NHL 2021-22 - Day 4

We'll get just three games today, beginning with...

The New Jersey Devils hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Kevin Lankinen and Jonathan Bernier are the goalies. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, assisted by Pavel Zacha. Chicago tied it in the second period with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, powered by Patrick Kane and Tyler Johnson. The Devils retook the lead with a Jack Hughes goal, passed from Yegor Sharangovich and Janne Kuokkanen. New Jersey added on in the third period with an Andreas Johnsson goal, coming off of Dawson Mercer and Tomas Tatar. The Blackhawks answered with a Kirby Dach power play goal, with helpers from Johnson and Kane. Chicago tied it on a Dominik Kubalik goal, helped along by Brandon Hagel and Seth Jones. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hughes goal, his second of the game, set up by Ryan Graves. The three stars were Hughes, Kane, and Johnson.

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Carter Hart are the young goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Joel Farabee goal, via Ryan Ellis and Ivan Provorov. Vancouver answered in the second period with a Vasily Podkolzin goal, coming off of Tyler Myers and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Canucks took the lead with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, powered by J.T. Miller and Alex Chiasson. Vancouver added on with a Chiasson power play goal, with helpers from Miller and Quinn Hughes. The Flyers got one back on a Cam Atkinson goal, fueled by Farabee and Keith Yandle. The Canucks replied with a Miller goal, made possible by Pettersson and Conor Garland. Philadelphia fired back on a Travis Konecny power play goal in the third period, with assists provided by Sean Couturier and Yandle. The Flyers tied it as Claude Giroux scored, thanks to Couturier and Ellis. In the shootout, Pettersson and Miller lifted the Canucks to a 5-4 win. The three stars were Miller, Pettersson, and Chiasson, while Farabee, Couturier, Ellis, and Yandle get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot and Anthony Stolarz are the masked men. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Kevin Fiala power play goal, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild won 2-1 with a third period goal by Marcus Foligno, guided in by Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. The three stars were Talbot (28 for 29 in saves), Stolarz (41 for 43 in saves), and Foligno. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 3

We've got nine games on for tonight's slate as more teams begin their seasons. First up...

The Buffalo Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault and Craig Anderson are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, powered by Jacob Bryson and Colin Miller. The Sabres added on with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, guided in by Miller and Cody Eakin. Montreal got on the board in the second period with a Chris Wideman goal, via Joel Armia and Mathieu Perreault. Buffalo replied with a Victor Olofsson power play goal, courtesy of Bryson and Jeff Skinner. The Sabres extended the lead as Anders Bjork scored, thanks to Girgensons and Vinnie Hinostroza. Buffalo padded the lead in the third period with a Tage Thompson goal, coming off of Skinner and Olofsson. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars given to Olofsson, Girgensons, and Skinner, while Miller and Bryson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin and Frederik Andersen are set to start in goal. New York struck first in the first period with a Mathew Barzal goal, fueled by Kyle Palmieri and Andy Greene. Carolina tied it on an Andrei Svechnikov goal, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Ethan Bear. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Jesper Fast goal, via Jaccob Slavin and Jordan Staal. The Islanders tied it in the second period on a Brock Nelson goal, assisted by Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey. Carolina regained the lead with a Jordan Martinook goal, helped along by Steven Lorentz and Derek Stepan. The Hurricanes added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, going in unassisted. New York got one back with an Anders Lee goal, with helpers from Noah Dobson and Palmieri. Carolina responded with a Teravainen power play goal, powered by Tony DeAngelo and Svechnikov. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-3 with a Svechnikov empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by DeAngelo and Sebastian Aho. The three stars went to Svechnikov, Teravainen, and DeAngelo, while Palmieri gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New York Rangers bring in the Dallas Stars. Braden Holtby and Igor Shesterkin are the masked men. Dallas kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Jacob Peterson goal, going in unassisted. The Stars added on in the second period with a Radek Faksa power play goal, powered by Miro Heiskanen and Ryan Suter. New York got on the board with an Adam Fox goal, guided in by Ryan Lindgren and Artemi Panarin. The Rangers tied it with a Chris Kreider goal, his second of the season, assisted by K'Andre Miller and Mika Zibanejad. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Heiskanen goal, set up by Jamie Benn. The three stars were Heiskanen, Faksa, and Peterson.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Petr Mrazek and Anton Forsberg are in the blue paint. Ottawa began in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, via Nick Paul and Tyler Ennis. The Senators added on with an Ennis power play goal, powered by Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle. Ottawa extended the lead as Alex Formenton scored, thanks to Victor Mete. Toronto got on the board in the third period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, assisted by Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs got closer with a William Nylander power play goal, his second of the season, helped along by Spezza and John Tavares. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ennis, Spezza, and Forsberg (46 for 48 in saves).

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starting nods in goal. Florida started in the first period with a Carter Verhaeghe goal, coming off of Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the second period with an Anthony Duclair goal, courtesy of Frank Vatrano and Gustav Forsling. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Danton Heinen power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Dominik Simon and John Marino. The Penguins tied it with a Jeff Carter power play goal, with assists provided by Kasperi Kapanen and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh pulled ahead in the third period on a Jake Guentzel goal, guided in by Carter and Letang. The Penguins extended the lead as Evan Rodrigues scored his second of the year, thanks to Jason Zucker and Mark Friedman. Florida got one back with an Aaron Ekblad goal, going in unassisted. The Panthers tied it on another Ekblad goal, his second of the game, helped along by Owen Tippett and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida won 5-4 in overtime with a Verhaeghe goal, his second of the game, assisted by Barkov and MacKenzie Weegar. The three stars belonged to Verhaeghe, Ekblad, and Carter, while Barkov and Letang get the honorable mentions.

North again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Carter Hutton and Elvis Merzlikins are between the pipes. Columbus opened in the first period with an Alexandre Texier goal, assisted by Max Domi and Vladislav Gavrikov. The Blue Jackets added on with an Oliver Bjorkstrand power play goal, powered by Zach Werenski and Jakub Voracek. Columbus extended the lead as Boone Jenner scored in the second period, thanks to Domi. Arizona got on the board with an Anton Stralman goal, guided in by Lawson Crouse and Johan Larsson. The Blue Jackets shot back with another Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game, helped along by Jack Roslovic and Gavrikov. Columbus padded the lead on a Jake Bean goal, fueled by Voracek and Patrik Laine. The Blue Jackets continued in the third period with a Werenski power play goal, with assists provided by Laine and Bjorkstrand. Columbus struck again with a Domi goal, passed from Cole Sillinger and Andrew Peeke. The Coyotes got one back with a Clayton Keller power play goal, with helpers from Phil Kessel and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Blue Jackets responded with a Gustav Nyquist goal, via Bjorkstrand and Roslovic. This made it 8-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Bjorkstrand, Domi, and Werenski, while Laine, Voracek, Roslovic, and Gavrikov get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Alex Nedeljkovic protect the nets. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, fueled by Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina. The Red Wings added on with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, courtesy of Nick Leddy and Moritz Seider. Detroit extended the lead as Bertuzzi scored his second of the game, assisted by Adam Erne and Gustav Lindstrom. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Ondrej Palat goal, guided in by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. The Red Wings shot back with a Bertuzzi power play goal, completing his hat trick with the help of Fabbri and Lucas Raymond. The Lightning fired back with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, with assists provided by Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev. Tampa Bay got closer with another Stamkos power play goal, helped along by Sergachev and Kucherov. Detroit answered with Bertuzzi's fourth goal of the game in the third period, coming off of Seider. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, made possible by Michael Rasmussen and Leddy. The Lightning got one back on a Ross Colton goal, with a lone helper from Erik Cernak. Tampa Bay inched closer with a Kucherov power play goal, dished from Hedman and Stamkos. The Lightning tied it on an Alex Killorn goal, his second of the season, set up by Hedman. Tampa Bay finished with a 7-6 win on a Palat goal in overtime, with helpers from Hedman and Brayden Point. The three stars went to Kucherov, Hedman, and Bertuzzi, while Stamkos, Palat, Sergachev, Fabbri, Seider, and Leddy get the honorable mentions.

To Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Juuse Saros patrol the creases. Nashville drew first blood with an Eeli Tolvanen goal, passed from Luke Kunin and Mikael Granlund. Seattle tied it on a Jared McCann power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mark Giordano and Jordan Eberle. The Kraken took the lead with a Brandon Tanev power play goal, with assists provided by Alexander Wennberg and Joonas Donskoi. The Predators tied it in the second period with a Roman Josi power play goal, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene. Seattle regained the lead with a Wennberg goal, made possible by Alex Barre-Boulet. The Kraken added on in the third period with an empty net goal by Tanev, his second of the game, set up by McCann and Mason Appleton. Nashville got one back on a Granlund goal, helped along by Alexandre Carrier and Forsberg. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars handed to Tanev, McCann, and Wennberg, while Granlund and Forsberg get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Robin Lehner and Calvin Petersen guard the cages. Vegas got going in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, made possible by Keegan Kolesar and Brayden McNabb. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, via Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Kopitar power play goal, guided in by Vladimir Tkachev and Doughty. Los Angeles added on in the second period with a Phillip Danault goal, assisted by Doughty and Alex Iafallo. The Kings extended the lead as Kopitar scored his second of the game, thanks to Adrian Kempe and Iafallo. Los Angeles padded the lead in the third period with a Doughty power play goal, with helpers from Tkachev and Kopitar. The Kings kept going as Kopitar completed his hat trick, with the help of Viktor Arvidsson and Brown. The Golden Knights got one back on a Chandler Stephenson goal, his second of the season, helped along by Evgenii Dadonov and Alec Martinez. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars handed to Kopitar, Doughty, and Brown, while Tkachev and Iafallo get the honorable mentions. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 2

There's five games on for the second day of the season. First up...

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Jake Allen and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Montreal began in the first period with a Jonathan Drouin goal, coming off of Josh Anderson and Brett Kulak. Toronto tied it on a Pierre Engvall power play goal, powered by Michael Bunting and Rasmus Sandin. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a William Nylander goal, fueled by Morgan Rielly and Mitchell Marner. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars given to Nylander, Campbell (31 for 32 in saves), and Engvall.

Stateside, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek are the backups in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Justin Schultz power play goal, with assists provided by Kuznetsov and Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead as Hendrix Lapierre scored, thanks to Oshie and Conor Sheary. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period with an Ovechkin power play goal, helped along by Anthony Mantha and John Carlson. New York got on the board with a Chris Kreider power play goal, with helpers from Ryan Strome and Adam Fox. Washington fired back on Ovechkin's second goal of the game, a shorthanded tally set up by Kuznetsov and Trevor van Riemsdyk. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Oshie.

Back in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Mike Smith are the masked men. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Jesse Puljujarvi goal, assisted by Darnell Nurse and Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Zach Hyman power play goal, via Leon Draisaitl and McDavid. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, coming off of Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland on the power play. The Canucks tied it with a Quinn Hughes goal, passed from Hoglander and J.T. Miller. The tie went to a shootout, where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kyle Turris lifted the Oilers 3-2 over Bo Horvat and the Canucks. The three stars were McDavid, Hoglander, and Turris.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper make their first starts with their new teams. Colorado opened in the first period with a Jack Johnson goal, courtesy of Andre Burakovsky and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche added on with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, via Nazem Kadri and Erik Johnson. Colorado extended the lead as Bowen Byram scored, thanks to Landeskog. Chicago got on the board with a Dominik Kubalik power play goal, powered by Ian Mitchell and Henrik Borgstrom. The Avalanche replied with a Kadri goal, fueled by Byram and Mikko Rantanen. The Blackhawks shot back in the third period with a Connor Murphy goal, going in unassisted. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars handed to Kadri, Byram, and Landeskog.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim started in the first period with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Isac Lundestrom. The Ducks added on with a Mason McTavish goal, guided in by Lundestrom and Silfverberg. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Kyle Connor goal, assisted by Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny. Anaheim replied with an Adam Henrique power play goal, powered by Cam Fowler and McTavish. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period as Rickard Rakell scored on the power play, with the help of Jamie Drysdale and Ryan Getzlaf. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being McTavish, Gibson (33 for 34 in saves), and Lundestrom, while Silfverberg gets an honorable mention. 

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NHL 2021-22 - Day 1

I'm back, at least to start the new season. We'll see how long I can last for the first 82-game campaign since 2018-19, but I'll give it my best shot. We begin the year with two games, the first of which is...

The Tampa Bay Lightning welcoming the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Danton Heinen goal, via Jeff Carter. The Penguins added on with a Brian Boyle goal, assisted by Sam Lafferty and Drew O'Connor. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period as Dominik Simon scored, thanks to Kris Letang and Brock McGinn. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Anthony Cirelli goal, courtesy of Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos. The Penguins shot back with a Teddy Blueger empty net goal, going in unassisted. The Lightning replied with an Alex Killorn goal, fueled by Stamkos and Cirelli. Pittsburgh countered with an Evan Rodrigues empty goal, helped along by John Marino. The Penguins continued with a Bryan Rust empty net goal, an unassisted goal. The final was 6-2, and the three stars went to Stamkos, Cirelli, and Blueger.

The other game sees the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the brand new Seattle Kraken. Philipp Grubauer and Robin Lehner tend the twines. Vegas opened in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, assisted by Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, coming off of William Karlsson. Vegas extended the lead in the second period as Pacioretty scored his second goal of the game, thanks to Nicolas Hague and Stone. Seattle got on the board with a Ryan Donato goal, guided in by Vince Dunn and Joonas Donskoi. The Kraken got closer with a Jared McCann goal, via Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz. Seattle tied it in the third period as Morgan Geekie scored, with the help of Jeremy Lauzon. The Golden Knights retook the lead with a Stephenson goal, fueled by Stone and Pacioretty. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars given to Pacioretty, Stone, and Stephenson. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0, and keep checking back here daily for game recaps. While you're at it, if you're into fantasy hockey and need some analysis, check out my work at Rotowire. I'm starting a new weekly column there called Hutch's Hockey, and I work alongside some brilliant fantasy hockey minds.

2021 Stanley Cup Finals - Tampa Bay Lightning v. Montreal Canadiens

It's the final post of the hockey season, as the Stanley Cup Finals play out between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens. 

Game 1: Andrei Vasilevkiy and Carey Price tend the twines. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Erik Cernak goal, coming off of Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his sixth of the postseason, assisted by Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Montreal got on the board with a Ben Chiarot goal, via Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shea Weber. Tampa Bay replied in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixth of the playoffs, passed from Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning extended the lead as Kucherov scored his second of the game and seventh of the postseason, thanks to Point. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-1 with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his eighth of the playoffs, powered by Kucherov and Point. The three stars were Kucherov, Point, and Vasilevskiy (18 for 19 in saves). 

Game 2: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price are the masked men. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fifth of the postseason, made possible by Tyler Johnson and Jan Rutta. Montreal tied it on a Nick Suzuki power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Lightning took the lead back with a Blake Coleman goal, his second of the postseason, via Barclay Goodrow and Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fifth of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Vasilevskiy (42 for 43 in saves), Coleman, and Palat. The Lightning head north leading the series 2-0. 

Game 3: Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy protect the nets. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Jan Rutta goal, his second of the postseason, via Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Hedman power play goal, his second of the playoffs, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Cirelli. Montreal got on the board with a Phillip Danault goal, guided in by Shea Weber. The Lightning replied in the second period with a Kucherov goal, his eighth of the postseason, assisted by Palat and Erik Cernak. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Tyler Johnson scored his third of the playoffs, passed from Mathieu Joseph and David Savard. The Canadiens got one back with a Nick Suzuki goal, his seventh of the postseason, coming off of Jeff Petry and Cole Caufield. Tampa Bay shot back in the third period with Johnson's second goal of the game and fourth of the playoffs, going in unassisted. Montreal got one back with a Corey Perry goal, his fourth of the postseason, fueled by Brendan Gallagher and Ben Chiarot. The Lightning iced it at 6-3 with a Blake Coleman empty net goal, his third of the playoffs, set up by Barclay Goodrow. The three stars were Johnson, Kucherov, and Hedman, while Palat gets an honorable mention. The Lightning are on the verge of a second straight Stanley Cup, leading the series 3-0. 

Game 4: Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Montreal opened in the first period with a Josh Anderson goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Barclay Goodrow goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Ryan McDonagh and Blake Coleman. The Canadiens retook the lead in the third period with an Alexander Romanov goal, passed from Jake Evans. The Lightning tied it again with a Pat Maroon goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Mathieu Joseph and Tyler Johnson. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with an Anderson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, with a lone assist by Caufield. The three stars were Anderson, Caufield, and Price (32 for 34 in saves). The Lightning still lead the series 3-1 with a chance to win on home ice ahead. 

Game 5: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price are between the pipes. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ross Colton goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of David Savard and Ryan McDonagh. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win to secure the Stanley Cup with a 4-1 series win. The Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoff MVP was awarded to Vasilevskiy, who had a 22-save shutout as his fifth shutout during these playoffs. 

With that, the NHL season has come to a close. Once again, I appreciate all that have stopped by to read through a day's worth of hockey action. As time goes on, I find myself having less and less time to be able to keep up with this blog. A short offseason is ahead, and I will take some time to think about continuing on with this project. If not, it's been a great ride in the last 12 years or so. I remain involved in hockey as a fantasy writer at Rotowire, which is my primary focus now, while also working on baseball there. Enjoy the offseason and if I'm back in October, I'll be around for the whole season.

Stanley Cup Semifinals - Tampa Bay Lightning v. New York Islanders

It's that time of year where we put a whole series into one post. This is for the first Stanley Cup Semifinals series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. 

Game 1: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Semyon Varlamov are the goalies. New York got going in the second period with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fourth of the postseason, courtesy of Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his fourth of the playoffs, via Jordan Eberle. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point power play goal, his ninth of the postseason, powered by Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Varlamov (30 for 31 in saves), Pulock, and Barzal. The Islanders lead the series 1-0. 

Game 2: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Semyon Varlamov are the Russians in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his tenth of the postseason, coming off of Nikita Kucherov and David Savard. New York tied it on a Brock Nelson power play goal, his seventh of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his third of the postseason, via Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with a Jan Rutta goal, courtesy of Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman. The Lightning extended the lead in the third period as Hedman scored on the power play, thanks to Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. The Islanders got one back with a Mathew Barzal goal, his fifth of the playoffs, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy. The final stood at 4-2, with the three stars going to Kucherov, Hedman, and Rutta. The series heads north to New York tied at 1-1. 

Game 3: Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Yanni Gourde goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Blake Coleman and Erik Cernak. New York tied it in the second period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his fourth of the playoffs, via Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas. The Lightning took the lead back with a Brayden Point goal, his eleventh of the postseason, made possible by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Vasilevskiy (27 for 28 in saves), Point, and Gourde. The Lightning took a 2-1 series lead. 

Game 4: Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy start again in goal. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Josh Bailey goal, his sixth of the postseason, via Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier. The Islanders added on with a Mathew Barzal power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, powered by Cal Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Matt Martin scored, thanks to Clutterbuck and Pelech. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brayden Point goal, his twelfth of the postseason, passed from Ondrej Palat and Erik Cernak. The Lightning pulled back with a Tyler Johnson goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Varlamov (28 for 30 in saves), Clutterbuck, and Pelech. The series returns to Tampa Bay tied at 2-2. 

Game 5: Andrei Vasilevskiy and Semyon Varlamov man the nets. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his sixth of the postseason, via Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on with a Yanni Gourde goal, his fourth of the playoffs, passed from Blake Coleman. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Killorn scored his seventh of the postseason, thanks to David Savard. Ilya Sorokin replaced Varlamov in goal. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period on a Stamkos power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the playoffs, powered by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay continued with an Ondrej Palat goal, his fourth of the postseason, made possible by Savard and Kucherov. The Lightning struck again with a Killorn power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the playoffs, with assists provided by Hedman and Brayden Point. Tampa Bay kept going in the third period with a Point power play goal, his thirteenth of the postseason, with helpers from Kucherov and Stamkos. The Lightning iced it at 8-0 with a Luke Schenn goal, courtesy of Pat Maroon and Ross Colton. The three stars were Stamkos, Killorn, and Kucherov, while Point, Hedman, and Savard get the honorable mentions. The Lightning are up 3-2 in the series. 

Game 6: Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Brayden Point goal, his fourteenth of the postseason, made possible by Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning added on with a Cirelli goal in the second period, his fourth of the playoffs, via Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point. New York got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Mathew Barzal and Andy Greene. The Islanders tied it on a Scott Mayfield goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Barzal and Adam Pelech. New York won 3-2 in overtime with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fifth of the postseason, going in unassisted. The three stars were Cirelli, Barzal, and Beauvillier. The series heads back to Tampa Bay one more time, tied at 3-3. 

Game 7: Andrei Vasilevksiy and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. Tampa Bay kicked off the scoring in the second period with a Yanni Gourde shorthanded goal, his fifth of the postseason, set up by Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Vasilevskiy (18 save shutout), Gourde, and Varlamov (30 for 31 in saves). The Lightning won the series 4-3 and will again play for the Stanley Cup, this time versus the Canadiens. 

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Stanley Cup Semifinals - Vegas Golden Knights v. Montreal Canadiens

The second Stanley Cup Semifinals series will be contained in this post. The Vegas Golden Knights face the Montreal Canadiens. 

Game 1: Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price protect the nets. Vegas led off in the first period with a Shea Theodore goal, via Brayden McNabb and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights added on with an Alec Martinez goal in the second period, his third of the postseason, passed from Theodore and Reilly Smith. Montreal got on the board with a Cole Caufield power play goal, powered by Tyler Toffoli and Corey Perry. Vegas replied with a Mattias Janmark goal, his fourth of the playoffs, assisted by Alex Tuch and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Nick Holden scored his second of the postseason, thanks to Smith and William Karlsson. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Theodore, Fleury (28 for 29 in saves), and Martinez. The Golden Knights lead the series 1-0. 

Game 2: Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price again tend the twines. Montreal began in the first period with a Joel Armia goal, his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Joel Edmundson and Corey Perry. The Canadiens added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifth of the playoffs, assisted by Cole Caufield and Jeff Petry. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Paul Byron scored his second of the postseason, thanks to Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Edmundson. Vegas got on the board with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Keegan Kolesar. The Golden Knights got closer in the third period with a Pietrangelo goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, guided in by Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Byron, Edmundson, and Pietrangelo. The series is tied at 1-1 heading up to Montreal. 

Game 3: Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Vegas got going in the second period with a Nicolas Roy goal, his third of the postseason, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it on a Cole Caufield goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Nick Suzuki. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the third period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fourth of the postseason, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Tomas Nosek. The Canadiens tied it on an unassisted Josh Anderson goal, his second of the playoffs. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with another Anderson goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, via Paul Byron and Jepseri Kotkaniemi. The three stars were Anderson, Price (43 for 45 in saves), and Caufield. The Canadiens lead the series 2-1. 

Game 4: Carey Price and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Paul Byron goal, his third of the postseason, fueled by Nick Suzuki. Vegas tied it in the third period on a Brayden McNabb goal, assisted by William Karlsson and Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights won 2-1 in overtime with a Nicolas Roy goal, his fourth of the playoffs, guided in by Max Pacioretty. The three stars were Roy, Lehner (27 for 28 in saves), and McNabb. The series heads back to Nevada tied at 2-2. 

Game 5: Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price are between the pipes. Montreal opened in the first period with a Jesperi Kotkaniemi goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Josh Anderson and Paul Byron. The Canadiens added on in the second period with an Eric Staal goal, his second of the playoffs, passed from Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli. Montreal extended the lead on a Cole Caufield power play goal, his third of the postseason, powered by Corey Perry and Suzuki. Vegas got on the board in the third period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by Nicolas Roy. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 with a Suzuki empty net goal, his fifth of the postseason, set up by Toffoli. The three stars were Suzuki, Toffoli, and Price (26 for 27 in saves). The Canadiens return home ahead 3-2 in the series. 

Game 6: Carey Price and Robin Lehner are the goalies. Montreal started in the first period with a Shea Weber power play goal, going in unassisted. Vegas tied it on a Reilly Smith goal, his third of the postseason, via Shea Theodore and William Karlsson. The Canadiens took the lead back in the second period with a Cole Caufield goal, his fourth of the playoffs, guided in by Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry. The Golden Knights tied it in the third period with an Alec Martinez goal, his fourth of the postseason, fueled by Alex Pietrangelo and Karlsson. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his third of the playoffs, made possible by Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. The three stars were Price (37 for 39 in saves), Lehkonen, and Karlsson. The Canadiens won the series 4-2 and will play for the Stanley Cup, beginning Monday.