NHL 2023-24 - Day 146

It's a 10-game Tuesday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres added on with a Bowen Byram goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Zach Benson and Jordan Greenway. Detroit got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren. Buffalo shot back with a Benson goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Greenway and Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres extended the lead as Jeff Skinner scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Benson and Dylan Cozens. James Reimer replaced Lyon in goal. Buffalo padded the lead in the second period with a Connor Clifton goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Tage Thompson. The Sabres continued with a Byram goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Thompson and Zemgus Girgensons. The Red Wings got one back with a Raymond power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Robby Fabbri and Patrick Kane. Buffalo replied with a JJ Peterka goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit got one back in the third period with a Jake Walman goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Shayne Gostisbehere and Olli Maatta. The final was 7-3, and the three stars were Benson, Byram, and Thompson, while Raymond and Greenway get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Pyotr Kochetkov guard the cages. New York led off in the first period with an Adam Fox goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Chris Kreider and Ryan Lindgren. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Shesterkin (28 save shutout), Fox, and Kochetkov (23 for 24 in saves).

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Cayden Primeau are set to start in goal. Montreal opened in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Jake Evans. The Canadiens added on with a Juraj Slafkovsky power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mike Matheson and Cole Caufield. Montreal extended the lead as Joshua Roy scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Arber Xhekaj and Alex Newhook. Daniil Tarasov replaced Merzlikins in goal. The scoring ended here for a 3-0 final score, with the three stars being Primeau (41 save shutout), Gallagher, and Slafkovsky.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jake Sanderson goal, his eighth of the season, via Mathieu Joseph and Claude Giroux. Pittsburgh tied it on a Michael Bunting goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin. The Senators won 2-1 in overtime with a Drake Batherson goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, assisted by Tim Stutzle and Sanderson. The three stars were Sanderson, Batherson, and Korpisalo (34 for 35 in saves).

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Magnus Chrona and Samuel Ersson are the young goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Morgan Frost. San Jose tied it on a Filip Zadina power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Luke Kunin and Alexander Barabanov. The Flyers took the lead with a Frost power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Travis Konecny and Cam York. The Sharks retied it on a Zadina power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, fueled by Kunin and Klim Kostin. Philadelphia pulled ahead in the third period with an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Konecny and York. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Zadina, Konecny, and York, while Kunin gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jake Oettinger tend the twines. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. The Stars added on in the second period with a Robertson power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Pavelski and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Johnston scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Mason Marchment. Florida got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his forty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers got closer in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Brandon Montour and Tkachuk. Florida tied it on a Sam Bennett goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers took the lead on a Barkov power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Verhaeghe and Montour. The final was 4-3, and the three stars were Barkov, Verhaeghe, and Tkachuk, while Robertson, Pavelski, Johnston and Montour get the honorable mentions.

Way north to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Brock Faber and Jon Merrill. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Michael Carcone and Michael Kesselring. The Wild retook the lead with a Ryan Hartman power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Kaprizov and Frederick Gaudreau. Minnesota added on with a Kaprizov empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, set up by Jake Middleton. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Marcus Foligno, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kaprizov, Fleury (21 for 22 in saves), and Hartman.

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Petr Mrazek are the veteran goalies. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brett Leason shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Cam Fowler. Chicago tied it on a Ryan Donato power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Taylor Raddysh and Andreas Athanasiou. The Ducks retook the lead in the second period with a Leason goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, via Urho Vaakanainen. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno. Chicago took the lead with a Seth Jones power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Foligno and Bedard. The Blackhawks added on with a Bedard goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Kurashev and Foligno. Chicago extended the lead in the third period as Mackenzie Entwistle scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Athanasiou. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Kurashev goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, fueled by Bedard and Foligno. Chicago continued with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Bedard and Kurashev. The final held at 7-2, with the three stars being Bedard, Kurashev, and Foligno, while Leason and Athanasiou get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen and Dan Vladar are the backups in goal. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, powered by Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon. Calgary tied it on a Daniil Miromanov goal, helped along by Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil. The Flames took the lead with a Walker Duehr goal, his second of the year, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Brayden Pachal. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with a Josh Manson goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Sean Walker and Andrew Cogliano. Colorado pulled ahead with a MacKinnon goal, his forty-first of the year, passed from Nichushkin and Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Nichushkin goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Rantanen and Devon Toews. Colorado extended the lead as Casey Mittelstadt scored his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Brandon Duhaime and Toews. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Rantanen goal, his thirty-third of the season, courtesy of Cale Makar. Dustin Wolf replaced Vladar in goal. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars being Rantanen, Nichushkin, and MacKinnon, while Toews gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Seattle got going in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his third of the season, via Jared McCann and Tye Kartye. Vegas tied it on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson. The Kraken tied it again in the third period with a Matty Beniers goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Will Borgen and Tomas Tatar. Seattle took the lead with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kailer Yamamoto and Brandon Tanev. The Kraken added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Eeli Tolvanen and Yanni Gourde. Vegas got one back with a Karlsson goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Brayden Mcnabb and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights tied it on a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, with helpers from Chandler Stephenson and Eichel. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with an Eichel goal, his twentieth of the campaign, made possible by Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Eichel, Marchessault, and Karlsson. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 145

There's four games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Jeremy Swayman man the nets. St. Louis began in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Torey Krug and Brandon Saad. The Blues added on with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. St. Louis extended the lead as Kevin Hayes scored his twelfth of the season in the second period, thanks to Kapanen and Matthew Kessel. The Blues padded the lead on a Saad goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Hayes and Kapanen. Boston got on the board in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-first of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Pavel Zacha. St. Louis replied with an Alexey Toropchenko empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Colton Parayko and Nick Leddy. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kapanen, Saad, and Hayes. 

In New York, the Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jonathan Quick are set to start in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twentieth of the season, via Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Zac Jones and Jimmy Vesey. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Simon Nemec goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. New York replied with a Vincent Trocheck empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Vesey. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Quick (19 for 20 in saves), Vesey, and Gustafsson. 

Out in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Neal Pionk goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Mason Appleton and Adam Lowry. The Jets added on with an Alex Iafallo goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. Winnipeg extended the lead in the third period as Kyle Connor scored his twenty-seventh of the campaign, thanks to Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Hellebuyck (23 save shutout), Pionk, and Iafallo. 

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twentieth of the season, via Jordan Spence and Alex Laferriere. The Kings added on with a Phillip Danault goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Trevor Moore and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles iced it at 3-0 with a Moore empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rittich (26 save shutout), Moore, and Kempe. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 144

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

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Tristan Jarry are in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Evan Bouchard and McDavid. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as Darnell Nurse scored his seventh of the season, thanks to McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers padded the lead on a Nurse goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Ekholm. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to McDavid, Nurse, and Ekholm. 

Out west, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Marc-Andre Fleury are the goalies. Minnesota started in the first period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. Nashville tied it on a Mark Jankowski goal, his third of the year, via Kiefer Sherwood. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Tommy Novak and Jankowski. The Wild tied it again with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Matt Boldy and Eriksson Ek. Minnesota pulled ahead in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Boldy goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, helped along by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. The three stars were Boldy, Kaprizov and Jankowski, while Eriksson Ek gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Carolina led off in the first period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with an Aho goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Jalen Chatfield scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Seth Jarvis and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Svechnikov goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Aho and Brett Pesce. Calgary got on the board with a Dryden Hunt goal, his third of the season, made possible by Oliver Kylington and Andrew Mangiapane. Carolina shot back with a Brent Burns goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Jaccob Slavin and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes continued with a Jarvis goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Chatfield and Staal. The Flames got one back in the third period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina fired back with a Teravainen goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with helpers from Kotkaniemi and Svechnikov. This produced the 7-2 final score, with the three stars going to Aho, Svechnikov, and Jarvis, while Teravainen, Chatfield, Staal, and Kotkaniemi get the honorable mentions.

On to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Arvid Soderblom are the young goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton. The Coyotes added on in the second period with another Keller goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Schmaltz and Hayton. Chicago got on the board with a Connor Bedard goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Donato and Reese Johnson. The Blackhawks tied it on a Colin Blackwell goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Joey Anderson and Alex Vlasic. Chicago pulled ahead with a Bedard power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Seth Jones. Arizona retied it on a Dylan Guenther goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Bedard and Jones. Chicago extended the lead as Blackwell goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Jones and Jason Dickinson. The Coyotes got one back on an unassisted Schmaltz goal, his nineteenth of the season. The Blackhawks replied with a Donato goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago iced it at 7-4 with a Blackwell empty net goal, completing his hat trick with his eighth of the year, set up by Jones. The three stars were Blackwell, Jones, and Bedard, while Schmaltz, Keller, and Hayton get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Lukas Dostal are the backups in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Simon Holmstrom. The Islanders added on with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twentieth of the year, via Mike Reilly and Sebastian Aho. New York extended the lead on a Brock Nelson power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Max Jones and Radko Gudas. The Islanders shot back with a Horvat goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Nelson and Barzal. New York padded the lead on an unassisted Pierre Engvall goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Islanders continued as Cal Clutterbuck scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Matt Martin and Kyle MacLean. This held for a 6-1 win, with the three stars being Horvat, Nelson, and Barzal. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 143

There's 13 games on today, including five matinees. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a Ryan McLeod goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele. The Oilers added on with a shorthanded Foegele goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by McLeod. Buffalo got on the board with an unassisted Tage Thompson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Jacob Bryson goal, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Thompson and Alex Tuch lifted the Sabres to a 3-2 win over Draisaitl and the Oilers. The three stars were Thompson, Foegele, and McLeod.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Nico Daws patrol the creases. Carolina led off in the first period with a Martin Necas power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Jack Hughes. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jesper Fast and Brett Pesce. Carolina added on with an Andrei Svechnikov empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Teravainen and Brady Skjei. The Devils got one back with a Timo Meier goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Hischier and John Marino. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with a Teravainen empty net goal, his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Teravainen, Svechnikov, and Hischier.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Daniil Tarasov are the backups in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus tied it in the second period with an Alexandre Texier goal, his tenth of the year, via Ivan Provorov. The Predators took the lead in the third period with a Luke Evangelista goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Mark Jankowski and Tommy Novak. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Lankinen (32 for 33 in saves), Evangelista, and Sherwood.

Along to Boston, as the Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic is mismatched with Linus Ullmark in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fortieth of the season, via Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins added on with a Zacha power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Morgan Geekie and Mason Lohrei. Boston extended the lead as Brad Marchand scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Charlie Coyle and Hampus Lindholm. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby. The Bruins replied with a DeBrusk goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Marchand and Lindholm. Boston iced it at 5-1 with a Zacha goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, coming off of Pastrnak and Danton Heinen. The three stars went to Zacha, Pastrnak, and Marchand, while DeBrusk and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

South to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Anthony Stolarz are the masked men. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. The Panthers retook the lead on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Sam Reinhart and Tarasenko. Florida added on with a Sam Bennett goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers extended the lead as Tarasenko scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, thanks to Forsling and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Florida padded the lead in the third period on a Kevin Stenlund shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Eetu Luostarinen. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Tarasenko, Forsling, and Stolarz (34 for 35 in saves).

At the regular time, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Sam Montembeault man the nets. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Mike Matheson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Bobby McMann goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of David Kampf. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a Max Domi goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Calle Jarnkrok and TJ Brodie. The Canadiens tied it again in the third period with an Alex Newhook power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Slafkovsky and Matheson. Toronto took the lead back with a John Tavares goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Jake McCabe and Domi. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars going to Domi, Matheson and Slafkovsky.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Magnus Chrona receive the starts in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Thomas Bordeleau power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Fabian Zetterlund and Mikael Granlund. Ottawa tied it on a Tim Stutzle power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jake Sanderson and Brady Tkachuk in the second period. The Sharks retook the lead with another Bordeleau power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, helped along by Granlund and William Eklund. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Bordeleau, Chrona (31 for 32 in saves), and Granlund.

Back east, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his eleventh of the season, via Nikita Kucherov and Darren Raddysh. The Lightning added on with a Nick Paul power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Anthony Duclair and Raddysh. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his third of the season, thanks to Raddysh. The Lightning padded the lead on a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, with assists provided by Steven Stamkos and Hedman. Felix Sandstrom replaced Ersson in goal. Tampa Bay continued in the second period with a Duclair goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Stamkos. The Lightning struck again in the third period with a Hedman goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of Point and Raddysh. Tampa Bay kept going with a Brandon Hagel power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Raddysh and Mikey Eyssimont. The final held at 7-0, with the three stars given to Raddysh, Vasilevskiy (25 save shutout), and Hedman, while Duclair, Point, and Stamkos get the honorable mentions.

North to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Charlie Lindgren are between the pipes. Washington kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Aliaksei Protas. The Capitals added on with a Michael Sgarbossa goal, his third of the year, guided in by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Carlson. Washington extended the lead as Tom Wilson scored his fifteenth of the season on the power play, powered by Dylan Strome and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals padded the lead on a Sonny Milano goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Protas. Chicago got on the board in the third period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jarred Tinordi and Zach Sanford. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Protas, Carlson, and Lindgren (30 for 31 in saves).

Next up, the New York Rangers host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Igor Shesterkin guard the cages. New York drew first blood in the first period with a power play goal by Vincent Trocheck, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Barclay Goodrow. New York extended the lead in the third period as Chris Kreider scored his thirty-second of the season on the power play, with the help of Panarin and Fox. The Rangers padded the lead on a Kaapo Kakko power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Gustafsson and Alex Wennberg. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Shesterkin (26 save shutout), Panarin, and Fox.

Westward to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko tend the twines. Vancouver led off in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Nils Hoglander and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with a Hoglander goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Pius Suter and Elias Pettersson. Vancouver extended the lead as Phillip Di Giuseppe scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Teddy Blueger and the goalie Demko. The Canucks padded the lead in the second period on a Pettersson power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Conor Garland and Hughes. Casey DeSmith replaced Demko in goal in the second period. Vancouver continued in the third period with a Suter goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-0 game were Hoglander, Pettersson, and Suter, while Hughes gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Adin Hill draw the starts in goal. Vegas began in the first period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his eighth of the season, via Shea Theodore and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirty-third of the year, courtesy of Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. Detroit got on the board with a Michael Rasmussen goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Moritz Seider and David Perron. The Red Wings tied it on a J.T. Comper power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Seider and Andrew Copp in the third period. Vegas took the lead with a Brayden McNabb goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brendan Brisson and Jack Eichel. Detroit retied it on a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Rasmussen and Perron. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, passed from Eichel and Ivan Barbashev. Vegas iced it at 5-3 with a Marchessault empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-fifth of the year, set up by Barbashev and Hanifin. The three stars belonged to Marchessault, Eichel, and Rasmussen, while Barbashev, Hanifin, Perron, and Seider get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles kings host the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Cam Talbot will play in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Drew Doughty. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Craig Smith. The Stars took the lead with a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Joe Pavelski and Esa Lindell. Dallas added on in the third period with a Wyatt Johnston power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Pavelski empty net goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, set up by Robertson. The three stars went to Wedgewood (26 for 27 in saves), Robertson, and Pavelski. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 142

There's four games on Friday after the trade deadline. First up...

The Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. Colorado opened in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eleventh of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon. Minnesota tied it on a Brock Faber goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, powered by Mikko Rantanen and MacKinnon. The three stars were MacKinnon, Georgiev (29 for 30 in saves), and Nichushkin.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Connor Ingram are in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Jack McBain goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Liam O'Brien and Michael Carcone. The Coyotes added on with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Juuso Valimaki and Nick Bjugstad. Arizona extended the lead as Logan Cooley scored his eleventh of the season on the power play, powered by Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Bjugstad goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Nick Schmaltz. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars going to Ingram (28 save shutout), Bjugstad, and McBain.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and John Gibson guard the cages. Dallas led off in the first period with a Chris Tanev goal, his second of the season, assisted by Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell. The Stars added on with a Hintz power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead as Radek Faksa scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Sam Steel and Joe Pavelski. The Stars padded the lead in the second period with a Benn power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Frank Vatrano and Pavel Mintyukov. Dallas shot back on a Mason Marchment goal, his nineteenth of the year, fueled by Robertson. The Ducks got one back in the third period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Strome and Cam Fowler. The Stars answered with a Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Hintz and Matt Duchene. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars going to Hintz, Benn, and Pavelski, while Strome, Heiskanen, and Robertson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Joey Daccord are the masked men. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Vladislav Namestnikov and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with an Adam Lowry goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Mason Appleton. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Nikolaj Ehlers, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Sean Monahan and Alex Iafallo. The three stars went to Brossoit (17 save shutout), Scheifele, and Lowry. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 141

It's a 12-game Thursday on the eve of the trade deadline. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Jeremy Swayman are set to start in goal. Boston struck first in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Trent Frederic goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto got on the board with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Timothy Liljegren. Boston replied with a Morgan Geekie power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins extended the lead as Brandon Carlo scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Marchand and DeBrusk. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Swayman (28 for 29 in saves), Marchand, and DeBrusk.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Montreal led off in the first period with a Joshua Roy goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Newhook. Carolina tied it on a Brady Skjei goal, his ninth of the year, via Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Jack Drury and Jalen Chatfield. Carolina added on in the third period with a Skjei goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, made possible by Brett Pesce and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Svechnikov goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Teuvo Teravainen. Skjei, Svechnikov and Andersen (24 for 25 in saves) were the three stars.

Further south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Sergei Bobrovsky patrol the creases. Philadelphia got going in the second period on a Ryan Poehling goal, his eighth of the season, via Cam York and Travis Sanheim. Florida tied it on a Gustav Forsling goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Aaron Ekblad and Anton Lundell. The Flyers took the lead in the third period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his seventh of the campaign, guided in by Marc Staal and Noah Cates. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Hathaway, Ersson (29 for 30 in saves), and Poehling.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Daniil Tarasov are given the starting nods in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Mathieu Olivier goal, his third of the season, assisted by Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alex Nylander goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Cole Sillinger. Columbus extended the lead as Dmitri Voronkov scored his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Zach Hyman goal, his forty-third of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers got one back in the third period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Evander Kane and Darnell Nurse. The Blue Jackets answered with a Jack Roslovic empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Alexandre Texier and Erik Gudbranson. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Voronkov, Nylander, and Olivier.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Nico Daws are in the blue paint. New Jersey drew first blood in the first period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. The Devils added on with another Meier goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, guided in by Ondrej Palat and John Marino. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Scott Perunovich and Marco Scandella. New Jersey replied as Meier finished his hat trick on his seventeenth of the year, with the help of Palat and Hischier. The Devils iced it at 4-1 in the third period with an Erik Haula empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Meier. The three stars were Meier, Hischier, and Hughes.

In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Tristan Jarry are between the pipes. Washington started in the first period with a Tom Wilson shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Beck Malenstyn. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Dylan Strome and John Carlson. Washington extended the lead as Nick Jensen scored, with the help of Malenstyn. The Capitals padded the lead on a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Ovechkin. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Jarry in goal. Washington kept going with an Ivan Miroshnichenko goal, made possible by Strome and Sonny Milano. The Capitals continued in the third period with a Milano goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Alexander Alexeyev and Strome. This stood for a 6-0 win, with the three stars going to Lindgren (39 save shutout), Ovechkin, and Strome, while Milano and Malenstyn get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Calgary began in the first period with a Dryden Hunt goal, his second of the season, via Yegor Sharangovich. Tampa Bay tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nick Paul and Victor Hedman. The Flames took the lead in the second period with a Sharangovich goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Calgary added on with a Sharangovich goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Matt Coronato. The Flames extended the lead as Jakob Pelletier scored, with helpers from Andrei Kuzmenko and Joel Hanley. The Lightning got one back with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Calgary shot back in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Sharangovich and Huberdeau. The Flames padded the lead on an Andrew Mangiapane empty net goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Mikael Backlund and Weegar. Tampa Bay got one back with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Sheary and Paul. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being Sharangovich, Huberdeau, and Weegar, while Sheary and Paul get the honorable mentions.

Up in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist. Buffalo tied it on a Bowen Byram goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Rasmus Dahlin and Peyton Krebs. The Predators took the lead with a Luke Evangelista power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Mark Jankowski and Tommy Novak. Nashville added on with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, passed from Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators extended the lead as Forsberg finished his hat trick on his thirty-third of the season, thanks to Jeremy Lauzon and Nyquist. The Sabres got one back with an Owen Power goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Byram. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Forsberg, Nyquist, and Byram.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Karel Vejmelka are the goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Brock Faber. Arizona tied it in the third period on a Clayton Keller power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Nick Schmaltz and Sean Durzi. The Coyotes took the lead with a Michael Carcone goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Liam O'Brien and Jack McBain. The Wild retied it on a Zach Bogosian goal, his second of the year, made possible by Ryan Hartman and Zuccarello. Minnesota regained the lead with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Zuccarello. The Wild added on with a Faber empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Hartman. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Connor Dewar goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Jonas Brodin and Adam Beckman. The three stars were Zuccarello, Faber, and Hartman.

Heading to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Adin Hill protect the nets. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Quinn Hughes power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. The Canucks added on with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Nils Hoglander and Noah Juulsen. Vegas got on the board with a Michael Amadio goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Nicolas Roy in the second period. Vancouver replied with a Conor Garland goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Demko (27 for 28 in saves), Di Giuseppe, and Garland.

To California, as the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Ottawa scored first in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Jake Sanderson and Tim Stutzle. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Quinton Byfield goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Blake Lizotte and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Senators took the lead back with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson. The Kings tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Matt Roy. Los Angeles pulled ahead with a Jacob Moverare goal, via Drew Doughty and Kopitar. Ottawa retied it on a Batherson goal, his twenty-second of the season, with helpers from Artem Zub and Pinto. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Roy. The three stars were Kopitar, Roy, and Batherson, while Pinto gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin faces a lesser foe in Magnus Chrona in goal. New York cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Noah Dobson goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with an Alexander Romanov goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson. San Jose got on the board with a Thomas Bordeleau power play goal, his second of the season, powered by William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund. New York answered with a Horvat goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks replied with a Mike Hoffman goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Givani Smith. The Islanders fired back with a Kyle MacLean goal, his third of the year, fueled by Matt Martin and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Mathew Barzal scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Nelson. The Islanders padded the lead on a Sebastian Aho goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Horvat and Nelson. New York continued in the third period with a Lee power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Pierre Engvall and Ryan Pulock. The final stood at 7-2, with the three stars going to Horvat, Nelson, and Lee. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 140

There's just three games on this Wednesday, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Ilya Samsonov man the nets. Toronto got going in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. Buffalo tied it on a Victor Olofsson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Zemgus Girgensons. The Maple Leafs won 2-1 in overtime with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly. The three stars were Matthews, Samsonov (23 for 24 in saves), and Nylander.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Detroit led off in the first period with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alex DeBrincat and Shayne Gostisbehere. Colorado tied it on a Cale Makar goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon. The Red Wings took the lead on a David Perron goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Andrew Copp and Olli Maatta. The Avalanche retied it on a MacKinnon power play goal, his fortieth of the year, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Makar. Colorado pulled ahead with an Artturi Lehkonen goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, passed from Rantanen and MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Makar goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Rantanen and MacKinnon. Colorado extended the lead as Makar completed his hat trick on his seventeenth of the season, with the help of Rantanen and Jonathan Drouin on the power play. James Reimer replaced Lyon in goal for the third period. The Avalanche padded the lead in the third period with a Drouin goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Ross Colton and Josh Manson. Colorado finished it at 7-2 with a Jean-Luc Foudy goal, with a lone assist from Joel Kiviranta. The three stars were Makar, MacKinnon, and Rantanen, while Drouin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mads Sogaard and Lukas Dostal are the backups in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Mark Kastelic goal, his third of the season, passed from Artem Zub and Matthew Highmore. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Frank Vatrano and Brett Leason. The Ducks took the lead with an Alex Killorn goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, assisted by Olen Zellweger and Cam Fowler. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Dostal (29 for 30 in saves), Killorn, and Strome. 

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