NHL 2023-24 - Day 175

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

The St. Louis Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Joel Hofer man the nets. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Nick Leddy and the goalie Hofer. The Blues added on with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis extended the lead as Torey Krug scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matthew Kessel and Nikita Alexandrov. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek in goal. The Blues padded the lead on a Zack Bolduc goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Kevin Korchinski. St. Louis replied with a Thomas goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Schenn and Bolduc. The Blackhawks answered with a Landon Slaggert goal, coming off of Ryan Donato and MacKenzie Entwistle. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kyrou, Thomas, and Bolduc, while Schenn gets an honorable mention.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Cody Ceci goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from McLeod and Corey Perry in the second period. Edmonton extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his fifty-third of the season, thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers padded the lead on a Draisaitl power play goal in the third period, his forty-first of the year, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman. Vegas got on the board with a Keegan Kolesar shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Noah Hanifin and William Karlsson. Edmonton answered with a Dylan Holloway goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Hyman, Draisaitl, and McLeod, while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Arturs Silovs are the inexperienced goalies. Arizona got going in the second period with a Josh Brown goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dylan Guenther and Vladislav Kolyachonok. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, via Tyler Myers and Quinn Hughes. The Coyotes pulled ahead again with a Kolyachonok goal, courtesy of Lawson Crouse and Guenther. Arizona added on in the third period with a Guenther goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Logan Cooley. The Canucks got one back with a Conor Garland goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Nils Hoglander and Hughes. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Hughes. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Cooley goal, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Guenther and Sean Durzi. The three stars were Guenther, Cooley, and Kolyachonok, while Hughes gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 174

There's 13 games on a big Tuesday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Jeremy Swayman protect the nets. Carolina got going in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Jordan Martinook and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes added on with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Svechnikov and Slavin. Boston got on the board with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jakub Lauko and Jesper Boqvist. Carolina fired back in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, made possible by Dmitry Orlov and Seth Jarvis. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Jarvis scored a shorthanded goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Brady Skjei and Jordan Staal. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Svechnikov, Slavin, and Jarvis.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Anthony Stolarz man the nets. Florida began in the first period with an Anton Lundell power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by the goalie Stolarz. The Panthers added on with a Nick Cousins goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Niko Mikkola. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars being Stolarz (24 save shutout), Lundell, and Cousins.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Alex Lyon receive the starts in goal. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Martin Fehervary. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from T.J. Oshie. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Ovechkin, Lindgren (42 for 43 in saves), and Strome.

In Montreal, the Canadiens host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Sam Montembeault are the goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Mike Matheson and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens added on in the second period with another Slafkovsky goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Nick Suzuki and Matheson. Montreal extended the lead as Brendan Gallagher scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Johnathan Kovacevic and Jordan Harris. The Canadiens padded the lead as Slafkovsky finished his hat trick on his nineteenth of the year, with the help of David Savard. Montreal kept going with a Josh Anderson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Harris and Tanner Pearson. Ivan Fedotov replaced Ersson in goal. The Canadiens kept going with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Harris. Philadelphia got on the board with a Ryan Poehling goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Owen Tippett and Erik Johnson. Montreal fired back with a Dvorak goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with a helper from Rafael Harvey-Pinard. The Canadiens continued with a Hallagher goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, fueled by Joel Armia and Kovacevic. The Flyers got one back with a Joel Farabee goal, his twenty-second of the year, dished from Olle Lycksell and Noah Cates. Philadelphia got closer with another Poehling goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Johnson and Tippett. Montreal fired back with an Armia goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Gallagher and Alex Newhook. The three stars of the 9-3 game were Slafkovsky, Gallagher, and Dvorak, while Armia, Harris, Matheson, Kovacevic, Poehling, Tippett, and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Jake Allen are set to start in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Dawson Mercer and Brendan Smith. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Mercer power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Hischier. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Max Domi and Jake McCabe. Toronto took the lead with a Mark Giordano goal, his third of the season, fueled by Auston Matthews and Bertuzzi. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period with a Matthews goal, his sixty-sixth of the year, helped along by Domi. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Bertuzzi, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, set up by McCabe and Mitch Marner. The three stars were Matthews, Bertuzzi, and Hischier, while Mercer, Domi, and McCabe get the honorable mentions.

To New York, as the Islanders bring in the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin and Semyon Varlamov patrol the creases. The Islanders started in the first period with a Mike Reilly goal, his sixth of the season, via Bo Horvat. The Islanders added on with a Horvat goal, his thirty-third of the year, guided in by Horvat and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders extended the lead as Kyle Palmieri scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Brock Nelson and Dobson. The Rangers got on the board in the second period with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers got closer with an Adam Fox power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Kreider and Vincent Trocheck. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Anders Lee, his twentieth of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Pierre Engvall. The three stars were Horvat, Dobson, and Kreider.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his forty-fourth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Duclair. Columbus tied it on a Kirill Marchenko goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Cole Sillinger and Damon Severson. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Marchenko power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. The Lightning tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Brandon Hagel and Stamkos. The Lightning added on with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Hagel and Erik Cernak. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Stamkos, completing his hat trick on his thirty-ninth of the campaign, set up by Kucherov. The three stars were awarded to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Marchenko, while Hagel gets an honorable mention.

Along to Nashville, as the Predators welcome Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros tend the twines. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Tommy Novak goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Kiefer Sherwood. Winnipeg tied it with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. The Jets took the lead with a Scheifele goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Tyler Toffoli. Winnipeg added on with a Dylan DeMelo goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Morgan Barron. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Spencer Stastney goal, his second of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Kerfoot. Nashville tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Josi and Gustav Nyquist. The Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, fueled by Scheifele and Neal Pionk. The three stars were Scheifele, Josi, and Sherwood.

Further west, the Dallas Stars bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jake Oettinger are the goalies. Buffalo kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Henri Jokiharju and Bowen Byram. Dallas tied it on a Jason Robertson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Roope Hintz. The Sabres pulled ahead with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Owen Power and Peyton Krebs. The Stars tied it in the second period with a Wyatt Johnston goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Thomas Harley. Dallas pulled ahead with a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Chris Tanev and Harley. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Harley, Pavelski, and Johnston.

Next up, the Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Alexandar Georgiev are the masked men. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a MacKinnon goal, his forty-ninth of the year, via Jonathan Drouin and Makar. Minnesota got on the board with a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his forty-second of the season, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy. The Wild tied it on a Boldy power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Zuccarello and Declan Chisholm. Colorado retook the lead in the second period with a Makar goal, his twentieth of the season, guided in by Devon Toews and Drouin. The Avalanche extended the lead as MacKinnon scored his second of the game and fiftieth of the year, thanks to Drouin and Toews. Colorado padded the lead on another MacKinnon goal, completing his hat trick on his fifty-first of the season, helped along by Lehkonen. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars awarded to MacKinnon, Makar, and Drouin, while Lehkonen, Boldy, Toews, and Zuccarello get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Seattle, as the Kraken welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Philipp Grubauer are the veterans in goal. Seattle opened in the first period with a Shane Wright goal, his fourth of the season, via Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz. The Kraken added on with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Matty Beniers and Justin Schultz. Seattle extended the lead in the second period as Schultz scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Oliver Bjorkstrand and Beniers. The Kraken padded the lead on a Brandon Tanev goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Yanni Gourde and Tye Kartye. Seattle continued with a Will Borgen goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jamie Oleksiak and Bjorkstrand. This held for a 5-0 win, with the three stars given to Grubauer (39 save shutout), Schultz, and Beniers, while Bjorkstrand get the honorable mentions.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Cam Talbot and Lukas Dostal draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Akil Thomas goal, his second of the season, via Trevor Lewis and Vladislav Gavrikov. Anaheim tied it on a Frank Vatrano goal, his thirty-third of the year, passed from Radko Gudas and Ryan Strome. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Strome. Anaheim added on with a Trevor Zegras goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Dostal (36 for 37 in saves), Killorn, and Zegras.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf and Mackenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first in the first period with a William Eklund goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Fabian Zetterlund and Mikael Granlund. The Sharks added on with a Jacob MacDonald goal, his seventh of the year, via Mike Hoffman. Calgary got on the board with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matt Coronato and Nikita Okhotiuk. The Flames tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Yegor Sharangovich and Andrei Kuzmenko. Calgary won 3-2 in overtime with a Kuzmenko power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Kadri. The three stars were Kadri, Kuzmenko, and Wolf (20 for 22 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 173

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

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcoming the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic and Ilya Samsonov start in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Evgeni Malkin. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Matthew Knies goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by TJ Brodie and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his sixty-fifth of the season, powered by John Tavares. The Penguins retied it on a Drew O'Connor goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Sidney Crosby. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with a Jake McCabe goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Matthews and Mitchell Marner. 

Out west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Logan Thompson and Arturs Silovs receive the starts in goal. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and the goalie Thompson. The Golden Knights added on with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, via Jonathan Marchessault. Vancouver got on the board with a Conor Garland power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller. The Canucks tied it on a Hughes power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Brock Boeser and Miller. Vegas retook the lead in the second period with a Hanifin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Eichel and Tomas Hertl. Vancouver tied it again with a Boeser goal, his fortieth of the year, courtesy of Elias Pettersson and Tyler Myers. The Canucks took the lead on a Garland goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, assisted by Miller and Dakota Joshua. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Garland, Eichel, and Miller, while Boeser, Hughes, and Hanifin get the honorable mentions. 

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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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