Friday, November 15, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 45

Five games on this Friday night, beginning with...

The Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Joonas Korpisalo are the mediocre goalies. Columbus started in the first period with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, going in unassisted. St. Louis tied it on a MacKenzie MacEachern goal, his second of the season, fueled by Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Jaden Schwartz and David Perron. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Emil Bemstrom and Sonny Milano. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Seth Jones. The three stars were Werenski, Dubois, and Gavrikov.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Frederik Andersen guard the cages. Boston began in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his third of the season, passed from Matt Grzelcyk and Anders Bjork. Toronto tied it in the second period with an Auston Matthews goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Jake Muzzin and William Nylander. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Brad Marchand goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Brandon Carlo and Patrice Bergeron. The Maple Leafs retied it with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his sixth of the year, via John Tavares and Zach Hyman. Boston pulled ahead again with another Marchand goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, coming off of Coyle and David Krejci. The Bruins capped it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Zdeno Chara, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Marchand, Coyle, and Rask (29 for 31 in saves). 

Back stateside, the Washington Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Ilya Samsonov in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on with a Shea Weber goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Ben Chiarot and Danault. Montreal extended the lead as Jordan Weal scored his third of the season, courtesy of Nate Thompson and Tatar. The Canadiens padded the lead on a Nick Suzuki goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Danault and Tatar. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the season, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals got closer with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Tom Wilson. Montreal iced it at 5-2 with a Tatar empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Chiarot and Weber. The three stars belonged to Tatar, Danault, and Weber, while Chiarot gets an honorable mention.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and MacKenzie Blackwood are set to start in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his second of the season, via Jesper Bratt. The Devils added on in the second period with an unassisted Blake Coleman goal, his fourth of the year. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period with a Jack Johnson goal, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Blackwood (38 for 39 in saves), Coleman, and Zajac.

Finally, the Ottawa Senators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Anders Nilsson are in the blue paint. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Tyler Pitlick goal, coming off of Andy Andreoff. Ottawa tied it with a Tyler Ennis power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, powered by Erik Brannstrom. The Senators took the lead on a Filip Chlapik goal, his second of the year, fueled by Chris Tierney and Mark Borowiecki. This held for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Nilsson (27 for 28 in saves), Chlapik, and Ennis.

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NHL 2019-20 - Day 44

Eight games today, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Laurent Brossoit and Sergei Bobrovsky make the starts in goal. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his second of the season, via Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman and Keith Yandle. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Laine and Scheifele. The Panthers tied it again with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brian Boyle and Brett Connolly. Winnipeg pulled ahead on a Scheifele goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Laine and Kyle Connor. The Jets added on with an Adam Lowry goal, his second of the year, guided in by Andrew Copp and Tucker Poolman. Florida got one back with a Trocheck goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, helped along by Hoffman and Yandle. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Scheifele, Trocheck, and Laine, while Hoffman and Yandle get the honorable mentions.

Also in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Andrei Vasilevskiy play in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Luke Schenn goal, via Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Kucherov scored his sixth of the year on the power play, thanks to Victor Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Ryan McDonagh. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren. Tampa Bay responded in the second period with a Stamkos power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Hedman and Kucherov. The Lightning kept going with a Pat Maroon goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Kevin Shattenkirk and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay continued with a Shattenkirk goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Gourde and Cedric Paquette. The Lightning struck again with a Killorn power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Stamkos and Hedman. The Rangers got one back with a Filip Chytil shorthanded goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, set up by Libor Hajek and Panarin. Tampa Bay shot back with a Gourde power play goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Tyler Johnson and Mikhail Sergachev. New York chipped back with a Chytil goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, fueled by Pavel Buchnevich. The final was 9-3, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Killorn, and Stamkos, while Gourde, Hedman, Shattenkirk, Chytil and Panarin get the honorable mentions.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Carter Hutton are the masked men. Buffalo started in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues. Carolina tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his third of the year, made possible by Brett Pesce and Joel Edmundson. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. Carolina added on in the second period with a Teravainen goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Aho and Svechnikov. The Sabres got one back with a Curtis Lazar goal, going in unassisted. Buffalo tied it on an unassisted Henri Jokiharju goal in the third period, his second of the season. The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead with a Svechnikov power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Teravainen and Dougie Hamilton. The Sabres tied it as Johan Larsson scored his second of the season, thanks to Skinner and Victor Olofsson. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime with a Hamilton goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Martin Necas. The three stars belonged to Svechnikov, Teravainen, and Hamilton, while Aho and Skinner get the honorable mentions.

Over to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Zach Parise. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Conor Garland goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nick Schmaltz. The Wild took the lead back in the third period with a Parise power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jason Zucker. The Coyotes tied it again with a Lawson Crouse goal, his third of the year, fueled by Phil Kessel and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Minnesota pulled ahead with a Jordan Greenway goal, courtesy of Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Parise, Greenway, and Fiala.

In Canada, the Edmonton Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche. Adam Werner is mismatched with Mike Smith in goal. Colorado began in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Nazem Kadri. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers took the lead with a McDavid power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Oscar Klefbom and James Neal. Edmonton added on with a Zack Kassian goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Draisaitl and McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as McDavid scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, thanks to Draisaitl and Klefbom on the power play. Edmonton chased Werner with a McDavid power play goal in the second period, his fourteenth of the year completing his hat trick with helpers from Klefbom and Draisaitl. Antoine Bibeau replaced Werner in goal. The Avalanche got one back on a Burakovsky goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, made possible by Erik Johnson. The Oilers shot back with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, helped along by McDavid and Draisaitl. The final remained at 6-2, with the three stars gifted to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Burakovsky and Klefbom get the honorable mentions.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and John Gibson are between the pipes. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg. San Jose tied it on a Tomas Hertl goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Barclay Goodrow and Timo Meier. The Ducks retook the lead in the second period with a Siflverberg power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Adam Henrique and Rakell. The Sharks evened it on another Hertl goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Meier and Brent Burns. San Jose took the lead with a Burns power play goal in the third period, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Evander Kane and Erik Karlsson. The Sharks added on with a Kane shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Logan Couture. Anaheim got one back with a Max Jones goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Carter Rowney and Sam Steel. San Jose capped it at 5-3 with a Couture goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Hertl, Kane, and Burns, while Couture, Silfverberg, Rakell, and Meier get the honorable mentions.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Jacob Markstrom play in goal. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Justin Dowling goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Blake Comeau goal, via Radek Faksa and Miro Heiskanen in the second period. Vancouver got on the board with a Jake Virtanen goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Tanner Pearson and Bo Horvat. The Canucks tied it on a Troy Stecher goal, his second of the season, fueled by Jordie Benn and Elias Pettersson. Dallas retook the lead with a Seguin goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Heiskanen and Joe Pavelski. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Alexander Radulov scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to Pavelski. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Seguin, Pavelski, and Heiskanen.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick are the similarly-named goalies. Los Angeles drew first blood in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Alex Iafallo and Sean Walker. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period with a Bertuzzi goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, passed from Dylan Larkin and Mantha. The Kings tied it again with an Adrian Kempe goal, his second of the year, coming off of Matt Roy and Kopitar. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with an Iafallo goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Drew Doughty and Kopitar. The three stars were Kopitar, Iafallo, and Bertuzzi, while Mantha gets an honorable mention.

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Wednesday, November 13, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 43

Five games on for this Wednesday slate. First up...

The New York Islanders host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle. The Islanders added on with an Anthony Beauvillier power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Ryan Pulock and Derick Brassard. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of John Tavares and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs tied it on a William Nylander goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Andreas Johnsson and Jake Muzzin. New York retook the lead with a Beauvillier goal, his fourth of the season, via Brassard and Brock Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead as Brassard scored on the power play in the third period, his sixth of the year coming with the help of Barzal and Pulock. New York padded the lead with a Casey Cizikas empty net goal, his third of the season, set up by Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey. Toronto got one back with a Justin Holl goal, assisted by Frederik Gauthier and Nicholas Shore. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Tavares goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars given to Beauvillier, Brassard, and Barzal, while Pulock and Tavares get the honorable mentions.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and MacKenzie Blackwood draw the starts in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his third of the season, passed from Miles Wood and Nico Hischier. Ottawa tied it on a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Connor Brown. The Devils retook the lead on a Will Butcher goal, his second of the season, coming off of Nikita Gusev and Blake Coleman. The Senators tied it in the third period with a Mark Borowiecki goal, his second of the year, guided in by Nikita Zaitsev and Filip Chlapik. Ottawa took the lead with another Pageau goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, fueled by Nick Paul and Brown. The Senators iced it at 4-2 with a Pageau empty net goal, his eleventh of the year completing his hat trick in unassisted fashion. The three stars were Pageau, Brown, and Borowiecki.

Along to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carter Hart are the masked men. Washington started in the first period with a Brendan Leipsic goal, his second of the season, courtesy of John Carlson and Nic Dowd. Philadelphia tied it in the third period with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Ivan Provorov. The tie went to a shootout, where the Capitals won 2-1 with tallies by T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov to top Giroux's lone effort. The three stars were Giroux, Holtby (30 for 31 in saves), and Hart (35 for 36 in saves).

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Dallas got going in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Denis Gurianov and Miro Heiskanen. The Stars added on in the third period with an unassisted Justin Dowling goal. Calgary got on the board with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Dallas iced it at 3-1 with a Pavelski empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, set up by Radek Faksa. The three stars were Pavelski, Bishop (24 for 25 in saves), and Dowling.

Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas opened in the first period with a William Carrier goal, his third of the season, via Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy. The Golden Knights added on with a William Karlsson power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Marchessault. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period on a Calvin de Haan goal, courtesy of Zack Smith and Kirby Dach. Chicago took the lead with an Erik Gustafsson goal, coming off of Strome and Kane. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the third period as Dach scored his third of the year, thanks to Ryan Carpenter and Smith. Chicago padded the lead on a Strome goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by DeBrincat and Kane. Vegas got one back with a Nate Schmidt goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Brayden McNabb and Karlsson. The final was 5-3, with the three stars given to Kane, Strome, and Dach, while Karlsson, DeBrincat, and Smith get the honorable mentions.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 42

We've got nine games for today, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with an Eric Robinson goal, courtesy of Emil Bemstrom and Zach Werenski. Montreal tied it in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Victor Mete and Shea Weber. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a Werenski goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Riley Nash and Cam Atkinson. The Canadiens evened it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Nick Suzuki and Phillip Danault. In the shootout, Jonathan Drouin's lone tally gave the Canadiens a 3-2 win. The three stars were Tatar, Gallagher, and Price (33 for 35 in saves).

Stateside, the Boston Bruins welcome the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his second of the year, fueled by Charlie Coyle. Boston extended the lead on an Anders Bjork power play goal, his third of the season, powered by David Krejci and Brad Marchand. The Bruins padded the lead with a Zdeno Chara goal, his third of the year, via Krejci and Danton Heinen. Samuel Montembeault replaced Bobrovsky to start the third period. Florida got on the board in the third period with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his second of the season, guided in by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers got closer with a Frank Vatrano power play goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida pulled closer with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Yandle and Huberdeau. The Panthers tied it as Yandle scored his second of the year, thanks to Barkov and Huberdeau. The tie went to a shootout, where Vincent Trocheck and Hoffman topped Coyle as the Panthers came back to win 5-4. The three stars were Huberdeau, Yandle, and Hoffman, while Barkov, Krejci, and Coyle get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray faces a lesser foe in Alexandar Georgiev in goal. New York started in the first period with a Kaapo Kakko goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brendan Lemieux and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers added on with an Adam Fox goal, his third of the year, coming off of Artemi Panarin and Filip Chytil. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Justin Schultz goal, his second of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Dominik Simon. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Kakko goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, fueled by Fox. the three stars were Kakko, Fox, and Georgiev (30 for 32 in saves).

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Connor Hellebuyck are the goalies. Adam Werner replaced Francouz due to injury in the opening minute. Colorado began in the first period with a Cale Makar goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and Ian Cole. The Avalanche added on in the third period with a MacKinnon goal, his tenth of the year, via Matt Calvert and Joonas Donskoi. Colorado extended the lead as MacKinnon scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to Donskoi and Calvert. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Donskoi power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Nazem Kadri and MacKinnon. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Werner (40 for 40 in saves in relief), MacKinnon, and Donskoi, while Calvert gets an honorable mention.

South to St. Louis as the Blues welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jordan Binnington tend the twines. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Brayden Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo. Arizona tied it on a Clayton Keller goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blues took the lead with a Colton Parayko goal, via Oskar Sundqvist and Ivan Barbashev. The Coyotes retied it with a Conor Garland power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, powered by Keller and Christian Dvorak. The tie went to the shootout, where Nick Schmaltz and Garland tallied for the Coyotes to win 3-2. The three stars were Garland, Keller, and Kuemper (33 for 35 in saves).

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Ryan Miller are the backups in goal. Anaheim cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Adam Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Josh Mahura goal, guided in by Henrique and Ondrej Kase. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Hronek goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Madison Bowey and Tyler Bertuzzi. Anaheim shot back with a Cam Fowler goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Ryan Getzlaf and Kase. The Red Wings pulled one back with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his third of the year, via Valtteri Filppula and Mike Green. Detroit tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Dylan Larkin, his sixth of the season, powered by Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime with a Dennis Cholowski goal, his second of the year, made possible by Robby Fabbri. The three stars were Bertuzzi, Henrique, and Kase.

North to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Thatcher Demko are in the creases. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Tanner Pearson power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Adam Gaudette and Alexander Edler. Nashville tied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his sixth of the year, via Matt Duchene and Viktor Arvidsson. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Predators got one back with a Filip Forsberg goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist provided by Mattias Ekholm. Vancouver reclaimed the lead with a Gaudette power play goal, his second of the season, with helpers from Sven Baertschi and Pearson. The Canucks added on with a Pettersson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Brock Boeser and Josh Leivo. Nashville pulled back with a Forsberg goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen on the power play. Vancouver iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Pearson, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Pettersson, Pearson, and Forsberg, while Gaudette gets an honorable mention.

Back to the south, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Martin Jones are the masked men. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Marcus Sorensen and Radim Simek. The Sharks added on with an Evander Kane goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Logan Couture and Brenden Dillon. San Jose extended the lead as Patrick Marleau scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Tim Heed and Joe Thornton. The Sharks padded the lead in the second period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Sam Gagner and Ethan Bear. San Jose replied with a Tomas Hertl goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Karlsson and Couture. The Oilers got one back in the third period with a Zack Kassian goal, his sixth of the season, via Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The Sharks chipped back on a Meier goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Karlsson and Goodrow. Edmonton countered with a Gagner goal, with helpers from Patrick Russell and Joakim Nygard. The final remained at 6-3, with the three stars going to Goodrow, Karlsson, and Meier, while Draisaitl, Gagner, and Couture get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sean Walker and Alex Iafallo. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fifth of the year, via Michael Amadio and Ben Hutton. Minnesota got on the board with a Matt Dumba goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Los Angeles iced it at 3-1 with a Walker empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Kopitar. The three stars were Kopitar, Quick (27 for 28 in saves), and Walker.

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Monday, November 11, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 41

Just two games on Veterans Day. First up...

The Washington Capitals welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Ilya Samsonov are the backups in goal. Arizona led off in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his third of the season, passed from Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Goligoski. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Christian Fischer goal, coming off of Brad Richardson. Arizona extended the lead as Michael Grabner scored his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. Washington got on the board with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jakub Vrana and Tom Wilson. The Capitals got closer in the third period with another Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Michal Kempny. Washington tied it as T.J. Oshie scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The tie went to a shootout, where Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland gave the Coyotes a 4-3 win. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Grabner, and Fischer.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Ottawa Senators. Anders Nilsson and Petr Mrazek are set to start in goal. Carolina began in the first period with a Warren Foegele goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryan Dzingel and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes added on with a Martin Necas power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jake Gardiner and Lucas Wallmark. Carolina extended the lead in the second period as Sebastian Aho scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal, his seventh of the season. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Haydn Fleury goal, his second of the year, made possible by Eetu Luostarinen and Andrei Svechnikov. Craig Anderson relieved Nilsson in goal. Carolina kept going with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his eighth of the season, via Teuvo Teravainen and Svechnikov. Ottawa got on the board with a Colin White goal, his second of the year, helped along by Tyler Ennis and Mark Borowiecki. The Hurricanes countered in the third period with another Aho goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with helpers from Joel Edmundson and Pesce. The Senators chipped back on a Brady Tkachuk goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Thomas Chabot and Chris Tierney. Carolina responded on a Dzingel goal, his fourth of the campaign, guided in by Edmundson and Foegele. The Hurricanes continued as Edmundson scored, with the help of Necas and Nino Niederreiter. The final was 8-2, with the three stars given to Aho, Edmundson, and Dzingel, while Necas, Foegele, Svechnikov and Pesce get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, November 10, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 40

We're ready with seven games today, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers. Sam Montembeault and Henrik Lundqvist are in goal. New York began in the first period with a Ryan Lindgren goal, assisted by Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. Florida tied it on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers took the lead with a Dominic Toninato goal, via Dryden Hunt and MacKenzie Weegar. The Rangers retied it in the second period on a Filip Chytil goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider. Florida retook the lead on a Dadonov power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. New York tied it again with an unassisted Brady Skjei goal, his second of the year. The Rangers pulled ahead on a Kaapo Kakko power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Strome and Tony DeAngelo. The Panthers evened it on a Frank Vatrano goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Dadonov. New York snagged the lead again with a Kreider power play goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Adam Fox and Panarin. Florida equalized in the third period as Brian Boyle scored his third of the year, thanks to Keith Yandle and Mike Hoffman. In the shootout, Vatrano and Vincent Trocheck lifted the Panthers 6-5 over Kakko and the Rangers. The three stars were Dadonov, Vatrano, and Barkov, while Kreider, Kakko, Strome, and Panarin get the honorable mentions.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Connor Hellebuyck are the masked men. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jason Dickinson. The Stars gained the lead with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Esa Lindell and Denis Gurianov. The Jets tied it in the third period on an Andrew Copp goal, his third of the year, passed from Tucker Poolman and Adam Lowry. Winnipeg iced it at 3-2 in overtime with a Mark Scheifele goal, his seventh of the campaign, with a lone assist by Josh Morrissey. The three stars were Scheifele, Hellebuyck (26 for 28 in saves), and Copp.

Further west, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall. The Devils added on with a Jesper Bratt goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Damon Severson and Pavel Zacha. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Blackwood (30 for 31 in saves), Bratt, and Simmonds.

Back east, the Detroit Red Wings host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Jonathan Bernier are the backups in goal. Vegas started in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore. Detroit tied it on an Andreas Athanasiou power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Mike Green and Filip Hronek. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Nicolas Roy and Ryan Reaves in the second period. The Red Wings tied it again in the third period with an unassisted Madison Bowey goal. Detroit took the lead with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Robby Fabbri and Dylan Larkin. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Mantha, Bowey, and Athanasiou.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and Robin Lehner are in the blue paint. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. The Blackhawks added on with a Kirby Dach goal, his second of the year, assisted by Andrew Shaw and Calvin de Haan. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, thanks to DeBrincat and Strome. Toronto got on the board with a William Nylander goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Auston Matthews. The Blackhawks replied with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his third of the season, powered by DeBrincat and Kane. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period with another Nylander goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Matthews. Toronto pulled closer with a John Tavares power play goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Andreas Johnsson and Matthews. Chicago answered on a Brandon Saad goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Toews and Drake Caggiula. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Johnsson power play goal, his fifth of the campaign, guided in by Tavares and Matthews. The final stood at 5-4, with the three stars being Kane, Matthews, and DeBrincat, while Toews, Strome, Nylander, Tavares, and Johnsson all get honorable mentions.

East again to Boston, as the Bruins bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Jaroslav Halak are the goalies. Philadelphia drew first blood in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Oskar Lindblom and Sean Couturier. The Flyers added on with a Philippe Myers goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Konecny and Couturier. Boston got on the board in the third period with a Danton Heinen goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Charlie Coyle and Zdeno Chara. The Bruins tied it with a Brad Marchand goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Matt Grzelcyk. The tie went to a shootout, where Joel Farabee's lone tally gave the Flyers a 3-2 win. The three stars were Konecny, Couturier, and Myers.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Edmonton kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the season. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique. The Oilers retook the lead on a Connor McDavid goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Leon Draisaitl and Zack Kassian. Edmonton added on in the second period with a Nugent-Hopkins power play goal, his second of the game and third of the year, powered by Draisaitl and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers extended the lead as Kassian scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Patrick Russell and Ethan Bear. Anaheim got one back in the third period with a Max Jones goal, with a lone assist by Sam Steel. Edmonton shot back with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, made possible by Kassian and Draisaitl. The Oilers iced it at 6-2 with McDavid finishing his hat trick with his eleventh of the campaign on the power play, set up by Klefbom and Draisaitl. The three stars were McDavid, Draisaitl, and Kassian, while Nugent-Hopkins and Klefbom get the honorable mentions.

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MLS CUP 2019

The grand finale of the MLS season is here, with the Seattle Sounders FC hosting Toronto FC. Quentin Westberg and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle got going in the 57th minute with a Kelvin Leerdam goal, via Raul Ruidiaz. Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto took a yellow card for a 72nd minute foul. The Sounders added on with a Victor Rodriguez goal, set up by Nicolas Lodeiro and Gustav Svensson in  the 76th minute. Seattle extended the lead as Ruidiaz scored in the 90th minute, thanks to Svensson. He received a yellow card for celebration. The Reds got on the board in stoppage time with a Jozy Altidore goal, courtesy of Pozuelo. This only made it 3-1, with Rodriguez named MLS Cup MVP as the Sounders lifted their second championship trophy.

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