Tuesday, December 19, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 69

There's 11 games on this Tuesday slate, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Linus Ullmark protect the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Frederick Gaudreau and Alex Goligoski. Boston tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of John Beecher. The Bruins took the lead with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Zacha and James van Riemsdyk. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jake Middleton and Brock Faber. Minnesota took the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Marco Rossi and Faber. Boston tied it with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Morgan Geekie and Charlie McAvoy. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, coming off of Joel Eriksson Ek. The three stars were Kaprizov, Pastrnak, and Hartman.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Devon Levi are set to start in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt. Columbus tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixth of the year, via Adam Fantilli. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Fantilli goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Gaudreau and Ivan Provorov. Columbus added on with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Marchenko scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with the help of Yegor Chinakhov and Andrew Peeke. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Levi in goal. Columbus padded the lead as Marchenko scored his thirteenth of the year to complete his hat trick, thanks to Chinakhov and Provorov. The Blue Jackets continued with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his third of the season, fueled by Alexandre Texier and Sean Kuraly. Columbus struck again with a Kuraly goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Texier and Brendan Gaunce. The Sabres got one back with a Kyle Okposo goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Mittelstadt and Victor Olofsson. Buffalo pulled one back in the third period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Dahlin and Alex Tuch. The Sabres got closer with a Cozens goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Zach Benson and Mittelstadt. The Blue Jackets replied with a Cole Sillinger goal, his second of the year, made possible by Werenski and Kent Johnson. Columbus kept going with a Johnson goal, his fourth of the season, dished from Sillinger and Emil Bemstrom. This stood for a 9-4 win, with the three stars going to Marchenko, Gaudreau, and Fantilli, while Johnson, Sillinger, Kuraly, Chinakhov, Texier, Werenski, Provorov, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, and Cozens get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Pyotr Kochetkov are the young goalies. Carolina began in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho. Vegas tied it on a William Carrier goal, his fourth of the year, via Brayden McNabb and Brett Howden. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook. Carolina added on with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Jalen Chatfield and Michael Bunting. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Bunting scored his seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Aho and Brent Burns. Carolina padded the lead in the third period with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Bunting and Aho. The Hurricanes continued with a Skjei goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Jiri Patera replaced Thompson in goal. The Golden Knights got one back with a Nicolas Hague goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Mark Stone and Jack Eichel. Vegas got closer with another Carrier goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, helped along by Howden and Michael Amadio. The three stars of the 6-3 game were Bunting, Aho, and Carrier, while Skjei and Howden get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Vitek Vanecek patrol the creases. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Michael McLeod goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Nathan Bastian and Curtis Lazar. Philadelphia tied it on a second period goal by Ryan Poehling, his third of the year, via Joel Farabee. The Devils took the lead back with a Jesper Bratt power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. The Flyers tied it on another Poehling goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers won 3-2 in overtime with an Owen Tippett goal, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Poehling, Ersson (24 for 26 in saves), and Tippett.

Further south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Tanner Jeannot and Haydn Fleury. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Motte goal, his second of the year, guided in by Conor Sheary and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Brayden Point and Nick Paul. The Lightning padded the lead on another Kucherov goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, via Nick Perbix and Paul. Tampa Bay chased Binnington with a Fleury goal, made possible by Stamkos and Brandon Hagel. Joel Hofer entered in goal. The Lightning continued in the third period with a Paul power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Stamkos and Victor Hedman. St. Louis got on the board with a Justin Faulk power play goal, with assists provided by Jake Neighbours and Kevin Hayes. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars being Paul, Stamkos, and Kucherov, while Fleury gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin faces a lesser foe in Martin Jones in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Chris Kreider. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Morgan Rielly and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Rangers took the lead back with an Alexis Lafreniere power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jonny Brodzinski and Erik Gustafsson. The Maple Leafs tied it with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Matthew Knies and William Nylander. New York pulled ahead on a Braden Schneider goal, his second of the season, made possible by Gustafsson and Wheeler. The Rangers added on with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Gustafsson and Vincent Trocheck. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Zibanejad empty net goal, is second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Wheeler and Ryan Lindgren. The three stars were Zibanejad, Wheeler, and Gustafsson, while Matthews gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele and Mattias Ekholm. New York tied it in the second period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders took the lead with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson. New York added on with a Simon Holmstrom shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Sorokin (31 for 32 in saves), Horvat, and Holmstrom.

Along to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Juuse Saros are in the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Ilya Mikheyev and Pius Suter. The Canucks added on with a Nils Aman goal, going in unassisted. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, his third of the year, guided in by Luke Evangelista and Tommy Novak. Vancouver shot back on a Nils Hoglander goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. The Canucks extended the lead as Suter scored his fifth of the year, fueled by Mikheyev and Pettersson. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Hughes. Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros in goal. The Predators got one back with a Cody Glass goal, helped along by Cole Smith. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pettersson, Suter, and Hughes, while Mikheyev gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Bedard. Colorado tied it on a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Sam Malinski. The Blackhawks tied it on a Lukas Reichel goal, his third of the year, guided in by Bedard and Donato. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Nick Foligno and Zaitsev. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Donato, Nichushkin, and Bedard, while Zaitsev gets an honorable mention.

To Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Connor Ingram are between the pipes. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the first period with an Angus Crookshank goal, assisted by Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson. The Senators added on with a Josh Norris power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Sanderson and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead as Dominik Kubalik scored his seventh of the year, fueled by Erik Brannstrom. Karel Vejmelka replaced Ingram in goal. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Jack McBain goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Logan Cooley and Michael Carcone. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a J.J. Moser goal, his third of the year, via Matias Maccelli and Matt Dumba. Arizona tied it on a Clayon Keller goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Troy Stecher and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes pulled ahead with a Michael Kesselring goal, his second of the year, passed from Zach Sanford and McBain. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to McBain, Carcone, and Sanderson.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Arthur Kaliyev and Kevin Fiala. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Fiala and Phillip Danault. Los Angeles extended the lead as Alex Laferriere scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Jordan Spencer and Kopitar. The Kings padded the lead on a Trevor Lewis shorthanded empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Blake Lizotte. San Jose got on the board with a Jacob MacDonald power play goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Kevin Labanc and Filip Zadina. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Fiala, and Rittich (14 for 15 in saves). 

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Monday, December 18, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 68

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

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso man the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Radko Gudas goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Brett Leason and Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Pavel Mintyukov goal, his second of the year, coming off of Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry. James Reimer replaced an injured Husso in goal. Anaheim extended the lead on a Henrique power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Cam Fowler and Ryan Strome. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period on a Terry goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Urho Vaakanainen and Alex Killorn. Detroit got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, assisted by Andrew Copp and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings got closer in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit pulled closer with a DeBrincat power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Gostisbehere and Dylan Larkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Henrique, Terry, and DeBrincat, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Valtteri Puustinen and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Evgeni Malkin scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Puustinen and Pettersson. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brock Faber and Marcus Johansson. The Wild got closer with a Jake Middleton goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Vinni Lettieri goal, his third of the year, helped along by Jon Merrill and Daemon Hunt. The Penguins retook the lead with a Crosby power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Guentzel and Malkin. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Crosby, Guentzel, and Malkin, while Puustinen and Pettersson get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Montreal got going in the second period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Michael Matheson and Jake Evans. The Canadiens added on with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Anderson and Brendan Gallagher. Winnipeg got on the board with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Vladislav Namestnikov and Brenden Dillon. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Justin Barron goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki on the power play. The three stars were handed to Anderson, Barron, and Dvorak. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Dallas opened in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his ninth of the season, via Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment. The Stars added on with a Jason Robertson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his second of the season, assisted by Matty Beniers. Dallas replied with another Duchene goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, passed from Joe Pavelski and Evgenii Dadonov. The Kraken pulled one back with a Beniers goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Tatar. Seattle tied it in the third period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Thomas Harley goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Duchene and Jamie Benn. The three stars were Duchene, Pavelski, and Beniers, while Tatar gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Calgary started in the first period with a Martin Pospisil goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Nazem Kadri and Dennis Gilbert. Florida tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Mikael Backlund shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Noah Hanifin. Calgary added on with a shorthanded Blake Coleman empty net goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Markstrom (34 for 35 in saves), Backlund, and Pospisil. 

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Sunday, December 17, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 67

There's five games on for Sunday, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Petr Mrazek are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Joey Anderson. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Filip Hronek. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the second period on a Foligno power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with assists provided by Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. The Canucks tied it on a Dakota Joshua goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger. Vancouver pulled ahead on a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Miller and Tyler Myers. The Canucks added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Myers and Pius Suter. Chicago got one back in the third period with a Cole Guttman power play goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Bedard and Kurashev. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being, Miller, Foligno, and Myers, while Bedard and Kurashev get the honorable mentions. 

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Pyotr Kochetkov are the masked men. Carolina got going in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twelfth of the season, via Seth Jarvis. Washington tied it on a Martin Fehervary goal, guided in by Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. The Capitals won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The three stars were Kuemper (28 for 29 in saves), Fehervary, and Kochetkov (20 for 21 in saves0.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Akira Schmid protect the nets. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Pavel Mintyukov and Alex Killorn. The Ducks added on with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Mintyukov and Troy Terry. New Jersey got on the board with a Michael McLeod goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. Lukas Dostal replaced Gibson for the third period. Anaheim replied in the third period with a Killorn goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jackson LaCombe and Cam Fowler. The Ducks extended the lead as Terry scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Killorn and Fowler. Anaheim iced it at 5-1 with a Henrique shorthanded empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his ninth of the year, which went in unassisted. The three stars were Henrique, Killorn, and Terry, while Fowler and Mintyukov get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Colorado started in the first period with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Miles Wood scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Ross Colton and Drouin. The Avalanche padded the lead in the second period on an unassisted MacKinnon goal, his thirteenth of the year. San Jose got on the board with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Mikael Granlund and Alexander Barabanov. Colorado fired back in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Caleb Jones and Andrew Cogliano. The Sharks pulled one back with a Hertl power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by William Eklund and Granlund. The Avalanche iced it at 6-2 with a MacKinnon empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were MacKinnon, Hertl, and Drouin, while Granlund gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Adin Hill patrol the creases. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Ben Hutton. Ottawa tied it on a Josh Norris power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson. Logan Thompson replaced an injured Hill. The Senators took the lead with a Ridly Greig power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Claude Giroux and Jakob Chychrun. The Golden Knights retied it on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Brett Howden and Brayden McNabb. Vegas took the lead in the second period with a Nicolas Roy power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Hutton. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded Chandler Stephenson goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Mark Stone. Vegas extended the lead as Barbashev scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Hague and Stone. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the third period on a William Karlsson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Stone and Eichel. Ottawa got one back on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Drake Batherson and Norris. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars going to Stone, Eichel, and Barbashev, while Norris and Hutton get the honorable mentions. 

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Saturday, December 16, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 66

It's a 13-game Saturday slate, beginning with one matinee as...

The Minnesota Wild host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Filip Gustavsson man the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, via Marcus Foligno and Pat Maroon. Vancouver tied it in the second period on a Teddy Blueger goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland. The tie went to a shootout, where the Wild won 2-1 with a lone tally by Mats Zuccarello. The three stars were Gustavsson (35 for 36 in saves), DeSmith (30 for 31 in saves), and Gaudreau. 

East to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman guard the cages. Boston got going in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Matthew Poitras. New York tied it in the third period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers won 2-1 in overtime with a Trocheck goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Erik Gustafsson. The three stars were given to Trocheck, Shesterkin (22 for 23 in saves), and Swayman (31 for 33 in saves).

Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Akira Schmid and Daniil Tarasov play in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli. The Devils added on with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Dawson Mercer and Alexander Holtz. Columbus got on the board with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau. New Jersey replied on a Toffoli goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Jesper Bratt. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Yegor Chinakov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrew Peeke and Dmitri Voronkov. The Devils shot back with a Hughes power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Bratt and Nico Hischier. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Hischier scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Bratt. Columbus got one back on an Alexandre Texier goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with a Hughes empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hughes, Bratt, and Hischier, while Toffoli gets an honorable mention.

In Montreal, the Canadiens host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joel Armia goal, his fourth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher and Kaiden Guhle. The Canadiens added on with a Josh Anderson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Justin Barron and Sean Monahan. Montreal extended the lead as Anderson scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Monahan and Barron. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Cole Caufield goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. New York got on the board in the third period with a Brock Nelson shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Noah Dobson. The Islanders got one back with another Nelson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Dobson. New York pulled closer with a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Dobson. Montreal iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Christian Dvorak, his second of the year, courtesy of Suzuki. The three stars were Anderson, Nelson, and Dobson, while Monahan, Barron, and Suzuki get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Samuel Ersson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Cam York goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster. Ville Husso replaced an injured Lyon in the second period. The final held at 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Ersson (34 save shutout), York, and Husso (18 for 18 in saves in relief).

To Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Martin Jones are the veteran goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Matthew Knies goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Max Domi. The Maple Leafs added on with a Mitchell Marner goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Nicholas Robertson and Domi. Toronto extended the lead as Bobby McMann scored, with the help of Tyler Bertuzzi and Pontus Holmberg. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the second period on a Domi goal, his second of the season, assisted by Knies and Marner. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Jarry in goal. Toronto kept going with a John Tavares power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs continued with a Noah Gregor power play goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Bertuzzi and Conor Timmins. Toronto struck again with a Nylander goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Bertuzzi and Jake McCabe. The final stood at 7-0, with the three stars handed to Domi, Knies, and Jones (38 save shutout), while Nylander, Marner, and Bertuzzi get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Ivan Prosvetov is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Vladislav Gavrikov power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Alex Iafallo and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Iafallo scored his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Jets answered with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Morrissey. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Namestnikov and Mason Appleton. The Avalanche got one back with a Jack Johnson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Valeri Nichushkin and MacKinnon. The Jets finished it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Ehlers, his tenth of the year, set up by Scheifele. The three stars were Vilardi, Namestnikov, and Ehlers, while Scheifele, Iafallo, Morrissey, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Colton Sissons power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. Washington tied it in the second period on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin. The Predators retook the lead with a Philip Tomasino goal, his second of the season, made possible by Cole Smith. Nashville added on in the third period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Alexandre Carrier and Michael McCarron. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Saros (21 for 22 in saves), Tomasino, and Trenin.

Along to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Jordan Binnington are in the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Mason Marchment goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene. The Stars added on with a Ty Dellandrea goal, via Sam Steel and Radek Faksa. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Kevin Hayes. The Blues tied it on a Kyrou goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Torey Krug and Robert Thomas. St. Louis took the lead with a Hayes goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Alexey Toropchenko and Krug. Dallas tied it on an Evgenii Dadonov goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Colton Parayko goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Kyrou and Thomas. The three stars were Kyrou, Hayes, and Thomas, while Krug gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Karel Vejmelka are in the blue paint. Arizona cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Clayton Keller goal, his tenth of the season, via Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes added on with a Liam O'Brien goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Logan Cooley. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars going to Vejmelka (28 save shutout), Keller, and O'Brien.

North to Calgary, as the Flames welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Dan Vladar in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with an A.J. Greer goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin. The Flames added on with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his eighth of the year, via Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman. Calgary extended the lead as Yegor Sharangovich scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Jordan Oesterle and Elias Lindholm. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning got closer with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Flames replied with a Connor Zary goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Oesterle. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Oesterle, Kucherov, and Sharangovich.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Calvin Pickard receive the starting nods in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers added on with a Brandon Montour goal, courtesy of Verhaeghe and Bennett. Florida extended the lead as Aleksander Barkov scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Sam Reinhart and Ekman-Larsson. Edmonton got on the board with a Zach Hyman goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Panthers shot back with a Bennett power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Montour and the goalie Bobrovsky. Florida padded the lead in the third period with another Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Verhaeghe, Bennett, and Montour, while Ekman-Larsson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Joey Daccord guard the cages. Seattle drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Larsson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Devin Shore and Vince Dunn. Los Angeles tied it on a Trevor Moore goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe in the second period. The Kraken tied it on an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Ryker Evans and Jared McCann. The tie went to a shootout, where Kempe, Arthur Kaliyev, Trevor Lewis and Carl Grundstrom lifted the Kings to a 4-3 win over Kailer Yamamoto, Yanni Gourde and Matty Beniers. The three stars went to Talbot (17 for 19 in saves), Kempe, and Daccord (36 for 38 in saves). 

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Friday, December 15, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 65

There are six games on this Friday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Jonathan Quick are the backups in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Brett Leason goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Ilya Lyubushkin. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Adam Fox and Blake Wheeler. New York added on with a Kreider power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Fox. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Zibanejad scored his ninth of the season on the power play, thanks to Panarin. New York finished it at 5-1 with an Adam Edstrom goal, fueled by Barclay Goodrow and Braden Schneider. The three stars were Kreider, Zibanejad, and Panarin, while Fox gets an honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Antti Raanta man the nets. Nashville opened in the first period with a Juuso Parssinen goal, his sixth of the season, via Tommy Novak. Carolina tied it on a Stefan Noesen power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jack Drury and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Tony DeAngelo power play goal, his second of the season, coming off of Michael Bunting. The Predators tied it in the second period with a Roman Josi goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. Carolina retook the lead with a Jaden Chatfield goal, his third of the season, assisted by Bunting and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Seth Jarvis and Noesen. Nashville pulled one back with an O'Reilly power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Josi. Carolina replied with an unassisted Necas goal, his ninth of the year. The Predators countered with a Tyson Barrie goal, guided in by Cole Smith and Philip Tomasino. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Jeremy Lauzon goal, his second of the season, made possible by Luke Evangelista and Parssinen. The Predators won 6-5 in overtime with a Forsberg goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Josi and O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Forsberg, and Josi, while Parssinen, Necas, Noesen, and Bunting get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the New York Islanders bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. New York got going in the second period with an Alexander Romanov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. The Islanders added on with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his ninth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Boston got on the board with a Morgan Geekie power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins tied it on a David Pastrnak power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Geekie. New York retook the lead in the third period with a Horvat power play goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brock Nelson and Mike Reilly. Boston tied it again on a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Shattenkirk and Pastrnak. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Nelson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Horvat and Barzal. The Bruins pulled even with a Mason Lohrei goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Charlie Coyle and Pastrnak lifted the Bruins to a 5-4 win over Holmstrom and the Islanders. The three stars were Pastrnak, Horvat, and van Riemsdyk, while Geekie, Nelson, Barzal, and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jakob Chychrun and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators added on with a Drake Batherson goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Chychrun and Tim Stutzle. Scott Wedgewood replaced an injured Oettinger. Dallas got on the board with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Ottawa shot back with a Josh Norris goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and Chychrun. The Stars fired back on an Esa Lindell goal, his third of the season, helped along by Matt Duchene. The Senators countered in the second period with another Batherson goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Brady Tkachuk and Stutzle. Dallas got one back with a shorthanded Thomas Harley goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Radek Faksa. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov. Dallas took the lead with a Duchene goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars going to Duchene, Batherson, and Chychrun, while Stutzle gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Connor Ingram are set to start in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and J.J. Moser. The final held at 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Ingram (21 save shutout), Maccelli, and Kahkonen (23 for 24 in saves).

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Logan Thompson patrol the creases. Buffalo cracked the scoresheet in the second period on a Dylan Cozens goal, his fifth of the season, via Casey Mittelstadt. Vegas tied it on an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with a Jack Eichel goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Paul Cotter. The Sabres retied it on a Mittelstadt goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Cozens and Connor Clifton. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Zach Benson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Mattias Samuelsson. The Sabres added on with a Tuch goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Benson. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with a Mittelstadt empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin. The three stars were Mittelstadt, Tuch, and Benson, while Cozens gets an honorable mention.

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Thursday, December 14, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 64

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

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Samuel Ersson start in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Bobby Brink goal, his fifth of the season, via Marc Staal and Morgan Frost. Washington tied it on a Connor McMichael goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Aliaksei Protas and Anthony Mantha. The Capitals took the lead on a Tom Wilson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and T.J. Oshie. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Joel Farabee goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Ryan Poehling. Washington took the lead back with a Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Protas and Wilson. Philadelphia tied it on an Owen Tippett goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Frost. The tie went to a shootout, where Sean Couturier and Brink lifted the Flyers to a 4-3 win over Oshie and the Capitals. The three stars were Brink, Strome, and Wilson, while Frost and Protas get the honorable mentions.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Columbus began in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his sixth of the season, via Kent Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Johnson goal, his second of the year, passed from Andrew Peeke. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Justin Danforth scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Ivan Provorov and David Jiricek. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Provorov and Jiricek. Columbus continued with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Chinakhov and Zach Werenski. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Auston Matthews and William Lagesson. The Maple Leafs got another with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Bobby McMann. Toronto got closer with a Jake McCabe power play goal, with assists provided by Conor Timmins and Nicholas Robertson. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Matthews goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Nylander and Marner. Toronto tied it on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, fueled by Marner and Tavares. The Blue Jackets won 6-5 in overtime with a Johnson goal, his second of the game and third of the year, made possible by Werenski and Danforth. The three stars were Johnson, Matthews, and Marner, while Chinakhov, Danforth, Werenski, Provorov, Jiricek, Nylander, and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Detroit Red Wings host the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Ville Husso are in the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jack Drury goal, his fourth of the season, via Stefan Noesen and Martin Necas. Detroit tied it on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Andrew Copp and Jonatan Berggren. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jesper Fast and Brett Pesce. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Staal, Kochetkov (25 for 26 in saves), and Drury.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Filip Gustavsson are between the pipes. Minnesota started in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Connor Zary. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Sharangovich. The Wild tied it on a Marco Rossi goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Alex Goligoski and Marcus Johansson. The tie went to a shootout, where Mats Zuccarello and Boldy lifted the Wild to a 3-2 win over Sharangovich and the Flames. The three stars were Boldy, Sharangovich, and Rossi.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Robert Thomas goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Justin Faulk and Pavel Buchnevich. The Blues added on in the second period with another Thomas goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, via Faulk and Torey Krug. St. Louis extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Nick Leddy and Kasperi Kapanen. Ottawa got on the board with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Drake Batherson and Jakob Chychrun. The Blues replied in the third period with a Buchnevich goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Kyrou and Thomas. The Senators pulled one back with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ridly Greig and Chychrun. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Chychrun, while Faulk gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Stuart Skinner guard the cages. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Motte goal, fueled by Darren Raddysh and Mikey Eyssimont. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Darnell Nurse shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Derek Ryan. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton took the lead with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Evan Bouchard and Nugent-Hopkins. Tampa Bay tied it on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, courtesy of Haydn Fleury and Conor Sheary. The Lightning pulled ahead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Stamkos completed his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, with a helper from Sheary. The Oilers got one back on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Bouchard and McDavid. The Lightning replied with an Anthony Cirelli empty net goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Stamkos, his fourth of the game and fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Calvin de Haan. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Nugent-Hopkins, while McDavid, Sheary, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

To Seattle, as the Kraken bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Joey Daccord are the goalies. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Will Borgen. The Kraken added on with another Yamamoto goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. Chicago got on the board with a Taylor Raddysh goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier. Seattle replied with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Ryker Evans. The Kraken extended the lead as Tye Kartye scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Borgen and Brandon Tanev. Seattle padded the lead on an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Yanni Gourde and Bjorkstrand. The Kraken continued in the third period with a Jared McCann power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Evans and Bjorkstrand. Seattle kept going with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Devin Shore and Brian Dumoulin. Petr Mrazek replaced Soderblom in goal. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars given to Yamamoto, Bjorkstrand, and Evans, while Borgen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Conor Garland. The Canucks added on with a Dakota Joshua goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Teddy Blueger. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Joshua scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Canucks padded the lead on a Brock Boeser power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The final stayed at 4-0, with the three stars going to Demko (36 save shutout), Joshua, and Kuzmenko. 

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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

NHL 2023-24 - Day 63

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

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Sam Montembeault are in goal. Montreal started in the first period with an unassisted David Savard goal. The Canadiens added on with a Jayden Struble goal, his second of the season, via Michael Pezzetta and Jesse Ylonen. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Drew O'Connor. Montreal shot back on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The Penguins got one back in the second period with a power play goal by Jake Guentzel, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Crosby and Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Crosby power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, helped along by Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin. The tie went to a shootout, where Kris Letang, Crosby, Lars Eller and Jansen Harkins lifted the Penguins to a 4-3 win over Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Monahan and the Canadiens. The three stars were Crosby, Karlsson, and Monahan.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Vitek Vanecek are the masked men. Boston opened in the first period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his third of the season, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his seventh of the year, via Erik Haula and Alexander Holtz. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a Jack Hughes goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Jesper Bratt and the goalie Vanecek. The three stars went to Hughes, Vanecek (24 for 25 in saves), and Mercer.

Along to New York, as the Islanders host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov are the veteran goalies. New York got going in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Hudson Fasching. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the year, via Cal Clutterbuck and Noah Dobson. Anaheim got on the board with a Troy Terry power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Pavel Mintyukov and Leo Carlsson. The Ducks tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Urho Vaakanainen and Brett Leason. Anaheim pulled ahead in the third period with a Sam Carrick goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Bo Horvat and Dobson. The Islanders took the lead with a Simon Holmstrom shorthanded goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars were Dobson, Holmstrom, and Barzal.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Ivan Prosvetov are the backups in goal. Colorado led off in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his eleventh of the year, via Fredrik Olofsson and Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Miles Wood scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Sam Malinski. Buffalo got on the board with a Zach Benson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka. The Avalanche shot back in the third period with a Malinski goal, coming off of Jack Johnson and Jonathan Drouin. Colorado padded the lead on a Nichushkin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Nichushkin, Malinski, and Rantanen, while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield. The Kings added on with an Alex Laferriere goal, his third of the year, passed from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets tied it on an Ehlers goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Vilardi and Mark Scheifele. Winnipeg took the lead with a Scheifele goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Vilardi and Ehlers. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Vilardi scored his second of the year, thanks to Dylan DeMelo. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Scheifele empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Ehlers. The three stars were Vilardi, Ehlers, and Scheifele. 

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