NHL 2023-24 - Day 172

The last busy Sunday of the season is here, with nine games on. First up...

The Detroit Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon man the nets. Detroit led off in the first period with a Lucas Raymond goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on with a Patrick Kane goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Jeff Petry. Detroit extended the lead as Dylan Larkin scored his thirty-first of the season on the power play, thanks to Raymond and David Perron. Buffalo got on the board with a Tage Thompson power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Zach Benson and Alex Tuch. This stood for the 3-1 final score, with the three stars being Raymond, Lyon (37 for 38 in saves), and Kane. 

In Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Jesper Wallstedt and Arvid Soderblom are the young goalies. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild added on with a Marco Rossi goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. Minnesota extended the lead as Frederick Gaudreau scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Zach Bogosian and Marat Khusnutdinov. The Wild padded the lead on a Kaprizov goal in the third period, his second of the game and forty-first of the year, passed from Brock Faber. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Kaprizov, Wallstedt (24 save shutout), and Rossi. 

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Malcolm Subban is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Carolina began in the first period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Jordan Martinook and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes added on with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina extended the lead as Teravainen scored his twenty-second of the season in the third period, with the help of Jaccob Slavin. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Andersen (23 save shutout), Teravainen, and Svechnikov.

Way out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Mackenzie Blackwood patrol the creases. Arizona started in the first period with a Lawson Crouse power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Matias Maccelli and Logan Cooley. San Jose tied it on a Henry Thrun power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund. The Coyotes took the lead with a Liam O'Brien goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks tied it in the second period with a Luke Kunin goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Thrun and Collin Graf. Arizona gained the lead in the third period with a Dylan Guenther goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Alexander Kerfoot and Crouse. The Coyotes added on with a Clayton Keller goal, his thirty-third of the year, helped along by Nick Schmaltz. Arizona extended the lead as Schmaltz scored his twenty-second of the campaign into an empty net, set up by Keller and Sean Durzi. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Crouse, Keller, and Thrun, while Schmaltz gets an honorable mention.

East again to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Charlie Lindgren receive the starting nods in goal. Washington opened in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Hendrix Lapierre. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Kastelic goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, guided in by Jakob Chychrun and Parker Kelly. The Capitals retook the lead with an Aliaksei Protas goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Martin Fehervary. The Senators tied it again with a Ridly Greig goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Shane Pinto and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Jake Sanderson goal, his tenth of the campaign, passed from Greig and Tkachuk. The three stars were Greig, Sanderson, and Kastelic.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Kaapo Kahkonen are the Finnish goalies. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jack Hughes goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Nashville tied it on a Roman Josi goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with a Chris Tierney goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Tomas Nosek. The Predators tied it on a Luke Evangelista power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by O'Reilly and Forsberg. The tie went to a shootout, where O'Reilly had the lone tally for a 3-2 Predators win. The three stars were O'Reilly, Forsberg, and Evangelista.

To New York, as the Rangers host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by David Savard and Mike Matheson. New York tied it in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. The Rangers took the lead with a Chris Kreider power play goal in the third period, his thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Panarin and Zibanejad. New York added on with a Panarin goal, his forty-sixth of the year, guided in by Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider. The Canadiens got one back with an Alex Newhook goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Matheson. The Rangers replied with a Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Jimmy Vesey. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Lafreniere empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Panarin and K'Andre Miller. The three stars went to Panarin, Zibanejad, and Lafreniere, while Matheson gets an honorable mention.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Lukas Dostal are in the creases. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Zack Bolduc goal, his third of the season, via Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko. Anaheim tied it on a Nikita Nesterenko goal, courtesy of Gustav Lindstrom and Isac Lundestrom. The Blues retook the lead with a Matthew Kessel goal, passed from Thomas and Brayden Schenn. The Ducks retied it in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras. St. Louis regained the lead with a Thomas power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues added on with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Kyrou and Scott Perunovich. Anaheim pulled one back in the third period with a Leo Carlsson goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Lundestrom and Troy Terry. St. Louis fired back with a Schenn power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kyrou and Thomas. The Ducks answered on a Vatrano goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, guided in by Zegras and Ryan Strome. Anaheim tied it on a Carlsson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Killorn and Cam Fowler. The tie went to a shootout, where Kyrou had the lone tally for a 6-5 Blues win. The three stars belonged to Thomas, Kyrou, and Schenn, while Vatrano, Carlsson, Zegras, Killorn, and Lundestrom get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Alexandar Georgiev tend the twines. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Sean Walker goal, his tenth of the season, via Brandon Duhaime and Ross Colton. Dallas tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Chris Tanev. The Stars took the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Esa Lindell and Wyatt Johnston. The Avalanche tied it again with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Dallas retook the lead on a Roope Hintz power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, with helpers from Joe Pavelski and Thomas Harley. The Stars added on with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Duchene and Harley. Dallas extended the lead as Mason Marchment scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Harley and Johnston. Colorado pulled one back with a Duhiame goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by MacKinnon and Casey Mittelstadt. The Avalanche got closer in the third period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Devon Toews. The Stars fired back with a Johnston goal, his thirty-first of the year, with helpers from Logan Stankoven and Benn. Dallas iced it at 7-4 with a Seguin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Benn. The three stars were Benn, Seguin, and Johnston, while Harley, Duchene, Duhaime, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 171

There's 11 games for this Saturday slate. First up...

The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his fortieth of the season, via Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Karlsson and Michael Bunting. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Pittsburgh shot back on a Kris Letang goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins extended the lead as Malkin scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Bunting. The Lightning got one back in the third period with a Nick Paul goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Michael Eyssimont and Mitchell Chaffee. Tampa Bay pulled closer with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Kucherov and Hedman. The Lightning tied it with another Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Hedman and Kucherov. Pittsburgh retook the lead on a Bunting goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Malkin and Karlsson. This stood for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Malkin, Bunting, and Karlsson, while Stamkos, Kucherov, and Hedman get the honorable mentions. 

Along to Boston, as the Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Linus Ullmark guard the cages. Florida opened in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Vladimir Tarasenko and Gustav Forsling. Boston tied it on a Charlie McAvoy goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Danton Heinen and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Panthers tied it in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling. Boston won 3-2 in overtime with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Boqvist, Coyle, and McAvoy.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Petr Mrazek start in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Connor Bedard power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Nick Foligno. The Blackhawks added on with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, via Lukas Reichel and Wyatt Kaiser. Chicago extended the lead as Seth Jones scored his eighth of the year, coming off of Ryan Donato and MacKenzie Entwistle. Dallas got on the board with a Roope Hintz goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Miro Heiskanen and Joe Pavelski. The Stars got closer in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Heiskanen and Chris Tanev. The final was 3-2, with the three stars going to Jones, Heiskanen, and Mrazek (42 for 44 in saves).

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Alex Iafallo. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, via Mats Zuccarello. The Jets retook the lead with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Dylan DeMelo. The Wild retied it on a Kaprizov power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Zuccarello and Brock Faber. Winnipeg gained the lead in the second period on an Iafallo goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Brenden Dillon and Namestnikov. The Jets added on with a Morgan Barron goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Dylan Samberg and Namestnikov in the third period. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Namestnikov, Iafallo, and Kaprizov, while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Devin Cooley are the inexperienced goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a William Eklund power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Henry Thrun and Mikael Granlund. The Sharks added on with another Eklund goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, guided in by Fabian Zetterlund and Thomas Bordeleau on the power play. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with assists provided by Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas. The Blues tied it on a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Thomas and Scott Perunovich. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Eklund goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Luke Kunin. The three stars were given to Eklund, Thomas, and Schenn.

Back east, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Jet Greaves are the young goalies. Columbus struck first in the first period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Mikael Pyyhtia and Justin Danforth. The Blue Jackets added on with a Damon Severson goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Zach Werenski and Johnny Gaudreau. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Severson scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Gaudreau and Alex Nylander. Philadelphia got on the board with an Olle Lycksell goal, helped along by Garnet Hathaway. The Blue Jackets replied with a Nick Blankenburg goal, made possible by David Jiricek and Alexandre Texier. Columbus padded the lead with a Werenski power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, powered by Dmitri Voronkov. The Blue Jackets continued with another Werenski goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, guided in by Carson Meyer and James Malatesta. The Flyers got one back with an Adam Ginning goal, fueled by Noah Cates and Ronnie Attard. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Werenski, Severson, and Gaudreau.

In Montreal, the Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Sam Montembeault are between the pipes. Toronto cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Max Domi goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Ilya Lyubushkin and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixty-fourth of the year, fueled by Tyler Bertuzzi. Toronto extended the lead as Matthew Knies scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to William Nylander and TJ Brodie. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Bobby McMann goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Mitchell Marner. Cayden Primeau replaced Montembeault in goal. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his thirty-third of the season on the power play, powered by Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson. The Canadiens got closer with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Matheson and Suzuki. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Suzuki, Matheson, and Knies.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Anton Forsberg receive the starts in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Jack Hughes and Brendan Smith. The Devils added on with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Luke Hughes and Alexander Holtz. New Jersey extended the lead as Smith scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Jesper Bratt. Joonas Korpisalo replaced Forsberg in goal. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Jake Sanderson power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Drake Batherson and Claude Giroux. The Devils shot back with a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Bratt and Smith. The Senators got one back with a Giroux power play goal in the third period, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Sanderson and Batherson. Ottawa got closer with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The comeback fell short, with the Devils winning 4-3. The three stars were Smith, Bratt, and Giroux, while Sanderson and Batherson get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Semyon Varlamov are the backups in goal. New York drew first blood in the second period with a Noah Dobson goal, his tenth of the season, via Mike Reilly and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Kyle Palmieri, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Alexander Romanov. The final was 2-0, and the three stars were Varlamov (41 save shutout), Dobson, and Lankinen (28 for 29 in saves).

Westward again to Calgary, as the Flames host the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard and Jacob Markstrom are the goalies. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fortieth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Connor Brown goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Mattias Janmark and Derek Ryan. Calgary replied with a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by Andrei Kuzmenko and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Flames tied it in the third period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along Sharangovich and Kuzmenko. Edmonton retook the lead with an Evan Bouchard power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with helpers from McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Nugent-Hopkins, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Nugent-Hopkins, Sharangovich, and McDavid, while Kuzmenko gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Cam Talbot receive the starting nods in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty on the power play. The Kings added on with a Doughty power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Viktor Arvidsson and Kempe. Vancouver got on the board with a Brock Boeser goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, passed from Elias Pettersson and Ian Cole. Los Angeles replied in the second period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Spence and Kevin Fiala. The Kings extended the lead as Fiala scored his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Kopitar and Mikey Anderson. The Canucks got closer with a Dakota Joshua goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by J.T. Miller and Filip Hronek. Los Angeles replied with a Trevor Moore goal, his thirtieth of the season, via Phillip Danault. Vancouver replied with a Teddy Blueger shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Nikita Zadorov. The Kings replied with a Kempe shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 6-3 game were Kempe, Fiala, and Doughty, while Kopitar gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 170

It's a six-game Friday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Ivan Fedotov and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Noah Cates goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Owen Tippett and Cam York. The Sabres took the lead with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Thompson and Tuch. Buffalo added on with a Jack Quinn goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Zach Benson and Owen Power. The Flyers got one back in the third period with a Tippett goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, courtesy of Travis Sanheim and Scott Laughton. The Sabres answered with a Quinn goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, made possible by Benson and Dylan Cozens. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Quinn, Benson, and Thompson, while Tippett and Tuch get the honorable mentions. 

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Alex Lyon are in goal. New York started in the first period with a Will Cuylle goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Joe Veleno and Moritz Seider. The Rangers gained the lead with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski. The Red Wings tied it again in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Jeff Petry and David Perron. Detroit pulled ahead with a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere. New York tied it on a Goodrow goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from Brodzinski and Vesey. The Rangers gained the lead in the third period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the campaign, with assists provided by Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Goodrow, Vesey, and Brodzinski, while Perron gets an honorable mention. 

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper and Pyotr Kochetkov draw the starts in goal. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, passed from Dylan Strom and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals added on with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of John Carlson and Strome. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes tied it in the third period with a Martin Necas power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Brady Skjei and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Carolina pulled ahead on a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Brent Burns and Guentzel. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with a Guentzel empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Slavin. The three stars were Guentzel, Ovechkin, and Slavin, while Strome gets an honorable mention. 

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Edmonton began in the first period with a Corey Perry goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. Colorado tied it with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche took the lead on a Ross Colton goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Artturi Lehkonen and Cale Makar. The Oilers tied it again with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Mattias Ekholm and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton pulled ahead in the second period with an Ekholm goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers added on with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-second of the year, with helpers from Ryan McLeod and Ceci. Edmonton extended the lead in the third period as McDavid scored his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, thanks to Bouchard and Zach Hyman. The Oilers padded the lead on a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, guided in by McLeod and Brett Kulak. The final held at 6-2, with the three stars given to McDavid, Kane, and Ekholm, while Draisaitl, McLeod, Bouchard, and Ceci get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Arizona got going in the second period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his twelfth of the season, via Michael Kesselring. Vegas tied it on a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights took the lead with a William Karlsson goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Brendan Brisson and Theodore. Vegas added on with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from Karlsson and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Chandler Stephenson scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Paul Cotter and Zach Whitecloud. The Coyotes got one back with a Josh Doan goal in the third period, his third of the year, coming off of Jack McBain and Matias Maccelli. Arizona got closer with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes tied it on a Michael Carcone goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Liam O'Brien. Arizona pulled ahead with another Carcone goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, made possible by Kerfoot and Travis Dermott. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Josh Brown goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Keller and Schmaltz. Arizona iced it at 7-4 with a Logan Cooley empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Lawson Crouse and Dylan Guenther. The three stars belonged to Carcone, Kerfoot, and Karlsson, while Keller, Schmaltz, and Theodore get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Lukas Dostal are in the blue paint. Seattle struck first in the first period with a Shane Wright goal, his second of the season, coming off of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Brian Dumoulin. The Kraken added on in the second period with a Wright goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Jaden Schwartz and Justin Schultz. Seattle extended the lead on a Matty Beniers power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Wright and Bjorkstrand. Anaheim got on the board with a Leo Carlsson goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Wright, Bjorkstrand, and Beniers. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 169

There are nine games on this Thursday slate. First up...

The Carolina Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Boston started in the first period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-seventh of the year, passed from Pavel Zacha and Danton Heinen. Boston extended the lead as Heinen scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Pastrnak and Zacha. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Stefan Noesen and Brady Skjei. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with a Hampus Lindholm empty net goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Pastrnak, Heinen, and Zacha.

In Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Daniil Tarasov get the starting nods in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Pierre Engvall power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Pulock and Kyle Palmieri. Columbus tied it on a Dmitri Voronkov power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kirill Marchenko and Alexandre Texier. The Islanders reclaimed the lead with a Bo Horvat goal, his thirty-second of the season, guided in by Mathew Barzal and Alexander Romanov. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Marchenko goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Zach Werenski and Cole Sillinger. Jet Greaves replaced Tarasov in goal. New York pulled ahead in the third period with a Noah Dobson goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Barzal and Romanov. The Islanders finished it at 4-2 with a Palmieri empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Marchenko, Barzal, and Romanov, while Palmieri gets an honorable mention.

To Montreal, as the Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Matt Tomkins and Cayden Primeau are the inexperienced goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Brendan Gallagher and Alex Newhook. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nick Paul power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning took the lead with a Michael Eyssimont goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Tyler Motte and Matt Dumba. The Canadiens tied it in the second period on an Armia goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, coming off of Newhook and Gallagher. Tampa Bay regained the lead with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-third of the season, passed from Anthony Cirelli and Calvin de Haan. The Lightning added on with a Paul goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Eyssimont. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brandon Hagel scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Darren Raddysh and Cirelli. The Lightning padded the lead with a Kucherov goal, his forty-third of the year, coming on the power play thanks to Point and Stamkos. Montreal got one back with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Arber Xhekaj and Mike Matheson. The Canadiens got closer with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Nick Suzuki and Slafkovsky. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-4 with a Stamkos empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Kucherov. The three stars were Stamkos, Kucherov, and Paul, while Point, Eyssimont, Cirelli, Armia, Slafkovsky, Newhook, and Gallagher get the honorable mentions.

Over in Ottawa, the Senators host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo are the veterans in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Nick Cousins goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. The Panthers added on with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, courtesy of Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Anton Lundell scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Luostarinen and Kulikov. The Panthers padded the lead on a Bennett goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Tkachuk and Josh Mahura. Anton Forsberg replaced Korpisalo in goal. Florida continued with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifty-third of the year, helped along by Aleksander Barkov and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Panthers kept going in the third period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Barkov. The final stood at 6-0, with the three stars going to Bobrovsky (30 save shutout), Tkachuk, and Reinhart, while Bennett, Cousins, Barkov, and Luostarinen get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Charlie Lindgren are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Ryan Shea goal, via Reilly Smith and Lars Eller. The Penguins added on with a Pierre-Olivier Joseph goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kris Letang and Drew O'Connor. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Michael Bunting scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Valtteri Puustinen and Erik Karlsson. Washington got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Sonny Milano and Hendrix Lapierre. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with an Eller empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Smith. The three stars went to Nedeljkovic (29 for 30 in saves), Eller, and Smith.

Onward to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen is mismatched with Filip Gustavsson in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Jack Johnson and Casey Mittelstadt. Minnesota tied it on a Vinni Lettieri goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Mason Shaw and Jake Lucchini. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on in the second period with a Drouin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of MacKinnon and Devon Toews. The Wild got one back with a Declan Chisholm power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The Avalanche fired back in the third period with a MacKinnon goal, his forty-eighth of the year, guided in by Drouin. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with a Mikko Rantanen empty net goal, his fortieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Drouin, MacKinnon, and Lehkonen.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf and Connor Hellebuyck are in the creases. Calgary drew first blood with a MacKenzie Weegar power play goal in the first period, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Andrei Kuzmenko. Winnipeg tied it on a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Jets took the lead with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Cole Perfetti. The Flames tied it on a Daniil Miromanov goal, his third of the year, fueled by Weegar. Winnipeg regained the lead with a Toffoli power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Ehlers. The Jets added on in the third period with a Vilardi goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, guided in by Morrissey and Neal Pionk. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with a Vilardi empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Sean Monahan and Mark Scheifele. The three stars were Vilardi, Ehlers, and Weegar, while Morrissey gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Nashville Predators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Juuse Saros protect the nets. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Roman Josi goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg. St. Louis tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Robert Thomas. The Predators took the lead back in the second period on a Forsberg power play goal, his forty-second of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and O'Reilly. Nashville added on with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Nyquist and Luke Evangelista. The Predators extended the lead in the third period as Michael McCarron scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Kiefer Sherwood. The Blues got one back with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, made possible by Justin Faulk and Torey Krug. St. Louis got closer with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Faulk and Pavel Buchnevich on the power play. Nashville replied with a Forsberg empty net goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, set up by Nyquist and Ryan McDonagh. The Predators padded the lead on a Mark Jankowski empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Forsberg, Nyquist, and O'Reilly, while Faulk gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. David Rittich and Mackenzie Blackwood are the goalies. Los Angeles tallied first in the first period with an unassisted Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-fifth of the season. The Kings added on with an Akil Thomas goal, fueled by Jordan Spence and Pierre-Luc Dubois. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Klim Kostin goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Mikael Granlund and William Eklund. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rittich (15 for 16 in saves), Thomas, and Kempe. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 168

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

The New York Rangers host the New Jersey Devils. Kaapo Kahkonen and Igor Shesterkin are the goalies. New York began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his forty-fifth of the season, coming off of Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fox. The Rangers added on with a Lafreniere goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, fueled by Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his tenth of the season, via Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. The Devils tied it on a Brendan Smith goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Bratt. New York replied in the third period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers took the lead on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Fox and Panarin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Panarin, Lafreniere, and Fox, while Bratt gets an honorable mention.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Joseph Woll man the nets. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. Toronto tied it on an Auston Matthews power play goal, his sixty-third of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his forty-third of the season, guided in by Kucherov and Anthony Duclair. Tampa Bay added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-second of the year, passed from Hagel and Haydn Fleury. The Lightning extended the lead in the third period as Nick Paul scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Darren Raddysh. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Hagel, and Point.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Edmonton Oilers. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Jake Oettinger in goal. Dallas started in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Sam Steel and Craig Smith. The Stars added on in the second period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. Dallas extended the lead as Wyatt Johnston scored his thirtieth of the season, thanks to Thomas Harley and Faksa. The Stars padded the lead on a Jamie Benn goal, his nineteenth of the year, helped along by Logan Stankoven and Johnston Dallas kept going with a Steel goal, his ninth of the season, with helpers from Faksa and Smith. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars going to Oettinger (35 save shutout), Faksa, and Johnston, while Steel and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and David Rittich are the veterans in goal. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a power play goal by Adrian Kempe, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala. The Kings added on in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Matt Roy and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Los Angeles extended the lead as Moore scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Dubois and Arvidsson. Seattle got on the board in the third period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jared McCann. The Kings shot back on a Fiala goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Blake Lizotte. The Kraken pulled one back with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev. Los Angeles countered as Moore completed his hat trick on his twenty-ninth of the season, with the help of Dubois. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Moore, Dubois, and Fiala, while Arvidsson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vancouver Canucks. Arturs Silovs and Connor Ingram are in the creases. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Quinn Hughes power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Arizona tied it on a Dylan Guenther power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alexander Kerfoot and Clayton Keller. The Canucks retook the lead with a Conor Garland goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Hughes and Filip Hronek. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Hughes, Silovs (22 for 23 in saves), and Garland. 

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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. 

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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. 

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