NHL 2016-17 Day 116

We've got thirteenth games on a big Saturday schedule, with two matinees. The first is in...

Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Antti Niemi are the veteran goalies. Montreal opened in the first period with a Logan Shaw goal, his third of the season, via Byron Froese. The Canadiens added on with a Joe Morrow power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Victor Mete and Nikita Scherbak. Montreal extended the lead as David Schlemko scored, thanks to Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. Reto Berra replaced Miller in goal. The Canadiens padded the lead in the second period on a Jeff Petry power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Galchenyuk. Anaheim got on the board with a Corey Perry power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. The Ducks got on the board with a Rakell goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Nick Ritchie and Fowler. Montreal iced it at 5-2 in the third period with another Petry power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Morrow and Gallagher. The three stars went to Petry, Morrow, and Gallagher, while Galchenyuk, Rakell, and Fowler get the honorable mentions.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Alex Lyon are set to start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Mike Hoffman and Colin White. The Senators added on with a Derick Brassard goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Cody Ceci and Ryan Dzingel. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Radko Gudas and Travis Konecny. Ottawa replied with a Christopher DiDomenico goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Dzingel. Michal Neuvirth replaced Lyon in goal for the third period. The Flyers got one back in the third period with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Brandon Manning and Konecny. Philadelphia tied it on a Nolan Patrick goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Konecny. The tie went to a shootout, where Hoffman's lone tally gave the Senators a 4-3 win. The three stars were Hoffman, Konecny, and Dzingel.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Danton Heinen. Toronto tied it on a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri. The Bruins retook the lead on a David Pastrnak power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the season, via Torey Krug and Heinen. Boston added on with a Krug power play goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Austin Czarnik and David Krejci. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with a Tim Schaller empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by the goalie Rask and Zdeno Chara in the third period. The three stars were given to Krug, Rask (23 for 24 in saves), and Heinen.

Over to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton and Robin Lehner make the starts in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Paul Stastny. This was the only goal in the Blues' 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Hutton (27 save shutout), Gunnarsson, and Lehner (32 for 33 in saves).

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period with a Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen. The Devils added on with a Coleman goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Noesen and Zajac. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Ian Cole and Phil Kessel. New Jersey replied with a Zajac goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, via Damon Severson and Taylor Hall. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Zajac, Coleman, and Noesen.

Along to Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jaroslav Halak receive the starting nods to play in goal. Columbus began in the first period with a Josh Anderson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jussi Jokinen. New York tied it on a Nick Leddy power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by John Tavares and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Anthony Beauvillier and Ryan Pulock. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Artemi Panarin. Columbus took the lead with a Nick Foligno goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Oliver Bjorkstrand. New York retied it in the third period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Barzal and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Andrew Ladd and Pulock. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Nelson, Barzal, and Pulock.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Harri Sateri are in the creases. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau and Keith Yandle. Detroit tied it in the second period on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his third of the year, passed from Frans Nielsen and Darren Helm. The Panthers retook the lead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Evgenii Dadonov and Nick Bjugstad. The Red Wings retied it in the third period with a DeKeyser goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, helped along by Helm and Nielsen. Florida won 3-2 with a Huberdeau goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Yandle and Ekblad. The three stars were awarded to Huberdeau, DeKeyser, and Ekblad, while Yandle, Helm, and Nielsen get the honorable mentions.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with a Jack Roslovic goal, his second of the year, via Wheeler and Ben Chiarot in the third period. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with a Nikolaj Ehlers empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Mathieu Perreault. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Hellebuyck (25 save shutout), and Laine.

Back stateside, the Dallas Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Dallas drew first blood in the second period with a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on with an unassisted Stephen Johns goal, his sixth of the year. Dallas extended the lead as Jamie Benn scored his twenty-first of the season on the power play, with the help of Devin Shore and Tyler Seguin. The Stars padded the lead with a Seguin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, made possible by Benn and Alexander Radulov. Devan Dubnyk replaced Stalock in goal for the third period. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Dallas answered with a Radulov goal, his twenty-first of the year, with a lone helper from Seguin. The Stars capped it at 6-1 with a Dan Hamhuis goal, his second of the campaign, guided in by Greg Pateryn and Brett Ritchie. The three stars were handed to Seguin, Benn, and Radulov.

Northeast to Nashville, as the Predators host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne are the Scandinavian goalies. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a P.K. Subban goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Craig Smith. New York got on the board in the third period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. Nashville responded with a Colton Sissons goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist from Subban. The Rangers pulled back on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by McDonagh and Miller. The Predators shot back on an Arvidsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Ryan Johansen and Forsberg. Nashville capped it at 5-2 with a Fiala power play empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, set up by Roman Josi and Kyle Turris. The three stars were Fiala, Arvidsson, and Subban, while Forsberg, Miller, and McDonagh get the honorable mentions.

Way to the northwest, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jacob Markstrom protect the nets. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Anton Stralman and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Victor Hedman goal, his seventh of the year, via Steven Stamkos and Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Yanni Gourde scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Mikhail Sergachev and Matthew Peca. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Troy Stecher and Brock Boeser. The Canucks got closer with a Boeser goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Brandon Sutter. The Lightning answered on a Cory Conacher power play penalty shot goal, his sixth of the year. The three stars belonged to Boeser, Kucherov, and Conacher in this 4-2 game.

Backtracking to Alberta, where the Calgary Flames bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Chicago started in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with a Vinnie Hinostroza power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, powered by Kane and Brent Seabrook. Calgary got on the board with a Matt Stajan goal, his third of the season, via Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie. The Flames tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Micheal Ferland and Mark Giordano. Chicago retook the lead on an unassisted Anthony Duclair goal, his eleventh of the season. Calgary tied it in the third period on a Michael Frolik goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Mikael Backlund. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Brodie. The three stars went to Monahan, Brodie, and Kane.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Scott Wedgewood and Darcy Kuemper are the lesser-known goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Tyler Toffoli and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on in the second period with a shorthanded Trevor Lewis goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Torrey Mitchell and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles extended the lead as Kempe scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Dustin Brown. The Kings padded the lead with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles continued in the third period with a Kopitar goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Kevin Gravel and Iafallo. The Kings iced it at 6-0 with a Brown goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Paul LaDue and Muzzin. The three stars were given to Kopitar, Iafallo, and Kuemper (27 save shutout), while Brown, Kempe, and Muzzin get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 115

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Scott Darling man the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Justin Faulk and Teuvo Teravainen. Detroit tied it on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the year, via Darren Helm and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Trevor Daley goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Helm. Detroit added on in the third period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings extended the lead as Helm scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Luke Glendening. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Helm, Mrazek (36 for 37 in saves), and Daley.

Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Matt Murray guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Riley Sheahan and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with an unassisted Carl Hagelin goal, his fifth of the year. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Christian Djoos. Pittsburgh answered with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Capitals got one back with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Lars Eller and Matt Niskanen. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Tom Wilson and Ovechkin. The Penguins reclaimed the lead with a Malkin goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Kessel and Olli Maatta. The Capitals tied it again with Ovechkin's second of the game and thirty-second of the year, helped along by Kuznetsov and Orlov. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Kris Letang and Sheahan. The Penguins extended the lead as Kessel scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, thanks to Malkin and Hagelin. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby in goal. Pittsburgh padded the lead as Malkin scored a power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, with the help of Crosby and Guentzel. This stood for a 7-4 win, with the three stars given to Kessel, Malkin, and Ovechkin, while Hagelin, Crosby, Sheahan, Guentzel, Kuznetsov, and Orlov get the honorable mentions.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. San Jose led off in the first period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Tomas Hertl. Columbus tied it on a second period Boone Jenner goal, his fifth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Dean Kukan. The Sharks retook the lead on a Labanc power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on in the third period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Justin Braun and Couture. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Labanc, Couture, and Jones (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Minnesota Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Devan Dubnyk draw the starts in goal. Minnesota began in the first period with an Eric Staal power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mike Reilly and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Tyler Ennis scored his seventh of the season, with the help of Brodin. Vegas got on the board with an Erik Haula power play goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Colin Miller and David Perron. The Wild replied with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Suter and Staal. The Golden Knights got one back with a Nate Schmidt power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, passed from Perron and Haula. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Staal empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Dumba and Brodin, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Staal, Brodin, and Dumba, while Haula and Perron get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 114

We've got another twelve-game day today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston led off in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Spooner. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Spooner. St. Louis got on the board with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. Boston iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by David Backes, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Rask (32 for 33 in saves), Spooner, and Allen (43 for 45 in saves).

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Florida Panthers. Harri Sateri and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo. Florida tied it on a Keith Yandle power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers took the lead on a Mike Matheson power play goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist from Nick Bjugstad. Florida added on with a Denis Malgin goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Sabres got one back in the second period with a shorthanded Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Johan Larsson. The Panthers countered in the third period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Jared McCann and Yandle. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Yandle, Malgin, and Sceviour.

Next up, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cam Ward are the veterans in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Brett Pesce goal, via Elias Lindholm and Marcus Kruger. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Brock McGinn goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Justin Williams and Victor Rask. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Ward (27 save shutout), Pesce, and McGinn.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon and Keith Kinkaid are the inexperienced goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. The Devils retook the lead with a Drew Stafford power play goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of John Moore and Sami Vatanen. The Flyers tied it again on a Simmonds power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. Philadelphia pulled ahead in the second period with a Gostisbehere goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Valtteri Filppula and Taylor Leier. New Jersey tied it in the third period with a Damon Severson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Zacha and Palmieri. The Devils took the lead on a Nico Hischier goal, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Blake Coleman and Ben Lovejoy. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Zacha, and Simmonds, while Voracek and Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, as the Rangers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Justin Holl goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist from Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs added on with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Connor Brown and Tyler Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Patrick Marleau scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Zach Hyman goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by William Nylander and Auston Matthews. Ondrej Pavelec replaced Luundqvist in goal. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars being McElhinney (25 save shutout), Holl, and Hyman.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Mike Condon are in the creases. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Kesler goal, his fifth of the year, via Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. The Senators won 2-1 in overtime with a Karlsson goal, his fifth of the campaign, a power play goal assisted by Matt Duchene and Hoffman. The three stars were awarded to Karlsson, Condon (30 for 31 in saves), and Hoffman.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck protect the nets. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Matt Hendricks and Kyle Connor. Vegas tied it on a second period goal by shorthanded and unassisted Reilly Smith goal, his fourteenth of the year. The Golden Knights took the lead with an Erik Haula power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by David Perron and Colin Miller. The Jets tied it in the third period with a Connor goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Armia and Josh Morrissey. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Perron goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by James Neal. The three stars went to Perron, Armia, and Connor.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Kevin Fiala and Johansen. Nashville extended the lead as Calle Jarnkrok scored his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators padded the lead in the second period with a Colton Sissons goal, his fourth of the year, via Miikka Salomaki. Nashville capped it at 5-0 with a Viktor Arvidsson goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Forsberg and Johansen, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were given to Forsberg, Johansen, and Rinne (19 save shutout).

Northwest to Calgary, the Flames bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mike Smith are the masked men. Calgary drew first blood in the first period with a Micheal Ferland power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Dougie Hamilton. Tampa Bay tied it on a Braydon Coburn goal, passed from Andrej Sustr and Matthew Peca. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Yanni Gourde and Brayden Point. The Flames retied it on a Backlund goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk and T.J. Brodie. Calgary took the lead with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Johnny Gaudreau and Hamilton. The Flames added on with a Matt Stajan goal, his second of the season, via Garnet Hathaway and Brodie. Tampa Bay got one back with a Peca goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Killorn and Anton Stralman. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Killorn goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Gourde. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Cory Conacher goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Peca and Killorn. The Lightning extended the lead as Steven Stamkos scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Chris Kunitz. David Rittich replaced Smith in goal. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Conacher goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, fueled by Ryan Callahan. This stood for a 7-4 win, with the three stars awarded to Killorn, Peca, and Conacher, while Gourde, Backlund, Hamilton, and Brodie get the honorable mentions.

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Al Montoya have the green light to play in goal. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Samuel Girard power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Michael Cammalleri. Colorado replied with a shorthanded and unassisted Blake Comeau goal, his tenth of the year. The Oilers pulled back in the third period on a Drake Caggiula goal, his seventh of the season, via Ryan Strome and Matt Benning. Edmonton tied it on a McDavid goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Draisaitl and Kris Russell. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a J.T. Compher goal, his tenth of the campaign, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Landeskog. The three stars were given to Landeskog, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

South to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Scott Wedgewood are in the creases. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Domi and Christian Fischer. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Devin Shore goal, his seventh of the year, via Jason Spezza and Dan Hamhuis. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Shore and John Klingberg. Dallas added on with a Mattias Janmark goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Radek Faksa and Greg Pateryn. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with an Esa Lindell empty net goal in the third period, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Shore, Lehtonen (17 for 18 in saves), and Seguin.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jacob Markstrom are the goalies. Chicago got on the board first in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Brandon Saad and Duncan Keith. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his third of the year, via Troy Stecher. The Canucks took the lead with a Bo Horvat goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Stecher and Alexander Edler. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Jake Virtanen and Henrik Sedin. The Blackhawks got one back with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Keith. The Canucks replied with another Gaunce goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Loui Eriksson. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Gaunce, Stecher, and Keith.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 113

Three games tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Frederik Andersen make the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Zach Hyman and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Mitchell Marner scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Nazem Kadri and Connor Carrick. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Travis Dermott goal, helped along by William Nylander. Toronto continued with a Justin Holl goal in the third period, made possible by Matthews and Dermott. This stood for a 5-0 win, with the three stars being Matthews, Dermott, and Andersen (28 save shutout).

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Petr Mrazek are the masked men. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Trevor Daley goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Frans Nielsen. San Jose tied it on a Kevin Labanc goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brenden Dillon and Tomas Hertl. The tie went to a shootout, where Gustav Nyquist, Andreas Athanasiou, Tomas Tatar, and Justin Abdelkader lifted the Red Wings to a 2-1 win over Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, and Chris Tierney for the Sharks. The three stars went to Mrazek (30 for 31 in saves), Jones (43 for 44 in saves), and Abdelkader.

Finally, the Washington Capitals bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth faces former teammate Braden Holtby in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Nolan Patrick goal, his fourth of the season, via Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers added on with a Travis Konecny goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Sean Couturier. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Lars Eller and John Carlson. The Capitals tied it on another Stephenson goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Madison Bowey. Washington took the lead with an Andrew Burakovsky power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Eller. The Capitals extended the lead as T.J. Oshie scored his twelfth of the year on the power play in the third period, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Carlson. Washington padded the lead on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Christian Djoos and Jay Beagle. Philadelphia got one back with a Jakub Voracek goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Ivan Provorov and Patrick. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Stephenson, Patrick, and Eller, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 112

We return from the All-Star break with twelve games tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Anton Khudobin man the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Cam Fowler and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Rakell and Fowler. Ryan Miller replaced an injured Gibson in the third period. Boston got on the board with a Ryan Spooner goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, via Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Henrique, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Henrique, Fowler, and Rakell.

In Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Robin Lehner make the starts in goal. New Jersey got going with a Miles Wood goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Will Butcher and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils added on with a Taylor Hall goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Buffalo got on the board with a Jake McCabe power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly. New Jersey answered with a Palmieri empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final with the three stars being Kinkaid (27 for 28 in saves), Palmieri, and Hall.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Zack Smith and Erik Karlsson. Carolina tied it in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Teuvo Teravainen and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes took the lead with a power play goal by Victor Rask goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Justin Williams and Noah Hanifin. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Ward (29 for 30 in saves), Rask, and Aho.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Florida Panthers. Harri Sateri and Jaroslav Halak are between the pipes. Florida began in the first period with a Mike Matheson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Mark Pysyk and Colton Sceviour. The Panthers added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Keith Yandle scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Vincent Trocheck. New York got on the board with an Adam Pelech goal, his second of the year, via Josh Bailey and Jason Chimera. The Panthers capped it at 4-1 with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Trocheck into the empty net. The three stars belonged to Sateri (32 for 33 in saves), Trocheck, and Dadonov.

Westward to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Matt Murray are the returning goalies. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Riley Sheahan and Ian Cole. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Mikkel Boedker. The Sharks took the lead with a power play goal by Logan Couture, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski. The Penguins retied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper from Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh took the lead in the third period with a Malkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, via Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a Rust goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, fueled by Tom Kuhnhackl and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Malkin to complete his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Rust and Sidney Crosby. The three stars were given to Malkin, Rust, and Murray (40 for 42 in saves).

In Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus started in the first period with a David Savard goal, his third of the season, passed from Dean Kukan and Artemi Panarin. Minnesota tied it on a Jason Zucker power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the year, powered by Jonas Brodin and Mikael Granlund. The Wild took the lead in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Panarin goal, his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal made possible by Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. In the shootout, Chris Stewart and Zach Parise lifted the Wild 3-2 over Panarin and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were Panarin, Coyle, and Zucker.

Along to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Carter Hutton in goal. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blues added on in the third period with a Patrik Berglund power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Tage Thompson and Colton Parayko. St. Louis extended the lead as Alexander Steen scored a shorthanded empty net goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, with the help of Kyle Brodziak. Montreal got on the board with a Charles Hudon power play goal, his seventh of the year, via Brendan Gallagher. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Hutton (33 for 34 in saves), Berglund, and Barbashev.

Back east, the Nashville Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Juuse Saros are the backups in goal. Chicago struck first in the first period with a David Kampf goal, his second of the season, guided in by Vinnie Hinostroza and Tomas Jurco. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his ninth of the year, via Scott Hartnell and Craig Smith. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Hinostroza goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Nick Schmaltz and Patrick Kane. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Forsberg (42 for 43 in saves), Hinostroza, and Kampf.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Michael Hutchinson are the lesser-known goalies. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Matthew Peca goal, coming off of Brayden Point and Jake Dotchin. Winnipeg tied it on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets took the lead on a Kyle Connor goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Wheeler and Tyler Myers. Winnipeg added on in the third period with a Bryan Little goal, his eleventh of the campaign, assisted by Mathieu Perreault and Nikolaj Ehlers. The three stars went to Wheeler, Hutchinson (23 for 24 in saves), and Connor.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Darcy Kuemper and Ben Bishop draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Paul LaDue goal, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. The Kings added on with a Drew Doughty power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, powered by Jake Muzzin and Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead as Alec Martinez scored in the third period, his fifth of the year, thanks to Torrey Mitchell and Tanner Pearson. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Kuemper (28 save shutout), and LaDue.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mike Smith protect the nets. Vegas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Sam Bennett goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Troy Brouwer. The Flames took the lead with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Dougie Hamilton and Michael Frolik. The Golden Knights tied it on an unassisted Erik Haula goal in the third period, his eighteenth of the year. Vegas took the lead with a Marchessault goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Karlsson and Smith. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-2 with a David Perron empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Shea Theodore. The three stars were Marchessault, Smith, and Karlsson.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Jacob Markstrom make the starts in goal. Vancouver scored first in the first period with a Bo Horvat goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Thomas Vanek and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks added on with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Tanev and Jake Virtanen. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his ninth of the season, via Erik Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eighteenth of the year, coming off of Tyson Barrie and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado took the lead with another Landeskog goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, assisted by Rantanen and Samuel Girard on the power play. Vancouver tied it in the third period with a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Brock Boeser. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with a Sven Baertschi goal, his eleventh of the campaign, guided in by Brandon Sutter and Tanev, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Tanev, Landeskog, and Rantanen.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 111 - The NHL All-Star Game

The best of the NHL players are ready to meet in a 3-on-3 Tournament again. We begin with...

The Central Division against the Pacific Division. Marc-Andre Fleury and Pekka Rinne make the starts in goal. Central opened in the first half with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, via Blake Wheeler. Mike Smith and Connor Hellebuyck took over for the second half in net. Pacific tied it with a Drew Doughty goal in the second half, set up by Connor McDavid. Pacific took the lead with a James Neal goal, passed from McDavid and Brent Burns. Central retied it on a P.K. Subban goal, coming off of MacKinnon. Pacific pulled ahead with a Brock Boeser goal, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Johnny Gaudreau. Pacific added on with a Burns goal, courtesy of McDavid, who got a sock trick, and the goalie Smith. Pacific iced it at 5-2 with a Neal goal, his second of the game, made possible by McDavid. The three stars were McDavid, Neal, and Burns, while MacKinnon gets an honorable mention.

In the other semifinal, the Metropolitan Division faces the Atlantic Division. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Henrik Lundqvist are the starting goalies. Metropolitan started with a Sidney Crosby goal in the first half, via Alex Ovechkin. Atlantic tied it on an Auston Matthews goal, courtesy of Jack Eichel and Aleksander Barkov. Metropolitan retook the lead with a Claude Giroux goal, fueled by Zach Werenski. Metropolitan added on with an Ovechkin goal, coming off of Crosby. Atlantic pulled back with a Nikita Kucherov goal, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Steven Stamkos. Carey Price and Braden Holtby took over in goal in the second half. Atlantic tied it on Kucherov's second of the game, assisted by Eichel and Karlsson. Metropolitan gained the lead with a Kris Letang goal, passed from John Tavares and Josh Bailey. Atlantic retied it on a Brayden Point goal, made possible by Brad Marchand and the goalie Price. Atlantic pulled ahead with an Eichel goal, with helpers from Barkov and Matthews. Atlantic extended the lead as Marchand scored, with the help of Point and Mike Green. Atlantic capped it at 7-4 with a Kucherov hat trick goal, set up by Stamkos and Karlsson, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars went to Kucherov, Karlsson, and Eichel, while Barkov, Point, Matthews, Marchand, Ovechkin, Crosby, and Stamkos pick up honorable mentions this time.

In the final, the Pacific Division meets the Atlantic Division. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury return to the creases for the start. Pacific struck first with a Rickard Rakell goal, passed from Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Pacific added on with a Brock Boeser goal, with a lone assist by Johnny Gaudreau. Atlantic got on the board with a Mike Green goal, made possible by Brad Marchand and Brayden Point. Pacific answered with a Drew Doughty goal, via Kopitar and Rakell. Pacific extended the lead as Gaudreau scored in the second half, thanks to Boeser. Atlantic got one back with a Green goal, his second of the game, with a lone helper from Marchand. Pacific capped it at 5-2 with a Rakell goal, his second of the game, helped along by Brent Burns. The three stars were Rakell, Boeser, and Gaudreau, while Doughty, Kopitar, Green, and Marchand get the honorable mentions. Brock Boeser was the overall All-Star Game MVP.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 110

Fifteen games on a busy day, the last before the All-Star Game. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Ken Appleby in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a P.K. Subban goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on in the third period with an Ekholm goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead as Arvidsson scored his fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Subban. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars being Subban, Arvidsson, and Ekholm, while Rinne (25 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Michal Neuvirth are in goal. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brayden Point goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Matthew Peca and Dan Girardi. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Ryan Callahan scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his second of the season. Philadelphia got on the board with a third period Travis Konecny power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Lightning replied with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-1 with another Namesntikov goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, fueled by Stamkos and Kucherov. The three stars went to Namestnikov, Vasilevskiy (36 for 37 in saves), and Kucherov, while Stamkos gets an honorable mention.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Casey DeSmith are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Dominik Simon goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sidney Crosby and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Crosby and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Carl Hagelin scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Malkin and Kessel. The Penguins chased Dubnyk with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his third of the year, passed from Crosby and Hagelin. Alex Stalock came on in relief. Pittsburgh padded the lead in the third period with a Malkin power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Justin Schultz and Kessel, the latter earning a sock trick. The Penguins continued with an unassisted Simon goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year. Minnesota got on the board with an Eric Staal goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Nate Prosser and Marcus Foligno. The Wild pulled closer with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Ryan Suter and Jason Zucker. Minnesota chipped closer on a Jonas Brodin goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Foligno and Staal. The three stars were Malkin, Kessel, and Simon, while Crosby, Hagelin, Staal, and Foligno get the honorable mentions.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jimmy Howard make the starts in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Connor Murphy and Anthony Duclair. The Blackhawks added on with a Duclair goal, his tenth of the year, passed from DeBrincat and Duncan Keith. Chicago extended the lead as Vinnie Hinostroza scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Duclair. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in goal. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in goal. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Jonathan Toews. Detroit got on the board with a third period Anthony Mantha power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg. Chicago iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by DeBrincat empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, set up by Ryan Hartman. The three stars were DeBrincat, Duclair, and Forsberg (23 for 24 in saves).

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Carey Price are the veteran goalies. Carolina opened in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Justin Williams and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes added on with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Rask and Justin Faulk. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Charles Hudon goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jeff Petry and Paul Byron. The Canadiens tied it on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina retook the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Noah Hanifin and Derek Ryan. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Teravainen scored an unassisted goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year. Montreal got one back with an unassisted goal by Hudon, his second of the game and sixth of the season. The Canadiens retied it with a Petry goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Max Pacioretty and Hudon. Carolina pulled ahead again with a Ryan goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Hanifin and Lee Stempniak. Montreal tied it with a third period Pacioretty goal, his sixteenth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Petry and Jonathan Drouin. Carolina regained the lead on a Williams goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Teravainen and Hanifin, the latter earning a sock trick. The final was 6-5, with the three stars awarded to Teravainen, Hudon, and Petry, while Rask, Williams, Ryan, Hanifin, and Pacioretty get the honorable mentions

Next up, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Mike Condon are set to start in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Dion Phaneuf. Boston tied it on a Danton Heinen power play goal in the second period, his eleventh of the year, powered by David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins took the lead with a Tim Schaller shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Bergeron in the third period. The Senators retied it on a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Matt Duchene and Phaneuf. Boston regained the lead with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eleventh of the season, via Ryan Spooner and Kevan Miller. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Bergeron, Phaneuf, and Rask (21 for 23 in saves).

To the south, the Florida Panthers host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Harri Sateri receive the starting nods in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Denis Malgin goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jared McCann. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. The Panthers retook the lead in the second period with a Malgin goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck. The Capitals tied it again on an Ovechkin goal, his thirtieth of the year, via Brooks Orpik and Madison Bowey. Washington took the lead with a John Carlson goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Tom Wilson and Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Brett Connolly power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Andre Burakovsky and Lars Eller. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Malgin, and Kuznetsov.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund. The Blues added on in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, with assists provided by Alexander Steen and Vince Dunn. Colorado got on the board with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Tyson Jost and Anton Lindholm. St. Louis replied in the third period with a Steen goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Vladimir Sobotka and Pietrangelo. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Steen, Pietrangelo, and Hutton (36 for 37 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Zach Hyman goal, his ninth of the year, via William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Kadri scored a power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, powered by Tyler Bozak and Gardiner. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-third of the year, helped along by Alexander Radulov. The Maple Leafs replied in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Nylander and Gardiner, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kadri, Gardiner, and McElhinney (39 for 40 in saves), while Nylander gets an honorable mention.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames in the battle of Alberta. David Rittich and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Calgary opened in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Troy Brouwer and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his ninth of the year, via Dougie Hamilton. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Brandon Davidson goal, helped along by Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan Strome. The Oilers tied it on a Zack Kassian goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a Davidson goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Strome. Calgary tied it on a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Backlund. The tie went to a shootout, where Michael Cammalleri and McDavid lifted the Oilers over Tkachuk and the Flames. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Davidson, Tkachuk, and McDavid, while Backlund and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Columbus Blues Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Antti Raanta protect the nets. Columbus drew first blood in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Arizona tied it on a Brendan Perlini power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Christian Dvorak and Derek Stepan. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Cam Atkinson goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Wennberg and Nick Foligno. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Wennberg, Atkinson, and Bobrovsky (38 for 39 in saves).

Returning to Canada, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom are the reliable goalies. Buffalo started in the first period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Scott Wilson and Victor Antipin. The Sabres added on with a Nicholas Baptiste goal, via Benoit Pouliot and Evan Rodrigues in the second period. Buffalo extended the lead as Kyle Okposo scored a power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Marco Scandella and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres iced it at 4-0 with a shorthanded and unassisted empty net goal by Johan Larsson, his third of the campaign. The three stars were Lehner (30 save shutout), Reinhart, and Baptiste.

In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and John Gibson tend the twines. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an unassisted Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-second of the season. Anaheim tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his fourth of the season, via Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg. The Jets tied it on a Brandon Tanev goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jacob Trouba. Anaheim retook the lead in the third period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Andrew Cogliano and J.T. Brown. Winnipeg retied it on an unassisted Jack Roslovic goal. Ryan Miller replaced an injured Gibson later on. The Ducks won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Henrique. The three stars were Henrique, Roslovic, and Kesler.

Back east, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury are the experienced goalies. New York cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Ross Johnston goal, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Cal Clutterbuck. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier. Vegas got on the board with an Erik Haula power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by David Perron and Colin Miller. They failed to equalize, losing 2-1, as the three stars belong to Halak (38 for 39 in saves), Eberle, and Johnston.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the New York Rangers. Ondrej Pavelec and Aaron Dell occupy the blue paint.  New York began in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from J.T. Miller and Mats Zuccarello. San Jose tied it on a Barclay Goodrow goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Kevin Labanc and Joakim Ryan. The Rangers retied it on a Jesper Fast goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Michael Grabner and Peter Holland. San Jose reclaimed the lead in the second period on another Couture goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, helped along by Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. New York tied it on a Ryan McDonagh goal, courtesy of Hayes and Miller. The Rangers pulled ahead on a McDonagh power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Pavel Buchnevich. New York added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Brady Skjei goal, his third of the year. The Sharks pulled back in the third period with a Vlasic goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Justin Braun and Chris Tierney. The Rangers answered with a Miller goal, his eleventh of the year, dished from Zuccarello and Skjei. San Jose got one back with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, fueled by Labanc, who got a sock trick, and Burns. The three stars were McDonagh, Couture, and Miller in the 6-5 Rangers win, while Hayes, Zuccarello, Skjei, Labanc, Burns, and Vlasic all get honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.