Friday, January 19, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 97

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

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Antti Raanta make the starts in goal. Detroit opened in the first period with a Klim Kostin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Joe Veleno and Daniel Sprong. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Martinook goal, his sixth of the year, via Brent Burns and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Martin Necas goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov. The Red Wings retied it with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Dylan Larkin and Shayne Gostisbehere. Carolina retook the lead in the third period with an Andrei Svechnikov power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Bunting and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an Aho empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Necas and Svechnikov. The three stars were Svechnikov, Necas, and Aho, while Bunting gets an honorable mention. 

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Matt Boldy and Brock Faber. Florida tied it in the second period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his second of the year, fueled by Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. The Wild retook the lead with a Ryan Hartman power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alex Goligoski and Pat Maroon. Minnesota added on with a Faber power play goal, his third of the year, passed from Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild extended the lead as Mats Zuccarello scored his eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov. Anthony Stolarz replaced Bobrovsky in goal. Filip Gustavsson also replaced an injured Fleury in goal. The Panthers got one back with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Anton Lundell and Ekblad. Minnesota fired back in the third period with a Kaprizov power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, made possible by Zuccarello and Faber. Florida got one back on a Lundell goal, his third of the year, helped along by Ekblad and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers pulled closer with a Gustav Forsling goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Ekblad. The Wild iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Hartman, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kaprizov, Ekblad, and Faber, while Hartman, Zuccarello, Eriksson Ek, Boldy, and Lundell get the honorable mentions. 

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Elvis Merzlikins patrol the creases. Columbus led off in the first period with a Cole Sillinger goal, his eighth of the season, via Yegor Chinakhov and Johnny Gaudreau. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a John Marino goal, his third of the year, coming off of Simon Nemec. The Devils took the lead with an Alexander Holtz goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Cal Foote and Max Willman. New Jersey added on with a Nico Hischier goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils extended the lead as Nathan Bastian scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Kevin Bahl. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Vanecek (29 for 30 in saves), Holtz, and Hischier. 

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Petr Mrazek are between the pipes. New York began in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Hudson Fasching and Kyle Palmieri. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Boris Katchouk goal, his fifth of the year, via Zach Sanford and Reese Johnson. The Blackhawks pulled ahead with a Joey Anderson goal, fueled by Colin Blackwell and Jason Dickinson. Chicago added on in the third period with a Dickinson goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Anderson and Seth Jones. The Islanders got one back with a Bo Horvat goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. New York tied it as Palmieri scored his eleventh of the campaign, thanks to Dobson and Alexander Romanov. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime with a Jones goal, with helpers from Katchouk and Dickinson. The three stars were Dickinson, Jones, and Anderson, while Katchouk, Palmieri, and Dobson get the honorable mentions. 

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

Thursday, January 18, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 96

There's 11 games on this Thursday, including one make-up game. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, via Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on with a Jakub Lauko goal, fueled by Morgan Geekie and Hampus Lindholm. Colorado got on the board with a Miles Wood goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Devon Toews and Sam Malinski. Boston replied with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Parker Wotherspoon and Pavel Zacha. The Avalanche got one back in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Josh Manson and Cale Makar. The Bruins shot back in the third period with a Pastrnak power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, powered by DeBrusk. Boston won 5-2 with an empty net goal by Pastrnak, completing his hat trick on his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Coyle. The three stars were Pastrnak, DeBrusk, and Coyle.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen man the nets. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johnson and Peyton Krebs. The Sabres added on with a JJ Peterka goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the year, via Johnson and Jack Quinn. Buffalo extended the lead on a Rasmus Dahlin power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, powered by Casey Mittelstadt and Alex Tuch. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Luukkonen (19 save shutout), Girgensons, and Johnson.

In Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Ridly Greig and Artem Zub. The Senators added on with a Tim Stutzle goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Zub. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Sean Monahan. Ottawa shot back in the second period with a Rourke Chartier goal, his second of the year, guided in by Parker Kelly and Jacob Bernard-Docker. The Senators extended the lead as Vladimir Tarasenko scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Tkachuk and Stutzle. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper from Stutzle. The Senators continued with an empty net goal by Kelly, his fifth of the season, set up by Jake Sanderson. The Canadiens got one back with a Michael Pezzetta goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Stutzle, Tkachuk, and Zub, while Kelly gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Samuel Ersson are in the blue paint. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Sean Walker goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. The Flyers added on in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Sean Couturier. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene. Philadelphia answered in the third period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Frost and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers extended the lead on a Scott Laughton penalty shot goal, his fifth of the season. Philadelphia finished it at 5-1 with an unassisted Tippett goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year. The three stars were Tippett, Frost, and Ersson (14 for 15 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Brock Faber and Jake Middleton. Tampa Bay tied it on a Victor Hedman goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning pulled ahead in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Point and Hedman. Tampa Bay added on with a Waltteri Merela goal, via Conor Sheary and Nick Perbix. The Wild got one back with a Marco Rossi goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Middleton and Kirill Kaprizov. The Lightning replied with a Point goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Kucherov. Minnesota pulled back with a Middleton goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Rossi and Mats Zuccarello. Tampa Bay countered in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Hedman. The Lightning extended the lead as Mikey Eyssimont scored his seventh of the year on the power play, with the help of Cirelli and Darren Raddysh. Tampa Bay padded the lead on another Cirelli goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, guided in by Brandon Hagel and Hedman. This stood for a 7-3 final score, with the three stars going to Hedman, Cirelli, and Point, while Kucherov, Middleton, and Rossi get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Washington Capitals bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Charlie Lindgren are the former teammates in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty. St. Louis tied it on a Nathan Walker goal, his second of the year, coming off of Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko. The Capitals took the lead back in the second period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Hendrix Lapierre and John Carlson. Washington added on with an Oshie power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Pacioretty. Washington extended the lead in the third period as Strome scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Alex Ovechkin and Carlson. The Blues got one back on a Walker goal, his second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Justin Faulk and Nikita Alexandrov. Washington iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Oshie to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the campaign, set up by Martin Fehervary. The three stars were Oshie, Strome, and Walker, while Pacioretty and Carlson get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Calgary Flames host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Dan Vladar are in the creases. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Andersson and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Flames added on with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Huberdeau. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, coming off of Noah Gregor and Pontus Holmberg. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, passed from William Nylander and Holmberg. Toronto pulled ahead with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Nylander and Matthews. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Matthews finished his hat trick with his thirty-seventh of the year, thanks to Matthew Knies and T.J. Brodie. Calgary got one back with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin. This only made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Matthews, Holmberg, and Nylander, while Huberdeau gets an honorable mention.

Up in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Stuart Skinner are the masked men. Seattle was first to score in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Kraken added on with a Jared McCann goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Yanni Gourde. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Warren Foegele goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane. The Oilers tied it on a Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton pulled ahead with another Foegele goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Draisaitl and Kane. The Oilers extended the lead as Hyman scored his twenty-seventh of the year on the power play, with the help of Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars being Draisaitl, Foegele, and Hyman, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

Down in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and David Rittich are in the creases. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Colton Sissons. Los Angeles tied it on a Drew Doughty power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala. The Predators retook the lead with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Luke Schenn and O'Reilly. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to O'Reilly, Saros (33 for 34 in saves), and Nyquist.

North again to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. Arizona tied it on a Travis Dermott goal, via Alexander Kerfoot and Jason Zucker. The Canucks took the lead back in the second period with a Dakota Joshua goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Demko (20 for 21 in saves), Joshua, and Pettersson.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Logan Thompson tend the twines. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Nicolas Roy and Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Roy and Marchessault. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Barbashev scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights padded the lead on a Keegan Kolesar goal, his third of the year, passed from Kaedan Korczak and Brett Howden. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin. Vegas iced it at 5-1 with a Howden shorthanded empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Stone. The three stars were Barbashev, Marchessault, and Howden, while Stone and Roy get the honorable mentions. 

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

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 95

There's two games today after one postponement. The action begins with...

The New Jersey Devils welcoming the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Nico Daws are the goalies. Montreal began in the first period with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Joshua Roy goal, via Sean Monahan and Joel Armia. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Luke Hughes power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Nico Hischier and Timo Meier. The Devils tied it on an Alexander Holtz power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Simon Nemec and Dawson Mercer. Montreal retook the lead with a Caufield goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Monahan and Jordan Harris. The final was 3-2, with the three stars going to Caufield, Monahan, and Montembeault (28 for 30 in saves). 

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Sergei Bobrovsky are the former teammates in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Sam Reinhart shorthanded goal, his thirty-third of the season, set up by Anton Lundell and Dmitry Kulikov. Detroit tied it on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Olli Maatta and Andrew Copp. The Panthers took the lead with a Gustav Forsling goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Sam Bennett. The Red Wings tied it again in the third period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Rasmussen and Maatta. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Shayne Gostisbehere and David Perron. The three stars were Rasmussen, Maatta, and Larkin. 

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

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 94

We've got eight games on a lighter Tuesday slate. First up...

The New York Rangers host the Seattle Kraken. Chris Driedger is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. Seattle tied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Jared McCann and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Rangers retook the lead with an unassisted Erik Gustafsson goal, his fourth of the season. New York added on in the second period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Jonny Brodzinski and Braden Schneider. The Rangers extended the lead as Kaapo Kakko scored his third of the season, thanks to Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The Kraken got one back in the third period with a McCann power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Eberle and Justin Schultz. New York iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Wheeler, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Zibanejad and Fox. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Zibanejad, and Fox, while Eberle and McCann get the honorable mentions. 

Next up, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen and Mads Sogaard are the backups in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Thomas Chabot. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. The Senators took the lead with a Ridly Greig goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, made possible by Giroux and Brady Tkachuk. The Avalanche retied it on a Jason Polin goal, courtesy of Fredrik Olofsson and Sam Malinski. Ottawa regained the lead with a Greig goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson. The Senators added on with a Sanderson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Giroux and Tkachuk. Colorado fired back with a Rantanen goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, passed from MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche tied it as Miles Wood scored his seventh of the season in the third period, with the help of Logan O'Connor and Devon Toews. Colorado pulled ahead on a Malinski power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Girard and Ryan Johansen. The Avalanche extended the lead as O'Connor scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Wood and Girard. Colorado iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Toews, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Rantanen, Girard, and Greig, while O'Connor, Wood, Malinski, Toews, MacKinnon, Giroux, Tkachuk, and Sanderson get the honorable mentions. 

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Washington opened in the first period with an Ethan Bear goal, via T.J. Oshie and Nick Jensen. The Capitals added on with a Tom Wilson empty net goal in the third period, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Martin Fehervary and Nic Dowd. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Kuemper (24 save shutout), Bear, and Gibson (26 for 27 in saves). 

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas started in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. The Stars added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Craig Smith and Esa Lindell. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Phillip Danault and Adrian Kempe. Dallas replied with a Johnston goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Hintz and Robertson in the third period. The Stars extended the lead as Joe Pavelski scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Thomas Harley and Dadonov. Dallas finished it at 5-1 with a Sam Steel shorthanded goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Radek Faksa. The three stars were Johnston, Hintz, and Dadonov, while Robertson gets an honorable mention. 

Way up north, the Winnipeg Jets host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Adam Lowry and Josh Morrissey. New York tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Mike Reilly and Sebastian Aho. The Jets took the lead back in the second period with a Neal Pionk power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt. Winnipeg added on with a Mason Appleton goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Dominic Toninato and Dylan DeMelo. The Islanders got one back with another Lee goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Bo Horvat. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Kyle Connor, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lee, Appleton, and Pionk. 

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Sharks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cole Guttman power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Donato and Kevin Korchinski. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his second of the year, via Justin Bailey and Mike Hoffman. The tie went to a shootout, where Rem Pitlick and Boris Katchouk lifted the Blackhawks to a 2-1 win over Kevin Labanc and the Sharks. The three stars were Mrazek (37 for 38 in saves), Blackwood (24 for 25 in saves), and Guttman. 

Along to Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Stuart Skinner are between the pipes. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Pontus Holmberg. The Maple Leafs added on with a Morgan Rielly goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Matthews and Holmberg in the second period. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan McLeod and Mattias Janmark. Edmonton took the lead with a McLeod goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Cody Ceci. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Bouchard, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were McLeod, Bouchard, and Matthews, while Holmberg gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Dan Vladar receive the starts in goal. Arizona got going in the second period with a Sean Durzi shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Nick Schmaltz and J.J. Moser. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Logan Cooley goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Durzi and Clayton Keller. Calgary got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Rasmus Andersson. The Flames tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Martin Pospisil. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Kadri and Elias Lindholm. The three stars belonged to Kadri, Sharangovich, and Durzi. 

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

Monday, January 15, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 93

There's 10 games on, including a number of matinees today. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his twelfth of the season, via Kyle Okposo and Ryan Johnson. The Sabres added on with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Jack Quinn and Mittelstadt. Buffalo iced it at 3-0 with a Jordan Greenway empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin. The three stars were Mittelstadt, Luukkonen (28 save shutout), and Tuch.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Jeremy Swayman are in the blue paint. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Pastrnak power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Marchand. Boston finished it at 3-0 with an unassisted Trent Frederic goal, his thirteenth of the campaign. The three stars went to Swayman (31 save shutout), Pastrnak, and Marchand.

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Kris Letang and Rickard Rakell. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-0 with a Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Rakell and Erik Karlsson. The three stars were awarded to Crosby, Jarry (22 save shutout), and Rakell.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Nikita Zadorov. Columbus tied it on a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Johnny Gaudreau. The Canucks retook the lead with a Conor Garland goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua. The Blue Jackets tied it with a Dmitri Voronkov power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, powered by Adam Boqvist and Gaudreau. Vancouver regained the lead on an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Miller and Quinn Hughes. Columbus pulled even again with a Voronkov goal in the third period, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Jack Roslovic. The tie went to a shootout, where Kirill Marchenko had the lone tally to give the Blue Jackets a 4-3 win. The three stars were Voronkov, Gaudreau, and Miller.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson faces former teammate Anthony Stolarz in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Sam Bennett power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Evan Rodrigues and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers added on with a shorthanded Sam Reinhart goal, his thirty-second of the year, set up by Niko Mikkola. Anaheim got on the board with an Alex Killorn goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Adam Henrique. The Ducks tied it in the second period with a shorthanded Henrique goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Frank Vatrano. Florida pulled ahead again on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Brandon Montour and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers extended the lead as Bennett scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Matthew Tkachuk and Verhaeghe. Anaheim got one back with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his second of the season, helped along by Sam Carrick. The Ducks tied it as Troy Terry scored his eleventh of the year in the third period, with the help of Jackson LaCombe. Anaheim won 5-4 in overtime with a Killorn goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, guided in by Vatrano and Cam Fowler. The three stars were Killorn, Bennett, Henrique, while Verhaeghe and Vatrano get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Antti Raanta man the nets. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Trevor Moore goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Phillip Danault and Vladislav Gavrikov. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Jordan Martinook goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Seth Jarvis and Brent Burns. The Kings retook the lead with a Danault goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Matt Roy and Gavrikov. Los Angeles added on with an Alex Laferriere goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Mikey Anderson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Kings extended the lead as Dubois scored his ninth of the season, courtesy of Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Anderson. Yaniv Perets replaced Raanta in goal. The Hurricanes got one back with a Jack Drury goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Stefan Noesen and Jalen Chatfield. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Moore shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the campaign, set up by Danault and Roy. The three stars were Danault, Moore, and Dubois, while Anderson, Roy, and Gavrikov get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Minnesota Wild host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Brock Faber and Matt Boldy. The Wild added on in the second period with a Connor Dewar goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota extended the lead as Joel Eriksson Ek scored his sixteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Kirill Kaprizov and Zuccarello. The Wild padded the lead in the third period with an Eriksson Ek shorthanded goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Marcus Foligno and Zach Bogosian. Minnesota finished it at 5-0 with a Foligno goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Frederick Gaudreau and Jonas Brodin. The three stars were Fleury (21 save shutout), Eriksson Ek, and Zuccarello, while Foligno gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Logan Thompson tend the twines. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Mark Stone goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Pavel Dorofeyev and Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights added on with a Stone goal in the second period, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, via Chandler Stephenson and Dorofeyev. Nashville got on the board with a Luke Evangelista goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Alexandre Carrier and Roman Josi. Vegas answered with a Stone goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Stephenson. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Jonathan Marchessault in the third period, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Alex Pietrangelo and Nicolas Roy. The three stars were Stone, Dorofeyev, and Stephenson.

Back east, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Jake Allen patrol the creases. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ross Colton power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Cale Makar. Montreal tied it on a Juraj Slafkovsky power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The Avalanche pulled ahead in the second period with a Makar goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Samuel Girard and Nathan MacKinnon. The Canadiens tied it with a Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, fueled by Jake Evans and Brendan Gallagher. Montreal took the lead with a Caufield power play goal his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Suzuki and Michael Matheson. Colorado tied it again with a Devon Toews goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Mikko Rantanen and Makar. The Canadiens gained the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his seventh of the year, via Sean Monahan and David Savard. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Makar, Caufield, and Suzuki.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Joel Hofer are in the blue paint. Philadelphia drew first blood in the second period with a Scott Laughton goal, his fourth of the season, via Garnet Hathaway and Sean Walker. St. Louis tied it on an Oskar Sundqvist power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Brayden Schenn and Scott Perunovich. The Flyers retook the lead with a Ryan Poehling goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Egor Zamula and Cam Atkinson. The Blues retied it in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Schenn and Jordan Kyrou. Philadelphia regained the lead with an Owen Tippett goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted Joel Farabee goal, his fifteenth of the year. The three stars were Schenn, Tippett, and Hart (28 for 30 in saves). 

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

Sunday, January 14, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 92

We're back to two games this Sunday. First up...

The New York Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York started in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming of of Vincent Trocheck and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers added on with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eleventh of the year, via Braden Schneider. Washington got on the board in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Dylan Strome and Max Pacioretty. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Shesterkin (24 for 25 in saves), Lafreniere, and Panarin. 

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Ilya Samsonov are the veterans in goal. Toronto opened in the second period with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his second of the season, made possible by Morgan Rielly. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventeenth of the year, via David Perron. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a Mitchell Marner goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Tyler Bertuzzi and Jake McCabe. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Alex DeBrincat. Detroit took the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Michael Rasmussen. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Lucas Raymond, his twelfth of the year, set up by Ben Chiarot and Larkin. The three stars were Larkin, Copp, and Sprong. 

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

Saturday, January 13, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 91

It's a full schedule today with 16 games, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Charlie Lindgren are the backups in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Adam Fox goal, his sixth of the season, via Will Cuylle and Chris Kreider. Washington tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Connor McMichael. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Fox goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals tied it in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Washington pulled ahead with a T.J. Oshie goal, his third of the season, fueled by Dylan Strome and Joel Edmundson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Fox, Oshie, and Dowd.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Zadorov. This was the game's only goal, with the Canucks winning 1-0. The three stars were Demko (25 save shutout), Lafferty, and Luukkonen (22 for 23 in saves).

To Ottawa, as the Senators bring in the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Joonas Koprisalo draw the starts in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Brady Tkachuk and Artem Zub. The Senators added on with a Thomas Chabot goal, assisted by Vladimir Tarasenko and Tim Stutzle. San Jose got on the board with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eighth of the year, via Alexander Barabanov and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, with helpers from Duclair and Mikael Granlund. San Jose pulled ahead on a Kevin Labanc goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ferraro and Mike Hoffman. Ottawa tied it on a Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Drake Batherson and Stutzle. The Senators regained the lead with a Batherson goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Zub and Stutzle. The Sharks tied it in the third period with a Filip Zadina goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Tomas Hertl and Ferraro. Ottawa retook the lead with a Tarasenko goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Zub. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Batherson, and Tkachuk, while Stutzle, Zub, Ferraro, and Duclair get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Sergei Bobrovsky are set to start in goal. New Jersey started in the first period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his tenth of the season, via Simon Nemec and Curtis Lazar. The Devils added on with a Jesper Bratt goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Michael McLeod. New Jersey extended the lead in the second period as Erik Haula scored his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour. The Devils iced it at 4-1 with a John Marino empty net goal in the third period, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Daws (36 for 37 in saves), Bratt, and Haula.

Back north, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Antti Raanta man the nets. Carolina kicked off in the first period with a Brett Pesce goal, his second of the season, fueled by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Martinook goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jalen Chatfield. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. The Penguins tied it on a Rust goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Pesce goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis. The three stars were Pesce and Rust, and Martinook.

Along to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Daniil Tarasov are the young goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his third of the season, via Adam Fantilli. Seattle tied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Adam Larsson and Tomas Tatar. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Provorov goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, passed from Kirill Marchenko and Andrew Peeke. The Kraken tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Oliver Bjorkstrand. Columbus reclaimed the lead in the second period with a Marchenko power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Adam Boqvist and Johnny Gaudreau. Seattle tied it with a Tye Karyte goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Vince Dunn and Yanni Gourde. The Kraken pulled ahead on a Bjorkstrand power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by McCann and Justin Schultz. Seattle added on in the third period with another McCann goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Jaden Schwartz and Brian Dumoulin. The Kraken extended the lead as Dumoulin scored his third of the season, thanks to Schultz and Alexander Wennberg.  The Blue Jackets got one back with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kent Johnson and Andrew Peeke. Seattle iced it at 7-4 with an Eeli Tolvanen empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Gourde and Bjorkstrand. The three stars were McCann, Bjorkstrand, and Dumoulin, while Gourde, Marchenko, and Schultz get the honorable mentions.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon receive the starting nods in goal. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by David Perron. Los Angeles tied it on a Quinton Byfield power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Larkin power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit added on with a Robby Fabbri goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Daniel Sprong and Joe Veleno. The Red Wings extended the lead as Kane scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Alex DeBrincat and Jeff Petry. Detroit padded the lead on an Andrew Copp goal, his  seventh of the year, made possible by Christian Fischer and Petry. David Rittich replaced Talbot in goal. The Kings got one back with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Alex Laferriere and Phillip Danault. Los Angeles pulled closer with a Byfield power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Kopitar and Fiala. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Larkin, Kane, and Byfield, while Petry, Kopitar, and Fiala get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Sam Montembeault are in the blue paint. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Cole Caufield power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Nick Suzuki and Michael Matheson. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Warren Foegele and Evander Kane. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. The three stars were Draisaitl, Bouchard, and Skinner (23 for 24 in saves).

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Martin Jones patrol the creases. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Maple Leafs added on with a Morgan Rielly goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto extended the lead as Liljegren scored his second of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Ross Colton and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche got closer with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Samuel Girard. Colorado tied it on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Josh Manson and Logan O'Connor. The Avalanche took the lead with a MacKinnon goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Rantanen and Drouin. Colorado iced it at 5-3 with a Colton empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Ryan Johansen and Joel Kiviranta. The three stars went to MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Drouin, while Colton gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Brayden Point and Kucherov. Anaheim got on the board with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Cam Fowler and Ryan Strome. Tampa Bay shot back with a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, made possible by Kucherov and Darren Raddysh. The Lightning extended the lead as Calvin de Haan scored in the third period, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Brandon Hagel goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Nick Paul and Nick Perbix. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Vasilevskiy (19 for 20 in saves).

North again to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his ninth of the season, via Joel Farabee and Ryan Poehling. The Flyers added on in the second period with another Atkinson power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, powered by Morgan Frost and Cam York. This made it 2-0, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Ersson (35 save shutout), Atkinson, and Hellebuyck (34 for 36 in saves).

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Chicago got going in the second period with a Boris Katchouk goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Zach Sanford. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead with a Mason Marchment goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Evgenii Dadonov and Joel Hanley. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with a Joe Pavelski empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Hintz and Jamie Benn.

Backtracking to Minnesota, the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Filip Gustavsson are between the pipes. Arizona led off in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Clayton Keller and Sean Durzi. The Coyotes added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Michael Kesselring. Arizona extended the lead as Bjugstad scored his second of the game and eighth of the season on the power play, thanks to Lawson Crouse and Jason Zucker. The Coyotes padded the lead in the second period with a Keller goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Durzi and Jack McBain. Arizona continued as Bjugstad completed his hat trick on his ninth of the season, made possible by Zucker and Troy Stecher. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Gustavsson in goal. The Coyotes continued in the third period with another Keller goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, passed from McBain and Nick Schmaltz. The final held at 6-0, with the three stars being Keller, Bjugstad, and Ingram (38 save shutout), while McBain, Durzi, and Zucker get the honorable mentions.

Southeast to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Juuse Saros tend the twines. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Noah Dobson and Cal Clutterbuck. Nashville tied it on a Luke Evangelista goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Philip Tomasino. The Predators took the lead with an Alexandre Carrier goal, his third of the season, made possible by Jeremy Lauzon and Filip Forsberg. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Juuso Parssinen empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Roman Josi. The three stars belonged to Carrier, Saros (24 for 25 in saves), and Evangelista.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. Boston opened in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Charlie Coyle. St. Louis tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Kasperi Kapanen and Nick Leddy. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jesper Boqvist and James van Riemsdyk. The Blues tied it on a Jake Neighbours power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Marchand power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by David Pastrnak and van Riemsdyk. St. Louis tied it again with an Oskar Sundqvist power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Scott Perunovich and Brayden Schenn. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime with a McAvoy goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Pastrnak. The three stars were McAvoy, Marchand, and Pastrnak, while van Riemsdyk gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Logan Thompson tend the twines. Calgary began in the first period with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Connor Zary. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Backlund scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Andrew Mangiapane and Coleman. Vegas got on the board in the third period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Mark Stone and Alec Martinez. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Backlund, Coleman, and Markstrom (32 for 33 in saves). 

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