NHL 2017-18 Day 171

Six games are on tonight's schedule, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Christopher Gibson are the goalies. New York began in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jordan Eberle and Adam Pelech. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly. The Islanders took the lead back with a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Beauvillier and Brock Nelson. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period with a Nikita Zaitsev goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. New York gained the lead again with a Nelson goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Andrew Ladd and Pelech. Toronto evened it out with a Marner goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Gardiner and Kadri. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, fueled by Ron Hainsey. The Islanders evened it again with a John Tavares power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Anders Lee and Eberle. Toronto won 5-4 on a Matthews goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, guided in by William Nylander and Zach Hyman. The three stars went to Matthews, Marner, and Kadri, while Gardiner, Beauvillier, Nelson, Eberle, and Pelech get the honorable mentions.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Louis Domingue and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. New York led off in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich and David Desharnais. Tampa Bay tied it on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by J.T. Miller and Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning took the lead with an Alex Killorn goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Anthony Cirelli and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on with a Miller power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Hedman and Killorn in the third period. The Lightning extended the lead as Paquette scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, thanks to Cory Conacher and Chris Kunitz. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Brayden Point goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone helper from Yanni Gourde. The Rangers shot back with a Filip Chytil goal, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes. New York got closer with a Chris Kreider goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast. The Lightning countered with a Point empty net goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, set up by Gourde. Tampa Bay iced it at 7-3 with a Dan Girardi power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with assists provided by Paquette and Kunitz. The three stars belonged to Paquette, Point, and Miller, while Killorn, Kunitz, Gourde, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Braden Holtby man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a Michal Kempny goal, his second of the season, coming off of John Carlson and T.J. Oshie. Carolina tied it on a Derek Ryan goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Joakim Nordstrom and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Justin Faulk goal, his eighth of the season, via Phillip Di Giuseppe and Ryan. Carolina added on in the third period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, assisted by Valentin Zykov and Teuvo Teravainen. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Brock McGinn empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, set up by Jordan Staal and Justin Williams. The three stars were Ryan, Faulk, and Darling (20 for 21 in saves).

West to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Sven Andrighetto power play goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Tyson Barrie power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Rantanen scored a power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, with the help of Nathan MacKinnon and Barrie. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Tyson Jost goal, his tenth of the year, via Barrie and Alexander Kerfoot. Colorado continued with an Andrighetto goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final held at 5-0, with the three stars being Barrie, Andrighetto, and Varlamov (30 for 30 in saves before injury), while Rantanen gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and John Gibson tend the twines. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Drew Doughty goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Anaheim tied it on a Nick Ritchie goal in the second period his ninth of the year, assisted by Francois Beauchemin and Ondrej Kase. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime with a Rickard Rakell goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, via Brandon Montour and Kase. The three stars went to Kase, Gibson (28 for 29 in saves), and Rakell.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Malcolm Subban guard the cages. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Alexander Steen and Kyle Brodziak. Vegas tied it on a William Karlsson shorthanded goal, his forty-first of the year, set up by Cody Eakin. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Alex Tuch and Karlsson. The Blues tied it again with a Brayden Schenn goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Vegas regained the lead in the second period with a James Neal goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar. St. Louis tied it again in the third period with a Chris Thorburn goal, coming off of Scottie Upshall and Oskar Sundqvist. The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Nate Schmidt and Karlsson. The three stars were Marchessault, Karlsson, and Neal.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 170

Ten games on a busy night of hockey, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Tim Schaller goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tommy Wingels. The Bruins added on with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-second of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second period with a J.T. Miller power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, with assists provided by Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Boston answered in the third period with a Bergeron goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Krug and Brad Marchand. The Lightning got one back on a Hedman goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Yanni Gourde and Dan Girardi. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Marchand empty net goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, set up by Bergeron and Pastrnak. The three stars were Bergeron, Krug, and Pastrnak, while Marchand and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, fueled by Jason Pominville and Brendan Guhle. The Sabres added on with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Evgeny Svechnikov. The Red Wings tied it on a shorthanded goal by Darren Helm in the second period, his eleventh of the year, set up by Frans Nielsen. Detroit took the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Joe Hicketts and Nielsen. Chad Johnson replaced Lehner in goal for the third period. The Red Wings extended the lead as Andreas Athanasiou scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Justin Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall. Buffalo got one back with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Casey Mittelstadt. Detroit shot back with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings capped it at 6-3 with a Svechnikov goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Mantha and Larkin. The three stars went to Svechnikov, Larkin, and Mantha, while Nielsen gets an honorable mention.

In New Jersey, the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Keith Kinkaid are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Nico Hischier. Pittsburgh tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the season, via Carl Hagelin and Brian Dumoulin. The Devils tied it on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, powered by Will Butcher. New Jersey took the lead in the third period with a Blake Coleman goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Travis Zajac. Pittsburgh retied it on a Hornqvist goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Dumoulin and Riley Sheahan. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-eighth of the campaign, made possible by Letang. The three stars went to Letang, Hornqvist, and Dumoulin.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Craig Anderson are the solid goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Tom Pyatt. Florida tied it on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via MacKenzie Weegar and Alexander Petrovic. The Senators tied it in the third period on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Zack Smith and Erik Karlsson. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime with a Pageau penalty shot goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign. The three stars were awarded to Pageau, Paajarvi, and Anderson (24 for 26 in saves).

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Nashville started in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from P.K. Subban and Craig Smith. San Jose tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Brent Burns and Mikkel Boedker. The Predators retook the lead on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. The Sharks tied it again with a Brenden Dillon goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jannik Hansen. Nashville pulled ahead in the second period with a Smith goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Kevin Fiala and Ryan Ellis. San Jose retied it in the third period with a Boedker goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Chris Tierney and Timo Meier. The Predators retook the lead with an Ellis goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Forsberg and Arvidsson.Nashville iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Nick Bonino, his eleventh of the year, set up by Forsberg, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Ellis, Arvidsson, and Forsberg, while Boedker and Smith get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Tyler Seguin. Minnesota tied it on a shorthanded Mikael Granlund goal, his twentieth of the year, set up by Ryan Suter. The Wild took the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Suter and Jason Zucker. Minnesota added on with a Zach Parise goal, his eleventh of the year, via Granlund and Dumba. The Stars got one back with a Devin Shore goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Dan Hamhuis and Marc Methot. The Wild shot back with a Zucker power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, fueled by Eric Staal and Dumba. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a Parise empty net goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Granlund and Dumba, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were handed to Dumba, Granlund, and Parise, while Zucker and Suter get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Eric Comrie and Collin Delia are the unknown goalies. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-seventh of the season. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Kane and Nick Schmaltz. Chicago extended the lead as Tomas Jurco scored his fifth of the season in the second period, thanks to Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks padded the lead on Jurco's second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Connor Murphy. Winnipeg got on the board with a Bryan Little goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Dustin Byfuglien and Joe Morrow. Chicago answered with a Gustafsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Sikura. The Jets got one back with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-third of the season, with a lone helper from Kyle Connor. The Blackhawks replied with a DeBrincat goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, fueled by Sikura and Victor Ejdsell. Scott Foster replaced Delia in goal after an injury. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars given to Jurco, DeBrincat, and Kane, while Gustafsson and Sikura get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Jon Gillies in goal. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Markus Hannikainen goal, his third of the season, via Matt Calvert and Mark Letestu. The Blue Jackets added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. Columbus extended the lead as Dubois scored in the second period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, with the help of Atkinson and Panarin. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Thomas Vanek and Ryan Murray. Columbus continued with a Dubois power play goal to complete his hat trick, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Sonny Milano and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Calgary got on the board with a Chris Stewart goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Curtis Lazar and Mark Giordano. This made it a 5-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Dubois, Panarin, and Atkinson, while Bobrovsky (37 for 38 in saves gets an honorable mention.

Over in British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jacob Markstrom are the decent goalies. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Connor McDavid goal, his forty-first of the season, made possible by Andrej Sekera and Adam Larsson. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Sam Gagner goal, his tenth of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks took the lead in the third period on a Derrick Pouliot goal, his third of the season, assisted by Nikolay Goldobin and Jussi Jokinen. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Markstrom (35 for 36 in saves), Pouliot, and Gagner.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper faces his former team and fellow backup Jack Campbell in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Max Domi. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Derek Forbort and Tyler Toffoli. The Coyotes took the lead in the second period on a Domi goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Christian Dvorak and Trevor Murphy. The Kings tied it again on a Carter power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Carter goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, via Tobias Rieder and Toffoli. The Kings iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Anze Kopitar, his thirty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Carter, Domi, and Toffoli.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 169

Four games for tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto led off in the first period with a Mitchell Marner goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Tomas Plekanec. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirtieth of the year, via William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Patrick Marleau scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Marner. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Denis Malgin. The Panthers got closer in the second period with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Mark Pysyk. The Maple Leafs replied in the third period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, fueled by Tyler Bozak and Connor Brown. Florida got one back with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, helped along by Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Marner, Huberdeau, and van Riemsdyk.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby tend the twines. New York began in the first period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei. Washington tied it on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period on a Ryan Spooner goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Lias Andersson and Skjei. The Capitals tied it on a Lars Eller goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Backstrom, and Skjei.

West to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Andrew Hammond both return from long absences to play in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers added on with a Provorov goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Jordan Weal and Andrew MacDonald. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Matt Nieto goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Dominic Toninato and Erik Johnson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Provorov, Giroux, and Nieto.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host their desert rivals, the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Arizona started in the first period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Christian Dvorak and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Vegas tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with a lone assist by James Neal. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Richard Panik goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Clayton Keller. The Golden Knights tied it in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Arizona took the lead back with a Connauton goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, going in unassisted. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Connauton, Panik, and Raanta (27 for 29 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 168

Another nine-game day is on the way, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Scott Darling and Keith Kinkaid are in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall. Carolina tied it on a Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Warren Foegele goal, his second of the season, made possible by Lee Stempniak and Derek Ryan. The Devils retied it on a Palmieri power play goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Hall and Will Butcher. Carolina reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Noah Hanifin goal, his tenth of the season, via Trevor van Riemsdyk and Skinner. New Jersey retied it on a Palmieri goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, passed from Hall, who earned a sock trick, and Butcher. The Devils took the lead on a Stefan Noesen goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Andy Greene and Michael Grabner. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Palmieri, Hall, and Butcher, while Skinner gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel. Detroit tied it on a Niklas Kronwall goal, his fourth of the year, via Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with a Frans Nielsen power play goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Martin Frk and Joe Hicketts. Detroit added on with a Luke Glendening goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Nick Jensen and Helm. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Helm scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Larkin and Hicketts. The Penguins got one back with a Kris Letang goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with a Glendening empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Trevor Daley. The three stars were Helm, Glendening, and Hicketts, while Larkin gets an honorable mention.

In Ontario, the Ottawa Senators bring in the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. New York started in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Adam Pelech. Ottawa tied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bobby Ryan. The Senators gained the lead with an Erik Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Duchene and Ryan. The Islanders retied it in the third period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. New York pulled ahead on a Brock Nelson goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Tanner Fritz and Andrew Ladd. Ottawa retied it in the third period with a Ryan goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone helper from Duchene. The Islanders regained the lead on a Ladd goal, his eleventh of the campaign, made possible by Thomas Hickey and Barzal. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Ladd, Duchene, and Ryan, while Barzal gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Jake Allen are between the pipes. San Jose opened in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, guided in by Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns. St. Louis tied it on an Oskar Sundqvist goal, made possible by Colton Parayko and Vince Dunn. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Burns. The Blues tied it again on a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Brayden Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, coming off of Vladimir Sobotka. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Burns, and Sundqvist.

Next up, the Nashville Predators welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne protect the nets. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Roman Josi goal, his twelfth of the season, with a lone helper by Kyle Turris. Minnesota tied it in the third period with an Eric Staal goal, his fortieth of the year, made possible by Mikael Granlund. The Predators won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Turris. The three stars were Turris, Rinne (22 for 23 in saves), and Dubnyk (28 for 29 in saves).

North to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry. Boston tied it on a Ryan Donato goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with another Tanev goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, courtesy of Lowry. Winnipeg added on with a Joe Morrow goal, his sixth of the year, via Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. The Bruins replied in the third period with a Danton Heinen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Boston tied it with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. The Jets retook the lead with a shorthanded Tanev goal, completing his hat trick on his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins tied it again with a Krug power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Marchand. In the shootout, Patrik Laine and Scheifele lifted the Jets 5-4 over Donato and the Bruins. The three stars belonged to Tanev, Lowry, and Krug, while Marchand, Scheifele, and Donato get the honorable mentions.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the Philadelphia Flyers. Petr Mrazek and Kari Lehtonen are set to start in goal. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Antoine Roussel and Dan Hamhuis. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Shayne Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. The Flyers took the lead in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Wayne Simmonds and Gostisbehere. The Stars retied it on a Brett Ritchie power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Alexander Radulov and Tyler Seguin. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Radulov goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, made possible by Seguin and John Klingberg. The three stars went to Radulov, Seguin, and Gostisbehere.

In Canada again, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a shorthanded McDavid goal, his fortieth of the year, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Benning. Edmonton extended the lead as Drake Caggiula scored his thirteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Columbus got on the board with a Thomas Vanek goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Ryan Murray and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets pulled closer with an Artemi Panarin goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, guided in by Zach Werenski and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus tied it as Vanek scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, thanks to David Savard and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets pulled ahead in the second period on a Jenner goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Vanek and Wennberg. Columbus padded the lead with a Cam Atkinson goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Dubois. The Blue Jackets continued against Laurent Brossoit in goal when Vanek finished his hat trick on his twenty-fourth of the season, via Jenner and Ian Cole. Columbus struck again in the third period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper by Panarin. The final held at 7-3, with the three stars being Vanek, Jenner, and McDavid, while Dubois, Wennberg, Panarin, and Nugent-Hopkins get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jacob Markstrom occupy the creases. Vancouver began in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Anaheim tied it on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his ninth of the year, via Francois Beauchemin and Ryan Kesler. The Canucks took the lead back in the third period with an Alex Biega goal, coming off of Darren Archibald and Brandon Sutter. Vancouver added on with a Sutter goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Sutter empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Sutter, Biega, and Markstrom (23 for 24 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 167

Nine games on an unusually busy Monday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina began in the first period with a Warren Foegele goal, passed from Derek Ryan and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Ottawa tied it in the second period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his tenth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Valentin Zykov goal, his third of the year, fueled by Foegele and Ryan. Carolina added on with a Brock McGinn goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-1 with a Sebastian Aho empty net goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Haydn Fleury. The three stars were Foegele, Ryan, and Ward (19 for 20 in saves).

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Christopher Gibson are the backups in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Keith Yandle goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Aaron Ekblad. Florida extended the lead as Dadonov scored his twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Yandle and the goalie Reimer. This stood for an eventual 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Reimer (32 save shutout), Yandle, and Dadonov.

In Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons. Toronto tied it with a Nazem Kadri goal in the second period, his thirtieth of the year, helped along by Mitchell Marner and Patrick Marleau. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Marleau power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner. The Sabres retied it on a Casey Nelson goal, his third of the year, via Kyle Okposo and Johan Larsson in the third period. Buffalo pulled ahead with an Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, guided in by Jason Pominville and Girgensons. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Eichel, Marleau, and Girgensons.

Into Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Carey Price man the nets. Detroit started in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twentieth of the season, helped along by Henrik Zetterberg and Tyler Bertuzzi. Montreal tied it with a Paul Byron power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Alex Galchenyuk and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, passed from Karl Alzner and Noah Juulsen. Montreal added on with another Gallagher goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the year, assisted by Mike Reilly and Jonathan Drouin. The Red Wings got one back with a Bertuzzi goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Nyquist and Jonathan Ericsson. The Canadiens shot back in the third period with a Galchenyuk power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Petry and Drouin. The final remained at 4-2, with the three stars going to Gallagher, Galchenyuk, and Petry, while Bertuzzi and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Alexandar Georgiev are the lesser-known goalies. Washington struck first in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and Jakub Jerabek. The Capitals added on with a Matt Niskanen goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead on an Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fifth of the season, powered by John Carlson and Backstrom. Ondrej Pavelec relieved Georgiev in goal. The Capitals padded the lead with a shorthanded Kuznetsov goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Alex Chiasson. New York got on the board in the second period with a Lias Andersson goal, coming off of Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers got closer in the third period with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Filip Chytil and Rob O'Gara. The Capitals won 4-2, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Backstrom.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Louis Domigue are in the blue paint. Arizona got going in the second period on a Trevor Murphy goal, assisted by Jordan Martinook and Nick Cousins. The Coyotes added on with a Jakob Chychrun power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Richard Panik and Clayton Keller. Arizona extended the lead in the third period as Brendan Perlini scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Dylan Strome and Kevin Connauton. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Victor Hedman. The Coyotes capped it at 4-1 with a Keller empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Alex Goligoski. The three stars were Keller, Raanta (19 for 20 in saves), and Chychrun.

Northwest to Chicago, with the Blackhawks hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Anton Forsberg in goal. San Jose was first to score with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jannik Hansen. Chicago tied it on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Vinnie Hinostroza and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Connor Murphy goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks tied it in the second period on an Evander Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, passed from Mikkel Boedker. San Jose took the lead in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Barclay Goodrow. Chicago retied it with a Patrick Sharp goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by DeBrincat and Erik Gustafsson. In the shootout, Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc helped the Sharks to a 4-3 win over Sharp and the Blackhawks. The three stars were DeBrincat

Westward to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alex Tuch power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his ninth of the year, via Blake Comeau and Matt Nieto. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Marchessault power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with assists provided by Shea Theodore and Karlsson. Vegas added on with a Theodore goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and James Neal. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Karlsson scored his fortieth of the campaign, an empty net goal, thanks to Marchessault. The three stars went to Marchessault, Karlsson, and Fleury (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles drew first blood in the second period with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Adrian Kempe. The Kings added on with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Phaneuf and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period as Jeff Carter scored a power play goal, his tenth of the season, with the help of Kopitar and Brown. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Kopitar, Phaneuf, and Quick (23 save shutout), while Brown gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2017-18 Day 166

Five games on today, with only one matinee. We begin with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in a battle of Pennsylvania. Alex Lyon is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jordan Weal and Wayne Simmonds. Pittsburgh tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his twenty-first of the year, courtesy of Conor Sheary and Phil Kessel. The Flyers took the lead with a Brandon Manning goal, his seventh of the season, via Weal and Valtteri Filppula. The Penguins retied it in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Kessel and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh took the lead on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his forty-second of the season, assisted by Schultz and Brian Dumoulin. Petr Mrazek replaced Lyon in goal. Philadelphia retied it on a Weal power play goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Shayne Gostisbehere and Oskar Lindblom. The Penguins regained the lead in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, passed from Schultz, who got a sock trick, and Jake Guentzel. The Flyers pulled even on a Sean Couturier goal, his thirty-first of the year, coming off of Gostisbehere and Claude Giroux. Pittsburgh won 5-4 in overtime with a Bryan Rust goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Crosby and Kris Letang. The three stars were Crosby, Weal, and Schultz, while Kessel and Gostisbehere get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Dallas Stars welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Kari Lehtonen are in the creases. Dallas led off in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Mattias Janmark goal, his nineteenth of the season. Vancouver tied it on a Reid Boucher power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jussi Jokinen and Derrick Pouliot. The Canucks took the lead in the second period with a Nic Dowd power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Troy Stecher and Jokinen. Vancouver added on in the third period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Michael Del Zotto and Boucher. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Tyler Motte empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Boucher, Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves), and Jokinen.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck are set to start in goal. Nashville opened in first period with a Roman Josi goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators added on with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Mathieu Perreault and Bryan Little. Nashville answered with an Ellis goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Kevin Fiala and Turris. The Jets got one back with a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Joel Armia. Winnipeg tied it on a Little goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Connor and Ben Chiarot. The Predators regained the lead with an Arvidsson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, fueled by Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. The Jets evened it again in the third period on a Wheeler goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Joe Morrow and Connor. The tie went to a shootout, where Mark Scheifele had the lone tally for a 5-4 Jets win. The three stars were Connor, Wheeler, and Little, while Arvidsson, Turris, and Ellis get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Alex Stalock man the nets. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirtieth of the season, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Minnesota tied it on a Mikko Koivu goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Matt Dumba and Zach Parise in the third period. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Marchand goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Torey Krug. The three stars were Marchand, Rask (24 for 25 in saves), and Pastrnak.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, made possible by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Anaheim tied it on a Josh Manson goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Kesler. The Oilers took the lead with a Ty Rattie goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Matt Benning and McDavid. Edmonton added on with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Ethan Bear and Jujhar Khaira.  The Ducks got one back with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Marcus Pettersson and Corey Perry. Anaheim tied it on a Perry goal, his seventeenth of the year, fueled by Cam Fowler and Rickard Rakell. The Oilers took the lead with a Bear power play goal, powered by McDavid and Andrej Sekera. The Ducks retied it on a Henrique goal, his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, guided in by Brandon Montour and Fowler. Anaheim won 5-4 in overtime with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. The three stars went to Henrique, Perry, and McDavid, while Fowler, Rakell, and Bear get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NWSL 2018 Week 1

Women's soccer returns in US today, with the now 9-team league playing four games over the weekend. First up...

The North Carolina Courage host the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Sabrina D'Angelo are in the six-yard boxes. Portland saw yellow cards for fouls by Emily Sonnett in the thirty-third minute and Lindsey Horan in the thirty-fifth minute. North Carolina's Jaelene Hinkle had a yellow card for a fifty-first minute foul. The Courage got going in the seventieth minute with a Debinha goal, passed from Denise O'Sullivan. The score held at 1-0, with the woman of the match being Debinha. North Carolina also saw good efforts from Abby Dahlkemper, Merritt Mathias, and Jess McDonald, while the Thorns had good performances from Franch, Emily Sonnett, Horan, and Christine Sinclair.

Down in Florida, the Orlando Pride welcome the Utah Royals FC. Abby Smith and Ashlyn Harris are the strong goalies. Utah began in the third minute with a Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir goal, assisted by Diana Matheson with a cross from the right wing. In the twenty-first minute, the Royals' Becky Sauerbrunn took a yellow card for a handball in the box. Orlando tied it on a Marta penalty kick goal. Brittany Ratcliffe of Utah had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-eighth minute. Ali Krieger of the Pride received a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended 1-1, with the woman of the match being Jonsdottir. Also starring for the Royals were the keeper Smith, Kelley O'Hara, Desiree Scott, and Matheson. The Pride's top players were Krieger and Marta.

Saturday ends with the Seattle Reign FC bringing in the Washington Spirit. Aubrey Bledsoe and Michelle Betos are the keepers. Seattle led off in the seventh minute with a Megan Rapinoe free kick goal, off a foul drawn by Allie Long. The Reign added on with a Jodie Taylor goal in the thirty-fifth minute, which the Washington keeper Bledsoe slowed but couldn't stop, assisted by Rapinoe. In the sixty-fourth minute, Seattle's Rapinoe took a yellow card for not retreating. Washington got on the board in the sixty-eighth minute with a Joanna Lohman goal, set up by Estefania Banini and Mallory Pugh. In the ninetieth minute, Morgan Andrews of the Reign took a yellow card for time wasting. The Reign held on for a 2-1 win, with Rapinoe named woman of the match. Also starring for Seattle were the keeper Betos, Rumi Utsugi, Long, Beverly Yanez, and Taylor, while the Spirit saw good games from Taylor Smith, Mallory Pugh, and Lohman.

Finally, the Houston Dash host the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher and Jane Campbell are the American international keepers. Houston struck first in the thirty-eighth minute with a Kimberly Keever goal, set up by Savannah Jordan. Chicago's Katie Naughton received a yellow card in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul. In the eighty-first minute, the Dash's Amber Brooks had a yellow card for a foul. The Red Stars tied it in stoppage time on a Taylor Comeau goal that deflected off of Rachel Daly after Danielle Colaprico served in a corner kick.  The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the woman of the match being Mana Shim of the Dash for a fantastic effort in the defensive midfield. Also starring for Houston were Kristie Mewis, Janine Van Wyk, and Jordan, while Chicago's best were Comeau, Colaprico, and Alyssa Mautz.

NWSL Team of the Week
GK Michelle Betos
LB Rumi Utsugi
CB Abby Dahlkemper
CB Janine Van Wyk
RB Merritt Mathias
DM Mana Shim
AM Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir
AM Debinha
FW Megan Rapinoe
FW Jodie Taylor
FW Marta