NHL 2023-24 - Day 87

It's a 10-game Tuesday schedule, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Devon Levi are the young goalies. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. Seattle tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Kraken added on with a Vince Dunn power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Andre Burakovsky and Tolvanen. The Sabres retied it in the second period with a Tuch goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Skinner and Mittelstadt. Seattle reclaimed the lead on an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Jaden Schwartz and Brian Dumoulin. The Kraken added on with a Schwartz goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Will Borgen and Brandon Tanev. Seattle extended the lead as Beniers scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Borgen. This held for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Schwartz, Borgen, and Tolvanen, while Tuch, Skinner, and Mittelstadt get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Jordan Spence and Trevor Moore. The Kings added on with a Matt Roy goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Kevin Fiala and Moore. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Tyler Motte goal, his third of the season, passed from Mikey Eyssimont. The Lightning tied it on a Brandon Hagel goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Nick Perbix and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Perbix goal, made possible by Hagel. The three stars were Perbix, Hagel, and Moore.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Martin Jones man the nets. Toronto started in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, his fifth of the season, via William Nylander and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Nylander. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Marner scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Jake McCabe and Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Pontus Holmberg goal, guided in by Bobby McMann and David Kampf. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced Kahkonen in goal. San Jose got on the board with a Henry Thrun power play goal, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Anthony Duclair. Toronto replied in the third period with a McCabe goal, his second of the year, coming off of Marner and Simon Benoit. The Maple Leafs continued with a Marner power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, guided in by Rielly and Nylander. Toronto kept going with a Nicholas Robertson power play goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Matthew Knies and McCabe. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars going to Marner, Nylander, and McCabe, while Rielly gets an honorable mention.

Along to New York, as the Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Ilya Sorokin are the goalies. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Filip Hronek goal, his third of the season, assisted by Ilya Mikheyev and Conor Garland. The Canucks added on with a Quinn Hughes goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Vancouver extended the lead as Elias Pettersson scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to J.T. Miller and Hronek. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal. The Canucks answered with a Tyler Myers goal, his third of the season, helped along by Teddy Blueger and Garland. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Nelson goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Dakota Joshua, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hronek, Garland, and Nelson.

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Juuse Saros occupy the blue paint. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Isac Lundestrom. The Ducks added on with a Frank Vatrano goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Jackson LaCombe and Killorn. Anaheim extended the lead on a Mason McTavish power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Troy Terry and Pavel Mintyukov. The Ducks padded the lead in the second period with a Terry goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Adam Henrique and Urho Vaakanainen. Anaheim kept going in the third period with a Radko Gudas goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by LaCombe. Nashville got on the board with a shorthanded Alexandre Carrier goal, his second of the year, set up by Gustav Nyquist. The Predators got closer on a Philip Tomasino goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Michael McCarron and Roman Josi. Nashville pulled closer with a Denis Gurianov goal, passed from McCarron. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars going to Terry, Killorn, and LaCombe, while McCarron gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Jake Neighbours and Brandon Saad. Florida tied it with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jonah Gadjovich and William Lockwood. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. Florida added on in the third period with a Tkachuk goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers extended the lead as Tkachuk scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Gustav Forsling and Anton Lundell. Florida iced it at 5-1 with a Tkachuk empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, set up by Dmitry Kulikov. The three stars were Tkachuk, Stolarz (29 for 30 in saves), and Reinhart.

North to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brenden Dillon goal, his sixth of the season, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on in the second period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Dylan Samberg and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg extended the lead as Josh Morrissey scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Adam Lowry. The Jets padded the lead in the third period with a Perfetti goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg kept going with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Lowry and Perfetti. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars being Hellebuyck (30 save shutout), Perfetti, and Lowry.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor McDavid goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Warren Foegele. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Skinner (25 for 26 in saves), McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Connor Ingram guard the cages. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with an assist from Guenther. The Bruins retook the lead on a Jesper Boqvist goal, an unassisted goal. The Coyotes it with a Dylan Guenther goal, his second of the season, made possible by Logan Cooley and Nick Bjugstad. Arizona gained the lead in the third period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Lawson Crouse. Boston tied it on a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Hampus Lindholm and Geekie. Ullmark was injured in overtime, and Jeremy Swayman replaced him. The Coyotes won 4-3 with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Keller and J.J. Moser. The three stars were Keller, Geekie, and Guenther.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Ottawa cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jacob Bernard-Docker goal, his fourth of the season, via Vladimir Tarasenko and Ridly Greig. Calgary tied it on a Connor Zary goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators took the lead with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Greig and Jakob Chychrun. The Flames tied it on a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm. Ottawa reclaimed the lead with a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson. Calgary retied it in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Martin Pospisil and Zary. The Flames pulled ahead with a Blake Coleman goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Hanifin and Nazem Kadri. Calgary added on with a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, helped along by Hanifin and Kadri. The Flames iced it at 6-3 with a Coleman empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Mikael Backlund. The three stars were Sharangovich, Hanifin, and Coleman, while Zary, Kadri, and Greig get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 86

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. The Canucks took the lead with a Nilas Hoglander goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Nils Aman and Sam Lafferty. Vancouver added on with a Boeser goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Rangers got one back in the second period with a Panarin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Alexis Lafreniere. The Canucks shot back on a Pettersson goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Teddy Blueger and Filip Hronek. Vancouver extended the lead as Hoglander scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Pius Suter and Hronek. New York pulled one back with a Trocheck goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with a lone helper from Lafreniere in the third period. The Canucks iced it at 6-3 with a Pettersson empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Boeser and Tyler Myers. The three stars were Pettersson, Boeser, and Hoglander, while Trocheck, Hronek, Panarin, and Lafreniere get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Carter Hart are the goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with an Erik Karlsson goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Jansen Harkins and Jeff Carter. Philadelphia got on the board with an Owen Tippett power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Egor Zamula and Joel Farabee. Pittsburgh shot back in the second period with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, with helpers from Bryan Rust and Ryan Graves in the second period. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Malkin scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Drew O'Connor. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Malkin, Nedeljkovic (36 for 37 in saves), and Karlsson.

Out west, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury are the rhyming goalies. Dallas opened in the first period with a shorthanded Roope Hintz goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Tyler Seguin. The Stars added on in the third period with a Seguin goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Esa Lindell. Dallas extended the lead as Radek Faksa scored his third of the season, a shorthanded goal with the help of Sam Steel. The Stars padded the lead on a Jason Robertson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Hintz. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Murray (23 save shutout), Hintz, and Seguin.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Boston started in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Logan O'Connor goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins retied it on a John Beecher goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Danton Heinen and Brandon Carlo. Colorado pulled ahead with a Sam Malinski goal, his second of the season, via Ryan Johansen. Boston tied it again in the third period with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Charlie Coyle and Matt Grzelcyk. The tie went to a shootout, where Valeri Nichushkin's lone tally lifted the Avalanche to a 4-3 win. The three stars were Marchand, Malinski, and O'Connor. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 85

There's four games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Chicago began in the first period with a Colin Blackwell goal, his second of the season, via Jarred Tinordi and Connor Murphy. Calgary tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Noah Hanifin and Martin Pospisil. The Flames took the lead in the second period with an Andrew Mangiapane power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. The Blackhawks retied it on a Philipp Kurashev goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Jason Dickinson and Alex Vlasic. Chicago pulled ahead with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his second of the season, helped along by Blackwell and Tinordi. The Blackhawks added on with a Blackwell power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Zach Sanford and Zaitsev. Calgary retied it on a Kadri goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, passed from Huberdeau and Rasmus Andersson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Blackwell, Zaitsev, and Kadri, while Tinordi and Huberdeau get the honorable mentions.

East to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper protect the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a Nic Dowd goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nicolas Aube-Kubel and John Carlson. Los Angeles tied it on an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Kevin Fiala goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Phillip Danault and Mikey Anderson. The Capitals retied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Alex Ovechkin and Max Pacioretty. Los Angeles gained the lead in the third period with a Fiala power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, courtesy of Quinton Byfield. Washington retied it on an Aube-Kubel goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dowd. The Capitals won 4-3 with a goal by John Carlson, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Beck Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel. The three stars were Aube-Kubel, Fiala, and Carlson, while Dowd gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an unassisted Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fifth of the season. The Jets added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Dylan Samberg and Nate Schmidt. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller and Travis Dermott. Winnipeg shot back with an unassisted Cole Perfetti goal, his twelfth of the year. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Mark Scheifele scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Ehlers. The Coyotes got one back with a Dylan Guenther goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg replied with a Scheifele empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets finished it at 6-2 with an Adam Lowry goal, his eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton. The three stars were Scheifele, Ehlers, and Perfetti. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Lukas Dostal are the backups in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his third of the season, via Troy Terry and Adam Henrique. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings took the lead with a Joe Veleno goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot in the second period. The Ducks tied it in the third period with a Zegras goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, fueled by Cam Fowler and Jamie Drysdale. Detroit pulled ahead with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. This held for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Zegras, Rasmussen, and Lyon (28 for 30 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 84

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

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Carter Hart protect the nets. Calgary got going in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil. Philadelphia tied it with a Morgan Frost goal, his sixth of the year, via Sean Walker and Tyson Foerster. The Flames took the lead with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane. The Flyers retied it on a Sean Couturier power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Frost and Egor Zamula. Philadelphia pulled ahead in the third period with a Travis Konecny shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the season, set up by Scott Laughton and Cam York. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Frost, Konecny, and Couturier. 

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ivan Prosvetov are set to start in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov. Florida extended the lead as Reinhart scored his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Barkov and Evan Rodrigues. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Cale Makar goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche got closer with a Josh Manson goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Valeri Nichushkin and Logan O'Connor. Colorado tied it on a Nichushkin power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Makar and Rantanen. The Panthers retook the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Barkov and Rodrigues. Alexandar Georgiev replaced Prosvetov in goal. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Samuel Girard. Florida reclaimed the lead as Reinhart finished his hat trick on the power play with his twenty-eighth of the season, with the help of Matthew Tkachuk and Barkov. The Panthers padded the lead on a Kevin Stenlund goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Ryan Lomberg. Florida continued with a Tkachuk empty net goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers struck again with a Verhaeghe empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, dished from Forsling. This made it 8-4, the final, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Barkov, and Verhaeghe, while Tkachuk, Rodrigues, Forsling, Makar, Nichushkin, and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Kucherov. Boston tied it on a Trent Frederic power play goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Kevin Shattenkirk and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins took the lead with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Danton Heinen and Matthew Poitras. Boston added on in the second period with a Frederic goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Matt Grzelcyk and Poitras. The Lightning got one back with a Kucherov goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins fired back with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Pavel Zacha. Tampa Bay replied with a Point goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. Boston answered in the third period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Pastrnak and Lindholm. The Bruins extended the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored his eighth of the season into an empty net while shorthanded, going in unassisted. Boston finished it at 7-3 with a Charlie Coyle unassisted goal, his fourteenth of the year. The three stars were Frederic, Pastrnak, and Kucherov, while Poitras, Lindholm, and Point get the honorable mentions.

In Montreal, the Canadiens host the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Sam Montembeault man the nets. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Jake Evans and David Savard. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Jesse Ylonen. Montreal extended the lead as Joel Armia scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Mitchell Stephens and Michael Pezzetta. New York got on the board with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Erik Gustafsson and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers got closer with a Panarin goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Trocheck. New York tied it in the third period with an Adam Fox goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jimmy Vesey and Will Cuylle. The Canadiens won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Cole Caufield. The three stars were Trocheck, Panarin, and Armia.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Nico Daws are the goalies. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Brock Boeer and Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead as Miller scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with the help of Pettersson and Ian Cole. New Jersey got on the board with a Colin Miller goal, assisted by Curtis Lazar and Michael McLeod. The Devils got closer with an Erik Haula goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes. The Canucks replied with a Conor Garland, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dakota Joshua and Carson Soucy. Vancouver padded the lead in the third period with a Pettersson goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Boeser and Hughes. New Jersey answered with another Miller goal, his second of the game, with helpers from Chris Tierney and Brendan Smith. The Devils got closer with a Nico Hischier goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Smith and Haula. The Canucks iced it at 6-4 with a Joshua empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Miller and Teddy Blueger. The three stars were Pettersson, Miller, and Quinn Hughes, while Joshua, Boeser, Miller, Haula, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Buffalo opened in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his tenth of the season, via Connor Clifton and Tage Thompson. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin. The Sabres took the lead with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the season, assisted by Eric Robinson and Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Luukkonen (43 for 44 in saves), Girgensons, and Tuch.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Daniil Tarasov are in the blue paint. Columbus started in the first period with a Cole Sillinger goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jake Bean and Adam Boqvist. Minnesota tied it with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brock Faber and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the second period with a Sillinger goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, passed from Kirill Marchenko. The Wild tied it again on another Boldy goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Faber on the power play. Columbus pulled ahead as Sillinger completed his hat trick on his seventh of the season, thanks to Boqvist. Minnesota tied it again with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Ryan Hartman. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Marco Rossi goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Boldy and Faber. The three stars were Sillinger, Boldy, and Faber, while Boqvist gets an honorable mention.

Way out west, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Mackenzie Blackwood patrol the creases. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, via Timothy Liljegren and Mark Giordano. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Nylander scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Tyler Bertuzzi and Jake McCabe. San Jose got on the board with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Fabian Zetterlund and Mario Ferraro. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with another Nylander goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, with helpers from John Tavares and Bertuzzi. The three stars were Nylander, Jones (23 for 24 in saves), and Bertuzzi.

All the way east again, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Antti Raanta are the veteran goalies. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Nathan Walker goal, assisted by Oskar Sundqvist and Torey Krug. Carolina tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jack Drury. The tie went to a shootout, where Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn lifted the Blues to a 2-1 win over Sebastian Aho. The three stars were Binnington (29 for 30 in saves), Raanta (21 for 22 in saves), and Walker.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Scott Wedgewood are the backups in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on in the second period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Tommy Novak and Cole Smith. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. The Stars tied it with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson. Nashville pulled ahead with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators extended the lead as Forsberg scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, thanks to O'Reilly and Luke Schenn. Dallas got one back with a Robertson goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Joel Hanley and Harley. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Forsberg, Nyquist, and Robertson, while O'Reilly and Harley get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Logan Thompson guard the cages. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and Alex Pietrangelo. New York tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Bo Horvat and Anders Lee. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the second period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. Vegas added on with a Nicolas Roy goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the third period with an Eichel power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, powered by Lukas Cormier. The Islanders got one back with a Matt Martin goal, his second of the year, guided in by Casey Cizikas. Vegas fired back on a Roy goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Kolesar. The final held from here at 5-2, with the three stars given to Eichel, Roy, and Kolesar.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Stuart Skinner are the goalies. Edmonton tallied first in the second period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Hyman goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Bouchard. Ottawa got on the board with a Parker Kelly goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Brady Tkachuk and Erik Brannstrom. Edmonton shot back with a Hyman power play goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Bouchard. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Hyman, Bouchard, and Skinner (30 for 31 in saves). 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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