Tuesday, January 7, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 95

Twelve games on a Tuesday begin in...

Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Andrei Vasilevski protect the nets. Vancouver opened in the first period with an Elias Pettersson goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Brock Boeser. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. The Lightning took the lead with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Brayden Point. The Canucks retied it with a Loui Eriksson goal, his third of the year, fueled by Bo Horvat and Christopher Tanev. Tampa Bay took the lead again with an Alex Killorn goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Carter Verhaegher goal, his third of the year, via Point and Yanni Gourde. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Nikita Kucherov scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Point. The Lightning padded the lead on an Erik Cernak goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Stamkos and Braydon Coburn. Tampa Bay continued in the third period with a Point goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Stamkos and Cernak. The Lightning kept going with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, dished from Mitchell Stephens. Tampa Bay struck again with a Verhaeghe power play goal to complete his hat trick with his fifth of the campaign, coming off of Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. The final score was 9-2, with the three stars awarded to Verhaeghe, Point, and Stamkos, while Cernak and Kucherov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and James Reimer are the goalies. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Travis Konecny goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Robert Hagg and Claude Giroux. The Flyers added on with a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Jakub Voracek. Carolina got on the board with a Lucas Wallmark goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Brock McGinn and Jordan Martinook. The Hurricanes tied it on a Warren Foegele goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jordan Staal and Jake Gardiner. Carolina pulled ahead in the second period with a Gardiner goal, his third of the season, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Foegele. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Joel Edmundson scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Dougie Hamilton and Erik Haula. Philadelphia responded with a Nicolas Aube-Kubel goal, his second of the season, helped along by Kevin Hayes. The Flyers evened it in the third period with a Travis Sanheim goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Philippe Myers and Sean Couturier. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime with a Hamilton goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Hamilton, Gardiner, and Foegele.

Back south, the Florida Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Adin Hill and Chris Driedger are the unknown goalies. Arizona got going in the second period with a Christian Dvorak power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Taylor Hall and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Florida tied it on a Noel Acciari goal, his fifteenth of the year, fueled by Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers took the lead with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Riley Stillman. The Coyotes retied it on an Ekman-Larsson goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Derek Stepan and Phil Kessel. Arizona took the lead with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Kessel and Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Carl Soderberg goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Jason Demers. Arizona iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Lawson Crouse, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Kessel. The three stars went to Kessel, Ekman-Larsson, and Hall.

North to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ilya Samsonov draw the starts in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Rudolfs Balcers. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone helper from Jakub Vrana in the second period. The Capitals took the lead with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the season, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Michal Kempny. Washington added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Dmitry Orlov and Tom Wilson. The Capitals extended the lead as Oshie scored his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, with the help of Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. Washington padded the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Jonas Siegenthaler. Marcus Hogberg replaced Anderson in goal. The Capitals continued with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the season, with helpers from Carlson and Wilson. The final was 6-1, with the three stars going to Oshie, Ovechkin, and Carlson, while Wilson gets an honorable mention.

Along to New Jersey, as the Devils welcome the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and MacKenzie Blackwood guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Matt Martin and Leo Komarov. New Jersey tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his fifth of the year, via Miles Wood and Ben Street. The Islanders took the lead back on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils tied it in the second period with a Nico Hischier goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Kyle Palmieri and Wayne Simmonds. New Jersey pulled ahead on a Palmieri power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Hischier and Damon Severson. New York tied it again with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, his third of the year, assisted by Michael Dal Colle. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime with an Anders Lee goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Devon Toews and Mathew Barzal. The three stars were Palmieri, Hischier, and Lee.

In Manhattan, the New York Rangers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer faces a lesser foe in Igor Shesterkin in goal. Colorado struck first in the first period with a J.T. Compher goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Samuel Girard and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche added on with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers tied it with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by DeAngelo and Jesper Fast. New York pulled ahead with a Brady Skjei goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin in the second period. Colorado tied it on a Compher goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, helped along by Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin. The Rangers retook the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Fast and Panarin. New York iced it at 5-3 in the third period with a Panarin empty net goal, his twenty-third of the year, set up by Zibanejad and Fast. The three stars were awarded to Panarin, Zibanejad, and Fast, while Strome, DeAngelo, Compher, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens. Charlie Lindgren and Jonathan Bernier are in the creases. Montreal kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Canadiens added on in the second period with a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Max Domi and Ilya Kovalchuk. Detroit got on the board with a Frans Nielsen goal, his second of the season, via Givani Smith and Madison Bowey. The Red Wings tied it on a Robby Fabbri goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. Montreal retook the lead with a Victor Mete goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Kovalchuk and Suzuki. Detroit tied it again with a Nielsen goal, his second of the game and third of the year, passed from Mike Green and Darren Helm. The Red Wings took the lead with a Filip Zadina goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Adam Erne and Valtteri Filppula. This held for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Nielsen, Suzuki, and Kovalchuk.

Moving along to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Jordan Binnington in goal. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Alexander Steen and Brayden Schenn. The Blues added on with an Ivan Barbashev goal, his sixth of the year, via Oskar Sundqvist. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a Timo Meier power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Barclay Goodrow. St. Louis shot back with a David Perron goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Ryan O'Reilly. The Sharks got one back with a Karlsson shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Karlsson, Perron, and Binnington (29 for 31 in saves).

Backtracking to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Boston drew first blood in the first period with a David Pastrnak goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, his seventh of the year, via Grzelcyk and Charlie Coyle. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Matt Duchene and Roman Josi. Boston replied with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, helped along by Jake DeBrusk and Brad Marchand. The Bruins extended the lead as Chris Wagner scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Par Lindholm and Torey Krug. The Predators got one back with a power play goal by Mikael Granlund, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Mattias Ekholm and Forsberg. Boston countered with an empty net goal by David Krejci, his ninth of the season, set up by the goalie Rask. The Bruins iced it at 6-2 with a Coyle goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Brett Ritchie and Heinen. The three stars were given to Coyle, Grzelcyk, and Heinen, while Forsberg gets an honorable mention.

In Chicago, the Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Dominik Kubalik goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Adam Boqvist and Patrick Kane. Calgary tied it in the second period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and T.J. Brodie. The Flames took the lead with another Lindholm goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, made possible by Tkachuk. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars being Lindholm, Talbot (31 for 32 in saves), and Tkachuk.

To Nevada, where the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh cracked the scoresheet in the first period with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Bryan Rust and Dominik Kahun. The Penguins added on with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Jack Johnson and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Kahun power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the season, powered by John Marino and Juuso Riikola. Vegas got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Nicolas Hague. The Golden Knights got closer with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Shea Theodore and Mark Stone. The Penguins fired back in the third period with a Brandon Tanev goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Letang and Teddy Blueger. Vegas responded with a Reilly Smith goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Chandler Stephenson and Nate Schmidt. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Kahun, Jarry (32 for 35 in saves), and Tanev.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Ryan Miller are the backups in goal. Anaheim tallied first in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his eleventh of the season, fueled by Michael Del Zotto. Columbus tied it on an Eric Robinson goal, his fifth of the year, via Riley Nash and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Ducks took the lead back in the second period on an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Pierre-Luc Dubois. Columbus pulled ahead with a Zach Werenski power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Dubois and Gustav Nyquist. The Blue Jackets added on with a Werenski empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, set up by Dubois in the third period. Anaheim got one back with a Kase goal, his second of the game and fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Cam Fowler and Getzlaf. The final remained at 4-3, with the three stars given to Werenski, Kase, and Dubois, while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Monday, January 6, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 94

We've got four games this time, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Pavel Francouz and Semyon Varlamov are in the blue paint. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Devon Toews and Michael Dal Colle. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Varlamov (32 save shutout), Lee, and Francouz (32 for 33 in saves).

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Frederik Andersen are the veterans in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Adam Larsson and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by McDavid and Ethan Bear. Edmonton extended the lead as Kailer Yamamoto scored his second of the season, thanks to Caleb Jones and Leon Draisaitl. Michael Hutchinson replaced Andersen in goal. Toronto got on the board with a Jason Spezza goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Pierre Engvall and Kasperi Kapanen. The Oilers shot back with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifth of the season, via Joakim Nygard and Kris Russell. The Maple Leafs pulled back with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Mason Marchment and Adam Brooks. Toronto got closer on an Engvall goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Justin Holl and Kapanen. Edmonton responded in the third period with a Draisaitl power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Chiasson and McDavid. The Oilers padded the lead on a McDavid goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, with a lone helper by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Maple Leafs got one back with an Auston Matthews power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, with assists provided by Tyson Barrie and Mitchell Marner. This only made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being McDavid, Draisaitl, and Chiasson, while Engvall and Kapanen get the honorable mentions.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Carey Price tend the twines. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Josh Morrissey goal, his fourth of the season, via Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on with a shorthanded Wheeler goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Wheeler. Montreal got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Shea Weber and Tomas Tatar. Winnipeg shot back in the third period with an unassisted Andrew Copp goal, his sixth of the year. The Canadiens pulled one back with a Chiarot goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, helped along by Tatar and Ilya Kovalchuk. This produced the 3-2 final score, with the three stars handed to Ehlers, Wheeler, and Chiarot, while Tatar got the honorable mention.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins and Jonathan Quick are the goalies. Los Angeles started in the first period with an Alex Iafallo goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Sean Walker and Anze Kopitar. Columbus got on the board in the second period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his second of the year, via Gustav Nyquist and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets took the lead on a Scott Harrington goal, coming off of Sonny Milano and Nick Foligno. Columbus added on in the third period with a Kevin Stenlund goal, his third of the season, passed from Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski. The Kings got one back on a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the year, fueled by Walker and Kyle Clifford. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Nyquist empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Dubois. The three stars were Nyquist, Walker, and Dubois.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 93

We've got six games on a Sunday, beginning early with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. San Jose got going in the second period with an Evander Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Timo Meier. Washington tied it on a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the year, via Brendan Leipsic and Garnet Hathaway. The Sharks retook the lead on a Kane goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, made possible by Logan Couture and Melker Karlsson. San Jose added on with a Kane power play goal to complete his hat trick on his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Meier. The Capitals pulled one back with a Jakub Vrana goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from T.J. Oshie. The Sharks replied with a Couture empty net goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns. Washington countered on a Vrana goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, coming off of Lars Eller and Radko Gudas. The Capitals tied it as Oshie scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington won 5-4 in overtime with an Eller goal, his tenth of the campaign, fueled by John Carlson and the goalie Holtby. The three stars went to Eller, Vrana, and Oshie, while Kane, Couture, and Meier get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Petr Mrazek protect the nets. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Mitchell Stephens goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carter Verhaeghe and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his seventeenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Kucherov and Stamkos. Carolina got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Stamkos, Vasilevskiy (28 for 29 in saves), and Kucherov.

Back north, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Florida Panthers. Chris Driedger and Tristan Jarry are the lesser-known goalies. Florida led off in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Mike Hoffman. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jared McCann goal, his eleventh of the year, via Dominik Simon and Patric Hornqvist. The Panthers retook the lead with a Brett Connolly goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Vincent Trocheck and Mike Matheson. Florida added on in the third period with a Hoffman goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Vatrano and Riley Stillman. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with an Evgenii Dadonov empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau. The three stars belonged to Hoffman, Driedger (31 for 32 in saves), and Vatrano.

Along to Minnesota, as the Wild host the Calgary Flames. David Rittich and Alex Stalock are between the pipes. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Kevin Fiala power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Calgary tied it with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Rasmus Andersson and Mikael Backlund. The Wild took the lead back with a Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Joel Eriksson Ek. The Flames tied it again with a Travis Hamonic goal, his third of the year, guided in by Johnny Gaudreau and Backlund. Minnesota regained the lead on another Foligno goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, assisted by Matt Dumba and Luke Kunin. Calgary evened it in the third period with a Michael Stone goal, his second of the year, passed from T.J. Brodie and Derek Ryan. The Wild pulled ahead on a Jordan Greenway goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Jared Spurgeon and Suter. The Flames equalized as Mark Giordano scored his fifth of the year on the power play, thanks to Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. In the shootout, Ryan and Dillon Dube paced the Flames to a 5-4 win over Ryan Donato of the Wild. The three stars were Gaudreau, Foligno, and Backlund, while Ryan and Suter get the honorable mentions.

South to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Corey Crawford are in the creases. Detroit started in the first period with a Filip Zadina power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek. The Red Wings added on with a Luke Glendening goal, his sixth of the year, via Patrik Nemeth and Darren Helm. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Dylan Strome goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone helper by Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks tied it on a Dylan Sikura goal, coming off of Erik Gustafsson and Patrick Kane. Chicago pulled ahead in the third period with an Adam Boqvist goal, his second of the year, guided in by Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Dominik Kubalik empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Zack Smith and Connor Murphy. The three stars were Sikura, Boqvist, and Strome.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and John Gibson man the nets. Anaheim struck first in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Daniel Sprong and Ryan Getzlaf. Nashville tied it on an Austin Watson goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Colin Blackwell and Yakov Trenin. The Predators took the lead in the second period with a Craig Smith power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Mattias Ekholm. The Ducks tied it on a Cam Fowler goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Getzlaf and Erik Gudbranson. Anaheim took the lead on a Sprong power play goal, with assists provided by Fowler and Henrique. The Ducks added on with a Henrique power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, coming off of Sam Steel and Getzlaf. Nashville shot back in the third period with another Smith goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with helpers from Nick Bonino and Rocco Grimaldi. The Predators tied it on a Grimaldi goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Roman Josi and Bonino. The Ducks won 5-4 in the shootout with tallies by Ondrej Kase and Getzlaf to top Filip Forsberg and the Predators. The three stars were Getzlaf, Henrique, and Sprong, while Fowler, Smith, Grimaldi, and Bonino get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 92

We're back at it on the weekend with twelve games. Five are matinees, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Linus Ullmark are in the creases. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Henri Jokiharju goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. The Sabres added on in the second period with a Conor Sheary goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey. Buffalo extended the lead on a Reinhart power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Dahlin and Johansson. Chris Driedger took over for Bobrovsky in goal. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Mike Matheson goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Colton Sceviour. The Panthers got closer with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Mike Hoffman and Aleksander Barkov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Reinhart, Johansson, and Ullmark (32 for 34 in saves).

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Elvis Merzlikins are the little-known goalies. San Jose got going in the second period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl. Columbus tied it with a Zach Werenski goal, his twelfth of the year, via Boone Jenner and Nick Foligno. The Sharks retook the lead with an Evander Kane goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Timo Meier and Radim Simek. San Jose added on in the third period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Werenski goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, helped along by Sonny Milano and Seth Jones. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Werenski, Labanc, and Kane.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jaroslav Halak are the experienced goalies. Boston started in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand. Edmonton tied it in the second period with a Gaetan Haas goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers took the lead with a Darnell Nurse goal, his third of the season, via Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton added on with a Connor McDavid goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Zack Kassian and Ethan Bear. The Oilers iced it at 4-1 with an unassisted empty net goal by Draisaitl, his twenty-fourth of the campaign. The three stars were Smith (35 for 36 in saves), Draisaitl, and Nurse.

Westward to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Devan Dubnyk are the veteran goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Blake Wheeler and Neal Pionk. The Jets took the lead in the third period with a Wheeler power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with assists provided by Kyle Connor and Scheifele. The Wild tied it on a Kunin goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Foligno and Matt Dumba. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with an Eric Staal power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Ryan Suter. The three stars were Kunin, Foligno, and Staal, while Wheeler and Scheifele get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Nevada, as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. St. Louis began in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by David Perron and Ryan O'Reilly. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Perron and O'Reilly. St. Louis extended the lead as Oskar Sundqvist scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Iban Barbashev and Alexander Steen. Vegas got on the board in the second period with a Ryan Reaves goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights got closer with a Paul Stastny goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by William Carrier and Nicolas Hague. Vegas tied it as Nicolas Roy scored his second of the year, with the help of Hague and Tomas Nosek in the third period. The Golden Knights pulled ahead on a Reilly Smith goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Chandler Stephenson. The Blues retied it on a Perron power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Pietrangelo and O'Reilly. Vegas won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted Stephenson goal, his eighth of the campaign. The three stars were awarded to Stephenson, Perron, and O'Reilly, while Hague and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the New York Islanders. Semyon Varlamov faces a lesser foe in Michael Hutchinson in goal. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pierre Engvall goal, his sixth of the season, via Kasperi Kapanen. The Maple Leafs added on with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, guided in by Mitchell Marner and Justin Holl. Toronto iced it at 3-0 with a Zach Hyman empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, et up by Marner and Matthews. The three stars belonged to Hutchinson (33 save shutout), Matthews, and Marner.

In Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Max Domi and Nick Suzuki. Pittsburgh tied it on a Zach Aston-Reese goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Teddy Blueger. The Canadiens took the lead back in the second period with an unassisted Lehkonen goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season. The Penguins tied it again in the third period on a Bryan Rust goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Jack Johnson. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime with a Brandon Tanev goal, his eighth of the campaign, fueled by Blueger and Marcus Pettersson. The three stars were Lehkonen, Blueger, and Tanev.

Stateside, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Philipp Grubauer and MacKenzie Blackwood are in the blue paint. Colorado cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with an Ian Cole goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Vladislav Kamenev and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Colorado extended the lead in the third period as Rantanen scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, thanks to Cale Makar and MacKinnon. New Jersey got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Blake Coleman goal, his thirteenth of the year. The Avalanche replied with a Bellemare shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Devils got one back on a Jesper Boqvist power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Sami Vatanen and Pavel Zacha. Colorado iced it at 5-2 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his fifteenth of the campaign completing his hat trick, set up by Girard and Cole. The three stars were Rantanen, Bellemare, and Cole, while Girard and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Ottawa Senators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Curtis McElhinney and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Ottawa drew first blood in the first period with a Chris Tierney shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Christian Jaros. Tampa Bay tied it on a Carter Verhaeghe goal, his second of the year, assisted by Victor Hedman and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning took the lead with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Senators tied it again with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Drake Batherson and Tyler Ennis. Ottawa took the lead on a Mark Borowiecki goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Artem Anisimov and Thomas Chabot. Tampa Bay retied it in the third period with a Brayden Point goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Mikhail Sergachev and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning gained the lead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Hedman and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-3 with an Alex Killorn empty net goal, his sixteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Hedman, Johnson, and Point.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Antti Raanta receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Brad Richardson goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jakob Chychrun and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Coyotes added on with a Jordan Oesterle goal, via Conor Garland and Ilya Lyubushkin. Arizona extended the lead as Clayton Keller scored his eleventh of the year on the power play, thanks to Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel. The Coyotes padded the lead in the second period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Derek Stepan and Alex Goligoski. Adin Hill replaced Raanta in goal at the start of the third period. Philadelphia got on the board with a Tyler Pitlick goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Arizona shot back with a Keller goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, helped along by Nick Schmaltz. The Flyers replied with a Justin Braun goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Coyotes iced it at 6-2 with a Stepan shorthanded empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Keller, Stepan, and Schmaltz.

Up in Vancouver, the Canucks welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Jacob Markstrom guard the cages. Vancouver kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Loui Eriksson and Bo Horvat. New York tied it on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventh of the year, via Chris Kreider. The Canucks pulled ahead with a Tyler Myers goal, his fourth of the campaign, passed from Horvat and Quinn Hughes. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Markstrom (36 for 37 in saves), Horvat, and Myers.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jack Campbell will make the starts in goal. Nashville got on the board with a Rocco Grimaldi goal, his seventh of the season, via Craig Smith and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Josi and Mattias Ekholm. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with an Alex Iafallo power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Tyler Toffoli. Nashville replied with a Yakov Trenin goal in the third period, his second of the year, guided in by Matt Irwin and Austin Watson. The Predators extended the lead as Smith scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Grimaldi. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Grimaldi, Smith, and Rinne (23 for 24 in saves), while Josi gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Friday, January 3, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 91

Just a pair of games on this Friday night, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes welcoming the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Petr Mrazek will play in goal. Washington got going in the second period with a Richard Panik goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Lars Eller. The Capitals added on with an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brett Pesce and Andrei Svechnikov. Washington replied with an Eller power play goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals extended the lead Jakub Vrana scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. The Hurricanes pulled back with a Teuvo Teravainen power play goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Sebastian Aho and Svechnikov. Carolina got closer with a Ryan Dzingel power play goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Martin Necas and Jake Gardiner. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Kuznetsov, Eller, and Svechnikov.

Also, the Dallas Stars bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Anton Khudobin man the nets. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Robby Fabbri and Brian Lashoff. Dallas tied it on a Roope Hintz shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Esa Lindell and Joe Pavelski. The Stars took the lead on a Radek Faksa power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Lindell and Hintz. Dallas added on with a Pavelski goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Stars extended the lead in the third period as Andrej Sekera scored his second of the season shorthanded into an empty net, set up by Lindell and Blake Comeau. The three stars belonged to Lindell, Pavelski, and Hintz in the 4-1 game.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 90

We're back with twelve games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. Columbus tied it in the third period with a Sonny Milano goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Nathan Gerbe and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 in overtime with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Seth Jones. The three stars were Merzlikins (25 for 26 in saves), Dubois, and Milano.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell and Tristan Jarry are set to start in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Brent Burns and Joel Kellman. Pittsburgh tied it on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Sharks retook the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Patrick Marleau. The Penguins tied it again in the second period with a Hornqvist goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, passed from Bryan Rust and Alex Galchenyuk. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Burns power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc. The three stars went to Burns, Hornqvist, and Dell (36 for 38 in saves).

Next up, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Linus Ullmark are in the blue paint. Edmonton began in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Josh Archibald and Adam Larsson. The Oilers added on with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl. Buffalo got on the board with a Curtis Lazar goal, his third of the season, via Marcus Johansson. The Sabres tied it in the third period with a Sam Reinhart goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Zach Bogosian and Victor Olofsson. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Jack Eichel penalty shot goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign. The three stars went to Eichel, Reinhart, and Lazar.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brock Nelson goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Pulock and Derick Brassard. New Jersey tied it on a P.K. Subban goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Nikita Gusev and Travis Zajac. The Devils took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Nico Hischier goal, his ninth of the campaign. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Blackwood (29 for 30 in saves), Hischier, and Subban.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price tend the twines. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Erik Cernak. Montreal tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Max Domi. The Lightning retook the lead on a Nikita kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Brayden Point. This held for the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars given to Vasilevskiy (38 for 39 in saves), Kucherov, and Cirelli.

To Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Craig Anderson are the veterans in goal. Florida started in the first period with an Evgenii Dadonov power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mike Hoffman and Keith Yandle. Ottawa tied it on a Tyler Ennis goal, his eleventh of the year, via Nick Paul. The Senators took the lead with a Chris Tierney goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone helper from Anthony Duclair. The Panthers tied it again with a Dadonov power play goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jonathan Huberdeau and Yandle in the second period. Florida pulled ahead on a Noel Acciari goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Vincent Trocheck and Anton Stralman. The Panthers added on with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Dadonov and Dominic Toninato. Florida extended the lead as Colton Sceviour scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Mark Pysyk and Brian Boyle. Ottawa got one back in the third period with a Connor Brown goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Ennis. The Panthers capped it at 6-3 with a Huberdeau empty net goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Stralman and Riley Stillman. The three stars were Dadonov, Huberdeau, and Ennis, while Yandle and Stralman earn the honorable mentions.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Toronto struck first in the first period with a William Nylander goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Adam Brooks. The Maple Leafs added on with a Kasperi Kapanen goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mark Scheifele. The Jets tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Neal Pionk and the goalie Hellebuyck. Toronto regained the lead with a Travis Dermott goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Alexander Kerfoot and Nylander. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Pierre Engvall scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Kapanen and Jason Spezza. Winnipeg got one back on a Scheifele goal, his nineteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Connor. Toronto responded with a Mitchell Marner power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Tyson Barrie and Auston Matthews. Laurent Brossoit replaced Hellebuyck in goal for the third period. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period with a Nylander goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, fueled by Kerfoot and John Tavares. This stood for a 6-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Nylander, Kapanen, and Scheifele, while Kerfoot and Connor get the honorable mentions.

Still in Canada, the Calgary Flames welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces former teammate Cam Talbot in goal. Calgary kicked off the scoring in the first period with an unassisted Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the season. The Flames added on with a Mikael Backlund shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. New York got on the board with a Jacob Trouba power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Pavel Buchnevich and Adam Fox. The Rangers tied it on a Filip Chytil power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Kaapo Kakko and Fox. Calgary retook the lead on a Derek Ryan goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Dillon Dube. New York tied it again in the second period with a Kakko goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Fox and Brett Howden. The Flames restored the lead with a Sean Monahan goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Noah Hanifin and Gaudreau. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Fox, and Kakko.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Antti Raanta are in the creases. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Lawson Crouse goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Derek Stepan. Anaheim tied it with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Isac Lundestrom and Max Comtois. The Ducks took the lead in the second period with a Max Jones goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Michael Del Zotto and Sam Steel. The Coyotes retied it in the third period with a Christian Dvorak goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Kessel and Connor Garland. Arizona took the lead with a Brad Richardson goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Christian Fischer and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Coyotes added on with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. This held for a 4-2 final score, with the three stars given to Richardson, Soderberg, and Dvorak.

Backtracking to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Philipp Grubauer protect the nets. Colorado drew first blood in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche added on with a Nazem Kadri goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Samuel Girard and Matt Calvert. Colorado extended the lead as Mikko Rantanen scored his twelfth of the season on the power play, thanks to Cale Makar and MacKinnon. St. Louis got on the board with a Robert Thomas goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Tyler Bozak and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues got closer with a Pietrangelo power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche shot back with a Makar power play goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and MacKinnon. Colorado padded the lead on a Kadri goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, with helpers from Girard and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche continued with a J.T. Compher power play goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Girard. Colorado kept going on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fourteenth of the season, via MacKinnon and Girard. St. Louis got one back with a Thomas goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, fueled by Jaden Schwartz. This only made it 7-3, the final, with the three stars handed to MacKinnon, Kadri, and Girard, while Makar, Thomas, and Pietrangelo get the honorable mentions.

In Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and Marc-Andre Fleury are between the pipes. Philadelphia cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Claude Giroux goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. Vegas tied it on a Shea Theodore goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Paul Stastny. The Golden Knights took the lead with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Stastny and Theodore. Vegas added on with a Jon Merrill goal, helped along by Nicolas Roy. The Flyers got one back with a Travis Konecny goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The Golden Knights shot back with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the season, fueled by Mark Stone. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Cody Glass scored his fifth of the year, thanks to William Carrier. Philadelphia got one back with a Couturier goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers got closer with a Couturier power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Giroux and Provorov. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars belonging to Pacioretty, Couturier, and Theodore, while Giroux, Stastny, and Provorov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom are the solid goalies. Vancouver tallied first in the first period with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson. Chicago tied it on a Connor Murphy goal, his fourth of the year via Dominik Kubalik and Jonathan Toews. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Alexander Edler and Jake Virtanen. The Blackhawks tied it again with a David Kampf goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Zach Smith and Erik Gustafsson. Chicago pulled ahead with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Adam Boqvist. The Blackhawks added on with a Toews goal, his tenth of the year, made possible by Kubalik and Olli Maatta. Vancouver pulled back with a Quinn Hughes power play goal, his fourth of the season, with assists provided by Miller and Pettersson. The Canucks tied it as Pettersson potted his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Brock Boeser and Miller. Vancouver surged ahead in the third period with a Horvat goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Edler and Pearson. Chicago retied it on a Kane goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, with helpers from Kubalik and Duncan Keith. The Canucks regained the lead on an Adam Gaudette goal, his eighth of the season, dished from Miller. Vancouver iced it at 7-5 with a Horvat empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Pearson. The three stars were Miller, Horvat, and Pettersson, while Pearson, Kane, Kubalik, Edler, and Toews all get honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

NHL 2019-20 - Day 89 - The Winter Classic

To open 2020, the NHL plays just one game, as the Dallas Stars welcome the Nashville Predators to the Cotton Bowl. Pekka Rinne and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Nashville opened in the first period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Dante Fabbro goal, his fourth of the year, via Duchene and Josi on the power play. Dallas got on the board with a Blake Comeau goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jason Dickinson and Esa Lindell in the second period. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Mattias Janmark power play goal, his fifth of the year, passed from John Klingberg and Roope Hintz. Dallas took the lead with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Klingberg and Jamie Benn. The Stars extended the lead as Andrej Sekera scored, thanks to Radek Faksa and Janmark. The final remained at 4-2, with the three stars given to Klingberg, Duchene, and Josi.

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.