NHL 2023-24 - Day 128

There's three games on this Friday. First up...

The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Daniil Tarasov are the young goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with a Dmitri Voronkov power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Kirill Marchenko and Ivan Provorov. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Kyle Okposo and Kale Clague. The Sabres took the lead with a Connor Clifton goal, helped along by Jacob Bryson and Zach Benson in the third period. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Luukkonen (25 for 26 in saves), Clifton, and Girgensons. 

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Dylan DeMelo and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with another Ehlers goal in the second period, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Morrissey. Chicago got on the board with a Colin Blackwell goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Seth Jones. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Jason Dickinson and Jones. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, courtesy of Morrissey.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Calvin Pickard are in the blue paint. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Jake Middleton and Joel Eriksson Ek. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Wild took the lead in the third period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his fifth of the season, via Declan Chisholm and Kirill Kaprizov. Minnesota added on with a Boldy goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Ryan Hartman and Marcus Johansson. The Oilers got one back with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Draisaitl and McDavid. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Mats Zuccarello empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Boldy, Draisaitl, and McDavid. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 127

The NHL takes it up to 11 this Thursday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrobsky and Pyotr Kochetkov protect the nets. Carolina cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Andrei Svechnikov and Jesper Fast. This made it 1-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kochetkov (44 save shutout), Aho, and Bobrovsky (28 for 29 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen and Alex Lyon are set to start in goal. Colorado got going in the second period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Mikko Rantanen and Jack Johnson. Detroit tied it in the third period with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime with a Patrick Kane goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Larkin and Ben Chiarot. The three stars were Larkin, Kane, and Lyon (28 for 29 in saves).

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Nico Daws will start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his fifteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. New York extended the lead as Chris Kreider scored his twenty-ninth of the season, via Artemi Panarin and the goalie Shesterkin. The Rangers padded the lead on another Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, coming off of Vincent Trocheck and Panarin. New York continued in the third period with a Trocheck goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Panarin and Erik Gustafsson. New Jersey got on the board with a Jack Hughes goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Toffoli. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Lafreniere, Panarin, and Trocheck.

To Ottawa, as the Senators host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger faces a lesser foe in Anton Forsberg in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson. Dallas tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen. The Senators retook the lead in the second period with a Norris goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming off of Batherson and Ridly Greig. Ottawa added on with a Thomas Chabot goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Tim Stutzle and Mathieu Joseph. Scott Wedgewood replaced Oettinger in goal. The Senators extended the lead as Shane Pinto scored his fourth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Norris, Batherson, and Chabot.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau is mismatched with Tristan Jarry in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Mike Matheson goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kris Letang goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Drew O'Connor. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh added on with an O'Connor goal, his eighth of the year, via Valtteri Puustinen and Karlsson. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Letang empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Letang, O'Connor, and Karlsson.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Washington opened in the first period with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Beck Malenstyn. The Capitals added on with a Connor McMichael goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joel Edmundson and Tom Wilson. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Washington replied with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Dylan Strome and T.J. Oshie. The Lightning got one back with a Nick Paul goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Conor Sheary and Calvin de Haan. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Motte goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nick Perbix. The Capitals took the lead with a Rasmus Sandin goal, his third of the season, guided in by Aliaksei Protas and Strome. Washington iced it at 5-3 with a McMichael empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Alex Ovechkin and Wilson. The three stars were McMichael, Strome, and Wilson.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jordan Binnington are the veterans in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Oskar Sundqvist and Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twentieth of the year, via Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis extended the lead as Buchnevich scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with the help of Kyrou and Thomas. The Blues padded the lead on a Buchnevich empty net goal in the third period, completing his hat trick with his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Thomas. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Buchnevich, Binnington (38 save shutout), and Thomas, while Kyrou gets an honorable mention.

Further along, the Calgary Flames welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Calgary struck first in the first period with an Oliver Kylington goal, his second of the season, via Andrei Kuzmenko and Yegor Sharangovich. Boston tied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames retook the lead with a Martin Pospisil goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri. The Bruins retied it in the third period with a Coyle goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, coming off of Anthony Richard and Parker Wotherspoon. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Kadri goal, his twentieth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Kadri, Coyle, and Markstrom (31 for 33 in saves).

Along to Seattle, as the Kraken bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Philipp Grubauer receive the starts in goal. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Tyler Myers and Brock Boeser. Seattle tied it with a Vince Dunn goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky. The Kraken took the lead with a McCann power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks retied it on a Sam Lafferty goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger. Seattle pulled ahead with a Justin Schultz goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brian Dumoulin and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken added on with an Eberle goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by McCann and Schultz. Seattle iced it at 5-2 with an Eberle empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, set up by McCann. The three stars were McCann, Eberle, and Schultz.

South to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Jones and Adin Hill patrol the creases. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a Jake McCabe goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with a David Kampf goal, his fifth of the year, via Ryan Reaves. Toronto extended the lead as John Tavares scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Nicholas Robertson and Bobby McMann. Logan Thompson replaced Hill in goal. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Max Domi goal, his sixth of the year, passed from William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi. Vegas got on the board with a William Karlsson goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore. Toronto replied with a Domi goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, coming off of Simon Benoit and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs continued with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Golden Knights got one back in the third period with a Marchessault goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with helpers from Theodore and Brendan Brisson. Vegas got closer with a Michael Amadio goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Ivan Barbashev and Chandler Stephenson. Toronto shot back on an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-second of the year, fueled by Holmberg and Marner. This stood for a 7-3 final, with the three stars going to Domi, Holmberg, and Marchessault, while Marner and Theodore get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and David Rittich are in the blue paint. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Yakov Trenin goal, his ninth of the season, via Colton Sissons and Ryan McDonagh. Los Angeles tied it on a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his second of the season, helped along by Luke Evangelista and Tommy Novak. Nashville added on with a Sissons empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Jeremy Lauzon. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Lauzon, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Sissons. The three stars were Sissons, Saros (27 for 28 in saves), and Lauzon. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 126

There's five games on tap Wednesday. First up...

The Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Sam Montembeault patrol the creases. Montreal started in the first period with an Arber Xhekaj goal, his third of the season, assisted by Joshua Roy and David Savard. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Henri Jokiharju and Rasmus Dahlin. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Jayden Struble goal, his third of the season, coming off of Roy and Alex Newhook. The Sabres retied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson. Buffalo pulled ahead with an Alex Tuch shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars given to Tuch, Skinner, and Girgensons.

Southwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Arvid Soderblom are the young goalies. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his sixth of the season, via Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee. Chicago tied it on a Colin Blackwell goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Joey Anderson. The Flyers pulled ahead in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Noah Cates and Ryan Poehling. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars being Ersson (22 for 23 in saves), Konecny, and Hathaway.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and John Gibson are in the blue paint. Columbus led off in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets added on with a Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jake Bean. Columbus extended the lead as Werenski scored his second of the game and fourth of the season, thanks to Boone Jenner and Roslovic. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the second period on a Sean Kuraly goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Alexandre Texier. Anaheim got on the board with a Troy Terry goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Urho Vaakanainen and Frank Vatrano. The Ducks got closer with a Mason McTavish goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Terry and Pavel Mintyukov. Elvis Merzlikins relieved an injured Tarasov. Anaheim marched on with a McTavish goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Terry and Mintyukov. The Ducks tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Leo Carlsson and Mintyukov. Tarasov returned in the third period. Columbus regained the lead in the third period with a Yegor Chinakhov goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Gaudreau and Jenner. The Blue Jackets continued with a Kuraly goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Cole Sillinger and Texier. Columbus iced it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Jenner, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Damon Severson. The three stars were Gaudreau, Jenner, and Werenski, while Kuraly, Roslovic, Texier, Terry, McTavish, and Mintyukov get the honorable mentions.

Over in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Bobby McMann goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by T.J. Brodie and Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his fiftieth of the year, powered by Liljegren and Mitchell Marner. Toronto extended the lead as William Nylander scored his thirtieth of the season on the power play, with the help of Marner and John Tavares. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Matias Maccelli goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Nick Bjugstad. The Coyotes got closer with a Barrett Hayton goal, his third of the season, made possible by Alexander Kerfoot and Josh Brown. The Maple Leafs replied with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-first of the year, coming off of Marner and Brodie. Arizona replied with a Dylan Guenther power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Clayton Keller. Toronto answered with a Nylander goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, guided in by Brodie. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with a Tavares goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nicholas Robertson and McMann. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars given to Matthews, Nylander, and Marner, while Tavares, McMann, Liljegren, and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Stuart Skinner tend the twines. Boston struck first in the first period with a Morgan Geekie power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mason Lohrei and Charlie Coyle. Edmonton tied it on a Warren Foegele goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Connor McDavid. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Danton Heinen and Lohrei. Boston added on with a Trent Frederic goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Jesper Boqvist and Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins extended the lead as Jake DeBrusk scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to David Pastrnak and Parker Wotherspoon. The Oilers got one back with a Foegele goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak. Edmonton pulled closer on a Mattias Janmark goal, his third of the season, coming off of Cody Ceci. The Oilers retied it on a Corey Perry goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Darnell Nurse and Ceci. Boston retook the lead with a Pastrnak goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, passed from Lohrei. Edmonton tied it again with a Hyman goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Mattias Ekholm and McDavid. The Bruins won 6-5 in overtime with a McAvoy goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha. The three stars were McAvoy, Lohrei, and Pastrnak, while DeBrusk, Foegele, Hyman, McDavid, and Ceci get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 125

It's an eight game Tuesday slate. First up...

The Florida Panthers host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Sergei Bobrovsky get the starting nods in goal. Florida started in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fourth of the season, via Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart. The Panthers added on with a Brandon Montour goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The Senators tied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Claude Giroux and Chabot. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with an Anton Lundell goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Matthews Tkachuk. The three stars were Chabot, Lundell, and Montour.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Igor Shesterkin are in the blue paint. New York began in the first period with an Adam Fox goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Erik Gustafsson and K'Andre Miller. Dallas got on the board with a Miro Heiskanen power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski. New York iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Vincent Trocheck, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The three stars were Shesterkin (41 for 42 in saves), Kakko, and Fox.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin faces a lesser foe in Alex Nedeljkovic in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Marcus Pettersson goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech. The Islanders took the lead with a Mathew Barzal goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by the goalie Sorokin. New York added on with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins got one back with a Lars Eller goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Chad Ruhwedel and Ryan Graves. The Islanders replied with a Mike Reilly goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, fueled by Nelson and Anders Lee. Pittsburgh fired back on a Valtteri Puustinen goal, his second of the season, helped along by Kris Letang and Reilly Smith. The Penguins tied it on a Drew O'Connor goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin. The Islanders won 5-4 in overtime with a Pelech goal, passed from Barzal and Bo Horvat. The three stars were Pelech, Nelson, and Barzal.

Back in DC, the Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. Washington opened in the first period with a Connor McMichael goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Aliaksei Protas and Rasmus Sandin. New Jersey tied it on an Alexander Holtz goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Simon Nemec. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with a McMichael goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington added on in the third period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano. The Capitals extended the lead as Ovechkin scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Strome. Washington padded the lead on a Michael Sgarbossa goal, assisted by John Carlson and Max Pacioretty. The Devils got one back with an Erik Haula goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Brendan Smith. The Capitals finished it at 6-2 with an Ovechkin power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Strome and T.J. Oshie. The three stars went to Ovechkin, McMichael, and Strome.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Laurent Brossoit draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Mason Appleton goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter. Winnipeg extended the lead in the second period as Connor scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Vilardi and Dylan DeMelo. Minnesota got on the board with a power play goal by Marco Rossi, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Declan Chisholm and Frederick Gaudreau. The Jets extended the lead in the third period as Vilardi scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Morrissey and Connor. Winnipeg padded the lead on a Sean Monahan goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by DeMelo and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Wild got one back with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello. Minnesota got closer with another Rossi goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, made possible by Kaprizov. The Jets fired back with a Niederreiter empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Lowry. The final was 6-3, and the three stars were Vilardi, Connor, and Rossi, while Niederreiter, Lowry, Morrissey, DeMelo, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jack Johnson and Devon Toews. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with another Johansen goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, made possible by Zach Parise. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Artturi Lehkonen, his seventh of the year, set up by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The three stars were Johansen, Georgiev (24 for 25 in saves), and Lehkonen.

Next up, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Adin Hill patrol the creases. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his eleventh of the season, via Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh. Vegas tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his third of the year, assisted by Alec Martinez and Chandler Stephenson. The Predators took the lead with a Cody Glass goal, his second of the season, passed from Josi and Yakov Trenin. Nashville added on in the second period with a Tommy Novak goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of McDonagh and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators extended the lead as Cole Smith scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Michael McCarron and Kiefer Sherwood. The Golden Knights got one back with a William Karlsson power play goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Nicolas Roy and Shea Theodore. Vegas got closer with a Michael Amadio goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Martinez and Paul Cotter. Nashville capped it off at 5-3 with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Josi, McDonagh, and Martinez.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Cam Talbot are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Quinton Byfield goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, powered by Brandt Clarke and the goalie Talbot. Columbus got on the board with an Adam Boqvist goal, via Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic. Los Angeles shot back with another Dubois goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, coming off of Byfield and Alex Turcotte. The Kings extended the lead as Kevin Fiala scored his fourteenth of the year on the power play in the third period, with the help of Drew Doughty and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Doughty goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault. The final was 5-1, and the three stars were Dubois, Byfield, and Doughty. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 124

It's a busy Monday with 10 games on, most of them matinees. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the masked men. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jordan Greenway goal, his ninth of the season, via Dylan Cozens. Anaheim tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Max Jones and Ross Johnston. The Sabres retook the lead in the second period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Cozens. The Ducks tied it again with a Frank Vatrano goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Mason McTavish and Troy Terry. Anaheim took the lead with another Vatrano goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of McTavish and Terry. Buffalo retied it on a Zach Benson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Henri Jokiharju and JJ Peterka. The Ducks regained the lead with a Terry goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by McTavish. This stood for a 4-3 final, with the three stars going to Vatrano, Terry, and McTavish, while Cozens gets an honorable mention.

In Boston, the Bruins welcome the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman guard the cages. Boston started in the first period with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Anthony Richard and Charlie McAvoy. Dallas tied it with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Thomas Harley and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Ryan Suter goal, his second of the season, coming off of Roope Hintz. The Bruins tied it on a Justin Brazeau goal, helped along by Boqvist and Trent Frederic. Dallas pulled ahead in the third period with an Esa Lindell goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from Jason Robertson. Boston tied it again with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, made possible by McAvoy and Brad Marchand. The tie went to a shootout, where Marchand and McAvoy lifted the Bruins to a 4-3 win over Robertson and the Stars. The three stars were Boqvist, McAvoy, and Marchand.

To St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Joel Hofer draw the starts in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with a Matthew Knies goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. St. Louis tied it on a Brandon Saad power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Colton Parayko and Oskar Sundqvist. The Maple Leafs retook the lead in the third period with a Matthews power play goal, his forty-ninth of the season, helped along by Marner. Toronto added on with a shorthanded William Nylander goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues got one back on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Torey Krug and Robert Thomas. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Bobby McMann, his eighth of the year, set up by Marner and T.J. Brodie. The three stars were Matthews, Marner, and Nylander.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Filip Gustavsson are in the creases. Vancouver began in the first period with an Ian Cole goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Myers and Pius Suter. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Noah Juulsen. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. Vancouver replied with an Elias Pettersson goal in the second period, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Nils Hoglander and Elias Lindholm. The Canucks extended the lead as Miller scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser. The Wild got one back with a Boldy goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Eriksson Ek and Jon Merrill. Vancouver fired back with a Miller goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-seventh of the season, with the help of Suter. Minnesota answered with a Mats Zuccarello power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Gustavsson in goal. The Wild got closer in the third period with an Eriksson Ek power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, dished from Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman. Minnesota tied it on a Kaprizov power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Zuccarello and Boldy. The Wild pulled ahead as Eriksson Ek completed his hat trick with his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Zuccarello and Kaprizov on the power play. Minnesota padded the lead on a Marco Rossi goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Jacob Lucchini and Vinni Lettieri. The Wild kept going with a Kaprizov goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with a lone helper from Boldy. The Canucks got one back with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his third of the year, coming off of Miller and Suter. Vancouver got closer with a Boeser goal, his thirty-first of the season, with assists from Hughes and Filip Hronek. Minnesota replied with an empty net goal by Jonas Brodin, his fourth of the year, set up by Eriksson Ek. The Wild iced it at 10-7 with a Kaprizov empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov, and Miller, while Boldy, Zuccarello, Boeser, Suter, and Hughes get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Joey Daccord are between the pipes. Detroit led off in the first period with a Moritz Seider goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Vince Dunn and Andre Burakovsky. The Red Wings took the lead back in the second period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his sixteenth of the season, via J.T. Compher and Jeff Petry. The Kraken tied it again with a McCann goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Jamie Oleksiak and Will Borgen. Detroit retook the lead with a Daniel Sprong goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Christian Fischer. Seattle tied it again in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Will Borgen. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Ben Chiarot goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Dylan Larkin and Raymond. The three stars were Raymond, McCann, and Borgen.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner faces a lesser foe in Matt Villalta in goal. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Arizona tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Lawson Crouse and Matt Dumba. The Oilers took the lead with a Mattias Janmark goal, his second of the season, via Brett Kulak and Vincent Desharnais. The Coyotes tied it on a Clayton Keller goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Nick Schmaltz and Sean Durzi on the power play. Arizona gained the lead with another Bjugstad goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, passed from Keller. Edmonton retied it on an Evander Kane goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers pulled ahead with a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-third of the season, passed from Ekholm and Bouchard. Edmonton added on with a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, helped along by Ryan McLeod and Draisaitl. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 with a Warren Foegele empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by McDavid and Draisaitl. The three stars went to Kane, Draisaitl, and Bouchard, while Bjugstad, Keller, McDavid, and Ekholm get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Calgary Flames host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Oliver Kylington goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets pulled ahead with another Monahan goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, via Dylan DeMelo and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg added on with a Monahan power play goal, completing his hat trick on his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Vilardi and Connor. The Flames replied with a Blake Coleman goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. Calgary tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Flames pulled ahead with a Huberdeau goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Rasmus Andersson and Yegor Sharangovich. Calgary extended the lead as Mangiapane scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Kadri. The Flames padded the lead on a Kadri empty net goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, set up by Andersson. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars being Kadri, Monahan, and Huberdeau, while Mangiapane, Andersson, Connor, and Vilardi get the honorable mentions.

In California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Mackenzie Blackwood are set to start in goal. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, his eighth of the season, via Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Alec Martinez and Mark Stone. Vegas extended the lead as Mason Morelli scored, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Martinez. The Golden Knights padded the lead in the second period with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Martinez and Morelli. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Thompson (29 save shutout), Martinez, and Morelli.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Spencer Martin patrol the creases. Carolina was first to score in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Martin Necas and Jack Drury. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Necas goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina extended the lead as Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Dmitry Orlov and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Sebastian Aho goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Andrei Svechnikov and Jesper Fast. Chicago got on the board with a Nick Foligno goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Connor Bedard. Carolina shot back in the third period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Aho and Seth Jarvis. The Blackhawks got one back with a Bedard power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Philipp Kurashev and Tyler Johnson. Chicago got closer with a Johnson power play goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Bedard and Foligno. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Jordan Martinook, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Jarvis and Jordan Staal. The three stars were Aho, Necas, and Bedard, while Jarvis, Foligno, and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Ottawa cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub. The Senators added on with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead in the second period as Joseph scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Zub. Tampa Bay got on the board with an unassisted Mitchell Chaffee goal, his second of the year. The Senators shot back in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto. The Lightning got one back with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, helped along by Brandon Hagel. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Joseph, Stutzle, and Zub. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 123

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

The Stadium Series' second game, with the New York Islanders facing the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. The Rangers opened in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his fifth of the season, via Kaapo Kakko and Jonny Brodzinski. The Islanders tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Scott Mayfield and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders took the lead with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Noah Dobson and Adam Pelech. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Nelson and Dobson. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Anders Lee scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Pierre Engvall and Mike Reilly. The Rangers got one back with a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers got closer with another Trocheck goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, helped along by Alexis Lafreniere and Ryan Lindgren. The Islanders shot back in the third period with an Alexander Romanov goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Dobson. The Rangers pulled one back with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Panarin and Trocheck. The Rangers tied it with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Fox and Lafreniere. The Rangers won 6-5 in overtime with a Panarin goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Panarin, Trocheck, and Nelson, while Dobson, Fox, and Lafreniere get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. Colorado started in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Miles Wood and Bowen Byram. Arizona tied it on a Matt Dumba goal, his fourth of the year, via Alexander Kerfoot and Jack McBain. The Coyotes took the lead with a Lawson Crouse power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser. The Avalanche tied it again in the second period with a Jack Johnson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Ryan Johansen. Arizona regained the lead with a Logan Cooley goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Maccelli and Dumba. Colorado tied it again with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-third of the year, with helpers from Byram and Johnson. The Avalanche pulled ahead in the third period with a Devon Toews goal, his tenth of the campaign, coming off of Jonathan Drouin and MacKinnon. The three stars were MacKinnon, Johnson, and Dumba, while Byram and Maccelli get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Pittsburth Penguins bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. The Kings took the lead with a shorthanded Kempe goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Anze Kopitar. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kempe, Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), and Crosby. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 122

We've got 13 games this Saturday. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. Boston began in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his tenth of the season, via Trent Frederic and Kevin Shattenkirk. Los Angeles tied it on a Matt Roy goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Trevor Lewis and Andreas Englund. The Bruins retook the lead with a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. Boston added on with an Anthony Richard goal in the second period, guided in by Jesper Boqvist and Jakub Lauko. The Kings got one back with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Brandt Clarke and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Dubois and Quinton Byfield. The Bruins regained the lead with a Frederic goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Morgan Geekie and van Riemsdyk. The Kings tied it again with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. Los Angeles won 5-4 in overtime with a Clarke goal, with a lone assist by Phillip Danault. The three stars were Clarke, van Riemsdyk, and Dubois, while Frederic gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Dallas got going in the second period with a Mason Marchment power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene. Edmonton tied it on an Evan Bouchard goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Mattias Ekholm and Corey Perry. The Stars took the lead with a Thomas Harley goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. The Oilers tied it with a Perry goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton took the lead with a shorthanded Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Dallas tied it again with a Duchene power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Marchment and Harley. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Bouchard power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Draisaitl. The three stars were Bouchard, Duchene, and Draisaitl, while Perry, Marchment, and Harley get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Philipp Kurashev and Connor Bedard. Ottawa tied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Claude Giroux and Mathieu Joseph. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Stutzle. The Blackhawks retied it on a Bedard goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Kurashev. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Tyler Johnson and Joey Anderson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Bedard, Kurashev, and Stutzle.

Over in Calgary, the Flames host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Jacob Markstrom are in the blue paint. Detroit opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Moritz Seider and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings added on with a J.T. Compher goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Lucas Raymond. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Dylan Larkin scored his twenty-fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings padded the lead on a David Perron goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Joe Veleno. Dan Vladar replaced Markstrom in goal. Detroit continued in the third period on a Raymond goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, made possible by Seider. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars given to Reimer (38 save shutout), Kane, and Raymond, while Seider gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Filip Gustavsson guard the cages. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Henri Jokiharju. Minnesota tied it on a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild took the lead with a Declan Chisholm goal, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Marco Rossi on the power play. The Sabres tied it on a Dylan Cozens goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Jokiharju goal, his third of the year, passed from Alex Tuch and Thompson. The three stars were Jokiharju, Thompson, and Cozens.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Nashville started in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Robert Thomas and Torey Krug. The Predators took the lead back in the second period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jeremy Lauzon. Nashville added on in the third period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators extended the lead as Luke Schenn scored, with the help of Ryan McDonagh and Kiefer Sherwood. The Blues got one back with a Nathan Walker goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Kevin Hayes. Nashville iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by O'Reilly, his twentieth of the year, set up by Gustav Nyquist and Forsberg. The three stars were Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Saros (35 for 37 in saves).

Southeast to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brandon Hagel goal, his twentieth of the season, via Anthony Cirelli. Florida tied it on a Brandon Montour goal, his third of the year, made possible by Sam Bennett. The Panthers took the lead with a Bennett goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov. Florida added on with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Ryan Lomberg and Josh Mahura. The Panthers extended the lead as Gustav Forsling goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Florida padded the lead in the second period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Montour. The Panthers continued with another Tkachuk power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe and Montour. Jonas Johansson replaced Vasilevskiy in goal. Florida kept going in the third period with a Verhaeghe goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Bennett and Tkachuk. The Panthers struck again with a Bennett power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell. Florida piled on with another Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, fueled by Forsling and Sam Reinhart. The Lightning got one back with a Brayden Point power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The final stood at 9-2, with the three stars given to Bennett, Tkachuk, and Verhaeghe, while Montour and Forsling get the honorable mentions.

Way north to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. Washington drew first blood in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Aliaksei Protas and Nick Jensen. Montreal tied it on an Arber Xhekaj goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Joshua Roy and Joel Armia. The Capitals took the lead back with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin. The Canadiens tied it in the second period with an Alex Newhook goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Armia. Washington regained the lead in the third period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fifth of the season, via Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson. Montreal tied it again with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson. The Capitals reclaimed the lead with a Protas goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Nic Dowd and Mantha. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Protas, Mantha, and Armia.

Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Martin Jones are in the creases. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his forty-sixth of the season, via Matthew Knies and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Bobby McMann power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nicholas Robertson and Max Lajoie. Toronto extended the lead as Jake McCabe scored his fifth of the season, thanks to William Nylander and Max Domi. Anaheim got on the board with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Jakob Silfverberg. The Maple Leafs fired back with a Nylander power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Timothy Liljegren and Matthews. John Gibson replaced Dostal in goal. Toronto padded the lead on another Matthews goal, his second of the game and forty-seventh of the year, assisted by Marner and Nylander on the power play. The Maple Leafs kept going with a Tyler Bertuzzi power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Matthews and Liljegren. Toronto continued with a Matthews goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-eighth of the year, coming off of Knies and McCabe. The Maple Leafs struck again with a McMann goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Pontus Holmberg and Domi. The Ducks got one back in the third period with a Strome goal, his ninth of the year, dished from Gustav Lindstrom and Alex Killorn. Toronto fired back on a Robertson goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by McMann. This made it 9-2, the final, with the three stars being Matthews, Nylander, and McMann, while Robertson, Marner, Liljegren, McCabe, Knies, Domi, and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Taking it outside, the New Jersey Devils face the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Nico Daws are the young goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and John Marino. The Devils added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Brendan Smith and Jack Hughes. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with an Owen Tippett goal, his twentieth of the season, via Travis Konecny and Egor Zamula. New Jersey replied with a Smith goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Palat and Hischier. The Devils extended the lead as Nathan Bastian scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Timo Meier and Curtis Lazar. The Flyers got one back with a Tippett power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, powered by Konecny and Morgan Frost. New Jersey fired back with a Hischier goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, passed from Jesper Bratt and Marino in the third period. Philadelphia got one back with a Nick Seeler goal, helped along by Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Bastian, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Erik Haula and Lazar. The three stars were Hischier, Bastian, and Tippett, while Smith, Palat, Lazar, Marino, and Konecny get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Noah Juulsen goal, via Conor Garland and Ilya Mikheyev. Winnipeg tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Vilardi and Scheifele. The Jets tied it on a Tyler Myers goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg pulled ahead with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, passed from Kyle Connor and Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Scheifele goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Connor and Nate Schmidt. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars being Scheifele, Vilardi, and Connor.

Down in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Kaapo Kahkonen handle the goaltending duties. San Jose led off in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it on a Zach Werenski goal, his second of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Roslovic. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Yegor Chinakhov and Erik Gudbranson. Columbus added on with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Chinakhov and Gudbranson. The Sharks got one back with a Duclair goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Fabian Zetterlund and Calen Addison. San Jose tied it on a Zetterlund power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Addison and Mikael Granlund. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Gaudreau and Ivan Provorov. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Gaudreau, Chinakhov, and Duclair, while Gudbranson, Zetterlund, and Addison get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin and Adin Hill receive the starts in goal. Vegas began in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Nicolas Roy and Ivan Barbashev. Carolina tied it in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Seth Jarvis and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Jarvis goal, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Jordan Staal and Brady Skjei. Carolina added on with a Stefan Noesen goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to Jarvis, Noesen, and Martin (29 for 30 in saves). 

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