Saturday, March 9, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 150

Twelve games fill a busy schedule today, beginning with...

The Colorado Avalanche hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Philipp Grubauer are set to start in goal. Colorado got going in the second period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on in the third period with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirtieth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and MacKinnon. Colorado iced it at 3-0 with a Gabriel Bourque empty net goal, set up by Erik Johnson and MacKinnon. The three stars were MacKinnon, Grubauer (18 save shutout), and Rantanen.

Over in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Martin Jones occupy the creases. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Pat Maroon power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Colton Parayko and Vince Dunn. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Joe Thornton and Tim Heed. The Sharks pulled ahead on another Meier goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. The Blues retied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime on a Kevin Labanc goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Couture and Hertl. The three stars belonged to Meier, Couture, and Hertl.

Way to the east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Boston dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. Ottawa tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Brady Tkachuk. The Senators took the lead in the third period with a Tkachuk goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Chris Tierney. The Bruins retied it on a Chris Wagner goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Krug and Charlie McAvoy. Boston took the lead with a David Krejci goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, helped along by Danton Heinen and Matt Grzelcyk. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the thre estars being Krug, Krejci, and Wagner.

Back west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Anthony Stolarz are the goalies. Toronto started in the first period with a Morgan Rielly power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Tavares goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, courtesy of Zach Hyman and Nikita Zaitsev. Toronto extended the lead in the third period as Jake Muzzin scored his sixth of the season, with the help of William Nylander and Tavares. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his twenty-second of the year, via Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Oilers got closer with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by McDavid and Draisaitl. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Tavares, Draisaitl, and McDavid.

East again to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Thomas Greiss and Brian Elliott man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Scott Mayfield goal, his fourth of the season, via Nick Leddy and Mathew Barzal. Philadelphia tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia added on with a Sean Couturier goal in the second period, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Voracek and Sanheim. The Flyers extended the lead as Nolan Patrick scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Claude Giroux and van Riemsdyk. Philadelphia padded the lead on a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by Gostisbehere and Scott Laughton. The Islanders got one back with a Leddy goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, coming off of Barzal and Ryan Pulock. The final held from here at 5-2, with the three stars given to van Riemsdyk, Voracek, and Leddy, while Gostisbehere, Sanheim, and Barzal get the honorable mentions.

Across town, the New York Rangers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist are the veteran goalies. New Jersey began in the first period with a Damon Severson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Kenny Agostino and Michael McLeod. The Devils added on with a Blake Coleman power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Will Butcher and Travis Zajac. New York got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Vladislav Namestnikov. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Libor Hajek goal, passed from Chris Kreider and Strome. New York pulled ahead on a Namestnikov goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Mika Zibanejad and Brady Skjei. The Rangers iced it at 4-2 with a Strome empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Namestnikov and Zibanejad. The three stars went to Strome, Namestnikov, and Zibanejad.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Louis Domingue are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Erik Cernak and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his thirty-second of the year, via Brayden Point and Victor Hedman. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Filip Zadina. Tampa Bay shot back in the third period with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the year, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Tyler Johnson. The Red Wings pulled one back with an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Kronwall and Filip Hronek. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars handed to Kucherov, Kronwall, and McDonagh.

Backtracking to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus drew first blood in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his twelfth of the season, via Josh Anderson and Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted Cam Atkinson goal, his thirty-seventh of the year. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Columbus replied in the third period with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Dzingel and Matt Duchene. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-1 with an Atkinson empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-eighth of the campaign, set up by Zach Werenski. The three stars went to Atkinson, Bobrovsky (28 for 29 in saves), and Jenner.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Anton Khudobin draw the starts in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a David Kampf goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Chris Kunitz. Dallas tied it on an Alexander Radulov goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Tyler Seguin. The Blackhawks reclaimed the lead on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, made possible by Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy. This was it for the scoring in a 2-1 Blackhawks win, with the three stars given to Crawford (26 for 27 in saves), DeBrincat, and Kampf.

Along to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Darcy Kuemper are the career backups in goal. Arizona kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Clayton Keller. The Coyotes added on with a Michael Grabner shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Los Angeles got on the board with an Adrian Kempe goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone helper from Drew Doughty. The Kings tied it in the third period on a Carl Grundstrom goal, via Derek Forbort and Doughty. Arizona retook the lead with a Dvorak goal, his second of the game, made possible by Alex Goligoski and Keller. The Coyotes capped it at 4-2 with a Grabner goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Dvorak, Grabner, and Keller, while Doughty gets an honorable mention.

Northeast to Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Juuse Saros are in the blue paint. Carolina cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his nineteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Niederreiter power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Nashville got on the board with in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. Carolina shot back with a Justin Williams power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Teravainen and Justin Faulk. The Predators answered with a Brian Boyle goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Kyle Turris. The Hurricanes replied on a Jordan Martinook goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Brett Pesce and Lucas Wallmark. Nashville edged closer again with a Mikael Granlund goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. Carolina iced it at 5-3 with an Aho empty net goal, his thirtieth of the year, set up by Pesce. The three stars belonged to Niederreiter, Aho, and Teravainen, while Pesce gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jacob Markstrom receive the starting nods in goal. Vegas tallied first with a Mark Stone goal in the first period, his twenty-ninth of the season, made possible by Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights added on with an Alex Tuch goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Jon Merrill. Vegas extended the lead as Cody Eakin scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Tomas Nosek and Tuch. Vancouver got on the board with a Brock Boeser goal, his twenty-second of the year, helped along by Alex Biega and Elias Pettersson. The Golden Knights replied with a Nosek goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Colin Miller and Tuch. Vegas padded the lead on a Stastny goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Miller and Stone. Thatcher Demko replaced Markstrom at this time. The Canucks pulled one back in the second period on a Bo Horvat goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Antoine Roussel and Biega. The Golden Knights countered with a Nate Schmidt goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. This remained as the eventual 6-2 final score, with the three stars being Tuch, Nosek, and Stastny, while Stone, Miller, and Biega get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, March 8, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 149

Just four games this Friday night, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Braden Holtby are in goal. Washington started in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Michal Kempny and Travis Boyd. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Lars Eller, his ninth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Holtby (25 save shutout), Burakovsky, and Backstrom.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Sam Montembeault in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers added on with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his second of the year, via Barkov and Dadonov. Florida extended the lead as Weegar scored his second of the game and third of the season, thanks to Dadonov, who earned a sock trick. Alex Stalock relieved Dubnyk to begin the second period. The Panthers padded the lead on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Barkov, who got a sock trick, and Huberdeau. Minnesota got on the board with a J.T. Brown goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Jonas Brodin and Eric Fehr. Florida shot back with a Mike Matheson goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Huberdeau and Barkov. The Wild answered with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Brown and Nick Seeler. The Panthers responded in the third period with a Matheson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by Barkov and Huberdeau, the latter earning a sock trick. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Barkov, Huberdeau, and Weegar, while Matheson, Dadonov, and Brown get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Curtis McElhinnet receive the starting nods in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Nikolaj Ehlers and Tyler Myers. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Patrik Laine. Winnipeg extended the lead as Ben Chiarot scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Kyle Connor and Bryan Little. The Jets padded the lead on an Ehlers goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Hayes and Dmitry Kulikov. Winnipeg continued in the second period with an Andrew Copp goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Jack Roslovic and Mathieu Perreault. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Greg McKegg goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Calvin de Haan and Dougie Hamilton. The Jets shot back with a Connor power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg struck again with a Copp goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Roslovic and Nathan Beaulieu. The Jets iced it at 8-1 with an Adam Lowry goal, his ninth of the campaign, fueled by Chiarot and Ehlers. The three stars were Copp, Ehlers, and Hayes, while Wheeler, Connor, Roslovic, and Chiarot get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and John Gibson tend the twines. Anaheim began in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his tenth of the season, via Jacob Larsson. The Ducks added on with an Adam Henrique goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Troy Terry and Nick Ritchie. Montreal got on the board with a Paul Byron goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Andrew Shaw and Shea Weber. The Ducks replied in the second period with a Devin Shore power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Corey Perry and Nick Ritchie. The Canadiens pulled back on a Weber power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. The Ducks shot back with a Terry goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Cam Fowler and Larsson. Anaheim extended the lead as Perry scored his third of the season, thanks to Carter Rowney and Derek Grant. The Ducks padded the lead in the third period on a Rickard Rakell goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Jakob Silfverberg and Shore. Anaheim kept going with another Henrique goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, with a lone helper from Terry. The Ducks capped it at 8-2 with a Max Jones goal, set up by Josh Manson. The three stars were Terry, Henrique, and Shore, while Weber, Ritchie, Perry, and Larsson get the honorable mentions.

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Thursday, March 7, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 148

Eleven games fill the schedule tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Tuukka Rask are the experienced goalies. Florida got going in the second period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on with a Huberdeau power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Barkov and Yandle. Boston got on the board with a David Krejci goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Danton Heinen and David Backes. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a shorthanded Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand. Florida regained the lead on a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, helped along by Evgenii Dadonov and Aaron Ekblad. Boston tied it again as Matt Grzelcyk scored his second of the year on the power play, thanks to Marchand and McAvoy. The Bruins capped it at 4-3 with a Bergeron goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Marchand, who earned a sock trick. The three stars were Bergeron, Huberdeau, and Marchand, while Barkov, Yandle, and McAvoy get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo is mismatched with Matt Murray in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Jared McCann and Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-0 with a Sidney Crosby empty net goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, set up by Jake Guentzel. The three stars belonged to Murray (25 save shutout), Kessel, and Bjugstad.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Brett Howden and Brendan Lemieux. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Madison Bowey and Andreas Athanasiou. The Red Wings pulled ahead in the third period with an Athanasiou goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Danny DeKeyser. The Rangers tied it on another Buchnevich goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, guided in by Lemieux and Tony DeAngelo. In the shootout, Athanasiou had the only tally to lift the Red Wings to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Athanasiou, Buchnevich, and Lemieux.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Anders Nilsson man the creases. New York started in the first period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Leo Komarov and Nick Leddy. Ottawa tied it on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Ben Harpur and Anthony Duclair. The Islanders retook the lead with a Filppula goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Tom Kuhnhackl. The Senators tied it again in the second period with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Brian Gibbons and Bobby Ryan. New York reclaimed the lead in the third period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his sixteenth of the year, guided in by Adam Pelech and Mathew Barzal. The Islanders finished it at 4-2 with a Casey Cizikas empty net goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Filppula, Beauvillier, and Greiss (35 for 37 in saves).

Way to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jason Zucker goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Donato and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the third period with another Zucker goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Donato. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with Zucker completing his hat trick on an empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Eric Staal and Eric Fehr. The three stars were awarded to Zucker, Dubnyk (25 save shutout), and Donato.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hutton and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Duncan Keith goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks added on with an Artem Anisimov goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Dominik Kahun and Kane. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Zemgus Girgensons and Tage Thompson. The Sabres tied it on a Brandon Montour goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Scott Wilson and Zach Bogosian. Buffalo pulled ahead with a shorthanded Bogosian goal, his third of the season, set up by Evan Rodrigues. Chicago retied it on another Anisimov goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres reclaimed the lead on a Kyle Okposo goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Rodrigues and Conor Sheary. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Brendan Perlini goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Toews and Slater Koekkoek. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Toews, Kane, and Alex DeBrincat helped the Blackhawks win 5-4 over Jack Eichel and the Sabres. The three stars were Kane, Toews, and Anisimov, while Bogosian and Rodrigues get the honorable mentions.

Back to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Dallas drew first blood in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. The Stars added on in the second period with a Radulov goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, made possible by Tyler Seguin. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Benn scored his twenty-fifth of the season, with the help of Jason Dickinson. The Stars iced it at 4-0 with a Radulov empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Radulov, Bishop (31 save shutout), and Benn.

In Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Mikko Koskinen are the lesser-known goalies. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone helper from Sam Gagner. The Oilers added on with a Zack Kassian goal, his twelfth of the year, via Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his twenty-first of the season, thanks to McDavid. Vancouver got on the board with a Jay Beagle goal, his third of the year, fueled by Brock Boeser. The Canucks got closer in the third period an Alexander Edler goal, his seventh of the campaign, passed from Boeser and Elias Pettersson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to McDavid, Boeser, and Koskinen (35 for 37 in saves).

Back stateside, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith faces his former team and Darcy Kuemper in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Christian Dvorak and Jakob Chychrun. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Chychrun goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. This held up for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Chychrun, Kuemper (30 save shutout), and Keller.

Westward to Los Angeles, as the Kings host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Jonathan Quick are the under-performing goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on with a Tyler Bozak goal, his eleventh of the year, via Joel Edmundson and Robert Thomas. St. Louis extended the lead as Ryan O'Reilly scored his twenty-sixth of the season, thanks to Schenn and Tarasenko. The Blues padded the lead in the third period on an Ivan Barbashev goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Sammy Blais and MacKenzie MacEachern. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Allen (28 save shutout), Tarasenko, and Schenn.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Montreal Canadiens. Antti Niemi and Martin Jones patrol the creases. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an unassisted Tomas Hertl goal, his thirtieth of the season. The Sharks added on with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Kevin Labanc and Brent Burns. Montreal got on the board with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Nate Thompson and Brett Kulak. San Jose replied in the second period with a Joe Thornton goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Labanc and Sorensen. The Canadiens pulled back with an Andrew Shaw goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Paul Byron and Max Domi. San Jose answered in the third period with a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, coming off of Joonas Donskoi. The Sharks iced it at 5-2 with a Gustav Nyquist empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The three stars were Sorensen, Labanc, and Jones (37 for 39 in saves).

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Wednesday, March 6, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 147

Four games on this Wednesday evening, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Flyers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Brian Elliott are the veterans in goal. Washington began with a Tom Wilson goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Carl Hagelin and Matt Niskanen. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Ovechkin scored a power play goal, his forty-sixth of the season, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Capitals chased Elliott with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Jakub Vrana and Orlov. Cam Talbot came on in relief. Washington padded the lead as Backstrom scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Vrana and Nick Jensen. Philadelphia got on the board with a Philippe Myers goal, assisted by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The Flyers pulled closer in the third period with a Giroux goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Oskar Lindblom and Couturier. Philadelphia chipped closer on a Scott Laughton goal, his tenth of the season, via Andrew MacDonald and Michael Raffl. This held for a 5-3 final score, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Giroux, while Orlov and Couturier get the honorable mentions.

Way to the west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Toronto got going in the second period with a shorthanded Ron Hainsey goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Mitchell Marner and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs added on with a Morgan Rielly goal, his seventeenth of the year, via John Tavares and Patrick Marleau. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Adam Gaudette and Luke Schenn. The Canucks tied it on a Josh Leivo power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Nikolay Goldobin and Gaudette. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with an Alexander Edler goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Brock Boeser and the goalie Markstrom. The three stars were Edler, Leivo, and Eriksson.

Down in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Troy Terry and Korbinian Holzer. St. Louis tied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues took the lead with an O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Tyler Bozak and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on in the second period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Colton Parayko and Jaden Schwartz. The Ducks tied it on a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Terry and Cam Fowler. Anaheim tied it with a Jaycob Megna goal, helped along by Sam Steel and Jakob Silfverberg. The Ducks pulled ahead in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his fourteneth of the year, assisted by Jacob Larsson and Terry, the latter earning a sock trick. The Blues tied it again with a Thomas goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Parayko and Tarasenko. St. Louis won 5-4 with a Pietrangelo goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Schenn. The three stars went to Thomas, Pietrangelo, and O'Reilly, while Tarasenko, Schenn, Parayko, Terry, and Megna.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Marc-Andre Fleury man the nets. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Shea Theodore power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Mark Stone and William Karlsson. Calgary tied it on a Travis Hamonic goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan. The Golden Knights took the lead back in the third period with a Deryk Engelland goal, his second of the season, passed from Reilly Smith and Karlsson. The final held from here at 2-1, with the three stars awarded to Fleury (33 for 34 in saves), Karlsson, and Engelland.

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Tuesday, March 5, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 146

We've got ten games on a Tuesday, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney and Jaroslav Halak draw the starts in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, made possible by Calvin de Haan and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with another Aho goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, via Nino Niederreiter and Justin Faulk. Boston got on the board with a Chris Wagner goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Brandon Carlo. The Bruins tied it on a Jake DeBrusk goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by David Krejci. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Patrice Bergeron shorthanded goal, his twenty-third of the season, set up by Brad Marchand. Carolina retied it as Justin Williams scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Jordan Martinook and Brett Pesce. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime with a Krejci goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, courtesy of DeBrusk. The three stars were Krejci, DeBrusk, and Aho.

Along to New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider are in the creases. Columbus began in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, assisted by David Savard and Markus Nutivaara. New Jersey tied it on a Travis Zajac goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Blake Coleman and Andy Greene in the second period. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies from Atkinson and Artemi Panarin. The three stars went to Atkinson, Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves), and Schneider (17 for 18 in saves).

Next up, the New York Islanders bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner are set to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-first of the season, via Josh Bailey. Ottawa tied it on a Brian Gibbons goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Thomas Chabot and Colin White in the second period. The Islanders retook the lead with a Devon Toews goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Michael Dal Colle. New York added on with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. The Senators got one back with an Oscar Lindberg goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Mikkel Boedker and Anthony Duclair. The Islanders shot back with a Ross Johnston goal, assisted by Leo Komarov and Casey Cizikas. Ottawa pulled back in the third period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Christian Wolanin and Zack Smith. Lehner was replaced Thomas Greiss due to injury. The Senators tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Brady Tkachuk and Magnus Paajarvi. The Islanders won 5-4 with shootout tallies by Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal to seal the deal. The three stars were Johnston, Pageau, and Ryan.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Matt Murray are the masked men. Florida started in the first period with a Henrik Borgstrom power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Aaron Ekblad. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirty-second of the year, guided in by Jared McCann and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead with a Crosby power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, with assists provided by Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist. The Panthers retied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Hoffman and Frank Vatrano. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Guentzel goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Crosby. The three stars were awarded to Guentzel, Crosby, and Hoffman.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Dan Girardi. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Patrik Laine and Jacob Trouba. The Lightning regained the lead in the second period with an Adam Erne goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Mathieu Joseph and Anthony Cirelli. Hellebuyck had to temporarily come out of the game, replaced by Laurent Brossoit. In that time, Tampa Bay added on with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Hellebuyck did return to finish the period. The Lightning extended the lead in the third period as Cedric Paquette scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Joseph and Erne. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Brayden Point power play goal, his thirty-seventh of the year, helped along by Kucherov and Stamkos. The Jets got one back on a Trouba power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper from the goalie Hellebuyck. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Erne, Joseph, and Stamkos, while Kucherov and Trouba get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, courtesy of Matt Donovan and Nick Bonino. Minnesota tied it with a Kevin Fiala goal, his eleventh of the year, via Greg Pateryn. The Predators regained the lead in the second period with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by P.K. Subban and Arvidsson. The Wild tied it again on a Pontus Aberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jordan Greenway and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota gained the lead with an Eric Fehr goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Marcus Foligno. Nashville retied it on a Roman Josi goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Ryan Ellis and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators pulled ahead with an Arvidsson goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it on a Fiala goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, guided in by Zach Parise and Eric Staal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Johansen sealed it 5-4 for the Predators. The three stars were Fiala, Arvidsson, and Josi.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Dallas got going in the second period with a John Klingberg goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Miro Heiskanen. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Bishop (29 save shutout), Klingberg, and Georgiev (31 for 32 in saves).

Continuing along, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Semyon Varlamov occupy the creases. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Niklas Kronwall goal, his third of the season, coming off of Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen. Colorado tied it in the second period with a J.T. Compher goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Colin Wilson. Detroit retook the lead in the third period on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jacob de la Rose and Justin Abdelkader. The Avalanche retied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. Detroit pulled ahead again with a Filip Zadina power play goal, with assists provided by Filip Hronek and Vanek. Colorado retied it with a Barrie goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a MacKinnon goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Rantanen. The three stars were MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Barrie, while Vanek gets an honorable mention.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Darcy Kuemper are the goalies. Anaheim drew first blood in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. Arizona tied it on a Lawson Crouse goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Josh Archibald and Kevin Connauton. The Ducks took the lead back in the third period with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with a Troy Terry power play goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist from Silfverberg. The three stars were Silfverberg, Miller (22 for 23 in saves), and Henrique.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his thirtieth of the season, coming off of Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on with an unassisted Jordan Weal goal, his fifth of the year, coming in the second period. Montreal extended the lead as Weber scored his tenth of the season in the third period, thanks to Phillip Danault and Mete. Los Angeles got on the board with a Matt Luff goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Weber, Mete, and Price (26 for 27 in saves).

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Monday, March 4, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 145

A light schedule today sees only two games played, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Leon Draisaitl shorthanded goal, his forty-first of the season, set up by Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jeff Skinner. The Sabres took the lead on a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Scott Wilson and Jason Pominville. Buffalo added on with another Eichel goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers got one back in the second period with a Zack Kassian goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by McDavid and Kris Russell. Edmonton tied it with a Nurse goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Draisaitl and Sam Gagner. The Oilers pulled ahead with a Kyle Brodziak goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Adam Larsson and Milan Lucic. Carter Hutton relieved Ullmark for the third period. The final stayed at 4-3, with the three stars given to Nurse, Eichel, and Draisaitl, while McDavid gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Calgary, as the Flames host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and David Rittich man the nets. Toronto began in the first period with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Jake Muzzin and Kasperi Kapanen. The Maple Leafs added on with another Ennis goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Martin Marincin and Trevor Moore. Toronto extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the second period with another Hyman goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, coming off of Marner and Morgan Rielly. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Toronto replied in the third period with Ennis completing his hat trick on his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Moore and Muzzin. The Flames got one back with a Derek Ryan goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Mark Giordano and Andrew Mangiapane. The Maple Leafs countered on a Marner goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, with a lone helper by John Tavares. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ennis, Hyman, and Marner, while Moore and Muzzin get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, March 3, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 144

Eight games on to finish the weekend this Sunday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Alexandar Georgiev are set to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider. Washington tied it with a Carl Hagelin goal, his third of the year, via Lars Eller and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals took the lead with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Nic Dowd and Travis Boyd. The Rangers retied it in the second period on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Filip Chytil and Tony DeAngelo. In the shootout, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom matched tallies with Kevin Shattenkirk and DeAngelo before Georgiev threw his stick to prevent Alex Ovechkin's attempt. The play was deemed illegal, the Capitals were awarded the goal, and they won 3-2. The three stars were DeAngelo, Burakovsky, and Hagelin.

Also in New York, the Islanders welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Radko Gudas and Robert Hagg. The Flyers added on with a Travis Sanheim goal, his ninth of the year, via Claude Giroux. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period as Scott Laughton scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Michael Raffl. The Flyers padded the lead against Thomas Greiss with a Sean Couturier goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Oskar Lindblom and Giroux. New York got on the board with an Adam Pelech goal in the third period, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Andrew Ladd and Josh Bailey. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Giroux, Elliott (29 for 30 in saves), and Sanheim.

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Vegas got going in the second period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Nate Schmidt and Paul Stastny. The Golden Knights added on with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Shea Theodore. Vegas extended the lead as Reilly Smith scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. This stood as the eventual 3-0 final score, with the three stars going to Fleury (19 save shutout), Pacioretty, and Carpenter.

Further west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Anaheim led off in the first period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Brendan Guhle. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell and Silfverberg. Colorado got on the board in the third period with a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with assists provided by Carl Soderberg and J.T. Compher. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Silfverberg, Gibson (25 for 26 in saves), and Fowler.

Back east, the Florida Panthers host the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Roberto Luongo man the blue paint. Ottawa began in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Magnus Paajarvi. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Mark Pysyk and Keith Yandle. The Panthers took the lead with a Troy Brouwer goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Riley Sheahan. The Senators tied it in the second period with a Brian Gibbons goal, his third of the year, assisted by Cody Ceci and Colin White. Ottawa took the lead with a Rudolfs Balcers power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dylan DeMelo and Christian Wolanin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Balcers, Gibbons, and Smith.

North to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Sami Niku goal, via Ben Chiarot and Mathieu Perreault. Columbus tied it on a Nick Foligno power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. The Jets retook the lead on a Blake Wheeler goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Dmitry Kulikov and Mark Scheifele. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Seth Jones goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Panarin and Zach Werenski. Winnipeg pulled ahead on Wheeler's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by Nathan Beaulieu and Scheifele. The Jets added on with Wheeler completing his hat trick on his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Patrik Laine and Beaulieu. Winnipeg iced it at 5-2 with Wheeler's fourth of the night and seventeenth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Scheifele, who earned a sock trick, and Andrew Copp. The three stars went to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Beaulieu, while Panarin gets an honorable mention.

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Alex Stalock are the backups in goal. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Wayne Simmonds and Rocco Grimaldi. Minnesota tied it in the second period with an unassisted Eric Fehr goal, his sixth of the year. The Wild took the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Suter and Eric Staal. The Predators retied it in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Kyle Turris and Roman Josi. In the shootout, Ryan Ellis and Ryan Johansen lifted the Predators to a 3-2 win over Zach Parise and the Wild. The three stars were Stalock (41 for 43 in saves), Forsberg, and Bonino.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Cam Ward and Martin Jones play in the blue paint. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Tim Heed. Chicago tied it on a Dylan Strome goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Alex DeBrincat and Brent Seabrook. The Sharks took the lead on a Timo Meier goal in the second period, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Heed and Joonas Donskoi. The Blackhawks tied it again with an Erik Gustafsson goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. San Jose regained the lead in the third period with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Joe Thornton and Donskoi. The Sharks added on with a Melker Karlsson goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Brent Burns and Micheal Haley. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Karlsson empty net goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, set up by Barclay Goodrow and Haley. The three stars were Karlsson, Donskoi, and Heed, while Haley gets an honorable mention.

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