NHL 2023-24 - Day 119

It's a three-game Wednesday. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Tristan Jarry guard the cages. Florida got going in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Evan Rodrigues and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on a Jonah Gadjovich goal, his second of the year, made possible by Brandon Montour and Kevin Stenlund. Florida extended the lead on an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Tkachuk and Rodrigues. The Panthers padded the lead with an Anton Lundell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Tkachuk and Nick Cousins. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel. Florida shot back with a Lundell goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Eetu Luostarinen. The Penguins got one back with a John Ludvig goal, helped along by Drew O'Connor and Lars Eller. The final stood from here at 5-2, with the three stars given to Tkachuk, Lundell, and Rodrigues.

Next up, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Kaapo Kahkonen is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Morgan Barron goal, his ninth of the season, via Adam Lowry and Neal Pionk. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars handed to Hellebuyck (18 save shutout), Barron, and Kahkonen (39 for 40 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Ingram are the masked men. Minnesota started in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Connor Dewar. Arizona got on the board with a Logan Cooley goal, his seventh of the season, via Jack McBain and Juuso Valimaki. Minnesota answered with a Boldy goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Eriksson Ek. The final was 3-1, and the three stars were Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Fleury (25 for 26 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 118

There's eleven games on this Tuesday slate. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Erik Cernak goal, via Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston got on the board with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Marchand and Pastrnak. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point's lone tally lifted the Lightning to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Marchand, Pastrnak, and Kucherov.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Jordan Greenway and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres added on with a Greenway goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Buffalo extended the lead on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres padded the lead as Dahlin scored his fourteenth of the year in the second period, with the help of Ryan Johnson and Peyton Krebs. Buffalo kept going with a Zach Benson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Bryson and Peterka. Cam Talbot replaced Rittich for the third period. The Sabres continued with an Alex Tuch goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Buffalo struck again with a Greenway goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt. The final stood at 7-0, with the three stars going to Greenway, Luukkonen (33 save shutout), and Peterka, while Tuch, Dahlin, and Bryson get the honorable mentions.

In Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Cayden Primeau are the inexperienced goalies. Montreal got going in the second period with a Jake Evans goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Tanner Pearson and Josh Anderson. The Canadiens added on with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Juraj Slafkovsky and Jayden Struble. Montreal extended the lead as Suzuki scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook on the power play. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Slafkovsky power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Suzuki and Cole Caufield in the third period. Montreal continued with a Brandon Gignac goal, fueled by Kaiden Guhle. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars awarded to Suzuki, Slafkovsky, and Primeau (13 save shutout).

Over to Ontario, as the Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Josh Norris and Claude Giroux. The Senators took the lead with a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa added on with a shorthanded Giroux goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Parker Kelly. The Senators extended the lead in the second period as Ridly Greig scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Shane Pinto. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Boone Jenner goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. Columbus got closer with a Jack Roslovic goal, his third of the season, helped along by Erik Gudbranson and Jake Bean. Ottawa fired back on a Tkachuk goal, completing his hat trick on the power play with his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Giroux and Thomas Chabot. The Senators iced it at 6-3 with an Erik Brannstrom empty net goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tkachuk, Giroux, and Forsberg (36 for 39 in saves).

Staying in the province, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Ilya Samsonov are in the blue paint. Toronto opened in the first period with a Bobby McMann goal, his third of the season, assisted by Noah Gregor. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his ninth of the season, via Nathan Walker and Matthew Kessel. Toronto replied in the third period with a McMann goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from T.J. Brodie and Simon Benoit. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by McMann to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the campaign, set up by Mark Giordano and David Kampf. The three stars were McMann, Samsonov (14 for 15 in saves), and Nylander.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Charlie Lindgren draw the starts in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Miles Wood and Artturi Lehkonen. The Avalanche added on with a Devon Toews goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Andrew Cogliano. Washington got on the board with a Beck Malenstyn goal, his fifth of the season, via Martin Fehervary and Nic Dowd. The Capitals tied it on a Connor McMichael goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Anthony Mantha. Colorado took the lead with a Lehkonen goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Colton and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche extended the lead on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon. Washington pulled one back in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Mantha. Colorado fired back with a Lehkonen empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Avalanche finished it at 6-3 with a Wood empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Byram. The three stars were Lehkonen, Colton, and Mantha, while MacKinnon, Wood, Byram, and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, as the Islanders host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Ilya Sorokin protect the nets. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matty Beniers goal, his seventh of the season, via Jared McCann. New York tied it on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson. The tie went to a shootout, where Tomas Tatar's lone tally lifted the Kraken to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Grubauer (26 for 27 in saves), Beniers, and Sorokin (29 for 30 in saves).

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jake Oettinger guard the cages. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Jordan Staal goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Seth Jarvis and Jordan Martinook. The Stars retook the lead with a Mason Marchment goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nils Lundkvist and Matt Duchene. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Jesper Fast goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Martinook and Staal. Dallas pulled ahead with a Robertson goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Pavelski and Jani Hakanpaa. The Stars added on with a Duchene empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Hakanpaa. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Robertson, Duchene, and Staal, while Pavelski, Hakanpaa, and Martinook get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Cody Glass and Roman Josi. New Jersey tied it in the second period on a Jack Hughes goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Luke Hughes and John Marino. The Predators took the lead back with a Tommy Novak goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Josi and Glass. The Devils tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Jesper Bratt and Ondrej Palat. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Timo Meier goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Curtis Lazar and Dawson Mercer. The Devils iced it at 4-2 with a Hischier empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hischier, Josi, and Glass.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Petr Mrazek are between the pipes. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dakota Joshua and Filip Hronek. The Canucks added on in the second period with another Garland goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Hronek and Joshua. Chicago got on the board with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno. Vancouver shot back with a Nils Hoglander goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as Joshua scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Teddy Blueger and Quinn Hughes. The Blackhawks got one back with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ryan Donato and Lukas Reichel. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars given to Joshua, Garland, and Hronek.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Detroit Red Wings. Ville Husso and Stuart Skinner man the creases. Edmonton began in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. Alex Lyon replaced an injured Husso in goal. The Oilers added on with a Ceci goal, coming off of Nurse and Connor McDavid. Detroit got on the board with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Moritz Seider. Edmonton answered in the second period with an Evan Bouchard goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The Red Wings got one back with a Joe Veleno power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sprong and DeBrincat. Detroit tied it on a Kane goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by J.T. Compher and David Perron. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Dylan Holloway goal, his third of the year, passed from Bouchard and McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to McDavid and Bouchard. The Oilers padded the lead on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-second of the year, with a lone helper by Draisaitl. Edmonton continued with an Evander Kane goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by McDavid and Vincent Desharnais. The Red Wings got one back with a Perron goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Ben Chiarot and Compher. The Oilers shot back with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by McDavid. The final stood at 8-4, with the three stars being McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Bouchard, while Draisaitl, Ceci, Nurse, Patrick Kane, DeBrincat, Perron, and Compher get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 117

There's four games on this Monday. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Nico Daws are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. The Devils added on in the second period with a Hughes goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Erik Haula. New Jersey extended the lead as Dawson Mercer scored his fifteenth goal of the season, with the help of Timo Meier and Santeri Hattaka. Seattle got on the board in the third period with a Will Borgen goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars given to Hughes, Daws (27 for 28 in saves), and Mercer.

In New York, the Rangers welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Igor Shesterkin are the veterans in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Will Cuylle goal, his ninth of the season, via Kaapo Kakko and Jonny Brodzinski. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Jimmy Vesey empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 2-0 game were Shesterkin (30 save shutout), Cuylle, and Markstrom (29 for 30 in saves).

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Samuel Ersson are in the blue paint. Arizona began in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, his third of the season, made possible by Clayton Keller and Travis Dermott. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Morgan Frost penalty shot goal, his ninth of the year. The Coyotes answered with a Matias Maccelli goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by J.J. Moser and Michael Kesselring. The Flyers tied it again with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Scott Laughton. Arizona regained the lead with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jason Zucker and Moser. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Jamie Drysdale goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Konecny. The Flyers pulled ahead on a Laughton goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Travis Sanheim and Marc Staal. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Owen Tippett, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Konecny and Sean Couturier. The three stars were Konecny, Laughton, and Moser.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Adin Hill guard the cages. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Nicolas Roy and Alex Pietrangelo. Minnesota tied it on a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman. The Wild took the lead with a Joel Eriksson Ek power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Matt Boldy and Kaprizov. The Golden Knights retied it on a Michael Amadio power play goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Pietrangelo and Brendan Brisson. Minnesota pulled ahead with a Marco Rossi goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Boldy and Brock Faber in the third period. The Wild added on with a Boldy goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Hartman and Faber. Vegas got one back with a Mark Stone goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Chandler Stephenson and Zach Whitecloud. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with an Eriksson Ek empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Kaprizov, while Hartman, Faber, and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 116

There's just two early games today. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jake Allen are the former teammates in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his eighth of the season, via Oskar Sundqvist and Torey Krug. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Kasperi Kapanen. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson. St. Louis replied with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Krug. The Blues extended the lead in the second period as Nathan Walker scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Schenn and Krug. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period on a Thomas power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Leddy and Jake Neighbours. The Canadiens got one back with a Joel Armia goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by David Savard and Jayden Struble. The Blues fired back with a Neighbours power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Thomas and Krug. St. Louis iced it at 7-2 with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Thomas and Krug. The three stars were Kyrou, Krug, and Thomas, while Neighbours gets an honorable mention.

In DC, the Washington Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Washington opened in the first period with a Nic Dowd goal, his eighth of the season, via Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Rasmus Sandin. Vancouver tied it on a Conor Garland goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Noah Juulsen. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Dylan Strome and T.J. Oshie. The Canucks tied it again with a Nils Hoglander goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Miller, Hoglander, and Garland. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 115

The NHL is back in full force with 13 games this Saturday. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jake Neighbours power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. Buffalo tied it on an unassisted Kyle Okposo goal, his tenth of the year. The Blues retook the lead with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Colton Parayko and Calle Rosen. St. Louis added on with a Neighbours goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Brayden Schenn and Kasperi Kapanen. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Neighbours, Hofer (33 for 34 in saves), and Kyrou.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Alex Lyon are in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his fourteenth of the season, via David Perron and Jeff Petry. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks took the lead with a Hronek goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Ilya Mikheyev and Pettersson. Vancouver added on with a Pettersson goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Pius Suter and Hronek. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with a Daniel Sprong power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Patrick Kane and Joe Veleno. Detroit tied it on a Michael Rasmussen goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Jake Walman and Christian Fischer. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Walman goal, his eleventh of the campaign. The three stars were Walman, Pettersson, and Hronek.

Across the border in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Sam Montembeault are in the creases. Montreal got going in the second period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Cole Caufield and Mike Matheson. Dallas tied it with a Thomas Harley goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. Dallas added on with another Seguin goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, fueled by Duchene and Marchment. The Canadiens got one back with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Suzuki and Matheson. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars being Seguin, Suzuki, and Duchene, while Marchment and Matheson.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Semyon Varlamov are the veteran goalies. Calgary opened in the first period with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers by the goalie Markstrom and Blake Coleman. The Flames added on with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Yegor Sharangovich and Noah Hanifin. Calgary extended the lead as Weegar scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, via Walker Duehr and Jakob Pelletier. New York got on the board with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Noah Dobson and Kyle Palmieri in the third period. The Flames fired back with a Coleman empty net goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders got one back with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Mathew Barzal. Calgary iced it at 5-2 with a Weegar empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. The three stars were Weegar, Huberdeau, and Coleman.

Along to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Connor McMichael. The Capitals added on with a Dylan Strome goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Alex Ovechkin and Oshie. Washington iced it at 3-0 with an Ovechkin empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Oshie, Lindgren (18 save shutout), and Ovechkin.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida started in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Barkov. Florida extended the lead as Eetu Luostarinen scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Dmitry Kulikov and Evan Rodrigues. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period with a Barkov goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Verhaeghe. The final held at 4-0 with the three stars awarded to Bobrovsky (34 save shutout), Verhaeghe, and Barkov, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Vitek Vanecek and Pyotr Kochetkov patrol the creases. Carolina won 1-0 in overtime with a Sebastian Aho goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Martin Necas and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars belonged to Kochetkov (34 save shutout), Aho, and Vanecek (32 for 33 in saves).

Northwest to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Elvis Merzlikins draw the starts in goal. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a power play goal by Nick Paul, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Hagel and Paul. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his twenty-seventh of the season on the power play in the third period, thanks to Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets got closer with another Jenner goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming off of Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko. The Lightning responded with an empty net goal by Hagel, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Kucherov and Cirelli. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Hagel, Paul, and Cirelli, while Kucherov, Jenner, and Gaudreau.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Joonas Korpisalo receive the starts in goal. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-second of the season, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Matthew Knies. Ottawa tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mathieu Joseph. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Shane Pinto and Jakob Chychrun. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Knies goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Marner and Matthews. Ottawa retook the lead with a Pinto goal, his third of the season, fueled by Parker Kelly and Artem Zub. The Senators added on with a Josh Norris goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Drake Batherson. Toronto got one back with a Max Domi goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Morgan Rielly and Nicholas Robertson. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 with a Ridly Greig empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Knies, Matthews, and Pinto, while Marner gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers, host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord faces a lesser foe in Cal Petersen in goal. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Scott Laughton power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Cam York and Morgan Frost. Seattle tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson. The Flyers retook the lead with a Ryan Poehling shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Garnet Hathaway and Nick Seeler. The Kraken tied it on a Jared McCann goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Dunn. Philadelphia took the lead with a Sean Couturier goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Couturier, Dunn, and Poehling.

Out west, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nate Schmidt and Logan Stanley. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves in the second period. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Hellebuyck (35 for 36 in saves), Niederreiter, and Scheifele.

In Nashville, the Predators bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Juuse Saros are between the pipes. Nashville opened in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist. Arizona tied it on a Travis Dermott goal, his second of the year, via Jason Zucker and Alexander Kerfoot. The Predators took the lead with a Roman Josi power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Tyson Barrie. The Coyotes tied it on a Dylan Guenther power play goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Clayton Keller and Zucker. Arizona took the lead in the third period with a Juuso Valimaki goal, his second of the season, assisted by Guenther and Barrett Hayton. The Coyotes added on with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Zucker and Keller. Nashville got one back with a Tommy Novak power play goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Ryan McDonagh and Luke Evangelista. The Predators tied it on a Forsberg goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of O'Reilly and Josi. Nashville won 5-4 in overtime with a McDonagh goal, his second of the campaign, with helpers from Novak and Nyquist. The three stars were Forsberg, McDonagh, and Josi, while O'Reilly, Novak, Nyquist, Guenther, Zucker, and Keller get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and David Rittich receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jordan Spence and Trevor Moore. The Kings added on with a Trevor Lewis goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Quinton Byfield. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Byfield scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy. The Kings padded the lead on a Byfield empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The final was 4-0, and the three stars were Byfield, Rittich (27 save shutout), and Dubois. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 114

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

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Marc-Andre Fleury are in goal. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his ninth of the year, via Evgeni Malkin. The Wild retook the lead with a Jonas Brodin goal, his second of the season, made possible by Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Penguins tied it again in the third period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Jake Guentzel. Minnesota pulled ahead on a Kaprizov goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Zach Bogosian and Brodin. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kaprizov, Brodin, and Boldy. 

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Petr Mrazek are between the pipes. Chicago started in the first period with an unassisted Alex Vlasic goal, his second of the season. New York tied it on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of K'Andre Miller and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers took the lead with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. New York added on in the second period with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Nick Foligno goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Philipp Kurashev and Tyler Johnson. Chicago tied it on a Jason Dickinson goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Seth Jones and Kurashev. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Kreider and Fox. The three stars were Kreider, Fox, and Kurashev. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Frank Vatrano and Adam Henrique. Edmonton tied it on an Evander Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Corey Perry. The Ducks took the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Leo Carlsson and Henrique. The Oilers retied it on another Kane goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl and Brett Kulak. Lukas Dostal replaced an injured Gibson in the third period. Anaheim regained the lead in the third period with a Strome power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with assists provided by Vatrano and Fowler. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead on a Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton iced it at 5-3 with a Kane empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, set up by Derek Ryan and McDavid. The three stars were Kane, McDavid, and Strome, while Draisaitl, Fowler, Henrique, and Vatrano get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 113

It's a seven-game slate on Thursday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Linus Ullmark tend the twines. Boston opened in the first period with a shorthanded Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on with a Danton Heinen shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Coyle. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Morgan Geekie scored his ninth of the season, thanks to David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins padded the lead on a Zacha goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Pastrnak. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars handed to Ullmark (17 save shutout), Coyle, and Zacha, while Pastrnak gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Pyotr Kochetkov are the goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Martin Necas goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Brady Skjei and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes added on with a Necas goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead as Necas completed his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Teravainen and Jaccob Slavin. Colorado got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, passed from Logan O'Connor and Samuel Girard on the power play. The Avalanche got closer with a Girard goal, his third of the year, via Andrew Cogliano. Antti Raanta replaced Kochetkov in goal in the second period. The Hurricanes replied with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Teravainen and Burns. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Seth Jarvis empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The three stars belonged to Necas, Teravainen, and Burns, while Girard gets an honorable mention.

Further south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Sergei Bobrovsky are the veterans in goal. Washington began in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Rasmus Sandin and Connor McMichael on the power play. Florida tied it in the second period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Gustav Forsling. The Capitals took the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Michael Sgarbossa and Aliaksei Protas. The Panthers tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, powered by Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. Florida pulled ahead in the third period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his third of the season, guided in by Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Eetu Luostarinen, his ninth of the year, set up by Tkachuk. The three stars were Tkachuk, Lomberg, and Reinhart.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Vitek Vanecek are in the blue paint. New Jersey struck first in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his seventh of the season, via Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Calgary tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Connor Zary goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by courtesy of Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil. Calgary added on in the third period with a Kevin Rooney goal, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. The Devils got one back with a Hischier shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Bratt. The Flames answered with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Hanifin and Zary. New Jersey got one back with a Palat goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Colin Miller and Bratt. Calgary iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Mangiapane, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Zary, Hanifin, and Bratt, while Palat, Hischier, and Mangiapane get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Samuel Ersson are between the pipes. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Tyson Foerster goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates. The Flyers added on with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Morgan Frost and Sean Walker. Philadelphia extended the lead as Frost scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Owen Tippett and Konecny. The Flyers padded the lead on a Poehling shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The final stood from here at 4-1, with the three stars going to Konecny, Poehling, and Frost.

Along to New York, as the Islanders bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson is mismatched with Ilya Sorokin in goal. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Noah Dobson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-third of the year, fueled by Darren Raddysh. The Islanders retook the lead with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat. New York added on with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Mike Reilly and Brock Nelson. The Lightning got one back with a Brandon Hagel power play goal in the second period, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman. The Islanders shot back with a Ryan Pulock power play goal, his third of the year, with an assist provided by Pierre Engvall. New York extended the lead as Horvat scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Barzal and Adam Pelech. The Islanders padded the lead on a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 6-2 final score, with the three stars going to Barzal, Horvat, and Palmieri.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Connor Ingram guard the cages. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights added on with a Nicolas Hague goal, his second of the year, assisted by Brendan Brisson and William Karlsson. Arizona got on the board with a Jason Zucker goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Juuso Valimaki and Matias Maccelli. Vegas replied with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Mark Stone and Paul Cotter. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Nick Schmaltz. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Stephenson, Hague, and Marchessault. 

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