NHL 2023-24 - Day 136

It's a 13-game Saturday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Pyotr Kochetkov are the masked men. Carolina got going in the second period with a Martin Necas goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Stefan Noesen and Jalen Chatfield. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead as Aho scored his twenty-fourth of the season on the power play, powered by Svechnikov and Michael Bunting. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. The Jets got closer with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Nate Schmidt and Adam Lowry. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Morrissey. The Jets gained the lead with an unassisted Sean Monahan goal, his twentieth of the season. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with a Niederreiter empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Alex Iafallo and Morrissey. The three stars were Morrissey, Niederreiter, and Aho, while Svechnikov gets an honorable mention. 

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Lyon are the former teammates in goal. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brandon Montour goal, his sixth of the season, via Evan Rodrigues and Anton Lundell. The Panthers added on with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his forty-second of the year, powered by Aleksander Barkov and Montour. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Rodrigues scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Eetu Luostarinen and Lundell. The Panthers padded the lead on a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Montour and Brandon Tkachuk. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Bobrovsky (21 save shutout), Montour, and Rodrigues, while Lundell gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Philipp Grubauer occupy the creases. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Brett Kulak goal, his third of the year, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. Seattle got on the board with an Eeli Tolvanen power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jared McCann and Vince Dunn. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Draisaitl, Skinner (23 for 24 in saves), and Kulak.

To the midwest, as the Nashville Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville started in the first period with a Cody Glass goal, his third of the season, guided in by Colton Sissons and Ryan McDonagh. Colorado tied it with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. The Predators took the lead back in the second period with a Glass goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, fueled by Tommy Novak and Alexandre Carrier. Nashville added on in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. The Predators extended the lead on a Novak goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of the goalie Saros on the power play. Nashville iced it at 5-1 with a Glass empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the year, set up by McDonagh and Michael McCarron. The three stars were Glass, Novak, and McDonagh.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington are the veterans in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Scott Perunovich and Brandon Saad. Minnesota tied it in the second period with a Jon Merrill goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues retook the lead with a Jake Neighbours power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Robert Thomas and Torey Krug. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with a Krug empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by Faulk. The three stars were Binnington (21 for 22 in saves), Krug, and Neighbours.

East to Buffalo, where the Sabres bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twentieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on with a Dylan Cozens unassisted shorthanded goal, his thirteenth of the year. Vegas got on the board with a Brendan Brisson power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Nicolas Roy and Paul Cotter. The Golden Knights tied it on a William Karlsson goal, his twenty-first of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault and Cotter. Buffalo retook the lead with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Eric Robinson. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period as Kyle Okposo scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Skinner and Casey Mittelstadt. Buffalo padded the lead on an Owen Power goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jacob Bryson and Robinson. The Sabres continued with a Mittelstadt power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Power and Skinner. Buffalo kept going with a shorthanded Cozens goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, set up by Power and Henri Jokiharju. The final held at 7-2, with the three stars being Skinner, Cozens, and Power, while Mittelstadt, Robinson, and Cotter get the honorable mentions.

In Philadelphia, the Flyers host the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Felix Sandstrom are the backups in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Nick Seeler. Ottawa tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the year, via Shane Pinto and Mathieu Joseph. The Flyers took the lead back with a Tyson Foerster goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Scott Laughton. Philadelphia added on with a Foerster penalty shot goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Dominik Kubalik and Claude Giroux. The Flyers iced it at 4-2 with a Cam York empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Foerster, Farabee, and Sandstrom (26 for 28 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Kaiden Guhle and Alex Newhook. The Canadiens added on with a Jake Evans goal, his fifth of the year, via Brendan Gallagher. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal in the second period, his thirty-second of the season, guided in by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning tied it on an Anthony Cirelli goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Brandon Hagel and Hadyn Fleury. Montreal took the lead in the third period with a Josh Anderson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Cole Caufield and Arber Xhekaj. Tampa Bay tied it again with a Tyler Motte shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Stamkos and Victor Hedman gave the Lightning a 4-3 win over Caufield and the Canadiens. The three stars were Motte, Cirelli, and Point.

Way north to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. New York was first to score in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Adam Fox. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Auston Matthews. The Rangers retook the lead with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Lafreniere and Artemi Panarin. The Maple Leafs retied it on a William Nylander goal, his thirty-third of the year, passed from Max Domi and Jake McCabe. Toronto took the lead with a John Tavares goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Calle Jarnkrok and Morgan Rielly. New York retied it on another Trocheck goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Lafreniere. The tie went to a shootout, where Marner and Domi lifted the Maple Leafs to a 4-3 win over the Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers. The three stars were Lafreniere, Trocheck, and Panarin.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Ilya Sorokin are the masked men. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Noah Dobson and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with a Palmieri power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, powered by Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. New York extended the lead as Palmieri completed his hat trick with his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Pulock and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Islanders padded the lead in the second period on a Lee goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Pageau and Palmieri. New York continued on a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Horvat and Mike Reilly. Boston got on the board with a Marc McLaughlin goal, guided in by Charlie McAvoy and James van Riemsdyk. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Palmieri, Lee, and Horvat, while Pageau gets an honorable mention.

South to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the San Jose Sharks. Magnus Chrona and Jake Oettinger are in the blue paint. San Jose got the first goal in the first period on a William Eklund goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Luke Kunin and Jan Rutta. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his fourth of the year, via Craig Smith and Sam Steel. The Sharks retook the lead with a Filip Zadina goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Kunin. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Jason Robertson power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. The tie went to a shootout, where Matt Duchene and Benn lifted the Stars to a 3-2 win over Anthony Duclair and the Sharks. The three stars were Benn, Kunin, and Robertson.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Arvid Soderblom are the goalies. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Zach Werenski and Jack Roslovic. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his tenth of the season, via Connor Bedard and Ryan Donato. Columbus replied with a Mathieu Olivier goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Werenski. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Cole Sillinger scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Alex Nylander and Adam Boqvist. The Blackhawks got one back in the third period with a Donato goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Kurashev and Alex Vlasic. Columbus iced it at 5-2 with a Johnny Gaudreau empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Roslovic. The three stars belonged to Roslovic, Werenski, and Kurashev, while Donato gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jacob Markstrom tend the twines. Pittsburgh got going in the first period with a Jonathan Gruden goal, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Lars Eller power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Valtteri Puustinen and Sidney Crosby. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twenty-second of the year, an unassisted goal. Pittsburgh fired back in the third period with a Jeff Carter goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Ryan Graves and Noel Acciari. The Flames got one back with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Hanifin. Calgary tied it on a Blake Coleman goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund. The Flames pulled ahead on a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, helped along by Backlund. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Sharangovich, Backlund, and Coleman. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 135

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

The Ottawa Senators host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Anton Forsberg are in the blue paint. Arizona led off in the first period with an unassisted Michael Carcone goal, his sixteenth of the season. The Coyotes added on with a J.J. Moser goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dylan Guenther and Carcone. Arizona extended the lead on a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Matias Maccelli and Sean Durzi. Ottawa got on the board with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Jakob Chychrun and Shane Pinto. The Senators got closer in the second period with a Drake Batherson goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Jacob Bernard-Docker and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa tied it as Pinto scored his sixth of the year on the power play, with the help of Tarasenko and Stutzle. The Coyotes retook the lead in the third period with a Guenther power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Schmaltz and Maccelli. Arizona iced it at 5-3 with a Maccelli empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Barrett Hayton and Moser. The three stars were Guenther, Schmaltz, and Maccelli, while Moser, Carcone, Tarasenko, Pinto, and Stutzle get the honorable mentions. 

Stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Charlie Lindgren draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Bobby Brink goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett. The Flyers added on with a Tippett power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Egor Zamula and Frost. Washington got on the board in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Tom Wilson and Hendrix Lapierre. The Capitals tied it on a Sonny Milano goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Max Pacioretty and Dylan Strome. Washington pulled ahead with a John Carlson goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Lapierre and Rasmus Sandin. The Capitals extended the lead on an Anthony Mantha power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Strome and Wilson. Washington padded the lead on a Strome goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, fueled by Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson. This stood for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Strome, Tippett, and Pacioretty, while Wilson, Lapierre, and Frost get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Lukas Dostal patrol the creases. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Mason McTavish. New Jersey tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jack Hughes and Tyler Toffoli. The Ducks retook the lead with an Adam Henrique goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Max Jones. Anaheim added on with a Jones goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Gustav Lindstrom and Jackson LaCombe. The Devils got one back with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Ducks fired back with a Vatrano goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, made possible by Troy Terry and Radko Gudas. Akira Schmid replaced Daws in goal. New Jersey got one back in the third period with a Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Luke Hughes and Jack Hughes. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Vatrano, Jack Hughes, and Jones, while Toffoli and Luke Hughes get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 134

We're back to 12 games for Thursday. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Jeremy Swayman are between the pipes. Boston struck first in the first period with a Morgan Geekie goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Trent Frederic. The Bruins added on with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his fourth of the year, via Jakub Lauko and Kevin Shattenkirk. Boston extended the lead as Geekie scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to David Pastrnak and Danton Heinen. Vegas got on the board with Paul Cotter goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Nicolas Roy and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights got on the board with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault and Brendan Brisson. The Bruins countered with Geekie completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. Vegas got one back with a Michael Amadio goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Chandler Stephenson and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights tied it on a Stephenson shorthanded goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Zach Whitecloud. Boston pulled ahead with a Mason Lohrei power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Shattenkirk and Charlie Coyle. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Geekie, Stephenson, and Pastrnak, while Shattenkirk gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Anthony Stolarz receive the starts in goal. Florida led off in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. Montreal tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Arber Xhekaj and David Savard. The Panthers took the lead with a Reinhart power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Barkov. The Canadiens retied it on a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Suzuki. Montreal pulled ahead in the third period with an Alex Newhook power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Cole Caufield and Suzuki. Florida tied it on a Reinhart shorthanded goal, his second of the game and forty-first of the year, set up by Barkov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Barkov and Anton Lundell gave the Panthers a 4-3 win over Caufield and the Canadiens. The three stars were Reinhart, Suzuki, and Barkov.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin and Daniil Tarasov are the backups in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. Columbus got on the board with a Cole Sillinger goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Zach Werenski and Alex Nylander. Carolina shot back with a Skjei goal, his eighth of the year, via Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brent Burns. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Nylander power play goal, powered by Jack Roslovic. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with a Seth Jarvis empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Martinook and Pesce. The three stars were Skjei, Nylander, and Pesce.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Alex Lyon man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Adam Pelech and Noah Dobson. Detroit got on the board in the second period with an Olli Maatta goal, his third of the season, fueled by David Perron and Joe Veleno. The Red Wings tied it in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Dylan Larkin. New York took the lead with a Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal. Detroit tied it again on a Maatta goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Shayne Gostisbehere and Daniel Sprong. The Islanders retook the lead with a Barzal goal, his eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. New York iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Pierre Engvall, his seventh of the year, set up by Simon Holmstrom and Cizikas. The three stars were given to Nelson, Barzal, and Cizikas, while Maatta and Dobson.

To Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Joseph Woll are set to start in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Matthew Knies goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by William Lagesson and William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Auston Matthews scored his fifty-third of the season in the second period, with the help of Nylander and Knies. Arizona got on the board with an Alexander Kerfoot shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Coyotes got one back with a Logan Cooley goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matias Maccelli and Juuso Valimaki. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Nylander, his thirty-second of the year, set up by David Kampf. The three stars were Nylander, Knies, and Matthews.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Buffalo tied it on an Alex Tuch goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead with a Mitchell Chaffee goal, his third of the season, coming off of Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Tage Thompson goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Rasmus Dahlin on the power play. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Dahlin power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Casey Mittelstadt and Jordan Greenway. The three stars were Dahlin, Thompson, and Tuch.

Westward to Dallas, as the Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jason Robertson goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski. The Stars added on with a Pavelski goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Jani Hakanpaa and Roope Hintz. Dallas extended the lead as Logan Stankoven scored his third of the season, thanks to Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Vladislav Namestnikov his seventh of the year, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk. The Stars shot back in the third period with an empty net goal by Hintz, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Pavelski, Hintz, and Oettinger (25 for 26 in saves). 

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Connor Dewar goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Brandon Duhaime and Ryan Hartman. Nashville tied it on a Yakov Trenin goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Roman Josi. The Predators took the lead with a Cole Smith goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville added on in the second period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Josi and Gustav Nyquist. The Predators extended the lead as Josi scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Colton Sissons. Nashville padded the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Nyquist and Alexandre Carrier. The Predators continued with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Luke Evangelista and Sissons. This held for a 6-1 win, with the three stars given to Josi, Sissons, and Nyquist.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Zach Parise goal, his second of the season, via Jack Johnson. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Ross Colton power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Parise and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado extended the lead as Parise scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Ryan Johansen and Jonathan Drouin. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Devon Toews goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Colorado continued in the third period with a MacKinnon goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, helped along by Makar. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars going to Parise, MacKinnon, and Annunen (25 save shutout), while Makar gets an honorable mention.

Out in Seattle, the Kraken host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Philipp Grubauer are the veterans in goal. Seattle cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Wennberg and Will Borgen. The Kraken added on in the third period with a Wennberg power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Kailer Yamamoto and Eeli Tolvanen. The Kraken won 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Grubauer (33 save shutout), Wennberg, and Bjorkstrand.

North to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Thatcher Demko are the goalies. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Drew Doughty goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Quinton Byfield and Doughty in the second period. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Pius Suter. Los Angeles replied with a power play goal by Fiala, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kopitar and Doughty. The Kings extended the lead as Brandt Clarke scored his second of the season, thanks to Byfield and Trevor Lewis. Los Angeles padded the lead on a Moore goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Fiala. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Fiala, Doughty, and Kopitar, while Moore and Byfield get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Kaapo Kahkonen have the green light to start in goal. San Jose got the first goal in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twelfth of the season, via Fabian Zetterlund and Nikita Okhotyuk. Anaheim tied it on a Leo Carlsson goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Alex Killorn and Adam Henrique. The Ducks took the lead with a Brett Leason shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Pavel Mintyukov and Radko Gudas. Anaheim added on in the second period with a Killorn goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Henrique and Gustav Lindstrom. The Sharks got one back with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Zetterlund and Mikael Granlund on the power play. San Jose tied it on a William Eklund power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Duclair and Granlund. The Ducks reclaimed the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Jackson LaCombe and Ryan Strome on the power play. Anaheim extended the lead as Henrique scored his seventeenth of the year on the power play, thanks to LaCombe and Strome. The Sharks pulled one back with a Duclair power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from Granlund and Hoffman. The Ducks iced it at 6-4 with an Isac Lundestrom empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Henrique, Duclair, and Killorn, while LaCombe, STrome, Granlund, Hoffman, and Zetterlund get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 133

There's two games on this Wednesday. First up...

The New York Rangers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York got going in the second period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers added on with an Adam Fox power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Chris Kreider. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a Cole Sillinger goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Damon Severson. New York replied with a Kreider empty net goal, his thirtieth of the year, set up by Panarin and Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Panarin empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the campaign, made possible by Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller. The three stars were Shesterkin (30 for 31 in saves), Panarin, and Kreider.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Kyrou and Thomas. Edmonton got on the board with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Hyman goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, made possible by Mattias Ekholm. The three stars went to McDavid, Hyman, and Thomas, while Kyrou gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 132

There's 12 games on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Buffalo started in the first period with a Dylan Cozens power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jordan Greenway and Owen Power. Florida tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Nick Cousins and Brandon Montour. The Panthers took the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Carter Verhaeghe and Montour. Florida added on with a Montour power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, helped along by Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart. Buffalo got one back with a Tage Thompson goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Montour, Tkachuk, and Bennett.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Alex Lyon receive the starts in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Joe Veleno and David Perron. The Red Wings added on with a Lucas Raymond goal, his seventeenth of the year, via J.T. Compher. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin and Anthony Mantha. Detroit shot back with a Veleno goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Perron. The Red Wings extended the lead as Gostisbehere scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Raymond. The Capitals got one back with a Michael Sgarbossa goal, his second of the year, guided in by John Carlson. Detroit replied with a Compher shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Robby Fabbri power play goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Daniel Sprong. Washington got one back with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Ovechkin and Alexander Alexeyev. Detroit shot back with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Dylan Larkin and Kane. The Red Wings kept going with a Larkin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with helpers from Raymond and Olli Maatta. This made it 8-3, the final, with the three stars being Raymond, Gostisbehere, and Compher, while Larkin, Veleno, Kane, Perron, and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

Along to Montreal, as the Canadiens bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alex Newhook and Joshua Roy. The Canadiens added on with a Jordan Harris goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona got on the board with an Alex Kerfoot goal, his ninth of the season, passed from J.J. Moser and Nick Schmaltz. Montreal answered in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Harris and Jake Evans. The Coyotes pulled one back with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Matias Maccelli and Michael Kesselring. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with a Nick Suzuki empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Armia and Evans. The three stars were Harris, Armia and Evans.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy faces a lesser foe in Samuel Ersson in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Bobby Brink goal, his eighth of the season, via Morgan Frost and Marc Staal. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Nick Paul goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Brandon Hagel. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Tyson Foerster goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Frost. Philadelphia added on with a Travis Sanheim goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Noah Cates and Ryan Poehling. The Flyers extended the lead as Sean Walker scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Joel Farabee and Foerster. The Lightning got one back with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Philadelphia replied with an empty net goal by Cates, his third of the campaign, set up by Poehling. The Flyers iced it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Cam York, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Sanheim. The three stars were Sanheim, Cates, and Frost.

Back in Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov are the masked men. Vegas got going in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Michael Amadio and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights added on with a Mason Morelli goal, his second of the year, made possible by Theodore and Sheldon Rempal. Toronto got on the board with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jake McCabe and William Nylander. Vegas answered with a William Karlsson goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights extended the lead in the third period as Marchessault scored his thirty-first of the season, thanks to Karlsson. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Ryan Reaves goal, his third of the year, passed from Pontus Holmberg. Vegas shot back with an empty net goal by Marchessault, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, set up by Alex Pietrangelo. The Golden Knights iced it at 6-2 with a Nicolas Roy goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Theodore and Brayden McNabb. The three stars belonged to Marchessault, Theodore, and Karlsson.

West to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Filip Gustavsson guard the cages. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Connor Dewar goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Declan Chisholm and Ryan Hartman. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his eighth of the year, via Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin. The Wild retook the lead with a Jonas Brodin goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brandon Duhaime and Hartman. The Hurricanes tied it in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Seth Jarvis and Staal. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jack Drury and Teuvo Teravainen. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Staal, Hartman, and Noesen.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Juuse Saros are the Finnish goalies. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Michael McCarron goal, his ninth of the season, via Roman Josi and Cole Smith. The Predators added on with a Josi power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Tommy Novak. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Jake Sanderson and Tim Stutzle. Nashville shot back in the second period with a Josi goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Nyquist and Ryan McDonagh. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Nyquist scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars handed to Josi, Nyquist, and Saros (24 for 25 in saves).

North again to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Laurent Brossoit are the backups in goal. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Brenden Dillon goal, his second of the year, fueled by Mark Scheifele. St. Louis got on the board with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Marco Scandella and Robert Thomas. Winnipeg shot back with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Morrissey. The Blues got one back in the second period with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets answered in the third period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Ehlers and Monahan. The final held from here at 4-2, with the three stars being Monahan, Ehlers, and Morrissey.

Over in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kevin Fiala and Drew Doughty. Calgary tied it on an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Noah Hanifin and the goalie Markstrom. The Flames took the lead with a Blake Coleman goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Chris Tanev. The Kings tied it on a Fiala goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Calgary retook the lead with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Dryden Hunt and Jakob Pelletier. The Flames iced it at 4-2 with a Mikael Backlund shorthanded empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Tanev. The three stars were Tanev, Sharangovich, and Coleman.

South to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Logan Stankoven goal, his second of the season, via Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. Colorado tied it on a Joel Kiviranta goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Andrew Cogliano and Devon Toews. The Avalanche took the lead with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on in the second period with a Cogliano goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Chris Wagner. The Avalanche extended the lead as MacKinnon scored his thirty-fifth of the season, thanks to Artturi Lehkonen and Cale Makar. Colorado padded the lead on a Lehkonen power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Rantanen. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Cogliano, while Lehkonen gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Thatcher Demko are between the pipes. Vancouver started in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Tyler Myers and Ilya Mikheyev. The Canucks added on with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Filip Hronek. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Sidney Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Rakell power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with assists provided by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Vancouver retook the lead with a shorthanded Miller goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Elias Pettersson and the goalie Demko. Pittsburgh retied it in the third period on a Lars Eller goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Valtteri Puustinen and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in overtime with an Erik Karlsson goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Eller and Reilly Smith. The three stars were Rakell, Eller, and Miller, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Nico Daws and Mackenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. San Jose opened in the first period with a Nico Sturm goal, his fourth of the season, via Alexander Barabanov. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Timo Meier and Nico Hischier. The Devils took the lead with a Jack Hughes goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey added on with a Kevin Bahl goal, passed from Hischier and Hughes. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Colin Miller scored his third of the year, thanks to Hischier and Meier. New Jersey padded the lead on a Brendan Smith goal, his third of the season, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Chris Tierney. The Devils continued with a Dawson Mercer goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Hughes and John Marino. New Jersey kept going with a Hischier goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Bratt and Jonas Siegenthaler. The Sharks got one back with a Justin Bailey goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Carpenter and Henry Thrun. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars going to Hischier, Hughes, and Bratt, while Meier gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 131

There are four games on this Monday. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Darcy Kuemper man the nets. Washington led off in the first period with an Aliaksei Protas goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Anthony Mantha and Connor McMichael. The Capitals added on with a John Carlson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Dylan Strome. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto. The Senators tied it with a Pinto goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Travis Hamonic and Tkachuk. Washington got on the board with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Michael Sgarbossa and McMichael. The Capitals extended the lead as Beck Malenstyn scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Protas and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Ottawa got one back in the second period with a Tkachuk goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Vladimir Tarasenko and Pinto. Washington replied with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Malenstyn and Ethan Bear. The Capitals padded the lead on another Lapierre goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Mantha and Protas. This held as the eventual 6-3 final score, with the three stars going to Protas, Lapierre, and Malenstyn, while Tkachuk, Pinto, McMichael, and Mantha get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Scott Wedgewood receive the starts in goal. New York began in the first period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his fourth of the season, via Simon Holmstrom and Casey Cizikas. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Thomas Harley and Logan Stankoven. The Islanders took the lead back with a Kyle MacLean goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pierre Engvall and Pulock. The Stars retied it on a Stankoven goal, made possible by Wyatt Johnston. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Mathew Barzal and Mike Reilly. The three stars were Pulock, Stankoven, and Horvat.

Up north, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Stuart Skinner patrol the creases. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Trevor Moore goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Quinton Byfield and Andreas Englund. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by Connor McDavid. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his eighth of the season, via Anze Kopitar and Matt Roy. The Oilers tied it on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton pulled ahead in the third period with a Bouchard goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Draisaitl and McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars given to Bouchard, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl, while McDavid gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Philipp Grubauer are in the blue paint. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jesper Boqvist. Seattle tied it in the second period on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins retook the lead with a Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, fueled by Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy. The Kraken tied it in the third period with a Vince Dunn goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Andre Burakovsky and Yanni Gourde. Seattle took the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Will Borgen and Alexander Wennberg. Boston retied it with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The tie went to a shootout, where Kailer Yamamoto had the lone tally for a 4-3 Kraken win. The three stars were Pastrnak, Bjorkstrand, and Dunn. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 130

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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