.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Brandon Hagel. Vancouver tied it on an Andrei Kuzmenko power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Miller and Nils Hoglander. Vancouver added on with another Boeser goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, passed from Hughes and Filip Hronek. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 when Boeser completed his hat trick in the third period on an empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Hughes. The three stars were Boeser, Hughes, and Miller.

Across the border, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joey Daccord are between the pipes. Seattle got going in the second period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Will Borgen and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Kraken added on with a Bellemare goal in the third period, his third of the year, via Ryker Evans and Yamamoto. Seattle extended the lead as Alexander Wennberg scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Borgen and Tye Kartye. The Kraken padded the lead on an empty net goal by Eeli Tolvanen, his seventh of the year, set up by Vince Dunn. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Daccord (24 save shutout), Yamamoto, and Bellemare, while Borgen gets an honorable mention.

South to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf and Logan Thompson draw the starts. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his seventh of the season, via Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Vegas tied it on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil. The Golden Knights tied it on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Stone. Calgary took the lead again with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Elias Lindholm. Vegas tied it on a Stone power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by William Karlsson and Marchessault. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Stephenson and Marchessault. The Flames retied it on a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Kadri. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in overtime with a Stone goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, fueled by Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Stone, Sharangovich, and Marchessault, while Karlsson, Stephenson, and Kadri get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goalies. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Justin Bailey goal, via Mike Hoffman and Jan Rutta. Winnipeg tied it on a Brenden Dillon goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks took the lead in the third period with a William Eklund power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Eklund, Blackwood (36 for 37 in saves), and Bailey. 

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Monday, December 11, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 61

There's four games this Monday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Devon Levi start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Eric Robinson and Connor Clifton. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Michael Kesselring goal, via Logan Cooley and Milos Kelemen. The Sabres took the lead back with an Eric Robinson goal, his second of the year, passed from Okposo and Clifton. Buffalo added on with a Peyton Krebs goal, his second of the season, made possible by Okposo and Robinson. The Sabres extended the lead as JJ Peterka goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. The Coyotes got one back with a Michael Carcone shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Dahlin, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Okposo, Robinson, and Dahlin, while Clifton gets an honorable mention.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Ilya Sorokin guard the cages. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and William Nylander. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Noah Dobson. The Islanders took the lead with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Cal Clutterbuck and Hudson Fasching. New York added on in the second period with a Palmieri goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nelson and Dobson. The Maple Leafs pulled one back on a Tavares goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Conor Timmins and Jake McCabe. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Tavares and Nylander. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Bo Horvat goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Dobson. The three stars went to Dobson, Tavares, and Palmieri, while Nelson and Nylander get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Robby Fabbri and Christian Fischer. Dallas tied it on a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with an Esa Lindell goal, his second of the season, made possible by Sam Steel and Jani Hakanpaa. Dallas added on in the second period with a Robertson goal, his ninth of the year, via Lindell and Roope Hintz. The Stars extended the lead as Matt Duchene scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Joel Hanley and Tyler Seguin. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Jonatan Berggren goal, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere and Olli Maatta. Detroit got closer in the third period with a Joe Veleno power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Alex DeBrincat and Gostisbehere. Dallas shot back on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Hintz and Heiskanen. The Stars iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Heiskanen, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Steel. The three stars were given to Heiskanen, Robertson, and Lindell, while Hintz, Steel, and Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Alexandar Georgiev are the goalies. Calgary started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Blake Coleman. Colorado tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, guided in by Ross Colton and Fredrik Olofsson. The Avalanche took the lead on a Cale Makar power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon in the second period. The Flames tied it on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Kadri and Dennis Gilbert. Calgary took the lead with a Coleman goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Mikael Backlund and Gilbert. Colorado responded with a Ben Meyers goal, helped along by Andrew Cogliano and Sam Malinski. The Flames fired back with a Connor Zary goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by MacKenzie Weegar. Calgary added on with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson. Ivan Prosvetov replaced Georgiev in goal. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Colton goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Josh Manson and Bowen Byram. Colorado tied it on a Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Valeri Nichushkin and Makar. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a MacKinnon goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists from Nichushkin and Rantanen. This stood for a 6-5 win, with the three stars going to Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Coleman, while Makar, Colton, Nichushkin, Kadri, and Gilbert get the honorable mentions. 

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Sunday, December 10, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 60

A busy eight-game Sunday begins early with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Jet Greaves are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Gustav Forsling goal, his third of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Columbus tied it on a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kirill Marchenko and Erik Gudbranson. The Panthers took the lead back with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Reinhart and Forsling. Florida added on with a Barkov power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by Sam Bennett and Reinhart. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his sixth of the season, via Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski. The Panthers replied on a Matthew Tkachuk empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Niko Mikkola. Florida iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Eetu Luostarinen, his fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Barkov and Reinhart. The three stars went to Reinhart, Barkov, and Forsling. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Calvin Pickard make the starts in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sam Gagner and Brett Kulak. The Oilers added on in the second period with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as Connor McDavid scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Evander Kane. New Jersey got on the board with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Nico Hischier and Ondrej Palat. The Oilers finished it at 4-1 with a Kane empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Kane, and Pickard (26 for 27 in saves). 

Back east, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Arvid Soderblom are in the creases. Chicago got going in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Seth Jones and Connor Bedard. Washington tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventh of the year, via Connor McMichael. The Capitals took the lead on a Dylan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Joel Edmundson and Alex Ovechkin. Washington added on with a Nic Dowd goal, his third of the year, fueled by Beck Malenstyn and Nick Jensen. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Dowd scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Malenstyn. The Blackhawks got one back on a Connor Murphy goal, passed from Bedard and Kurashev. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Dowd, Malenstyn, and Kurashev, while Bedard gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. Nashville opened in the first period with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Sissons goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Dante Fabbro and Josi. Montreal got on the board with a Jake Evans goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Sissons, Saros (36 for 37 in saves), and Josi. 

Stateside to New York, as the Rangers host the Los Angeles Kings. Pheonix Copley and Jonathan Quick start in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino. Los Angeles got on the board with a Phillip Danault power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar. New York replied with a Jonny Brodzinski power play goal, fueled by Trocheck and Adam Fox. The Rangers extended the lead as Will Cuylle scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Trocheck and Brodzinski. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Trocheck, Brodzinski, and Quick (25 for 26 in saves). 

Way out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Troy Terry and Max Jones. The Ducks added on in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jakob Silfverberg and Radko Gudas. Winnipeg got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Brenden Dillon. The Jets tied it on a Morgan Barron goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Josh Morrissey and David Gustafsson. Winnipeg took the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, coming off of Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored an empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Nikolaj Ehlers. The three stars were Morrissey, Vilardi, and Hellebuyck (25 for 27 in saves). 

Up in Seattle, the Kraken host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Joey Daccord are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild added on in the third period with a Marco Rossi goal, his ninth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Joel Eriksson Ek empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Ryan Hartman. The three stars were Gustavsson (24 save shutout), Boldy, and Rossi.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jiri Patera receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mario Ferraro goal, via Kyle Burroughs and Mikael Granlund. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Ben Hutton. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Mark Stone. Vegas added on in the third period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Kaedan Korczak. The Sharks shot back on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Granlund and the goalie Kahkonen. The Golden Knights replied with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, helped along by Stephenson and Zach Whitecloud. The tie went to a shootout, where Eichel and Marchessault lifted Vegas to a 5-4 win over San Jose. The three stars were Marchessault, Hoffman, and Stephenson, while Granlund gets an honorable mention. 

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Saturday, December 9, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 59

There's 12 games on this Saturday slate, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Boston opened in the first period with an unassisted David Pastrnak goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Bruins added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the year, via Trent Frederic. Boston extended the lead in the second period on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Arizona got on the board with a Clayton Keller goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jason Zucker and Juuso Valimaki. The Coyotes got closer with a Michael Carcone goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins replied with a Danton Heinen goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Matthew Poitras and Frederic. Arizona shot back in the third period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad. Boston answered with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, fueled by Morgan Geekie and Jake DeBrusk. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Frederic, and Heinen. 

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Dustin Wolf draw the starts in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a shorthanded Yegor Sharangovich goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Blake Coleman and Ilya Solovyov. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes. The Devils took the lead with a Bratt goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey added on in the third period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Flames got one back on a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with a Hischier empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Hischier, Bratt, and Meier.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Vegas started in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brett Howden and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights added on with a Whitecloud goal, his second of the year, via William Carrier and Nicolas Roy. Dallas got on the board with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Jani Hakanpaa. Vegas shot back with a Mark Stone goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the second period as Roy scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Stone. Vegas padded the lead in the third period on a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his second of the year, helped along by William Karlsson and Paul Cotter. The Golden Knights continued with a Cotter goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Brayden McNabb. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Stone, Roy, and Whitecloud while Cotter gets an honorable mention. 

Northeast to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. Washington began in the first period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Martin Fehervary and John Carlson. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his sixth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Rasmus Sandin. Washington extended the lead as Tom Wilson scored his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals padded the lead on a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the year, passed from Beck Malenstyn. This was good for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Lindgren (31 save shutout), Milano, and Mantha.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Ilya Samsonov start in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with a David Kampf goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Conor Timmins. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. Toronto extended the lead as Matthews scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Nylander and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Noah Gregor shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Calle Jarnkrok. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Matthews, Samsonov (19 save shutout), and Nylander.

Across the border, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Devon Levi are the young goalies. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jayden Struble goal, guided in by Johnathan Kovacevic on the power play. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael Matheson and Sean Monahan. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twelfth of the year, via Tage Thompson. The Sabres tied it on a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Connor Clifton. The Canadiens won in the shootout with tallies from Jesse Ylonen, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky for a 3-2 win over Owen Pwer and Victor Olofsson. The three stars were Primeau (46 for 48 in saves), Suzuki, and Struble.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Alex Lyon receive the starting nods in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Vladimir Tarasenko. Detroit tied it on a Patrick Kane power play goal, with assists provided by Alex DeBrincat and the goalie Lyon. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with a Tarasenko power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Chychrun and Giroux. Ottawa added on with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Mathieu Joseph. The Senators extended the lead as Tim Stutzle scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Drake Batherson and Artem Zub. James Reimer replaced Lyon in goal for the third period. Ottawa padded the lead on a Jake Sanderson empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Tarasenko, Giroux, and Chychrun.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his third of the year, coming off of Fiala and Phillip Danault. New York got on the board in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, via Mike Reilly and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders tied it on another Lee goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by Scott Mayfield and Bo Horvat. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Fiala, Lee, and Pageau.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his third of the season, via Nikita Zaitsev and Cole Guttman. The Blackhawks added on with an Alex Vlasic goal, assisted by Louis Crevier and MacKenzie Entwistle. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Jason Dickinson scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Zaitsev and Connor Murphy. St. Louis got on the board with a shorthanded Oskar Sundqvist goal, his third of the season, set up by Nick Leddy. The final stood from here at 3-1, with the three stars being Zaitsev, Mrazek (39 for 40 in saves), and Vlasic.

Along to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart faces a lesser foe in Ivan Prosvetov in goal. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Sean Couturier and Tyson Foerster. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his eleventh of the year, via Josh Manson and Devon Toews. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Bobby Brink. Philadelphia added on with a Travis Sanheim goal, his third of the year, fueled by Morgan Frost and Tippett. The Avalanche got one back with a Manson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Johansen. The Flyers countered with a Konecny penalty shot goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year. Philadelphia extended the lead as Joel Farabee scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Brink and Sanheim. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Konecny, Tippett, and Sanheim, while Manson and Brink get the honorable mentions.

Further on, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Philipp Grubauer are between the pipes. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Nick Perbix and Tanner Jeannot. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel. Seattle got on the board with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Will Borgen in the second period. The Kraken tied it on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jordan Eberle. Seattle pulled ahead in the third period with a Jared McCann power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Eberle. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nick Paul goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Cirelli and Kucherov. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Hagel and Darren Raddysh. The three stars belonged to Kucherov, Cirelli, and Hagel, while Eberle gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Thatcher Demko are in the creases. Vancouver got the first goal in the first period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Elias Pettersson and Ian Cole. The Canucks added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, via Pettersson and Lafferty. Carolina got on the board with a Jordan Martinook goal, coming off of Jesper Fast and Jaccob Slavin. Vancouver shot back with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander. The Hurricanes got one back with a Brady Skjei power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Dmitry Orlov and Michael Bunting. Carolina tied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Jack Drury and Brent Burns. The Canucks retook the lead with a Pettersson goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Mikheyev and Filip Hronek. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Mikheyev, and Lafferty.  

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Friday, December 8, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 58

There's three games on this Friday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Valtteri Puustinen. Florida tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his third of the season, fueled by Evan Rodrigues and Lundell. Florida iced it at 3-1 with an Aleksander Barkov empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Sam Reinhart. The three stars went to Lundell, Bobrovsky (26 for 27 in saves), and Luostarinen.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Jet Greaves are the backups in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Pavel Buchnevich. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on an Adam Fantilli goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Kent Johnson and Emil Bemstrom. Columbus added on in the third period with a Chinakhov goal, his fourth of the year, via Marchenko and Voronkov. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Chinakhov scored on the power play, his second goal of the game and fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues got one back with a Thomas goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, helped along by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Alexandre Texier, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Justin Danforth. The three stars went to Chinakhov, Marchenko, and Thomas, while Voronkov gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Stuart Skinner are the masked men. Edmonton started in the first period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Matt Boldy goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brock Faber and Marcus Johansson. The Wild took the lead with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Boldy and Johansson. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nugent-Hopkins and Bouchard. Minnesota retook the lead with a Connor Dewar goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Ryan Hartman and Faber. Edmonton tied it again with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period with a Bouchard power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with assists provided by Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Bouchard, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl, while McDavid, Boldy, Johansson, and Faber get the honorable mentions. 

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 57

There's 13 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi is mismatched with Linus Ullmark in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a JJ Peterka goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Dylan Cozens. The Sabres added on with a Tage Thompson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Connor Clifton. Boston got on the board with a Brad Marchand goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Hampus Lindholm. Buffalo shot back in the third period with a Victor Olofsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Owen Power. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Levi (29 for 30 in saves), Thompson, and Olofsson.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Ville Husso man the nets. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Klim Kostin goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his fourth of the year, via Daniel Sprong. Detroit extended the lead as Rasmussen scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Ben Chiarot and Andrew Copp. The Red Wings padded the lead with a Lucas Raymond goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Chiarot and Robby Fabbri. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Blackwood in goal. San Jose got one back on a Tomas Hertl shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by William Eklund and Jan Rutta. The Sharks got closer on a Fabian Zetterlund shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Rutta and Mikael Granlund. San Jose pulled closer with a Nico Sturm goal, passed from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Kyle Burroughs. The Sharks tied it on another Sturm goal, helped along by Justin Bailey and Kevin Labanc. Detroit retook the lead with a Dylan Larkin goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Raymond and Fabbri. San Jose tied it on a Hertl goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with assists from Granlund and Alexander Barabanov. The Sharks won 6-5 in overtime with a Granlund goal, his third of the campaign, dished from Zetterlund. The three stars were Granlund, Hertl, and Sturm, while Zetterlund, Rutta, Rasmussen, Raymond, Fabbri, and Chiarot get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Sam Montembeault are the masked men. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Drew Doughty goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Byfield goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Adrian Kempe and Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Byfield scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Kopitar and Kevin Fiala on the power play. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with a Trevor Moore goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Fiala and Doughty. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (24 save shutout), Byfield, and Kopitar, while Doughty and Fiala get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ottawa, where the Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his ninth of the year, via Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a David Kampf goal, his second of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Jake McCabe. Toronto added on in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Max Domi and Nicholas Robertson. The Senators got one back with a Jacob Bernard-Docker goal, guided in by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. Martin Jones replaced an injured Woll in goal. The Maple Leafs fired back with a William Nylander goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by McCabe and Brodie. Ottawa got one back on a Claude Giroux goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Jake Sanderson. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being McCabe, Brodie, and Nylander.

Stateside, the New York Islanders welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Noah Dobson. Columbus tied it on an Emil Bemstrom goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead with a Fantilli goal, his sixth of the year, via Johnson and Zach Werenski. The Islanders tied it on a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Hudson Fasching and Casey Cizikas. New York took the lead with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Scott Mayfield and Mike Reilly. The Islanders added on with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Brock Nelson and Barzal. Columbus got one back in the third period with a Fantilli goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, fueled by Bemstrom and Jake Bean. New York shot back with a Barzal goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, guided in by Bo Horvat. The Islanders extended the lead as Horvat scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Julien Gauthier. New York padded the lead on another Horvat goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Barzal and Samuel Bolduc. The final stood at 7-3, with the three stars given to Barzal, Horvat, and Fantilli, while Bemstrom and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. Nashville tied it on a Juuso Parssinen power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Philip Tomasino and Ryan McDonagh. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville added on with a McDonagh goal, going in unassisted. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Josi scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Cole Smith. Nashville padded the lead on a Yakov Trenin empty net goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Kiefer Sherwood. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Josi, McDonagh, and Saros (32 for 33 in saves).

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Charlie Lindgren receive the starting nods in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Aliaksei Protas goal, his third of the season, coming off of Connor McMichael and Nick Jensen. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his ninth of the year, via Sam Steel and Miro Heiskanen. The Capitals took the lead back in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Tom Wilson and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Washington added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Phillips and Protas. The Stars got one back with a Mason Marchment goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Matt Duchene. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson. The Capitals pulled ahead on a Strome power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, with assists provided by Anthony Mantha and Alex Ovechkin. The Stars tied it again on another Hintz goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, fueled by Robertson and Joe Pavelski. The tie went to a shootout, where Robertson's lone tally lifted the Stars to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Robertson, Hintz, and Strome, while Protas gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Chicago cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a power play goal by Philipp Kurashev, his fifth of the season, powered by Connor Bedard and Tyler Johnson. The final stayed at 1-0, with the three stars going to Mrazek (37 save shutout), Kurashev, and Dostal (24 for 25 in saves).

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Connor Ingram patrol the creases. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Joel Farabee goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Cam Atkinson and Cam York. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Matias Maccelli and Jason Zucker. Philadelphia replied in the second period on a shorthanded Konecny goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Nick Seeler. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as York scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Travis Sanheim and Nicolas Deslauriers. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars given to Konecny, York, and Hart (25 for 26 in saves).

North to Calgary, as the Flames host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Dustin Wolf are the young goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jaccob Slavin and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes added on with a Michael Bunting goal, his sixth of the year, via Dmitry Orlov and Martin Necas. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Blake Coleman and MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames tied it on a Connor Zary goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Adam Ruzicka and Nazem Kadri. Calgary took the lead on a Coleman shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Yegor Sharangovich. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Coleman, Zary, and Wolf (30 for 32 in saves).

South again to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Lowry goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. The Jets added on in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Devon Toews and Sam Malinski. Winnipeg fired back on a Morrissey goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dylan Samberg and Nino Niederreiter. The Avalanche answered with a Joel Kiviranta goal, his second of the season, made possible by MacKinnon and Bowen Byram. The Jets iced it at 4-2 in the third period with a Connor empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Connor, Morrissey, and MacKinnon.

In Canada once more, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Casey DeSmith are set to start in goal. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Brock Boeser and Tyler Myers. The Canucks added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his second of the year, via Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to DeSmith (26 save shutout), Hoglander, and Blueger.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Philipp Grubauer are in the creases. New Jersey began in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Marino and Nico Hischier. Seattle tied it on a Tye Kartye goal, his fifth of the year, via Alexander Wennberg and Andre Burakovsky in the second period. The Devils retook the lead on a Simon Nemec goal, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Jonas Siegenthaler. This was it for the offense, with the final standing at 2-1. The three stars went to Schmid (38 for 39 in saves), Nemec, and Palat. 

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Wednesday, December 6, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 56

We've got a four-game Wednesday on tap, beginning with...

The Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Kucherov power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Hedman and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Tanner Jeannot scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Mikey Eyssimont. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his tenth of the year, via Sidney Crosby. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Vasilevskiy (23 for 24 in saves), and Hedman.

Also in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida began in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Niko Mikkola and Sam Reinhart. Dallas tied it on a Radek Faksa goal, his second of the year, via Sam Steel and Thomas Harley. The Panthers retook the lead with a Reinhart goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Rodrigues. Florida added on in the second period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Sam Bennett and Mikkola. The Stars got one back in the third period with a Mason Marchment power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jani Hakanpaa and Wyatt Johnston. The Panthers took the lead back with a Barkov goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Rodrigues and Reinhart. Florida padded the lead on a Rodrigues power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Aaron Ekblad. The Stars got one back on a Harley power play goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Marchment. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Rodrigues, Reinhart, and Barkov, while Harley, Marchment, and Mikkola get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Vegas opened with a Zach Whitecloud goal, via Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar. St. Louis tied it on a Jake Neighbours goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Robert Thomas. The Blues took the lead with a Kevin Hayes goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Torey Krug and Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis added on with a Kyrou goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. The Golden Knights got one back with a Jack Eichel goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Eichel. The Golden Knights took the lead on a Kolesar goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Brayden McNabb and Kaedan Korczak. Vegas extended the lead as Michael Amadio scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Chandler Stephenson and Barbashev on the power play. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-3 with a Karlsson empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Nicolas Hague. The three stars went to Eichel, Kolesar, and Karlsson, while Barbashev gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Stuart Skinner are the young goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Warren Foegele. The Oilers added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Mattias Janmark and Bouchard. Antti Raanta replaced Kochetkov in goal. The Oilers padded the lead on another Hyman goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. Edmonton continued in the second period with a Foegele goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Janmark. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jaccob Slavin. The Oilers countered on a Hyman goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the season, assisted by McDavid. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Hyman, McDavid, and Janmark, while Foegele and Bouchard get the honorable mentions. 

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