NHL 2017-18 Day 123

Nine games on an unusually light Saturday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Evander Kane goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Sam Reinhart. The Sabres added on with a Scott Wilson goal, his third of the year, via Nathan Beaulieu and Evan Rodrigues. Boston got on the board with a Ryan Spooner goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and Torey Krug. Buffalo answered with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Wilson. The Bruins got one back with a David Backes goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand in the third period. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with a Rasmus Ristolainen empty net goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Wilson, Pouliot, and Kane.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Artturi Lehkonen. Nashville tied it on a Scott Hartnell goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper from Nick Bonino. The Predators took the lead with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. The Canadiens retied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jeff Petry and Lehkonen. Nashville won 3-2 in the shootout with a Ryan Ellis tally. The three stars were Lehkonen, Drouin, and Gallagher.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Los Angeles Kings on Vincent Lecavalier night. Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy draw the starts in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson. Los Angeles tied it on a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Andy Andreoff and Nick Shore. The Lightning took the lead back with an Alex Killorn goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. Tampa Bay added on in the second period with a Cedric Paquette goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Ryan Callahan. Jonathan Quick replaced Kuemper in goal. The Lightning extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored a power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman. The Kings got one back with a third period Kyle Clifford goal, his third of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Derek Forbort. Los Angeles pulled closer with a Christian Folin goal, his third of the season, guided in by Andreoff and Shore. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars given to Stamkos, Vasilevskiy (44 for 47 in saves), and Andreoff, while Shore gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators in a Battle of Ontario. Craig Anderson and Frederik Andersen are the similarly named goalies. Toronto led off in the first period with an unassisted Mitchell Marner goal, his eleventh of the season. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of William Nylander. Toronto extended the lead as Marner scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri. Mike Condon replaced Anderson in goal. Ottawa got on the board with a Johnny Oduya goal, his third of the year, fueled by Mark Stone and Thomas Chabot. The Maple Leafs answered on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Derick Brassard goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Dion Phaneuf and Stone. Toronto shot back with a Kadri goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Marner and Marleau. Ottawa countered with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Borowiecki. The Maple Leafs iced it at 6-3 with a Marleau empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Marner, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Marner, Marleau, and Kadri, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. Columbus opened in the first period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Panarin goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. Columbus extended the lead as Josh Anderson scored his seventeenth of the season, with the help of Boone Jenner and the goalie Bobrovsky. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus continued in the third period with a Nick Foligno goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jones and Bjorkstrand. The Blue Jackets kept going with a Matt Calvert power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky. New Jersey got on the board with a Will Butcher goal, his third of the season, an unassisted goal. The three stars were handed to Panarin, Bjorkstrand, and Bobrovsky (34 for 35 in saves), while Jones and Jenner get honorable mentions.

South again to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Cam Ward are between the pipes. Colorado started in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher. Carolina tied it on a Brock McGinn goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Elias Lindholm. The Hurricanes took the lead in the third period with another McGinn goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, assisted by Lindholm and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Lee Stempniak and Sebastian Aho. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to McGinn, Lindholm, and Ward (29 for 30 in saves).

West to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead with a Michael Raffl goal, his tenth of the season, via Scott Laughton and Jordan Weal. The Coyotes retied it on an Alex Goligoski goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Christian Fischer. Philadelphia took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Gostisbehere and Couturier. Arizona tied it in the third period with a Zac Rinaldo goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Max Domi. In the shootout, Voracek and Nolan Patrick carried the Flyers to a 4-3 win over Nick Cousins and the Coyotes. The three stars were Voracek, Gostisbehere, and Simmonds.

Backtracking to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass and Devan Dubnyk draw the starts in goal. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Matt Dumba and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead in the second period as Coyle scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to Eric Staal and Gustav Olofsson. This made it 3-0, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Dubnyk (44 save shutout), Coyle, and Koivu.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Al Montoya and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joakim Ryan goal, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with an unassisted Pavelski goal, his thirteenth of the season. San Jose extended the lead as Barclay Goodrow scored his fifth of the year in the second period, thanks to Jannik Hansen. Edmonton got on the board with a Zack Kassian goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers got closer with another Kassian goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Yohann Auvitu and Kris Russell. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Oscar Klefbom and Michael Cammalleri. The Oilers pulled ahead in the third period on a Brandon Davidson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Draisaitl and Cammalleri. The Sharks retied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc. San Jose pulled ahead with a Ryan goal, his second of the game, guided in by Timo Meier and Pavelski. The sharks won 6-4 with a Pavelski empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year and second of the game, set up by Chris Tierney and Melker Karlsson. The three stars were Pavelski, Ryan, and Kassian, while Draisaitl and Cammalleri earn the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 122

Eight games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. Detroit opened in the first period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with a Martin Frk goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Bertuzzi. Detroit extended the lead as Zetterberg scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Gustav Nyquist and Mike Green. New York got on the board in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Mathew Barzal. The Islanders got closer with a Brock Nelson goal in the third period, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Thomas Hickey and Adam Pelech. The Red Wings answered with a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader. Detroit padded the lead on a Kronwall power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Zetterberg and Nyquist. Jaroslav Halak replaced Greiss in goal. New York got one back with a Nelson power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Barzal. The Islanders chipped closer on an Anders Lee power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with helpers from Barzal, who got a sock trick, and Josh Bailey. New York tied it on a Nick Leddy power play goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by John Tavares and Eberle. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Bailey power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Tavares and Barzal. The Red Wings evened it again with a Green goal, his sixth of the year, dished from Zetterberg, who got a sock trick, and Dylan Larkin. New York won 7-6 in overtime with a Nelson goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Barzal. The three stars were Nelson, Barzal, and Zetterberg, while Bailey, Tavares, Eberle, Kronwall, Nyquist, and Green get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Ondrej Pavelec draw the starts in goal. New York started in the first period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Tony DeAngelo and David Desharnais. Calgary tied it on a Brett Kulak goal, passed from Micheal Ferland and Johnny Gaudreau. Henrik Lundqvist replaced Pavelec in the second period. The Rangers retook the lead in the second period with a Michael Grabner goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by J.T. Miller and Hayes. The Flames retied it on a Curtis Lazar goal, helped along by Ryan Lomberg and Matt Stajan. Calgary took the lead with a Matthews Tkachuk power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Dougie Hamilton and T.J. Brodie. New York tied it on a third period Rick Nash goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Holden and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Miller and Brady Skjei. The final held from here at 4-3, with the three stars being Hayes, Miller, and Zibanejad.

Down to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington led off in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. Columbus tied it on a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead with a Kuznetsov goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and Matt Niskanen. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Seth Jones. Washington pulled ahead on a Jay Beagle goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Chandler Stephenson and Devante Smith-Pelly. The Capitals added on with an Eller power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by T.J. Oshie. This stood for the eventual 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Kuznetsov, Eller, and Holtby (35 for 37 in saves).

Further to the south, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Scott Darling are in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Brett Pesce goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Sebastian Aho. The Hurricanes added on with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Carolina extended the lead as Aho scored his twentieth of the year, thanks to Jaccob Slavin and Pesce. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his fourth of the season, via Alex Biega and Sven Baertschi. The Hurricanes replied in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Jeff Skinner. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Pesce, Aho, and Di Giuseppe.

Moving along, the Florida Panthers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Harri Sateri in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Denis Malgin and Mike Matheson. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Nick Shore goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Derek Forbort and Andy Andreoff. The Kings took the lead with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Forbort. Los Angeles added on in the third period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-second of the year, passed from Alex Iafallo and Forbort, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 3-1 with Forbort, Quick (35 for 36 in saves), and Brodzinski earning the three stars.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-second of the season, made possible by Alexander Steen. The Blues added on with a Patrik Berglund goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Robert Bortuzzo and Jaden Schwartz. St. Louis extended the lead as Steen scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Alex Pietrangelo. Winnipeg got on the board with a Kyle Connor goal, his eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Jack Roslovic. The Jets got one back with a Patrik Laine power play goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Connor and Blake Wheeler. The Blues countered with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, via Jay Bouwmeester. St. Louis iced it at 5-2 with a Schwartz empty net shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tarasenko, Steen, and Connor, while Schwartz gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Kari Lehtonen occupy the creases. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Zachary Aston-Reese and Ian Cole. The Penguins added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the year. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, made possible by Jamie Benn and Dillon Heatherington. The Stars tied it in the third period with a John Klingberg goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Alexander Radulov and Benn. Dallas took the lead with a Dan Hamhuis goal, his third of the season, passed from Greg Pateryn and Benn, the latter earning a sock trick. Pittsburgh tied it on a Justin Schultz goal, his third of the year, guided in by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Stars won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Seguin. The three stars were Benn, Seguin, and Hamhuis.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted.The Ducks added on in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf. Edmonton got on the board with an unassisted Anton Slepyshev goal, his second of the season. Anaheim replied in the third period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Lindholm and Andrew Cogliano. The Oilers got one back on a Kris Russell goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Lindholm, Kesler, and Perry.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 121

Nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Robin Lehner are in goal. Buffalo started with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Sam Reinhart and Casey Nelson. The Sabres added on with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Marco Scandella and Reinhart. Buffalo extended the lead on a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Kyle Okposo. New York got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, fueled by Brock Nelson and Thomas Hickey. The Islanders got closer in the third period with a Ross Johnston goal, his second of the season, coming off of Cal Clutterbuck. New York tied it as Anders Lee scored his twenty-eighth of the year on the power play, thanks to Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Sabres retook the lead with a Reinhart goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Rodrigues and Eichel. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Reinhart, Rodrigues, and Eichel.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. Calgary got going in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano. New Jersey tied it on an unassisted Taylor Hall goal, his twentieth of the year. The Flames retook the lead with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Micheal Ferland. Calgary added on with another Monahan goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, via Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Devils got one back in the third period on a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his fourth of the campaign, powered by Brian Boyle and Hall. They couldn't equalize, falling 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Monahan, Gaudreau, and Hall.

Over to Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. Montreal tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fifth of the year. The Flyers took the lead back with a Giroux power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Shayne Gostisbehere and Wayne Simmonds. The Canadiens tied it again with a Logan Shaw goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Byron Froese. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Giroux and Gostisbehere. The Flyers added on with another Konecny goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Gostisbehere, who earned a sock trick. Montreal got one back with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Ivan Provorov, his tenth of the year, set up by the goalie Elliott. The three stars belonged to Konecny, Gostisbehere, and Giroux.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Vancouver Canucks. Anders Nilsson and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the creases. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde power play goal in the second period, his twentieth of the year, powered by Tyler Johnson and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Adam Erne scored, with the help of Andrej Sustr and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Lightning padded the lead on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Johnson and Gourde. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Alexander Edler and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks got closer with a Sven Baertschi goal, his twelfth of the season, via Bo Horvat and Edler. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Hedman power play goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Stamkos and Kucherov. The three stars belonged to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Hedman, while Gourde, Johnson, and Edler get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Craig Anderson are between the pipes. Nashville led off in the first period with an unassisted P.K. Subban goal, his fourteenth of the season. Ottawa tied it on a Christopher DiDomenico goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Zack Smith and Ryan Dzingel. The Predators retook the lead with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Scott Hartnell and Nick Bonino. The Senators retied it on a Max McCormick goal, assisted by Dzingel and Mark Borowiecki in the second period. Ottawa took the lead with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his third of the year, fueled by Erik Karlsson. Nashville retied it in the third period with a Subban goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Hartnell. The Senators won 4-3 with a Mike Hoffman goal in overtime, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Thomas Chabot. The three stars went to Subban, Hartnell, and Dzingel.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Jonathan Bernier and Carter Hutton are the career backups making starts. St. Louis began in the first period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Gabriel Bourque goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues retook the lead with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his third of the season, guided in by Colton Parayko and Scottie Upshall. St. Louis added on with a Schenn goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, with a lone assist by Patrik Berglund. Semyon Varlamov replaced Bernier in goal. The Blues extended the lead as Kyle Brodziak scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Alexander Steen and Dunn. St. Louis padded the lead on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Dunn, who got a sock trick, and Paul Stastny. The Blues continued in the third period on a Stastny goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Schenn, Dunn, and Stastny.

North again to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Devan Dubnyk are the masked men. Minnesota struck first in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Jared Spurgeon and Tyler Ennis. The Wild added on in the second period with a Matt Cullen goal, his fifth of the year, via Matt Dumba and Gustav Olofsson. Minnesota extended the lead as Mike Reilly scored, with the help of Cullen and Zach Parise. Arizona got on the board with a Nick Cousins goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Alex Goligoski and Brad Richardson. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Derek Stepan and Goligoski. Arizona tied it on a Cousins goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Stepan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Clayton Keller goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Brendan Perlini and Connauton. The three stars went to Cousins, Connauton, and Stepan, while Goligoski and Cullen get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Anton Forsberg occupy the creases. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Brent Seabrook. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Dan Hamhuis. The Stars took the lead with a Stephen Johns goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Remi Elie and Radek Faksa. The Blackhawks tied it on an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Seabrook and Vinnie Hinostroza. Dallas reclaimed the lead with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his tenth of the season, passed from John Klingberg. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Seguin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the yer, set up by Greg Pateryn in the third period. The three stars were Seguin, Seabrook, and Pitlick.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Brent Burns and Timo Meier. Vegas tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-first of the year, coming off of David Perron and Colin Miller. The Golden Knights took the lead in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Sharks tied it on a Meier power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Burns and Chris Tierney. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Pavelski power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Burns, who got a sock trick, and Logan Couture. Vegas retied it on a Brayden McNabb goal, his third of the year, guided in by Oscar Lindberg and Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights pulled ahead on a James Neal goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Perron and Miller. Vegas iced it at 5-3 with a power play empty net goal by Marchessault, his twentieth of the year, set up by Smith and Nate Schmidt. The three stars were Marchessault, Pavelski, and Burns, while Smith, Perron, Miller, and Meier get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 120

Only three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Toronto led off in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Connor Brown and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Kasperi Kapanen shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Dominic Moore and Ron Hainsey. Nashville got on the board with a Colton Sissons goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Pontus Aberg and Ryan Ellis. The Predators tied it in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Tyler Bozak and van Riemsdyk lifted the Maple Leafs 3-2 over Ellis and the Predators. The three stars were Van Riemsdyk, Andersen (44 for 46 in saves), and Ellis.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Henrik Lundqvist man the nets. New York began in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it on a Riley Nash goal, his eighth of the year, via David Backes and Danton Heinen. The Bruins took the lead with a Zdeno Chara goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jake DeBrusk. Boston added on in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-third of the year, passed from David Pastrnak and Torey Krug. The Bruins extended the lead as Tim Schaller scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Matt Grzelcyk and the goalie Khudobin. Ondrej Pavelec replaced Lundqvist in goal. Boston padded the lead on a shorthanded Bergeron goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Brad Marchand and Chara. The Bruins continued in the third period with a Sean Kuraly goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Austin Czarnik and Grzelcyk. The three stars of the 6-1 game were Bergeron, Chara, and Grzelcyk.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper make the starts in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the season, assisted by Trevor Lewis. The Kings added on in the second period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Drew Doughty. Edmoton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers tied it in on a McDavid goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Michael Cammalleri. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period on a Paul LaDue power play goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Lewis and Kevin Gravel. The Kings extended the lead as Alex Iafallo scored an empty net goal, his sixth of the year, with the help of Anze Kopitar and Doughty. Los Angeles iced it at 5-2 with a Kopitar empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Dustin Brown. The three stars were Lewis, McDavid, and Kopitar, while Doughty gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 119

Eleven games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller faces his former team and Robin Lehner in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a shorthanded Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Casey Nelson. Anaheim tied it on a second period Rickard Rakell power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Sabres took the lead back with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo. The Ducks retied it on an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Josh Manson and Nick Ritchie. Anaheim took the lead on a Corey Perry goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Eichel and Reinhart.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina began in the first period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Faulk. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Jakub Voracek and Nolan Patrick. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with a Jordan Weal goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Shayne Gostisbehere and Valtteri Filppula. The three stars belonged to Weal, Simmonds, and Elliott (27 for 28 in saves).

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces his former understudy Matt Murray in goal. Vegas led off in the first period with a William Karlsson power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights added on in the second period with a James Neal goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Nate Schmidt and David Perron. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Ryan Reaves goal, his third of the season, guided in by Riley Sheahan. The Penguins tied it on an Ian Cole goal, his third of the year, passed from Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Crosby and Brian Dumoulin. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Evgeni Malkin scored his thirtieth of the year, thanks to Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Kessel goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Malkin and Carl Hagelin. Vegas got one back with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his second of the year, made possible by Alex Tuch and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Golden Knights got closer with a Marchessault goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Smith. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars given to Malkin, Kessel, and Marchessault, while Crosby and Smith get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus started in the first period with a David Savard goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Wennberg. Washington tied it on a John Carlson power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals took the lead with a Tom Wilson goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, via Alex Ovechkin and Christian Djoos. The Blue Jackets tied it in the third period with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Markus Nutivaara and Matt Calvert. Washington won 3-2 with a Backstrom goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin. The three stars were Backstrom, Holtby (37 for 39 in saves), and Ovechkin.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Detroit got going in the second period with a Martin Frk power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Henrik Zetterberg. Boston tied it on a Sean Kuraly goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of David Pastrnak and Danton Heinen. The Bruins took the lead with a David Krejci goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Jake DeBrusk and Ryan Spooner. Boston added on in the third period with a Heinen goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Kuraly and Austin Czarnik. The Red Wings got one back with a Frans Nielsen goal, his twelfth of the campaign, helped along by Frk and Dylan Larkin. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Heinen, Kuraly, and Frk.

Over to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Craig Anderson are in the creases. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Stefan Noesen. Ottawa tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Matt Duchene and Erik Karlsson. The Senators took the lead with a Christopher DiDomenico goal, his fifth of the season, via Cody Ceci and Ryan Dzingel on the power play. Ottawa added on with a Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Hoffman and Frederik Claesson in goal. The Senators extended the lead as Colin White scored in the second period, thanks to Thomas Chabot and Duchene. Eddie Lack replaced Kinkaid in goal. The Devils got one back with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with helpers provided by Pavel Zacha and Kyle Palmieri. Ottawa responded with a Zack Smith goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Alexandre Burrows. New Jersey pulled one back in the third period with a Palmieri goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Zacha and Miles Wood. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Duchene, Hoffman, and Palmieri, while Zacha gets an honorable mention.

South to Florida, where the Panthers host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Harri Sateri are between the pipes. Florida was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Jamie McGinn power play goal, his seventh of the season. Vancouver tied it with a shorthanded Markus Granlund goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, set up by Brandon Sutter. The Panthers retook the lead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Mark Pysyk and Nick Bjugstad. Florida iced it at 3-1 with a Barkov empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, set up by Vincent Trocheck. The three stars were Barkov, McGinn, and Sateri (26 for 27 in saves).

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Carter Hutton draw the starts in goal. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Colton Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester. Minnesota tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Gustav Olofsson and Eric Staal. The Wild took the lead with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, via Daniel Winnik. Minnesota added on with a Mikko Koivu goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. Jake Allen replaced Hutton in goal. The Wild extended the lead in the second period as Jason Zucker scored his twenty-second of the season, with the help of Granlund. Minnesota padded the lead on a Matt Dumba goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Zucker and Koivu. The Wild continued in the third period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Staal and Jared Spurgeon. The Blues got one back with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Alexander Steen and Parayko. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars given to Zucker, Koivu, and Staal, while Granlund and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his third of the season, coming off of Toby Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. Arizona tied it on a Kevin Connauton goal, his third of the year, fueled by Josh Archibald and Christian Dvorak. The Jets took the lead back on a Byfuglien goal, his third of the season, helped along by Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg added on with a Nic Petan goal, passed from Ben Chiarot and Marko Dano. The Coyotes got one back with a Dvorak power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Derek Stepan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Jets replied in the second period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kyle Connor and Andrew Copp. Arizona pulled back in the third period with a Stepan goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Alex Goligoski. They couldn't tie it, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Byfuglien, Dvorak, and Stepan.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith faces a lesser foe in Jeff Glass in goal. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jordan Oesterle and Jonathan Toews. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Michael Stone goal, his third of the season, passed from T.J. Brodie and Micheal Ferland. Calgary added on with a Monahan empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, set up by Gaudreau. The Blackhawks got one back with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, helped along by Artem Anisimov and Nick Schmaltz. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Monahan, Gaudreau, and Smith (34 for 36 in saves).

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jonathan Bernier are the goalies. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Gabriel Bourque goal, his third of the season, passed from J.T. Compher and Tyson Jose. The Avalanche added on with a Jost goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Nail Yakupov and Samuel Girard. San Jose got on the board with a Joel Ward goal, his fifth of the season, via Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Barclay Goodrow. Colorado iced it at 3-1 with a Compher empty net goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Patrik Nemeth in the third period. The three stars were Jost, Bernier (38 for 39 in saves), and Compher.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 118

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. New York led off in the first period with a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Anders Lee. Nashville tied it on a Kevin Fiala goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Kyle Turris and Craig Smith. The Predators added on with another Fiala goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Nick Bonino and Ryan Ellis. The Islanders tied it on a Ryan Pulock goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Andrew Ladd and Brock Nelson. New York regained the lead with a Casey Cizikas goal, his sixth of the season, via Jason Chimera. The Islanders added on with a Nick Leddy goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ladd and Nelson. Nashville pulled back on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Scott Hartnell and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators tied it in the third period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from P.K. Subban and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville won 5-4 in overtime with a Roman Josi goal, his ninth of the campaign, coming off of Bonino. The three stars were Fiala, Bonino, and Ladd, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, coming off of Zach Hyman and William Nylander. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry in the second period. The Maple Leafs took the lead back with a Nylander goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jake Gardiner. The Ducks tied it again with a Rakell goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Getzlaf and Perry. Anaheim took the lead with an Ondrej Kase power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Perry, who got a sock trick, and Jakob Silfverberg. Toronto retied it with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs pulled ahead on a Leo Komarov goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Gardiner and Kadri. The Ducks tied it again in the third period with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Perry and Josh Manson. Toronto regained the lead on a Nylander goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, made possible by Gardiner, who got a sock trick. The Maple Leafs added on with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Kasperi Kapanen. Toronto iced it at 7-4 with a Hyman empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Connor Brown and Matthews. The three stars were Nylander, Matthews, and Hyman, while Rakell, Perry, Getzlaf, Gardiner, and Kadri get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ben Bishop protect the nets. New York opened in the first period with a David Desharnais goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Vinni Lettieri and J.T. Miller. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Alexander Radulov. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Julius Honka and Esa Lindell. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Bishop (31 for 32 in saves), Hanzal, and Seguin.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Oscar Klefbom. Tampa Bay tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Yanni Gourde. The Oilers took the lead back on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Strome and McDavid. Edmonton added on in the second period with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, made possible by Draisaitl and Matt Benning. Edmonton extended the lead as Iiro Pakarinen scored, thanks to Anton Slepyshev and Mark Letestu. The Lightning got one back with a Gourde power play goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Johnson. The Oilers answered as McDavid completed his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Oilers capped it at 6-2 with a McDavid goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl and Michael Cammalleri. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Strome, while Gourde gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 117

Just three games on early today before the Super Bowl takes over the airwaves. We begin with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Philipp Grubauer in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Chandler Stephenson goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jay Beagle and Matt Niskanen. Vegas tied it on a Ryan Carpenter goal, via Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Nate Schmidt. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period with a Niskanen goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. The Golden Knights tied it on a Reilly Smith power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Jonathan Marchessault. Washington pulled ahead in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Christian Djoos and Andre Burakovsky. Vegas tied it again with a Smith goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, assisted by Marchessault and William Karlsson. The Golden Knights gained the lead on a Tuch goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Carpenter and Bellemare. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Smith, Tuch, and Carpenter, while Bellemare, Marchessault, and Niskanen get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Cam Ward take the creases. San Jose began in the first period with a Timo Meier goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Joonas Donskoi and Brent Burns. Carolina tied it on a Sebastian Aho goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Staal. The Sharks reclaimed the lead with a Chris Tierney goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Melker Karlsson and Mikkel Boedker. San Jose added on in the second period with a Burns goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Joel Ward and Joakim Ryan. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars going to Burns, Dell (29 for 30 in saves), and Tierney.

Finally, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon faces former mentor Carey Price in goal. Ottawa got going in the second period with an unassisted Mike Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the season. Montreal tied it on a Jeff Petry power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Scherbak and Victor Mete. Montreal added on with another Lehkonen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Plekanec goal in the third period, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lehkonen, Plekanec, and Price (25 for 26 in saves).

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