Saturday, April 9, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 177

It's Super Saturday for the NHL, but the regular season finale is tomorrow with two make-up games. For today, all teams are playing. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Andrew Hammond and Jonas Gustavsson are the backups in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Brad Marchand and Max Talbot. Ottawa tied it on a Chris Neil goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, via Nick Paul and Ryan Dzingel. The Senators took the lead with a Zack Smith goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Frederik Claesson. Ottawa added on with a Matt Puempel, his second of the year, courtesy of Philip Varone and Buddy Robinson. The Senators extended the lead as Mika Zibanejad scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Mike Hoffman. Ottawa padded the lead in the third period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau shorthanded empty net goal, his nineteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Senators kept going with a shorthanded empty net goal by Smith, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Pageau. The three stars went to Smith, Pageau, and Hammond (39 for 40 in saves).

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. New York started in the first period with a Dan Boyle goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Chris Kreider. Detroit added on with a Riley Sheahan power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Green in the second period. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Dylan McIlrath and Oscar Lindberg. New York added on with a Lindberg goal, his thirteenth of the year, going into the empty net passed from Jesper Fast and Kevin Klein. The Red Wings got one back with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Brad Richards and Henrik Zetterberg. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Lindberg, Raanta (31 for 33 in saves), and Hayes.

Along to the Battle of Pennsylvania, with the Philadelphia Flyers bringing in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Steve Mason draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh opened with a Nick Bonino goal in the first period, his ninth of the season, helped along by Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel. Jeff Zatkoff had to replaced an injured Murray in goal. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his thirty-first of the year, via Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with another Simmonds goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, fueled by Shayne Gostisbehere and Mark Streit. Philadelphia iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Simmonds, Mason (18 for 19 in saves), and Bonino.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Anaheim began in the first period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Chris Stewart and Corey Perry. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Ryan Garbutt scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Perry and Nick Ritchie. Colorado got on the board with a Nick Holden goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Erik Johnson. The Avalanche pulled closer with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Gabriel Landeskog. The Ducks answered with a Ryan Getzlaf power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Perry and Shea Theodore, the former earning a sock trick. Anaheim padded the lead with Silfverberg's second of the game and twentieth of the season, helped along by Kesler and Cogliano. Colorado got one back with a Zach Redmond power play goal, his second of the year, guided in by Mikhail Grigorenko and Andrew Agozzino. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Silfverberg, Perry, and Kesler, while Cogliano gets an honorable mention.

Back northeast, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mike Condon. Montreal drew first blood in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, via Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Lars Eller and Alexei Emelin. Montreal extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Galchenyuk and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens padded the lead with a Galchenyuk power play goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, powered by Pacioretty and Markov. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning got closer with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Matthew Carle and Palat. Montreal capped it at 5-2 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the campaign, set up by Gallagher. The three stars went to Galchenyuk, Pacioretty, and Palat, while Markov and Gallagher get the honorable mentions.

South to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Cory Schneider man the nets. Toronto struck first in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Brooks Laich and Andrew Campbell. New Jersey tied it on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Pavel Zacha. The Devils took the lead with a second period goal by Adam Henrique, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Adam Larsson and Patrik Elias. New Jersey added on with a Henrique goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, courtesy of Tuomo Ruutu. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Kyle Palmieri scored an empty net goal, his thirtieth of the season, set up by Elias and Zacha. New Jersey iced it at 5-1 with an Elias goal, his second of the year, coming off of Palmieri. The three stars belonged to Elias, Henrique, and Palmieri, while Zacha gets an honorable mention.

Further south, the Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Roberto Luongo draw the starts in goal. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Teddy Purcell goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Rocco Grimaldi. The Panthers added on with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Nick Bjugstad and Dmitry Kulikov. Florida extended the lead as Aaron Ekblad scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Hudler and Purcell. The Panthers padded the lead with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal in the second period, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov. Carolina got on the board with an Elias Lindholm goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes pulled closer with a Staal goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, a power play goal powered by Noah Hanifin and Lindholm. Florida iced it at 5-2 with a Reilly Smith empty net goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, set up by Jokinen. The three stars went to Purcell, Jokinen, and Hudler, while Staal and Lindholm get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Chicago cracked the sccoresheet in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his forty-fifth of the season, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Dennis Rasmussen. The Blackhawks added on with a Panarin power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago extended the lead as Panarin scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, going in unassisted. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Saad. The Blue Jackets got closer with an unassisted Matt Calvert goal, his eleventh of the season. Columbus tied it on a Saad goal, his thirty-first of the year, helped along by Wennberg and Hartnell. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with a Wennberg goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Hartnell and Ryan Murray. The Blackhawks tied it with Kane's second of the game and forty-sixth of the year, made possible by Marcus Kruger and Seabrook. Columbus won 5-4 in overtime with a Harnell power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the campaign, with assists provided by Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones. The three stars belonged to Hartnell, Wennberg, and Saad, while Kane, Panarin, and Seabrook get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, with the Wild bringing in the Calgary Flames. Niklas Backstrom faces his former team and Devan Dubnyk in goal. Darcy Kuemper replaced Dubnyk halfway through the game. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Zac Dalpe goal, made possible by Ryan Carter and Christian Folin. Calgary tied it in the third period with a Brandon Bollig goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Drew Shore and Turner Elson. The Flames took the lead with a Patrick Sieloff goal, set up by Mikael Backlund and Micheal Ferland. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Backstrom (35 for 36 in saves), Sieloff, and Bollig.

Back east, the New York Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Christopher Gibson are the unknown goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Scott Mayfield goal, assisted by Casey Cizikas and Steve Bernier. Buffalo tied it on a Matt Moulson goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. The Sabres took the lead with an Evan Rodrigues goal, via Ryan O'Reilly and Nicolas Deslauriers. The Islanders retied it in the second period with an Alan Quine shorthanded goal, set up by Bracken Kearns. Buffalo took the lead with a Brian Gionta goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Hudson Fasching and Josh Gorges. New York tied it as John Tavares scored his thirty-third of the season, fueled by Calvin de Haan. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with a Gionta goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with helpers from Mark Pysyk and Rodrigues. The three stars were named as Gionta, Rodrigues, and Quine.

Into Texas, where the Dallas Stars welcome the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Antti Niemi are in the creases. Nashville led off in the first period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators added on with a Calle Jarnkrok power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Filip Forsberg and James Neal in the second period. Dallas got on the board with a Jason Spezza goal, his thirty-first of the season, guided in by Valeri Nichushkin and Johnny Oduya. The Stars tied it on a Spezza power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, via Jamie Benn and Patrick Sharp. Dallas took the lead as Spezza completed his natural hat trick in the third period on his thirty-third of the campaign, assisted by John Klingberg and Alex Goligoski. This made it a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Spezza, Niemi (28 for 30 in saves), and Ellis.

Backtracking to St. Louis, with the Blues bringing in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Brian Elliott tend the twines. St. Louis began in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fortieth of the season, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-eighth of the year, coming off of John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals took the lead with Ovechkin's second of the game and forty-ninth of the season, helped along by Backstrom. Washington added on in the second period with a Carlson goal, his eighth of the year, via Tom Wilson and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals extended the lead as Jason Chimera scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Washington padded the lead with Ovechkin completing his hat trick on his fiftieth of the year, with helpers from Backstrom, who got a sock trick, and T.J. Oshie. This produced a 5-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Carlson.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Jonathan Quick are the veteran goalies. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his thirty-first of the season, helped along by Jeff Carter and Dustin Brown. The Kings added on with a Tanner Pearson goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Milan Lucic and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Andy Andreoff scored his eighth of the season, an unassisted goal. Winnipeg got on the board with an Andrew Copp goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Nic Petan and Joel Armia. The Jets got closer with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg tied it with a Wheeler goal in the third period, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Ehlers. The Jets won 4-3 in the shootout with a Scheifele goal. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Ehlers.

Crossing into Canada, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jacob Markstrom are the younger goalies. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Derek Dorsett goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Bartkowski. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his third of the year, via Nail Yakupov and Lauri Korpikoski. The Canucks retook the lead in the third period with an Emerson Etem goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Dorsett. The Oilers tied it again on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Taylor Hall and Iiro Pakarinen. Vancouver took the lead with a Jannik Hansen goal, his twenty-second of the season, helped along by Bartkowski and Alex Biega. Edmonton tied it as Patrick Maroon scored his twelfth of the year on the power play, powered by Yakupov and Mark Letestu. In the shootout, Nugent-Hopkins matched Alexandre Burrows, as did Jake Virtanen of the Canucks for Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers, and then Etem won it 4-3 for Vancouver. The three stars went to Etem, Dorsett, and Bartkowski, while Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Martin Jones are between the pipes. San Jose got going in the third period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars handed to Pavelski, Jones (20 save shutout), and Smith (31 for 32 in saves).

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Friday, April 8, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 176

It's a bit of a tiny post here, with just one game tonight. The Buffalo Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets, with Joonas Korpisalo and Jason Kasdorf as the goalies. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Calvert goal, his tenth of the season coming on the power play from Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Murray. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Jack Eichel and Matt Moulson. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Nick Foligno goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Boone Jenner and Josh Anderson. Columbus added on with a Dalton Prout goal, his third of the year, via William Karlsson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his thirtieth of the season in the third period, thanks to Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand. This held for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Korpisalo (34 for 35 in saves), Foligno, and Saad.

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 175

A big thirteen games tonight for the NHL, beginning with...

The biggest game of the night, as the Boston Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Tuukka Rask are the veterans in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his fourteenth of the season, via John-Michael Liles and Colin Miller. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, fueled by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Krug scored his fourth of the season on the power play, powered by Loui Eriksson and David Krejci. Detroit got on the board with an Alexey Marchenko goal, his second of the year, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. The Bruins shot back in the third period with a Lee Stempniak goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Krug and Marchand. Boston padded the lead with an Eriksson goal, his thirtieth of the year, courtesy of Krejci and Ryan Spooner. Petr Mrazek took over for Howard at this point. The Red Wings got one back with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his ninth of the campaign, with helpers from Marchenko and Kyle Quincey. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Marchand, Krug, and Eriksson, while Marchenko and Krejci get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren is mismatched with Cam Ward in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Riley Nash goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask. Montreal tied it on a Darren Dietz goal, made possible by Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Noah Hanifin goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jordan Staal and Joakim Nordstrom. The Canadiens tied it again with a Pacioretty goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with a lone helper by Andrei Markov. Montreal took the lead with a Daniel Carr goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens iced it at 4-2 with a third period goal by Lars Eller, his thirteenth of the campaign, assisted by Dietz and Plekanec. The three stars went to Dietz, Pacioretty, and Plekanec.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Keith Kinkaid are the alliterative goalies. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Erik Condra goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Andrej Sustr and Brian Boyle. New Jersey tied it in the second period with a Sergey Kalinin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by John Moore and Stephen Gionta. The Lightning took the lead back with a Cedric Paquette goal, his sixth of the campaign, via Valtteri Filppula and Matthew Carle. Tampa Bay added on with a Jonathan Drouin goal in the third period, his third of the season, made possible by Vladislav Namestnikov. The Devils pulled back with a Kalinin goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Bobby Farnham and Gionta. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Filppula empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Nikita Kucherov and Carle. The three stars were Kalinin, Filppula, and Carle, while Gionta received an honorable mention.

Over to New York, as the Rangers host cross-town rivals in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Henrik Lundqvist are between the pipes. The Islanders got going with a Shane Prince goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Marek Zidlicky and Steve Bernier. The Islanders added on with a Casey Cizikas goal, his eighth of the year, via Prince and Brock Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead as Frans Nielsen scored his twentieth of the season on the power play, powered by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. Antti Raanta replaced Lundqvist for the third period. The Rangers got on the board in the third period with a Kevin Klein goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Derek Stepan and Keith Yandle. The Islanders capped it at 4-1 with a Tavares empty net goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, set up by Okposo. The three stars went to Greiss (36 for 37 in saves), Prince, and Tavares, while Okposo gets an honorable mention.

West to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Steve Mason draw the starts. Toronto started in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Martin Marincin and Colin Greening. The Maple Leafs added on with a Greening goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Nylander and Tobias Lindberg. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Sam Gagner and Sean Couturier. Toronto shot back with an unassisted Michael Grabner goal, his ninth of the year. The Flyers shot back with an Andrew MacDonald goal, helped along by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Mark Streit and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime on a Jake Gardiner power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Nylander. The three stars went to Nylander, Greening, and Gardiner.

Into DC, where the Capitals bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Matt Cullen goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Tom Kuhnhackl. The Penguins added on with a shorthanded goal by Cullen in the second period, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Oskar Sundqvist and Tom Sestito. Washington got on the board with a Marcus Johansson goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from John Carlson and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals chipped closer in the third period with a Johansson goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, assisted by Matt Niskanen and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington tied it on a Burakovsky goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Carlson and Justin Williams. The Penguins won 4-3 with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, via Kris Letang. The three stars were awarded to Cullen, Johansson, and Burakovsky, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

Up in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Craig Anderson protect the nets. Ottawa was first to score in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Chris Wideman and Erik Karlsson. The Senators added on in the second period with a Buddy Robinson goal, via Cody Ceci and Chris Neil. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Alex Petrovic. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with a Ceci goal, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ceci, Anderson (33 for 34 in saves), and Robinson.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Pekka Rinne play goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with an Antoine Vermette goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Zbynek Michalek and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Brad Richardson and Ekman-Larsson. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Craig Smith and Filip Forsberg. The Predators tied it as Forsberg scored his thirty-third of the year, thanks to Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime with a Josi goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by James Neal and Johansen. The three stars went to Josi, Forsberg, and Johansen, while Ekman-Larsson gets the honorable mention.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Scott Darling are the goalies. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Patrick Kane and Trevor van Riemsdyk. St. Louis tied it with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the third period, his thirty-eighth of the year, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and thirty-ninth of the campaign, made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny.

South to Dallas, with the Stars hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Kari Lehtonen in goal. Dallas opened in the first period with a Jason Dickinson goal, assisted by Valeri Nichushkin. The Stars added on in the second period with a Colton Sceviour power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Patrick Sharp and John Klingberg. Dallas extended the lead as Jordie Benn scored a power play goal, his third of the year, with the help of Ales Hemsky and Radek Faksa. Colorado got on the board with a Francois Beauchemin goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, via Gabriel Landeskog and John Mitchell. The Stars shot back with an Antoine Roussel empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Hemsky and Faksa. The Avalanche answered with a Shawn Matthias goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Jarome Iginla and Mitchell. The three stars belonged to Hemsky, Faksa, and Mitchell.

Crossing into Canada again, the Calgary Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Joni Ortio are the uninspiring goalies. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Jakub Nakladal and T.J. Brodie. Vancouver tied it on a Nikita Tryamkin goal, passed from Henrik Sedin and Ben Hutton. The Canucks took the lead with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Christopher Tanev and Dan Hamhuis. The Flames tied it again with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Micheal Ferland and Jyrki Jokipakka. Calgary took the lead back with a second period Backlund goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by Matt Stajan and Joe Colborne. Vancouver tied it again with an Emerson Etem goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Hutton and Horvat. The Flames edged ahead with a Colborne power play goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, helped along by Hamilton and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary added on with Backlund's shorthanded goal to complete his hat trick on his twenty-first of the season, set up by Stajan and Mark Giordano. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Deryk Engelland scored his third of the year, thanks to Stajan and Colborne, the former getting a sock trick. Calgary made it 7-3 with a Sam Bennett goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Josh Jooris. The three stars were awarded to Backlund, Stajan, and Colborne, while Hamilton, Hutton, and Horvat get the honorable mentions.

Down in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Anaheim started in the first period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Jakob Silfverberg. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a Milan Lucic goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Tanner Pearson and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead on a Kris Versteeg goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Brayden McNabb and Kyle Clifford. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Versteeg, Lucic, and Quick (19 for 20 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Martin Jones have the green light to play goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl. Winnipeg tied it on a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The Sharks took the lead back with a Thornton power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, helped along by Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. San Jose added on with a Paul Martin power play goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Joel Ward. The Jets pulled back with an Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Byfuglien and Nic Petan. Winnipeg tied it on a Wheeler goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, made possible by Scheifele and Byfuglien, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sharks regained the lead in the third period with a Marleau goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Melker Karlsson and Nick Spaling. The Jets evened the score with a Scheifele power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, fueled by Nikolaj Ehlers and Petan. Winnipeg won 5-4 with a late Byfuglien goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, with helpers from Drew Stafford and Marko Dano. The three stars went to Byfuglien, Scheifele, and Wheeler, while Thornton, Marleau, and Petan get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, April 6, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 174

Three games on for a calm day, beginning with...

The farewell to Rexall Place, as the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot are the goalies. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nail Yakupov goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Mark Fayne. The Oilers added on with a Patrick Maroon goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton extended the lead as Connor McDavid scored his sixteenth of the season on the power play, powered by Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Matt Bartkowski goal, his sixth of the year, via Alex Biega and Jared McCann. The Oilers shot back with a Maroon goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, fueled by Eberle and McDavid. Edmonton padded the lead as Hall scored his twenty-sixth of the year, thanks to Adam Pardy and Iiro Pakarinen. The Canucks answered with a Bo Horvat goal, his fifteenth of the season, guided in by Emerson Etem and Derek Dorsett. The Oilers shot back with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, with assists provided by Hall and McDavid. This produced a 6-2 final, with the three stars given to Maroon, McDavid, and Hall, while Eberle gets an honorable mention.

East to Toronto, with the Maple Leafs welcoming the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Garret Sparks are in goal. Toronto got going in the second period with a Morgan Rielly shorthanded goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Frederik Gauthier and Brooks Laich. Columbus tied it with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Oliver Bjorkstrand. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert. Columbus added on in the third period with a Bjorkstrand goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Saad and Alexander Wennberg. Columbus extended the lead as Calvert scored his ninth of the year, with the help of Atkinson. The Blue Jackets padded the lead with a Dubinsky goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Calvert and Ryan Murray. The final was 5-1, with the three stars going to Dubinsky, Calvert, and Bjorkstrand, while Saad and Atkinson get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Jimmy Howard are the solid goalies. Detroit drew first blood in the first period with a Darren Helm goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Red Wings added on in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou shorthanded and unassisted goal, his eighth of the year. Detroit iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Kyle Quincey, his fourth of the campaign, set up by the goalie Howard. The three stars were Howard (30 save shutout), Athanasiou, and Helm.

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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 173

It's a big night as the season winds down, with eleven games filling the schedule. The first is in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Jaccob Slavin goal, his second of the season, passed from Justin Faulk and Nathan Gerbe. Boston tied it with a Loui Eriksson goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by John-Michael Liles in the third period. The tie went to a shootout, where the Hurricanes' Noah Hanifin scored the lone tally for a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Ward (35 for 36 in saves), Rask (27 for 28 in saves), and Slavin.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Cory Schneider protect the nets. Buffalo got going in the second period with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on with a Johan Larsson goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. New Jersey got on the board with a Jacob Josefson power play goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tyler Kennedy and Kyle Palmieri. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Eichel, his twenty-fourth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Eichel, Johnson (18 for 19 in saves), and Larsson.

Along to DC, where the Washington Capitals bring in the New York Islanders. Christopher Gibson is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Washington led off in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-sixth of the season, passed from T.J. Oshie and Marcus Johansson. New York tied it in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Thomas Hickey and Kyle Okposo. The Capitals took the lead back with an Oshie goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Johansson and John Carlson in the third period. Washington added on with another Ovechkin, his second of the game and forty-seventh of the year, guided in by Oshie and Johansson, the latter getting a sock trick. The Islanders answered with an Okposo goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Tavares and Frans Nielsen. New York tied it as Anders Lee scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Nick Leddy and Ryan Strome. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with a Hickey goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Tavares and Strome. The three stars went to Hickey, Tavares, and Ovechkin, while Okposo, Oshie, Johansson, and Strome get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Mike Condon receive the starting nods. Florida began in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, courtesy of Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal in the second period, his twenty-eighth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. The Panthers took the lead back with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Jagr. Florida added on in the third period with a Greg McKegg goal, his second of the year, via Shawn Thornton and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers extended the lead as Jiri Hudler scored his sixteenth of the campaign, with the help of Purcell and Jakub Kindl. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), Jagr, and Purcell.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Henrik Lundqvist are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Andrej Sustr goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Vladislav Namestnikov and Jonathan Marchessault. The Lightning added on with an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. New York tied it on a Derek Stepan power play goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mats Zuccarello and Keith Yandle. The Rangers tied it in the third period with another Stepan goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, guided in by Zuccarello and Kevin Klein. New York took the lead with a Chris Kreider goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, passed from Marc Staal and Stepan. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars awarded to Stepan, Zuccarello, and Kreider.

Into Canada again, where the Ottawa Senators bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Andrew Hammond are the little-known goalies. Ottawa started in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators added on with a Hoffman goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, fueled by Ben Harpur and Chris Wideman in the second period. Ottawa extended the lead as Zack Smith scored his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Fredrik Claesson. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Nick Bonino and Justin Schultz. The Penguins pulled closer with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, guided in by Hornqvist and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Bonino. The Penguins took the lead with a Hagelin goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Bonino. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Crosby empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, set up by Letang and Chris Kunitz. The three stars went to Hagelin, Bonino, and Crosby, while Hornqvist, Letang, and Hoffman get the honorable mentions.

South to Nashville, with the Predators hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Colin Wilson goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by James Neal and Ryan Johansen. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Johansen and Shea Weber. Colorado got on the board with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his eleventh of the season, via Tyson Barrie and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Shawn Matthias and Duchene. Nashville took the lead in the third period with a Mike Fisher goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Wilson. Colorado tied it again with a Matthias goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Zach Redmond and John Mitchell. The Predators took the lead with a Craig Smith goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with helpers from Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars handed to Wilson, Forsberg, Matthias, while Johansen and Duchene get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Devan Dubnyk are the quality goalies. San Jose drew first blood in the first period with a Logan Couture goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Brenden Dillon and Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Couture and Joe Thornton. San Jose extended the lead as Marleau scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign in the third period, with the help of Melker Karlsson and Dillon. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars going to Marleau, Couture, and Reimer (29 save shutout), while Dillon gets an honorable mention.

Along to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Scott Darling are the mediocre goalies. Chicago led off in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his sixth of the season, via Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks added on with a Toews shorthanded and unassisted goal, his twenty-seventh of the year. Chicago extended the lead in the second period with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his forty-fourth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks padded the lead as Andrew Ladd scored his twenty-fourth of the year on the power play, thanks to Trevor van Riemsdyk and Panarin. Chicago kept going with a Ladd power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, helped along by Kane and Panarin, the latter getting a natural sock trick. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Connor Murphy goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Jiri Sekac. The Blackhawks fired back with an Andrew Desjardins goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Marcus Kruger and Michal Rozsival. The Coyotes got closer with a Brad Richardson goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Shane Doan and Max Domi. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars being named as Toews, Panarin, and Ladd, while Kane gets an honorable mention.

Into Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the Los Angeles Kings. Jhonas Enroth and Joni Ortio receive the green lights to play goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Joe Colborne and Deryk Engelland. Los Angeles tied it with a Milan Lucic goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Anze Kopitar and Jake Muzzin. The Kings took the lead in the second period with a Lucic goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Flames tied it with a Hunter Shinkaruk goal, his second of the season, assisted by Mark Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary took the lead in the third period with a Giordano power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Los Angeles tied it again with an Andy Andreoff goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The Flames pulled ahead with an Engelland goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Micheal Ferland and Colborne. The Kings tied it on a Kris Versteeg goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Jamie McBain and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Lucic, Giordano, and Engelland, while Colborne, Gaudreau, and Kopitar get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and John Gibson are the young goalies. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet with a first period Corey Perry power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. Winnipeg tied it in the third period with a Marko Dano goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Jacob Trouba and Alex Burmistrov. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars were Wheeler, Dano, and Hutchinson (27 for 28 in saves).

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Monday, April 4, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 172

Five games on today, beginning in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Thomas Greiss in goal. New York began in the first period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kyle Okposo and John Tavares. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with an Alex Killorn goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Nikita Kucherov and Matthew Carle. The Islanders took the lead back with a Matt Martin goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. New York added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, fueled by Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders extended the lead as Tavares scored his thirtieth of the season, a power play goal powered by Frans Nielsen and Okposo. The Lightning answered on a Victor Hedman goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Carle and Vladislav Namestnikov. New York padded their lead on a Johnny Boychuk goal in the third period, his ninth of the season, made possible by Tavares. Andrei Vasilevskiy replaced Bishop in goal. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars awarded to Tavares, Okposo, and Carle.

West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets welcoming in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Joonas Korpisalo are in the blue paint. New York started in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by Derek Stepan and the goalie Lundqvist. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Dan Boyle goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Columbus got on the board with a Nick Foligno goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by David Savard and Oliver Bjorkstrand. New York replied with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Kreider. The Blue Jackets pulled back in the third period with a Foligno goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, via Seth Jones and Jared Boll. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal from Stepan, his twentieth of the year, an unassisted. The three stars went to Kreider, Foligno, and Stepan.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Jonathan Bernier draw the starts. Florida got going in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Aaron Ekblad and Reilly Smith. The Panthers added on with a Rocco Grimaldi goal, his second of the year, assisted by Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell. Florida extended the lead as Grimaldi scored his second of the game and third of the season, with the help of Smith. Toronto got on the board with a Colin Greening power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, powered by William Nylander and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs got closer with a T.J. Brennan goal, made possible by Rich Clune and Brad Boyes. The Panthers countered with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau and Ekblad. Toronto shot back with a Greening goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Tyler Bozak and P.A. Parenteau. The final stayed at 4-3, with the three stars going to Grimaldi, Greening, and Ekblad, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with an Antoine Vermette goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Connor Murphy and Alex Tanguay. The Coyotes added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Tanguay and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. St. Louis got on the board in the second period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko. The Blues tied it with a shorthanded Kyle Brodziak goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, set up by Pietrangelo. St. Louis took the lead with an unassisted Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirty-seventh of the season. The Blues extended the lead as Patrik Berglund scored a power play goal, his tenth of the year, with the help of Tarasenko and Kevin Shattenkirk. St. Louis capped it at 5-2 with Brodziak's second of the game and seventh of the campaign, made possible by Robert Bortuzzo and Carl Gunnarsson. The three stars belonged to Brodziak, Tarasenko, and Pietrangelo, while Tanguay gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller are the American goalies. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. Vancouver tied it with an Emerson Etem goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Derek Dorsett and Bo Horvat. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his third of the season, helped along by Andy Andreoff. The Canucks tied it again with a Jannik Hansen power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Vancouver took the lead with a Jared McCann goal, his ninth of the season, an unassisted goal. This stood for the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars handed to McCann, Hansen, and Etem.

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Sunday, April 3, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 171

After today, there's only a week of games left for the regular season. Fear not, for I will dutifully cover the playoffs with additional editorials throughout as well. Today, there are five games, beginning with...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Scott Darling in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks added on with an unassisted Patrick Kane goal, his forty-first of the year. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored his second of the game and forty-second of the season in the second period, with the help of Anisimov and Panarin. The Blackhawks chased Rask with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, assisted by Marian Hossa and Andrew Ladd. Jonas Gustavsson replaced Rask in goal. Chicago padded the lead on a Panarin goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, helped along by Kane and Anisimov. The Blackhawks continued as Kane finished his hat trick with his forty-third of the year, a power play goal made possible by Panarin, who got a sock trick, and Seabrook. Boston got on the board with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirteenth of the season, with helpers from David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. The Bruins pulled closer with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Adam McQuaid and Brad Marchand. Boston edged closer in the third period with a Bergeron goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the season, coming off of Loui Eriksson and Torey Krug. The Bruins kept charging with a Marchand goal, his thirty-sixth of the year, driven in by Krug and Bergeron. The final held at 6-4, with the three stars going to Kane, Panarin, and Bergeron, while Marchand, Anisimov, Seabrook, and Krug get the honorable mentions.

Into a Battle of Pennsylvania, as the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome their eastern neighbors, the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Matt Murray receive the starting nods in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. The Penguins added on with a Beau Bennett goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Conor Sheary and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Patric Hornqvist scored his twenty-first of the season in the second period, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia got on the board with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, via Claude Giroux and Andrew MacDonald. The Penguins replied in the third period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Nick Bonino and Letang. The Flyers answered with a Jakub Voracek goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists by Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier. Pittsburgh countered with an Eric Fehr goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Matt Cullen and Tom Kuhnhackl. The Penguins iced it at 6-2 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Fehr, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Cullen. The three stars were Fehr, Letang, and Cullen.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. St. Louis opened in the first period with a David Backes power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his third of the year, fueled by Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer. St. Louis extended the lead as Colton Parayko scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Alexander Steen and Tarasenko. Calvin Pickard replaced Varlamov for the second period due to performance, as did Anders Nilsson for Allen, but for injury in this case. The Blues padded the lead with an Alex Pietrangelo goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Kyle Brodziak. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Mikkel Boedker and Mikhail Grigorenko. St. Louis shot back with a Brouwer empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Backes and Pietrangelo. This made it a 5-1 final, with the three stars going to Backes, Pietrangelo, and Tarasenko, while Brouwer gets an honorable mention.

Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Ondrej Pavelec are in the blue paint. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Nikolaj Ehlers and Alex Burmistrov. The Jets added on with a Chris Thorburn goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Matt Halischuk. Minnesota got on the board with a Mikael Granlund goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise. Winnipeg answered with an Andrew Copp goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Nic Petan and Ben Chiarot. The Jets extended the lead as Drew Stafford scored a power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, thanks to Jacob Trouba and Marko Dano. Winnipeg iced it at 5-1 with a Blake Wheeler empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Ehlers. The three stars were handed to Pavelec (28 for 29 in saves), Ehlers, and Thorburn.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim got going in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Nate Thompson, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Ducks added on with a shorthanded Ryan Kesler goal, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Jakob Silfverberg in the third period. Dallas got on the board with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with a Ryan Getzlaf empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Kesler. The three stars went to Kesler, Gibson (24 for 25 in saves), and Thompson.

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