Tuesday, January 30, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 108

We've got two games on tonight, beginning with...

The St. Louis Blues welcoming the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jordan Binnington are in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his twelfth of the season, via Zach Werenski and Johnny Gaudreau. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars going to Merzlikins (21 save shutout), Voronkov, and Binnington (21 for 22 in saves).

Out west, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and MacKenzie Blackwood are between the pipes. San Jose got going in the third period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Ty Emberson and William Eklund. The Sharks iced it at 2-0 with a Jan Rutta empty net goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Blackwood (32 save shutout), Vlasic, and Daccord (20 for 21 in saves). 

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Monday, January 29, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 107

There's just one game on today, with the Ottawa Senators hosting the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Mads Sogaard start in goal. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Michael McCarron goal, his seventh of the season, via Roman Josi and Philip Tomasino. The Predators added on with a Tomasino goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Tommy Novak and Cody Glass. Nashville extended the lead as Yakov Trenin scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Dante Fabbro and Josi. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Drake Batherson goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Brady Tkachuk. The Senators got closer with a Tim Stutzle goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Mathieu Joseph. Ottawa tied it as Tkachuk scored his twenty-first of the year, with the help of Josh Norris. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Claude Giroux goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Stutzle. The three stars were Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Tomasino, while Josi gets an honorable mention. 

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Sunday, January 28, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 106

There's just two games on this Sunday. First up...

The St. Louis Blues welcome the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Anze Kopitar and Alex Laferriere. St. Louis tied it on a Nick Leddy goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with a shorthanded Jaret Anderson-Dolan goal, set up by Trevor Lewis and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blues tied it again with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Scott Perunovich and Kyrou. St. Louis pulled ahead on a Kyrou goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Perunovich and Robert Thomas. Los Angeles retied it on a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Trevor Moore and Drew Doughty. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Brayden Schenn goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Buchnevich. The three stars were Buchnevich, Kyrou, and Perunovich. 

Out in Seattle, the Kraken bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Joey Daccord man the nets. Seattle led off in the first period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn. The Kraken added on with a Jared McCann goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Eberle and Tomas Tatar. Seattle extended the lead as Eberle scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to McCann and Bjorkstrand on the power play. Columbus got on the board with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Damon Severson and Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets got closer with another Chinakhov goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kraken iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Brandon Tanev, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Eberle, McCann, and Chinakhov, while Bjorkstrand gets an honorable mention. 

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Saturday, January 27, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 105

There's 14 games on the last busy day before the All-Star break. First up...

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson patrol the creases. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-second of the season, via Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins added on with a McAvoy goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Zacha. Boston extended the lead as Danton Heinen scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Brandon Carlo. The Bruins padded the lead with an unassisted Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year. Cal Petersen replaced Ersson in the second period. Boston continued with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm. Philadelphia got on the board with a Tyson Foerster goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Travis Sanheim. The Flyers got one back with a Foerster goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Sean Couturier and Olle Lycksell. The Bruins shot back with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Trent Frederic and van Riemsdyk. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, McAvoy, and van Riemsdyk, while Foerster and Zacha get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Washington opened in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Dallas tied it on a Wyatt Johnston goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars took the lead with a Thomas Harley goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn and Sam Steel. The Capitals tied it in the second period with a Rasmus Sandin goal, assisted by Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Dallas reclaimed the lead on a Mason Marchment power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Heiskanen. The Stars added on in the third period with a Matt Duchene goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Marchment and Seguin. Washington got one back with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Kuznetsov and Dylan Strome. The Capitals tied it on a Strome goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Mantha and Ovechkin. Dallas won 5-4 in overtime with a Harley goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Jason Robertson and Duchene.

Way north to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Stuart Skinner make the starts in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as McDavid scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. Nashville got on the board with a Colton Sissons goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Luke Evangelista and Cole Smith. Edmonton responded with a Zach Hyman empty net goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl and McDavid. The final was 4-1, with the three stars being McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins.

In San Jose, the Sharks host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Kaapo Kahkonen man the nets. San Jose began in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his third of the season, assisted by William Eklund and Ty Emberson. The Sharks added on with a Jan Rutta goal, his second of the year, coming off of Eklund. Buffalo got on the board with a JJ Peterka goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Dylan Cozens and Owen Power. The Sabres tied it on a Jordan Greenway goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. Buffalo took the lead with a Tuch goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Mittelstadt. The Sabres extended the lead as Peterka scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Cozens and Jack Quinn. Buffalo padded the lead with a Cozens empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Peterka, Cozens, and Tuch, while Mittelstadt and Eklund get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Antti Raanta are in the creases. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Logan Cooley goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Dylan Guenther and J.J. Moser. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Martin Necas power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Seth Jarvis and Brent Burns. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Dmitry Orlov goal in the third period, his third of the season, via Jack Drury. Carolina added on with a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Jarvis and Jordan Staal. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Jarvis, Orlov, and Raanta (11 for 12 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twentieth of the season, via Claude Giroux. The Senators added on with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot in the second period. New York got on the board with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Mika Zibanejad. New York took the lead with a Zac Jones goal, helped along by Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers extended the lead as Jonny Brodzinski goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jones and Will Cuylle. Mads Sogaard replaced Korpisalo in goal. New York padded the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Zibanejad and Kreider. The Rangers continued with a Panarin empty net goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Lafreniere. New York finished it at 7-2 with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fifth of the year, with assists from Brodzinski and Erik Gustafsson. The three stars were awarded to Panarin, Kreider, and Jones, while Brodzinski, Lafreniere, and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Stateside again, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Tristan Jarry are the veterans in goal. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Michael Matheson and Cole Caufield. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Lars Eller goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Valtteri Puustinen and Rickard Rakell. The Canadiens took the lead back with a Juraj Slafkovsky power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Nick Suzuki. The Penguins tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal in the third period, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Sidney Crosby and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins won 3-2 in overtime with a Pettersson goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Rakell and Evgeni Malkin. The three stars were Pettersson, Rakell, and Jarry (25 for 27 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Andrei Vasilevskiy receive the starts in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Nick Paul goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Victor Hedman and Darren Raddysh. The Lightning added on with a Brandon Hagel goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Hedman and Paul. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Nico Hischier and Santeri Hatakka. Tampa Bay shot back with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Nick Perbix and Nikita Kucherov. The Devils replied with a Jesper Bratt goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning answered with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. New Jersey pulled back with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Palat and Simon Nemec. Tampa Bay responded with a Hagel empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Anthony Cirelli and Kucherov. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with a Point empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Hedman. The three stars were Hagel, Point, and Hedman, while Stamkos, Paul, Kucherov, and Palat get the honorable mentions.

Way north to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Dylan Samberg goal, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it on a Ryan Reaves goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Noah Gregor. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a John Tavares power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. Toronto added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his fortieth of the season, made possible by Marner and Rielly on the power play. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Simon Benoit scored an unassisted empty net goal. The Jets got one back with a Mason Appleton goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Alex Iafallo and Josh Morrissey. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Marner, Rielly, and Samsonov (24 for 26 in saves).

In New York, the Islanders bring in the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Semyon Varlamov are the backups in goal. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Varter Verhaeghe. New York tied it on a Simon Holmstrom goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom. The Panthers took the lead in the third period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Aleksander Barkov and Brandon Montour. The Islanders tied it on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Evan Rodrigues and Stolarz. The three stars were Tkachuk, Ekman-Larsson, and Reinhart.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Alex Lyon guard the cages. Detroit opened in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on with a Jake Walman goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by David Perron and Moritz Seider. Vegas got on the board with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Nicolas Roy and Alec Martinez. The Golden Knights tied it on a Paul Cotter goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo. Detroit pulled ahead with a Joe Veleno power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Seider and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Copp scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Michael Rasmussen. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Larkin, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by J.T. Compher and Raymond. The three stars were Larkin, Raymond, and Seider, while Martinez gets an honorable mention.

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Filip Gustavsson receive the starts in goal. Minnesota started in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin. Anaheim tied it on a Troy Terry goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Frank Vatrano and Benoit-Olivier Groulx. The Wild took the lead with a Jon Merrill goal, his second of the season, passed from Zuccarello and Dakota Mermis. The Ducks tied it in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Radko Gudas and Adam Henrique. Anaheim pulled ahead with a Terry goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, made possible by Henrique and Urho Vaakanainen. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Terry, Henrique, and Zuccarello.

Further west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Yegor Sharangovich and Nazem Kadri. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Markstrom (32 save shutout), Lindholm, and Mrazek (30 for 31 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Thatcher Demko receive the green light to start in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Alexandre Texier goal, his eighth of the season. The Blue Jackets added on with a Sean Kuraly goal, his seventh of the year, via Texier and Justin Danforth. Vancouver got on the board with a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by J.T. Miller and Pius Suter. Columbus replied with a Jake Bean goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Yegor Chinakhov. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Canucks got one back in the third period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Miller and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver got closer with a Boeser power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Hughes and Suter. The Canucks tied it as Boeser completed his hat trick on his thirtieth of the year on the power play, with the help of Pettersson and Miller. Vancouver won 5-4 in overtime with a Pettersson goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Boeser and Hughes. The three stars were Boeser, Pettersson, and Hughes, while Miller, Suter, and Texier get the honorable mentions. 

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Friday, January 26, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 104

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Vegas led off in the first period with a Sheldon Rempal goal, his second of the season, via Paul Cotter and Nicolas Hague. New York tied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Erik Gustafsson and Adam Fox. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the second period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the third period as Marchessault scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Barbashev and Roy. The Rangers got one back with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Jacob Trouba and Wheeler. Vegas iced it at 5-2 with a Marchessault empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Barbashev and Brayden McNabb. The three stars were Marchessault, Barbashev, and Roy, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention. 

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Nedeljkovic draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson. Florida tied it on an Evan Rodrigues power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Sam Bennett. The Panthers took the lead in the second period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, set up by Matthew Tkachuk and Ekman-Larsson. The Penguins retied it in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Rust. The tie went to a shootout, where Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart lifted the Panthers to a 3-2 win over Guentzel and the Penguins. The three stars were Ekman-Larsson, Reinhart, and Rust. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Colorado opened in the first period with a Logan O'Connor goal, his twelfth of the season, via Samuel Girard and the goalie Georgiev. The Avalanche added on with an O'Connor goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Miles Wood and Ross Colton. Colorado extended the lead as Nathan MacKinnon scored his thirty-first of the season, thanks to Jonathan Drouin and Mikko Rantanen. David Rittich replaced Talbot in goal. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Alex Laferriere and Drew Doughty. The Avalanche responded with a Josh Manson goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Andrew Cogliano. Colorado padded the lead with a Cale Makar power play goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Colton. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to O'Connor, MacKinnon, and Colton. 

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Joey Daccord protect the nets. St. Louis started in the first period with an Oskar Sundqvist power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Torey Krug. Seattle tied it on a Brian Dumoulin goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Adam Larsson and Jaden Schwartz. The Kraken took the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Alexander Wennberg and Jared McCann. Seattle added on with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Yanni Gourde and Bjorkstrand. The Blues got one back with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Scott Perunovich and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Buchnevich goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Thomas. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Buchnevich goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, made possible by Schenn. The three stars were Buchnevich, Thomas, and Schenn, while Bjorkstrand gets an honorable mention. 

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Thursday, January 25, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 103

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

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Alex Lyon man the nets. Detroit got going in the second period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings added on with a Moritz Seider goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Raymond. Detroit extended the lead on a shorthanded Andrew Copp goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Michael Rasmussen and Jeff Petry. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars handed to Lyon (30 save shutout), Raymond, and Larkin.

In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Juraj Slafkovsky and Sean Monahan. The Canadiens added on with a Cole Caufield goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Suzuki. Montreal extended the lead as Monahan scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Michael Matheson and the goalie Montembeault. New York got on the board in the second period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. The Islanders got closer in the third period with a Barzal power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Dobson and Kyle Palmieri. New York tied it on a Palmieri power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Dobson and Horvat. The Canadiens regained the lead with a Monahan goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, made possible by Josh Anderson and Caufield. This made it a 4-3 final, with the three stars going to Monahan, Caufield, and Suzuki, while Dobson, Horvat, Barzal, and Palmieri get the honorable mentions.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo are between the pipes. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Pavel Zacha and Pastrnak. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Chabot and Josh Norris on the power play. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, fueled by Coyle. The three stars were Pastrnak, Coyle, and Chabot.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Darren Raddysh goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his twentieth of the year, via Josh Brown and Jack McBain. The Lightning retook the lead with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with a Kucherov goal, his thirty-second of the year, passed from Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. The Lightning extended the lead as Stamkos scored his twentieth of the season on the power play, with the help of Kucherov and Point. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Mitchell Chaffee goal, fueled by Maxwell Crozier and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg. The Coyotes got one back with a Sean Durzi goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The Lightning fired back in the third period with a Luke Glendening goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Chaffee. Arizona replied with a Lawson Crouse goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Logan Cooley. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Stamkos, and Point, while Chaffee and Keller get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Antti Raanta receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Teuvo Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Teravainen power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Michael Bunting and Aho. Carolina extended the lead as Jordan Staal scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Brady Skjei and Seth Jarvis. Vitek Vanecek replaced Daws in goal. New Jersey got on the board with a Justin Dowling goal in the third period, passed from Alexander Holtz and Chris Tierney. The Devils got closer with a Jesper Bratt goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Luke Hughes. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Teravainen, Aho, and Staal.

Along to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. Anaheim tied it with an Urho Vaakanainen goal, via Isac Lundestrom and Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Troy Terry goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Adam Henrique. The Stars tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim pulled ahead in the third period with a Silfverberg goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Lundestrom. Dallas tied it on a Miro Heiskanen goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Thomas Harley and Evgenii Dadonov. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Harley goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Joe Pavelski. The three stars were Harley, Silfverberg, and Lundestrom.

North to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Filip Gustavsson protect the nets. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello on the power play. Nashville tied it on an Alexandre Carrier goal, his fourth of the year, via Yakov Trenin and Kiefer Sherwood. The Predators took the lead with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Roman Josi and Ryan O'Reilly. Nashville added on with a Josi goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and O'Reilly. The Wild got one back with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brock Faber and Kaprizov. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Josi, O'Reilly, and Kaprizov.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his twelfth of the season, via Zach Werenski and Cole Sillinger. Calgary tied it on a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Damon Severson goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Flames retied it with a Connor Zary goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson. Columbus took the lead with a shorthanded Alexandre Texier goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, set up by Sean Kuraly and Erik Gudbranson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Dmitri Voronkov power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Adam Fantilli and Severson. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Fantilli, his twelfth of the campaign, coming off of Chinakhov. The three stars were Severson, Chinakhov, and Fantilli.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Calvin Pickard are the goalies. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Zach Hyman goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via McDavid and Draisaitl. Edmonton iced it at 3-0 as McDavid scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign into an empty net, set up by Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Pickard (27 save shutout), and Draisaitl. 

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Wednesday, January 24, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 102

It's a slightly busier Wednesday with seven games, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Sergei Bobrovsky are the goalies. Florida opened in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. Florida extended the lead as Sam Bennett scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Verhaeghe and Forsling. The Panthers padded the lead in the second period with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Anton Lundell and Verhaege. Florida kept going with a Lundell goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen. The Panthers continued in the third period with a Jonah Gadjovich goal, coming off of Kevin Stenlund. Arizona got on the board with a Dylan Guenther power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Clayton Keller and Alexander Kerfoot. The Coyotes got another goal from Logan Cooley, his fifth of the season, made possible by Guenther and Matias Maccelli on the power play. The three stars were Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, and Reinhart, while Lundell, Guenther, and Forsling get the honorable mentions in the 6-2 game.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Ilya Samsonov are the backups in goal. Toronto won 1-0 in overtime with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, via Morgan Rielly and Nicholas Robertson. The three stars were Samsonov (32 save shutout), Matthews, and Brossoit (29 for 30 in saves).

Back stateside, the Boston Bruins bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin and Linus Ullmark patrol the creases. Carolina started in the first period with a Martin Necas power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Brady Skjei and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Trent Frederic and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins tied it on another Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, guided in by Charlie Coyle and Frederic. Carolina took the lead back with a Jordan Martinook goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Necas and Aho. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Necas, Marchand, and Aho, while Frederic gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado began in the first period with a Cale Makar shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Andrew Cogliano. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Makar. Colorado extended the lead as MacKinnon scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Makar and Rantanen. The Avalanche padded the lead as MacKinnon completed his hat trick with his twenty-ninth of the year, with the help of Rantanen. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Dylan Strome goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Max Pacioretty and Alex Ovechkin. Colorado replied with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Drouin and MacKinnon. The Avalanche continued with MacKinnon's fourth goal of the game and thirtieth of the season, with helpers from Rantanen and Ross Colton. The Capitals got one back with a Strome goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, helped along by Tom Wilson and Ethan Bear. The final was 6-2, and the three stars went to MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar, while Strome gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Seattle, as the Kraken welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Joey Daccord are set to start in goal. Seattle struck first in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz. The Kraken added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Andre Burakovsky and Vince Dunn. Chicago got on the board with a Joey Anderson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Seth Jones and Jason Dickinson. Seattle shot back with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Kraken extended the lead as Brandon Tanev scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Brian Dumoulin and Tye Kartye. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Jones. Seattle fired back with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Eberle and Schultz. The Kraken padded the lead with another Tatar goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Will Borgen. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Tatar, Eberle, and Schultz, while Jones gets an honorable mention.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Casey DeSmith draw the starts in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Robert Thomas. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Neighbours and Thomas. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Pius Suter goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. St. Louis retook the lead with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Kevin Hayes and Nathan Walker. The Canucks fired back with a Suter power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, made possible by Boeser. Vancouver tied it on a Suter goal, completing his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Hughes and Filip Hronek. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Nick Leddy. The three stars were Suter, Neighbours, and Thomas, while Boeser and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Adrian Kempe and Matt Roy. Buffalo tied it on a JJ Peterka goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Dylan Cozens. The Kings retook the lead with a Kempe goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield. Los Angeles added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alex Laferriere and Brandt Clarke. The Sabres got closer with a Peterka goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, assisted by Jack Quinn. Buffalo tied it on a Quinn goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Casey Mittelstadt and Ryan Johnson. The Sabres pulled ahead with an Alex Tuch goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Eric Robinson and Peyton Krebs. Buffalo extended the lead as Cozens scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Peterka and Quinn. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars given to Peterka, Quinn, and Cozens, while Kempe gets an honorable mention. 

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