Tuesday, December 31, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 88

New Year's Eve is here, with thirteen games that begin with three matinees. First up...

The New Jersey Devils host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and MacKenzie Blackwood are set to start in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Sean Kuraly and Brandon Carlo. New Jersey got on the board with a Blake Coleman goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Nikita Gusev and Sami Vatanen. The Devils tied it in the third period with a Jesper Bratt goal, his eighth of the year, via P.K. Subban and Nico Hischier. New Jersey won 3-2 in the shootout with tallies by Jack Hughes and Damon Severson topping Boston's Chris Wagner. The three stars were Halak (42 for 44 in saves), Bratt, and Coleman.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov faces his former team and Braden Holtby in goal. New York began in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Scott Mayfield and Leo Komarov. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Nick Leddy and Anthony Beauvillier. Washington got on the board with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals tied it on a Tom Wilson goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Washington pulled ahead in the second period with a Kuznetsov goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, helped along by T.J. Oshie. New York tied it again with a Cizikas goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Matt Martin. The Islanders gained the lead with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, his second of the season, fueled by Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. This held for the eventual 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Cizikas, Kuznetsov, and Kuhnhackl.

Out west, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Anaheim started in the first period with a Korbinian Holzer goal, going in unassisted. Vegas tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his sixteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights took the lead with an unassisted Alex Tuch goal, his sixth of the year. Vegas added on in the second period with a Reilly Smith goal, his fifteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Jonathan Marchessault scored his fourteenth of the year on a penalty shot in the third period. The Ducks got one back with Jakob Silfverberg's fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas responded with a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by Nate Schmidt and Smith into an empty net. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Marchessault, Smith, and Tuch.

Northeast to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Devan Dubnyk are the veterans in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with an Alexander Kerfoot goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Travis Dermott. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Auston Matthews and Tyson Barrie. Toronto extended the lead in the second period with a Matthews power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Nylander and Mitchell Marner. Minnesota got on the board with a Ryan Suter power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Kevin Fiala and Mikko Koivu. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 in the third period with a Tavares empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares.

Southeast to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Erik Haula and Teuvo Teravainen. Montreal tied it on an unassisted Max Domi goal, his twelfth of the year. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Haula goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Brett Pesce and Teravainen. Carolina added on with a Ryan Dzingel empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Lucas Wallmark. The final held at 3-1 with the three stars being Haula, Teravainen, and Mrazek (29 for 30 in saves).

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Linus Ullmark are in the creases. Buffalo drew first blood in the first period with a Conor Sheary goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Curtis Lazar. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Sheary and Marco Scandella. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Tyler Johnson and Mikhail Sergachev. Buffalo replied with a Jimmy Vesey goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Johansson and Sheary. The Sabres extended the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Jack Eichel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season. The Lightning got one back with a Alex Killorn power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay pulled closer on a Johnson goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Palat and Ryan McDonagh. The Lightning tied it in the third period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Johnson and Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay took the lead on a Killorn goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, fueled by Pat Maroon and Cedric Paquette. The Lightning iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Cirelli, his ninth of the year, set up by Killorn and Steven Stamkos. The three stars were Killorn, Johnson, and Palat, while Cirelli, Sheary, and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Elvis Merzlikins in goal. Columbus kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his ninth of the season, via Alexander Wennberg. Florida tied it in the second period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Anton Stralman and Mark Pysyk. The Blue Jackets took the lead back with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Gustav Nyquist and Wennberg. Columbus added on in the third period with another Werenski goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by David Savard and Jenner. Columbus extended the lead as Werenski completed his hat trick with his eleventh of the season, thanks to Nyquist and Nick Foligno. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars being Werenski, Merzlikins (36 for 37 in saves), and Jenner, while Nyquist and Wennberg get the honorable mentions.

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Jonathan Bernier are the mediocre goalies. Detroit got going in the second period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Madison Bowey and Robby Fabbri. The Red Wings iced it at 2-0 with a Filip Hronek empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Luke Glendening. The three stars were Bernier (34 save shutout), Bertuzzi, and Hronek.

Along to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Winnipeg cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Jack Roslovic. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Samuel Girard and Erik Johnson. The Jets took the lead with a Kyle Connor goal, his eighteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche tied it on a MacKinnon power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Girard and Nazem Kadri. Winnipeg reclaimed the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone helper from Neal Pionk. Colorado tied it on a power play goal from Gabriel Landeskog, his tenth of the year, with an assist provided by Tyson Jost. The Jets retook the lead on a Connor power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Pionk. Winnipeg added on with a Connor goal, his twentieth of the year to complete his hat trick, helped along by Patrik Laine and Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead with a Wheeler empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, set up by Roslovic and Ehlers. Colorado got one back as Kadri scored his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Mikko Rantanen and Johnson. Winnipeg iced it at 7-4 with an Ehlers empty net goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Roslovic. The three stars went to Connor, Wheeler, and Scheifele, while Ehlers, Roslovic, Pionk, MacKinnon, Kadri, Girard, and Johnson all get honorable mentions.

Next up, the Arizona Coyotes host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Raanta are between the pipes. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Conor Garland power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun. St. Louis tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Alexander Steen and Robert Thomas. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Phil Kessel goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Lawson Crouse and Chychrun. Arizona iced it at 3-1 with a Nick Schmaltz empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Carl Soderberg and Derek Stepan on the power play. The three stars were Raanta (38 for 39 in saves), Kessel, and Chychrun.

Up to Alberta, where the Flames welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and David Rittich guard the cages. Chicago led off in the first period with an Olli Maatta goal, his second of the season, via Patrick Kane and Dylan Sikura. The Blackhawks added on with a power play goal by Alex DeBrincat, his tenth of the year, powered by Dylan Strome and Kane. Chicago extended the lead as Kane scored his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Sikura and Ryan Carpenter. The Blackhawks padded the lead on a Strome goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by DeBrincat and Connor Murphy in the second period. Calgary got on the board with a Sam Bennett goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Derek Ryan and Milan Lucic. The Flames got closer in the third period with a shorthanded Michael Frolik goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary pulled closer with a Sean Monahan goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Chicago iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Kane, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, set up by Maatta. The three stars were awarded to Kane, Maatta, and Strome, while DeBrincat and Sikura get the honorable mentions.

Also in the province, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Mikko Koskinen are the underrated goalies. Edmonton was first to score in the first period with a James Neal goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Zack Kassian and Oscar Klefbom. The Oilers added on with a Neal goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, powered by Klefbom and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the power play. Edmonton extended the lead as Nugent-Hopkins scored his eighth of the season, with the help of Ethan Bear and Jujhar Khaira. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period on a Leon Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, with assists provided by Nugent-Hopkins and Neal. Edmonton continued as Neal completed his hat trick on his nineteenth of the season, thanks to Connor McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers kept going with a Josh Archibald goal, his third of the year, passed from Riley Sheahan. Henrik Lundqvist replaced Georgiev in goal. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Artemi Panarin and Brady Skjei. The Rangers got closer in the third period with a Ryan Strome goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Adam Fox and Panarin. New York chipped closer with a Marc Staal goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Strome and Panarin. The Rangers kept rallying with a Panarin goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. New York pushed closer with a Zibanejad goal, his sixteenth of the season, with helpers from Fox and Tony DeAngelo. Edmonton iced it at 7-5 with a Kailer Yamamoto empty net goal, set up Khaira. The three stars belonged to Neal, Nugent-Hopkins, and Panarin, while Klefbom, Khaira, Strome, and Fox get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Jonathan Quick are the experienced goalies. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Matt Luff and Michael Amadio. The Kings added on with a power play goal by Alex Iafallo, his seventh of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Los Angeles extended the lead as Tyler Toffoli scored his eleventh of the season on the power play, thanks to Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings padded the lead on a Kempe shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Blake Lizotte and Kurtis MacDermid. Carter Hart replaced Elliott to start the second period. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Justin Braun goal, coming off of Mikhail Vorobyev. Los Angeles responded in the third period with a power play goal by Martin Frk, his third of the season, guided in by Sean Walker and Nikolai Prokhorkin. The Flyers pulled one back with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Jakub Voracek and Travis Konecny. Philadelphia got closer with a Scott Laughton goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Braun and Voracek. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Kempe, Braun, and Kopitar, while Voracek gets an honorable mention.

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Monday, December 30, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 87

A single game on the schedule today sees the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Hogberg is mismatched with Tristan Jarry in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Jake Guentzel and Jack Johnson. The Penguins added on with a Dominik Simon goal, his fourth of the year, via Joseph Blandisi and Patric Hornqvist. Ottawa got on the board with a Nick Paul goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Christian Jaros and Scott Sabourin in the second period. Pittsburgh answered with a Malkin goal, his eleventh of the year and second of the game, coming off of Bryan Rust and Guentzel. The Senators countered on a Paul goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, guided in by Connor Brown and Thomas Chabot. The Penguins replied with a Hornqvist goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by John Marino and Jared McCann. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Guentzel scored his twentieth of the campaign, thanks to Malkin and Rust. The final was 5-2, with the three stars being Malkin, Guentzel, and Paul, while Hornqvist and Rust get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, December 29, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 86

Ten games fill the schedule on Sunday, beginning with...

The St. Louis Blues hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington guard the cages. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Nicholas Shore goal, his third of the year, via Logan Shaw and Jansen Harkins. The Blues got the lead back with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn. St. Louis added on in the third period with a Robert Thomas power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Vince Dunn and Kyrou. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Schwartz empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Schwartz, Kyrou, and Binnington (25 for 26 in saves).

East to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Riley Nash goal, his third of the season, made possible by Vladislav Gavrikov and David Savard. The Blue Jackets added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nick Foligno and Nathan Gerbe. Chicago got on the board with a Dylan Strome goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, assisted by Connor Murphy and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks tied it with an Erik Gustafsson power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Duncan Keith and Dominik Kubalik. The tie went to a shootout, where Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane lifted the Blackhawks 3-2 over Gustav Nyquist and the Blue Jackets. The three stars were Lehner (31 for 33 in saves), Gustafsson, and Strome.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Craig Anderson are in the creases. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Nico Hischier power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Sami Vatanen and Damon Severson. Ottawa tied it on a Nick Paul goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, via Anthony Duclair and Cody Goloubef. The Senators took the lead with an Artem Anisimov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Andreas Englund and Colin White. The Devils retied it on a Nikita Gusev power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Vatanen and Jack Hughes. New Jersey pulled ahead with a Miles Wood goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper by Wayne Simmonds. Ottawa evened it in the third period with a Thomas Chabot goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hughes goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Kyle Palmieri and Vatanen. The three stars were given to Hughes, Vatanen, and Wood.

Stateside to Minnesota, as the Wild host the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are between the pipes. Minnesota began in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Suter and Joel Eriksson Ek. New York tied it on a Ryan Pulock goal, his sixth of the year, via Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Leo Komarov and Nick Leddy. New York capped it at 3-1 with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, with a lone helper by Brock Nelson. The three stars went to Varlamov (25 for 26 in saves), Martin, and Kuhnhackl.

Back east, the Boston Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Boston struck first in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, guided in by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his fourth of the year, via Sam Reinhart and Marcus Johansson. The Bruins took the lead with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the season, powered by Steven Kampfer and Pastrnak. Boston added on with another DeBrusk power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by David Krejci and Kampfer. The Sabres got one back with a Curtis Lazar goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being DeBrusk, Pastrnak, and Ristolainen, while Kampfer gets an honorable mention.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Curtis McElhinney are the career backups in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kevin Shattenkirk. Detroit tied it on a Robby Fabbri goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Filip Hronek and Andreas Athanasiou. The Lightning retook the lead with a Brayden Point power play goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to McElhinney (19 for 20 in saves), Point, and Palat.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Florida kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Noel Acciari goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Brett Connolly and Mike Matheson. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau. Montreal got on the board with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens tied it on a Petry goal in the second period, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Suzuki. Montreal pulled ahead with a Max Domi goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Brett Kulak and Suzuki. Florida responded with Barkov's second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov. The Panthers took the lead on a Huberdeau goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Dadonov and Matheson. Florida extended the lead as Huberdeau scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, thanks to Barkov and Anton Stralman. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period with an unassisted Matheson goal, his third of the season. The Canadiens pulled one back with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi power play goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Domi and Jordan Weal. Montreal got closer with a Shea Weber goal, his twelfth of the campaign, dished from Petry and Tatar. They fell short at 6-5, with the three stars awarded to Huberdeau, Barkov, and Petry, while Matheson, Dadonov, Domi, Tatar, and Suzuki get the honorable mentions.

Way out west, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Dallas Stars. Anton Khudobin and Antti Raanta get the starting nods in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the first period with a Taylor Hall goal, his eighth of the season, via Conor Garland and Christian Dvorak. The Coyotes added on with a Garland goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Nick Schmaltz and Carl Soderberg. Dallas got on the board in the third period with a Jamie Benn goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Tyler Seguin and Esa Lindell. The Stars tied it on an Alexander Radulov goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Andrej Sekera and Benn. Dallas pulled ahead with a Roope Hintz goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Denis Gurianov and John Klingberg. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Mattias Janmark empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up Sekera. The three stars were handed to Benn, Khudobin (33 for 35 in saves), and Hintz.

To California, as the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and John Gibson protect the nets. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with an Erik Gudbranson goal, his third of the season, coming off of Adam Henrique. Philadelphia tied it with a Sean Couturier goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Flyers won 2-1 in overtime with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Voracek. The three stars were Elliott (27 for 28 in saves), Hayes, and Voracek.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko is mismatched with David Rittich in goal. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Tyler Myers power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette. The Canucks added on with a Myers goal, his second of the game and third of the year, assisted by Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. Vancouver extended the lead as Virtanen scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Myers and Tanner Pearson. Cam Talbot replaced Rittich in goal. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Rasmus Andersson goal, his third of the year, helped along by Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk. The Canucks shot back in the third period with a Pearson goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat and Loui Eriksson. The Flames got one back with a Noah Hanifin goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Elias Lindholm and Tkachuk. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Pearson empty-net goal, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Horvat and Edler. The three stars were Myers, Virtanen, and Pearson, while Horvat and Tkachuk get the honorable mentions.

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Saturday, December 28, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 85

Just nine games on a fairly light Saturday. We begin with...

The Dallas Stars hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Dallas opened in the first period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alexander Radulov and John Klingberg. Colorado tied it on a J.T. Compher goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Tyson Jost and Matt Nieto. The Avalanche took the lead with an Ian Cole goal, his third of the season, helped along by Nieto and Erik Johnson in the second period. The Stars evened it in the third period with a Denis Gurianov power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Klingberg and Roope Hintz. The tie went into a shootout, where Joe Pavelski and Radulov lifted the Stars to the 3-2 win. The three stars were Bishop (41 for 43 in saves), Klingberg, and Radulov, while Nieto gets an honorable mention.

Northeast to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Frederik Andersen make the starts in goal. New York began in the first period with a Brett Howden goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Jacob Trouba. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Auston Matthews. The Rangers took the lead with a Strome goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Artemi Panarin. New York added on in the second period with a Strome goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, via Panarin and Jesper Fast. The Maple Leafs pulled back with a Matthews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Mitchell Marner. The Rangers countered on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Chris Kreider. Toronto got one back with a Pierre Engvall goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Kasperi Kapanen. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Matthews goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, coming off of Nylander and Barrie. New York won 5-4 in overtime with a Tony DeAngelo goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by Panarin and Strome. The three stars were Strome, Panarin, and Matthews, while Nylander and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Lucas Wallmark power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Dzingel. The Hurricanes added on with a Warren Foegele goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, via Jordan Staal. Washington got on the board with a Nic Dowd goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Garnet Hathaway. Carolina shot back with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Foegele. The Capitals replied with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with assists provided by Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller. The Hurricanes countered on a shorthanded Foegele goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Jordan Martinook and Haydn Fleury. Washington pulled back in the third period with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Carlson. Carolina responded with a Martin Necas goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Dzingel. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Andrei Svechnikov scored his seventeenth of the season into an empty net. The Capitals replied on a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Carl Hagelin. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being Foegele, Dzingel, and Carlson.

Up in Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Bryan Rust goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on with a Dominik Kahung goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Alex Galchenyuk and Juuso Riikola. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Kris Letang scored his tenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Malkin and Rust. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Calle Jarnkrok and Roman Josi. The Penguins answered with a Galchenyuk power play goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of John Marino and Riikola. The Predators countered with a Craig Smith goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Colin Blackwell and Josi. Nashville got closer with a Mikael Granlund goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg. The Predators tied it in the third period as Granlund scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, with the help of Duchene and Josi. Pittsburgh retook the lead with a Guentzel power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, with assists provided by Malkin and Rust. Te Penguins capped it at 6-4 with a Rust empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, set up by Guentzel. The three stars were awarded to Rust, Guentzel, and Malkin, while Galchenyuk, Granlund, Riikola, Josi, and Duchene get the honorable mentions.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens added on with a Max Domi goal, his tenth of the year, via Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Alex Killorn goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Ryan McDonagh and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning tied it in the second period with a Stamkos goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Victor Hedman and Killorn. Tampa Bay took the lead on a Mitchell Stephens goal, helped along by Hedman and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The Lightning extended the lead as Killorn scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, thanks to Anthony Cirelli and Hedman. Montreal got one back with a Ben Chiarot goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault. Tampa Bay responded in the third period on a Cirelli goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper by Hedman. The Canadiens pulled back with a Jordan Weal power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Tomas Tatar and Gallagher. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Killorn, Hedman, and Stamkos, while Cirelli and Gallagher get the honorable mentions.

Also in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Chris Driedger are in the blue paint. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman. Detroit tied it on a Darren Helm goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Filip Zadina. The Red Wings pulled ahead with a Dylan Larkin goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Andreas Athanasiou and Trevor Daley. Detroit added on in the second period with a Frans Nielsen shorthanded goal, set up by Patrik Nemeth. The Panthers got one back with a Brett Connolly power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck. Florida tied it on a Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Brian Boyle and Frank Vatrano. The Panthers took the lead on an unassisted Dominic Toninato goal, his fourth of the year. Florida extended the lead in the third period as Anton Stralman scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Hoffman and Barkov. The Red Wings pulled one back on a Luke Glendening goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Filip Hronek and Larkin. They fell short at 5-4, with the three stars given to Hoffman, Barkov, and Larkin.

Way to the northwest, the Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jake Virtanen goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Motte goal, his second of the year, via Elias Pettersson and Alexander Edler. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with an Anze Kopitar goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Alex Iafallo and Sean Walker. The Kings tied it in the third period with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Vancouver retook the lead with a Pettersson goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser.

Down in the desert, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Mark Stone power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Alex Tuch and Max Pacioretty. Arizona tied it on a Michael Grabner goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Stone goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, assisted by Pacioretty and Shea Theodore. Vegas added on in the second period with a Chandler Stephenson power play goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Theodore. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Paul Stastny scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Jonathan Marchessault and Theodore. Adin Hill replaced Raanta in goal. This held for a 4-1 final score, with the three stars given to Stone, Theodore, and Fleury (27 for 28 in saves), while Pacioretty gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Martin Jones man the creases. San Jose cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Mario Ferraro goal, assisted by Barclay Goodrow. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Joel Kellman goal, via Radim Simek and Ferraro. San Jose extended the lead as Timo Meier scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Brent Burns and Brenden Dillon. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with an Ivan Provorov power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny. The Sharks answered with a Meier goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with assists by Evander Kane and Goodrow. San Jose padded the lead as Meier completed his hat trick on his fourteenth of the year, with the help of Kane and Goodrow. The Sharks finished it at 6-1 with a Patrick Marleau goal, his seventh of the campaign, courtesy of Marcus Sorensen and Joe Thornton. The three stars belonged to Meier, Goodrow, and Kane, while Ferraro gets an honorable mention.

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Friday, December 27, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 84

After a three-day break for the Christmas holiday, the league is back with eleven games on Friday. First up...

The Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Ilya Samsonov draw the starts in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Jakob Lilja goal, assisted by Riley Nash and Ryan MacInnis. Washington tied it in the third period with a Carl Hagelin goal, coming off of Richard Panik. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The three stars were Oshie, Samsonov (27 for 28 in saves), and Hagelin.

Along to New York, as the Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Henrik Lundqvist are the goalies. Carolina started in the first period with a Lucas Wallmark goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Teuvo Teravainen. New York tied it with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Chris Kreider and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers took the lead in the second period with a Kreider goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Zibanejad. New York added on with a twenty-first of the year, passed from Filip Chytil and Jacob Trouba. The Rangers extended the lead as Zibanejad scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of DeAngelo and Panarin. The Hurricanes got one back on a Brett Pesce goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Wallmark. Carolina pulled closer on a Sebastian Aho goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Nino Niederreiter and Joel Edmundson. New York capped it at 5-3 with a Ryan Strome goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Panarin and Trouba. The three stars belonged to Zibanejad, Panarin, and Kreider, while Wallmark, Trouba, and DeAngelo get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Linus Ullmark play in goal. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The Bruins added on with another Bergeron goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, assisted by Marchand and Pastrnak. Boston iced it at 3-0 with a Brandon Carlo empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Charlie Coyle and Marchand. The three stars were Bergeron, Halak (26 save shutout), and Marchand, while Pastrnak gets an honorable mention.

To New Jersey, where the Devils host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Michael Hutchinson and MacKenzie Blackwood are the inexperienced goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Nico Hischier goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jesper Bratt and Kyle Palmieri. Toronto tied it on a Zach Hyman power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs took the lead with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of John Tavares and William Nylander. The Devils tied it on a Nikita Gusev power play goal, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Hischier and Sami Vatanen in the second period. Toronto regained the lead with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Alexander Kerfoot and Tavares. New Jersey tied it again with a Palmieri goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Hischier and Bratt. The Devils pulled ahead with a Bratt goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone helper from Palmieri. The Maple Leafs evened it with a Tavares power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Nylander and Tyson Barrie. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with a Nylander goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Tavares, Nylander, and Palmieri, while Hischier and Bratt get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Winnipeg, as the Jets welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Connor Hellebuyck tend the twines. St. Louis began in the first period with a Justin Faulk goal, his third of the season, via Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. Winnipeg tied it on a Gabriel Bourque goal, his second of the year, passed from Mason Appleton and Adam Lowry. The Blues took the lead back in the second period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Schenn and Schwartz. The Jets tied it again with a Kyle Connor goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Nathan Beaulieu and Patrik Laine. St. Louis regained the lead on a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Schwartz and David Perron. Winnipeg pulled even again with a Connor goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk on the power play. The Blues reclaimed the lead with a Bozak goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, helped along by Robert Thomas and Pietrangelo. The Jets evened it with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers and Laine. St. Louis won 5-4 in overtime with a Perron goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Bozak, Perron, and Schwartz, while Connor, Pietrangelo, Schenn, and Laine get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pavel Francouz are between the pipes. Minnesota kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Carson Soucy goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jordan Greenway and Kevin Fiala. The Wild added on with an Eric Staal goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Fiala and Zach Parise. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Calvert goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Nikita Zadorov. The Avalanche tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Minnesota took the lead with a Brad Hunt goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Matt Dumba and Luke Kunin on the power play. Colorado tied it again with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-second of the year, courtesy of Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche went ahead in the third period on a Calvert goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, guided in by Bellemare and Valeri Nichushkin. The Wild evened it once again with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jonas Brodin and Parise. Minnesota surged ahead with a Victor Rask goal, his fourth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Wild iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Suter, his fifth of the year, set up by Joel Eriksson Ek. The three stars belonged to Fiala, Calvert, and Parise, while Bellemare gets an honorable mention.

East to Nashville, as the Predators host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Dominik Simon goal, his third of the season, coming off of Juuso Riikola and Chad Ruhwedel. Nashville tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Mattias Ekholm. The Penguins retook the lead on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his third of the season, fueled by Marcus Pettersson and John Marino. Pittsburgh added on with a Teddy Blueger goal, his fifth of the year, via Zach Aston-Reese and Brandon Tanev. Juuse Saros replaced Rinne in goal. The Penguins extended the lead as Bryan Rust scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Riikola goal, with helpers from Dominik Kahun and Jared McCann. The Predators got one back in the third period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Roman Josi and Rocco Grimaldi. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Riikola, Blueger, and Jarry (30 for 32 in saves).

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner are the former teammates in goal. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Ross Johnston goal, his third of the season, fueled by Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy. Chicago tied it on a Dennis Gilbert goal, coming off of Dylan Strome and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Patrick Kane. Chicago added on with a DeBrincat goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Strome and Keith. Semyon Varlamov replaced Greiss in goal. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the third period as Jonathan Toews scored his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Chicago padded the lead as Matthew Highmore scored, with the help of David Kampf. The Islanders pulled one back with a Casey Cizikas shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Tom Kuhnhackl and Adam Pelech. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Lehner (38 for 40 in saves), Strome, and Keith.

Out in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Calgary was first to score in the first period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Elias Lindholm. The Flames added on with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Mangiapane. Edmonton got on the board with a Connor McDavid goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Darnell Nurse. Calgary responded in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. The Flames extended the lead as Lindholm scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Mangiapane and Brodie. Calgary padded the lead on a shorthanded Mikael Backlund goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Michael Frolik and Mark Giordano. The final remained at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Mangiapane, Lindholm, and Rittich (28 for 29 in saves), while Brodie gets an honorable mention.

In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Campbell and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Thornton goal, via Radim Simek and Marleau. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Martin Frk goal, coming off of Jeff Carter and Nikolai Prokhorkin. The Kings tied it on another Frk goal, his second of the game, passed from Prokhorkin and Carter. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with a Carter goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe. The three stars were Carter, Frk, and Thornton, while Prokhorkin and Marleau get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Vegas cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. Anaheim tied it on a power play goal by Adam Henrique, his twelfth of the year, powered by Jakob Silfverberg and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead with a Fowler power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Sam Steel and Devin Shore. Anaheim added on with a Max Comtois goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Jacob Larsson and Isac Lundestrom. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Shore scored his second of the season, thanks to Carter Rowney. The Golden Knights got one back with a Nate Schmidt goal, his third of the year, coming off of Mark Stone. Vegas got closer with another Schmidt goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, via Stone and Max Pacioretty. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Fowler, Schmidt, and Shore, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

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Monday, December 23, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 83

The last day before the holiday break features thirteen games. First up is a pair of matinees...

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes. James Reimer and Frederik Andersen draw the starts in goal. Toronto opened in the first period with a Jason Spezza goal, his fifth of the season, via John Tavares and Ilya Mikheyev. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Tavares and Mitchell Marner. Toronto extended the lead as Tavares scored his fourteenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot. Petr Mrazek replaced Reimer in goal. Carolina got on the board with a Brock McGinn shorthanded goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Brett Pesce and Lucas Wallmark. The Hurricanes got closer with a Martin Necas power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Wallmark and Nino Niederreiter. Carolina tied it in the second period as Necas scored his second of the game and eighth of the year, with the help of Erik Haula and Ryan Dzingel. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Haula goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Necas. Carolina padded the lead with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Jordan Staal and Teuvo Teravainen. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Zach Hyman and Marner. The Hurricanes responded on a Haula goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Dzingel and Necas. Toronto pulled back with a Marner goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Matthews and Tyson Barrie. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Barrie goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Marner and Hyman. Toronto surged ahead on an unassisted Marner goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season. The Maple Leafs iced it at 8-6 with a Pierre Engvall empty net goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper from Hyman. The three stars were Marner, Tavares, and Necas, while Haula, Dzingel, Wallmark, Matthews, Hyman, Spezza, and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Also, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota got going in the second period with a Joel Eriksson Ek goal, his third of the season, via Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato. The Wild added on with a Luke Kunin goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jordan Greenway and Nico Sturm. David Rittich replaced Talbot in the third period. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with an Eric Staal empty net goal in the third period, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Jonas Brodin and Kunin. The three stars went to Dubnyk (22 save shutout), Kunin, and Eriksson Ek.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston started in the first period with a Jake DeBrusk power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Boston extended the lead as Anders Bjork scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Charlie Coyle. The Bruins padded the lead on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with helpers from Pastrnak and Krejci. Ilya Samsonov replaced Holtby in the second period. Boston kept going in the second period with a shorthanded Coyle goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Marchand. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-third of the year, fueled by Tom Wilson and John Carlson. The Capitals chipped closer in the third period with a Lars Eller goal, his eighth of the season, via Jakub Vrana and Radko Gudas. The Bruins shot back on a Krejci empty net goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Sean Kuraly. Washington chipped back with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Jonas Siegenthaler. Boston iced it with an unassisted empty net goal by Bergeron, his fifteenth of the year. The three stars in the 7-3 game were Krejci, Bergeron, and Marchand, while Coyle and Pastrnak get the honorable mentions.

Along to New York, where the Islanders host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Thomas Greiss are between the pipes. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the season, via Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. Columbus tied it in the second period with a Kevin Stenlund power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Zach Werenski. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Nathan Gerbe goal, made possible by Alexander Wennberg. The Islanders retied it on a Barzal goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Johnny Boychuk and Eberle. Columbus pulled ahead with a Vladislav Gavrikov goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Alexandre Texier and Pierre-Luc Dubois. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Korpisalo (35 for 37 in saves), Barzal, and Eberle.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Carter Hart man the nets. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded Jesper Fast goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Brady Skjei and Greg McKegg. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Sanheim goal, his third of the year, via Justin Braun and Travis Konecny. The Flyers took the lead in the thirdp eriod with a Kevin Hayes goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Joel Farabee and James van Riemsdyk. Philadelphia added on with another Sanheim goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. The Flyers extended the lead as Hayes scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, thanks to van Riemsdyk and Braun. Philadelphia capped it at 5-1 with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel power play goal, powered by Sanheim and Jakub Voracek. The three stars belonged to Sanheim, Hayes, and Hart (34 for 35 in saves), while van Riemsdyk and Braun get the honorable mentions.

To the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the Russian goalies. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Erik Cernak and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Victor Hedman goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Point and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Mikhail Sergachev scored his sixth of the season on the power play, thanks to Palat. Florida got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Vincent Trocheck. The Lightning responded with an Alex Killorn power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Steven Stamkos and Hedman. Tampa Bay padded the lead on a Kucherov power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Point and Stamkos. The Lightning finished it at 6-1 with a Hedman goal, his ninth of the campaign, coming off of Kucherov and Point in the third period. The three stars were Point, Hedman, and Kucherov, while Stamkos and Palat get the honorable mentions.

Way to the north, the Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Craig Anderson are in the blue paint. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventeenth of the season, with a lone assist by Brady Tkachuk. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Evan Rodrigues. The Senators retook the lead with a Pageau goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, via Tkachuk and Connor Brown. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with a Tkachuk empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Brown. The three stars went to Pageau, Anderson (43 for 44 in saves), and Tkachuk, while Brown gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, via Roman Josi and Matt Duchene. The Predators added on in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Calle Jarnkrok and Mattias Ekholm. Arizona got on the board with a Lawson Crouse goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Nick Schmaltz and Alex Goligoski. Nashville replied in the third period with a Josi goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Colin Blackwell and Craig Smith. The Coyotes pulled back with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Clayton Keller and Goligoski. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Josi, Goligoski, and Arvidsson.

North again to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Winnipeg drew first blood in the first period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele and Neal Pionk. Montreal tied it on a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens took the lead with a Tatar goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, coming off of Shea Weber and Brendan Gallagher. Montreal added on in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Gallagher. The Canadiens extended the lead as Danault scored an unassisted goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season. The Jets got one back on a Patrik Laine goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Scheifele. Montreal shot back with a Max Domi goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Artturi Lehkonen and Suzuki. The Canadiens padded the lead as Lehkonen scored his seventh of the year in the third period, thanks to Domi. This stood for a 6-2 win, with the three stars being Tatar, Danault, and Domi, while Lehkonen, Suzuki, Gallagher, and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Chicago cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Zack Smith goal, his second of the season, made possible by David Kampf and Matthew Highmore. New Jersey tied it on a Jack Hughes goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Wayne Simmonds and Sami Vatanen. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a P.K. Subban goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey added on with a Damon Severson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Travis Zajac and Nikita Gusev. The Devils chased Crawford with a John Hayden goal, assisted by Will Butcher and Pavel Zacha. Robin Lehner came on in relief. New Jersey extended the lead with a Zajac shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Blake Coleman and Andy Greene. The Devils padded the lead as Coleman scored his eleventh of the year in the third period, thanks to Severson and Gusev. New Jersey finished it at 7-1 with a Zacha goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Gusev and Severson.

Southwest to Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Marc-Andre Fleury get the starting nods in goal. Colorado was first to score in the first period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of J.T. Compher and Ian Cole. Vegas tied it on a Ryan Reaves goal, his fourth of the year, via Tomas Nosek and Brayden McNabb. The Avalanche retook the lead with a shorthanded Matt Nieto goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Compher. Colorado added on with an unassisted Nazem Kadri goal, his twelfth of the year. The Golden Knights got one back with a Max Pacioretty goal in the second period, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. The Avalanche shot back with a Gabriel Landeksog power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. Colorado extended the lead as Bellemare scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Valeri Nichushkin and Matt Calvert. Vegas got one back in the third period with a William Carrier goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Nate Schmidt and Reilly Smith. The Avalanche countered with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone helper from MacKinnon. Colorado finished it at 7-3 with a Nichushkin goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Bellemare, Nichushkin, and MacKinnon, while Compher got an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. St. Louis opened in the first period with a Brayden Schenn goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Vince Dunn and Robert Bortuzzo. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and David Perron. St. Louis extended the lead as Dunn scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Jacob De La Rose. The Blues padded the lead on a Schenn power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Pietrangelo and Perron. Los Angeles got on the board with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. This made it 4-1, the eventual final, with the three stars awarded to Schenn, Dunn, and Pietrangelo, while Perron gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Jacob Markstrom are the solid goalies. Vancouver started in the first period with an unassisted Tyler Motte goal. Edmonton tied it on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Caleb Jones. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with an Oscar Klefbom power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Canucks tied it on a Bo Horvat goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Tanner Pearson and Christopher Tanev in the third period. Vancouver pulled ahead with a Quinn Hughes power play goal, his third of the year, with helpers from J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. The Canucks capped it at 4-2 with a Loui Eriksson empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Alexander Edler and Pearson. The three stars went to Hughes, Pearson, and Horvat.

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Sunday, December 22, 2019

NHL 2019-20 - Day 82

There's four games on this Sunday, beginning early with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist are the veterans in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Filip Chytil goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Brendan Lemieux and Brady Skjei. The Rangers added on with a Brett Howden goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Tony DeAngelo and Artemi Panarin. Anaheim got on the board with a Sam Steel goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Ondrej Kase. New York shot back on a Chris Kreider goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers extended the lead as Kreider scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, with the help of Mika Zibanejad. New York padded the lead in the third period on a shorthanded Zibanejad goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Ryan Strome. The final remained at 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Kreider, Zibanejad, and Lundqvist (19 for 20 in saves).

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Calgary started in the first period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. Dallas tied it on a Denis Gurianov goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Justin Dowling and Roman Polak. The Flames took the lead back in the second period with a Tkachuk power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Lindholm and Sean Monahan. Calgary added on with a Monahan power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Lindholm. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Mikael Backlund scored his fourth of the season on the power play, with the help of Derek Ryan and the goalie Rittich. Calgary iced it at 5-1 with a Ryan shorthanded empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Tobias Rieder and Mark Giordano. The three stars went to Tkachuk, Lindholm, and Monahan, while Ryan gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Antti Raanta and Jimmy Howard are the goalies. Arizona struck first in the first period with a Clayton Keller goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Nick Schmaltz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with another Keller goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Schmaltz and Ekman-Larsson. Arizona extended the lead in the second period as Carl Soderberg scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Keller. The Coyotes padded the lead in the third period on a Taylor Hall goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jordan Oesterle and Phil Kessel. Detroit got on the board with a Filip Zadina goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona shot back with a Christian Dvorak goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Ekman-Larsson and Jordan Gross. The Red Wings pulled one back with an unassisted Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourteenth of the campaign. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Keller, Ekman-Larsson, and Schmaltz.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. Vegas dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Paul Stastny goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alex Tuch and Valentin Zykov. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. The Golden Knights took the lead back with a Shea Theodore goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Nicolas Hague. Vegas added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twelfth of the year, via Reilly Smith and Karlsson. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Subban (37 for 38 in saves), Karlsson, and Theodore.

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