NHL 2023-24 - Day 83

We've got three games this Friday. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Jason Dickinson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Alex Vlasic. New Jersey tied it in the second period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Simon Nemec. The Blackhawks replied with a Boris Katchouk shorthanded goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it on a Nemec goal, his second of the year, passed from Chris Tierney and Jonas Siegenthaler in the third period. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Michael McLeod goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Curtis Lazar and Holtz. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with a Tyler Toffoli empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Nemec, Holtz, and Vanecek (23 for 25 in saves).

Along to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Darcy Kuemper are the goalies. Washington began in the first period with a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the season, via Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Beck Malenstyn. The Capitals added on with a Dylan Strome power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Vasiliy Ponomarev and Dmitry Orlov. Carolina took the lead with a Svechnikov power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Aho and Burns. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Burns scored his second of the game and eighth of the year on the power play, thanks to Svechnikov and Aho. Carolina padded the lead on an Orlov shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-2 with a Ponomarev goal, coming off of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The three stars were Burns, Svechnikov, and Aho, while Orlov and Ponomarev get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and John Gibson man the nets. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Mason McTavish goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Nate Schmidt goal, via Dylan Samberg and Vladislav Namestnikov. Winnipeg added on with a Cole Perfetti power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Brossoit (37 for 38 in saves), Namestnikov, and Schmidt. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 82

It's another 13-game day, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Pittsburgh tied it on a Drew O'Connor goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kris Letang and Lars Eller. The Penguins took the lead with a Ryan Graves goal, his second of the season, via Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. The Bruins retied it on a Pastrnak goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Hampus Lindholm and Morgan Geekie. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Crosby and Letang. The Penguins added on with an Eller goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from O'Connor and Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Jeff Carter scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Letang and Bryan Rust. Boston got one back with a Geekie goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Pastrnak and McAvoy. The Bruins pulled closer with a Brandon Carlo goal, his third of the season, made possible by Geekie and Jake DeBrusk. Boston tied it in the third period with a Marchand shorthanded goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, set up by Charlie Coyle. The Penguins regained the lead with a Crosby power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Karlsson. The final held from here at 6-5, with the three stars going to Crosby, Letang, and Pastrnak, while Geekie, Eller, O'Connor, Karlsson, Marchand, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.

Along to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Jake Allen are in the creases. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres added on with a Skinner power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. Montreal got on the board with a Joel Armia shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo replied in the third period with a Jack Quinn goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by JJ Peterka and Connor Clifton. The Sabres extended the lead as Thompson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Skinner and Tuch. Buffalo padded the lead with an empty net goal by Dahlin, his eleventh of the year, set up by Mittelstadt. The Sabres finished it at 6-1 with another Thompson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, guided in by Skinner and Quinn. The three stars were Skinner, Thompson, and Quinn, while Mittelstadt, Dahlin, and Tuch get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the New York Rangers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Igor Shesterkin are the veteran goalies. New York opened in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. Chicago got on the board with a Colin Blackwell goal, via Boris Katchouk and Jaycob Megna. New York answered in the third period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his third of the season, guided in by Panarin and Trocheck. The Rangers extended the lead as Jimmy Vesey scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Will Cuylle and Braden Schneider. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Trocheck, Shesterkin (22 for 23 in saves), and Panarin.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Samuel Ersson are the backups in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Joel Farabee and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on in the third period with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, via Farabee and Couturier. Columbus got on the board with a Damon Severson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Adam Fantilli and Jake Christiansen. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Jake Bean goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jack Roslovic and Erik Gudbranson. The tie went to a shootout, where Johnny Gaudreau's lone tally gave the Blue Jackets a 3-2 win. The three stars were Konecny, Farabee, and Couturier.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Scott Wedgewood are in the blue paint. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Miles Wood and Jack Johnson. The Stars pulled ahead in the second period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. Dallas added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. The Avalanche got one back with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Devon Toews and MacKinnon. The Stars countered in the third period with a Seguin goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, fueled by Marchment. Colorado replied with a Drouin goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, passed from Johnson. The Avalanche tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Logan O'Connor and Cale Makar. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a MacKinnon goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign. The three stars belonged to MacKinnon, Drouin, and Seguin, while Toews, Johnson, Duchene, and Marchment get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Darren Raddysh goal, via Luke Glendening. The Lightning added on with another Raddysh goal, his second of the game, fueled by Conor Sheary and Tyler Motte. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period on a Victor Hedman power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Nick Paul. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Bogosian goal, passed from Alex Goligoski and Ryan Hartman. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Brandon Hagel empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Raddysh, Vasilevskiy (22 for 23 in saves), and Hedman.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Connor Zary power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Yegor Sharangovich and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames added on with a Blake Coleman goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Mikael Backlund. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. Calgary replied with a Nazem Kadri goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Predators got one back with a Colton Sissons goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Dante Fabbro and Roman Josi. The Flames shot back with an Andersson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Zary. Calgary extended the lead as Noah Hanifin scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Andrew Mangiapane and Coleman. Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros for the third period. Nashville got one back in the third period with a Michael McCarron goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Philip Tomasino and Tommy Novak. The Flames answered with a Sharangovich goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Elias Lindholm. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars going to Coleman, Sharangovich, and Zary, while Andersson gets an honorable mention.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his fourth of the season, via Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Colton Parayko goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues took the lead with a Thomas goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Scott Perunovich and Pavel Buchnevich. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Thomas, Binnington (25 for 26 in saves), and Parayko.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Connor Ingram are the masked men. New York was first to score in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Noah Dobson and Brock Nelson. The Islanders added on with a Mike Reilly goal, his third of the year, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Horvat. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Sean Durzi and Alexander Kerfoot. New York replied in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Barzal. The Islanders extended the lead as Julien Gauthier scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Simon Holmstrom and Dobson. New York padded the lead on a Horvat goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars going to Horvat, Sorokin (25 for 26 in saves), and Barzal, while Dobson gets an honorable mention.

North to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Logan Thompson guard the cages. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Mark Stone. Florida tied it on a Sam Bennett power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Brandon Montour and Sam Reinhart. Florida added on with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Gustav Forsling and Montour. The Panthers extended the lead as Reinhart scored a power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Tkachuk and Verhaeghe. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Verhaeghe, Reinhart, and Tkachuk, while Montour gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Seattle, as the Kraken welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Joey Daccord are the goalies. Seattle cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Eeli Tolvanen. The Kraken added on with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jordan Eberle and Vince Dunn in the second period. Seattle extended the lead as Andre Burakovsky scored, with the help of Kailer Yamamoto. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Parker Kelly goal, his third of the season, helped along by Dominik Kubalik and Thomas Chabot. The Kraken iced it at 4-1 with a Dunn empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Eberle. The three stars were Daccord (31 for 32 in saves), Dunn, and Eberle.

Down in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Mackenzie Blackwood draw the starts in goal. San Jose got the first goal in the second period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his third of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Ty Emberson. Winnipeg tied it on a Morgan Barron goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Neal Pionk and Brenden Dillon. The Jets took the lead with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Hellebuyck (27 for 28 in saves), Vilardi, and Barron.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and David Rittich are the veteran backups in goal. Los Angeles tallied first in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Alex Laferriere and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Kings added on with a Matt Roy goal, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Detroit got on the board with a Robby Fabbri goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Olli Maatta and Daniel Sprong. The Red Wings tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, his second of the season, made possible by Dylan Larkin and Joe Veleno. Detroit took the lead in the third period with a Fabbri goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Sprong and Patrick Kane. Los Angeles retied it on a Kempe goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Dubois and Laferriere. The tie went to a shootout, where Lucas Raymond and Kane lifted the Red Wings to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Fabbri, Kane, and Kempe, while Sprong, Dubois, and Laferriere get the honorable mentions. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 81

There's two games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals welcoming the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Hunter Shepard are the backups in goal. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his ninth of the season, via Colin Miller and the goalie Daws. The Devils added on with a Hischier power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, powered by Luke Hughes and Jack Hughes. Washington got on the board with a Connor McMichael power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Rasmus Sandin and Anthony Mantha. New Jersey replied in the second period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Erik Haula and Hischier. The Capitals got one back with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Alex Ovechkin and Martin Fehervary. Washington tied it on a John Carlson power play goal, his second of the year, helped along by Kuznetsov and Ovechkin. The Devils took the lead back with a Michael McLeod goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Alexander Holtz. New Jersey extended the lead as Mercer scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Haula and Nathan Bastian. The Devils padded the lead on a McLeod goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Holtz and Curtis Lazar. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hischier, Mercer, and McLeod, while Kuznetsov, Haula, Holtz, and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Lukas Dostal man the nets. Anaheim got going in the second period with a shorthanded Frank Vatrano goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale. Toronto tied it in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, via Mitchell Marner and Rielly. The three stars were Dostal (55 for 57 in saves), Rielly, and Matthews. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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