It's a seven-game Sunday, beginning with...
The New Jersey Devils hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Akira Schmid get the starts in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Victor Hedman goal, his tenth of the season, via Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal, his thirtieth of the year, courtesy of Kucherov and Hedman. New Jersey got on the board with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. Tampa Bay replied in the third period with a Hagel goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Point and Kucherov. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Hagel. The three stars were Kucherov, Hagel, and Point, while Hedman gets an honorable mention.
Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Cal Petersen and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Scott Laughton and Olle Lycksell. Pittsburgh tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins took the lead with a Rust goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Marcus Pettersson and Crosby. The Flyers retied it in the second period with a Tyson Foerster goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Owen Tippett and Sean Walker. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Rust power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Crosby. The Penguins added on with an Emil Bemstrom power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Reilly Smith and Kris Letang. Philadelphia fired back with a Sanheim goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, assisted by Sean Couturier. The Flyers tied it on a Laughton shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Noah Cates and Cam York. Pittsburgh reclaimed the lead on a Drew O'Connor goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Valtteri Puustinen. The Penguins extended the lead as Rakell scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Crosby and Pettersson. Philadelphia got one back with a York goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Lycksell and Foerster. Pittsburgh shot back on a Letang goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers pulled back with a Foerster power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, dished from Couturier and Laughton. This only made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars being Crosby, Rust, and Foerster, while Sanheim, Laughton, York, Letang, Rakell, Pettersson, Couturier, and Lycksell get the honorable mentions.
Next up, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Tony DeAngelo goal, his third of the season, via Michael Bunting and Martin Necas. Buffalo tied it on a Jeff Skinner power play goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Dylan Cozens and Kyle Okposo. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Martin Necas power play goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen. The Sabres retied it on an Owen Power goal, his third of the year, coming off of Peyton Krebs and Zach Benson. The tie went to a shootout, where Casey Mittelstadt's lone tally gave the Sabres a 3-2 win. The three stars were Power, Skinner, and Luukkonen (30 for 32 in saves).
West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Petr Mrazek are the veterans in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Christian Fischer and Robby Fabbri. Chicago tied it in the second period on a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, his third of the year, via Reese Johnson and Kevin Korchinski. The Blackhawks pulled ahead with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Connor Bedard and Seth Jones. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Kane goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by DeBrincat. The three stars were Kane, DeBrincat, and Sprong.
Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Josh Morrissey. Arizona tied it on a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Dylan Guenther and Jason Zucker. The Jets retook the lead with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Gabriel Vilardi and Scheifele. Winnipeg added on with a Vilardi power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Scheifele and Morrissey. The Coyotes got one back with a Matias Maccelli goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Juuso Valimaki and Lawson Crouse. Arizona tied it in the third period with a Schmaltz goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Alexander Kerfoot. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Connor goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Morrissey and Scheifele. The three stars were Connor, Scheifele, and Morrisey, while Schmaltz and Vilardi get the honorable mentions.
Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Dmitri Voronkov goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Kirill Marchenko and Damon Severson. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-third of the year, helped along by Adam Fox. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Marchenko goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov. The Rangers retied it on an Adam Edstrom goal, his second of the year, fueled by Matt Rempe. Columbus took the lead back with a Jack Roslovic goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets added on with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Roslovic and Gaudreau. This held for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Roslovic, Voronkov, and Marchenko, while Gaudreau gets an honorable mention.
Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Lukas Dostal are the backups in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Roman Josi goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Dante Fabbro. Anaheim tied it with an Isac Lundestrom goal, his third of the year, coming off of Max Jones and Brett Leason. The Predators took the lead back in the second period with a Forsberg goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Tommy Novak. Nashville added on with a Michael McCarron goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Fabbro and Kiefer Sherwood. The Ducks got one back with a Leason goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Mason McTavish and Adam Henrique. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars were Forsberg, Fabbro, and Leason.
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