NHL 2023-24 - Day 149

There's two games on today, beginning with...

The Winnipeg Jets welcoming the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Laurent Brossoit are in goal. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Dylan DeMelo and Josh Morrissey. The Jets added on with a Nate Schmidt power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg extended the lead in the third period as DeMelo scored his second of the season, thanks to Ehlers and Brenden Dillon. The Jets padded the lead with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, made possible by Sean Monahan. Winnipeg continued with a Toffoli power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Mark Scheifele and Morrissey. The Jets finished it at 6-0 with a Mason Appleton power play goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Adam Lowry and Morrissey. The three stars were Toffoli, Brossoit (21 save shutout), and Morrissey, while DeMelo and Ehlers get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Arvid Soderblom receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Jordan Spence and Phillip Danault. The Kings added on with an Alex Laferriere goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Matt Roy and Dubois. Los Angeles extended the lead as Anze Kopitar scored his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe. The Kings chased Soderblom with another Kopitar goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, assisted by Byfield and Kempe. Petr Mrazek replaced Soderblom in goal. Los Angeles padded the lead in the second period on a Jordan Spence goal, guided in by Laferriere and Andreas Englund. This stood as the eventual 5-0 final, with the three stars given to Talbot (28 save shutout), Kopitar, and Dubois, while Spence, Laferriere, Byfield, and Kempe get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 148

There's 12 games on this Thursday. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the masked men. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by JJ Peterka and Owen Power. The Sabres added on with a Dylan Cozens goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Connor Clifton and Jeff Skinner. Buffalo extended the lead as Zach Benson scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Henri Jokiharju and Power. The Sabres padded the lead in the third period with an empty net goal by Benson, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars being Benson, Luukkonen (21 save shutout), and Power.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen are the veterans in goal. Carolina kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Martin Necas goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Jake Guentzel. Carolina extended the lead as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jalen Chatfield. The Hurricanes padded the lead on an Andrei Svechnikov empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Slavin. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Andersen (21 save shutout), Slavin, and Kuznetsov.

Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and Adam Boqvist. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period with an Alexander Nylander power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. Ottawa got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Boris Katchouk and Mark Kastelic. The Senators tied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Jacob Bernard-Docker and Erik Brannstrom. The tie went to a shootout, where Stutzle and Giroux lifted the Senators to a 3-2 win over Alexandre Texier and the Blue Jackets. The three stars went to Stutzle, Giroux, and Gaudreau.

To Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Alex Lyon are set to start in goal. Arizona opened in the first period with a shorthanded Logan Cooley goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Dylan Guenther. Detroit tied it on a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period with a Michael Carcone goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Kerfoot and Matias Maccelli. Arizona added on in the third period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 with a Keller empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, via Bjustad and Travis Dermott. The three stars were Bjugstad, Keller, and Ingram (27 for 28 in saves).

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Sam Montembeault are in the creases. Boston began in the first period with a Danton Heinen goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha. Montreal tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Juraj Slafkvosky. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm. The three stars were Ullmark (18 for 19 in saves), DeBrusk, and Heinen.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the San Jose Sharks. Magnus Chrona is mismatched with Tristan Jarry in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Noel Acciari goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Drew O'Connor. San Jose tied it on a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Calen Addison and Henry Thrun. The Sharks took the lead with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his sixth of the season, via Kilm Kostin and Mikael Granlund. The Penguins tied it in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Emil Bemstrom. Pittsburgh took the lead with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of O'Connor and Lars Eller. San Jose retied it on a Kostin goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Granlund and Vlasic. The Penguins pulled ahead in the third period with a John Ludvig goal, his second of the season, passed from Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Reilly Smith. Pittsburgh added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Joseph and Ludvig. The Penguins extended the lead as Bryan Rust scored his nineteenth of the campaign into an empty net, set up by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Ludvig, Joseph, and O'Connor, while Vlasic, Kostin, and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers added on with a Braden Schneider goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, thanks to Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Point and Kucherov. New York pulled ahead in the third period with a Roslovic goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Adam Fox and Chris Kreider. Tampa Bay tied it on a Point goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Victor Hedman and Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Point and Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Point finished his hat trick on his thirty-sixth of the year, thanks to Kucherov and Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead on a Kucherov empty net goal, his thirty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Point and Nick Paul. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars given to Point, Kucherov, and Hedman, while Roslovic gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Samuel Ersson are the goalies. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Auston Matthews and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs added on with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Connor Dewar and Morgan Rielly. Toronto extended the lead as Timothy Liljegren scored his third of the season, thanks to Bertuzzi and the goalie Samsonov. Felix Sandstrom replaced Ersson in goal. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with an Owen Tippett power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Morgan Frost and Travis Konecny. The Maple Leafs replied in the third period with a Matthews goal, his fifty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Holmberg and Ilya Lyubushkin. Toronto padded the lead on a Nylander goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Max Domi and David Kampf. The Maple Leafs continued with a Matthew Knies goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Jake McCabe and Liljegren. The Flyers got one back with a Tyson Foerster shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Travis Sanheim and Sean Couturier. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Matthews, Nylander and Bertuzzi, while Holmberg and Liljegren get the honorable mentions.

South again to Dallas, where the Stars bring in the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Jake Oettinger are in the creases. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Thomas Harley. New Jersey tied it on an unassisted Erik Haula goal, his fourteenth of the year. The Stars pulled ahead with a Craig Smith goal, his eighth of the season, via Jani Hakanpaa and Ty Dellandrea. The Devils retied it on a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the year, made possible by Kurtis MacDermid and Nick DeSimone. New Jersey took the lead in the second period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes. The Devils added on with a Timo Meier goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Jesper Bratt and Simon Nemec. Scott Wedgewood replaced Oettinger in goal. New Jersey extended the lead as Tomas Nosek scored, with the help of Curtis Lazar. The Devils padded the lead in the third period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Tierney and Meier. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Meier, Tierney, and Allen (36 for 38 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Marc-Andre Fleury receive the starts in goal. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Zach Bogosian goal, his third of the season, via Marco Rossi and Jonas Brodin. The Wild added on with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, assisted by Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy in the second period. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars handed to Fleury (17 save shutout), Bogosian, and Kaprizov.

Over in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill faces a lesser foe in Dustin Wolf in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Shea Theodore. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Dryden Hunt and Oliver Kylington. The Flames pulled ahead with a Blake Coleman goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri. Calgary added on with a Matthew Coronato goal, his second of the year, guided in by Hunt and Sharangovich. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a Coleman empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, set up by Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane. The three stars were Coleman, Sharangovich, and Hunt.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Joey Daccord protect the nets. Washington got the first goal in the second period when T.J. Oshie scored his eleventh of the season on the power play, going in unassisted. Seattle tied it in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Yanni Gourde and Kailer Yamamoto. The Capitals retook the lead with a Connor McMichael goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Lindgren (23 for 24 in saves), McMichael, and Oshie. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 147

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

The St. Louis Blues host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Jordan Binnington patrol the creases. St. Louis began in the first period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Nick Leddy and Nathan Walker. The Blues added on in the second period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Justin Faulk and Zack Bolduc. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period as Brandon Saad scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Colton Parayko and Kevin Hayes. Los Angeles got on the board with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Drew Doughty and Alex Turcotte. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Binnington (40 for 41 in saves), Neighbours, and Saad.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Nashville led off in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Roman Josi and the goalie Saros. The Predators added on with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his ninth of the year, via Josi and Cole Smith. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Filip Forsberg scored his thirty-fourth of the season, thanks to Nyquist and Ryan McDonagh. The Predators padded the lead on a Jason Zucker goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Colton Sissons. Winnipeg got on the board with an Alex Iafallo goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Brenden Dillon and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Jets got closer with a Mason Appleton power play goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Colin Miller and Dylan Samberg. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Nyquist, Josi, and Saros (28 for 30 in saves).

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Stuart Skinner man the nets. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a McDavid power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Evan Bouchard and Draisaitl. Washington got on the board with an Ivan Miroshnichenko goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals tied it on a Connor McMichael power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Ovechkin and Max Pacioretty. Edmonton retook the lead with a Zach Hyman goal, his forty-fourth of the season, courtesy of McDavid and Brett Kulak. The Oilers extended the lead as Hyman scored his second of the game and forty-fifth of the year, with the help of Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton padded the lead on a Hyman power play goal, his completing his hat trick on his forty-sixth of the season, fueled by Bouchard and Draisaitl. The Oilers continued in the third period with a Warren Foegele goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Ryan McLeod and Draisaitl. Edmonton kept going with a Connor Brown goal, guided in by Evander Kane and Adam Henrique. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars being Hyman, Draisaitl, and McDavid, while Nugent-Hopkins and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev faces a lesser foe in Casey DeSmith in goal. Vancouver started in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-third of the season, assisted by Ian Cole and Brock Boeser. The Canucks added on with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his eleventh of the year, via Miller and Nikita Zadorov. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Zadorov scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Conor Garland and the goalie DeSmith. Colorado got on the board with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Devon Toews and Casey Mittelstadt. The Avalanche got closer in the third period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his forty-second of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Rantanen. Colorado tied it on a Ross Colton goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Miles Wood and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a Valeri Nichushkin power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with helpers from MacKinnon and Makar. The three stars were MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar, while Zadorov and Miller get the honorable mentions. 

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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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