NHL 2023-24 - Day 181

It's the last eight-game day of the season. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Linus Ullmark man the nets. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Jiri Smejkal goal, via Erik Brannstrom. The Senators added on with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk. Boston got on the board with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and David Pastrnak in the third period. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Artem Zub, his fifth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Chychrun, Smejkal, and Forsberg (34 for 35 in saves).

In Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Spencer Martin faces his former team and Jet Greaves in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Luca Del Bel Belluz goal, via Mikael Pyyhtia and Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets added on with a Werenski goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Cole Sillinger and Kirill Marchenko. Carolina got on the board with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Max Comtois and Stefan Noesen. The Hurricanes tied it on a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Kotkaniemi and Brent Burns. Columbus regained the lead with a James Malatesta goal, his second of the year, fueled by Mathieu Olivier and Sean Kuraly. Carolina tied it in the second period with a Teravainen power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Burns and Noesen. The Blue Jackets shot back with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Justin Danforth and Werenski. Columbus extended the lead in the third period as Alex Nylander scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Erik Gudbranson and Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Werenski goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, made possible by Gaudreau and Olivier. This made it a 6-3 game, with the three stars going to Werenski, Gaudreau, and Olivier, while Teravainen, Kotkaniemi, Noesen, and Burns get the honorable mentions.

To Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Cayden Primeau are set to start in goal. Montreal started in the first period with an Alex Newhook goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Brendan Gallagher and Logan Mailloux. Detroit tied it on a Moritz Seider goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Dylan Larkin. The Canadiens took the lead back in the second period with a Gallagher goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Joel Armia and Jayden Struble. Montreal added on with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Juraj Slafkovsky and Nick Suzuki. The Red Wings pulled one back with a Joe Veleno goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Shayne Gostisbehere and Daniel Sprong. Detroit tied it in the third period on a Sprong goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens pulled ahead with a Slafkovsky goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Lane Hutson and David Savard. The Red Wings tied it again with a David Perron goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Gostisbehere. The tie went to a shootout, where Patrick Kane's lone tally gave the Red Wings a 5-4 win. The three stars belonged to Sprong, Slafkovsky, and Gallagher, while Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Samuel Ersson receive the starts in goal. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-first of the season, via Dylan McIlrath and T.J. Oshie. Philadelphia tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Egor Zamula and Sean Couturier. The Capitals took the lead with an Oshie empty net goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Nic Dowd. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Oshie, Lindgren (27 for 28 in saves), and Ovechkin.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are the backups in goal. Toronto began in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, fueled by Morgan Rielly and William Nylander on the power play. The Maple Leafs added on with a Noah Gregor goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers tied it on a Bennett goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Gustav Forsling and Tkachuk. Florida took the lead with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifty-sixth of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers replied with a Brandon Montour goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Barkov and Vladimir Tarasenko. Florida iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Reinhart, his second of the game and fifty-seventh of the campaign, set up by Eetu Luostarinen. The three stars went to Reinhart, Bennett, and Tkachuk, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Way north to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Kyle Connor goal, his thirty-third of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. Seattle tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Jets retook the lead with another Connor goal, his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Morrissey and Scheifele. Winnipeg added on in the second period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Neal Pionk. The Kraken got one back with a Yanni Gourde goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Ryker Evans and Brandon Tanev. Seattle tied it on a Tye Kartye goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Gourde. The Jets regained the lead in the third period with a Toffoli power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Ehlers and Pionk. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Connor, Toffoli, and Ehlers, while Scheifele, Morrissey, Pionk, Gourde, and Tanev get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko guard the cages. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tyler Myers shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Teddy Blueger and Elias Lindholm. The Canucks added on with a Nils Hoglander goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Elias Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Dakota Joshua scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Conor Garland and Myers. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Brayden Pachal goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Nazem Kadri and Ilya Solovyov. The Canucks responded with a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, helped along by Pius Suter. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Myers, Demko (39 for 40 in saves), and Hoglander.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Logan Thompson protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brayden McNabb goal, his fourth of the season, via Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights added on in the third period with a Michael Amadio goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago got on the board with a Jason Dickinson goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. Vegas iced it at 3-1 with a Nicolas Roy empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Brett Howden and Jack Eichel. The three stars belonged to Thompson (23 for 24 in saves), Amadio, and McNabb. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 180

There's eight games this Monday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Alex Lyon are the goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Lane Hutson and David Savard. The Canadiens added on with a Justin Barron goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Josh Anderson and Jake Evans. Detroit got on the board with a J.T. Compher goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat and Ben Chiarot. Montreal replied in the second period with a Rafael Harvey-Pinard goal, his second of the year, passed from Evans and Johnathan Kovacevic. The Canadiens extended the lead as Gallagher scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by Evans. The Red Wings replied with a Compher goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with helpers from David Perron and Patrick Kane. Detroit pulled closer in the third period with a DeBrincat goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Shayne Gostisbehere and Olli Maatta. The Red Wings tied it on a Lucas Raymond goal, his thirtieth of the year, coming off of Perron and Gostisbehere. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Raymond goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the campaign, assisted by Dylan Larkin and Gostisbehere. The three stars were Raymond, Compher, and DeBrincat, while Gostisbehere, Perron, Gallagher, and Evans get the honorable mentions.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Jake Allen are the veterans in goal. New York began in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Pierre Engvall and Anders Lee. The Islanders added on with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Mike Reilly and Brock Nelson. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. New York answered with a Nelson goal, his thirty-third of the year, courtesy of Hudson Fasching and Palmieri. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Kyle MacLean scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Lee and Engvall. This made it 4-1, the final, and the three stars were Palmieri, Nelson, and Lee, while Engvall gets an honorable mention.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Nedeljkovic are in the creases. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his forty-second of the season, powered by Michael Bunting and Bryan Rust. The Penguins added on with an Erik Karlsson goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Crosby and Marcus Pettersson. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twenty-third of the season, via Ryan O'Reilly and Ryan McDonagh. Pittsburgh replied with a Reilly Smith goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Lars Eller and Kris Letang. The Predators got one back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his forty-eighth of the season, courtesy of McDonagh. The Penguins replied with an Emil Bemstrom goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Karlsson and Pettersson. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Crosby, Karlsson, and Pettersson, while McDonagh gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Eric Comrie and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Dylan Cozens goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Jack Quinn and Bowen Byram. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his fortieth of the year, via Nikita Kucherov. The Sabres took the lead back with a Cozens shorthanded goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, set up by Jordan Greenway. Buffalo added on with a Greenway goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Zemgus Girgensons and Tyson Jost. The Lightning got one back with an Erik Cernak goal, his second of the season, helped along by Nick Paul. The Sabres fired back with a Zach Benson goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Quinn and Cozens. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Cozens, Greenway, and Quinn.

Back north, the Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Charlie Lindgren patrol the creases. Washington struck first in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson. The Capitals iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Nic Dowd, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Lindgren (16 save shutout), Carlson, and Dowd.

To New York, as the Rangers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Joonas Korpisalo and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. New York kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jack Roslovic goal, his ninth of the season, via Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on in the second period with a shorthanded Adam Fox goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. New York extended the lead in the third period as Artemi Panarin scored his forty-ninth of the season, thanks to Ryan Lindgren and Fox. The Rangers padded the lead on an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Erik Gustafsson and Panarin. The final was 4-0, and the three stars were Shesterkin (26 save shutout), Fox, and Panarin, while Kreider gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the San Jose Sharks. Devin Cooley and Stuart Skinner receive the starts in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-second of the season, courtesy of Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Brett Kulak. Edmonton extended the lead as Warren Foegele scored his eighteenth of the season, thanks to Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers padded the lead on a Dylan Holloway goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Henrique and Nurse. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Danil Gushchin goal, helped along by Thomas Bordeleau. Edmonton answered with a Foegele goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl. The Oilers continued with a Corey Perry goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Evan Bouchard and Holloway. Edmonton kept going with a Cody Ceci goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Henrique and Zach Hyman. The Oilers struck again with a Bouchard goal, his eighteenth of the year, with helpers from Perry and Holloway. Georgi Romanov replaced Cooley in goal. Edmonton piled on with a Hyman goal, his fifty-fourth of the season, dished from McDavid and Nurse. The Sharks got closer in the third period with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by William Eklund and Mikael Granlund. The final stood at 9-2, with the three stars being Foegele, Holloway, and Henrique, while Hyman, McDavid, Bouchard, Perry, Nurse, and Draisaitl get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Filip Gustavsson and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Matt Boldy power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Marco Rossi and Brock Faber. The Wild added on with a Ryan Hartman goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota extended the lead in the third period as Kaprizov scored his forty-fifth of the season, thanks to Rossi and Jake Middleton. Los Angeles got on the board with a Blake Lizotte goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Kevin Fiala and the goalie Talbot. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Kaprizov, Rossi, and Gustavsson (23 for 24 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 179

There's four games this Sunday, beginning with...

The St. Louis Blues hosting the Seattle Kraken. Joey Daccord and Joel Hofer are in goal. Seattle led off in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Alexey Toropchenko. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Matthew Kessel and Brandon Saad. St. Louis added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Nick Leddy and Nathan Walker. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Walker empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hofer (19 for 20 in saves), Walker, and Kyrou. 

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev and Adin Hill protect the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Ross Colton goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Miles Wood and Cale Makar. The Avalanche added on with a Makar goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen. Colorado extended the lead in the second period as Mikko Rantanen scored his forty-first of the season, thanks to Josh Manson and Valeri Nichushkin. Vegas got on the board in the third period with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of Keegan Kolesar and Noah Hanifin. The Golden Knights got closer with a William Karlsson power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Pavel Dorofeyev and Shea Theodore. Vegas tied it on a Karlsson goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, fueled by Brett Howden and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. The three stars were Karlsson, Makar, and Hertl. 

Back east, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Chicago opened in the first period with a Frank Nazar goal, via Seth Jones. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Martinook and Andrei Svechnikov. The Blackhawks took the lead back in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his second of the year, guided in by Lukas Reichel and Ryan Donato. The Hurricanes retied it on a Seth Jarvis power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, going in unassisted. Carolina took the lead with another Jarvis power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, powered by Brent Burns and Svechnikov. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Sebastian Aho, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, set up by Jake Guentzel. The three stars were Jarvis, Staal, and Nazar.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Dustin Wolf patrol the creases. Arizona started in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Michael Kesselring and the goalie Ingram. The Coyotes added on with a Matias Maccelli goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Josh Brown and Vladislav Kolyachonok. Calgary got on the board with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Nazem Kadri and Martin Pospisil. The Flames tied it on a Matt Coronato goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona retook the lead with a Dylan Guenther power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Sean Durzi and Clayton Keller. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Connor Zary goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Dryden Hunt. The Coyotes regained the lead with a Guenther goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, passed from Jan Jenik and Keller. Arizona extended the lead as Josh Doan scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Jack McBain. The Flames got one back with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his thirty-first of the season, with helpers from Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Kadri goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, made possible by Andersson and Oliver Kylington. The Flames pulled ahead on a Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by MacKenzie Weegar and Kuzmenko. This stood for a 6-5 final score, with the three stars being Kadri, Kuzmenko, and Guenther, while Andersson and Keller get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 178

There's 13 games on for the last Saturday of the regular season. First up...

The New York Rangers host the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. The Rangers got going in the second period with a Braden Schneider shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The Islanders tied it on a Brock Nelson goal, his thirty-first of the year, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Hudson Fasching. The Islanders took the lead with another Nelson goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, passed from Fasching and Palmieri. The Rangers tied it in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his forty-eighth of the year, assisted by Vincent Trocheck. The tie went to a shootout, where Panarin and Trocheck lifted the Rangers to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Panarin, Trocheck, and Nelson, while Palmieri and Fasching get the honorable mentions. 

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Jake Oettinger man the nets. Dallas opened in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on in the second period with a Robertson power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Heiskanen. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Heiskanen scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Joe Pavelski and Thomas Harley. Seattle got on the board with a Kailer Yamamoto goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Tatar. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Heiskanen, Robertson, and Oettinger (26 for 27 in saves).

Along to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Alexandar Georgiev guard the cages. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk. The Jets added on with a Gabriel Vilardi power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey. The Jets extended the lead as Morrissey scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Monahan. The Jets padded the lead on an Adam Lowry goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of David Gustafsson and Dylan DeMelo. Justus Annunen replaced Georgiev in goal. Winnipeg continued in the second period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his thirty-second of the season, guided in by Connor. The Jets kept going with a Monahan goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Morrissey and Ehlers. Winnipeg struck again with a Lowry goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, passed from Gustafsson. The final held at 7-0, with the three stars awarded to Hellebuyck (31 save shutout), Monahan, and Morrissey, while Lowry, Connor, Ehlers, and Gustafsson receive the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New Jersey Devils. Kaapo Kahkonen and Samuel Ersson are set to start in goal. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded Travis Konecny goal, his thirty-third of the season, set up by Scott Laughton and Nick Seeler. The final stood at 1-0, with the three stars being Ersson (20 save shutout), Konecny, and Kahkonen (20 for 21 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Rasmus Dahlin goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Henri Jokiharju and Lukas Rousek. Florida tied it on an Anton Lundell goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Matthew Tkachuk and Nick Cousins. The Panthers took the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Kevin Stenlund goal, his eleventh of the season. The Sabres retied it on a Jack Quinn power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Bowen Byram and Owen Power. Florida won 3-2 in overtime with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Aleksander Barkov. The three stars were Reinhart, Stenlund, and Lundell.

North to DC, as the Washington Capitals bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Charlie Lindgren are between the pipes. Washington began in the first period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Max Pacioretty and Hendrix Lapierre. Tampa Bay tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Brayden Point and Darren Raddysh. The Capitals retook the lead with a Milano goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning tied it on a Brandon Hagel goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli. Washington gained the lead on a John Carlson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on with a Nic Dowd goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Beck Malenstyn and Trevor van Riemsdyk. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Milano, Carlson, and Dowd.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Cayden Primeau and Joonas Korpisalo are the goalies. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Mike Matheson shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, powered by Jake Sanderson and Claude Giroux. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Cole Caufield goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Jayden Struble and David Savard. The Senators tied it again with a Shane Pinto power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Giroux and Tkachuk. Montreal retook the lead with a Caufield power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, guided in by Matheson and Alex Newhook. Ottawa tied it again with another Tkachuk goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirty-seventh of the year, with helpers from Drake Batherson and Sanderson on the power play. The Canadiens took the lead again with a Newhook goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Brendan Gallagher and Savard. The Senators tied it on a Thomas Chabot goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Batherson and Sanderson. The Senators won 5-4 in the shootout with a Batherson goal. The three stars were Tkachuk, Batherson, and Caufield, while Sanderson, Giroux, Newhook, Matheson and Savard get the honorable mentions.

To Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the Detroit Red Wings. James Reimer and Ilya Samsonov start in goal. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. Detroit tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with a Simon Edvinsson goal, assisted by David Perron and Jeff Petry. Detroit added on with a DeBrincat goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of J.T. Compher and Robby Fabbri on the power play. The Red Wings extended the lead as Perron scored his sixteenth of the year, passed from Patrick Kane and Compher. The Maple Leafs got one back in the second period with a Nicholas Robertson goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto got closer with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixty-ninth of the year, made possible by Marner and Rielly. The Maple Leafs tied it on a John Tavares goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, with helpers from Marner. Detroit won 5-4 in overtime with a Larkin goal, his thirty-third of the year, coming off of Kane and Shayne Gostisbehere on the power play. The three stars were DeBrincat, Larkin, and Perron, while Marner, Kane, and Compher get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves and Juuse Saros are the goalies. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with a James Malatesta goal, via Justin Danforth. Nashville tied it on a Tommy Novak goal, his seventeenth of the season, fueled by Luke Evangelista and Roman Josi. The Predators pulled ahead with a Josi power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly. Nashville added on with a Novak goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, passed from Anthony Beauvillier and Ryan McDonagh. The Predators extended the lead in the second period as Cody Glass scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Alexandre Carrier and Mark Jankowski. The Blue Jackets fired back with an Alexandre Texier goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Damon Severson. Nashville replied with a Filip Forsberg goal, his forty-seventh of the year, assisted by Josi and Nyquist. The Predators padded the lead on a Josi goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, helped along by Evangelista and Novak. Columbus got one back with a Trey Fix-Wolansky goal, courtesy of Danforth and Erik Gudbranson. The Blue Jackets got closer with a Fix-Wolanski goal, his second of the game, with helpers from Danforth and Malatesta. The final was 6-4 and the three stars were Josi, Novak, and Fix-Wolansky, while Nyquist, Evangelista, Danforth, and Malatesta get the honorable mentions.

On to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark and Alex Nedeljkovic have the green light to start in goal. Boston cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jake DeBrusk goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Andrew Peeke and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins added on with a Pavel Zacha goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Drew O'Connor and Sidney Crosby. Boston answered with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of David Pastrnak and Zacha. Tristan Jarry replaced Nedeljkovic in goal. The Bruins extended the lead as Brad Marchand scored a shorthanded goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, set up by Coyle. The Penguins shot back with a Michael Bunting power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson. Pittsburgh pulled closer with an O'Connor shorthanded goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Lars Eller. Boston shot back with a Morgan Geekie goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Jakub Lauko and Trent Frederic. The Bruins padded the lead with a Danton Heinen empty net goal, his seventeenth of the season, dished from Pastrnak. The Penguins got one back with a Bunting goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, helped along by Rickard Rakell and Marcus Pettersson. The final held at 6-4, with the three stars given to Zacha, Bunting, and O'Connor, while Pastrnak and Coyle get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Casey DeSmith and Stuart Skinner are in the blue paint. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with a Sam Lafferty goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Zadorov and J.T. Miller. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Pius Suter goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Tyler Myers. Edmonton got on the board with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Connor Brown and Darnell Nurse. Vancouver replied with a Dakota Joshua empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Elias Lindholm and Conor Garland. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars going to DeSmith (32 for 33 in saves), Suter, and Lafferty.

Down in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Jesper Wallstedt and MacKenzie Blackwood play in goal. Minnesota began in the first period with a Matt Boldy goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Kirill Kaprizov and Jake Middleton. San Jose tied it on a Jan Rutta goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Mario Ferraro and Mikael Granlund. The Wild took the lead back with a Declan Chisholm goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jon Merrill and Liam Ohgren. Minnesota added on with an Ohgren goal, with helpers from Jonas Brodin and Marat Khusnutdinov. The Sharks got one back with a Ferraro goal, his third of the year, guided in by William Eklund and Granlund. The Wild answered with a Kaprizov goal, his forty-third of the season, coming off of Brock Faber and Brodin. Minnesota extended the lead on a Kaprizov power play goal, his second of the game and forty-fourth of the year, powered by Joel Eriksson Ek and Boldy. The Wild padded the lead in the third period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Merrill and Alex Goligoski. The final held at 6-2 with Kaprizov, Ohgren, and Boldy receiving the three stars, while Ferraro, Brodin, Merrill, and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks. Lukas Dostal and David Rittich are the backups in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with a Matt Roy goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Blake Lizotte and Akil Thomas. Anaheim got on the board with a Trevor Zegras goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Olen Zellweger and Cam Fowler. Los Angeles replied with a Kevin Fiala goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Trevor Lewis and Drew Doughty. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Rittich (28 for 29 in saves), Roy, and Fiala.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social. 

NHL 2023-24 - Day 177

There's five games for the last Friday of the regular season. First up...

The St. Louis Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Zack Bolduc goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Nick Leddy and Robert Thomas. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Martinook goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Andrei Svechnikov. The Blues retook the lead in the second period with a Jordan Kyrou power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Thomas. The Hurricanes tied it on a Seth Jarvis goal, his thirty-first of the year, passed from Brady Skjei and the goalie Andersen. Carolina pulled ahead in the third period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sebastian Aho and Tony DeAngelo. The Hurricanes added on with a Jake Guentzel empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina iced it at 5-2 with a Guentzel empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Jarvis and Slavin. The three stars were Jarvis, Slavin, and Guentzel, while Thomas gets an honorable mention. 

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Nashville Predators. Kevin Lankinen and Arvid Soderblom are the backups in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his forty-fourth of the season, powered by Luke Evangelista and Tommy Novak. The Predators added on with a Kiefer Sherwood goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Luke Schenn and Spencer Stastney. Nashville added on in the second period with an unassisted Forsberg goal, his second of the game and forty-fifth of the season. The Predators padded the lead on a Jason Zucker power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Roman Josi and the goalie Lankinen. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Connor Bedard and Tyler Johnson. Nashville finished it at 5-1 in the third period with a Forsberg goal, completing his hat trick on his forty-sixth of the year, coming off of Ryan O'Reilly and Evangelista. The three stars were handed to Forsberg, Evangelista, and Sherwood. 

Northwest to Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka and Calvin Pickard are in the blue paint. Arizona led off in the first period with a Josh Doan goal, his fourth of the season, via Jack McBain and Matias Maccelli. Edmonton tied it in the second period on an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Evander Kane and Troy Stecher. The Coyotes retook the lead on a Logan Cooley goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Nick Schmaltz and Sean Durzi. The Oilers tied it in the third period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Warren Foegele and Kane. The Coyotes won 3-2 in overtime with a Maccelli goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Michael Kesselring and Doan. The three stars went to Maccelli, Doan, and Kane.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Calgary Flames. Dustin Wolf and John Gibson are the goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a shorthanded Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Brayden Pachal and Yegor Sharangovich. The Flames added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Martin Pospisil and Oliver Kylington. Calgary extended the lead in the second period as Andrei Kuzmenko scored his nineteenth of the season on the power play, powered by Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar. The Flames padded the lead on a Connor Zary goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Jonathan Huberdeau and Dryden Hunt. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Sam Colangelo goal, with helpers from Isac Lundestrom and Radko Gudas. The Ducks got closer with a Frank Vatrano goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Trevor Zegras and Jackson LaCombe. Anaheim kept going with an Olen Zellweger goal, his second of the year, passed from Cam Fowler and Troy Terry. Calgary shot back on another Kuzmenko power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Huberdeau and Kadri. The Flames continued with a Kuzmenko goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Pospisil and Weegar. The final stood at 6-3, with the three stars going to Kuzmenko, Kadri, and Weegar, while Huberdeau and Pospisil get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury and Logan Thompson protect the nets. Vegas struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Nicolas Roy goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights added on with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Shea Theodore and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas extended the lead on an Eichel power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Stephenson. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Marat Khusnutdinov power play goal, helped along by Brock Faber and Marcus Johansson. The Golden Knights replied with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his forty-second of the year, guided in by Stephenson and Hanifin. Vegas padded the elad in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Zach Whitecloud and Stephenson. The Wild shot back with a Ryan Hartman goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Matt Boldy and Jonas Brodin. The Golden Knights replied with a William Karlsson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, passed from Paul Cotter and Anthony Mantha. Vegas padded the lead on a Keegan Kolesar goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Roy and Dorofeyev. The final stayed at 7-2, with the three stars given to Stephenson, Eichel, and Roy, while Dorofeyev and Hanifin get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 176

There's 10 games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Washington Capitals. Charlie Lindgren and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are set to start in goal. Buffalo kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Zach Benson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Peyton Krebs. The Sabres added on with an Alex Tuch goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Henri Jokiharju and Tage Thompson. Washington got on the board with a Connor McMichael goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Max Pacioretty and John Carlson. Buffalo replied in the third period with a Jack Quinn goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Connor Clifton and Jordan Greenway. The Sabres extended the lead on a Dylan Cozens empty net goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Greenway and Jokiharju. The Capitals got one back with a Tom Wilson goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Carlson and Alex Ovechkin. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Greenway, Jokiharju, and Carlson.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nick Cousins. The Panthers added on with an Evan Rodrigues goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, passed from Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida extended the lead as Sam Reinhart scored his fifty-fourth of the season, thanks to Aleksander Barkov and Ekman-Larsson. The Panthers padded the lead on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Gustav Forsling in the third period. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars being Bobrovsky (25 save shutout), Tkachuk, and Ekman-Larsson.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Alex Lyon and Alex Nedeljkovic man the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Drew O'Connor goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. Detroit tied it on a Lucas Raymond goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Alex DeBrincat. The Penguins took the lead back with a Kris Letang goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Michael Bunting and Rickard Rakell. The Red Wings tied it on a Raymond power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, powered by DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin. Pittsburgh gained the lead in the second period with a Crosby goal, his forty-first of the season, guided in by Rust and Reilly Smith. The Penguins added on with a Rust goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Smith. Detroit got one back with a Jeff Petry goal, his third of the season, made possible by Moritz Seider and Daniel Sprong. Pittsburgh answered in the third period with a Jeff Carter shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Red Wings pulled one back on a Larkin goal, his thirty-second of the season, coming off of Raymond and J.T. Compher. Detroit tied it as Raymond completed his hat trick on his twenty-ninth of the year, thanks to Larkin and DeBrincat. The Penguins won 6-5 in overtime with an Erik Karlsson goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Crosby and Rickard Rakell. The three stars were Crosby, Rust, and Raymond, while Rakell, Smith, Larkin, and DeBrincat get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson and Jonathan Quick receive the starts in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Cam York goal, his tenth of the season, via Travis Konecny. New York tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his forty-seventh of the year, powered by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with a Bobby Brink goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Ryan Poehling. Philadelphia added on with a Konecny goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Poehling. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period as Noah Cates scored his sixth of the season, coming off of Sean Couturier and Travis Sanheim. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Konecny, Poehling, and Ersson (24 for 25 in saves).

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Anton Forsberg and Matt Tomkins are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Brady Tkachuk goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, made possible by Jakob Chychrun. Tampa Bay tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The Lightning took the lead on a Point goal, his forty-fifth of the season, coming off of Sheary and Kucherov. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Drake Batherson goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot. The tie went to a shootout, where Tkachuk's lone tally won it 3-2 for the Senators. The three stars were Tkachuk, Point, and Sheary, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the New Jersey Devils. Jake Allen and Ilya Samsonov protect the nets. Toronto started in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Mitchell Marner. New Jersey tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixty-seventh of the season, coming off of Max Domi and TJ Brodie. The Devils tied it on an unassisted Nolan Foote goal. New Jersey gained the lead with a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Matthews goal, his second of the game and sixty-eighth of the season, made possible by Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Maple Leafs gained the lead on a David Kampf goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Connor Dewar. The Devils tied it again with a Meier power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Nico Hischier. New Jersey gained the lead with a Bratt power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with assists provided by Hughes and Meier. Toronto tied it on a Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Morgan Rielly and Marner. The Devils took the lead back with an unassisted Bratt goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year. The final was 6-5, and the three stars were Bratt, Meier, and Matthews, while Tavares, Hughes, Marner, and Domi get the honorable mentions.

Stateside, the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Semyon Varlamov are in the blue paint. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with a Jordan Harris goal, his third of the season, via Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. New York tied it on a Pierre Engvall goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period with a Caufield goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Johnathan Kovacevic and Mike Matheson. The Islanders tied it with a Casey Cizikas goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Pelech and Ryan Pulock. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, courtesy of Brock Nelson. The three stars belonged to Pelech, Caufield, and Palmieri.

To Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Jake Oettinger are the masked men. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Jets added on in the second period with a David Gustafsson goal, his third of the year, coming off of Dylan Samberg and Mason Appleton. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with a Mark Scheifele empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Kyle Connor and Appleton. The three stars were Brossoit (24 save shutout), Ehlers, and Appleton.

Up in Seattle, the Kraken bring in the San Jose Sharks. Devin Cooley and Joey Daccord are the goalies. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Luke Kunin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Henry Thrun and Klim Kostin. Seattle tied it on a Brian Dumoulin goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jordan Eberle. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period with a Kyle Burroughs goal, his second of the season, assisted by William Eklund. San Jose added on with a Fabian Zetterlund goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Eklund. This stood for a 3-1 final score, with the three stars given to Cooley (49 for 50 in saves), Eklund, and Burroughs.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Los Angeles cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his third of the year, assisted by Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. Los Angeles extended the lead as Akil Thomas scored his third of the season, thanks to Matt Roy. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Daniil Miromanov and Connor Zary. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, set up by Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The three stars were Arvidsson, Kopitar, and Talbot (23 for 24 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.

NHL 2023-24 - Day 175

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

The St. Louis Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek and Joel Hofer man the nets. St. Louis began in the first period with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, via Nick Leddy and the goalie Hofer. The Blues added on with a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, courtesy of Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis extended the lead as Torey Krug scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matthew Kessel and Nikita Alexandrov. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek in goal. The Blues padded the lead on a Zack Bolduc goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his seventeenth of the season, guided in by Kevin Korchinski. St. Louis replied with a Thomas goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Schenn and Bolduc. The Blackhawks answered with a Landon Slaggert goal, coming off of Ryan Donato and MacKenzie Entwistle. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Kyrou, Thomas, and Bolduc, while Schenn gets an honorable mention.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Adin Hill and Stuart Skinner protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Cody Ceci goal, his fourth of the season, via Ryan McLeod and Darnell Nurse. The Oilers added on with a Mattias Ekholm goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from McLeod and Corey Perry in the second period. Edmonton extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his fifty-third of the season, thanks to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers padded the lead on a Draisaitl power play goal in the third period, his forty-first of the year, powered by Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman. Vegas got on the board with a Keegan Kolesar shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Noah Hanifin and William Karlsson. Edmonton answered with a Dylan Holloway goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Hyman, Draisaitl, and McLeod, while Nugent-Hopkins gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Connor Ingram and Arturs Silovs are the inexperienced goalies. Arizona got going in the second period with a Josh Brown goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dylan Guenther and Vladislav Kolyachonok. Vancouver tied it on a J.T. Miller goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, via Tyler Myers and Quinn Hughes. The Coyotes pulled ahead again with a Kolyachonok goal, courtesy of Lawson Crouse and Guenther. Arizona added on in the third period with a Guenther goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Logan Cooley. The Canucks got one back with a Conor Garland goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Nils Hoglander and Hughes. Vancouver tied it on an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Hughes. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime with a Cooley goal, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Guenther and Sean Durzi. The three stars were Guenther, Cooley, and Kolyachonok, while Hughes gets an honorable mention. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0 and on Bluesky @outsidersports0.bsky.social.