NHL 2023-24 - Day 80

We've got 13 games for Tuesday's slate, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Igor Shesterkin are in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jack Drury power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Stefan Noesen and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes added on with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns. New York got on the board in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Jacob Trouba and Artemi Panarin. Carolina replied with a Jordan Martinook goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period as Jalen Chatfield scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Drury and Martin Necas. Carolina padded the lead on a Svechnikov goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Skjei. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-1 with a Michael Bunting goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Brendan Lemieux and Skjei. The three stars were Svechnikov, Drury, and Skjei.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark faces a lesser foe in Spencer Martin in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie Coyle. Columbus tied it on a Kent Johnson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Dmitri Voronkov. The Bruins took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jake DeBrusk and Hampus Lindholm. Boston added on in the third period with a Danton Heinen goal, his fifth of the year, passed from van Riemsdyk. The Bruins extended the lead as Trent Frederic scored his tenth of the season, thanks to van Riemsdyk. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being van Riemsdyk, Ullmark (24 for 25 in saves), and Heinen.

Across the border in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Tristan Jarry protect the nets. Washington began in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his eleventh of the season, via Rasmus Sandin and Ethan Bear. The Capitals added on with a Beck Malenstyn goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Nic Dowd. Washington extended the lead as Martin Fehervary scored his second of the season, thanks to Dylan Strome and Hendrix Lapierre. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Jarry in goal. The Capitals padded the lead on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Sandin and Anthony Mantha. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Rickard Rakell goal, his third of the season, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The Penguins got closer in the second period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh got closer with a Guentzel goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Crosby and Rakell. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Sandin, Crosby, and Guentzel, while Rakell gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Scott Wedgewood are set to start in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his seventh of the season, via Wyatt Johnston. Montreal tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Juraj Slafkovsky and Jordan Harris. The Canadiens took the lead on a Kaiden Guhle goal, his third of the season, coming off of Johnathan Kovacevic and Michael Pezzetta. Montreal added on in the second period with a Harris goal, going in unassisted. The Canadiens extended the lead in the third period as Cole Caufield scored his eleventh of the year on the power play, with the help of Sean Monahan and Suzuki. The Stars got one back with a Johnston goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Dallas got closer with a Jason Robertson goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Suzuki, Harris, and Johnston, while Marchment gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Yegor Sharangovich. Minnesota got on the board with a Pat Maroon goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nic Petan and Marco Rossi. Calgary iced it at 3-1 with a Blake Coleman empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Mikael Backlund and Weegar. The three stars were Markstrom (28 for 29 in saves), Weegar, and Huberdeau.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators added on with an O'Reilly power play goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Nyquist. Nashville iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Luke Evangelista, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Luke Schenn. The three stars were Saros (21 save shutout), Nyquist, and O'Reilly.

North again to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Neal Pionk goal, his third of the year, coming off of Brenden Dillon and Morgan Barron. The Jets took the lead on an Alex Iafallo goal, his seventh of the season, via Cole Perfetti and Vladislav Namestnikov. Winnipeg added on in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Namestnikov. The Jets extended the lead with an empty net goal by Barron, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Dominic Toninato and Namestnikov. The Lightning countered with a Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, assisted by Hedman. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Namestnikov, Kucherov, and Barron, while Hedman gets an honorable mention.

Stateside again to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona tied it in the third period on a shorthanded Alexander Kerfoot goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Lawson Crouse. The Panthers took the lead with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Verhaeghe. Florida added on with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida iced it at 4-1 with a Gustav Forsling empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Verhaeghe, Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves), and Reinhart.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Stuart Skinner man the nets. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Vincent Desharnais. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-second of the year, via McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Philadelphia got on the board with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier. The Flyers tied it on a Marc Staal goal, coming off of Konecny and Farabee. Edmonton retook the lead on a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by McDavid and Hyman. The Oilers extended the lead as Draisaitl scored his eighteenth of the season in the third period, with the help of McDavid and Cody Ceci. Edmonton padded the lead on a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by McDavid and Hyman. The final stood from here at 5-2, with the three stars awarded to McDavid, Hyman, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Draisaitl, Konecny, and Farabee.

In Denver, the Colorado Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his fifth of the season, via Brock Nelson. Colorado tied it on a Devon Toews goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Logan O'Connor and Cale Makar. Ilya Sorokin replaced Varlamov in goal. The Islanders took the lead with a Nelson power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Noah Dobson and the goalie Sorokin. New York added on in the second period with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cal Clutterbuck. The Avalanche got one back with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Samuel Girard and Jonathan Drouin. Colorado tied it on a Drouin goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Islanders retook the lead with an Alexander Romanov goal, his third of the season, fueled by Mathew Barzal. The Avalanche tied it again in the third period with a Nichushkin goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by MacKinnon and Makar. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a MacKinnon goal, his twentieth of the campaign, helped along by Makar and Rantanen on the power play. The three stars were MacKinnon, Nichushkin, and Makar, while Rantanen, Drouin, and Nelson get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Thatcher Demko receive the starts in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Ian Cole goal, courtesy of Noah Juulsen and Ilya Mikheyev. The Canucks added on with a Pius Suter goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Sam Lafferty and Tyler Myers. Vancouver extended the lead as Elias Pettersson scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Suter. The Canucks padded the lead with a J.T. Miller goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Nikita Zadorov and Brock Boeser. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Forsberg in goal. Vancouver kept going with a Pettersson power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, powered by Miller and Quinn Hughes. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson. The Senators got closer in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Giroux and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa pulled closer on a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with helpers from Stutzle and Drake Batherson. The Canucks shot back to make it 6-3 with a Suter goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Suter, Pettersson, and Tarasenko, while Miller, Giroux, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions.

South once more to San Jose, as the Sharks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Kaapo Kahkonen are the backups in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Daniel Sprong power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Lucas Raymond and Shayne Gostisbehere. San Jose tied it in the first period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Justin Holl and Olli Maatta. The Sharks tied it with a Justin Bailey goal, his second of the year, guided in by Mario Ferraro. San Jose pulled ahead with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his second of the season, fueled by Ferraro and Ty Emberson. Detroit retied it on a David Perron power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Sprong and Raymond. The Red Wings took the lead with another Perron goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Raymond. Detroit iced it at 5-3 with a Michael Rasmussen empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Perron, Sprong, and Raymond, while Ferraro gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Cam Talbot patrol the creases. Toronto got going in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Bertuzzi and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his ninth of the year, via Bertuzzi and Max Domi. Toronto iced it at 3-0 with a Nylander empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The three stars were Jones (31 save shutout), Nylander, and Bertuzzi. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 79

All eyes are on Seattle to open 2024, as the Kraken host the Vegas Golden Knights in the Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park. Logan Thompson and Joey Daccord guard the cages. Seattle opened in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. The Kraken added on in the second period with a Will Borgen goal, via Tye Kartye and Tolvanen. Seattle extended the lead in the third period as Yanni Gourde scored an unassisted goal, his fifth of the year. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Daccord (35 save shutout), Tolvanen, and Gourde. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 78

There's nine games on New Year's Eve, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Marc-Andre Fleury man the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jared Spurgeon and Frederick Gaudreau. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with an Adam Lowry goal, his seventh of the year, via Mason Appleton and Dylan DeMelo. The Wild retook the lead in the third period with a Gaudreau power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Marcus Johansson and Nic Petan. The Jets retied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg pulled ahead on a Dominic Toninato goal, guided in by Brenden Dillon and Neal Pionk. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Toninato, and Namestnikov. 

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alex Lyon are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Trent Frederic goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Parker Wotherspoon. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Frederic goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm. Detroit got on the board with a Jake Walman goal, his ninth of the season, via Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings tied it in the second period with a Ben Chiarot goal, his third of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Joe Veleno. The Bruins took the lead back in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The Bruins extended the lead on a Jake DeBrusk empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Frederic and McAvoy. Detroit got one back with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and David Perron. Boston iced it at 5-3 with a Pavel Zacha empty net goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Pastrnak and Lindholm. The three stars were Frederic, McAvoy, and Pastrnak, while Lindholm gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Anton Forsberg are set to start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson. The Senators added on with a Zack MacEwen goal, courtesy of Jacob Bernard-Docker and Thomas Chabot. Buffalo got one back with a Tage Thompson goal, his tenth of the year, via Jeff Skinner. Ottawa replied in the second period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ridly Greig and Chabot. The Senators extended the lead as Mark Kastelic scored, thanks to Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa padded the lead on an Artem Zub empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Forsberg (45 for 46 in saves), Chabot, and MacEwen.

Stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Alex Nedeljkovic receive the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the season, via Jansen Harkins and Valtteri Puustinen. The Penguins added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his third of the year, fueled by Drew O'Connor in the second period. New York got on the board in the third period with a Samuel Bolduc goal, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Eller, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Eller, Nedeljkovic (36 for 37 in saves), and Sorokin (35 for 37 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Jonas Johansson are in the blue paint. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Cole Caufield goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens added on with a Johnathan Kovacevic goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of the goalie Montembeault. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning tied it on an Austin Watson goal, his second of the year, made possible by Victor Hedman and Nick Perbix. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Calvin de Haan goal, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Hedman and Anthony Cirelli. Montreal got one back with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Juraj Slafkovsky and Michael Matheson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Kucherov, Hedman, and de Haan.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the season, via Sam Steel and Jani Hakanpaa. The Stars added on with a Ryan Suter goal, coming off of Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene. The Stars padded the lead in the second period on a Steel goal, his third of the season, helped along by Robertson and Heiskanen. Dallas continued with a Marchment power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Seguin and Nils Lundkvist. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Connor Bedard and Cole Guttman. The Stars shot back with a Roope Hintz goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Thomas Harley and Joe Pavelski. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek in goal. Dallas struck again on a Marchment goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Seguin and Duchene. The Stars kept going with Marchment completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Esa Lindell and Lundkvist. This produced the 8-1 final score, with the three stars going to Marchment, Seguin, and Steel, while Robertson, Heiskanen, Duchene, and Lundkvist get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Alexandar Georgiev protect the nets. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Calen Addison. The Avalanche took the lead with a Nichushkin goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Jack Johnson and MacKinnon. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Josh Manson, his fourth of the year, set up by Devon Toews and Ryan Johansen. The three stars went to Nichushkin, MacKinnon, and Georgiev (10 for 11 in saves).

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Jacob Markstrom are the masked men. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, via Ryan Poehling and Joel Farabee. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Dennis Gilbert. The Flames pulled ahead in the third period with a Gilbert goal, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman. Calgary added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Mangiapane. The Flyers got one back with a Bobby Brink goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Cam Atkinson and Travis Konecny. The Flames replied with a Coleman empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Mangiapane. Philadelphia got one back with an Egor Zamula goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Konecny and Morgan Frost. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Coleman, Mangiapane, and Gilbert, while Konecny gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Warren Foegele. Anaheim tied it on a Max Jones goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Trevor Zegras. The Oilers retook the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton added on in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Darnell Nurse and Foegele. The Oilers extended the lead as Foegele scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Nurse and Connor Brown. Edmonton padded the lead on a Foegele goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, made possible by McLeod and Draisaitl. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas. The Oilers answered with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton kept going with a Brett Kulak goal, his second of the season, guided in by Draisaitl and Foegele. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars awarded to Foegele, Draisaitl, and McLeod, while Nurse gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 77

There's nine more games on this Saturday, beginning with...

The Winnipeg Jets hosting the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg started in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Vladislav Namestnikov. The Jets added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Adam Lowry. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Niederreiter scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Josh Morrissey and Mason Appleton. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Hartman power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Marcus Johansson and Frederick Gaudreau. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced an injured Gustavsson for the third period. The Wild got closer in the third period with a Matt Boldy goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov. The Jets responded with an Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Dominic Toninato and Morgan Barron. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Niederreiter, Hellebuyck (35 for 37 in saves), and Jonsson-Fjallby. 

To the east, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen receive the starts in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jack Quinn goal, his third of the year, fueled by Dylan Cozens and Owen Power. The Blue Jackets took the lead with an Adam Fantilli goal, his eleventh of the season, via Justin Danforth and Cole Sillinger. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Zach Benson and Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Power and Tage Thompson. The three stars were Power, Skinner, and Quinn.

In Boston, the Bruins bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Linus Ullmark protect the nets. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Jack Hughes. The Devils added on in the second period with a Luke Hughes goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Toffoli and Jesper Bratt. Boston got on the board with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins tied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. Boston took the lead with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins extended the lead as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his third of the year, thanks to Matt Grzelcyk and Coyle. Boston padded the lead in the third period with another Shattenkirk goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, made possible by Marchand and Pastrnak on the power play. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Shattenkirk, and Marchand, while DeBrusk, Coyle, and Toffoli get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Anthony Stolarz are set to start in goal. Florida got going in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett on the power play. Montreal tied it on a Cole Caufield power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. The Panthers retook the lead in the third period with a Luostarinen power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Florida added on with a Bennett goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Carter Verhaeghe on the power play, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Matthew Tkachuk and Ekblad. The three stars went to Luostarinen, Bennett, and Ekman-Larsson, while Ekblad gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers added on with a Trocheck goal, his ninth of the year, via Jacob Trouba and Lafreniere. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nick Paul. New York replied with a Chris Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Trocheck and Blake Wheeler. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Panarin scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, thanks to Trocheck. New York padded the lead on a Panarin power play goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Tristan Jarry are in the creases. Pittsburgh kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Reilly Smith. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Torey Krug. The Penguins took the lead back with a Malkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Rickard Rakell. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Jansen Harkins. The Blues got one back with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Scott Perunovich. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Guentzel and Erik Karlsson. The three stars were Malkin, Guentzel, and Jarry (26 for 28 in saves).

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Nashville Predators. Yaroslav Askarov and Hunter Shepard are the inexperienced goalies. Nashville began in the first period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Dante Fabbro and Tommy Novak. The Predators added on with a Roman Josi power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. Washington got on the board with a Beck Malenstyn goal, his third of the season, guided in by Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals tied it in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas. The tie went to a shootout, where Nyquist and O'Reilly tallied for a 3-2 Predators win. The three stars were Askarov (26 for 28 in saves), O'Reilly, and Nyquist.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Svechnikov and Aho. Toronto got on the board with a Timothy Liljegren goal, via Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok. Carolina shot back with an Aho empty net goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Domi and Liljegren. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Aho, Svechnikov, and Liljegren, while Domi gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty. The Kings added on with a Kempe goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers tied it with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper from McDavid. The tie lasted to a shootout, where McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Derek Ryan lifted the Oilers to a 3-2 win over Trevor Moore, Kempe, and the Kings. The three stars were McDavid, Kempe, and Nugent-Hopkins. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 76

We're on for nine games Friday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Lyon man the nets. Detroit opened in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Dylan Larkin goal, his thirteenth of the season. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Jake Walman goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Michael Rasmussen and Robby Fabbri. The Predators retied it in the second period with a Nyquist shorthanded goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville took the lead on a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, passed from Tommy Novak. Detroit tied it again in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by J.T. Compher and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings pulled ahead on a Walman goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by DeBrincat and Kane. The Predators retied it with a Nyquist goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, fueled by Forsberg and Luke Schenn. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Lucas Raymond goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by DeBrincat and Walman. The three stars were Walman, Forsberg, and DeBrincat, while Nyquist and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Along to Ottawa, as the Senators welcome the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Joonas Korpisalo are in the creases. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Drake Batherson goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Brady Tkachuk. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Devils pulled ahead with a Bratt power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. New Jersey added on in the second period with an unassisted Dawson Mercer goal, his tenth of the year. The Devils extended the lead as Tyler Toffoli scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Bratt and Jack Hughes. New Jersey padded the lead in the third period with a Brendan Smith goal, helped along by Nico Hischier and Bratt. The Senators got one back with a Jacob Bernard-Docker goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Erik Brannstrom and Angus Crookshank. The Devils replied with a Luke Hughes goal, his sixth of the campaign, made possible by Alexander Holtz and Chris Tierney. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars given to Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, and Bratt.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. Florida started in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Aleksander Barkov and Niko Mikkola. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. New York got on the board with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Alexis Lafreniere and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers tied it on a Will Cuylle goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of K'Andre Miller. Florida retook the lead with another Reinhart goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk on the power play. New York retied it in the third period with a shorthanded goal by Mika Zibanejad, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Chris Kreider. The Panthers pulled ahead on a Verhaeghe goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Gustav Forsling and Tkachuk. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Barkov, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Elvis Merzlikins protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly. Columbus tied it on a Cole Sillinger goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Jake Bean. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, courtesy of Marner. Spencer Martin replaced Merzlikins to start the second period. Toronto added on in the second period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Timothy Liljegren and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Brendan Gaunce goal, helped along by Alexandre Texier and Damon Severson. The Maple Leafs fired back on a William Nylander power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Matthews and Rielly. Columbus got one back with a Dmitri Voronkov power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Kent Johnson goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Emil Bemstrom. Toronto reclaimed the lead on a John Tavares power play goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Nylander and Rielly. Columbus tied it again in the third period with an Adam Fantilli goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets won 6-5 in overtime with a Gaudreau goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Severson and Justin Danforth. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Rielly, and Matthews, while Marner, Nylander, and Severson get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Ilya Sorokin started the game, but Lindgren left with an injury and was replaced by Darcy Kuemper before a goal was scored. New York got going in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the season, fueled by Alexander Romanov and Julien Gauthier. The Islanders added on with a Noah Dobson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. New York extended the lead in the third period as Gauthier scored his third of the year, thanks to Pageau and Horvat. The Islanders padded the lead on another Gauthier goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Pageau and Samuel Bolduc. New York continued with a Pageau goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Simon Holmstrom. Washington got on the board with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his third of the year, guided in by Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Pageau, Gauthier, and Horvat.

Way down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier and Jason Dickinson. The Blackhawks added on with a Cole Guttman goal, his third of the year, via Lukas Reichel and Connor Murphy. Dallas got on the board with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn. The Stars tied it in the second period with a Pavelski goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Nils Lundkvist and Thomas Harley. Dallas took the lead with a Hintz goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Jason Robertson. The Stars padded the lead in the third period with a Benn goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov. Chicago got one back with a Dickinson goal, his twelfth of the season, with helpers from Guttman and Alex Vlasic. The Blackhawks tied it on a Johnson power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with assists provided by Phillip Kurashev and Kevin Korchinski. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime as Hintz completed his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The three stars were Hintz, Johnson, and Pavelski, while Benn, Robertson, Dickinson, and Guttman get the honorable mentions.

North to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Josh Manson. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Thomas shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Devon Toews goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Valeri Nichushkin and Johansen. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Johansen, Georgiev (28 for 29 in saves), and Toews.

Westward to Anaheim, as the Ducks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and John Gibson protect the nets. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Nick Schmaltz and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Matias Maccelli. This made it 2-0, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Ingram (28 save shutout), Keller, and Crouse.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Joey Daccord tend the twines. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded Travis Konecny goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Scott Laughton and Travis Sanheim. Seattle tied it in the third period with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alexander Wennberg. The Kraken won 2-1 in overtime with a Justin Schultz goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde. The three stars were Daccord (27 for 28 in saves), Bjorkstrand, and Schultz. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 75

It's a four-game slate this Thursday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Antti Raanta receive the starts in goal. Carolina started in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his fourth of the season, via Brent Burns and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his third of the year, guided in by Aho and Burns. Montreal tied it on a Mitchell Stephens goal, his second of the season, made possible by Michael Pezzetta and Jayden Struble. The Canadiens tied it on a Mike Matheson power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Sean Monahan and the goalie Primeau. Carolina retook the lead in the second period with a Fast goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Stefan Noesen and Jack Drury. Montreal tied it again in the third period with a Josh Anderson goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead on a Svechnikov goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Brett Pesce and Aho. Carolina iced it at 5-3 with a Svechnikov power play empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the year, set up by Aho and Burns. The three stars were Svechnikov, Aho, and Fast, while Burns gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Philadelphia got going in the second period with an Egor Zamula power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tyson Foerster and Joel Farabee. The Flyers added on with a Sean Walker goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. Phildelphia extended the lead as Farabee scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Bobby Brink. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Teddy Blueger goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Dakota Joshua and Quinn Hughes. Carter Hart replaced an injured Ersson in goal. The Flyers fired back with a shorthanded Garnet Hathaway goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Ryan Poehling. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Farabee, Hathaway, and Walker.

Down in Vegas, the Golden Knights bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Logan Thompson guard the cages. Vegas opened in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone. The Golden Knights added on with a Michael Amadio goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Pavel Dorofeyev and Brayden McNabb. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Adrian Kempe and Vladislav Gavrikov. Vegas replied with a William Karlsson goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Paul Cotter and Alex Pietrangelo. The Kings got one back in the third period with a Trevor Moore goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Kopitar and Carl Grundstrom. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Karlsson, and Amadio.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner faces a lesser foe in Magnus Chrona in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his sixth of the season, via Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with a Hyman goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Edmonton extended the lead as Bouchard scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Connor Brown. The Oilers padded the lead on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Warren Foegele and McLeod. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Chrona in the second period. Edmonton continued with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Nurse and Cody Ceci. This held for a 5-0 win, with the three stars going to Skinner (25 save shutout), McLeod, and Hyman, while Bouchard and Nurse get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 74

We come back out of the holiday break with 14 games. First up...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Vitek Vanecek are in the creases. Columbus led off in the first period with a Jake Bean goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brendan Gaunce and Alexandre Texier. New Jersey tied it on an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the second period with a Justin Danforth goal, his ninth of the season, via Adam Fantilli and David Jiricek. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Mercer goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Simon Nemec. Columbus pulled ahead with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it again with a Luke Hughes goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Jack Hughes. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Timo Meier goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Mercer. The three stars were Mercer, Meier, and Luke Hughes.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. Washington got going in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Rasmus Sandin and Aliaksei Protas. New York tied it on a K'Andre Miller goal, his sixth of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers took the lead with a Panarin power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Zibanejad. New York added on with a Braden Schneider goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers extended the lead Miller scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, with the help of Chris Kreider and Blake Wheeler. New York padded the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his tenth of the year, assisted by Adam Fox and Miller. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Miller, Panarin, and Zibanejad.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrobsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Florida began in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Barkov. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Victor Hedman and Nick Perbix. Florida shot back with a shorthanded Reinhart goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, set up by Barkov and Niko Mikkola. The Lightning got one back with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his sixth of the year, a power play goal powered by Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Barkov, and Ekblad.

Way north to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Martin Jones are set to start in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Matthew Knies goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his sixth of the year, via Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Parker Kelly goal, his second of the season, set up by Claude Giroux. The Senators tied it on a Drake Batherson goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tim Stutzle and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Ottawa took the lead in the third period with another Batherson goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, passed from Vladimir Tarasenko and Travis Hamonic. The Senators iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Brady Tkachuk, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Tarasenko. The three stars were Batherson, Tarasenko, and Kelly.

Stateside, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Devon Levi man the nets. Boston started in the first period with a Mason Lohrei goal, his third of the season, coming off of James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic. The Bruins added on with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Coyle scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season on the power play, courtesy of DeBrusk and David Pastrnak. The Bruins padded the lead on a Morgan Geekie power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Charlie McAvoy and Marchand. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with an Erik Johnson goal, his third of the season, passed from Owen Power and Casey Mittelstadt. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Coyle, Marchand, and DeBrusk.

Also in New York, the Islanders bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Sorokin protect the nets. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins added on with a Guentzel goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Pettersson. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Guentzel scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Rakell and Letang. The Penguins padded the lead on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Reilly Smith and Letang. Pittsburgh continued on a Malkin goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, guided in by Letang and Pettersson. The Penguins kept going with a Radim Zohorna goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Valtteri Puustinen and Letang. Semyon Varlamov replaced Sorokin in goal. Pittsburgh continued in the third period with a Puustinen goal, coming off of Letang and Pettersson. The final stood at 7-0, with the three stars awarded to Letang, Guentzel, and Jarry (21 save shutout), while Pettersson, Malkin, Rakell, and Puustinen receive the honorable mentions.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer is mismatched with Filip Gustavsson in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Detroit tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Alex DeBrincat. The Wild retook the lead in the second period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a DeBrincat power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and J.T. Compher. Minnesota retook the lead with a Ryan Hartman goal, his tenth of the season, via Zach Bogosian and Johansson. The Wild added on with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jake Middleton. Minnesota extended the lead as Johansson scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Rossi. Detroit got one back with a Daniel Sprong goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Simon Edvinsson and Jonatan Berggren. The Wild shot back on a Kaprizov goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Dakota Mermis. The final held from here at 6-3, with the three stars going to Johansson, Kaprizov, and DeBrincat.

South to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes added on with a Burns power play goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his sixth of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly. Carolina fired back on a Svechnikov goal, his third of the year, fueled by Aho. The Predators got one back with an O'Reilly power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Colton Sissons and Roman Josi. The Hurricanes fired back with a Jack Drury goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jesper Fast and Stefan Noesen. Carolina extended the lead as Jarvis scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, with the help of Michael Bunting and Aho. Yaroslav Askarov replaced Saros in goal for the third period. The final remained at 5-2, with the three stars given to Aho, Burns, and Svechnikov, while Jarvis and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. St. Louis kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twelfth of the season, via Scott Perunovich. The Blues added on in the second period with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kasperi Kapanen and Perunovich. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars handed to Hofer (39 for 40 in saves), Perunovich, and Scandella.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Karel Vejmelka handle the goaltending duties. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Jonathan Drouin goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Ross Colton and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Logan O'Connor scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Josh Manson and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche padded the lead on a MacKinnon power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Rantanen and Makar. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Matias Maccelli. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Michael Kesselring goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Sean Durzi. Arizona pulled closer with a Jason Zucker goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Durzi and Logan Cooley. The Coyotes tied it on a Durzi goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Maccelli and Crouse. Arizona won 5-4 in overtime with a Jack McBain goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Zucker and Durzi. The three stars were Durzi, Zucker, and MacKinnon, while Crouse, Maccelli, Rantanen, and Makar get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek are the veteran goalies. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Connor Bedard goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Connor Murphy and Philipp Kurashev. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Morgan Barron goal, his sixth of the year, via Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Dominic Toninato. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with a Bedard goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Alex Vlasic and Anthony Beauvillier. The three stars were Bedard, Mrazek (37 for 38 in saves), and Barron.

Along to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger and Jacob Markstrom have the green light to start in goal. Seattle began in the first period with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his seventh of the season, via Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. Calgary tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Yegor Sharangovich. The Kraken took the lead back in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jared McCann and Will Borgen. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Driedger (36 for 37 in saves), Wennberg, and Yamamoto.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Brett Leason goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Jamie Drysdale goal, courtesy of Mason McTavish and Ryan Strome. Anaheim extended the lead as Frank Vatrano scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to McTavish and Ilya Lyubushkin. The Ducks padded the lead on a Troy Terry goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras. Vegas got on the board in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Paul Cotter. The Golden Knights got closer with a Mark Stone power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Anaheim answered with a Leason goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from McTavish and Fowler. This held for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Leason, McTavish, and Fowler.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and David Rittich receive the starting nods in goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his seventh of the year, via Jordan Spence. The Kings took the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Los Angeles added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Arthur Kaliyev and Alex Laferriere. The Kings extended the lead in the third period as Adrian Kempe scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Matt Roy and Carl Grundstrom. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Kempe goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, guided in by Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. This produced the 5-1 final score, with the three stars going to Kempe, Lewis, and Rittich (24 for 25 in saves). 

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