NHL 2023-24 - Day 167

It's another eight-pack on the schedule tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are the goalies. Washington opened in the first period with a Martin Fehervary goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Michael Sgarbossa and Hendrix Lapierre. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. The Sabres took the lead with a JJ Peterka power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Zach Benson. Buffalo added on with a Peterka goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Tuch. The Capitals got one back with a power play goal by Dylan Strome, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. The Sabres responded in the third period with a Dahlin power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Peterka and Tage Thompson. Buffalo extended the lead as Thompson scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Jack Quinn and Benson. The Sabres padded the lead on a Tuch goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Thompson and Dahlin. Darcy Kuemper replaced Lindgren in goal. The final was 6-2, and the three stars were Peterka, Thompson, and Dahlin, while Tuch and Benson get the honorable mentions.

In Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers. Anthony Stolarz and Sam Montembeault are set to start in goal. Florida led off in the first period with an Anton Lundell goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Joel Armia goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Michael Pezzetta and Alex Newhook. The Panthers took the lead back with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko. The Canadiens tied it on a Nick Suzuki goal, his thirty-first of the year, an unassisted goal. Montreal pulled ahead with another Suzuki power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, powered by Mike Matheson and Newhook. The Canadiens added on in the third period with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle. Montreal extended the lead on a Jake Evans shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Florida got one back with a Sam Bennett goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Dmitry Kulikov and Lundell. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Suzuki, Newhook, and Lundell.

Stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh started in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Luke Hughes and Nico Hischier. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Tomas Nosek and John Marino. New Jersey added on with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Hischier and Marino. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh tied it on a Malkin goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Jack St. Ivany and Michael Bunting. The Penguins pulled ahead with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Marcus Pettersson. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Malkin scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, thanks to Bunting and Kris Letang. The Penguins iced it at 6-3 with a Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Malkin, Crosby, and Bunting, while Hischier and Marino get the honorable mentions.

To New York, as the Islanders host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Ilya Sorokin protect the nets. Chicago began in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. New York tied it in the third period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Mathew Barzal and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders took the lead with a Simon Holmstrom goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Anders Lee. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Sorokin (18 for 19 in saves), Holmstrom, and Horvat.

Out in Minnesota, the Wild host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Mason Shaw goal, assisted by Zach Bogosian and Jake Lucchini. The Wild added on with a Matt Boldy goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Kirill Kaprizov and Jonas Brodin in the second period. Ottawa got on the board with a Drake Batherson power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brady Tkachuk and Jakob Chychrun. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Chychrun power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Batherson and Tim Stutzle. Minnesota gained the lead with a Vinni Lettieri goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Shaw. The final was 3-2, and the three stars were Shaw, Batherson, and Chychrun.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Boston got going in the third period with a Charlie Coyle shorthanded goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, set up by Brad Marchand and Ullmark. The Bruins added on with a Pavel Zacha goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Danton Heinen and David Pastrnak. Boston iced it at 3-0 with a Pastrnak empty net goal, his forty-sixth of the season, set up by Zacha and Heinen. The three stars were Ullmark (32 save shutout), Zacha, and Pastrnak, while Heinen gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal is mismatched with Jacob Markstrom in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mason McTavish goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Olen Zellweger and Brett Leason. Calgary tied it in the second period on a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames pulled ahead with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Kadri and Martin Pospisil. The Ducks tied it on a Troy Terry power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with helpers from Leo Carlsson and Zellweger. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Cam Fowler goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Trevor Zegras and Zellweger. The Ducks added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Terry. Calgary got one back with a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, passed from Pospisil and Weegar. Anaheim fired back with another Killorn goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Jackson LaCombe and Terry. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Killorn, Terry, and Zellweger, while Kuzmenko, Kadri, Weegar, and Pospisil get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Logan Thompson are between the pipes. Vegas was first to score in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-second of the season, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his forty-first of the year, passed from Ivan Barbashev and Brayden McNabb. Vancouver got on the board with a Nils Hoglander goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone helper from Brock Boeser. Vegas replied with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Marchessault and Barbashev. The Golden Knights extended the lead on a Noah Hanifin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Eichel and Marchessault. Vegas padded the lead in the second period with a William Karlsson power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Pietrangelo and Mantha. The Canucks got one back on a Quinn Hughes power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Conor Garland and J.T. Miller. Vancouver pulled closer with another Hughes goal in the third period, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by Vasily Podkolzin. Vegas fired back with a Brett Howden goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy. This held for a 6-3 win, with the three stars being Marchessault, Hughes, and Eichel, while Mantha and Barbashev get the honorable mentions. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 166

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

The New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Igor Shesterkin receive the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Reilly Smith. The Penguins added on with a Crosby goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, coming off of Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Emil Bemstrom scored his seventh of the season in the third period, thanks to Jesse Puljujarvi. New York got on the board with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers pulled closer with a Jack Roslovic goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Mika Zibanejad. The Penguins fired back on a Rust empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Jeff Carter and Letang. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with an unassisted Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the campaign. The three stars were Crosby, Rust, and Letang.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Samuel Ersson are the goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Noah Cates goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. New York tied it on a Matt Martin goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Kyle MacLean and Mike Reilly. The Islanders took the lead with a Bo Horvat goal, his thirtieth of the season, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Casey Cizikas. Ivan Fedotov replaced Ersson in goal. The Flyers tied it in the second period with an unassisted Travis Sanheim goal, his tenth of the year. New York regained the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Romanov. Philadelphia pulled even in the third period with a Morgan Frost goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Jamie Drysdale and Travis Konecny. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Brock Nelson goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, fueled by Kyle Palmieri. The three stars were Nelson, Lee, and Horvat.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in goal. Detroit got going in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat. Tampa Bay tied it on an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Brandon Hagel. The Red Wings pulled ahead in the third period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by J.T. Compher. The Lightning tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Detroit pulled ahead with a David Perron goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Moritz Seider and Compher. The Red Wings finished it at 4-2 with a Lucas Raymond empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Larkin. The three stars were Perron, Compher, and Larkin.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Matthew Knies. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixty-first of the year, fueled by TJ Brodie. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Montour goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Carter Verhaeghe. Toronto replied with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Matthews and Max Domi. The Maple Leafs extended the lead on an unassisted David Kampf goal, his seventh of the season. Toronto padded the lead on a Knies goal, his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Pontus Holmberg and Robertson. Anthony Stolarz replaced Bobrovsky in goal for the third period. The Panthers fired back in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Niko Mikkola and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida pulled closer with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifty-second of the year, via Tarasenko and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers chipped closer with a Sam Bennett goal, his seventeenth of the season, with helpers from Tarasenko and Matthew Tkachuk. The Maple Leafs countered with a Matthews empty net goal, his second of the game and sixty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 6-4, with the three stars being Matthews, Robertson, and Knies, while Tarasenko gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen and Daniil Tarasov are the backups in goal. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alex Nylander goal, his ninth of the year, via Dmitri Voronkov and Ivan Provorov. Columbus extended the lead as Nylander scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Jake Bean and Gudbranson. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Chris Wagner goal, helped along by Sean Walker and Artturi Lehkonen. The Blue Jackets fired back with a Cole Sillinger empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Alexandre Texier and Marchenko. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Nylander, Tarasov (45 for 46 in saves), and Marchenko, while Gudbranson gets an honorable mention.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Jordan Binnington are the masked men. Edmonton began in the first period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his ninth of the season, via Connor Brown and Sam Carrick. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Justin Faulk and Kevin Hayes. The Blues pulled ahead on a Schenn goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen and Hayes. The Oilers tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, guided in by Connor McDavid and Ekholm. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Schenn, Hayes, and Ekholm.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Laurent Brossoit are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Cole Perfetti goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Dylan DeMelo and Kyle Connor. Los Angeles tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his second of the year, via Trevor Moore and Drew Doughty. The Kings pulled ahead on a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Vladislav Gavrikov. The Jets retied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, assisted by Josh Morrissey and Connor. Los Angeles regained the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, helped along by Adrian Kempe and Gavrikov. Winnipeg tied it again with a Morrissey goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Perfetti and Connor. The Jets pulled ahead in the third period with a Perfetti goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Neal Pionk and Nate Schmidt. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Perfetti, Connor, and Morrissey, while Gavrikov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Mackenzie Blackwood start in goal. Seattle kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Matty Beniers goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. The Kraken added on with a Bjorkstrand goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tolvanen. San Jose got on the board with a Fabian Zetterlund power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and William Eklund. Seattle responded with a Shane Wright goal, helped along by Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz. The Sharks got one back in the second period with a Klim Kostin goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Zetterlund. The Kraken iced it at 4-2 with a Jared McCann empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Schwartz and Vince Dunn. The three stars were Bjorkstrand, Tolvanen, and Zetterlund, while Schwartz gets an honorable mention. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 165

There's just one game on today as the Vancouver Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Arturs Silovs are the backups in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on with a Dakota Joshua power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Pius Suter and Filip Hronek. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with an Olen Zellweger goal, via Isac Lundestrom and Frank Vatrano. The Ducks tied it on a Mason McTavish goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Gustav Lindstrom and Trevor Zegras. Vancouver retook the lead with another Joshua goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Conor Garland and Miller. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Joshua, Miller, and Silovs (20 for 22 in saves). 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 164

It's the last 15-game day of the season, beginning in...

Florida, as the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Sergei Bobrovsky are the former teammates in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere. Florida tied it in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola. The Panthers took the lead with another Barkov goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, via Sam Reinhart and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Red Wings retied it on a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Gostisbehere. The tie went to a shootout, where Reinhart's lone tally gave the Panthers a 3-2 win. The three stars were Barkov, Reinhart, and Gostisbehere. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Filip Gustavsson patrol the creases. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Matt Boldy and Brock Faber. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Michael Amadio goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Chandler Stephenson and Alec Martinez. The Golden Knights won 2-1 in overtime with a Jonathan Marchessault empty net goal, his fortieth of the season, set up by William Karlsson. The three stars were Thompson (32 for 33 in saves), Marchessault, and Amadio.

Along to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Calvin Pickard receive the starts in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Zach Hyman. Edmonton extended the lead as Ekholm scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Sam Carrick and Vincent Desharnais. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period on a McDavid power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. Edmonton continued with a Warren Foegele goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Ekholm and Desharnais. The Oilers kept going in the third period with a Hyman goal, his fifty-second of the year, guided in by McDavid and Bouchard. Anaheim got on the board with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Cam Fowler and Frank Vatrano. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars going to McDavid, Ekholm, and Hyman, while Draisaitl, Bouchard, and Desharnais get the honorable mentions.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Karel Vejmelka are set to start in goal. New York started in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Lindgren goal, his third of the year, passed from Adam Fox and Lafreniere. Arizona got on the board with a Matias Maccelli goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jack McBain and Josh Doan. New York fired back on a Lafreniere goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, guided in by Vincent Trocheck and Panarin. The Coyotes got one back with a Clayton Keller goal, his thirty-second of the season, helped along by Nick Schmaltz. Arizona tied it on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Schmaltz. The Rangers took the lead back with a Chris Kreider goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Jack Roslovic and Lindgren in the third period. New York extended the lead as Zac Jones scored his second of the year, thanks to Lafreniere and Panarin. The Rangers padded the lead on a Barclay Goodrow shorthanded goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Coyotes pulled one back with a Lawson Crouse power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Logan Cooley and Bjugstad. Arizona got closer with a Cooley goal, his seventeenth of the season, dished from Juuso Valimaki and Maccelli. New York responded with a Panarin empty net goal, his forty-fourth of the year, set up by Kaapo Kakko. The Rangers iced it at 8-5 with a Lafreniere empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with the help of Trocheck and Fox. The three stars were Lafreniere, Panarin, and Lindgren, while Trocheck, Fox, Bjugstad, Cooley, Maccelli, and Schmaltz get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Nashville opened in the first period with a Cole Smith goal, his ninth of the season, via Gustav Nyquist and Michael McCarron. Colorado tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Predators pulled ahead with a Mark Jankowski goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Tommy Novak. Nashville added on with a Dante Fabbro goal, his third of the year, fueled by Jason Zucker and Kiefer Sherwood. The Avalanche got one back with a Casey Mittelstadt power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Predators replied in the second period with a Nyquist goal, his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Spencer Stastney and Filip Forsberg. Justus Annunen replaced Georgiev in goal. Colorado pulled one back with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Makar and Drouin. The Avalanche tied it on a Makar power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Rantanen and Zach Parise. Colorado took the lead with a Yakov Trenin goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche extended the lead as MacKinnon scored his forty-sixth of the year, thanks to Josh Manson and Devon Toews. Colorado padded the lead on an empty net goal by MacKinnon, his second of the game and forty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Rantanen. This made it 7-4, the final, with the three stars being MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen, while Drouin and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are between the pipes. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of William Nylander and Conor Timmins. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his eleventh of the year, via Matthew Knies. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Auston Matthews scored his sixtieth of the season, thanks to Timmins. This held for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Samsonov (34 save shutout), Timmins, and Matthews.

To Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Elvis Merzlikins are the goalies. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Mathieu Olivier shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Cole Sillinger. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Bryan Rust and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins took the lead with a Rust goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh added on in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Evgeni Malkin. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Kirill Marchenko goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Damon Severson and Zach Werenski. Columbus tied it on a Werenski goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau. The tie went to a shootout, where Alexandre Texier and Severson lifted the Blue Jackets to a 4-3 win over Crosby and the Penguins. The three stars were Werenski, Severson, and Rust.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Sam Montembeault will play in goal. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jordan Staal shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Seth Jarvis and Jake Guentzel. Carolina iced it at 3-0 with a Jarvis empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Guentzel and Aho. The three stars were Kochetkov (26 save shutout), Aho, and Jarvis, while Guentzel gets an honorable mention.

Stateside to Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Samuel Ersson are the young goalies. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Lukas Reichel goal, his fourth of the season, via Jarred Tinordi and Andreas Athanasiou. The Blackhawks added on with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Connor Bedard and Alex Vlasic. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Tyson Foerster goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Garnet Hathaway and Travis Sanheim. Chicago added on with a Nick Foligno power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Kurashev and Tyler Johnson. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the third period as Joey Anderson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Reichel. Chicago padded the lead on a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Anderson and Wyatt Kaiser. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Kurashev, Reichel, and Anderson.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, made possible by Ryan Pulock and Mike Reilly. Tampa Bay tied it with a Darren Raddysh power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning took the lead on a Cirelli goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Nick Perbix and Brandon Hagel. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Emil Lilleberg and Hagel. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Cirelli empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The three stars were Cirelli, Hagel, and Kucherov.

North again to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Charlie Lindgren guard the cages. Boston cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his second of the season, via Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak. Washington tied it in the second period with a Michael Sgarbossa goal, fourth of the year, assisted by Nick Jensen and Nic Dowd. The Bruins took the lead back with a John Beecher goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals retied it on a John Carlson power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Dylan Strome. The tie went to a shootout, where Jake DeBrusk, David Pastrnak and Kevin Shattenkirk lifted the Bruins to a 3-2 win over Strome, Sonny Milano and the Capitals. The three stars were Pastrnak, Strome, and Beecher.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Dylan DeMelo. Ottawa tied it on a Boris Katchouk goal, his seventh of the year, via Erik Brannstrom and Mark Kastelic. The Senators took the lead with a Ridly Greig goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Brady Tkachuk. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. Ottawa pulled ahead with a Tkachuk power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, with assists provided by Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Tkachuk, Greig, and Katchouk.

In St. Louis, the Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Joel Hofer are in the blue paint. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Filip Zadina goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks added on with a Mikael Granlund goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund. San Jose extended the lead as Luke Kunin scored his ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Sharks padded the lead on a Jan Rutta empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Nico Sturm. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars handed to Blackwood (37 save shutout), Zadina, and Granlund.

Next up, the Calgary Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Jacob Markstrom are the veterans in goal. Calgary led off in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Andrei Kuzmenko and Yegor Sharangovich. Los Angeles tied it on an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala. The Flames retook the lead with a Martin Pospisil goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Kuzmenko and Kadri. Calgary added on in the second period with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by Rasmus Andersson and Daniil Miromanov. The Kings countered with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Kempe and Fiala. The Flames answered in the third period with a MacKenzie Weegar power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Sharangovich. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars being Kadri, Kuzmenko, and Kempe, while Fiala and Sharangovich get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Seattle Kraken bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Joey Daccord tend the twines. Dallas cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Nils Lundkvist and Logan Stankoven. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead on a Hintz empty net goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Johnston and Esa Lindell. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Oettinger (17 save shutout), Johnston, and Hintz. 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 163

There's just one game this Friday, as the Buffalo Sabres host the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Devon Levi are in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Max Willman goal, his third of the season, via Luke Hughes and Chris Tierney. The Devils added on with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Nico Hischier and Timo Meier. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-third of the season, going in unassisted. The Sabres tied it on another Thompson goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Alex Tuch. Buffalo took the lead in the third period with a Thompson goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Dahlin and Tuch. The Sabres extended the lead as JJ Peterka scored his twenty-sixth of the year into an empty net, with the help of Dylan Cozens and Owen Power. Buffalo iced it at 5-2 with a Thompson empty net goal, his fourth of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Henri Jokiharju. The three stars were Thompson, Tuch, and Levi (28 for 30 in saves). 

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

NHL 2023-24 - Day 162

We're back for 14 games this Thursday. First up...

The Florida Panthers host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Anthony Stolarz receive the starts in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Dmitry Kulikov. New York tied it on a Ryan Pulock goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas. The Panthers pulled ahead in the second period with a Barkov goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola. The Islanders tied it on a Mathew Barzal goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Pulock and Cizikas. New York pulled ahead with a Pageau goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Adam Pelech and Pierre Engvall. The final was 3-2, with the three stars going to Pageau, Cizikas, and Barkov.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Cayden Primeau are the young goalies. Montreal began in the first period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson. The Canadiens added on with a Jesse Ylonen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jayden Struble and Suzuki. Montreal extended the lead on a Joel Armia shorthanded empty net goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Matheson and Kaiden Guhle. Philadelphia got on the board with an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Garnet Hathaway and Travis Konecny. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Jake Evans empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Matheson and Armia. The three stars were Matheson, Suzuki, and Armia.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Anton Forsberg start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Claude Giroux shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Jacob Bernard-Docker. The Senators added on with a Parker Kelly goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Forsberg (18 save shutout), Giroux, and Kelly.

Also in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Joseph Woll are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mark Giordano goal, his second of the season, guided in by Matthew Knies. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his seventeenth of the year, via TJ Brodie and Auston Matthews. Washington got on the board with a Nic Dowd goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nick Jensen and Hendrix Lapierre. Toronto shot back with a Connor Dewar goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Ryan Reaves and David Kampf. The Maple Leafs extended the lead in the third period as Bobby McMann scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to John Tavares and Simon Benoit. Toronto padded the lead on another Bertuzzi goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bertuzzi, Giordano, and Woll (24 for 25 in saves).

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Alex Nedeljkovic play in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Mathieu Olivier goal, his fourth of the season, via Damon Severson and Cole Sillinger. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Kris Letang and Bryan Rust. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead with a Sillinger goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Alexandre Texier and Ivan Provorov. The Penguins tied it on another Malkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Sidney Crosby and Michael Bunting. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Crosby and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars being Malkin, Sillinger, and Crosby.

Further south, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes added on with a Jarvis power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Aho and Guentzel. Carolina extended the lead as Martin Necas scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Brady Skjei goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Aho and Jarvis. The final was 4-0, with the three stars given to Andersen (24 save shutout), Aho, and Jarvis, while Guentzel gets an honorable mention.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf and Jordan Binnington receive the starting nods in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Zack Bolduc goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Alexey Toropchenko and the goalie Binnington. Calgary tied it on an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flames took the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. The Blues tied it on a Jake Neighbours goal in the second period, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko. St. Louis pulled ahead with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Torey Krug and Neighbours. Calgary retied it on a Kuzmenko goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Nazem Kadri and Weegar. The Blues took the lead back in the third period with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Jordan Kyrou. St. Louis added on with a Buchnevich empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Krug and Binnington. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Buchnevich, Kuzmenko, and Neighbours, while Krug and Weegar get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Mackenzie Blackwood and Filip Gustavsson protect the nets. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. San Jose tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Jan Rutta and Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the second period. The Wild pulled ahead in the third period with a Boldy goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Kaprizov. Minnesota iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Ryan Hartman, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Boldy, Gustavsson (26 for 27 in saves), and Kaprizov.

Further north, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from William Karlsson. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Dylan DeMelo. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Anthony Mantha and Zach Whitecloud. Vegas added on with a Barbashev empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Jack Eichel, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Thompson (39 for 40 in saves), Barbashev, and Dorofeyev.

Along to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Stuart Skinner are between the pipes. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Leon Draisaitl and McDavid in the second period. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as Bouchard scored a power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by McDavid and Draisaitl. Los Angeles got on the board with an Arthur Kaliyev goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Quinton Byfield. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Cody Ceci, his third of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Bouchard, and Draisaitl.

South to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Duhaime and Josh Manson. New York tied it in the third period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin. The Avalanche retied it on a Devon Toews goal, his twelfth of the year, an unassisted goal. The tie went to a shootout, where Panarin and Trocheck lifted the Rangers to a 3-2 win. The three stars were given to Trocheck, Panarin, and Shesterkin (38 for 40 in saves).

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Connor Ingram are set to start in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twelfth of the season, via Cody Glass and Colton Sissons. The Predators added on with a Zucker goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of Glass and Roman Josi. Arizona got on the board with a Jack McBain goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Josh Doan. The Coyotes tied it on a Logan Cooley goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Lawson Crouse. Arizona pulled ahead in the second period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Alexander Kerfoot and Dylan Guenther. The Coyotes extended the lead as Cooley scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, thanks to Keller. Nashville pulled back with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Filip Forsberg and Josi. Arizona padded the lead with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes continued with a Schmaltz goal, his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Keller and Durzi. Kevin Lankinen replaced Saros in goal. Arizona kept going with an empty net goal by Matias Maccelli, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Doan. The Predators got one back with a Forsberg power play goal, his forty-first of the season, dished from Josi and Tyson Barrie. The Coyotes fired back on a Cooley empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The final held at 8-4 with the three stars belonging to Cooley, Keller, and Schmaltz, while Doan, Zucker, Forsberg, Josi, and Glass get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Seattle, where the Kraken welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Philipp Grubauer are tabbed to start in goal. Seattle got going in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. Anaheim tied it on a shorthanded goal by Isac Lundestrom, his fifth of the year, set up by Jakob Silfverberg and Urho Vaakanainen. The Ducks took the lead with a Silfverberg shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Kraken tied it on an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Justin Schultz and McCann. Seattle pulled ahead with a Tye Kartye goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde and Jamie Oleksiak. The Kraken added on with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by McCann and Burakovsky. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being McCann, Burakovsky, and Silfverberg.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith receive the starts in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Roope Hintz power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger in the second period. The Stars took the lead back in the third period with a Benn power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Joe Pavelski and Hintz. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with a Robertson empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Pavelski and Hintz. The three stars were Benn, Hintz, and Robertson, while Pavelski gets an honorable mention. 

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

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. 

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