NHL 2021 - Day 109

One of the busiest days of the season is here, with 15 games on. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jeremy Swayman receive the starting nods in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, via David Krejci and Taylor Hall. Buffalo tied it on a Riley Sheahan shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Jacob Bryson and Casey Mittelstadt. The Bruins retook the lead with a Sean Kuraly goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nick Ritchie. Boston added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Jeremy Lauzon and Brad Marchand. Dustin Tokarski replaced an injured Luukkonen in the third period. The Bruins extended the lead as Ritchie scored his thirteenth of the season, with the help of Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller. Boston padded the lead on Smith's second goal of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Mike Reilly and Krejci. The Sabres got one back with an Arttu Ruotsalainen goal, his fifth of the season, via Rasmus Asplund and Mittelstadt. The Bruins capped it at 6-2 with Smith completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the year on the power play, powered by Krejci and Charlie Coyle. The three stars were Smith, Krejci, and Ritchie, while Mittelstadt gets an honorable mention. 

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Thomas Greiss are set to start in goal. The game was scoreless into a shootout, where Jakub Vrana, Filip Zadina, Valtteri Filppula, and Sam Gagner lifted the Red Wings 1-0 over Ross Colton, Brayden Point, and Tyler Johnson for the Lightning. The three stars were Greiss (33 save shutout), McElhinney (15 save "shutout"), and Gagner. 

At the regular time, the Washington Capitals bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Ilya Samsonov are the goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-first of the season, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on in the second period with another Rust goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, an unassisted goal. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Kris Letang. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Rust, Jarry (23 save shutout), and Carter.

On Long Island, the New York Islanders host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. The Islanders opened in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Bailey. The Islanders extended the lead as Beauvillier scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, thanks to Brock Nelson and Bailey. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Varlamov (30 save shutout), Beauvillier, and Bailey.

Up to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Jack Campbell are in the blue paint. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. Toronto tied it with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, fueled by Mitchell Marner and Nick Foligno. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the second period with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, via Marner. Toronto added on in the third period with an Adam Brooks goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Justin Holl and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Alex Galchenyuk scored his fourth of the season, made possible by William Nylander and John Tavares. Toronto iced it at 5-1 with a Joe Thornton empty net goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Travis Dermott and Morgan Rielly. The three stars went to Matthews, Marner, and Campbell (26 for 27 in saves).

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Alex Nedeljkovic are between the pipes. Columbus started in the first period with a Max Domi goal, his eighth of the season, via Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eric Robinson. Carolina tied it with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes won 2-1 in overtime with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper by the goalie Nedeljkovic. The three stars were Nedeljkovic (31 for 32 in saves), Hamilton, and Teravainen.

To Canada again, with the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Ottawa Senators. Filip Gustavsson and Cayden Primeau are the unknown goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Tim Stutzle goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Artem Zub and Colin White. The Senators added on in the third period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Shane Pinto. Montreal got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens tied it on a Toffoli goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, passed from Nick Suzuki and Corey Perry. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Cole Caufield goal, courtesy of Petry and Jake Evans. The three stars belonged to Toffoli, Petry, and Caufield.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Brian Elliott have the green light to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Pavel Zacha and Kevin Bahl. The Devils added on in the second period with a Janne Kuokkanen goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich. New Jersey extended the lead in the third period as Nico Hischier scored his sixth of the season, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. The Devils padded the lead on a Sharangovich goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Hughes. Philadelphia got on the board with a Joel Farabee goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, passed from Shayne Gostisbehere and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sharangovich, Hughes, and Blackwood (31 for 32 in saves).

Westward to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Kevin Lankinen protect the nets. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Anthony Duclair goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Sam Bennett and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Nikita Gusev goal, his third of the year, fueled by Ryan Lomberg and Radko Gudas. Chicago got on the board with a Connor Murphy power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Brett Connolly and Adam Gaudette. The Blackhawks tied it with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Gaudette and Ian Mitchell. Florida retook the lead with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Forsling and Duclair. The Panthers extended the lead in the third period as Duclair scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Barkov and Grigori Denisenko. Florida padded the lead on an Owen Tippett goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Bennett. Chicago answered with a Kirby Dach power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Philipp Kurashev and Brandon Hagel. The Blackhawks got one back with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with helpers from Patrick Kane and DeBrincat. This made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Duclair, Barkov, and DeBrincat, while Bennett, Forsling, and Gaudette get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces a lesser foe in Kaapo Kahkonen in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues added on with a Sammy Blais goal, his eighth of the year, via Tyler Bozak and Robert Bortuzzo. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Dumba. St. Louis replied with a David Perron goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Niko Mikkola and Ryan O'Reilly. The Wild got one back in the third period with a Nico Sturm goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jonas Brodin. Minnesota tied it with a Brodin goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Jared Spurgeon and Kevin Fiala. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Fiala goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Fiala, Brodin, and Sturm.

Back south to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Juuse Saros are the masked men. Nashville won 1-0 in overtime with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Mattias Ekholm. The three stars were Saros (28 save shutout), Haula, and Khudobin (33 for 34 in saves).

To the west, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Josef Korenar and Devan Dubnyk are set to start in goal. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexander Barabanov power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Tomas Hertl and Erik Karlsson. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twentieth of the year, via Conor Timmins and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche took the lead with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by J.T. Compher. Colorado added on with a Patrik Nemeth goal, his third of the year, fueled by Cale Makar and MacKinnon. The Sharks got one back in the third period with a shorthanded Logan Couture goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Evander Kane. The Avalanche responded with a Rantanen goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, coming off of Devon Toews and Timmins. San Jose got one back with a Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Barabanov. The final was 4-3 with the three stars being MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Timmins, while Hertl and Barabanov get the honorable mentions.

Along to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Vegas led off in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights added on with a Mark Stone goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Chandler Stephenson. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Christian Fischer goal, his third of the season, made possible by Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes tied it on a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Clayton Keller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a Marchessault power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were Marchessault, Stone, and Karlsson.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Petersen and Ryan Miller start in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Trevor Zegras goal, his second of the season, coming off of Max Comtois and Jacob Larsson. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, his seventh of the year, via Larsson and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead as Nicolas Deslauriers scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Derek Grant and Heinen. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period with a Max Jones goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Heinen and Jamie Drysdale. Los Angeles got on the board with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Sean Walker. Anaheim fired back with a Larsson goal, helped along by Haydn Fleury. The Ducks continued with a Comtois goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Zegras and Troy Terry. The Kings got one back with a Tobias Bjornfot goal, assisted by Adrian Kempe and Andreas Athanasiou. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Larsson, Heinen, and Zegras, while Comtois gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith tend the twines. Edmonton started in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie. The Oilers added on with an Ethan Bear goal, his second of the year, via McDavid and Draisaitl. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Christopher Tanev. Edmonton replied with a Josh Archibald empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Draisaitl and McDavid. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with a Darnell Nurse empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Archibald and Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Smith (29 for 30 in saves), while Archibald gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 108

Just four games on for Friday, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Allen are the goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Dylan DeMelo and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on in the second period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, via Jansen Harkins. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg replied with an unassisted Lewis goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year. The Canadiens pulled one back on an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Ben Chiarot and Jake Evans. Montreal tied it with a Joel Armia power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Suzuki power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Corey Perry. Montreal iced it at 5-3 with a Toffoli empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Phillip Danault. The three stars went to Suzuki, Lewis, and Toffoli. 

Stateside, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer are the masked men. Colorado opened in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche added on with a Makar power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi. Colorado iced it at 3-0 with a Rantanen empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Landeskog and Carl Soderberg. This stood for a 3-0 final score, with the three stars going to Rantanen, Grubauer (21 save shutout), and Makar, while Landeskog gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner faces a lesser foe in Adin Hill in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a John Hayden goal, his second of the season, coming off of Derick Brassard and Jason Demers. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Michael Bunting goal, his ninth of the year, via Nick Schmaltz. Arizona iced it at 3-0 with a Christian Fischer empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Christian Dvorak and Lawson Crouse. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Hill (25 save shutout), Hayden, and Bunting.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson are the American goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Haydn Fleury goal, his second of the season, helped along by Trevor Zegras. Los Angeles tied it on a Lias Andersson goal, his third of the year, via Gabriel Vilardi and Trevor Moore. The Kings took the lead with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twelfth of the campaign, courtesy of Dustin Brown and Mikey Anderson. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Kopitar, Quick (33 for 34 in saves), and Andersson. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 107

Ten games on for Thursday's slate, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Vitek Vanecek are the goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Nicklas Backstrom. Pittsburgh tied it on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Frederick Gaudreau goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jason Zucker and Colton Sceviour. The Capitals retied it with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Backstrom. Washington took the lead with a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the season, via Schultz and Orlov. Pittsburgh tied it again with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Sceviour. The Penguins took the lead with a Kapanen goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by Jared McCann and Jeff Carter. The Capitals tied it again with a Tom Wilson goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, with helpers from John Marino and McCann. The three stars were Kapanen, McCann, and Sceviour, while Backstrom, Orlov, and Schultz get the honorable mentions.

Onward to New York, as the Rangers welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Igor Shesterkin are the Russian goalies. The Islanders began in the first period with a Leo Komarov goal, guided in by Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with an Oliver Wahlstrom power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Anthony Beauvillier scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Scott Mayfield and Nelson. The Islanders iced it at 4-0 with a Mathew Barzal empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Mayfield. The three stars were Varlamov (25 save shutout), Nelson, and Mayfield.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Dallas Stars. Jake Oettinger and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded penalty shot goal, his twelfth of the year. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with a Brayden Point empty net goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Vasilevskiy. The three stars were Vasilevksiy (20 save shutout), Palat, and Coleman.

Back north, the Boston Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Tuukka Rask are the Finnish goalies. Boston opened in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Buffalo tied it with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his tenth of the year, via Arttu Ruotsalainen and Rasmus Asplund. The Bruins retook the lead with a David Krejci power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Charlie McAvoy and Craig Smith. The Sabres retied it in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Victor Olofsson and Jeff Skinner. Boston retook the lead with a Charlie Coyle goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on with a Taylor Hall goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Krejci and Smith. Boston iced it at 5-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Krejci, Marchand, and Smith.

Backtracking to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Brady Skjei goal, his third of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on with a Warren Foegele goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce. Detroit got on the board with a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina replied in the third period with a Teravainen goal, his third of the year, fueled by Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Teravainen, Aho, and Reimer (16 for 17 in saves).

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex Lyon and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. New Jersey started in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Will Butcher and Damon Severson. The Devils added on with another Sharangovich power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Severson and Janne Kuokkanen. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a shorthanded Scott Laughton goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey replied with a Jesper Boqvist goal, his third of the year, guided in by Nicholas Merkley and Mikhail Maltsev. The Flyers got one back with a Sean Couturier goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Braun and Jakub Voracek. The Devils fired back in the third period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Will Butcher and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey extended the lead with a Bratt empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Zacha and Ryan Murray. Philadelphia got one back with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Voracek. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Sharangovich, Zacha, and Severson, while Butcher, Bratt, and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and David Rittich received the starting nods in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Joe Thornton. Toronto extended the lead as Pierre Engvall scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Rasmus Sandin and Jason Spezza. Vancouver got on the board with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat. The Maple Leafs continued with a Marner goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, fueled by Alexander Kerfoot. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Marner, Matthews, and Rittich (15 for 16 in saves).

Stateside to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Florida Panthers. Spencer Knight and Kevin Lankinen patrol the creases. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Adam Gaudette goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. Florida tied it in the second period with an Alex Wennberg power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Blackhawks retook the lead on a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his third of the season, via Brandon Hagel and Kirby Dach. The Panthers tied it again with an Anthony Duclair goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brandon Montour and Grigori Denisenko. Florida pulled ahead on a Montour goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Wennberg and Markus Nutivaara. Chicago tied it again with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, made possible by Patrick Kane and Wyatt Kalynuk. The Panthers won 4-3 in overtime with a Sam Bennett goal, his ninth of the campaign, courtesy of Weegar. The three stars were Weegar, Wennberg, and Montour.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ville Husso and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period with a Sammy Blais goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Torey Krug and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on in the second period with a Tyler Bozak shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis extended the lead as Marco Scandella scored his third of the season, with the help of Jordan Kyrou. Minnesota got on the board with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. The Wild got closer in the third period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Victor Rask. The Blues shot back with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by David Perron and Krug. Minnesota shot back on a Rask goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Fiala and Carson Soucy. The Wild tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Fiala and Jared Spurgeon. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime on an O'Reilly goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the campaign, helped along by Kyrou. The three stars were O'Reilly, Fiala, and Kyrou, while Krug and Rask get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Smith tend the twines. Calgary cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Edmonton tied it on a James Neal goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Kris Russell and Josh Archibald. The Flames retook the lead in the second period on a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Andersson and Tkachuk. Calgary added on in the third period with a Dillon Dube goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Milan Lucic and Andersson. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars handed to Lindholm, Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves), and Tkachuk, while Andersson gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 106

Seven games on for Wednesday's schedule, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Marcus Hogberg are the backups in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Victor Mete goal, assisted by Alex Formenton and Shane Pinto. The Senators added on in the second period with a Chris Tierney goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Thomas Chabot and Connor Brown. Ottawa extended the lead as Josh Norris scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Brady Tkachuk. Vancouver got on the board with a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Olli Juolevi and Nils Hoglander. The Senators shot back with a Chabot goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Nick Paul and Formenton. The Canucks answered with a Jake Virtanen goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Motte. Ottawa responded with a Tkachuk goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Drake Batherson and Erik Brannstrom. The Senators padded the lead with a Colin White empty net goal in the third period, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Vancouver got one back with a Quinn Hughes goal, his fourth of the campaign, from Myers. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Chabot, and Formenton, while Myers gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Minnesota Wild welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jonas Brodin goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. The Wild added on in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Greenway. St. Louis got on the board with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron. Minnesota replied with a Foligno goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Matt Dumba. The Blues pulled back in the third period with another Hoffman power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with assists provided by Perron and Torey Krug. St. Louis tied it with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Robert Thomas. The Blues won 4-3 with a Thomas goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Hoffman and Kyrou. The three stars were Hoffman, Thomas, and Kyrou, while Perron, Foligno, and Greenway get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Campbell and Jake Allen are the goalies. Toronto opened in the first period with a William Nylander power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno and Rielly. Toronto extended the lead as Jake Muzzin scored his third of the season, with the help of Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton. Montreal got on the board with a Nick Suzuki goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson. The Maple Leafs answered in the third period with an Adam Brooks goal, his third of the season, helped along by Spezza and Justin Holl. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Rielly, Spezza, and Matthews.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Edmonton started in the first period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the year, via Andrew Copp. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Barrie and McDavid. Edmonton iced it at 3-1 with a Leon Draisaitl empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars belonged to McDavid, Barrie, and Nugent-Hopkins.

Next up, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Devan Dubnyk and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Vegas struck first in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez. Colorado tied it on a Devon Toews goal, his seventh of the year, via Carl Soderberg. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Shea Theodore and Mark Stone. Vegas added on with a Stone goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Pacioretty. The Avalanche got one back on a Ryan Graves goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nathan MacKinnon. The Golden Knights replied in the third period with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Stone. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with a Jonathan Marchessault empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Pacioretty, Stone, and Fleury (35 for 37 in saves).

To Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Calvin Petersen are the netminders. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with a shorthanded Kempe goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Carrick goal, his second of the season, fueled by Alexander Volkov and Haydn Fleury. The Ducks tied it with a Sam Steel goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Rickard Rakell. Anaheim took the lead in the third period with a Cam Fowler goal, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Gibson (28 for 30 in saves), Fowler, and Steel.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces a lesser foe in Josef Korenar in goal. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Alexander Barabanov and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on with a Rudolfs Balcers goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Logan Couture and John Leonard. San Jose extended the lead as Kevin Labanc scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Alexander True and Noah Gregor. Arizona got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes got closer in the second period with a Johan Larsson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Dryden Hunt. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a Hertl empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Mario Ferraro and Couture. The three stars went to Hertl, Couture, and Labanc. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 105

Eight games on today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Vitek Vanecek are the young goalies. Washington led off in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov. This held up as a 1-0 win for the Capitals, with the three stars awarded to Vanecek (18 save shutout), Sprong, and Sorokin (32 for 33 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a David Krejci goal, his seventh of the season, via Charlie McAvoy and the goalie Rask. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by David Pastrnak and Curtis Lazar. Boston extended the lead as Taylor Hall scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Krejci and Mike Reilly. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jeff Carter goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Kris Letang and Kasperi Kapanen. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Krejci, Rask (25 for 26 in saves), and Marchand.

To New Jersey, as the Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and MacKenzie Blackwood are in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jack Hughes and Pavel Zacha. The Devils added on in the second period with a Zacha power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Hughes and Ty Smith. New Jersey extended the lead as Miles Wood scored his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got on the board with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Jackson Cates and Nolan Patrick. The Flyers pulled closer in the third period with a Philippe Myers goal, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Robert Hagg. The Devils regained the lead on a Connor Carrick goal, guided in by Smith and Michael McLeod. The Flyers retied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey restored the lead with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Janne Kuokkanen. The Devils iced it at 6-4 with a Mikhail Maltsev empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by McLeod. The three stars were Zacha, Hughes, and Smith, while McLeod gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the New York Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is mismatched with Igor Shesterkin in goal. New York got going in the second period with a Brendan Smith goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Casey Mittelstadt. The Rangers took the lead with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Strome and Adam Fox in the third period. New York added on with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Chris Kreider and Strome. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Strome, Lafreniere, and Shesterkin (36 for 37 in saves).

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Thomas Greiss and Elvis Merzlikins man the nets. The game remained scoreless into the shootout, where Patrik Laine and Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 win. The three stars belonged to Merzlikins (41 save shutout), Greiss (33 save "shutout"), and Laine.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Juuse Saros guard the cages. Nashville started in the first period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Mattias Ekholm. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers retook the lead with an Anthony Duclair power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Sam Bennett. The Predators tied it on a Luke Kunin goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Calle Jarnkrok and Mikael Granlund. Nashville took the lead with a Tanner Jeannot goal, his third of the season, passed from Roman Josi and Colton Sissons. Florida retied it on another Barkov goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Owen Tippett and MacKenzie Weegar. The Predators reclaimed the lead with Ellis' second goal of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Matt Duchene and Nick Cousins. Spencer Knight replaced Bobrovsky in goal in the third period. The Panthers tied it again in the third period with a Tippett goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Huberdeau and Bennett. Florida gained the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Alex Wennberg and Aleksi Heponiemi. The Panthers added on with a Huberdeau power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Barkov and Bennett. Florida iced it at 7-4 with an awarded goal for Huberdeau, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Huberdeau, Barkov, and Bennett, while Tippett and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Along to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kevin Lankinen are the masked men. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Erik Cernak goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Mikhail Sergachev and Blake Coleman. Chicago got on the board with a Brandon Hagel goal, his eighth of the season, via Kirby Dach. Tampa Bay responded with an Alex Barre-Boulet goal, his second of the year, fueled by Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. The Blackhawks got one back with a Wyatt Kalynuk goal, his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. Malcolm Subban replaced Lankinen in goal to start the second period. The Lightning fired back in the second period with a Point goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Palat. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Coleman scored his eleventh of the season, with the help of Tyler Johnson and Barclay Goodrow. The Lightning padded the lead on an Alex Killorn power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Sergachev and Point. Chicago got one back with a Duncan Keith goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Patrick Kane and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks pulled closer in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-4 with a Killorn goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Cernak. The final was 7-4, with the three stars going to Point, Cernak, and Coleman, while Killorn, Palat, Sergachev, and Kane get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Dallas Stars bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Khudobin are in the creases. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on with an Aho goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Brett Pesce and Svechnikov. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Staal scored on the power play again, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with the help of Aho and Svechnikov. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Robertson goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Roope Hintz. The Hurricanes replied in the third period with a Max McCormick goal, his second of the season, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Steven Lorentz. Carolina padded the lead with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Staal. The final was 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Staal, Aho, and Svechnikov. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 104

Eight games on for a busy Monday, beginning with...

The Calgary Flames hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom are the goalies. Montreal started in the first period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Tomas Tatar and Jeff Petry. Calgary tied it with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Andrew Mangiapane. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, made possible by Joel Armia and Nick Suzuki. This held for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Weber, and Allen (21 for 22 in saves).

Southeast to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Jonas Johansson is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Mike Hoffman. The Blues added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Perron scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Justin Faulk and O'Reilly. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Gabriel Landeskog and Andre Burakovsky. The Blues replied with a Robert Thomas goal, his second of the campaign, made possible by Perron and Marco Scandella. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the the three stars belonging to Perron, O'Reilly, and Binnington (31 for 32 in saves).

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Vancouver Canucks. Braden Holtby and Marcus Hogberg start in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Josh Norris goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Brady Tkachuk. Vancouver tied it with an Olli Juolevi goal, his second of the year, coming off of Tyler Myers and Brandon Sutter. The Senators retook the lead in the second period with a Drake Batherson goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Tkachuk. This held for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Tkachuk, Batherson, and Hogberg (25 for 26 in saves). 

Way down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Jake Oettinger are the backups in goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Jason Dickinson goal, his sixth of the year, via Esa Lindell and Benn. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Max McCormick goal, assisted by Morgan Geekie and Cedric Paquette. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jaccob Slavin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter. Dallas reclaimed the lead with a Denis Gurianov goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Benn. Carolina tied it again in the third period with a Jani Hakanpaa goal, his second of the season, made possible by Geekie and Jordan Staal. The Stars won 4-3 in overtime with a Benn goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Robertson. The three stars went to Benn, Robertson, and Geekie. 

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Juuse Saros are set to start in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Anthony Duclair and Markus Nutivaara. Nashville tied it with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Roman Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Nick Cousins goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Erik Haula and Mattias Ekholm. Nashville added on in the third period with a Haula goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Matt Duchene and Erik Gudbranson. The Predators extended the lead as Yakov Trenin scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Tanner Jeannot and Colton Sissons. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Saros (39 for 40 in saves), Haula, and Cousins. 

Northward to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his eighth of the season, via Adam Larsson and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, made possible by Tyson Barrie. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as McDavid scored his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, with the help of Dominik Kahun. The Oilers padded the lead on a Draisaitl goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton continued with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jesse Puljujarvi and McDavid. Winnipeg got on the board with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Paul Stastny and Blake Wheeler. The Oilers responded with McDavid completing his hat trick on his twenty-eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. This held for a 6-1 win, with the three stars going to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Smith (36 for 37 in saves).

To California, where the Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Stolarz and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles was first to score in the first period with a Sean Walker goal, his second of the season, assisted by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Mikey Anderson goal, via Andreas Athanasiou and Brendan Lemieux. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Jamie Drysdale goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Danton Heinen and Cam Fowler. Los Angeles replied in the third period with an unassisted Brown empty net goal, his seventeenth of the season. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with a Trevor Moore empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Adrian Kempe. The three stars were Brown, Quick (21 for 22 in saves), and Anderson.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Josef Korenar are in the blue paint. San Jose drew first blood with an unassisted Noah Gregor goal, his fifth of the season. The Sharks added on with a Brent Burns goal, his seventh of the year, via Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Logan Couture scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Greg Pateryn and Timo Meier. The Sharks padded the lead with an Erik Karlsson goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Kane. Arizona got on the board with a Michael Bunting goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes got closer with a Clayton Keller goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Schmaltz and Bunting. Arizona chipped closer in the third period with a Chychrun goal, his fifteenth of the season, with helpers from Alex Goligoski and John Hayden. San Jose shot back with an Alexander Barabanov goal, helped along by Kane and Hertl. The Coyotes pulled one back on a Chychrun goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Dryden Hunt. The Sharks iced it at 6-4 with a Kane empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kane, Hertl, and Chychrun, while Bunting and Schmaltz get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021 - Day 103

Four games on for a Sunday, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Tristan Jarry are the goalies. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Jake Guentzel goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Jarry (30 save shutout), Guentzel, and Swayman (28 for 29 in saves). 

Across Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Brian Elliott are the masked men. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Michael McLeod goal, his eighth of the season, via Nathan Bastian and Miles Wood. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Philippe Myers and Ivan Provorov. The Devils retook the lead in the second period with a Wood goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Bastian and Damon Severson. New Jersey added on with a Pavel Zacha goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. The Flyers got one back with a Claude Giroux goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia tied it on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming off of van Riemsdyk and Voracek. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Giroux, Couturier, and Kevin Hayes lifted the Flyers 4-3 over Yegor Sharangovich and Bratt. The three stars belonged to Giroux, Couturier, and Wood, while van Riemsdyk and Voracek get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Dustin Tokarski and Igor Shesterkin man the nets. New York started in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Alexis Lafreniere and Ryan Lindgren. Buffalo tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Colin Miller and Jacob Bryson. The Rangers took the lead back with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Adam Fox and Filip Chytil. New York added on with a Zibanejad power-play goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Fox. The Rangers extended the lead as Zibanejad scored his nineteenth of the season to complete his hat trick in the second period, thanks to Pavel Buchnevich and Fox. The Sabres got one back with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Sam Reinhart and Casey Mittelstadt. New York fired back with a Kakko power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with helpers from Buchnevich and Zac Jones. Buffalo responded with a Reinhart goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Rasmus Dahlin and the goalie Tokarski. The Rangers iced it at 6-3 with a Kevin Rooney shorthanded empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Brett Howden. The three stars were Zibanejad, Fox, and Kakko, while Buchnevich and Reinhart get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Brayden Point. Columbus tied it on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Vladislav Gavrikov and Mikko Lehtonen. The Blue Jackets took the lead on an Eric Robinson goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Max Domi. The Lightning tied it in the second period with a Mathieu Joseph goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Point and Palat. Columbus pulled ahead with a Robinson goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Domi and Bjorkstrand. Tampa Bay tied it again with an Alex Barre-Boulet power play goal, powered by Palat and Victor Hedman. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Hedman goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Point. The three stars belonged to Palat, Point, and Hedman, while Robinson, Bjorkstrand, and Domi get the honorable mentions.

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