Wednesday, October 23, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 22

Just two games tonight, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators welcoming the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Anders Nilsson play in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, his third of the season, via Bobby Ryan and Thomas Chabot. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Darren Helm goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Justin Abdelkader and Jacob de la Rose. The Red Wings took the lead with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Patrik Nemeth and Filip Hronek. The Senators retied it on a Mark Borowiecki goal, passed from Nick Paul and Connor Brown. Ottawa pulled ahead with a shorthanded and unassisted Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the year. The Senators added on with an Anthony Duclair goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Chabot and Tierney. Ottawa iced it at 5-2 with a Duclair empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Vladislav Namestnikov in the third period. The three stars were Tierney, Duclair, and Chabot.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, via Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. Pittsburgh tied it on a Brandon Tanev goal, his second of the season, passed from Teddy Blueger in the second period. The Penguins gained the lead with a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon. The Lightning retied it in the third period with a Cedric Paquette goal, helped along by Ryan McDonagh and Luke Witkowski. Tampa Bay took the lead with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his second of the campaign, powered by Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. The final stayed at 3-2, with the three stars being Hedman, Vasilevskiy (37 for 39 in saves), and Jarry (45 for 48 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 21

Ten games on for Tuesday night, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky play in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Noel Acciari goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dryden Hunt and Colton Sceviour. Pittsburgh tied it on a Teddy Blueger goal, his second of the year, passed from Jake Guentzel and Dominik Simon. The Panthers took the lead back with a Denis Malgin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida added on in the third period with a Huberdeau goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Aleksander Barkov and Anton Stralman. The Penguins chipped back on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Guentzel and Sidney Crosby. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with a Frank Vatrano empty net goal, his second of the year, set up by Malgin and Barkov. The three stars were Huberdeau, Guentzel, and Malgin, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Alexandar Georgiev are set to start in goal. Arizona started in the first period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Christian Fischer and Carl Soderberg. New York tied it in the second period with a Tony DeAngelo goal, his second of the year, via Brendan Lemieux and Pavel Buchnevich. The Coyotes regained the lead on an Alex Goligoski power play goal, powered by Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz. The Rangers retied it with a DeAngelo power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Strome and Kaapo Kakko. Arizona won 3-2 in overtime with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Goligoski and Clayton Keller. The three stars were Goligoski, DeAngelo, and Dvorak.

Along to Buffalo, where the Sabres bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Carter Hutton are the masked men. San Jose opened in the first period with a Dylan Gambrell goal, via Erik Karlsson and Marcus Sorensen. The Sharks added on with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, passed from Patrick Marleau and Timo Meier. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson in the second period. The Sabres tied it with a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Rasmus Ristolainen and Eichel. Buffalo took the lead in the third period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Eichel and Henri Jokiharju. San Jose retied it on a Karlsson goal, made possible by Kevin Labanc and Marleau. The Sabres won 4-3 in overtime with an Eichel goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Ristolainen and Casey Mittelstadt. The three stars were awarded to Eichel, Karlsson, and Ristolainen, while Marleau gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Boston Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his third of the year, via Alexander Kerfoot and Justin Holl. The Bruins took the lead back with a Marchand goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a Kerfoot power play goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Kapanen and William Nylander. Boston reclaimed the lead in the third period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his second of the campaign, with a lone assist by Jake DeBrusk. The Bruins added on with a Par Lindholm goal, coming off of Sean Kuraly. This held for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Marchand, Pastrnak, and Kapanen, while Kerfoot gets an honorable mention.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Filip Hronek and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Dennis Cholowski power play goal, with helpers from Taro Hirose and Andreas Athanasiou. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks tied it with another Horvat power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, passed from Hughes and J.T. Miller. Vancouver pulled ahead with a Jake Virtanen goal, made possible by Josi Leivo and Jordie Benn. The Canucks extended the lead as Tim Schaller scored, with the help of Pettersson. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Horvat empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the year, set up by Miller and Benn. The three stars were Horvat, Pettersson, and Hughes, while Miller and Benn get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Devan Dubnyk are the veterans in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, via Jordan Greenway and Mats Zuccarello. The Wild added on with another Staal goal, his second of the game, fueled by Carson Soucy and Greenway. Minnesota extended the lead as Brad Hunt scored his fourth of the season on the power play, thanks to Matt Dumba and Staal. In the second period, Dubnyk left injured and was replaced by Alex Stalock in goal. The final stayed at 3-0, with the three stars being Staal, Greenway, and Stalock (16 for 16 in saves in relief).

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with an Austin Wagner goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kyle Clifford and Alec Martinez. Winnipeg tied it on a Kyle Connor goal, his fourth of the year, via Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Kings retook the lead in the second period with an unassisted Kurtis MacDermid goal. The Jets evened it on an Ehlers goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Neal Pionk and Ville Heinola. Los Angeles took the lead with an Anze Kopitar power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, powered by Drew Foughty and the goalie Quick. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Quick (26 for 28 in saves), Ehlers, and Kopitar.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Roman Josi power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Ryan Ellis. The Predators added on with an unassisted Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year. Nashville extended the lead in the second period as Rocco Grimaldi scored, thanks to Nick Bonino and Josi. The Predators padded the lead with a shorthanded Mattias Ekholm goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with an unassisted Ryan Getzlaf goal, his third of the year. Nashville shot back on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators kept going with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his second of the year, via Arvidsson and Kyle Turris. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars being Josi, Arvidsson, and Rinne (26 for 27 in saves).

Backtracking to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner play in the creases. Chicago cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Kirby Dach goal, via Olli Maatta and Dylan Strome. Vegas tied it in the third period with a Nick Holden goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Mark Stone and Paul Stastny. The tie went to a shootout, where Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore helped the Golden Knights win 2-1 over Jonathan Toews' lone tally for the Blackhawks. The three stars were Fleury (31 for 32 in saves), Lehner (33 for 34 in saves), and Holden.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot receive the starting nods in goal. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with a John Carlson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals added on with a Chandler Stephenson goal, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano. The Flames tied it with an Austin Czarnik goal, made possible by Milan Lucic and T.J. Brodie. Washington regained the lead on an Ovechkin goal, his seventh of the season, via Nicklas Backstrom and Radko Gudas. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Tom Wilson scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Lars Eller and Michal Kempny. Washington padded the lead with an unassisted empty net goal by Carlson, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign. Calgary got one back with a Tobias Rieder goal, set up by Andrew Mangiapane and Derek Ryan. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars being Carlson, Ovechkin, and Wilson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, October 21, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 20

Four games on a Monday night, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Frederik Andersen are in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Riley Nash shorthanded goal, set up by Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Cam Atkinson and Foligno. Toronto got on the board with a Kasperi Kapanen shorthanded goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Mitchell Marner and Jake Muzzin. The Maple Leafs tied it with an Auston Matthews goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Andreas Johnsson and Muzzin. Toronto took the lead in the second period with a William Nylander goal, his third of the year, via Johnsson and Matthews. Columbus evened it in the third period with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 in overtime on a Gustav Nyquist penalty shot goal, his second of the year. The three stars were Matthews, Foligno, and Muzzin, while Johnsson gets an honorable mention.

Stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Vegas Golden Knights. Oscar Dansk and Brian Elliott are the backups in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Travis Konecny power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Oskar Lindblom and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers added on with a Kevin Hayes goal, his second of the year, via Scott Laughton and Jakub Voracek in the second period. Philadelphia extended the lead as Michael Raffl scored his second of the season, thanks to Ivan Provorov and Mikhail Vorobyev. The Flyers padded the lead on a Matt Niskanen power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Sean Couturier and Konecny. Philadelphia kept going with a Lindblom goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Raffl and Travis Sanheim. Vegas got on the board with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his second of the year, assisted by Mark Stone and William Karlsson in the third period. The Golden Knights got closer with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Nick Holden and Jon Merrill. The Flyers iced it at 6-2 with Raffl's second of the game and third of the year, with a lone helper by Chris Stewart. The three stars belonged to Raffl, Lindblom, and Konecny.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Jordan Binnington protect the nets. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Vince Dunn and Vladimir Tarasenko. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The Blues got the lead back in the second period on a David Perron goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tarasenko and Justin Faulk. St. Louis added on with a Tarasenko goal, his third of the year, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Colton Parayko. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Binnington (17 for 18 in saves), and Perron.

Finally, the Dallas Stars host the Ottawa Senators. Anton Khudobin and Anders Nilsson are in the blue paint. Dallas started in the first period with a Radek Faksa goal, his second of the season, fueled by Taylor Fedun and Mattias Janmark. The Stars added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Ottawa got on the board with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Connor Brown and Thomas Chabot. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars given to Nilsson (41 for 43 in saves), Pavelski, and Faksa.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 19

Five games on for Sunday, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Vancouver Canucks in a matinee. Jacob Markstrom and Henrik Lundqvist are the goalies. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Bo Horvat power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The Canucks added on with a Brock Boeser goal, his second of the year, via Pettersson. Vancouver extended the lead with a shorthanded Jay Beagle goal, set up by Christopher Tanev. New York got on the board in the second period with a Jesper Fast goal, his second of the season, passed from Jacob Trouba and Ryan Strome. The Rangers got closer in the third period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Fast and Mika Zibanejad. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Fast, and Markstrom (38 for 40 in saves).

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Keith Kinkaid and Devan Dubnyk are the alliterative goalies. Minnesota began in the first period with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. Montreal tied it on a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Jeff Petry and Max Domi. The Canadiens took the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his third of the season, coming off of Paul Byron. The Wild retied it on a Marcus Foligno goal, assisted by Eric Staal and Luke Kunin. Montreal regained the lead with another Danault goal in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Brendan Gallagher. Minnesota tied it again with a Brad Hunt power play goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Matt Dumba and Jordan Greenway. The Wild pulled ahead on a Zach Parise goal, his third of the year, guided in by Zucker and Koivu. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Zucker, Danault, and Koivu.

Up in Winnipeg, the Jets host the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Connor Hellebuyck are between the pipes. The game was scoreless until the shootout, where Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine lifted the Jets to a 1-0 win over the Oilers. The three stars were awarded to Hellebuyck (28 save shutout), Smith (23 save "shutout"), and Connor.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford are the veterans in goal. Washington struck first in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Chicago tied it in the second period on a Drake Caggiula goal, his second of the year, via Alexander Nylander and Ryan Carpenter. The Capitals took the lead back on a shorthanded Nic Dowd goal, his second of the season, set up by Carl Hagelin. Washington added on in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his sixth of the year, passed from John Carlson and Michal Kempny. The Blackhawks got one back with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brandon Saad and David Kampf. Chicago tied it again with a Patrick Kane goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper from Nylander. The Capitals reclaimed the lead with a Tom Wilson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Hagelin and Lars Eller. Washington iced it at 5-3 with an Eller empty net goal, his third of the year, assisted by Dmitry Orlov. The three stars belonged to Hagelin, Nylander, and Eller.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and John Gibson occupy the blue paint. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. Calgary tied it on a Michael Stone goal, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Flames took the lead in the third period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his second of the year, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Austin Czarnik. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Talbot (29 for 30 in saves), Backlund, and Stone.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

MLS 2019 Playoffs - Round One

We've got six games in the first round to determine who advances to the Conference Semifinals. First up...

Atlanta United FC hosts the New England Revolution. Matt Turner and Brad Guzan are in goal. Wilfried Zahibo of New England had a yellow card for a 42nd minute foul. Atlanta's Josef Martinez took a yellow card for a dive in the 43rd minute. The Five Stripes saw yellow cards for fouls by Leandro Gonzalez Pirez in the 53rd minute and Jeff Larentowicz in the 58th minute. Atlanta got going in the 70th minute with a Franco Escobar goal, via Ezequiel Barco. Antonio Mlinar Delamea received a yellow card for a 76th minute foul. The final stood at 1-0, with the man of the match being Escobar.

To the northwest, the Seattle Sounders FC welcome FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Stefan Frei protect the nets. Seattle led off in the 18th minute with a Raul Ruidiaz goal, coming off of Cristian Roldan. The Sounders added on in the 22nd minute with a Jordan Morris goal, assisted by Joevin Jones and Ruidiaz. Bryan Acosta of Dallas took a yellow card for a foul in the 25th minute. The Toros got on the board in the 39th minute with a Reggie Cannon goal. Dallas' Cannon received a yellow card for a foul in the 44th minute. The Toros tied it in the 64th minute on a Matt Hedges goal, courtesy of Michael Barrios. Seattle regained the lead in the 74th minute with another Morris goal, set up by Gustav Svensson and Nicolas Lodeiro. Dallas equalized with an 82nd minute Acosta goal, made possible by Reto Ziegler. The Toros' Gonzalez picked up a yellow card for dissent in the 88th minute. The Sounders surged ahead with 113th minute Morris goal, fueled by Ruidiaz. The final held at 4-3, with Morris' hat trick making him man of the match.

Back east, Toronto FC brings in DC United. Bill Hamid and Quentin Westberg make the starts in goal. Toronto began in the 32nd minute with a Marco Delgado goal. The Reds saw a yellow card for a Jonathan Osorio dive in the 40th minute. Toronto's Delgado took a yellow card for a 72nd minute foul. DC tied it in stoppage time on a Lucas Rodriguez goal, assisted by Frederic Brillant and Wayne Rooney. The Reds retook the lead in the 93rd minute with a Richie Laryea goal, via Nick DeLeon and Michael Bradley. Toronto added on with an Osorio goal in the 95th minute. The Reds' Justin Morrow saw a yellow card for time wasting in the 102nd minute. Toronto extended the lead as Osorio scored again in the 103rd minute, thanks to Alejandro Pozuelo. The Reds padded the lead on a DeLeon goal in stoppage time of the first extra half, with the help of Osorio. The Black and Red saw yellow cards for fouls by Leonardo Jara in the 109th minute and a pair by Paul Arriola in the 112th and 118th minutes, earning him an ejection. The final was 5-1, with Osorio as the man of the match.

Saturday's four-pack ends with Real Salt Lake hosting the Portland Timbers. Steve Clark and Nick Rimando are the gloved men. Salt Lake started in the 28th minute with a Damir Kreilach goal, via Corey Baird. Portland's Sebastian Blanco took a yellow card for a 39th minute foul. Jefferson Savarino of Real saw a yellow card for his 44th minute foul. The Timbers retied it in the 47th minute with a Dairon Asprilla goal, assisted by Blanco. Kyle Beckerman of Salt Lake picked up a yellow card for a 57th minute foul. Real took the lead with an 87th minute goal by Savarino. This stood for a 2-1 win, with Savarino as the man of the match.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Union welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Andre Blake are set to start in goal. New York opened in the 6th minute with a Josh Sims goal, via Alejandro Romero Gamarra and Marc Rzatkowski. The Red Bulls added on in the 24th minute with a Tim Parker goal, helped along by Daniel Royer and Romero Gamarra. Philadelphia tied it in the 30th minute with an Alejandro Bedoya goal, passed from Maris Medunjanin. Jamiro Monteiro of the Union picked up a yellow card for a 36th minute foul. New York replied in first half stoppage time on a Tom Barlow goal. Philadelphia answered with a Jack Elliott goal in the 52nd minute. The Union's Bedoya received a yellow card for a foul in the 58th minute. Philadelphia pulled even in the 78th minute with a Fabrice-Jean Picault goal, coming off of Sergio Santos. The Union surged ahead in the first half stoppage time of extra time with a Marco Fabian goal, set up by Picault. In the 107th minute, Parker of the Red Bulls saw a yellow card for a foul. Ilsinho of Philadelphia had a yellow card for his foul in the 108th minute. Cristian Casseres, Jr. of New York received a yellow card for a foul in the 114th minute. The final remained at 4-3, with Picault as the man of the match.

Finally, Minnesota United FC brings in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Vito Mannone are in the six-yard boxes. Los Angeles had yellow cards for fouls by Diego Polenta in the 33rd minute and Giancarlo Gonzalez in the 44th minute. The Galaxy dented the scoreboard in the 71st minute on a Sebastian Lletget goal. Los Angeles added on with a Jonathan dos Santos goal in the 75th minute, passed from Romain Alessandrini. Osvaldo Alonso of Minnesota took a yellow card for an 80th minute foul. The Loons got on the board with a Jan Gregus goal in the 87th minute, via Darwin Quintero. Alessandrini of the Galaxy picked up a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being dos Santos.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NWSL 2019 - Semifinals

The NWSL semifinals are here, beginning with...

The North Carolina Courage welcoming Reign FC. Casey Murphy and Stephanie Labbe are in goal. Allie Long of Reign took a yellow card for a foul in the 50th minute. North Carolina got going in the 88th minute with a Heather O'Reilly penalty kick goal. Reign tied it on an Ifeoma Onumonu goal in stoppage time set up by Celia Jimenez Delgado. The Courage took the lead back with a 99th minute Debinha goal. North Carolina added on as Reign's Lauren Barnes committed an own goal in stoppage time during the first extra time half. The Courage extended the lead as Crystal Dunn scored, thanks to Samantha Mewis in the 107th minute. This made it 4-1, the final, with Debinha as the woman of the match.

In Chicago, the Red Stars bring in the Portland Thorns FC. Adrianna Franch and Alyssa Naeher protect the nets. Chicago led off in the 8th minute with a Sam Kerr goal, assisted by Yuki Nagasato. Portland's Elizabeth Ball had a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. The final remained at 1-0, with Kerr as the woman of the match.

Next Sunday, the North Carolina Courage host the Chicago Red Stars for the NWSL Championship.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2019-20 - Day 18

Eleven games on this Saturday, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and MacKenzie Blackwood are the lesser-known goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Jack Hughes power play goal, powered by Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen. This stood for the eventual 1-0 win, with the three stars being Hughes, Blackwood (25 save shutout), and Demko (23 for 24 in saves).

Next up, the St. Louis Blues welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jake Allen are the veteran goalies. Montreal led off in the first period with a Jordan Weal power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Max Domi and Tomas Tatar. St. Louis tied it on a Jaden Schwartz goal, via Alex Pietrangelo and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Canadiens retook the lead in the second period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Phillip Danault. Montreal added on with a Jonathan Drouin goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shea Weber on the power play. The Canadiens extended the lead as Nick Suzuki scored his second of the year, thanks to Nate Thompson and Nick Cousins. The Blues got one back in the third period with a David Perron goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko. Montreal iced it at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Weber. The three stars were Weber, Drouin, and Suzuki.

Out in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Antti Raanta are in the creases. Arizona began in the first period with a Kyle Capobianco goal, via Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes added on with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, coming off of Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan. Arizona extended the lead as Conor Garland scored his fourth of the season in the second period, thanks to Brad Richardson and Nick Schmaltz. The Coyotes padded the lead with a Carl Soderberg power play goal in the third period, his second of the year, powered by Garland and Goligoski. Ottawa got on the board with an unassisted Vladislav Namestnikov shorthanded goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Senators got closer with a Chris Tierney power play goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Thomas Chabot and the goalie Anderson. Arizona capped it at 5-2 with a Lawson Crouse empty net goal. The three stars belonged to Garland, Goligoski, and Raanta (34 for 36 in saves).

Way northeast to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Toronto started in the first period with a Morgan Rielly goal, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Andreas Johnsson. The Maple Leafs added on with a Dmytro Timashov goal, via Frederik Gauthier. Boston got on the board with a Jake DeBrusk goal, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner. The Bruins tied it in the third period with a Danton Heinen power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Brett Ritchie and David Pastrnak. Toronto retook the lead on an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Jake Muzzin and Ilya Mikheyev. Boston equalized with a Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime with another Rielly goal, his second of the game, with helpers from Marner and Auston Matthews. The three stars belonged to Rielly, Marner, and Pastrnak.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Andrei Vasilevskiy are set to start in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Tyson Jost goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Samuel Girard and Colin Wilson. Tampa Bay tied it on a Yanni Gourde goal, via Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Avalanche retook the lead in the second period with Jost's second goal of the game and third of the year, coming off of J.T. Compher and Wilson. Colorado added the lead with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his third of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Ian Cole. The Avalanche extended the lead as Jost finished his hat trick on his fourth of the year, thanks to Compher and Wilson. Colorado padded the lead in the third period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his third of the season, with a lone helper by Cale Makar. The Lightning got one back with a Victor Hedman goal, made possible by Shattenkirk and Alex Killorn. The Avalanche ended it at 6-2 with an unassisted Mikko Rantanen goal, his fifth of the year. The three stars went to Jost, Wilson, and Compher, while Shattenkirk gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Carter Hart protect the nets. Philadelphia kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Sean Couturier goal, his second of the season, via Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Jamie Benn and Corey Perry. The Stars took the lead with an Esa Lindell power play goal, powered by Denis Gurianov and Perry. Dallas added on in the third period with an unassisted Perry goal. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with a Miro Heiskanen empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Tyler Seguin. The three stars belonged to Perry, Bishop (38 for 39 in saves), and Lindell.

Also in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Tristan Jarry in goal. Vegas got going in the second period with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Cody Glass and Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson shorthanded empty net goal, set up by Deryk Engelland. Vegas iced it at 3-0 with an unassisted empty net goal by Mark Stone, his sixth of the year. The three stars were Fleury (29 save shutout), Stastny, and Jarry (21 for 22 in saves).

Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Joonas Korpisalo man the nets. New York was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Mathew Barzal goal, his fourth of the season. Columbus tied it on a Seth Jones goal, via Sonny Milano and Jakob Lilja. The Islanders retook the lead with a Michael Dal Colle goal, helped along by Anthony Beauvillier and Brock Nelson. The Blue Jackets evened it again in the second period on a Boone Jenner goal, going in unassisted. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Nelson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Nick Leddy and Beauvillier. The three stars went to Nelson, Beauvillier, and Greiss (34 for 36 in saves).

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Florida Panthers. Sam Montembeault and Pekka Rinne are given the starting nods. Florida dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Denis Malgin power play goal, his second of the season, via Vincent Trocheck and Keith Yandle. The Panthers added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Colton Sceviour and Dryden Hunt. Nashville got on the board with a Roman Josi goal, his third of the season, guided in by Ryan Ellis and Matt Duchene. The Predators tied it with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Ellis and the goalie Rinne. In the shootout, Trocheck had the lone tally to give the Panthers a 3-2 win. The three stars were Trocheck, Ellis, and Connolly.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his third of the season, coming off of Blake Lizotte and Jeff Carter. The Kings added on with an unassisted Carter goal in the second period. Los Angeles extended the lead as Anze Kopitar scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his third of the year. The Kings padded the lead with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Alec Martinez and Michael Amadio. Cam Talbot replaced Rittich for the third period. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Mikael Backlund penalty shot goal. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Carter, Quick (23 for 24 in saves), and Kopitar.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. Buffalo cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourth of the season, via Henri Jokiharju and Marco Scandella. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson. The Sabres retook the lead in the second period with a Casey Mittelstadt goal, his third of the season, passed from Jokiharju and Jimmy Vesey. The Sharks retied it with a Tomas Hertl power play goal in the third period, his third of the year, with assists provided by Karlsson and Logan Couture. Buffalo pulled ahead again with a Jeff Skinner goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jake McCabe and Johansson. San Jose evened it again with a Marcus Sorensen goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper from Brent Burns. The Sabres regained the lead with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, helped along by Kyle Okposo and Johan Larsson. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Johansson, Jokiharju, and Karlsson.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.