NHL 2023-24 - Day 157

It's a calm 11-day Saturday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Wininpeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Semyon Varlamov get the starts in goal. New York opened in the first period with an unassisted Cal Clutterbuck goal, his sixth of the season. The Islanders added on with a Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Matt Martin and Alexander Romanov. Winnipeg got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Morgan Barron and Dylan DeMelo. New York replied with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Hudson Fasching goal, his fourth of the season, thanks to Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock. New York padded the lead on a Barzal goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Fasching and Anders Lee. Laurent Brossoit replaced Hellebuyck in goal. The Islanders continued with a Lee goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Barzal and Fasching. The Jets got one back with a Mason Appleton goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Nikolaj Ehlers and Josh Morrissey. Winnipeg got closer with a Cole Perfetti goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars given to Barzal, Clutterbuck and Fasching, while Lee gets the honorable mention. 

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, coming off of Tyson Foerster and Scott Laughton on the power play. Boston tied it on a Justin Brazeau goal, his fifth of the year, via Charlie Coyle and Mason Lohrei. The Flyers retook the lead with a Konecny goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, assisted by Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett. The Bruins tied it on a Danton Heinen goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Morgan Geekie and Jake DeBrusk. Philadelphia regained the lead with a Foerster goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Ryan Poehling. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Konecny, Foerster, and Ersson (18 for 20 in saves). 

Out west, the Minnesota Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. St. Louis started in the first period with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Brayden Schenn. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Brock Faber and Matt Boldy. The Wild took the lead with a Marco Rossi goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Kirill Kaprizov. The Blues retied it on a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich. Minnesota regained the lead with a Rossi goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, assisted by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. St. Louis tied it again in the third period with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Buchnevich and Nick Leddy. The Blues pulled ahead on a Kyrou goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-fifth of the season, with helpers from Brandon Saad and Buchnevich. The Wild evened it on a Faber goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Ryan Hartman and Jake Middleton. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Saad goal, his twenty-second of the campaign, guided in by Kasperi Kapanen and Justin Faulk. The three stars were Kyrou, Rossi, and Buchnevich, while Faber, Saad, and Kaprizov get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist. This stood for a 1-0 final score, with the three stars awarded to Saros (23 save shutout), Forsberg, and Lyon (32 for 33 in saves).

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off in the first period with a shorthanded Mathieu Joseph goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his twenty-third of the year, an unassisted goal. The Devils took the lead with a Thomas Nosek goal, his second of the season, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Dawson Mercer. The Senators retied it on a Ridly Greig goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joseph. Ottawa pulled ahead on an Angus Crookshank goal, his second of the season, assisted by Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle. The Senators added on with a Chabot goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Brady Tkachuk and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa extended the lead in the third period as Drake Batherson scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Tkachuk. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars going to Joseph, Chabot, and Tkachuk.

To Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Stuart Skinner and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Bobby McMann goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by John Tavares and Timothy Liljegren. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander power-play goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, powered by Liljegren. Toronto extended the lead as Pontus Holmberg scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Max Domi and Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on another Holmberg goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by McMann and Morgan Rielly. Toronto kept going with a McMann goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nylander and Tavares. Calvin Pickard replaced Skinner in goal for the third period. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, his forty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers got closer with a Corey Perry power play goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Evander Kane and McDavid. Edmonton chipped closer on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, with helpers from McDavid and Bouchard. Martin Jones replaced Samsonov in goal. The Maple Leafs iced it at 6-3 with a Matthews empty net goal, his fifty-eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were McMann, Holmberg, and Nylander, while Matthews, Tavares, Liljegren, McDavid, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Florida struck first in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Josh Mahura and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Eetu Luostarinen goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Sam Reinhart and Uvis Balinskis. New York got on the board with an Adam Fox power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers tied it with an Artemi Panarin goal, his forty-second of the year, courtesy of Trocheck and Fox. Florida took the lead with a Verhaeghe goal in the third period, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Brandon Montour and Tkachuk. New York tied it on another Panarin goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, guided in by Zac Jones and Trocheck. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Zibanejad and Panarin lifted the Rangers to a 4-3 win over Reinhart and the Panthers. The three stars were Panarin, Trocheck, and Verhaeghe, while Tkachuk and Fox get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Casey DeSmith receive the starts in goal. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nils Hoglander goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland. The Canucks added on in the second period with another Hoglander goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, passed from Pettersson and Garland. Calgary got on the board with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of A.J. Greer and Kevin Rooney. Vancouver replied in the third period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead with an Elias Lindholm empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The Flames got one back on a Joel Hanley goal, assisted by Brayden Pachal and Greer. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Hoglander, Pettersson, and Garland, while Greer gets an honorable mention.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek faces a lesser foe in Devin Cooley in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Thomas Bordeleau power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Fabian Zetterlund and Calen Addison. The Sharks added on with another Bordeleau goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Justin Bailey and Nico Sturm. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Zetterlund scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Klim Kostin and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks padded the lead on another Zetterlund goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, made possible by William Eklund and Mikael Granlund. Chicago got on the board with a Ryan Donato goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Taylor Raddysh and Tyler Johnson. The Blackhawks got closer with a Johnson goal, his sixteenth of the year, with helpers from Donato and Raddysh. Chicago pulled closer on a Seth Jones goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Wyatt Kaiser and Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks tied it on a Philipp Kurashev goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Donato and Nick Foligno. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime with a Jones goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, assisted by Kurashev. The three stars were Jones, Kurashev, and Donato, while Zetterlund, Bordeleau, Johnson, and Raddysh get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Los Angeles Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Adrian Kempe goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. Tampa Bay tied it on a power play goal by Brayden Point, his forty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with a Trevor Moore goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Mikey Anderson goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. The Lightning got one back with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Point and Anthony Duclair. Tampa Bay tied it on another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his sixth of the campaign, passed from Kempe and Kopitar. The three stars were Kempe, Stamkos, and Kopitar, while Point gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and Adin Hill are between the pipes. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko. Vegas tied it in the second period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Zach Whitecloud and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas added on in the third period with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Shea Theodore and Anthony Mantha. The Golden Knights extended the lead with an Eichel power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, powered by Theodore and Stephenson. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Carson Meyer goal, helped along by Dmitri Voronkov and Trey Fix-Wolansky. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Eichel, Theodore, and Stephenson. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 156

Just four games on this Friday. We begin with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Darcy Kuemper start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Jaccob Slavin. Washington tied it on a Sonny Milano power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Connor McMichael. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Slavin goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Stefan Noesen. The Capitals retied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Dylan Strome and Ivan Miroshnichenko in the second period. Washington pulled ahead with another Milano goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, coming off of Strome. Carolina retied it on an Aho goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, fueled by Guentzel. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Brady Skjei goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Martin Necas. The Capitals evened it in the third period with a John Carlson power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Hendrix Lapierre and Ovechkin. Washington gained the lead with a Milano goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, passed from Rasmus Sandin and Strome. Carolina tied it again with a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Guentzel and Andrei Svechnikov. The Capitals regained the lead with a McMichael goal, his sixteenth of the season, dished from Trevor van Riemsdyk and Miroshnichenko. The Hurricanes forced overtime with an Aho goal, his thirtieth of the year to complete his hat trick, assisted by Necas and Brent Burns. The tie went to a shootout, where Strome had the lone tally for a 7-6 Capitals win. The three stars were Milano, Strome, and Aho, while Ovechkin, McMichael, Miroshnichenko, Guentzel, Slavin, and Necas get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jake Oettinger protect the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Michael Bunting goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Dallas tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Thomas Harley and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Robertson. Dallas added on with another Benn goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, fueled by Logan Stankoven. The Stars extended the lead as Sam Steel scored his eighth of the season in the third period, thanks to Craig Smith. The Penguins got one back with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Malkin and Bunting. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Benn, Robertson, and Bunting, while Malkin gets an honorable mention. 

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlkins and Alexandar Georgiev receive the starts in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his seventh of the season, via Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Colorado tied it on a Cale Makar goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Ross Colton goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Miles Wood and Zach Parise. Colorado added on with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Josh Manson and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche extended the lead as Nathan MacKinnon scored his forty-third of the season in the third period, thanks to Makar. Colorado padded the lead on a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the year, powered by MacKinnon and Drouin. The Avalanche finished it at 6-1 with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Casey Mittelstadt and Rantanen. The three stars belonged to Rantanen, Makar, and MacKinnon, while Drouin gets an honorable mention. 

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Karel Vejmelka are the masked men. Seattle dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Ryker Evans goal, assisted by Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, guided in by Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes won 2-1 in overtime with a Dylan Guenther goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Logan Cooley. The three stars were Guenther, Keller, and Vejmelka (27 for 28 in saves). 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 155

There's 11 games on this Thursday slate. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. Jonathan Quick and Jeremy Swayman are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau. New York tied it in the second period on an Artemi Panarin goal, his thirty-ninth of the year, made possible by Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers took the lead with a Panarin goal, his second of the game and fortieth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Brazeau goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brad Marchand and Jesper Boqvist. New York reclaimed the lead on an Adam Fox goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers added on with a Zibanejad empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Chris Kreider and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Panarin goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-first of the campaign into an empty net, helped along by Fox. The three stars were Panarin, Zibanejad, and Brazeau, while Fox gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Carolina got going in the second period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Martin Necas and Brett Pesce. Philadelphia tied it on a Scott Laughton goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Dmitry Orlov. The Flyers tied it in the third period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, fueled by Brent Burns and Jake Guentzel. The three stars were Jarvis, Chatfield, and Martinook.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and James Reimer receive the starts in goal. Detroit cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Michael Rasmussen. New York tied it on a Mike Reilly goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kyle MacLean and Robert Bortuzzo. The Red Wings took the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Fischer and Ben Chiarot. Detroit added on with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Alex DeBrincat. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Copp scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Fischer and Rasmussen. Detroit padded the lead on a Patrick Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by DeBrincat and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Islanders shot back with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Pulock and Pierre Engvall. New York got closer with a Mathew Barzal goal, his twenty-first of the year, with helpers from Adam Pelech and Anders Lee. The Red Wings iced it at 6-3 with a Larkin empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Raymond. The three stars were Copp, Larkin, and Fischer, while Rasmussen and DeBrincat get the honorable mentions.

To New Jersey, as the Devils host the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jake Allen patrol the creases. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Nico Hischier and Luke Hughes. Winnipeg tied it on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo. The Devils retook the lead with a Hischier power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, with assists provided by Timo Meier and Luke Hughes. New Jersey added on with another Jack Hughes power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, fueled by Meier and Luke Hughes. The Devils iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Meier, his twenty-second of the campaign, set up by Erik Haula and Hischier. The three stars were Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Meier, while Luke Hughes gets an honorable mention.

In Ottawa, the Senators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Joel Hofer and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. St. Louis began in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Jordan Kyrou and Matthew Kessel. The Blues added on with a Colton Parayko goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Saad and Kyrou. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Mark Kastelic goal, his fourth of the season, via Mathieu Joseph. St. Louis shot back with a Jake Neighbours goal, his twenty-third of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators pulled one back in the third period with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux. The Blues replied with a Kyrou goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Alexey Toropchenko and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis added on with a Neighbours empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Kyrou, Saad, and Neighbours.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators added on with a Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Roman Josi in the second period. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as Forsberg scored his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Nyquist. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Lankinen (33 save shutout), Forsberg, and Nyquist.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Buffalo started in the first period with a JJ Peterka goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. The Sabres added on with a Victor Olofsson goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Bowen Byram and Lukas Rousek. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Bouchard. Buffalo retook the lead with a Peterka goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, guided in by Connor Clifton. Edmonton tied it on a Zach Hyman goal, his forty-seventh of the year, with helpers from Ekholm and McDavid. The Oilers took the lead in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Troy Stecher. Edmonton extended the lead as Ekholm scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Draisaitl and McDavid. The Oilers padded the lead on another Hyman goal, his second of the game and forty-eighth of the season, courtesy of McDavid and Draisaitl. Edmonton continued with a Ryan McLeod goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers finished it at 8-3 with a Connor Brown goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Sam Carrick and Cody Ceci. The three stars were Hyman, Ekholm, and McDavid, while Draisaitl, Peterka, and Bouchard get the honorable mentions.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Casey DeSmith are in the blue paint. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Nikita Zadorov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Ilya Mikheyev and Elias Lindholm. The Canucks added on with a Zadorov goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Conor Garland scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Teddy Blueger. Montreal got on the board with a Juraj Slafkovsky goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Cole Caufield. The Canucks fired back in the third period with a Nils Aman goal, his third of the season, guided in by Tyler Myers and Vasily Podkolzin. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Zadorov, Mikheyev, and DeSmith (16 for 17 in saves).

South to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom and Lukas Dostal are the inexperienced goalies. Anaheim drew first blood in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Gustav Lindstrom and Urho Vaakanainen. The Ducks added on with a Brett Leason goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Ben Meyers and Pavel Mintyukov. Anaheim extended the lead as Killorn scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with the help of Leason and Olen Zellweger. The Ducks padded the lead on a Frank Vatrano power play goal in the third period, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Cam Fowler and Troy Terry. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Dostal (29 save shutout), Killorn, and Leason.

Also in California, the San Jose Sharks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mackenzie Blackwood get the starts in goal. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Nick Paul goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. San Jose tied it on a William Eklund goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jacob MacDonald. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Kucherov and Point. The Lightning extended the lead as Point scored his second of the game and fortieth of the season, coming off of Kucherov and Duclair. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Point, Kucherov, and Duclair.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Logan Thompson are between the pipes. Vegas was first to score in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb. Seattle tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Ryker Evans and Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Keegan Kolesar goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Brett Howden and Nicolas Roy. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Chandler Stephenson, his fifteenth of the year, set up by McNabb on the power play. The three stars were Thompson (20 for 21 in saves), McNabb, and Kolesar. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 154

There's three games on this Wednesday. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Charlie Lindgren man the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifty-sixth of the season, via Max Domi. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by John Tavares and Matthew Knies. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by John Carlson and Tom Wilson. Toronto answered with another Matthews goal, his second of the game and fifty-seventh of the year, passed from Domi and Timothy Liljegren. The Capitals got one back with a Connor McMichael goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Rasmus Sandin and Ivan Miroshnichenko. The Maple Leafs replied with a Jake McCabe goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Domi and Matthews. Washington got one back with an Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, guided in by Dylan Strome. Toronto shot back with a Bobby McMann goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Nylander and Tavares. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Tyler Bertuzzi scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Matthews and Domi. Toronto padded the lead on a Tavares power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Nylander and Matthews. This made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars going to Matthews, Nylander, and Domi, while Tavares and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Arizona began in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Logan Stankoven goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Nils Lundkvist and Jason Robertson. The Stars took the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Lundkvist and Ryan Suter. Dallas added on with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Robertson scored his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Thomas Harley and Roope Hintz. Dallas padded the lead on a Craig Smith goal, his tenth of the year, thanks to Radek Faksa and Chris Tanev. The Coyotes pulled one back with a John Leonard goal, made possible by Jack McBain and Dylan Guenther. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Robertson, Lundkvist, and Seguin.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and David Rittich receive the starts in goal. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Phillip Danault goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala. The Kings added on with a Fiala power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored, with the help of Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. The Kings padded the lead in the second period with a Matt Roy goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Quinton Byfield and Kempe. Los Angeles chased Fleury with a Jordan Spence goal, his second of the year, fueled by Moore and Danault on the power play. Filip Gustavsson replaced Fleury in goal. The Kings continued with a Kopitar goal, his twenty-third of the season, with helpers from Doughty and Arvidsson. This held for a 6-0 final, with the three stars going to Kopitar, Arvidsson, and Danault, while Fiala, Moore, Kempe, Doughty, and Rittich (30 save shutout) get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 153

A busy Tuesday is on deck with 13 games. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his forty-second of the season, via Matt Grzelcyk and Pavel Zacha. The Bruins added on with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game and forty-third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Shane Pinto goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux and Thomas Chabot on the power play. Boston replied with a Justin Brazeau power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Morgan Geekie. The Senators fired back with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-first of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson. The Bruins answered in the third period with a Pastrnak goal to complete his hat trick on his forty-fourth of the year, assisted by Shattenkirk and Danton Heinen. Boston extended the lead as Jesper Boqvist scored his fifth of the season, thanks to John Beecher and Shattenkirk. The Bruins padded the lead with another Brazeau goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Jake DeBrusk and Geekie. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Brazeau, and Shattenkirk, while Geekie gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alexandre Texier goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Werenski and Damon Severson. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Lucas Raymond power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Robby Fabbri and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings tied it with a Moritz Seider goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ben Chiarot and Michael Rasmussen. Columbus regained the lead in the third period with a Kirill Marchenko power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Werenski and Johnny Gaudreau. Detroit tied it on a Raymond goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, helped along by Patrick Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Kane goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, passed from Alex DeBrincat and Seider. The three stars were Kane, Raymond, and Seider, while Werenski gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Dawson Mercer goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Tomas Nosek and Ondrej Palat. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period with a Marcus Pettersson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Michael Bunting and Rickard Rakell. The Devils pulled ahead with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey added on in the third period with an Alexander Holtz goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes. The Devils extended the lead as Mercer scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nosek and Palat. New Jersey padded the lead on a Meier goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, fueled by Bratt and Jack Hughes. The Penguins got one back with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with a lone assist by Sidney Crosby. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Mercer, Meier, and Jack Hughes, while Luke Hughes, Bratt, Nosek, and Palat get the honorable mentions.

To New York, as the Rangers host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Alex Iafallo and Nate Schmidt. New York tied it on an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Alexis Lafreniere and Jack Roslovic. The Jets took the lead back with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli. Winnipeg added on with a Scheifele goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers got one back with a Lafreniere goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck. The Jets iced it at 4-2 with a Scheifele empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-second of the year, set up by Josh Morrissey and Monahan. The three stars were Scheifele, Lafreniere, and Monahan.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov and Samuel Ersson receive the starts in goal. Philadelphia led off in the first period with an Owen Tippett goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Cam York and Morgan Frost. The Flyers added on with a Travis Sanheim goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Garnet Hathaway. Philadelphia extended the lead as Frost scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Ronnie Attard and Ryan Poehling. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a William Nylander power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and John Tavares. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Morgan Rielly and Tavares. The Flyers shot back with a Scott Laughton goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Tippett. Toronto got one back on a Tavares goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Bertuzzi and Matthews. They fell shot, with the Flyers winning 4-3. The three stars belonged to Tippett, Frost, and Tavares, while Bertuzzi and Matthews get the honorable mentions.

Back in New York, the Islanders bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Ilya Sorokin are between the pipes. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Brady Skjei and Jake Guentzel. The Hurricanes added on with another Jarvis goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, via Guentzel and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina extended the lead as Martin Necas scored his twenty-second of the season on the power play, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Skjei. New York got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Guentzel, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Sebastian Aho. The three stars were Jarvis, Guentzel, and Skjei.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the San Jose Sharks. Magnus Chrona and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Roman Josi goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Filip Forsberg. San Jose tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his tenth of the year, via Klim Kostin and Mario Ferraro. The Sharks took the lead with a Ferraro goal in the second period, his second of the season, assisted by Thomas Bordeleau and Justin Bailey. The Predators tied it on a Jason Zucker goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Colton Sissons and McDonagh. Nashville took the lead with a Michael McCarron goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Kiefer Sherwood and Josi. The Predators added on with a Luke Evangelista goal, his fifteenth of the year, with helpers from Josi and Forsberg. Nashville extended the lead in the third period as McCarron scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with the help of Sherwood. The Predators padded the lead on a Mark Jankowski goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Anthony Beauvillier. Nashville continued with a Forsberg goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and McDonagh. The Predators piled on with a Tommy Novak goal, his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Sherwood and Jankowski. This made it 8-2, the final, with the three stars going to Josi, Forsberg, and McCarron, while McDonagh, Jankowski, Sherwood, and Ferraro get the honorable mentions.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Justus Annunen is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. Colorado kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, via Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. St. Louis tied it on a Nathan Walker goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Scott Perunovich and Justin Faulk. The Blues took the lead in the second period with an Alexey Toropchenko goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Faulk and Walker. The Avalanche tied it again with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Samuel Girard and Jonathan Drouin. St. Louis restored the lead with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jake Neighbours. Colorado pulled even with a Rantanen power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche gained the lead in the third period on a Rantanen goal, completing his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Nichushkin. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars awarded to Rantanen, Nichushkin, and Walker, while Faulk and Drouin get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Calvin Pickard play in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm. The Oilers added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Ekholm and Evan Bouchard in the second period. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Juraj Slafkovsky and David Savard. The Canadiens tied it on a Kaiden Guhle goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jake Evans and Jordan Harris. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the campaign, powered by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Henrique.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and John Gibson protect the nets. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Hartman goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Marcus Foligno and Matt Boldy. The Wild added on with a Jon Merrill goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Frederick Gaudreau and Marat Khusnutdinov. Minnesota extended the lead as Kirill Kaprizov scored his thirty-sixth of the season on the power play, powered by Hartman and Boldy. The Wild padded the lead on a Jacob Lucchini goal, his second of the year, guided in by Adam Beckman. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars given to Gustavsson (27 save shutout), Hartman, and Boldy.

Nearby, the Los Angeles Kings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot are the experienced goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with an Alex Laferriere goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Blake Lizotte and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Chicago tied it on a power play goal by Nick Foligno, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Philipp Kurashev and Seth Jones. The Kings took the lead in the second period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles added on with a Kopitar goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kempe. The Kings extended the lead as Kopitar scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season on the power play, thanks to Kempe and Kevin Fiala. Los Angeles padded the lead in the third period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Trevor Moore and Fiala. The Blackhawks got one back with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Kurashev and Connor Bedard. The Kings replied with a Trevor Lewis goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Dubois and Gavrikov. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Kempe, and Gavrikov, while Fiala, Dubois, and Kurashev get the honorable mentions.

In Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Adin Hill guard the cages. Vegas led off in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, via Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel. Tampa Bay tied it on an Anthony Cirelli shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Brandon Hagel. The Lightning pulled ahead with an Anthony Duclair goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Nikita Kucherov. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with a Brett Howden goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Keegan Kolesar. Tampa Bay pulled ahead with a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Kucherov. Vegas tied it on a Ben Hutton goal, his second of the year, guided in by Kolesar. The Lightning retook the lead with a Point goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by Kucherov and Darren Raddysh. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with a Kucherov empty net goal, his forty-first of the year, set up by Erik Cernak and Stamkos. The three stars went to Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos, while Kolesar gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres. Devon Levi and Casey DeSmith are the backups in goal. Vancouver began in the first period with a Conor Garland goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Pettersson power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Hughes. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Owen Power and Alex Tuch. Vancouver replied with a Pettersson empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, set up by Miller. The Sabres got one back on a Dahlin goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, made possible by Tage Thompson and Tuch. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Pettersson, Hughes, and Dahlin, while Miller and Tuch get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 152

There's two games on this Monday, beginning with...

The Calgary Flames hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Dustin Wolf are set to start in goal. Washington started in the first period with a Dylan Strome goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen. The Capitals added on in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Tom Wilson. Washington extended the lead as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by John Carlson and Strome on the power play. Calgary got on the board with a Kevin Rooney goal, his second of the year, passed from Brayden Pachal and Matt Coronato. The Capitals fired back with a Hendrix Lapierre goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Sonny Milano. The Flames got one back with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Mikael Backlund in the third period. Washington iced it at 5-2 with a Wilson empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Beck Malenstyn and Jensen. The three stars were Ovechkin, Strome, and Wilson, while Jensen gets an honorable mention. 

Next up, the Seattle Kraken host the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Joey Daccord are the starters in goal. Seattle opened in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Eeli Tolvanen and Brian Dumoulin. Buffalo tied it on a Tage Thompson goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Zemgus Girgensons and Alex Tuch. The Sabres took the lead with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Peyton Krebs. Buffalo added on with a Tuch goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Thompson and Girgensons. The Kraken pulled one back with a Matty Beniers power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Tolvanen and Justin Schultz. The Sabres shot back in the second period with an Owen Power goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka. Buffalo extended the lead with an unassisted Skinner goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season. The Sabres padded the lead in the third period as Skinner completed his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the year, with the help of Jordan Greenway and Jacob Bryson. The final was 6-2, and the three stars were Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch, while Girgensons and Tolvanen get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2023-24 - Day 151

There's seven games on for a fairly busy Sunday. First up...

The New York Rangers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. The Islanders opened in the first period with a shorthanded Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, set up by Brock Nelson. The Rangers tied it in the second period with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Jack Roslovic. The Rangers took the lead with a Will Cuylle goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. The Islanders retied it on a Horvat goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Nelson and Mike Reilly. The Rangers pulled ahead again with a Jonny Brodzinski goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by K'Andre Miller and Alex Wennberg. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Erik Gustafsson and Zac Jones. The Rangers extended the lead as Alexis Lafreniere scored his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Artemi Panarin and Miller. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Horvat, Miller, and Nelson. 

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Logan Thompson man the nets. New Jersey dented the scoreboard in the third period with an unassisted Nico Hischier goal, his twenty-second of the season. Vegas tied it on a William Carrier goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin. The Golden Knights pulled ahead with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-first of the season, helped along by Hanifin. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with a William Karlsson empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. The three stars were Hanifin, Eichel, and Thompson (20 for 21 in saves). 

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Alex Nedeljkovic are set to start in goal. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Reilly Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson. Detroit tied it on a Lucas Raymond goal, his twenty-first of the year, via David Perron and Ben Chiarot. The Penguins retook the lead with an unassisted Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-third of the season. Pittsburgh added on with a Valtteri Puustinen goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Smith and Lars Eller. The Penguins extended the lead in the second period as Michael Bunting scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Puustinen and Evgeni Malkin. The Red Wings got one back with a Christian Fischer goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Michael Rasmussen and Jeff Petry. Pittsburgh shot back with an Eller power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Crosby and Kris Letang. Detroit got one back with a Raymond power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Penguins iced it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Drew O'Connor, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Bryan Rust and Ryan Graves. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Eller, and Raymond, while Smith and Puustinen get the honorable mentions.

To Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the San Jose Sharks. Devin Cooley and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Alexander Barabanov and Kevin Labanc. The Sharks added on with a Klim Kostin goal, his fifth of the year, via Mikael Granlund and Mario Ferraro. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his fourteenth of the season, guided in by Tyler Johnson and Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Ryan Donato goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jarred Tinordi and Jaycob Megna. Chicago took the lead with a Kevin Korchinski goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Lukas Reichel. The Blackhawks extended the lead as Joey Anderson scored his third of the year, thanks to Colin Blackwell and Alex Vlasic. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Bedard empty net goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Kurashev and Johnson. The three stars were Kurashev, Bedard, and Johnson.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Anton Forsberg receive the starting nods in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his fourth of the season, via Brendan Lemieux and Martin Necas. Ottawa tied it on a Thomas Chabot goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Brady Tkachuk and Parker Kelly. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the second period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Brady Skjei and Orlov. The Senators retied it on a Tim Stutzle goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Chabot and Claude Giroux. Carolina reclaimed the lead with a Seth Jarvis goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Sebastian Aho and Jake Guentzel. The Hurricanes added on in the third period with a Jalen Chatfield goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Aho and Orlov. Carolina extended the lead as Orlov scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Andrei Svechnikov and Kuznetsov. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Guentzel goal, his twenty-third of the year, with helpers from Aho and Chatfield. Carolina finished it at 7-2 with a Lemieux goal, his third of the season, helped along by Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. The three stars went to Orlov, Aho, and Guentzel, while Kuznetsov, Lemieux, Chatfield, and Chabot get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Elvis Merzlikins are in the blue paint. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twentieth of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan. Winnipeg extended the lead as Toffoli scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Ehlers and Monahan. The Jets padded the lead with a Logan Stanley goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg continued with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Morgan Barron and Neal Pionk. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, his second of the season, guided in by Jake Christiansen and Mathieu Olivier. The Jets fired back with a Toffoli goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Toffoli, Ehlers, and Monahan.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and Joel Hofer are the backups in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe. St. Louis tied it in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Torey Krug and Zack Bolduc. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Faulk. St. Louis added on with a Jake Neighbours power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Brayden Schenn and Buchnevich. The Blues continued with a Thomas power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Buchnevich and Faulk. The Ducks got one back with another Terry goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Alex Killorn and Leo Carlsson. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Thomas, Buchnevich, and Faulk, while Terry gets an honorable mention. 

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