NHL 2017-18 Day 84

A light Saturday schedule sees six games on, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Mike Condon in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a Ryan Spooner power play goal, his second of the season, powered by David Backes and David Krejci. The Bruins added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug and Tim Schaller in the second period. Boston extended the lead as Spooner scored again, his second of the game and third of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins padded the lead on a power play goal by Krejci, his sixth of the year, made possible by Backes and Charlie McAvoy. Boston iced it at 5-0 in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Krug and David Pastrnak. Spooner, Krejci, and Rask (25 save shutout) received the three stars, while Krug and Backes earned honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby guard the cages. Washington started in the first period with a Tom Wilson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Christian Djoos and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Djoos goal, his third of the year, via Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. New Jersey got on the board with a John Moore goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Travis Zajac and Marcus Johansson. Washington replied in the second period with a Carlson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Backstrom and Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead as Matt Niskanen goal, his third of the season, guided in by Devante Smith-Pelly and Ovechkin, the latter earning a sock trick. The Devils answered with a Zajac goal, his third of the year, helped along by Johansson and Sami Vatanen. The Capitals iced it at 5-2 with an empty net Backstrom goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Carlson. The three stars belonged to Carlson, Backstrom, and Ovechkin, while Djoos, Zajac, and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Further south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and James Reimer are between the pipes. Florida got going in the second period with a Connor Brickley goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Mark Pysyk and Mike Matheson. The Panthers added on with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by MacKenzie Weegar and Brickley in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 with, with the three stars being Reimer (38 save shutout), Brickley, and Trocheck.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Carter Hutton are the inexperienced goalies. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Alexander Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on in the second period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Pietrangelo and Brodziak. Carolina got on the board with a Derek Ryan goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Lucas Wallmark goal, helped along by Noah Hanifin and Sebastian Aho. St. Louis retook the lead in the third period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Brodziak, Pietrangelo, and Upshall.

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Nick Bonino and Matt Irwin. The Predators added on with a P.K. Subban power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Ryan Johansen. Nashville iced it at 3-0 with a Viktor Arvidsson empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Subban and Jarnkrok. The three stars went to Saros (29 save shutout), Subban, and Jarnkrok.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jacob Markstrom man the nets. Vancouver began in the first period with a Troy Stecher goal, going in unassisted. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Marian Gaborik and Adrian Kempe. The Kings took the lead with a Gaborik power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Trevor Lewis and Toffoli. The Canucks tied it in the second period with a Nikolay Goldobin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Ben Hutton and the goalie Markstrom. Vancouver took the lead in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, passed from Markus Granlund and Hutton. Los Angeles retied it on a Kyle Clifford goal, assisted by Nick Shore and Lewis. The Kings took the lead on a Drew Doughty goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Toffoli. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars being Toffoli, Gaborik, and Lewis, while Hutton gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 83

Eleven games on tonight, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Cory Schneider are the goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Stefan Noesen and Pavel Zacha. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Jacob Josefson goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jordan Nolan. The Devils took the lead with a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and Nico Hischier. New Jersey added on with a John Moore goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Brian Gibbons. The Sabres got one back with a Jack Eichel goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jake McCabe and Zemgus Girgensons. Buffalo tied it in the third period with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen on the power play. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with a Ristolainen goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Ristolainen, Eichel, and Josefson.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard are the veterans in goal. New York started in the first period with a David Desharnais goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Jimmy Vesey. Detroit tied it in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixth of the year, via Dylan Larkin. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Ville Lettieri goal, coming off of Boo Nieves. The Red Wings retied it on a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Gustav Nyquist. Detroit won 3-2 in the shootout with a Frans Nielsen tally. The three stars were Howard (37 for 39 in saves), Zetterberg, and Lundqvist (33 for 35 in saves).

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Cam Ward draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his second of the season, helped along by Jake Guentzel and the goalie Jarry. Carolina tied it on a Derek Ryan goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, assisted by Elias Lindholm and Klas Dahlbeck. The Hurricanes took the lead with an unassisted Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the season. This stood for the eventual 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Ward (27 for 28 in saves), Aho, and Ryan.

North to Ottawa, as the Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Condon are in the creases. Columbus got going in the second period with a Sonny Milano goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Boone Jenner and Markus Nutivaara. Ottawa tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Artemi Panarin. Columbus added on with a Milano goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Seth Jones. The Senators got one back with a Nick Paul goal, via Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson. Ottawa tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Johnny Oduya. The Senators pulled ahead in the third period with a Stone goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Phaneuf. Ottawa extended the lead as Bobby Ryan scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Karlsson. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by Anderson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Stone, Karlsson, and Phaneuf, while Anderson and Milano gets honorable mentions.

South again to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Peter Budaj play in goal. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers took the lead with a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Simmonds and Claude Giroux. The Lightning tied it on a Brayden Point goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Ondrej Palat and Kucherov. Philadelphia retook the lead with a Couturier goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Giroux and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Brandon Manning goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Giroux and Konecny. Tampa Bay got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Tyler Johnson goal, his tenth of the season. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with a Valtteri Filppula empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Voracek and Couturier. The three stars went to Couturier, Giroux, and Simmonds, while Voracek, Konecny, and Kucherov.

Up in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, made possible by Adam Lowry. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine. New York got on the board with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of John Tavares and Josh Bailey in the second period. Winnipeg replied in the third period with a Connor goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Laine. The Jets extended the lead as Lowry scored his eighth of the year on the power play, thanks to Jacob Trouba and Wheeler. The Islanders got one back with a Lee goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Ryan Pulock. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Lowry, Connor, and Wheeler, while Laine and Lee get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota drew first blood in the first period with a Mikael Granlund goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Dumba. Nashville tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Alexei Emelin. The Wild retook the lead with a Granlund power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Dumba goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Jonas Brodin and Matt Cullen. The Predators got one back with a Kyle Turris power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Subban and Roman Josi. The Wild answered with a Granlund empty net goal, his eleventh of the year completing his hat trick with the help of Eric Staal and Mikko Koivu. The three stars were Granlund, Dumba, and Subban.

Way down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jason Spezza and Julius Honka. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the third period, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead with a Tage Thompson goal, his second of the season, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Alexander Steen. The Stars retied it on a Jamie Benn goal, his sixteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Dallas took the lead with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by John Klingberg and Esa Lindell. The Stars won 4-2 as Radulov scored a power play empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, set up by Dan Hamhuis and Benn. The three stars went to Radulov, Benn, and Bishop (35 for 37 in saves).

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff Glass is mismatched with Cam Talbot in goal. Edmonton cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Oscar Klefbom. Chicago tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Patrick Kane and Nick Schmaltz. The Blackhawks took the lead in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Schmaltz and Duncan Keith. Chicago added on in the third period with a Jordan Oesterle power play goal, passed from Vinnie Hinostroza. The Oilers got one back with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Puljujarvi and Kris Russell. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime on a Kane goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Keih and Schmaltz. The three stars were Kane, Schmaltz, and Keith, while Nugent-Hopkins and Puljujarvi get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Calvin Pickard faces his former team and Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog. Toronto tied it on a Matt Martin goal, his third of the year, via Josh Leivo and Roman Polak. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by MacKinnon and Nikita Zadorov. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Polak goal, his second of the year, passed from Andreas Borgman and Patrick Marleau. Colorado took the lead again in the third period on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Zadorov and MacKinnon. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Samuel Girard and Carl Soderberg. The three stars were MacKinnon, Zadorov, and Polak.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cam Fowler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Matt Bartkowski and the goalie Smith. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Rakell power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rakell, Getzlaf and Gibson (22 for 23 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 82

Seven games tonight, beginning in...

Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Montreal got going in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Charles Hudon and Joe Morrow. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay added on with a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Vladislav Namestnikov and Palat. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Stamkos, Palat, and Vasilevskiy (31 for 32 in saves).

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Boston opened in the first period with a David Backes goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Riley Nash and Danton Heinen. The Bruins added on with a Noel Acciari goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Sean Kuraly. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tom Wilson. The Capitals tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Boston retook the lead in the third period with another Backes goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Heinen and Jake DeBrusk. Washington retied it on a Brett Connolly goal, his eighth of the year, via Eller and Madison Bowey. The Capitals won 4-3 in the shootout with a lone tally by Ovechkin. The three stars were Eller, Ovechkin, and Backes, while Heinen gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and James Reimer are in the creases. Florida started in the first period with a Jared McCann goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Mike Matheson. The Panthers added on in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Derek MacKenzie, set up by Colton Sceviour. Florida extended the lead as Jonathan Huberdeau scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Scott Laughton goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Travis Konecny and Michael Raffl. The Flyers got closer with a Sean Couturier goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Bjugstad, Huberdeau, and MacKenzie.

Out west, the Arizona Coyotes host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Scott Wedgewood make the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Zach Hyman goal, his seventh of the season. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Mitchell Marner scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Arizona got on the board with a Josh Archibald goal, coming off of Jordan Martinook. The Coyotes got closer with a Brendan Perlini goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Tobias Rieder and Derek Stepan. The Maple Leafs answered in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Marner and Morgan Rielly. Toronto padded the lead on an unassisted Nylander goal, his eighth of the year. The Maple Leafs continued with a Marleau goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, assisted by Marner and Leo Komarov. Arizona got one back with a Martinook goal, his third of the year, made possible by Rieder and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Christian Fischer power play goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from Clayton Keller and Alex Goligoski. Toronto iced it at 7-4 with a Connor Brown goal, his tenth of the year, an empty net goal with assists provided by Rielly and Marleau. The three stars where Marleau, Marner, and Martinook, while Nylander and Rielly get the honorable mentions.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg and Jacob Markstrom are the lesser-known goalies. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nikolay Goldobin and Thomas Vanek. Chicago tied it on a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The Canucks retook the lead with a Vanek goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Gagner and Brock Boeser in the second period. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Gagner goal, his sixth of the year and second of the game, made possible by Vanek and Boeser. The Canucks extended the lead as Vanek scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Boeser and Troy Stecher. Vancouver padded the lead on a Boeser goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Vanek, who got a sock trick, and Alexander Edler. The Blackhawks got one back with a Ryan Hartman goal, his sixth of the campaign, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and John Hayden. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Vanek, Gagner, and Boeser.

South to Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Derek Forbort and Drew Doughty. Vegas tied it in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Colin Miller and Reilly Smith. The Golden Knights took the lead in the third period with a Brendan Leipsic goal, assisted by Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin. The Kings tied it again with a Doughty goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jake Muzzin. Vegas won 3-2 in overtime with a David Perron goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Smith. The three stars were Smith, Perron, and Doughty.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Martin Jones are between the pipes. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his second of the season, passed from Sam Bennett and Mark Jankowski. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc. The Flames retook the lead with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Giordano. The Sharks tied it in the third period with a Timo Meier goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Brenden Dillon. The tie went to a shootout, where Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi scored to give the Sharks a 3-2 win. The three stars were Pavelski, Meier, and Jones (32 for 34 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 81

The NHL returns to action with eleven games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Kevan Miller goal, passed from David Backes and Riley Nash. The Bruins added on with a Danton Heinen goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Ryan Spooner and Matt Grzelcyk. Boston extended the lead in the second period as Nash scored his third of the year, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board with a Thomas Chabot goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mark Stone and Derick Brassard. The Bruins replied with a Nash goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Anders Bjork. Boston iced it at 5-1 with a Backes goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Grzelcyk and Heinen. The three stars were Nash, Heinen, and Backes, while Grzelcyk gets an honorable mention.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina began in the first period with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Justin Faulk. Montreal tied it in the second period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Jeff Petry. The Hurricanes took the lead back in the third period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Jordan Staal. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with an Aho empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. The three stars were Aho, Ward (23 for 24 in saves), and Teravainen.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Cory Schneider protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Steven Santini and Taylor Hall. The Devils added on with a Hischier goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Hall and Jesper Bratt. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. New Jersey iced it at 3-1 with a Sami Vatanen empty net goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Blake Coleman. The three stars went to Hischier, Hall, and Schneider (31 for 32 in saves).

In Brooklyn, the New York Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. New York got going in the second period with a Jason Chimera goal, his second of the season, via Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. Buffalo tied it on a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the year, made possible by Jack Eichel and Marco Scandella. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Evander Kane. The Islanders retied it on a Josh Bailey goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by John Tavares. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Mathew Barzal goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, passed from Bailey and Tavares. The three stars were Bailey, Tavares, and Halak (35 for 37 in saves).

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Murray guard the cages. Columbus started in the first period with a Sonny Milano goal, his sixth of the season, via Seth Jones and Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets added on with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nick Foligno. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Bryan Rust and Riley Sheahan. Columbus answered with an Artemi Panarin goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Matt Calvert and David Savard. The Penguins got one back in the third period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Evgeni Malkin. The Blue Jackets answered on another Panarin goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Josh Anderson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Pittsburgh countered with a Malkin power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kessel and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Hornqvist and Malkin. In the shootout, Malkin and Crosby tallied to give the Penguins a 5-4 win. The three stars were Malkin, Hornqvist, and Kessel, while Panarin and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the New York Rangers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. The game went into a shootout scoreless, where Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad lifted the Rangers to a 1-0 win. The three stars were Pavelec (30 save shutout), Grubauer (37 save "shutout"), and Zibanejad.

To the west, the St. Louis Blues host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jake Allen tend the twines. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Roman Josi. The Predators added on in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his tenth of the year, via Filip Forsberg and Matt Irwin. St. Louis got on the board in the third period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Kyle Brodziak and Alex Pietrangelo. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rinne (29 for 30 in saves), Jarnkrok, and Smith.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded Leon Draisaitl goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Connor McDavid and Brandon Davidson. Winnipeg tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Matt Hendricks and Dmitry Kulikov. The Oilers retied it on a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Kris Russell and McDavid. Winnipeg retook the lead in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with an Armia goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Edmonton got one back with a Jujhar Khaira goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Ryan Strome and Draisaitl. This only made it 4-3, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Armia, McDavid, and Draisaitl.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Alex Stalock draw the starts in goal. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Esa Lindell and Devin Shore. Minnesota tied it on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Tyler Ennis. The Wild took the lead in the second period with an Eric Staal goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Coyle and Jonas Brodin. The Stars retied it on a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Seguin and Jamie Benn. Minnesota regained the lead on a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Jason Zucker and Mikko Koivu. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Zucker empty net goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Granlund and Ryan Suter. The three stars belonged to Granlund, Seguin, and Coyle, while Zucker gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Semyon Varlamov are in the creases. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Brendan Perlini and Jakob Chychrun. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. The Coyotes retook the lead in the second period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the season, via Clayton Keller. Arizona added on with a Lawson Crouse goal in the third period, made possible by Josh Archibald. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Raanta (25 for 26 in saves), Goligoski, and Crouse.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and John Gibson receive the starting nods in goal. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Jakob Silfverberg and Brandon Montour. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore goal, his third of the year, guided in by Tomas Nosek and Oscar Lindberg. The Golden Knights took the lead with a second period Cody Eakin goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Vegas added on in the third period with a William Karlsson goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault. The Golden Knights iced it at 4-1 with a David Perron empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Erik Haula and Nate Schmidt. The three stars were Subban (27 for 28 in saves), Eakin, and Karlsson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 80

The last day before the Christmas break sees fifteen games played, with two matinees. First up...

The Boston Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Tuukka Rask are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by David Backes and David Pastrnak. Detroit tied it on a Frans Nielsen shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Darren Helm. The Bruins retook the lead on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Marchand and Pastrnak. Boston iced it at 3-1 with another Bergeron goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Marchand and Backes. The three stars were Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak, while Backes gets an honorable mention.

Down in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Steve Mason and Jaroslav Halak are the veterans in goal. New York began in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd. Winnipeg got on the board with a Tucker Poolman goal, passed from Ben Chiarot and Nikolaj Ehlers. New York replied on another Barzal goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Eberle and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period as Barzal completed his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, thanks to Eberle, who got a sock trick, and Ladd. New York padded the lead on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of John Tavares. The Jets got one back with an Adam Lowry goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kyle Connor and Joel Armia. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars being Barzal, Eberle, and Ladd.

At the regular time, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Cam Ward make the starts in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Jordan Staal power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Teravainen. Buffalo got on the board with a Nathan Beaulieu goal, assisted by Johan Larsson and Jack Eichel. Carolina replied with a Justin Faulk goal, his second of the season, guided in by Aho and Teravainen. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Faulk scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Jaccob Slavin and Jeff Skinner. The Sabres got one back with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Eichel. This only made it 4-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Faulk, Aho, and Teravainen, while Eichel gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the Chicago Blackhawks. Anton Forsberg is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. New Jersey started in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils added on with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Will Butcher. New Jersey extended the lead as Pavel Zacha scored his third of the season, with the help of Stefan Noesen and Butcher. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Jan Rutta and Gustav Forsling in the second period. New Jersey replied in the third period with a Hall goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Miles Wood. This produced the 4-1 win, with the three stars being Hall, Butcher, and Schneider (39 for 40 in saves).

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Tristan Jarry draw the starts in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period with an unassisted Ondrej Kase goal, his ninth of the season. The Ducks added on with a Rickard Rakell goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead as Andrew Cogliano scored a shorthanded goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, set up by Brandon Montour. The Ducks padded the lead on a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg. The final stood from here at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Gibson (29 save shutout), Rakell, and Kase.

Out in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jujhar Khaira and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Connor McDavid goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Darnell Nurse and Kris Russell. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Milan Lucic scored a power play goal, his ninth of the season, with the help of Draisaitl and McDavid. Montreal got on the board with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Paul Byron and Joe Morrow. The Oilers capped it at 4-1 with a Khaira empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Draisaitl in the third period, good for a sock trick. The three stars went to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Khaira.

Southeast to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Dan Girardi goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist by Brayden Point. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Jake Dotchin. Tampa Bay iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov and Girardi. The three stars went to Vasilevskiy (22 save shutout), Girardi, and Johnson.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the campaign, passed from Nick Bjugstad and Keith Yandle. This was it for the scoring in the 1-0 game, with Reimer (38 save shutout), Huberdeau, and Condon (37 for 38 in saves) earning the three stars.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Sergei Bobrovsky are between the pipes. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Seth Jones power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Oliver Bjorkstrand and Artemi Panarin. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The tie went to a shootout, where Pierre-Luc Dubois won it 2-1 for the Blue Jackets. The three stars were handed to Bobrovsky (30 for 31 in saves), Elliott (35 for 36 in saves), and Jones.

East to New York, as the Rangers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. Toronto drew first blood in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his seventh of the season coming off of Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Ron Hainsey power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Rielly and Mitchell Marner. New York got on the board with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto answered on a Matthews goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Zach Hyman and Nylander. The Rangers got one back in the third period with a J.T. Miller goal, his seventh of the campaign, with helpers from Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Matthews, Nylander, and Rielly.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Ben Bishop are set to start in goal. Nashville opened in the first period with an Alexei Emelin goal, courtesy of Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators added on with a shorthanded Calle Jarnkrok goal, his ninth of the season, set up by Colton Sissons. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and John Klingberg. The Stars tied it in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Klingberg and Tyler Pitlick. Dallas took the lead on a Martin Hanzal goal, his third of the year, assisted by Gemel Smith and Jason Spezza. Nashville retied it in the third period with a Johansen power play goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban. The tie went to a shootout, where Alexander Radulov and Seguin gave the Stars a 4-3 win with their tallies. The three stars were Seguin, Klingberg, and Johansen.

Over in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Antti Raanta have the green light to start in goal. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period on a Carl Soderberg goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Matt Nieto and Patrik Nemeth. The Avalanche added on with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nikita Zadorov and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado extended the lead as Nail Yakupov scored a power play goal, his eighth of the season, thanks to Mark Barberio. Scott Wedgewood replaced Raanta in goal. The Avalanche padded the lead as Nieto scored his fifth of the year, with the help of Blake Comeau and Kerfoot. Arizona got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Derek Stepan, his seventh of the season, set up by Clayton Keller. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with another shorthanded Stepan goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Jordan Martinook. Colorado replied with a power play goal by Sven Andrighetto, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Tyson Jost and Colin Wilson. The Avalanche continued with a Soderberg goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Mikko Rantanen. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Soderberg, Nieto, and Kerfoot, while Stepan gets an honorable mention.

Into Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Vegas started in the first period with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Brendan Leipsic and Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights added on with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his seventh of the year, via Tomas Nosek. Vegas extended the lead as William Karlsson scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (26 save shutout), Tuch, and Lindberg.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Los Angeles Kings for a battle of California. Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones guard the cages. San Jose got going in the second period on a Marcus Sorensen goal, his third of the season, made possible by Mikkel Boedker and Dylan DeMelo. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brent Burns. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Jones (28 save shutout), Sorensen, and Pavelski.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom are the reliable goalies. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Dmitrij Jaskin and Kyle Brodziak. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Brock Boeser goal, his twentieth of the year, coming off of Thomas Vanek and Sam Gagner. The Blues took the lead back on a Brodziak goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Scottie Upshall. St. Louis iced it at 3-1 with an Alexander Steen empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Vladimir Tarasenko. The three stars belonged to Brodziak, Allen (30 for 31 in saves), and Berglund.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 79

Four games today, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Evander Kane. The Sabres added on with a Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Josh Gorges and Kyle Okposo. Philadelphia got on the board with a Michael Raffl power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Buffalo answered on an empty net goal by Jack Eichel, his twelfth of the year, set up by Marco Scandella and O'Reilly. The Flyers got one back with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Giroux and Voracek. The Sabres iced it at 4-2 with another Eichel empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, fueled by Scandella. The three stars were Eichel, O'Reilly, and Kane, while Giroux, Voracek, and Scandella get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Alex Stalock and James Reimer are the backups filling in for injured starters. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Ryan Suter power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Matt Dumba and Mikael Granlund. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Alexander Petrovic and Denis Malgin. The Wild retook the lead in the second period with a Daniel Winnik goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Aleksander Barkov in the third period. Florida took the lead with a Connor Brickley goal, his third of the season, made possible by Keith Yandle. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Huberdeau empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, set up by Barkov. The three stars were Huberdeau, Barkov, and Brickley.

West to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Mike Smith are the masked men. Montreal started in the first period with a Byron Froese goal, made possible by Jordie Benn and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Froese and Daniel Carr. Montreal extended the lead in the third period as Brendan Gallagher scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Artturi Lehkonen abd Tomas Plekanec. Calgary got on the board with a Micheal Ferland goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Michael Frolik and Sean Monahan. The Flames got closer with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Mikael Backlund and Johnny Gaudreau. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Froese, Gallagher, and Deslauriers.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Scott Wedgewood are the backups in goal. Washington got going in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Jakub Vrana and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Arizona tied it in the third period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun. The Capitals retook the lead with a Kuznetsov goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Christian Djoos and John Carlson. The Coyotes tied it on a Christian Fischer goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Clayton Keller and Jason Demers. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Keller goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, made possible by Max Domi and Goligoski. The three stars were Keller, Kuznetsov, and Goligoski.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 78

We're back with ten games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Tuukka Rask protect the nets.  Boston dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little. The tie went to a shootout, where Little was bested by David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy as the Bruins take the 2-1 win. The three stars were Rask (37 for 38 in saves), Little, and Hellebuyck (32 for 33 in saves).

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider are between the pipes. New Jersey opened in the first period with a John Moore goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri. New York tied it on a Jimmy Vesey goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Paul Carey and David Desharnais. The Rangers took the lead with a Nick Holden goal, his second of the season, assisted by Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. The Devils retied it in the second period with a shorthanded Blake Coleman goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Steven Santini. New York regained the lead in the third period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Brendan Smith and Mats Zuccarello. New Jersey retied it on a Brian Boyle power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Taylor Hall and Palmieri. The tie went to a shootout, where Palmieri and Boyle lifted the Devils to the 4-3 win over Mika Zibanejad of the Rangers. The three stars were Boyle, Palmieri, and Coleman.

Over in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Jaroslav Halak draw the starts in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with an Ondrej Kase goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Josh Manson and Nick Ritchie. New York got on the board with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Josh Bailey and John Tavares. Anaheim replied with a Lindholm goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Getzlaf. The Islanders answered on a Tavares power play goal, his twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Bailey and Barzal. New York tied it on a third period Tavares goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, guided in by Bailey, who got a sock trick, and Nick Leddy. The Islanders took the lead with an Andrew Ladd goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Jordan Eberle and Scott Mayfield. The Ducks tied it as Rickard Rakell scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Brandon Montour and Getzlaf, the latter earning a sock trick. Anaheim won 5-4 in overtime with a Lindholm goal, his sixth of the campaign completing his hat trick, with helpers from Getzlaf and Ondrej Kase. The three stars were awarded to Lindholm, Getzlaf, and Tavares, while

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Murray guard the cages. Columbus got going in the second period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Artemi Panarin and Gabriel Carlsson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Kris Letang. The Penguins took the lead on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone assist by Sidney Crosby. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Panarin power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Seth Jones and Dubois. In the shootout, Malkin and Letang bested Cam Atkinson for a 3-2 Penguins win. The three stars were Malkin, Dubois, and Panarin, while Letang gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Ottawa led off in the first period with an unassisted Bobby Ryan goal, his fourth of the season. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Senators took the lead with a Cody Ceci goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Derick Brassard and Fredrik Claesson. The Lightning retied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Cory Conacher and Killorn. Ottawa retook the lead with a Brassard power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. Tampa Bay tied it again with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Victor Hedman and Kucherov. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos gave the Lightning a 4-3 win. The three stars were Kucherov, Brassard, and Killorn.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Pekka Rinne are the veterans in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Derek Ryan power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Noah Hanifin and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes added on with an Elias Lindholm goal, his tenth of the year, via Skinner and Justin Faulk. Carolina extended the lead as Hanifin scored his seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Justin Williams and Ryan. The Hurricanes chased Rinne with a Victor Rask goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Hanifin and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Nashville got on the board with a Kevin Fiala goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of P.K. Subban. This stood for the eventual 4-1 final score, with the three stars given to Hanifin, Ryan, and Skinner.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Ben Bishop are the alliterative goalies. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Remi Elie and Dan Hamhuis. The Stars added on with an Antoine Roussel goal, his fourth of the year, via Hamhuis and Greg Pateryn in the second period. Dallas extended the lead as Tyler Seguin scored his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal, with the help of Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. The Stars padded the lead on a Seguin goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Devin Shore. This stood for a 4-0 win, and the three stars went to Seguin, Hamhuis, and Bishop (24 save shutout).

In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Talbot are in the creases. St. Louis cracked the scoresheet in the third period with a Tage Thompson goal, passed from Colton Parayko and Paul Stastny. Edmonton tied it on an unassisted Michael Cammalleri goal, his fifth of the season. The Blues retook the lead with a Patrik Berglund goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Brayden Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic. Edmonton took the lead with a Drake Caggiula goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Caggiula, McDavid, and Cammalleri.

Down in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Aaron Dell occupy the creases. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Brendan Gaunce goal, assisted by Erik Gudbranson and Jake Virtanen. San Jose tied it on a Joe Thornton power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead with a Timo Meier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Dylan DeMelo and Labanc. San Jose added on with a Thornton power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, with helpers from Joe Pavelski and Labanc, the latter earning a sock trick. The Canucks got one back with a Virtanen goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Michael Del Zotto and Alex Biega. Vancouver tied it on a Brock Boeser goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Biega and Sam Gagner. The Sharks retook the lead with a power play goal by Tomas Hertl, his ninth of the year, made possible by Pavelski and Thornton. The Canucks tied it again in the third period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his eighth of the season, with helpers from Henrik Sedin and Loui Eriksson. San Jose won 5-4 in overtime with a Labanc goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Hertl. The three stars were Labanc, Hertl, and Thornton, while Virtanen, Biega, and Pavelski get honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Quick play goal. Colorado drew first blood in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with an Alec Martinez goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Torrey Mitchell and Andy Andreoff. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime with a Dustin Brown goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The three stars were Brown, Quicn (31 for 32 in saves), and Martinez.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.