Wednesday, March 27, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 161

It's a two-game day. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the Finnish goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with an Artem Zub goal, his fourth of the season, via Mark Kastelic and Boris Katchouk. The Senators added on with a Katchouk goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Parker Kelly and Kastelic. Ottawa extended the lead as Drake Batherson scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto. The Senators padded the lead with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Pinto. Devon Levi replaced Luukkonen in goal. Ottawa continued with a Tkachuk goal, his thirty-second of the season, passed from Thomas Chabot and Pinto. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a JJ Peterka goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Alex Tuch and Jacob Bryson. The Sabres got closer with a Connor Clifton goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Bryson. The Senators iced it at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Pinto, his eighth of the year, set up by Batherson and Chychrun. The three stars were Pinto, Katchouk, and Tkachuk, while Chychrun, Batherson, Kastelic, and Bryson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Mitchell Chaffee goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Nick Paul and Mikey Eyssimont. Boston tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Pavel Zacha. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his forty-second of the season, coming off of Emil Lilleberg and Nick Perbix. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-1 with a Nikita Kucherov empty net goal, his forty-second of the year, set up by Victor Hedman and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The three stars were Vasilevskiy (23 for 24 in saves), Point, and Chaffee. 

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Tuesday, March 26, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 160

It's a 12-game Tuesday ahead, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida led off in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Vladimir Tarasenko. Boston tied it on a Charlie McAvoy goal, his tenth of the year, via Matt Grzelcyk and Pavel Zacha. The Panthers retook the lead with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifty-first of the season, coming off of Eetu Luostarinen and Dmitry Kulikov. The Bruins retied it on a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-fifth of the year, guided in by McAvoy. Florida pulled ahead in the third period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirty-third of the season, with helpers from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Matthew Tkachuk. Boston tied it again with a Trent Frederic power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Brad Marchand and the goalie Swayman. The Bruins gained the lead on a Zacha goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Pastrnak. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Zacha, and McAvoy.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Igor Shesterkin are in the blue paint. Philadelphia cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Scott Laughton goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim. The Flyers added on with a Ryan Poehling power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Laughton and Egor Zamula. New York got on the board with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Kaapo Kakko. New York gained the lead with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it on a Konecny goal, his thirty-first of the year, an unassisted goal. The Rangers regained the lead with a Vincent Trocheck shorthanded goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, set up by Zibanejad. The Flyers tied it on an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Morgan Frost. New York reclaimed the lead with a Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it again with a Tyson Foerster goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Rangers won 6-5 in overtime with a Fox goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Trocheck and Panarin. The three stars were Fox, Trocheck, and Zibanejad, while Panarin, Lafreniere, Konecny, and Laughton get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Alex Nedeljkovic occupy the creases. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Lars Eller and Valtteri Puustinen. Carolina tied it on a Dmitry Orlov goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jack Drury. The Penguins retook the lead with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Drew O'Connor, his eleventh of the year, set up by Crosby. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Crosby empty net goal, his thirty-fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Crosby, Rust, and Nedeljkovic (39 for 40 in saves).

To DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Charlie Lindgren man the nets. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nic Dowd goal, his ninth of the season, via Nick Jensen and Beck Malenstyn. Detroit tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Jeff Petry and J.T. Compher. The Red Wings took the lead with a David Perron power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Compher and Dylan Larkin. The Capitals tied it in the third period with a Connor McMichael goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Martin Fehervary. Washington pulled ahead with a Dylan Strome goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from John Carlson and Max Pacioretty. Detroit tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by DeBrincat. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Strome goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Carlson and Hendrix Lapierre. The three stars were Strome, DeBrincat, and Carlson, while Compher gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Joseph Woll receive the starts in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Max Domi and TJ Brodie. New Jersey tied it on a Luke Hughes goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. The Devils took the lead with a Hischier goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Bratt and Timo Meier. The Maple Leafs tied it on a William Nylander goal, his fortieth of the year, guided in by Connor Timmins and Matthew Knies. Toronto pulled ahead with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-ninth of the season, passed from Ilya Lyubushkin and Brodie. New Jersey tied it again with a Meier goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Bratt and Hischier. The Devils pulled ahead with a Max Willman goal, his second of the season, fueled by Curtis Lazar Chris Tierney. New Jersey added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Lazar. The Devils iced it at 6-3 with a Jack Hughes empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Lazar and Brendan Smith. The three stars were Hischier, Bratt, and Jack Hughes, while Lazar, Meier, and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Jiri Patera is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Vegas opened in the first period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights added on with a Brett Howden goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Anthony Mantha and William Karlsson. Vegas extended the lead as Shea Theodore scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Paul Cotter and Chandler Stephenson. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Mark Jankowski goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Luke Evangelista and Jeremy Lauzon. The Golden Knights shot back with a Karlsson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Mantha. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Gustav Nyquist. Nashville pulled closer with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fortieth of the season, courtesy of Jason Zucker and Jankowski. The Predators tied it on a Nyquist power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by O'Reilly and Forsberg. Nashville won 5-4 in overtime with a Roman Josi goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from O'Reilly and Forsberg. The three stars were Forsberg, O'Reilly, and Nyquist, while Jankowski, Karlsson, and Mantha get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Winnipeg Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg got the first goal in the second period with a Mason Appleton goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by Warren Foegele and Connor McDavid. The Oilers took the lead with a Connor Brown goal, his third of the season, guided in by Mattias Ekholm and Cody Ceci. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by McDavid. The Jets got one back with a Brenden Dillon goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg tied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Nikolaj Ehlers and Pionk. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a Zach Hyman goal, his fifty-first of the campaign, made possible by Nugent-Hopkins. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Pionk.

Stateside again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Chicago started in the first period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks added on with a Jason Dickinson goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Joey Anderson and Landon Slaggert. Chicago extended the lead in the third period as Dickinson scored his game and twentieth of the season, thanks to Anderson and Slaggert. Calgary got on the board with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Dickinson, Slaggert, and Mrazek (40 for 41 in saves), while Anderson gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Justus Annunen are set to start in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his forty-fifth of the season, fueled by Mikko Rantanen and Devon Toews. Montreal tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of Juraj Slafkovsky and David Savard. The Canadiens took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alex Newhook and Kaiden Guhle. The final was 2-1, and the three stars were Montembeault (27 for 28 in saves), Armia, and Suzuki.

South to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Matias Maccelli power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Sean Durzi and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes took the lead with a Josh Doan goal, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Werenski power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Jenner and Gaudreau. Arizona pulled ahead with another Doan goal, his second of the game, via Maccelli and Michael Kesselring. The Coyotes added on with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Durzi. Arizona extended the lead with a Schmaltz shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by the goalie Vejmelka. The Coyotes finished it at 6-2 with a Dylan Guenther goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Doan, Maccelli, and Schmaltz, while Durzi, Werenski, Jenner, and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Joey Daccord are between the pipes. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Matty Beniers and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jared McCann and Justin Schultz. Seattle extended the lead in the second period as Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Tolvanen and Beniers. The Kraken padded the lead on a Beniers goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Tolvanen. This stood for a 4-0 win, the final, with the three stars going to Daccord (13 save shutout), Tolvanen, and Beniers.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood play in goal. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Wyatt Johnston shorthanded goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Mason Marchment goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Sam Steel. Dallas extended the lead in the second period as Jason Robertson scored his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. San Jose got on the board with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by William Eklund and Jan Rutta. The Sharks got closer with an Eklund power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Thomas Bordeleau and Mikael Granlund. The Stars fired back with a Benn goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Johnston and Nils Lundkvist. San Jose answered with a Klim Kostin goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Granlund. Dallas countered with another Johnston goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Benn and Joe Pavelski. The Stars padded the lead with a Robertson power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz. The final held at 6-3, with the three stars going to Johnston, Benn, and Robertson, while Granlund and Eklund get the honorable mentions. 

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Monday, March 25, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 159

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

The St. Louis Blues welcoming the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Jordan Binnington start in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Anthony Mantha and Zach Whitecloud. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou. The Golden Knights won 2-1 in overtime with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirty-ninth of the campaign, assisted by William Karlsson and Shea Theodore. The three stars were Thompson (30 for 31 in saves), Marchessault, and Dorofeyev. 

In Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Casey DeSmith are the goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Viktor Arvidsson. Vancouver tied it on a Sam Lafferty goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone helper from Ian Cole. The Kings retook the lead in the second period with a Blake Lizotte goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jordan Spence and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield. The Canucks got one back with a Brock Boeser goal, his thirty-seventh of the campaign, guided in by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Lizotte, and Fiala. 

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 158

It's a 10-game Sunday this week. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Charlie Lindgren are the masked men. Washington dented the scoreboard in the third period with a John Carlson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Connor McMichael. Washington extended the lead as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, thanks to Dylan Strome and Oshie. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Lindgren (27 save shutout), Ovechkin, and Oshie. 

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic is mismatched with Alexandar Georgiev in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his second of the season, coming off of Reilly Smith and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Crosby scored his thirty-fourth of the season, thanks to Valtteri Puustinen. The Penguins padded the lead with a Pierre-Olivier Joseph goal, courtesy of Crosby and Kris Letang. Colorado got on the board with a Sean Walker goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Ross Colton and Miles Wood. The Avalanche got closer with a Yakov Trenin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Brandon Duhaime. Colorado pulled closer in the third period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Avalanche tied it as MacKinnon scored his forty-fourth of the season, with the help of Drouin and Toews. Colorado won 5-4 in overtime with a Drouin goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Cale Makar and MacKinnon. The three stars were MacKinnon, Drouin, and Crosby, while Toews gets an honorable mention. 

Back east, the New York Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Kaapo Kahkonen and Ilya Sorokin patrol the creases. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. The Devils added on with a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Meier and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey extended the lead as Alexander Holtz scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Simon Nemec. The Devils iced it at 4-0 with a Chris Tierney empty net goal in the third period, his third of the year, set up by Erik Haula and Kevin Bahl. The three stars were Kahkonen (37 save shutout), Jack Hughes, and Meier. 

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Frederik Andersen are in the creases. Carolina opened in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Jake Guentzel and Brent Burns. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Auston Matthews. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars going to Andersen (31 for 32 in saves), Aho, and Skjei.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Edmonton led off in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. Ottawa tied it on a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Bouchard and Connor McDavid. Edmonton added on with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his fiftieth of the year, helped along by McDavid and Bouchard. The Senators pulled one back with a Stutzle goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Mathieu Joseph and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa tied it on a Batherson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Brady Tkachuk and Stutzle. The Senators took the lead in the third period with another Chychrun power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Batherson and Tkachuk. Ottawa iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Parker Kelly, his seventh of the year, set up by Claude Giroux. The three stars were Stutzle, Batherson, and Chychrun, while Tkachuk, Bouchard, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Felix Sandstrom are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his forty-ninth of the season, made possible by Anton Lundell and Brandon Montour. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Reinhart and Montour. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Carter Verhaeghe scored his thirty-second of the season, thanks to Sam Bennett and Montour. Philadelphia got on the board with a Bobby Brink power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Poehling and Egor Zamula. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Reinhart, his second of the game and fiftieth of the campaign, set up by Eetu Luostarinen. The three stars went to Reinhart, Montour, and Stolarz (32 for 33 in saves).

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes host the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Connor Ingram are between the pipes. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Wyatt Johnston. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his thirtieth of the year, courtesy of Michael Kesselring and Alexander Kerfoot. The Stars retook the lead in the second period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-second of the season, fueled by Ryan Suter and Matt Duchene. The Coyotes retied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Lawson Crouse and Logan Cooley in the third period. Dallas pulled ahead with a Miro Heiskanen goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Seguin and Duchene. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Duchene, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Seguin. The three stars were given to Seguin, Duchene, and Heiskanen.

Further on, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Johansson and Lukas Dostal are set to start in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ross Johnston goal, via Jakob Silfverberg and Ben Meyers. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Nick Perbix. The Lightning took the lead on a Luke Glendening goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Austin Watson and Tanner Jeannot. The Ducks tied it in the third period with a Pavel Mintyukov goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Max Jones and Brett Leason. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Brandon Hagel. The three stars were Cirelli, Glendening, and Duclair.

Up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Dustin Wolf are the young goalies. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Peyton Krebs goal, his fourth of the season, via Lukas Rousek. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Yegor Sharangovich and Daniil Miromanov. The Sabres pulled ahead in the third period with a JJ Peterka goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. Buffalo added on with a Thompson empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Connor Clifton, his third of the campaign, set up by the goalie Luukkonen. The three stars were Luukkonen (32 for 33 in saves), Thompson, and Peterka.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Philipp Grubauer play in goal. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Kaiden Guhle goal, his sixth of the season, via Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens added on with an Alex Newhook goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Guhle and Michael Pezzetta. Montreal extended the lead as Suzuki scored his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Jordan Harris and Juraj Slafkovsky. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Newhook goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and Guhle. Joey Daccord replaced Grubauer in goal. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Will Borgen and Jamie Oleksiak. Montreal shot back with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Mike Matheson, his tenth of the year. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars given to Guhle, Newhook, and Suzuki. 

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Saturday, March 23, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 157

It's a calm 11-day Saturday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Wininpeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Semyon Varlamov get the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with an unassisted Cal Clutterbuck goal, his sixth of the season. The Islanders added on with a Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Matt Martin and Alexander Romanov. Winnipeg got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Morgan Barron and Dylan DeMelo. New York replied with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Hudson Fasching goal, his fourth of the season, thanks to Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. New York padded the lead on a Barzal goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Fasching and Anders Lee. Laurent Brossoit replaced Hellebuyck in goal. The Islanders continued with a Lee goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Barzal and Fasching. The Jets got one back with a Mason Appleton goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg got closer with a Cole Perfetti goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars given to Barzal, Clutterbuck and Fasching, while Lee gets the honorable mention. 

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Tyson Foerster and Scott Laughton on the power play. Boston tied it on a Justin Brazeau goal, his fifth of the year, via Charlie Coyle and Mason Lohrei. The Flyers retook the lead with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, assisted by Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett. The Bruins tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Morgan Geekie and Jake DeBrusk. Philadelphia regained the lead with a Foerster goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Ryan Poehling. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Konecny, Foerster, and Ersson (18 for 20 in saves). 

Out west, the Minnesota Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Brayden Schenn. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Brock Faber and Matt Boldy. The Wild took the lead with a Marco Rossi goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Kirill Kaprizov. The Blues retied it on a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich. Minnesota regained the lead with a Rossi goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. St. Louis tied it again in the third period with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Buchnevich and Nick Leddy. The Blues pulled ahead on a Kyrou goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Brandon Saad and Buchnevich. The Wild evened it on a Faber goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ryan Hartman and Jake Middleton. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Saad goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Justin Faulk. The three stars were Kyrou, Rossi, and Buchnevich, while Faber, Saad, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist. This stood for a 1-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Saros (23 save shutout), Forsberg, and Lyon (32 for 33 in saves).

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off in the first period with a shorthanded Mathieu Joseph goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-third of the year, an unassisted goal. The Devils took the lead with a Thomas Nosek goal, his second of the season, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Dawson Mercer. The Senators retied it on a Ridly Greig goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joseph. Ottawa pulled ahead on an Angus Crookshank goal, his second of the season, assisted by Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on with a Chabot goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brady Tkachuk and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Drake Batherson scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Tkachuk. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars going to Joseph, Chabot, and Tkachuk.

To Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Bobby McMann goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by John Tavares and Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander power-play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Liljegren. Toronto extended the lead as Pontus Holmberg scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Max Domi and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on another Holmberg goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by McMann and Morgan Rielly. Toronto kept going with a McMann goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nylander and Tavares. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in goal for the third period. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his forty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers got closer with a Corey Perry power play goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Evander Kane and McDavid. Edmonton chipped closer on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with helpers from McDavid and Bouchard. Martin Jones replaced Samsonov in goal. The Maple Leafs iced it at 6-3 with a Matthews empty net goal, his fifty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McMann, Holmberg, and Nylander, while Matthews, Tavares, Liljegren, McDavid, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Florida struck first in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Josh Mahura and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Uvis Balinskis. New York got on the board with an Adam Fox power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers tied it with an Artemi Panarin goal, his forty-second of the year, courtesy of Trocheck and Fox. Florida took the lead with a Verhaeghe goal in the third period, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Brandon Montour and Tkachuk. New York tied it on another Panarin goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, guided in by Zac Jones and Trocheck. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zibanejad and Panarin lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 win over Reinhart and the Panthers. The three stars were Panarin, Trocheck, and Verhaeghe, while Tkachuk and Fox get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Casey DeSmith receive the starts in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland. The Canucks added on in the second period with another Hoglander goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, passed from Pettersson and Garland. Calgary got on the board with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of A.J. Greer and Kevin Rooney. Vancouver replied in the third period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead with an Elias Lindholm empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The Flames got one back on a Joel Hanley goal, assisted by Brayden Pachal and Greer. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Hoglander, Pettersson, and Garland, while Greer gets an honorable mention.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek faces a lesser foe in Devin Cooley in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Thomas Bordeleau power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Fabian Zetterlund and Calen Addison. The Sharks added on with another Bordeleau goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Justin Bailey and Nico Sturm. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Zetterlund scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Klim Kostin and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks padded the lead on another Zetterlund goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by William Eklund and Mikael Granlund. Chicago got on the board with a Ryan Donato goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Taylor Raddysh and Tyler Johnson. The Blackhawks got closer with a Johnson goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Donato and Raddysh. Chicago pulled closer on a Seth Jones goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Wyatt Kaiser and Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks tied it on a Philipp Kurashev goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Donato and Nick Foligno. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime with a Jones goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, assisted by Kurashev. The three stars were Jones, Kurashev, and Donato, while Zetterlund, Bordeleau, Johnson, and Raddysh get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Los Angeles Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Tampa Bay tied it on a power play goal by Brayden Point, his forty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Mikey Anderson goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. The Lightning got one back with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Point and Anthony Duclair. Tampa Bay tied it on another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Kempe and Kopitar. The three stars were Kempe, Stamkos, and Kopitar, while Point gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Adin Hill are between the pipes. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko. Vegas tied it in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Zach Whitecloud and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas added on in the third period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Shea Theodore and Anthony Mantha. The Golden Knights extended the lead with an Eichel power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, powered by Theodore and Stephenson. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Carson Meyer goal, helped along by Dmitri Voronkov and Trey Fix-Wolansky. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Eichel, Theodore, and Stephenson. 

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Friday, March 22, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 156

Just four games on this Friday. We begin with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Darcy Kuemper start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Jaccob Slavin. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Connor McMichael. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Slavin goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen. The Capitals retied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Ivan Miroshnichenko in the second period. Washington pulled ahead with another Milano goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, coming off of Strome. Carolina retied it on an Aho goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, fueled by Guentzel. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Brady Skjei goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Martin Necas. The Capitals evened it in the third period with a John Carlson power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Hendrix Lapierre and Ovechkin. Washington gained the lead with a Milano goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, passed from Rasmus Sandin and Strome. Carolina tied it again with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Guentzel and Andrei Svechnikov. The Capitals regained the lead with a McMichael goal, his sixteenth of the season, dished from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Miroshnichenko. The Hurricanes forced overtime with an Aho goal, his thirtieth of the year to complete his hat trick, assisted by Necas and Brent Burns. The tie went to a shootout, where Strome had the lone tally for a 7-6 Capitals win. The three stars were Milano, Strome, and Aho, while Ovechkin, McMichael, Miroshnichenko, Guentzel, Slavin, and Necas get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Dallas tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Robertson. Dallas added on with another Benn goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Logan Stankoven. The Stars extended the lead as Sam Steel scored his eighth of the season in the third period, thanks to Craig Smith. The Penguins got one back with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Malkin and Bunting. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Benn, Robertson, and Bunting, while Malkin gets an honorable mention. 

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlkins and Alexandar Georgiev receive the starts in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his seventh of the season, via Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Colorado tied it on a Cale Makar goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Ross Colton goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Miles Wood and Zach Parise. Colorado added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Josh Manson and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche extended the lead as Nathan MacKinnon scored his forty-third of the season in the third period, thanks to Makar. Colorado padded the lead on a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Drouin. The Avalanche finished it at 6-1 with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Casey Mittelstadt and Rantanen. The three stars belonged to Rantanen, Makar, and MacKinnon, while Drouin gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Ryker Evans goal, assisted by Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, guided in by Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime with a Dylan Guenther goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Logan Cooley. The three stars were Guenther, Keller, and Vejmelka (27 for 28 in saves). 

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Thursday, March 21, 2024

NHL 2023-24 - Day 155

There's 11 games on this Thursday slate. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Jeremy Swayman are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau. New York tied it in the second period on an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, made possible by Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers took the lead with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Brazeau goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brad Marchand and Jesper Boqvist. New York reclaimed the lead on an Adam Fox goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with a Zibanejad empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Chris Kreider and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Panarin goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-first of the campaign into an empty net, helped along by Fox. The three stars were Panarin, Zibanejad, and Brazeau, while Fox gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Martin Necas and Brett Pesce. Philadelphia tied it on a Scott Laughton goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Dmitry Orlov. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, fueled by Brent Burns and Jake Guentzel. The three stars were Jarvis, Chatfield, and Martinook.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and James Reimer receive the starts in goal. Detroit cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Michael Rasmussen. New York tied it on a Mike Reilly goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kyle MacLean and Robert Bortuzzo. The Red Wings took the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Fischer and Ben Chiarot. Detroit added on with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Alex DeBrincat. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Copp scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Fischer and Rasmussen. Detroit padded the lead on a Patrick Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by DeBrincat and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Islanders shot back with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Pulock and Pierre Engvall. New York got closer with a Mathew Barzal goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Adam Pelech and Anders Lee. The Red Wings iced it at 6-3 with a Larkin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Raymond. The three stars were Copp, Larkin, and Fischer, while Rasmussen and DeBrincat get the honorable mentions.

To New Jersey, as the Devils host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jake Allen patrol the creases. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo. The Devils retook the lead with a Hischier power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Timo Meier and Luke Hughes. New Jersey added on with another Jack Hughes power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, fueled by Meier and Luke Hughes. The Devils iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Meier, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Erik Haula and Hischier. The three stars were Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Meier, while Luke Hughes gets an honorable mention.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Jordan Kyrou and Matthew Kessel. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Saad and Kyrou. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Mark Kastelic goal, his fourth of the season, via Mathieu Joseph. St. Louis shot back with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators pulled one back in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux. The Blues replied with a Kyrou goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Alexey Toropchenko and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis added on with a Neighbours empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Kyrou, Saad, and Neighbours.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators added on with a Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Roman Josi in the second period. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Forsberg scored his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Nyquist. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Lankinen (33 save shutout), Forsberg, and Nyquist.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Buffalo started in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. The Sabres added on with a Victor Olofsson goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Bowen Byram and Lukas Rousek. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Bouchard. Buffalo retook the lead with a Peterka goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, guided in by Connor Clifton. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his forty-seventh of the year, with helpers from Ekholm and McDavid. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Troy Stecher. Edmonton extended the lead as Ekholm scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Draisaitl and McDavid. The Oilers padded the lead on another Hyman goal, his second of the game and forty-eighth of the season, courtesy of McDavid and Draisaitl. Edmonton continued with a Ryan McLeod goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers finished it at 8-3 with a Connor Brown goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Sam Carrick and Cody Ceci. The three stars were Hyman, Ekholm, and McDavid, while Draisaitl, Peterka, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Casey DeSmith are in the blue paint. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Ilya Mikheyev and Elias Lindholm. The Canucks added on with a Zadorov goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Conor Garland scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Teddy Blueger. Montreal got on the board with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Cole Caufield. The Canucks fired back in the third period with a Nils Aman goal, his third of the season, guided in by Tyler Myers and Vasily Podkolzin. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Zadorov, Mikheyev, and DeSmith (16 for 17 in saves).

South to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Lukas Dostal are the inexperienced goalies. Anaheim drew first blood in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Gustav Lindstrom and Urho Vaakanainen. The Ducks added on with a Brett Leason goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Ben Meyers and Pavel Mintyukov. Anaheim extended the lead as Killorn scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with the help of Leason and Olen Zellweger. The Ducks padded the lead on a Frank Vatrano power play goal in the third period, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Troy Terry. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Dostal (29 save shutout), Killorn, and Leason.

Also in California, the San Jose Sharks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mackenzie Blackwood get the starts in goal. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. San Jose tied it on a William Eklund goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jacob MacDonald. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Kucherov and Point. The Lightning extended the lead as Point scored his second of the game and fortieth of the season, coming off of Kucherov and Duclair. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Point, Kucherov, and Duclair.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Logan Thompson are between the pipes. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb. Seattle tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Ryker Evans and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Brett Howden and Nicolas Roy. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Chandler Stephenson, his fifteenth of the year, set up by McNabb on the power play. The three stars were Thompson (20 for 21 in saves), McNabb, and Kolesar. 

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