A calm Saturday features eight games. First up...
The New York Rangers host the Edmonton Oilers. Jack Campbell and Igor Shesterkin protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his third of the season, made possible by Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Lindgren and Artemi Panarin. New York extended the lead as Julien Gauthier scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Ryan Carpenter and Sammy Blais. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with an Evan Bouchard goal, assisted by Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan McLeod. The Oilers got closer with another Bouchard goal, via Warren Foegele and McLeod. Edmonton tied it on a Dylan Holloway goal, passed from McLeod. The Oilers gained the lead on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. The final stood from here at 4-3, with the three stars given to Bouchard, McLeod, and Lindgren.
Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Antti Raanta man the nets. Carolina began in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns. Calgary tied it on an Adam Ruzicka power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Michael Stone and Noah Hanifin. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Martin Necas power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Stefan Noesen and Andrei Svechnikov. The Flames tied it again with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Mikael Backlund. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with a Brett Pesce power play goal, helped along by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Paul Stastny. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Pesce, Necas, and Jarvis.
Further south, the Florida Panthers host the St. Louis Blues. Thomas Greiss and Spencer Knight start in goal. Florida opened in the first period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fourth of the season, via Eetu Luostarinen and Gustav Forsling. The Panthers added on with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Florida extended the lead as Carter Verhaeghe scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Sam Reinhart. St. Louis got on the board with a Brandon Saad goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Josh Leivo and Ryan O'Reilly. The Panthers shot back in the second period with an Anton Lundell goal, his third of the season, made possible by Reinhart and Forsling. The Blues got one back in the third period with an O'Reilly goal, his third of the year, helped along by Calle Rosen and Saad. St. Louis got closer with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Justin Faulk and Torey Krug. The Blues tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with another Kyrou goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, passed from Krug. The three stars were Kyrou, O'Reilly, and Saad, while Krug, Reinhart, and Forsling get the honorable mentions.
Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Vitek Vanecek are set to start in goal. New Jersey struck first in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton. The Devils added on with a Jack Hughes goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey extended the lead as Hughes scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Graves and Mercer. The Devils padded the lead in the third period on a Hughes goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Marcus Johansson. New Jersey fired back on a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Michael McLeod and Jonas Siegenthaler. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Hughes, Mercer, and Vanecek (38 for 39 in saves).
To Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Erik Kallgren and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Toronto started in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Auston Matthews and Calle Jarnkrok. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Pontus Holmberg goal, his second of the year, guided in by Marner. Toronto extended the lead as William Nylander scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Matthews and Michael Bunting. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his ninth of the year, via Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Matthews goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Bunting and Nylander. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Matthews, Marner, and Bunting, while Nylander gets an honorable mention.
East to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Felix Sandstrom and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Adam Pelech goal, his third of the season, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier. Philadelphia tied it on a Lukas Sedlak goal, his second of the year, fueled by Kevin Hayes and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Joel Farabee goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Hayes and Sedlak. The Islanders tied it with a Zach Parise power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Ryan Pulock. New York took the lead with a Brock Nelson goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Pulock. The Islanders added on with a Beauvillier goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Pulock. New York extended the lead as Parise scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Josh Bailey and Pulock. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars being Pulock, Parise, and Beauvillier, while Sedlak and Hayes get the honorable mentions.
Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Dallas Stars. Scott Wedgewood and Alexandar Georgiev are in the blue paint. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Josh Manson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen. Dallas answered in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. Colorado fired back with a Dryden Hunt goal, his second of the year, made possible by Alex Newhook and Martin Kaut. The Avalanche extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Cogliano scored his third of the season, via Logan O'Connor and Manson. The final held at 4-1 with the three stars being Manson, Georgiev (41 for 42 in saves), and Hunt.
Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Spencer Martin and Logan Thompson draw the starts in goal. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. The Canucks added on with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Quinn Hughes and Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Elias Pettersson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Bo Horvat and Miller. The Canucks padded the lead on a Kuzmenko goal, his ninth of the year, via Nils Aman and Dakota Joshua. Vancouver continued with a Horvat goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Miller and Nils Hoglander. Vegas got one back with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars given to Miller, Kuzmenko, and Hughes.
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