NHL 2023-24 - Day 154

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

The Washington Capitals host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Charlie Lindgren man the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-sixth of the season, via Max Domi. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by John Tavares and Matthew Knies. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by John Carlson and Tom Wilson. Toronto answered with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-seventh of the year, passed from Domi and Timothy Liljegren. The Capitals got one back with a Connor McMichael goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Rasmus Sandin and Ivan Miroshnichenko. The Maple Leafs replied with a Jake McCabe goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Domi and Matthews. Washington got one back with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, guided in by Dylan Strome. Toronto shot back with a Bobby McMann goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Nylander and Tavares. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Tyler Bertuzzi scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Matthews and Domi. Toronto padded the lead on a Tavares power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Nylander and Matthews. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars going to Matthews, Nylander, and Domi, while Tavares and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Arizona began in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Logan Stankoven goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nils Lundkvist and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Lundkvist and Ryan Suter. Dallas added on with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Robertson scored his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Thomas Harley and Roope Hintz. Dallas padded the lead on a Craig Smith goal, his tenth of the year, thanks to Radek Faksa and Chris Tanev. The Coyotes pulled one back with a John Leonard goal, made possible by Jack McBain and Dylan Guenther. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Robertson, Lundkvist, and Seguin.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and David Rittich receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala. The Kings added on with a Fiala power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored, with the help of Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. The Kings padded the lead in the second period with a Matt Roy goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Quinton Byfield and Kempe. Los Angeles chased Fleury with a Jordan Spence goal, his second of the year, fueled by Moore and Danault on the power play. Filip Gustavsson replaced Fleury in goal. The Kings continued with a Kopitar goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Doughty and Arvidsson. This held for a 6-0 final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Arvidsson, and Danault, while Fiala, Moore, Kempe, Doughty, and Rittich (30 save shutout) get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 153

A busy Tuesday is on deck with 13 games. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-second of the season, via Matt Grzelcyk and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins added on with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Shane Pinto goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux and Thomas Chabot on the power play. Boston replied with a Justin Brazeau power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Morgan Geekie. The Senators fired back with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson. The Bruins answered in the third period with a Pastrnak goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-fourth of the year, assisted by Shattenkirk and Danton Heinen. Boston extended the lead as Jesper Boqvist scored his fifth of the season, thanks to John Beecher and Shattenkirk. The Bruins padded the lead with another Brazeau goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Jake DeBrusk and Geekie. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Brazeau, and Shattenkirk, while Geekie gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alexandre Texier goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Werenski and Damon Severson. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Robby Fabbri and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings tied it with a Moritz Seider goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ben Chiarot and Michael Rasmussen. Columbus regained the lead in the third period with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Werenski and Johnny Gaudreau. Detroit tied it on a Raymond goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Kane goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Alex DeBrincat and Seider. The three stars were Kane, Raymond, and Seider, while Werenski gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Tomas Nosek and Ondrej Palat. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Marcus Pettersson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Michael Bunting and Rickard Rakell. The Devils pulled ahead with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey added on in the third period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. The Devils extended the lead as Mercer scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nosek and Palat. New Jersey padded the lead on a Meier goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, fueled by Bratt and Jack Hughes. The Penguins got one back with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with a lone assist by Sidney Crosby. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Mercer, Meier, and Jack Hughes, while Luke Hughes, Bratt, Nosek, and Palat get the honorable mentions.

To New York, as the Rangers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Alex Iafallo and Nate Schmidt. New York tied it on an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alexis Lafreniere and Jack Roslovic. The Jets took the lead back with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers got one back with a Lafreniere goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Scheifele empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, set up by Josh Morrissey and Monahan. The three stars were Scheifele, Lafreniere, and Monahan.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Samuel Ersson receive the starts in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Cam York and Morgan Frost. The Flyers added on with a Travis Sanheim goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Garnet Hathaway. Philadelphia extended the lead as Frost scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Ronnie Attard and Ryan Poehling. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a William Nylander power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Morgan Rielly and Tavares. The Flyers shot back with a Scott Laughton goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Tippett. Toronto got one back on a Tavares goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Bertuzzi and Matthews. They fell shot, with the Flyers winning 4-3. The three stars belonged to Tippett, Frost, and Tavares, while Bertuzzi and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

Back in New York, the Islanders bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Ilya Sorokin are between the pipes. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Brady Skjei and Jake Guentzel. The Hurricanes added on with another Jarvis goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, via Guentzel and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead as Martin Necas scored his twenty-second of the season on the power play, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Skjei. New York got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Guentzel, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Sebastian Aho. The three stars were Jarvis, Guentzel, and Skjei.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Magnus Chrona and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Roman Josi goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Filip Forsberg. San Jose tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his tenth of the year, via Klim Kostin and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks took the lead with a Ferraro goal in the second period, his second of the season, assisted by Thomas Bordeleau and Justin Bailey. The Predators tied it on a Jason Zucker goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Colton Sissons and McDonagh. Nashville took the lead with a Michael McCarron goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Kiefer Sherwood and Josi. The Predators added on with a Luke Evangelista goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Josi and Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as McCarron scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with the help of Sherwood. The Predators padded the lead on a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Anthony Beauvillier. Nashville continued with a Forsberg goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and McDonagh. The Predators piled on with a Tommy Novak goal, his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Sherwood and Jankowski. This made it 8-2, the final, with the three stars going to Josi, Forsberg, and McCarron, while McDonagh, Jankowski, Sherwood, and Ferraro get the honorable mentions.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. St. Louis tied it on a Nathan Walker goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Scott Perunovich and Justin Faulk. The Blues took the lead in the second period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Faulk and Walker. The Avalanche tied it again with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Samuel Girard and Jonathan Drouin. St. Louis restored the lead with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jake Neighbours. Colorado pulled even with a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche gained the lead in the third period on a Rantanen goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Nichushkin. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars awarded to Rantanen, Nichushkin, and Walker, while Faulk and Drouin get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Calvin Pickard play in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Ekholm and Evan Bouchard in the second period. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Juraj Slafkovsky and David Savard. The Canadiens tied it on a Kaiden Guhle goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jake Evans and Jordan Harris. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the campaign, powered by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Henrique.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and John Gibson protect the nets. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Marcus Foligno and Matt Boldy. The Wild added on with a Jon Merrill goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Frederick Gaudreau and Marat Khusnutdinov. Minnesota extended the lead as Kirill Kaprizov scored his thirty-sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Hartman and Boldy. The Wild padded the lead on a Jacob Lucchini goal, his second of the year, guided in by Adam Beckman. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars given to Gustavsson (27 save shutout), Hartman, and Boldy.

Nearby, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot are the experienced goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Blake Lizotte and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Chicago tied it on a power play goal by Nick Foligno, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Seth Jones. The Kings took the lead in the second period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kempe. The Kings extended the lead as Kopitar scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season on the power play, thanks to Kempe and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles padded the lead in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Trevor Moore and Fiala. The Blackhawks got one back with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Kurashev and Connor Bedard. The Kings replied with a Trevor Lewis goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Dubois and Gavrikov. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Kempe, and Gavrikov, while Fiala, Dubois, and Kurashev get the honorable mentions.

In Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Adin Hill guard the cages. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, via Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel. Tampa Bay tied it on an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Brandon Hagel. The Lightning pulled ahead with an Anthony Duclair goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with a Brett Howden goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Keegan Kolesar. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Kucherov. Vegas tied it on a Ben Hutton goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kolesar. The Lightning retook the lead with a Point goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Darren Raddysh. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his forty-first of the year, set up by Erik Cernak and Stamkos. The three stars went to Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos, while Kolesar gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Pettersson power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Hughes. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Owen Power and Alex Tuch. Vancouver replied with a Pettersson empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, set up by Miller. The Sabres got one back on a Dahlin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, made possible by Tage Thompson and Tuch. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Pettersson, Hughes, and Dahlin, while Miller and Tuch get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 152

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

The Calgary Flames hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Dustin Wolf are set to start in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Tom Wilson. Washington extended the lead as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Strome on the power play. Calgary got on the board with a Kevin Rooney goal, his second of the year, passed from Brayden Pachal and Matt Coronato. The Capitals fired back with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Sonny Milano. The Flames got one back with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund in the third period. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Wilson empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Beck Malenstyn and Jensen. The three stars were Ovechkin, Strome, and Wilson, while Jensen gets an honorable mention. 

Next up, the Seattle Kraken host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Joey Daccord are the starters in goal. Seattle opened in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Eeli Tolvanen and Brian Dumoulin. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Zemgus Girgensons and Alex Tuch. The Sabres took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Peyton Krebs. Buffalo added on with a Tuch goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Thompson and Girgensons. The Kraken pulled one back with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Tolvanen and Justin Schultz. The Sabres shot back in the second period with an Owen Power goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka. Buffalo extended the lead with an unassisted Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season. The Sabres padded the lead in the third period as Skinner completed his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of Jordan Greenway and Jacob Bryson. The final was 6-2, and the three stars were Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch, while Girgensons and Tolvanen get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 151

There's seven games on for a fairly busy Sunday. First up...

The New York Rangers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. The Islanders opened in the first period with a shorthanded Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, set up by Brock Nelson. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Jack Roslovic. The Rangers took the lead with a Will Cuylle goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. The Islanders retied it on a Horvat goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Nelson and Mike Reilly. The Rangers pulled ahead again with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by K'Andre Miller and Alex Wennberg. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Erik Gustafsson and Zac Jones. The Rangers extended the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Miller. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Horvat, Miller, and Nelson. 

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Logan Thompson man the nets. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the third period with an unassisted Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-second of the season. Vegas tied it on a William Carrier goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin. The Golden Knights pulled ahead with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Hanifin. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with a William Karlsson empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The three stars were Hanifin, Eichel, and Thompson (20 for 21 in saves). 

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson. Detroit tied it on a Lucas Raymond goal, his twenty-first of the year, via David Perron and Ben Chiarot. The Penguins retook the lead with an unassisted Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-third of the season. Pittsburgh added on with a Valtteri Puustinen goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Smith and Lars Eller. The Penguins extended the lead in the second period as Michael Bunting scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Puustinen and Evgeni Malkin. The Red Wings got one back with a Christian Fischer goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Michael Rasmussen and Jeff Petry. Pittsburgh shot back with an Eller power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Crosby and Kris Letang. Detroit got one back with a Raymond power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Penguins iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Drew O'Connor, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Bryan Rust and Ryan Graves. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Eller, and Raymond, while Smith and Puustinen get the honorable mentions.

To Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the San Jose Sharks. Devin Cooley and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Alexander Barabanov and Kevin Labanc. The Sharks added on with a Klim Kostin goal, his fifth of the year, via Mikael Granlund and Mario Ferraro. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Tyler Johnson and Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jarred Tinordi and Jaycob Megna. Chicago took the lead with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Lukas Reichel. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Joey Anderson scored his third of the year, thanks to Colin Blackwell and Alex Vlasic. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Bedard empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Kurashev and Johnson. The three stars were Kurashev, Bedard, and Johnson.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Anton Forsberg receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fourth of the season, via Brendan Lemieux and Martin Necas. Ottawa tied it on a Thomas Chabot goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk and Parker Kelly. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Brady Skjei and Orlov. The Senators retied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Chabot and Claude Giroux. Carolina reclaimed the lead with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Sebastian Aho and Jake Guentzel. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Aho and Orlov. Carolina extended the lead as Orlov scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Kuznetsov. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Guentzel goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Aho and Chatfield. Carolina finished it at 7-2 with a Lemieux goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars went to Orlov, Aho, and Guentzel, while Kuznetsov, Lemieux, Chatfield, and Chabot get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan. Winnipeg extended the lead as Toffoli scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Ehlers and Monahan. The Jets padded the lead with a Logan Stanley goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg continued with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Morgan Barron and Neal Pionk. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jake Christiansen and Mathieu Olivier. The Jets fired back with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Toffoli, Ehlers, and Monahan.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Torey Krug and Zack Bolduc. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. St. Louis added on with a Jake Neighbours power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Brayden Schenn and Buchnevich. The Blues continued with a Thomas power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Buchnevich and Faulk. The Ducks got one back with another Terry goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Alex Killorn and Leo Carlsson. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Faulk, while Terry gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 150

There's 14 games on a hefty Saturday slate. First up...

The Detroit Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and James Reimer start in goal. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch. Detroit tied it in the second period on a Christian Fischer goal, his third of the year, coming off of Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider. The Red Wings pulled ahead with a Patrick Kane goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by J.T. Compher and Shayne Gostisbehere. Detroit added on in the third period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings iced it at 4-1 with a Lucas Raymond empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Michael Rasmussen and Copp. The three stars were Copp, Reimer (25 for 26 in saves), and Kane. 

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Semyon Varlamov are the veterans in goal. New York began in the first period with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle MacLean. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Drake Batherson and Erik Brannstrom in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Ridly Greig goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Tim Stutzle and Artem Zub. Ottawa pulled ahead on a Tkachuk power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Stutzle and Batherson. New York retied it on a Bo Horvat power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Tkachuk power play goal, completing his hat trick on his thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Shane Pinto and Stutzle. The three stars were Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Batherson. 

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Tristan Jarry are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a John Ludvig goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jeff Carter and Noel Acciari. New York tied it on a Kaapo Kakko goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers pulled ahead with an Adam Fox goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. The Penguins retied it on a Bryan Rust goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Sidney Crosby and Drew O'Connor. New York retook the lead with a Panarin goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Trocheck and K'Andre Miller. The Penguins tied it in the second period with a Lars Eller power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Michael Bunting and Rust. The Rangers answered with a Panarin power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, guided in by Chris Kreider and Fox. New York added on with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Kreider and Panarin. The Rangers extended the lead in the third period as Miller scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Alexis Lafreniere and Panarin. The Penguins countered with a Valtteri Puustinen goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Eller. New York iced it at 7-4 with a Kreider empty net goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, set up by Miller. The three stars were Panarin, Kreider, and Miller, while Fox, Trocheck, Rust, and Eller get the honorable mentions. 

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes host the New Jersey Devils. Kaapo Kahkonen and Karel Vejmelka draw the starts in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a J.J. Moser goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Sean Durzi and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes added on with a Dylan Guenther power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. Arizona extended the lead as Logan Cooley scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Lawson Crouse. Nico Daws replaced Kahkonen in goal for the second period. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Nick DeSimone goal, his second of the year, passed from Curtis Lazar and Jack Hughes. The Coyotes iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Keller empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Schmaltz. The three stars were Schmaltz, Keller, and Vejmelka (37 for 38 in saves).

Back east, the Florida Panthers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Erik Cernak. The Lightning added on with a Mikey Eyssimont goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Nick Paul and Nick Perbix. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Darren Raddysh scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Anthony Duclair and Stamkos. The Lightning padded the lead with a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Florida got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk shorthanded goal, his twenty-second of the season, set up by Josh Mahura. The Panthers got closer with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his forty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Sam Bennett and Tkachuk. Florida pulled closer with a Reinhart goal in the third period, his second of the game and forty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his fortieth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Hagel and Stamkos. The three stars went to Stamkos, Reinhart, and Kucherov, while Tkachuk gets an honorable mention.

Up in Boston, the Bruins bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Jeremy Swayman patrol the creases. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Poehling goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Garnet Hathaway and Egor Zamula. Boston tied it on a Morgan Geekie goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Jake DeBrusk and Parker Wotherspoon. The Flyers retook the lead in the second period with a Joel Farabee power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Cam York and Owen Tippett. The Bruins tied it on a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Brad Marchand and Pavel Zacha. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Coyle goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by David Pastrnak and Hampus Lindholm. The Bruins added on with a John Beecher goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Andrew Peeke and Jesper Boqvist. Boston extended the lead as DeBrusk goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Marchand. Philadelphia got one back with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, going in unassisted. The Flyers got closer with a Morgan Frost goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Tippett and York. The Bruins countered with a Danton Heinen goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Trent Frederic. Philadelphia pushed back on a Farabee goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, dished from Tippett and Travis Konecny. This only made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars being Coyle, DeBrusk, and Marchand, while Lindholm, Tippett, Farabee, and York get the honorable mentions.

Over in Calgary, the Flames host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Dustin Wolf are the young goalies. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by MacKenzie Weegar and Andrew Mangiapane. The Flames added on in the second period with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Blake Coleman and Weegar. Calgary extended the lead as Martin Pospisil scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. The Canadiens got closer with a David Savard goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Tanner Pearson and Rafael Harvey-Pinard. The Flames fired back in the third period with a Kadri power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich. Calgary padded the lead on a Daniil Miromanov goal, his second of the season, passed from Weegar and Backlund. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars going to Backlund, Weegar, and Kadri, while Huberdeau gets an honorable mention.

East again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Magnus Chrona and Daniil Tarasov are the inexperienced goalies. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Johnny Gaudreau and Damon Severson. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with an Alex Nylander goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ivan Provorov and Zach Werenski. San Jose got on the board with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Mario Ferraro and Mikael Granlund. Columbus replied with a Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Nylander and Jenner. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a Henry Thrun goal, his second of the season, fueled by Kevin Labanc. The Blue Jackets fired back with a Nylander empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Gaudreau. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Nylander, Gaudreau, and Jenner.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Ilya Samsonov are between the pipes. Toronto got going in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of TJ Brodie. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, assisted by Morgan Rielly. Toronto extended the lead as Nicholas Robertson scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Tavares and Timothy Liljegren. Carolina got on the board with a Jordan Martinook goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Brent Burns and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes got closer with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jake Guentzel and Sebastian Aho. The Maple Leafs fired back in the third period with a David Kampf goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Rielly. Carolina got one back with an Aho power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Guentzel and Dmitry Orlov. The Hurricanes tied it on an Aho goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Burns and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The tie went to a shootout, where Guentzel had the lone tally for a 5-4 Hurricanes win. The three stars were Aho, Guentzel, and Burns, while Tavares and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Scott Wedgewood are the backups in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Thomas Harley goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Radek Faksa. The Stars added on with a Craig Smith goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Miro Heiskanen and Harley. Dallas extended the lead as Wyatt Johnston scored his twenty-sixth of the season, with the help of Ryan Suter and Logan Stankoven. The Stars padded the lead in the second period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Pierre-Luc Dubois. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Harley, Wedgewood (27 for 28 in saves), and Smith.

Up in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a power play goal by Jordan Kyrou, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas. The Blues added on in the third period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Kyrou and Nick Leddy. Minnesota got on the board with a Marco Rossi goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild tied it with a Kaprizov goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Zach Bogosian. The tie went to a shootout, where Schenn and Kyrou lifted the Blues to a 3-2 win over Matt Boldy and the Wild. The three stars were Kyrou, Schenn, and Kaprizov.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Stuart Skinner guard the cages. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Sean Walker goal, his seventh of the season, via Artturi Lehkonen and Jack Johnson. Edmonton tied it on a Warren Foegele goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Evan Bouchard in the third period. The Oilers took the lead with a Sam Carrick goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mattias Janmark and Corey Perry. The Avalanche tied it on another Walker goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Casey Mittelstadt and Jonathan Drouin. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Lehkonen goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The three stars were Walker, Lehkonen, and Georgiev (32 for 34 in saves).

West to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Casey DeSmith receive the green light to start in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Brock Boeser goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, via Quinn Hughes and Ilya Mikheyev. Washington tied it in the second period with a Tom Wilson goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Ivan Miroshnichenko and John Carlson. The Capitals took the lead with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Connor McMichael and Alexander Alexeyev. This stood for a 2-1 final score, with the three stars going to Lindgren (21 for 22 in saves), Ovechkin, and Wilson.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Philipp Grubauer are the veteran goalies. Nashville led off in the first period with a Tommy Novak goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Mark Jankowski. Seattle tied it in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Ryker Evans and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Predators retook the lead with a Roman Josi power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist. Nashville added on with another Josi goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, passed from McDonagh and Jankowski. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted Forsberg empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the campaign. The three stars were Josi, Saros (23 for 24 in saves), and Forsberg, while McDonagh and Jankowski get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

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. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

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. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.