NHL March 28th, 2015

Thirteen games on as the season begins to hit the intense homestretch. We begin with the first of six matinees in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Nashville opened in the first period on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his seventh of the season, via Gabriel Bourque and Anton Volchenkov. The Predators added on with a Mike Fisher goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Filip Forsberg and Bourque. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Mike Ribeiro. Holtby was replaced by Justin Peters. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals pulled closer on a Brouwer shorthanded goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, set up by Brooks Laich. The Predators answered with a Ribeiro goal, his fifteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Forsberg. Washington got one back in the third period on a Mike Green goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Matt Niskanen and Johansson. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Brouwer, and Ribeiro, while Bourque and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston began in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The Bruins added on with another Lucic goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Torey Krug and Ryan Spooner. Boston extended the lead on a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Rask was pulled early in the second period with an injury, and Niklas Svedberg relieved him. The Bruins padded the lead with a Reilly Smith goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Loui Eriksson and Soderberg. New York got on the board with a Rick Nash goal, his fortieth of the season, assisted by Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. The Rangers pulled closer in the third period on a Matt Hunwick goal, his second of the year, helped along by Keith Yandle and J.T. Miller, but they still lost 4-2. The three stars were handed to Lucic, Soderberg, and Smith.

Backtracking to Long Island, as the New York Islanders bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen faces a lesser foe in Michal Neuvirth in goal. Anaheim started in the first period on a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Patrick Maroon. New York tied it on a Lubomir Visnovsky goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ryan Strome and Thomas Hickey. The Ducks retook the lead in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Matt Beleskey and James Wisniewski. Anaheim added on with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Cam Fowler. The Islanders got one back in the third period on a Casey Cizikas goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Cogliano, Palmieri, and Rakell.

West to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock is mismatched with Steve Mason in goal. San Jose led off in the first period on a Matt Irwin goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Chris Tierney and Tommy Wingels. Philadelphia tied it on a Michael Raffl goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Nicklas Grossmann and Jakub Voracek. The Sharks retook the lead on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Logan Couture and Brent Burns. The Flyers retied it in the third period as Claude Giroux scored a power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Voracek and Michael Del Zotto. The tie went to a shootout, where Voracek was matched by Melker Karlsson before Burns won the game 3-2 for the Sharks. The three stars went to Burns, Voracek, and Mason (42 for 44 in saves).

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith faces his former backup, Thomas Greiss, in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Tye McGinn goal, his second of the season, guided in by Klas Dahlbeck and B.J. Crombeen. Pittsburgh tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Paul Martin and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead with a Steve Downie power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh added on with a Crosby power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Derrick Pouliot and Malkin. The Coyotes got one back with a Tobias Rieder goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by Shane Doan and Mark Arcobello. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Crosby, Malkin, and Downie.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Detroit got going in the second period on a Joakim Andersson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Kyle Quincey and Stephen Weiss. The Red Wings added on with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Gustav Nyquist. Detroit extended the lead on a Nyquist goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Quincey. The Red Wings iced it at 4-0 on a Luke Glendening empty net goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Nyquist, Mrazek (23 save shutout), and Quincey.

At the normal time, the Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Cam Ward draw the starts in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Patrik Elias power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Michael Cammalleri. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Chris Terry goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period on an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Ryan Murphy and Jordan Staal. Carolina added on with a Justin Faulk goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Elias Lindholm and John-Michael Liles. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Ward (21 for 22 in saves), Eric Staal, and Faulk.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal was first to score in the first period on a Lars Eller goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Jeff Petry and Nathan Beaulieu. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr. The Panthers took the lead with a Barkov power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, powered by Huberdeau and Dmitry Kulikov. The Canadiens retied it as Alex Galchenyuk scored his twentieth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, passed from David Desharnais and P.K. Subban. The three stars belonged to Barkov, Pacioretty, and Huberdeau.

West to a Battle of Ontario, as the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and James Reimer are called on to start in goal. Ottawa got going in the second period on a Mark Stone goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris. The Senators added on with a Curtis Lazar goal, his sixth of the year, via Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Erik Condra. Toronto got on the board in the third period on a Tyler Bozak goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. Ottawa replied with a Turris power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by David Legwand and Erik Karlsson. The Maple Leafs answered with another Bozak goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, made possible by van Riemsdyk and Kessel. Toronto tied it on a Bozak goal, his twenty-second of the year earning him a hat trick, fueled by van Riemsdyk, who got a sock trick, and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime on an Eric Brewer goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Bozak and Kessel, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Bozak, Kessel, and van Riemsdyk, while Turris gets an honorable mention.

South to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Elliott are the masked men. Columbus opened in the first period on a William Karlsson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Scott Hartnell and Marko Dano. St. Louis tied it in the second period on a Patrik Berglund goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Jaden Schwartz and Jori Lehtera. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Jack Johnson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Fedor Tyutin and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blues retied it with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, assisted by Berglund and Alex Pietrangelo. Columbus pulled ahead on a Boone Jenner goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Ryan Johansen and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets won 4-2 with a third period empty net goal by Atkinson, his twentieth of the year, set up by Jenner and David Savard. The three stars were handed to Jenner, Atkinson, and Bobrovsky (29 for 31 in saves).

Back north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Devan Dubnyk are the reliable goalies. Minnesota started on a first period goal by Nino Niederreiter, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Mikko Koivu and Chris Stewart. The Wild added on with a Koivu goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Stewart. Martin Jones replaced Quick for the second period. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Dwight King goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Minnesota shot back in the third period on a Niederreiter power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella. The Wild iced it at 4-1 with a Koivu empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Niederreiter, Koivu, and Dubnyk (31 for 32 in saves), while Stewart gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Lindback and Semyon Varlamov are set to start in goal. Colorado led off in the first period on a Marc-Andre Cliche goal, his second of the season, fueled by Cody McLeod and Dennis Everberg. The Avalanche added on with a John Mitchell goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Matt Duchene and Jarome Iginla. Matt Hackett relieved Lindback for the second period. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Tyson Barrie scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Duchene goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Iginla and Zach Redmond. Buffalo got on the board in the third period on an Andrej Meszaros goal, his fourth of the season, via Rasmus Ristolainen and Johan Larsson. Colorado shot back on a Brad Stuart goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Duchene and Iginla, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sabres answered with another Meszaros goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Buffalo pulled closer on a Ristolainen goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Marcus Foligno and Zac Dalpe. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Duchene, Meszaros, and Iginla, while Ristolainen gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Eddie Lack occupy the blue paint. Dallas began in the first period on a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Jason Demers. Vancouver tied it on a Nick Bonino goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Radim Vrbata and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks took the lead in the second period on a Chris Higgins power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Dan Hamhuis and Tanev. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Patrick Eaves goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jason Spezza and Alex Goligoski. Dallas took the lead on a Seguin goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Trevor Daley and Cody Eakin. Vancouver pulled even again with a Vrbata goal, his thirtieth of the year, coming on the power play from Bonino and Daniel Sedin. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime on a John Klingberg goal, his eleventh of the campaign, dished from Daley and Eakin. The three stars went to Seguin, Daley, and Eakin, while Bonino, Vrbata, and Tanev get the honorable mentions.

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NHL March 27th, 2015

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Minnesota Wild hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Calgary began in the first period on a Josh Jooris goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Matt Stajan and Joe Colborne. Minnesota tied it on a Matt Dumba power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild took the lead in the third period on a Thomas Vanek goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Justin Fontaine and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota added on with a Mikko Koivu goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Chris Stewart and Jonas Brodin. The Wild extended the lead on a Zach Parise goal, his thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. Jonas Hiller relieved Ramo. The Flames got one back on a Markus Granlund goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Mason Raymond and Paul Byron. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Koivu, Parise, and Vanek.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago led off in the first period on a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Johnny Oduya and Patrick Sharp. Columbus tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Cody Goloubef. The Blackhawks tied it as Jonathan Toews scored his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of Oduya and Kris Versteeg. Columbus regained the lead with a Kevin Connauton goal, his ninth of the season, an unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with another Atkinson goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Goloubef and Artem Anisimov. Crawford was pulled for Scott Dartling in goal. Columbus finished it at 5-2 on an Atkinson empty net goal to complete his hat trick, his nineteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Nick Foligno and Johansen. The three stars belonged to Atkinson, Johansen, and Goloubef, while Oduya gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Richard Bachman are set to start. Edmonton started in the first period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Benoit Pouliot. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Derek Roy goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Nail Yakupov and Teddy Purcell. Edmonton extended the lead as Pouliot scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Justin Schultz. The Oilers won 4-0 with an Andrew Miller penalty shot goal after he was tripped by Jordie Benn. The three stars went to Pouliot, Bachman (29 save shutout), and Eberle.

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NHL March 26th, 2015

Eleven games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Patrick Maroon goal, his ninth of the season, via Clayton Stoner and Sami Vatanen. Boston tied it on a Ryan Spooner goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci on the power play. The Bruins took the lead in the third period on a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Krejci. The Ducks retied it on a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-second of the year, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime on a Getzlaf goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Fowler and Simon Despres. The three stars went to Getzlaf, Fowler, and Krejci.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Matt Hackett receive the starting nods. Arizona began in the first period on a Jordan Szwarz goal, coming off of Kyle Chipchura and Craig Cunningham. Buffalo tied it on a Tyler Ennis goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Matt Moulson and Johan Larsson. The Sabres took the lead in the second period with a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ennis and Brian Gionta. The Coyotes retied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Martin Erat and Mark Arcobello. Arizona took the lead with a David Moss goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Sam Gagner. Buffalo tied it again in the third period on an unassisted Gionta power play goal, his tenth of the season. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime on a Gagner goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal helped along by Ekman-Larsson and John Moore. The three stars went to Gagner, Ekman-Larsson, and Gionta, while Ennis gets an honorable mention.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period on a Brandon Sutter goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Ben Lovejoy. Carolina tied it on an Eric Staal goal, his twentieth of the year, via Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Ryan Murphy goal, his third of the season, passed from Brad Malone and Victor Rask. Carolina added on in the second period with a Jay McClement goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Malone and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Alexander Semin scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Riley Nash and Eric Staal. Carolina padded the lead with a third period power play goal by Andrej Nestrasil, his seventh of the year, powered by Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm. The Penguins got one back with an Ian Cole goal, his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Craig Adams and Beau Bennett. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Staal, Malone, and Ward (27 for 29 in saves).

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jaroslav Halak tend the twines. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period as Frans Nielsen scored his thirteenth of the season, via Nikolay Kulemin and Travis Hamonic. Los Angeles tied it as Nick Shore scored, thanks to Dustin Brown and Alec Martinez. The Kings took the lead on a shorthanded Tyler Toffoli goal in the third period, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Jeff Carter and Jake Muzzin. The Islanders retied it on a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey. Los Angeles pulled ahead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Andrej Sekera and Martinez. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Toffoli, and Martinez.

Over to DC, as the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington struck first in the first period on a Karl Alzner goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Matt Niskanen and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Eric Fehr goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Travis Zajac, his eleventh of the season, set up by Patrik Elias and Adam Larsson. The Devils tied it in the third period on a Steve Bernier goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Scott Gomez and Michael Cammalleri. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with a Niskanen goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Alzner and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The three stars were handed to Niskanen, Alzner, and Holtby (29 for 31 in saves).

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. San Jose led off in the first period on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Melker Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Matthew Nieto goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Chris Tierney and Justin Braun. Detroit got on the board as Tomas Jurco scored his third of the season, thanks to Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with a lone assist from DeKeyser. San Jose regained the lead on a Tierney goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Tommy Wingels and Mirco Mueller. The Sharks extended the lead as Logan Couture scored his twenty-fourth of the year in the third period, thanks to Patrick Marleau. Detroit got one back on a Stephen Weiss goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Teemu Pulkkinen and Brendan Smith. San Jose answered on a Marleau goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Brent Burns. The Red Wings chipped back on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Sharks finished it at 6-4 on an empty net goal by Marleau, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, set up by Tomas Hertl and Couture. The three stars were handed to Marleau, Couture, and Tierney, while DeKeyser gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada, where the Ottawa Senators host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Andrew Hammond are the unexpectedly good goalies. New York started in the first period on a Chris Kreider goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Derek Stepan. Ottawa tied it on a Curtis Lazar goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Erik Condra. The Rangers retook the lead on a Dan Boyle goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Rick Nash and Kreider. New York added on with a Kreider goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, guided in by Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers extended the lead on a Zuccarello goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Kevin Hayes and Keith Yandle. New York padded the lead on a Tanner Glass goal, his first of the year, dished from Hayes and Boyle. This produced the eventual final, 5-1, with the three stars going to Kreider, Zuccarello, and Boyle, while Stepan and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Nashville opened in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Paul Gaustad goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Taylor Beck. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Andrej Sustr and Mark Barberio. Nashville shot back in the second period on a Michael Santorelli goal, his twelfth of the year, via Calle Jarnkrok and Viktor Stalberg. Andrei Vasilevskiy replaced Bishop in goal. The Lightning got one back on a Brian Boyle goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, fueled by J.T. Brown and Jonathan Drouin. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2, and the three stars went to Santorelli, Gaustad, and Rinne (28 for 30 in saves).

Returning to Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Florida got going in the second period on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Alex Petrovic. The Panthers added on with a Steven Kampfer goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jaromir Jagr and Barkov. Florida extended the lead as Brandon Pirri scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Vincent Trocheck and Brian Campbell. James Reimer relieved Bernier. Toronto got on the board in the third period on a Sam Carrick goal, via Morgan Rielly and Joakim Lindstrom. The Panthers finished it on a Pirri empty net goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 4-1 and the three stars went to Pirri, Luongo (24 for 25 in saves), and Barkov.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Ondrej Pavelec are called on to start in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Jim Slater and Adam Pardy. The Jets added on in the second period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Tyler Myers. Montreal got on the board with an Andrei Markov goal, his ninth of the season, passed from David Desharnais. Winnipeg answered with a Slater goal, his third of the year, coming off of Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty. The Jets extended the lead as Blake Wheeler netter his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Scheifele and Drew Stafford. The Canadiens got one back in the third period on an unassisted goal by Brendan Gallagher, his twenty-third of the year. Winnipeg shot back on an Adam Lowry goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by Michael Frolik and Andrew Ladd. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelec (39 for 41 in saves), Slater, and Scheifele.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra is mismatched with Eddie Lack in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche added on with an Alex Tanguay goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Zach Redmond and Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado extended the lead with a Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Tanguay and O'Reilly. Vancouver got on the board in the third period on a Yannick Weber power play goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Avalanche iced it at 4-1 on an empty net goal by John Mitchell, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Matt Duchene on the power play. The three stars went to Tanguay, Landeskog, and O'Reilly.

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NHL March 25th, 2015

Three games on tonight, beginning in...

Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ben Scrivens are in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with a Martin Marincin goal, made possible by Andrew Miller and Anton Lander. The Oilers added on with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Oscar Klefbom and Benoit Pouliot. Edmonton extended the lead as Taylor Hall scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Lander and Miller. Colorado got on the board in the second period on a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, a power play goal powered by Tyson Barrie and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche pulled closer on an Alex Tanguay goal, his twenty-first of the year, via O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado tied it in the third period with an O'Reilly goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Tanguay. The Oilers retook the lead on a Derek Roy power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Pouliot and Nail Yakupov. This was good for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to O'Reilly, Tanguay, and Pouliot, while Miller and Lander get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Steve Mason are the masked men. Philadelphia led off in the first period on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Matt Read and Nick Schultz. The Flyers added on in the second period with a Ryan White goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Carlo Colaiacovo and Nicklas Grossmann. Philadelphia extended the lead on a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Michael Del Zotto. Chicago got on the board in the third period with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Duncan Keith and Antoine Vermette. The Flyers shot back with a Michael Raffl power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Read and Del Zotto. This made it 4-1, with the three stars going to Mason (34 for 35 in saves), Read, and Del Zotto.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Karri Ramo are called on to start in goal. Dallas got going in the second period on an Ales Hemsky goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Patrik Nemeth and Tyler Seguin. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Jason Spezza and Seguin. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler. The Flames tied it with a Deryk Engelland goal, guided in by Lance Bouma. Dallas retook the lead on another Hemsky goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Shawn Horcoff. Calgary retied it in the third period with another Engelland goal, his second of the game, via Mason Raymond and Markus Granlund. The Stars won 4-3 in the shootout on a Seguin goal. The three stars were awarded to Hemsky, Engelland, and Seguin.

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NHL March 24th, 2015

Eight games on today, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period on a John Tavares goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Okposo and Anders Lee. Minnesota tied it in the third period on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, assisted by Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. The tie went to a shootout, where Parise had the lone tally for a 2-1 Wild win. The three stars went to Parise, Dubnyk (37 for 38 in saves), and Halak (31 for 32 in saves).

Across town, the New York Rangers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cam Talbot are in the creases. New York opened in the first period on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his thirteenth of the season, via J.T. Miller. Los Angeles tied it on a Robyn Regehr goal, his second of the year, coming off of Kyle Clifford. The Kings took the lead on a Marian Gaborik goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Los Angeles added on in the third period as Jeff Carter scored his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Dwight King. The Kings extended the lead on a Jake Muzzin goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Kopitar and Trevor Lewis. The Rangers got one back on a Kevin Hayes goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Dan Boyle. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Carter, and Muzzin.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Marc-Andre Fleury are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period on a Blake Comeau goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Daniel Winnik and Nick Spaling. The Penguins added on with a Steve Downie goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Spaling. St. Louis tied it on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, his third of the season, fueled by T.J. Oshie and Barret Jackman. The Blues tied it on a Marcel Goc goal, his third of the year, via Ryan Reaves and Steve Ott. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with an Alexander Steen goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, passed from Zbynek Michalek and David Backes. The three stars went to Steen, Spaling, and Goc.

Over in Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period on a Ryan Kesler goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Rickard Rakell and Kyle Palmieri on the power play. The Ducks added on with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Nate Thompson. Columbus got on the board with a power play goal by Scott Hartnell, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets tied it in the second period on a Johansen goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Cam Atkinson. Anaheim retook the lead on a Matt Beleskey goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Corey Perry and James Wisniewski. Columbus tied it again as Hartnell scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, via William Karlsson and Marko Dano. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Nick Foligno goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Jeremy Morin and Artem Anisimov. Columbus finished it at 5-3 on a Hartnell empty net goal, securing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Atkinson and David Savard. The three stars went to Hartnell, Johansen, and Atkinson.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jimmy Howard are the veteran goalies. Arizona started in the first period with a John Moore goal, his second of the campaign, fueled by Craig Cunningham and Joe Vitale. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Luke Glendening goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Kyle Quincey. Arizona took the lead back on a Mark Arcobello power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Lauri Korpikoski and Moore. The Red Wings tied it again with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Jakub Kindl and Henrik Zetterberg. Arizona pulled ahead on a David Moss goal, his second of the year, guided in by Klas Dahlbeck and Sam Gagner. Detroit tied it as Kindl scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Tomas Jurco and Tomas Tatar. The Coyotes regained the lead with a Moss power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Arcobello. The Red Wings evened it on a power play goal by Gustav Nyquist, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Abdelkader and Zetterberg. Arizona won 5-4 on an Arcobello goal in overtime, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, dished from Ekman-Larsson and Michael Stone. The three stars went to Arcobello, Moss, and Kindl, while Moore, Abdelkader, Zetterberg, and Ekman-Larsson get the honorable mentions.

Way south to a Battle of Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay began in the first period on a Brenden Morrow goal, his third of the season, made possible by J.T. Brown. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Callahan. Florida got on the board in the second period on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Brad Boyes and Erik Gudbranson. The Panthers tied it on a Brandon Pirri goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Vincent Trocheck. Florida took the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. Tampa Bay retied it in the third period as Nikita Kucherov scored his twenty-seventh of the year, with the help of Andrej Sustr and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning took the lead on a Callahan goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Callahan, Kucherov, and Johnson.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville struck first in the first period on a Mattias Ekholm goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it in the second period on an unassisted goal by Brendan Gallagher, his twenty-second of the year. The Canadiens took the lead on a David Desharnais goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from P.A. Parenteau and Max Pacioretty. The Predators retied it in the third period on a Ryan Ellis goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Mike Ribeiro and Colin Wilson. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime on a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Ribeiro and Roman Josi. The three stars went to Forsberg, Ribeiro, and Ellis.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Eddie Lack are the young goalies. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period on a Jiri Tlusty goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Eric O'Dell. The Jets added on in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Drew Stafford and Mark Stuart. Vancouver got on the board with a Chris Higgins goal, his tenth of the season, via Radim Vrbata and Nick Bonino. The Canucks tied it on a Yannick Weber power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. Vancouver took the lead as Vrbata scored his twenty-eighth of the season, thanks to Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks extended the lead on a Henrik Sedin empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Daniel Sedin. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 on an empty net goal by Vrbata, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the campaign, assisted by Higgins and Dan Hamhuis. The three stars went to Vrbata, Henrik Sedin, and Higgins, while Daniel Sedin gets an honorable mention.

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NHL March 23rd, 2015

Seven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Anton Khudobin are the goalies. Chicago opened in the first period on an Andrew Shaw goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Sharp goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Marian Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Carolina got on the board in the second period on a Victor Rask goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and John-Michael Liles. Chicago iced it at 3-1 on a Shaw empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, set up by Joakim Nordstrom and Jonathan Toews in the third period. The three stars went to Crawford (43 for 44 in saves), Shaw, and Sharp.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Los Angeles began in the first period on an Andrej Sekera goal, his third of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. The Kings added on with a Tyler Toffoli power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Gaborik and Kopitar. New Jersey got on the board in the second period on a Scott Gomez goal, his seventh of the season, via Eric Gelinas and Damon Severson. Los Angeles answered on a Kopitar goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Jake Muzzin and Justin Williams. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Gaborik, and Quick (19 for 20 in saves).

North to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Andrew Hammond receive the starting nods. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks took the lead on a Chris Tierney goal, his third of the season, made possible by Tommy Wingels and Matthew Nieto. The Senators retied it in the third period as Zibanejad scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, thanks to Ryan and Hoffman. Ottawa took the lead on an Alex Chiasson goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. The Senators added on with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Erik Karlsson. Ottawa wrapped it up at 5-2 on an empty net goal by Hoffman, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by David Legwand and Ryan, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Zibanejad, Hoffman, and Ryan.

Across Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period on a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Thomas Vanek. The Wild added on in the third period on a Vanek goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Suter and Justin Fontaine. Toronto got on the board with a Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Joffrey Lupul. This produced the 2-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (35 for 36 in saves), Vanek, and Coyle.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Lindback faces his former mentor, Kari Lehtonen, in goal. Buffalo struck first in the first period on a Brian Gionta goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Marcus Foligno and Mikhail Grigorenko. Dallas tied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Patrick Eaves and Patrik Nemeth. The Sabres regained the lead in the second period on a Gionta power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, powered by Matt Moulson and Johan Larsson. The Stars retied it in the third period on Benn's second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, a power play goal with a lone assist from Alex Goligoski. Buffalo edged ahead again with a Moulson goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Tyler Ennis. Dallas evened the score on an Eaves goal, his tenth of the year, dished from Tyler Seguin and Benn. The Stars took the lead on a Cody Eakin goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by John Klingberg and Ales Hemsky. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Benn, Gionta, and Eaves, while Moulson gets an honorable mention.

North to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Karri Ramo are between the pipes. Calgary was first to score in the first period on a David Jones goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Lance Bouma and Markus Granlund. Colorado tied it on an Alex Tanguay goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O'Reilly. The Flames retook the lead with a Jiri Hudler goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Dennis Wideman and Sean Monahan. Calgary added on in the third period with a Bouma goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by T.J. Brodie and Jones. The Avalanche got one back with a Landeskog goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, coming off of O'Reilly and Zach Redmond. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Bouma, Jones, and Landeskog, while O'Reilly gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end in Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Ben Scrivens are the mediocre goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Drew Stafford goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on in the second period with a Lee Stempniak goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jim Slater and Jiri Tlusty. Winnipeg extended the lead as Tyler Myers scored his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Toby Enstrom. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming from Taylor Hall and Oscar Klefbom. The Jets iced it at 4-1 on a Michael Frolik goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, a power play goal with helpers provided by Andrew Ladd and Jay Harrison. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Pavelec (33 for 34 in saves), Stempniak, and Myers.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL March 22nd, 2015

Four games on today, beginning with the...

Detroit Red Wings hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. St. Louis got going in the second period on an Alexander Steen goal, his twenty-third of the season, a power play goal made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny. Detroit tied it in the third period on an Erik Cole goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Kyle Quincey. The Red Wings won 2-1 in overtime on an Abdelkader goal, his twentieth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Marek Zidlicky and Niklas Kronwall. The three stars went to Abdelkader, Howard (23 for 24 in saves), and Cole.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Ben Bishop protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid. Tampa Bay tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brenden Morrow and J.T. Brown. The Lightning took the lead on a Brown goal, his third of the season, via Ondrej Palat and Matthew Carle. Tampa Bay added on with an Anton Stralman goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Namestnikov. The Lightning extended the lead as Jason Garrison scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Tyler Johnson and Carle. Niklas Svedberg replaced Rask in goal. The Bruins got one back in the third period on a Zdeno Chara power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Reilly Smith and David Pastrnak. Tampa Bay replied with a Palat power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Ryan Callahan and Nikita Kucherov. Boston got one back with a Daniel Paille goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Max Talbot and Gregory Campbell. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Palat, Namestnikov, and Brown, while Carle gets an honorable mention.

Up in New York, the Rangers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period on a Chris Kreider goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. Anaheim tied it on a Corey Perry goal, his thirtieth of the year, pushed through by Patrick Maroon and Sami Vatanen. The Rangers retook the lead on a Stepan power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Rick Nash. New York added on with a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Kevin Hayes and Yandle. John Gibson replaced Andersen in goal. The Ducks got one back on a Perry goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, coming off of Ryan Getzlaf. The Rangers extended the lead in the second period on a J.T. Miller goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Yandle, the latter getting a sock trick. New York padded the lead with a Stepan goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers continued in the third period on a Jesper Fast goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Hayes. New York finished it at 7-2 on a Derick Brassard goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, dished from Zuccarello and Miller. The three stars belonged to Stepan, Perry, and Yandle, while Miller, Zuccarello, and Hayes get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith draw the starts in goal. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Yannick Weber goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Radim Vrbata. Arizona tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Joe Vitale. The Canucks took the lead back in the third period on an Alexander Edler power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Weber and Vrbata. Vancouver iced it at 3-1 on a Henrik Sedin empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Daniel Sedin and Christopher Tanev. The three stars went to Weber, Markstrom (26 for 27 in saves), and Vrbata, while Daniel Sedin gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.