NHL 2017-18 Day 151

Eleven games on a busy day, including seven matinees. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks. Jean-Francois Berube and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Noel Acciari shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Sean Kuraly. The Bruins added on with a David Krejci power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jake DeBrusk and Nick Holden. Chicago got on the board with a Jonathan Toews goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Erik Gustafsson and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks tied it on a Gustafsson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Nick Schmaltz and Alex DeBrincat. Chicago took the lead in the second period with a John Hayden goal, his fourth of the season, passed from David Kampf and Brent Seabrook. Boston retied it on another Krejci power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with helpers from DeBrusk and Brian Gionta. The Blackhawks restored their lead with a Matthew Highmore goal, made possible by Gustafsson and Artem Anisimov. The Bruins tied it again in the third period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Brad Marchand and Riley Nash. Boston pulled ahead on a Gionta power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by DeBrusk, who got a sock trick, and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins extended the lead as Rick Nash scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Torey Krug and Marchand. Boston iced it at 7-4 with a Kuraly empty net goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Tim Schaller and Zdeno Chara. The three stars were Krejci, DeBrusk, and Gustafsson, while Gionta, Marchand, and Kuraly get the honorable mentions.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Justin Bailey goal, his third of the season, fueled by Benoit Pouliot. Vegas tied it on a Deryk Engelland goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by David Perron and William Karlsson. In the shootout, Perron and Erik Haula lifted the Golden Knights to a 2-1 win over Jacob Josefson and the Sabres. The three stars were Fleury (31 for 32 in saves), Perron, and Lehner (33 for 34 in saves).

In Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Valtteri Filppula and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers added on with an Andrew MacDonald goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Nolan Patrick and Jakub Voracek. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fortieth of the campaign, powered by Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Mrazek (27 for 28 in saves), MacDonald, and Giroux.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Charles Hudon and Mike Reilly. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde. The Canadiens reclaimed the lead with an Alex Galchenyuk goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Hudon. The Lightning tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal in the third period, his thirty-fourth of the year, passed from Steven Stamkos and J.T. Miller. In the shootout, Brayden Point and Kucherov carried the Lightning to a 3-2 win over Jonathan Drouin and the Canadiens. The three stars were Kucherov, Hudon, and Johnson.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Blake Comeau goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Carl Soderberg. Arizona tied it on a Christian Dvorak goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Richard Panik and Josh Archibald. The Avalanche retook the lead with a Tyson Barrie goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado added on with a Soderberg goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Comeau. The Coyotes got one back in the second period on a Panik goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Brad Richardson. The Avalanche replied in the third period with a Tyson Jost power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Barrie and Rantanen. Colorado extended the lead as Rantanen scored his twenty-third of the season, with the help of MacKinnon and David Warsofsky. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Soderberg, Rantanen, and Panik, while Barrie, Comeau, and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

In California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. St. Louis started in the first period with a Robert Bortuzzo goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ivan Barbashev and Tage Thompson. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Drew Doughty goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. St. Louis replied with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues extended the lead as Barbashev scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Vladimir Sobotka and Pietrangelo.Jack Campbell replaced Quick for the third period. St. Louis padded the lead in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Schwartz. The Blues kept going with a Brodziak goal, his tenth of the season, via Alexander Steen and Chris Thorburn. St. Louis continued on a Schwartz goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Tarasenko and Vince Dunn. The Kings got one back with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his twentieth of the campaign, powered by Jeff Carter and Kopitar. The three stars belonged to Schwartz, Pietrangelo, and Brodziak, while Tarasenko, Barbashev, and Kopitar get the honorable mentions.

Up to San Jose, as the Sharks host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Martin Jones occupy the creases. Washington cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Brett Connolly and John Carlson. The Capitals iced it at 2-0 with a Lars Eller empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen. The three stars were Grubauer (24 save shutout), Backstrom, and Jones (24 for 25 in saves).

Back in the northeast, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Frederik Andersen are between the pipes. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Josh Leivo and Tyler Bozak. The Maple Leafs added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Leo Komarov. Toronto extended the lead as Kadri scored a power play goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with the help of Mitchell Marner and Rielly. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Marner power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Rielly, who got a sock trick. Casey DeSmith replaced Jarry for the third period in goal. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel. The Penguins got closer with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Patrick Marleau empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Ron Hainsey. The three stars went to Kadri, Rielly, and Marner.

Returning to Florida, the Panthers bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his third of the year, fueled by Trocheck and Huberdeau. New York got on the board with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Neal Pionk and Ryan Spooner. The Rangers tied it in the third period on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Jesper Fast and Chris Kreider. Florida retook the lead with a Jamie McGinn goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Alexander Petrovic and Jared McCann. New York tied it again with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twentieth of the year, via John Gilmour and Spooner. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zuccarello was topped by Aleksander Barkov and Trocheck as the Panthers won 4-3. The three stars went to Trocheck, Huberdeau, and Spooner.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Juuse Saros make spot starts in goal. Nashville drew first blood in the first period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Sami Vatanen goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Miles Wood and Will Butcher. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Brian Boyle goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Damon Severson and Patrick Maroon. The Predators tied it on a Ryan Johansen goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. The Devils won 3-2, with shootout tallies by Taylor Hall and Boyle lifting them over Kyle Turris and the Predators. The three stars were Boyle, Vatanen, and Kinkaid (34 for 36 in saves).

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Cam Talbot protect the nets. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added on with a McDavid power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, powered by Andrej Sekera. Minnesota got on the board in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Gustav Olofsson. Edmonton replied with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with a lone assist by Ethan Bear. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by McDavid and Adam Larsson. The three stars were handed to McDavid, Talbot (32 for 33 in saves), and Nugent-Hopkins.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 150

Four games tonight, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Sergei Bobrovsky draw the starts in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a shorthanded Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Alexander Wennberg and David Savard. Detroit tied it on a Darren Helm goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Luke Glendening and Luke Witkowski. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period with a Seth Jones goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Columbus added on with another Jones goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Boone Jenner and Thomas Vanek. The Red Wings got one back in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Jones, Calvert, and Helm.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Micheal Ferland and Brett Kulak. The Flames added on in the third period with a Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Curtis Lazar and Johnny Gaudreau. Ottawa got on the board with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau penalty shot goal, his eleventh of the campaign. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Rittich (29 for 30 in saves), Stajan, and Condon (35 for 37 in saves).

To the south, the Dallas Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Kari Lehtonen are the veterans in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell. Dallas tied it on a Devin Shore power play goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, powered by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead with a Benn power play goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, with assists provided by John Klingberg and Seguin. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Benn, Seguin, and Lehtonen (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Anders Nilsson occupy the creases. Vancouver began in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Bo Horvat and Sam Gagner. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nino Niederreiter and Matt Dumba. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Cullen goal, his tenth of the season, via Tyler Ennis and Charlie Coyle in the second period. The Canucks retied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Daniel Sedin. Minnesota retook the lead with an Eric Staal goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. The Wild added on with a Coyle empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Cullen. Minnesota extended the lead as Marcus Foligno scored his seventh of the campaign, thanks to Gustav Olofsson and Daniel Winnik. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Cullen, Coyle, and Staal.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 149

A busy day today sees twelve games being played, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nolan Patrick and Claude Giroux. Boston tied it on a Riley Nash goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from David Pastrnak and Kevan Miller. The Bruins took the lead on a Brian Gionta goal, via Zdeno Chara and Tommy Wingels. The Flyers retied it in the second period with a shorthanded Jori Lehtera goal, his third of the season, set up by Valtteri Filppula and Radko Gudas. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, helped along by Pastrnak and Chara. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Pastrnak, Chara, and Marchand.

In New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Paul Stastny and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on in the second period with a Joel Armia goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Ben Chiarot and the goalie Hellebuyck. New Jersey got on the board with Kyle Palmieri goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Nico Hischier. Winnipeg replied in the third period with an Ehlers goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Dustin Byfuglien. The Devils got one back with a Hischier goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Ehlers, Hischier, and Hellebuyck (41 for 43 in saves).

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. Colorado began in the first period with a Tyson Barrie goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Carl Soderberg goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Blake Comeau. Columbus got on the board with a Boone Jenner goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Jenner and Ryan Murray in the second period. Columbus took the lead with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Seth Jones and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Vanek scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, thanks to Jones and Werenski. Colorado got one back in the third period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it on an unassisted Soderberg goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Jones goal, his eleventh of the campaign, passed from Dubois and Artemi Panarin. The three stars went to Jones, Vanek, and Soderberg, while Werenski, Jenner, Dubois, and Rantanen get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with an unassisted Alex Tuch goal, his twelfth of the season. The Golden Knights added on with a shorthanded Cody Eakin goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, set up by William Karlsson. Vegas extended the lead as Eakin scored again, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with the help of Tomas Nosek and Brad Hunt. The Golden Knights padded the lead on another Tuch goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Eakin. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Eakin, Tuch, and Fleury (28 save shutout).

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Craig Anderson are the underrated goalies. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Marco Scandella goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Matt Duchene. The Senators took the lead with another Dzingel goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, passed from Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson. The Sabres retied it on a Sam Reinhart goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Benoit Pouliot. Ottawa regained the lead with a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Magnus Paajarvi and Mark Stone. Buffalo pulled even in the third period with a Scott Wilson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Ryan O'Reilly and Reinhart. The Sabres won 4-3 in the shootout with tallies by Reinhart and Jacob Josefson to beat Duchene and the Senators. The three stars were Dzingel, Reinhart, and Duchene.

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the season, made possible by Chris Kunitz and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning added on with an Adam Erne goal, his third of the year, coming off of Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Cirelli scored his second of the season, with the help of Mikhail Sergachev and Alex Killorn. New York got on the board with a Ryan Spooner goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast. The Lightning answered with a Kunitz goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Cirelli. Alexandar Georgiev replaced Lundqvist in goal. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Sergachev. The Rangers pulled back in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Spooner. New York got closer with a Hayes goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Rob O'Gara and Spooner. The final held at 5-3, with the three stars given to Cirelli, Spooner, and Kunitz, while Hayes gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Roberto Luongo occupy the creases. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Aleksander Barkov and Keith Yandle. Florida extended the lead as Micheal Haley scored his third of the season, thanks to Derek MacKenzie. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period on a Dadonov goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Yandle and Barkov. Florida continued with a shorthanded Trocheck goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Yandle, who got a sock trick. This made it 5-0, with the three stars given to Luongo (40 save shutout), Trocheck, and Yandle, while Dadonov and Barkov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville led off in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Kyle Turris and Ryan Hartman. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Austin Watson scored a shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Colton Sissons and Ryan Ellis. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks got closer with a Rakell goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, assisted by Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg. The Predators replied with an Arvidsson goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Forsberg and Johansen. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Arvidsson, Johansen, and Forsberg, while Rakell and Getzlaf get the honorable mentions.

Further north, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling faces his former team and Jean-Francois Berube in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a Tomas Jurco goal, his third of the season, assisted by Brent Seabrook. Carolina tied it on a Jaccob Slavin goal, his sixth of the year, via Justin Williams and Brett Pesce. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Patrick Sharp goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Anthony Duclair and David Kampf. The Hurricanes tied it again in the second period with a Williams goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. Carolina took the lead in the third period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Lindholm. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Williams, Lindholm, and Aho.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Christopher Gibson and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. New York got going in the third period with a Thomas Hickey goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brock Nelson and Ryan Pulock. Edmonton tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-first of the year, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Ethan Bear. In the shootout, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid topped Jordan Eberle to give the Oilers a 2-1 win. The three stars were McDavid, Talbot (30 for 31 in saves), and Gibson (35 for 36 in saves).

Down in California, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Jonathan Quick man the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson. Washington tied it in the second period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of T.J. Oshie and Brooks Orpik. The Kings took the lead on a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Carter. Los Angeles iced it at 3-1 with a Kyle Clifford empty net goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar and Derek Forbort. The three stars were Quick (25 for 26 in saves), Carter, and Lewis.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Martin Jones are the masked men. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Dylan DeMelo. The Sharks iced it at 2-0 with a Tomas Hertl empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Brent Burns. The three stars were Boedker, Jones (16 save shutout), and Allen (34 for 35 in saves).

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NHL 2017-18 Day 148

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Chad Johnson are the backups in goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Mark Jankowski and Travis Hamonic. The Flames added on with a Jankowski goal, his twelfth of the year, via Bennett and T.J. Brodie. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Mark Giordano scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Micheal Ferland. The Flames chased Johnson on a Sean Monahan goal, his thirtieth of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Brodie. Robin Lehner came on in relief. Calgary padded the lead with a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Giordano and Gaudreau. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Casey Nelson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jason Pominville and Scott Wilson. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Jankowski, Bennett, and Giordano, while Brodie and Gaudreau get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the battle of Pennsylvania sees the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Petr Mrazek man the nets. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Nolan Patrick. The Flyers took the lead with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald. The Penguins tied it on a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Justin Schultz and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh regained the lead with a Conor Sheary goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Crosby and Oleksiak. The Penguins added on with another Sheary goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Guentzel and Crosby, the latter earning a sock trick. Pittsburgh finished it at 5-2 with a Malkin empty net goal in the third period, his thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Carl Hagelin and Riley Sheahan. The three stars went to Crosby, Sheary, and Oleksiak, while Malkin and Guentzel get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Clayton Keller power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Brendan Perlini and Derek Stepan. Vancouver tied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brendan Leipsic and Sam Gagner. The Coyotes retook the lead in the third period with a Stepan goal, his twelfth of the campaign, via Keller and Perlini. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Stepan, Keller, and Perlini.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 147

Nine games on tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Anton Khudobin are the backups in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Torey Krug goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Nick Holden and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit got on the board with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings tied it on a Mike Green goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha. Boston took the lead back with a Krug power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Bruins extended the lead as Marchand scored his twenty-sixth of the year on the power play in the second period, with the help of Krug and Pastrnak. Jimmy Howard replaced Coreau in goal. Detroit pulled back with a Mantha goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Green and Tyler Bertuzzi. Boston answered on a Marchand goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Pastrnak, who got a sock trick, and Riley Nash. The Red Wings chipped back with another Mantha goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, fueled by Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it again in the third period on a Martin Frk goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Bertuzzi and Mantha. The Bruins won 6-5 in overtime with a Marchand goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the campaign, dished from Krug and Nash. The three stars were Marchand, Krug, and Mantha, while Pastrnak, Nash, Green, and Bertuzzi get the honorable mentions.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Keith Kinkaid receive the starts in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Stefan Noesen goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Will Butcher and Travis Zajac. The Devils added on with a Blake Coleman goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Butcher and Brian Boyle. New Jersey extended the lead as Zajac scored his ninth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kyle Palmieri and Sami Vatanen. The Devils padded the lead with another Zajac power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Vatanen. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, via Jeff Petry and Paul Byron. New Jersey replied with a Patrick Maroon power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Hall and Palmieri. The Devils continued on a Boyle goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Coleman. The Canadiens got one back with a Jacob De La Rose, his second of the year, passed from Phillip Danault and Jordie Benn. Montreal got closer in the third period with another De La Rose goal, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Andrew Shaw and Mike Reilly. The Canadiens chipped closer on a Byron Froese goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Daniel Carr and Reilly. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being Zajac, Coleman, and Boyle, while Vatanen, Hall, Palmieri, De La Rose, and Reilly get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, as the Rangers bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason returns to action, facing Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on with another Laine goal, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, guided in by Ben Chiarot and Joe Morriw in the second period. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 as Laine completed the natural hat trick with an empty net goal, his thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Blake Wheeler. The three stars were Laine, Mason (31 save shutout), and Lundqvist (31 for 33 in saves).

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Joonas Korpisalo in goal. Columbus began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Vegas tied it in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from David Perron and Alex Tuch. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Zach Werenski goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Panarin and Dubois. Columbus added on with an Ian Cole goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by David Savard and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the third period as Dubois scored his fifteenth of the campaign into the empty net, set up by Panarin. The three stars of the 4-1 game went to Panarin, Dubois, and Korpisalo (37 for 38 in saves).

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Andrej Sustr and Anton Stralman. The Lightning added on with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Gourde. Florida got on the board with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Aaron Ekblad and Aleksander Barkov. Tampa Bay replied in the second period with a Gourde goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Miller. The Panthers got one back with another Bjugstad goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Evgenii Dadonov and Keith Yandle. The Lightning replied with an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Florida got one back in the third period with a Bjugstad goal to complete his hat trick on his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Mike Matheson and Barkov. The Panthers tied it on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Yandle and Barkov, the latter earning a sock trick. Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, helped along by Stralman and Tyler Johnson. The three stars were Bjugstad, Gourde, and Miller, while Stralman, Barkov, and Yandle receive the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville got going in the third period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Austin Watson and Colton Sissons. The Predators added on with an empty net goal by Nick Bonino, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hartman, Rinne (26 save shutout), and Lehtonen (32 for 33 in saves).

Further to the north, the Minnesota Wild host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with an Eric Staal power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Jason Zucker. The Wild added on in the second period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Jared Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead as Zach Parise scored his sixth of the season on the power play, with the help of Koivu and Spurgeon. The Wild chased Ward with a Daniel Winnik goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba. Minnesota padded the lead against Scott Darling with Staal's second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by Suter and Mikael Granlund. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his second of the year, passed from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jeff Skinner. The Wild answered on a Matt Cullen goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle. The Hurricanes got one back with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Victor Rask and Noah Hanifin. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Staal, Suter, and Spurgeon, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Francois Berube occupy the creases. Chicago kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his second of the season, via Jonathan Tows and Brandon Saad. Colorado tied it in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime with Toews goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, coming off of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The three stars were Toews, Berube (33 for 34 in saves), and Gustafsson.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his tenth of the year, via Josh Manson and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim extended the lead as Rakell scored his twenty-eighth of the season in the second period, thanks to Getzlaf and Manson. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby in goal. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 with a Nick Ritchie empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Henrique and Kevin Bieksa. The three stars were Gibson (36 save shutout), Henrique, and Rakell, while Getzlaf and Manson get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2017-18 Day 146

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Calgary Flames. Jon Gillies and Tristan Jarry are the backups in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, his second of the season, coming off of Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Giordano goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Troy Brouwer and Matt Stajan. The Flames tied it on a Mikael Backlund goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Michael Frolik and Travis Hamonic. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Kris Letang goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, assisted by Malkin and Carl Hagelin. Calgary retied it on a Brouwer goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper from T.J. Brodie and Johnny Gaudreau. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Justin Schultz goal, his fourth of the campaign, fueled by Kessel and Malkin. The three stars were Malkin, Brouwer, and Kessel.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Chad Johnson make the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres added on with a Jason Pominville goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Ristolainen and Johan Larsson. Toronto got on the board with a Leo Komarov power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by William Nylander and Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period on another Komarov goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, coming off of Matt Martin and Nikita Zaitsev. Buffalo retook the lead with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres extended the lead as O'Reilly scored his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Buffalo padded the lead as Larsson scored his fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Pominville and Jordan Nolan. Toronto got one back with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Connor Carrick and Morgan Rielly. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to O'Reilly, Komarov, and Pominville, while Reinhart, Ristolainen, and Larsson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Bishop are in the creases. Dallas opened in the first period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. Kari Lehtonen replaced an injured Bishop for the second period. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mark Stone and Matt Duchene. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Duchene goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Mark Borowiecki. The Stars retied it on a Seguin goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, guided in by Mattias Janmark and Dan Hamhuis. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Karlsson goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Karlsson, Duchene, and Seguin.

Back north, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Arizona started in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Derek Stepan. Edmonton tied it on a Jujhar Khaira shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Ryan Strome. The Oilers took the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Matt Benning. Edmonton added on with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Richard Panik. Arizona tied it on a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, going in unassisted. The Oilers won in overtime with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. The three stars were Draisaitl, Klefbom, and Khaira.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Jacob Markstrom are the average goalies. New York struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Anders Lee and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Thomas Hickey and Mathew Barzal. Vancouver got on the board with a Brendan Leipsic goal, his third of the season, passed from Jake Virtanen and Bo Horvat. The Canucks tied it as Darren Archibald scored his third of the year on a penalty shot. Vancouver took the lead on a Virtanen goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Leipsic. New York retied it on a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Tavares and Barzal. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime with an unassisted Leipsic goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign. The three stars were Leipsic, Virtanen, and Tavares, while Barzal gets an honorable mention.

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MLS 2018 Week 1

MLS is back, as Toronto FC defends the championship title from the other 22 teams this year. We begin with...

Toronto FC hosting the Columbus Crew SC as one of six games on Saturday. Zack Steffen and Alexander Bono make the starts in goal. Columbus saw a yellow card for Cristian Martinez not retreating in the twenty-fourth minute. The Crew began with a Federico Higuain goal in the forty-fourth minute, passed from Milton Valenzuela and Artur. Columbus added on with a Gyasi Zardes goal in the forty-sixth minute, via Pedro Santos. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Higuain.

Next up, the Houston Dynamo welcome Atlanta United FC. Brad Guzan and Chris Seitz draw the starts in goal. Houston led off in the fifth minute with an Andrew Wenger goal, via Alberth Elis and Philippe Senderos. The Dynamo added on with a Senderos goal in the twenty-third minute, coming off of Oscar Boniek Garcia and Eric Alexander. Houston extended the lead as Mauro Manotas scored in the twenty-seventh minute, thanks to Wenger and Elis. Atlanta saw yellow cards for fouls by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the thirty-second minute and Chris McCann in the thirty-fourth minute. The Dynamo padded the lead on a Darwin Ceren goal in first half stoppage time. Julian Gressel of Atlanta took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time as well. Houston's keeper Seitz took a yellow card for time wasting in the sixty-first minute. The Dynamo won 4-0, with the man of the match being Wenger.

Back northeast, the Philadelphia Union bring in the New England Revolution. Matt Turner is mismatched with Andre Blake in goal. New England went down to ten men in the twenty-fourth minute as Antonio Mlinar Delamea took a straight red card for denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Claude Dielna of the Revolution had a yellow card for a thirty-sixth minute foul. Philadelphia struck first in the forty-third minute on an Anthony Fontana goal, passed from C.J. Sapong and Alejandro Bedoya. Andrew Farrell of New England received a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-ninth minute. The Union's Sapong had a yellow card for not retreating in the sixty-third minute. Philadelphia added on in the sixty-ninth minute with a Sapong goal, set up by Cory Burke. The Revolution went down to nine men as Dielna picked up a second yellow for a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. New England's Wilfried Zahibo received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The Union won 2-0, with the man of the match named as Sapong.

Down in Florida, Orlando City SC hosts DC United. David Ousted and Joe Bendik are the veteran goalies. Orlando saw a yellow card for Cameron Lindley in the thirty-first minute for his foul. DC opened in the thirty-second minute with a Yamil Asad goal. Orlando City went down to ten men in the forty-first minute when Victor Giro took a straight red card for violent conduct. DC had yellow cards in first half stoppage time for fouls by Steve Birnbaum and Darren Mattocks. DC's Nick DeLeon had a yellow card for a forty-seventh minute foul. Orlando City's Yoshimar Yotun took a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul. Orlando City tied it on a Stefano Pinho goal in second half stoppage time, assisted by Jonathan Spector and Justin Meram. This produced the 1-1 final, with Pinho named man of the match.

Back in Texas, FC Dallas welcomes Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando faces a lesser foe in Jimmy Maurer in goal. Salt Lake started in the twenty-fifth minute with a Joao Plata goal, set up by Albert Rusnak. Dallas had yellow cards for fouls by Jacori Hayes in the sixty-fourth minute and Michael Barrios in the seventy-seventh minute. Dallas tied it as Marcelo Silva of Real committed an own goal in the eighty-sixth minute. The final held at 1-1, with the man of the match being Plata.

Saturday ends in San Jose, where the Earthquakes bring in Minnesota United FC. Matt Lampson and Andrew Tarbell make the starts in goal. Minnesota took a yellow card for time wasting by Tyrone Mears in the twenty-fifth minute. San Jose was first to score in the twenty-seventh minute with a Danny Hoesen goal, via Valeri Qazaishvili. The Earthquakes added on with a Qazaishvili goal in the twenty-eighth minute, courtesy of Chris Wondolowski. San Jose extended the lead as Hoesen scored his second of the game in the fifty-ninth minute, thanks to Qazaishvili. The Earthquakes saw a yellow card for Jimmy Ockford's seventy-first minute foul. Minnesota got on the board with a Kevin Molino goal in the eighty-first minute, coming off of Christian Ramirez and Jerome Thiesson. Minnesota pulled closer on a Molino goal in the eighty-fifth minute, helped along by Rasmus Schuller. This made it 3-2, the final, with Hoesen named man of the match for his brace.

On Sunday, the first of four games has Seattle Sounders FC hosting the expansion side Los Angeles FC. Tyler Miller faces former teammate Stefan Frei in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the eleventh minute with a Diego Rossi goal, via Carlos Vela and Mark-Anthony Kaye. In the sixty-ninth minute, Los Angeles took a yellow card for a Benny Feilhaber foul. Seattle went down to ten men as Tony Alfaro took two yellow cards for fouls in the seventy-ninth and eighty-third minutes. The Sounders' Nouhou received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. Los Angeles won 1-0, with the man of the match being Rossi.

Up in Vancouver, the Whitecaps FC welcomes the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Stefan Marinovic are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver had a yellow card for a foul by Efrain Juarez in the eleventh minute. Victor Cabrera of Montreal took a yellow card for a thirty-second minute foul. The Whitecaps' Kendall Waston received a yellow card for his thirty-seventh minute foul. Vancouver got going in the sixty-third minute on a Kei Kamara goal, passed from Alphonso Davies and Russell Teibert. The Whitecaps added on with a Davies goal in the seventieth minute, coming off of Cristian Techera and Juarez. The Impact got one back with a Matteo Mancosu goal in the eighty-first minute, assisted by Daniel Lovitz and Ignacio Piatti. Mancosu took a yellow card for a stoppage time foul for Montreal. The final held at 2-1 Whitecaps, with Davies as the man of the match.

Southeast to Kansas City, as Sporting brings in New York City FC. Sean Johnson and Tim Melia are the gloved men. Jesus Medina of New York City had a yellow card for not retreating in the twenty-third minute. New York City drew first blood in the thirty-second minute with a Maximiliano Moralez goal, via David Villa and Medina. Alexander Ring of New york City had a yellow card for his thirty-fourth minute foul. New York City added on with a Medina goal in the fifty-third minute, set up by Ben Sweat and Yangel Herrera. New York City's keeper Johnson took a yellow card for time wasting in the fifty-ninth minute. New York City went down to ten men in the eighty-eighth minute as Maxime Chanot had a straight red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity. New York City held on to win 2-0, with the man of the match being Medina.

Finally, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and David Bingham are between the posts. Romain Alessandrini of Los Angeles had a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul. The Galaxy dented the scoreboard in the thirty-second minute with an Ola Kamara goal, set up by Rolf Feltscher and Jonathan dos Santos. Los Angeles added on with an Alessandrini goal in the thirty-fourth minute. Portland got on the board with a Sebastian Blanco goal in the sixty-sixth minute, assisted by Fanendo Adi. The Timbers' Larrys Mabiala took a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute foul. The Galaxy's Michael Ciani received a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Alessandrini.

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