NHL 2021-22 - Day 80

We're on for just two games on Friday, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes welcoming the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Calgary opened in the first period with an unassisted Blake Coleman goal, his sixth of the season. Carolina tied it on a Jesper Fast goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Derek Stepan goal, his fourth of the season, via Steven Lorentz and Ian Cole. Carolina added on with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Vincent Trocheck and Skjei. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Tony DeAngelo scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The Flames got one back with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fifteenth of the year, helped along by Elias Lindholm and Coleman. Calgary got closer with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fifteenth of the season, coming off of Erik Gudbranson and Tkachuk in the third period. Carolina replied with a Skjei goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Lorentz. The Hurricanes iced it at 6-3 with a Svechnikov power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, powered by Jordan Staal. The three stars were Skjei, Svechnikov, and Lorentz, while Tkachuk and Coleman get the honorable mentions. 

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Washington Capitals. Ilya Samsonov and Ville Husso are in the creases. Washington started in the first period with a Daniel Sprong goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Aliaksei Protas and Trevor van Riemsdyk. St. Louis tied it on a Torey Krug goal, his sixth of the year, via Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. The Blues took the lead with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Marco Scandella and Ryan O'Reilly in the second period. St. Louis added on with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his second of the year, guided in by Justin Faulk and Brandon Saad. The Blues extended the lead as Ivan Barbashev scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Buchnevich and O'Reilly. St. Louis iced it at 5-1 in the third period with a Buchnevich shorthanded empty net goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, set up by Thomas. The three stars were Buchnevich, O'Reilly, and Thomas. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 79

The schedule shrunk today to ten games, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Minnesota Wild. Kaapo Kahkonen and Jeremy Swayman are the young goalies. Boston started in the first period with a Taylor Hall power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Mike Reilly and Erik Haula. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Fiala. The Wild took the lead with a Nico Sturm power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Jonas Brodin and Connor Dewar. Minnesota added on with a Matt Boldy goal, courtesy of Marcus Foligno and Brodin. The Bruins got one back on a Brad Marchand power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Patrice Bergeron and Matt Grzelcyk. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Brodin, Boldy, and Sturm.

Along to Buffalo, as the Sabres welcome the San Jose Sharks. Adin Hill and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are in the creases. San Jose began in the first period with a Matt Nieto goal, his third of the season, coming off of Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino. The Sharks added on with a Timo Meier goal, his fourteenth of the year, passed from Tomas Hertl and Mario Ferraro. San Jose extended the lead as Hertl scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Alexander Barabanov. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his eleventh of the year, via Victor Olofsson. The Sabres got closer in the third period with a Zemgus Girgensons power play goal, his seventh of the campaign, powered by Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Hertl, Meier, and Nieto.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Calgary Flames. Dan Vladar is mismatched with Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his tenth of the season, via Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Brayden Point goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Ondrej Palat scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Kucherov. The Lightning padded the lead on an Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Steven Stamkos and McDonagh. Calgary got on the board with a Dillon Dube goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Sean Monahan and Oliver Kylington. This only made it 4-1, with the three stars being Kucherov, McDonagh, and Point.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and MacKenzie Blackwood man the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. Columbus tied it on a Max Domi goal, his eighth of the year, via Vladislav Gavrikov and Cole Sillinger. The Devils took the lead with a Bratt power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Hughes and Nathan Bastian in the third period. New Jersey iced it at 3-1 with a Hughes empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Tatar and Ryan Graves. The three stars were Hughes, Bratt, and Tatar.

In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome cross-state rivals in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tristan Jarry and Carter Hart protect the nets. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins added on with another Rust goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jake Guentzel scored his seventeenth of the season, with the help of Letang and Brian Dumoulin. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Joel Farabee and Scott Laughton. The Penguins shot back in the third period with a Rodrigues goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Kasperi Kapanen. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Guentzel goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, courtesy of Crosby and Rust. The Penguins continued with a shorthanded Brian Boyle goal, his fourth of the season, set up by John Marino. The Flyers got one back with an Oskar Lindblom goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Morgan Frost and Zack MacEwen. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars being Rust, Guentzel, and Rodrigues, while Letang and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

South to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby are the veterans in goal. Florida struck first in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Dallas tied it on a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of John Klingberg and Radek Faksa. The Panthers retook the lead with a shorthanded Barkov goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, set up by Ekblad and Anton Lundell in the second period. The Stars retied it with a Denis Gurianov goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen on the power play. Florida pulled ahead again on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Gustav Forsling and Radko Gudas. Dallas tied it on a Jason Robertson goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Klingberg and Joe Pavelski. The Stars took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Gurianov. The Panthers tied it again with a MacKenzie Weegar goal, his second of the year, fueled by Eetu Luostarinen and Hornqvist. Dallas pulled ahead with a Benn goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Gurianov. Florida tied it once more with a Huberdeau goal, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Ekblad and Barkov. The tie went to a shootout, where Pavelski and Robertson lifted the Stars to a 6-5 win. The three stars were given to Gurianov, Barkov, and Benn, while Ekblad, Huberdeau, Klingberg, and Hornqvist get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Colorado Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Darcy Kuemper guard the cages. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Andrew Copp and Neal Pionk. Colorado tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Erik Johnson and Andre Burakovsky. The Avalanche pulled ahead with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on with a Rantanen goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by MacKinnon and Landeskog. The Avalanche extended the lead as Landeskog scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to MacKinnon and Devon Toews. Colorado padded the lead in the third period on a MacKinnon goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Samuel Girard and Bowen Byram. The Avalanche continued with a Landeskog goal, completing his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Rantanen and MacKinnon on the power play. Colorado tacked on one more with a Byram power play goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Johnson and Burakovsky. The three stars of the 7-1 game were MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Rantanen, while Byram, Johnson, and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

In Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Marc-Andre Fleury and Karel Vejmelka receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Dysin Mayo goal, his second of the season, courtesy on Shayne Gostisbehere and Alex Galchenyuk. The Coyotes added on with a Johan Larsson goal, via Janis Moser and Gostisbehere. Chicago got on the board in the second period with a Kirby Dach goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Philipp Kurashev and Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks tied it on a MacKenzie Entwistle goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Calvin de Haan. Arizona retook the lead with a Travis Boyd power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Phil Kessel and Moser. The Coyotes extended the lead as Clayton Keller scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Boyd. Arizona padded the lead on a Larsson power play goal, his second of the game, with assists provided by Boyd and Kessel. Chicago pulled one back with a Toews goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jake McCabe and Riley Stillman. The Blackhawks got closer with an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Dylan Strome and Patrick Kane. The Coyotes iced it at 6-4 with a Larsson empty net goal, his third of the year completing his hat trick, set up by Lawson Crouse and Keller. The three stars were Larsson, Boyd, and Keller, while Gostisbehere, Moser, Kessel, and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Up in Nevada, the Vegas Golden Knights bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Robin Lehner patrol the creases. Vegas drew first blood in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Reilly Smith and Nicolas Roy. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal in the second period, his twenty-first of the year, via Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. The Golden Knights retook the lead on a Mark Stone goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Evgenii Dadonov and Chandler Stephenson. Vegas added on with a Mattias Janmark goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Keegan Kolesar and Ben Hutton. The Golden Knights extended the lead as Brett Howden scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Nolan Patrick and Dylan Coghlan. Vegas padded the lead on a Marchessault goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, fueled by Smith. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Marchessault, Smith, and Lehner (18 for 19 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. Nashville cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Mikael Granlund. The Predators added on with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Forsberg and Josi. Nashville extended the lead as Matt Luff scored in the second period, with the help of Michael McCarron and Nick Cousins. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Brown goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings got closer with a Martin Frk power play goal, with helpers from Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators shot back with a Yakov Trenin empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Tanner Jeannot. The three stars went to Forsberg, Josi, and Luff. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 78

There's just two games on today, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Smith and Jack Campbell protect the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by William Nylander and Alexander Kerfoot. Edmonton tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his second of the year, via Colton Sceviour and Kyle Turris. The Oilers took the lead on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Kailer Yamamoto and Warren Foegele. The Maple Leafs tied it on a T.J. Brodie goal, his third of the year, passed from Nylander and Auston Matthews. Toronto took the lead in the third period with an Ilya Mikheyev power play goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-2 with a Kerfoot empty net goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Nylander, Mikheyev, and Kerfoot.

In Pittsburgh, the Penguins host the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington faces a lesser foe in Casey DeSmith in goal. St. Louis got going in the second period with a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Torey Krug. The Blues added on with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Vladimir Tarasenko and Justin Faulk. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Bryan Rust power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Evan Rodrigues and Kris Letang. St. Louis replied with a Colton Parayko goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Schenn and Scott Perunovich. The Penguins pulled one back with another Rust goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Pittsburgh tied it in the third period with a Crosby goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Guentzel and John Marino. The Penguins took the lead on a Rodrigues power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Letang and Rust. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Brock McGinn scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Teddy Blueger and Zach Aston-Reese. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Rust, Crosby, and Rodrigues, while Schenn, Letang, and Guentzel get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 77

There's eight games on the schedule today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Linus Ullmark are the goalies. Boston started in the first period with a Curtis Lazar goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. New Jersey tied it on a Nathan Bastian goal, his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Bruins retook the lead with an Oskar Steen goal, fueled by Nick Foligno and Derek Forbort. The Devils tied it again with a Tomas Tatar goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Boston regained the lead with a Trent Frederic goal, his second of the year, coming off of Lazar. New Jersey tied it again in the third period on a Damon Severson goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Michael McLeod. The Bruins pulled ahead with a David Pastrnak goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Taylor Hall and Erik Haula. Boston iced it at 5-3 with a Brandon Carlo goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Tomas Nosek.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Joonas Korpisalo are set to start in goal. Tampa Bay led off in the first period with an Ondrej Palat power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Brayden Point and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with another Palat goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, via Ryan McDonagh and Point. Tampa Bay extended the lead on the power play as Corey Perry scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Pat Maroon and Mikhail Sergachev. Columbus got on the board with a Dean Kukan goal, passed from Gustav Nyquist and Adam Boqvist. The Lightning shot back on a Point goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Cal Foote and Palat. The Blue Jackets fired back with a Nyquist goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Andrew Peeke and Vladislav Gavrikov. Tampa Bay answered on a Maroon power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Perry and Anthony Cirelli. Tampa Bay padded the lead in the third period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Jan Rutta. The Lightning struck again with an Alex Killorn goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Cirelli and Steven Stamkos. The final was 7-2, with the three stars going to Palat, Point, and Perry, while Maroon, Cirelli, and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Florida opened in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Calgary tied it on a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk and Oliver Kylington. The Flames pulled ahead with a Blake Coleman goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Mikael Backlund and Nikita Zadorov. The Panthers retied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour. Florida retook the lead with a Joe Thornton power play goal, his fourth of the year, with assists provided by Montour and Carter Verhaeghe. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Ryan Lomberg goal, his third of the season, via Montour and Eetu Luostarinen. Florida extended the lead as Hornqvist scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Panthers padded the lead on a Lucas Carlsson goal, his second of the year, thanks to Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars being Hornqvist, Montour, and Verhaeghe.

Back north, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic are the masked men. Detroit began in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Gustav Lindstrom and Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings took the lead with a shorthanded Pius Suter goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit extended the lead as Bertuzzi scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Carter Rowney and Moritz Seider. San Jose got on the board with a Jasper Weatherby goal, his third of the year, coming off of Brent Burns and Jeffrey Viel. The Red Wings shot back with another Suter goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, assisted by Michael Rasmussen and Nick Leddy. Adin Hill replaced Reimer in goal. The Sharks got one back with an Alexander Barabanov goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with helpers from Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. Detroit padded the lead on a Larkin goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Lucas Raymond and Lindstrom. The Red Wings kept going with a Robby Fabbri goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars going to Bertuzzi, Suter, and Larkin, while Lindstrom gets an honorable mention.

Along to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Colorado Avalanche. Darcy Kuemper and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. Colorado struck first in the first period with an Erik Johnson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche added on with an Alex Newhook goal, his seventh of the year, via Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Chicago got on the board with a Jonathan Toews goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by MacKenzie Entwistle and Seth Jones. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period on an Alex DeBrincat power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Jones. Chicago took the lead with another DeBrincat power play goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Kane and Dylan Strome. Colorado tied it on another Johnson goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Andre Burakovsky and Kadri. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime with a Cale Makar goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. The three stars were Johnson, DeBrincat, and Kadri, while Kane and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck faces a lesser foe in Karel Vejmelka in goal. Winnipeg kicked off the scoring in the first period with an Evgeny Svechnikov goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Josh Morrissey and Kristian Vesalainen. The Jets added on with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Arizona got on the board with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 with a Nikolaj Ehlers empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Scheifele and Brenden Dillon. The three stars were Hellebuyck (26 for 27 in saves), Dubois, and Scheifele.

Moving along to Vegas, as the Golden Knights bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Logan Thompson make the starts. Nashville got going in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Yakov Trenin goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Philippe Myers. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Vegas got on the board with a William Karlsson goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Brayden McNabb and Evgenii Dadonov. The Golden Knights got closer with a Shea Theodore goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Karlsson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Karlsson, and Saros (41 for 43 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter Hart and John Gibson are in the creases. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Troy Terry goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Hampus Lindholm and Jamie Drysdale. The Ducks added on with another Terry goal, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, via Drysdale and Isac Lundestrom. Philadelphia got on the board with a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Joel Farabee and Scott Laughton. Anaheim shot back in the second period with a Sonny Milano power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Rickard Rakell and Sam Steel. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with a Terry empty net goal, finishing his hat trick on his twenty-first of the campaign, set up by Maxime Comtois. The three stars were Terry, Drysdale, and Gibson (28 for 29 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 76

Just a single game in the NHL tonight, as the New York Rangers host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Alexandar Georgiev man the nets. New York struck first in the first period with an Alexis Lafreniere goal, his eighth of the season, via Ryan Strome and Ryan Lindgren. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Lafreniere and Strome. Edmonton got on the board with a Ryan McLeod goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Tyler Benson and Kyle Turris. New York shot back with a Chris Kreider power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Adam Fox. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 with a Strome goal, his eighth of the campaign, helped along by Goodrow and Fox. The three stars were Strome, Lafreniere, and Georgiev (33 for 34 in saves), while Goodrow and Fox get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 75

Matinees lead the way on Sunday, beginning with the first of seven games in...

New York, as the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin tend the twines. New York led off in the first period with a Mika Zibanejad power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Adam Fox and Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with another Zibanejad power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with assists provided by Fox and Kreider. New York extended the lead as Ryan Strome scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Barclay Goodrow. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period on a Zibanejad goal, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, via Kreider. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars awarded to Zibanejad, Shesterkin (38 save shutout), and Kreider, while Fox gets an honorable mention.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer and Casey DeSmith are the goalies. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an Evan Rodrigues goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Marcus Pettersson and Danton Heinen. The Penguins added on with a Jake Guentzel goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Rodrigues scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Heinen and Dominik Simon. The Penguins padded the lead on a Rust goal, his third of the year, guided in by Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. San Jose got on the board with an Alexander Barabanov goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Timo Meier and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Pittsburgh shot back with a Kasper Bjorkqvist goal, coming off of Radim Zohorna and Sam Lafferty. The Penguins continued on a Rust goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from John Marino and Pettersson. Zach Sawchenko replaced Reimer in goal in the second period. The Sharks got one back with a Brent Burns power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Nick Bonino and Noah Gregor. San Jose pulled closer in the third period with a Matt Nieto goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Jacob Middleton and Andrew Cogliano. The Sharks chipped closer with an Erik Karlsson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Meier and Middleton. San Jose got within one on a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Meier. Pittsburgh replied with a Rodrigues power play goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the season, dished from Letang and Rust. The Penguins iced it at 8-5 with a Rust empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his fifth of the year, set up by Crosby and Letang. The three stars were Rust, Rodrigues, and Meier, while Guentzel, Crosby, Heinen, Letang, Pettersson, and Middleton all get honorable mentions.

Along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Boston Bruins. Jeremy Swayman and Alex Nedeljkovic are the young goalies. Detroit opened in the first period with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Danny DeKeyser and Dylan Larkin. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Craig Smith and Brad Marchand. The Bruins took the lead in the second period with an Erik Haula goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Boston added on with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle. The Bruins extended the lead as Trent Frederic scored, thanks to Mike Reilly and Tomas Nosek. The Bruins capped it at 5-1 with a Nosek goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Oskar Steen and McAvoy. The three stars were McAvoy, Nosek, and Haula.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Darcy Kuemper are the masked men. Anaheim started in the first period with a Sam Carrick goal, his eighth of the season, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Troy Terry. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Cam Fowler power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Max Comtois and Shattenkirk. Colorado got on the board with a Devon Toews power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche tied it on a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Colorado pulled ahead with a Logan O'Connor goal, his sixth of the season, passed from MacKinnon and Rantanen. The Avalanche iced it at 4-2 with a Rantanen empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by MacKinnon. The three stars were Rantanen, MacKinnon, and Shattenkirk.

Back east, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Ilya Samsonov guard the cages. New Jersey kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Yegor Sharangovich goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jack Hughes and P.K. Subban. The Devils added on with a Damon Severson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Dawson Mercer and Janne Kuokkanen. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Michael Sgarbossa and Dmitry Orlov. New Jersey replied in the second period with a shorthanded Nico Hischier goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Severson and Jonas Siegenthaler. Washington got one back in the third period with a Nic Dowd goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Garnet Hathaway and Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Lars Eller. The Devils won 4-3 in overtime with a Hischier goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hughes. The three stars were Hischier, Hughes, and Severson.

Westward again to Vegas, where the Golden Knights bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck faces his former backup, Laurent Brossoit, in goal. Vegas struck first in the first period with a Michael Amadio goal, his third of the season, coming off of Keegan Kolesar and Zach Whitecloud. The Golden Knights added on with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his ninth of the year, via Amadio and Brett Howden. Winnipeg got on the board with a Jansen Harkins goal, his third of the season, fueled by Brenden Dillon. The Jets tied it on a Kristian Reichel goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg took the lead in the third period with a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo. The Jets extended the lead on an Andrew Copp power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Vegas pulled back on a Mattias Janmark goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Whitecloud and Brayden McNabb. The Golden Knights tied it as Janmark scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Nicolas Roy and Shea Theodore. Winnipeg won 5-4 in overtime with a Connor goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Morrissey. The three stars were Connor, Janmark, and Amadio, while Morrissey and Whitecloud get the honorable mentions. 

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom faces a lesser foe, Arvid Soderblom, in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period with an Alex DeBrincat goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Patrick Kane and Henrik Borgstorm. Calgary tied it on a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. The Flames took the lead in the second period with an Elias Lindholm power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Gaudreau. Calgary added on with a Trevor Lewis shorthanded goal, his third of the year, set up by Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames extended the lead as Oliver Kylington scored his fourth of the season into an empty net, with the help of Milan Lucic. Calgary finished it at 5-1 with a Gaudreau goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. The three stars were Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Markstrom (30 for 31 in saves). 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.

NHL 2021-22 - Day 74

New Year's Day is here, with nine games on throughout the day. First up...

The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Carolina Hurricanes. Antti Raanta and Daniil Tarasov are the backups in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Zach Werenski goal, his sixth of the season, via Jack Roslovic and Emil Bemstrom. The Blue Jackets added on with an Adam Boqvist goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Gustav Nyquist. Columbus extended the lead on a shorthanded Nyquist goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Alexandre Texier. Frederik Andersen replaced Raanta in goal. The Blue Jackets padded the lead on a Texier goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Eric Robinson. Carolina got on the board with a Steven Lorentz goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tony DeAngelo and Derek Stepan. The Hurricanes got closer with a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the year, fueled by Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis. Elvis Merzlikins replaced Tarasov goal in the third period. Carolina got closer with another Skjei goal, his second of the game and third of the season, with helpers from Brett Pesce and Vincent Trocheck. The Hurricanes tied it on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Ian Cole and the goalie Andersen. Carolina pulled ahead with an Ethan Bear goal, his second of the season, coming off of Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The Hurricanes surged with a Lorentz goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Jarvis. Carolina iced it at 7-4 with a Svechnikov empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Trocheck. The three stars were Lorentz, Svechnikov, and Skjei, while Trocheck, Jarvis, Texier, and Nyquist get the honorable mentions.

Over in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Linus Ullmark are between the pipes. Buffalo began in the first period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Brett Murray and Rasmus Dahlin. Boston tied it in the second period with a Craig Smith goal, his third of the year, via Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The Sabres replied with a Jeff Skinner goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. Buffalo added on with a Tuch power play goal, powered by Peyton Krebs and Thompson. The Bruins got one back on a Nick Foligno goal in the third period, helped along by Jake DeBrusk. Boston tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Matt Grzelcyk and McAvoy. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime with a Charlie Coyle goal, his eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Marchand and McAvoy. The three stars were McAvoy, Marhand, and Tuch, while Thompson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Sam Montembeault and Sergei Bobrovsky are the former teammates in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Sam Bennett goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Huberdeau. Montreal tied it on a Jonathan Drouin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Sami Niku and David Savard. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Nick Suzuki goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Jesse Ylonen and Niku. The Panthers tied it on an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Sam Reinhart and Huberdeau. Florida took the lead with a Frank Vatrano goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Reinhart and Owen Tippett. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Bennett goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, helped along by MacKenzie Weegar and Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead as Mason Marchment scored his second of the campaign, with the help of Anton Lundell. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Bennett, Huberdeau, and Reinhart, while Niku gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the New York Islanders host the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Ilya Sorokin are in the creases. New York struck first in the first period with an Anders Lee power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kieffer Bellows and Noah Dobson. Edmonton tied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci in the second period. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Darnell Nurse goal, his second of the season, assisted by Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid. The Islanders retied it in the third period on an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Austin Czarnik and Ross Johnston. New York won 3-2 in overtime with a Dobson goal, his fifth of the campaign, passed from Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech. The three stars went to Dobson, Beauvillier, and Lee.

To Nashville, as the Predators welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Collin Delia is mismatched with Juuse Saros in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Forsberg and Ekholm. Nashville extended the lead on a Nick Cousins power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ekholm and Philip Tomasino. Arvid Soderblom replaced Delia in goal. The Predators padded the lead in the second period as Tanner Jeannot scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Colton Sissons and Yakov Trenin. Nashville kept going on a Roman Josi power play goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Johansen and Duchene. Chicago got on the board with a Philipp Kurashev goal, his second of the year, passed from Calvin de Haan and Henrik Borgstrom. The Predators shot back with a Jeannot goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Matt Benning and Trenin. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Jeannot, Ekholm, and Forsberg, while Johansen, Duchene, and Trenin get the honorable mentions. 

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues for the Winter Classic. Jordan Binnington and Cam Talbot tend the twines. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a David Perron goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Ryan O'Reilly and Marco Scandella. Minnesota tied it on a Kirill Kaprizov goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Ryan Hartman. The Blues took the lead on a Jordan Kyrou goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Kyrou and Robert Thomas. The Blues extended the lead on an Ivan Barbashev power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich. St. Louis padded the lead on a Kyrou goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with a helper from Thomas. The Wild got one back with a Rem Pitlick goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Victor Rask and Nick Bjugstad. The Blues replied with a Torey Krug goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Barbashev. Kaapo Kahkonen replaced Talbot in goal for the third period. Minnesota got one back in the third period with a Hartman goal, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov. The Wild pulled closer with a Kevin Fiala goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Kaprizov and Alex Goligoski. The final was 6-4, and the three stars belonged to Kyrou, Barbashev, and Kaprizov, while Hartman and Thomas get the honorable mentions.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators. Matt Murray and Jack Campbell are the veterans in goal. Toronto kicked off the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded Justin Holl goal, set up by David Kampf and T.J. Brodie. The Maple Leafs added on with an Ilya Mikheyev shorthanded goal, via Alexander Kerfoot and Brodie. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Brodie goal, his second of the season, assisted by Morgan Rielly and Kerfoot. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period on a William Nylander goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Travis Dermott and Kerfoot. Toronto continued with a Mikheyev power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Ondrej Kase and Jason Spezza. The Maple Leafs struck again with another Nylander goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, coming off of John Tavares and Rasmus Sandin. This made it 6-0, the final, with the three stars going to Nylander, Mihkeyev, and Brodie, while Kerfoot gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Seattle Kraken welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko and Philipp Grubauer patrol the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the first period with an unassisted Vasily Podkolzin goal, his seventh of the season. The Canucks added on with a Nils Hoglander power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brad Hunt and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Seattle got on the board in the second period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Carson Soucy and Yanni Gourde. Vancouver replied in the third period with a Tyler Motte goal, his third of the year, made possible by Matthew Highmore and Juho Lammiko. The Kraken got one back with a Will Borgen goal, coming off of Alex Wennberg. The Canucks shot back with a Conor Garland goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Quinn Hughes and Tanner Pearson. Vancouver iced it at 5-2 with a Pearson empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers. The three stars were Pearson, Motte, and Garland.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick are in the blue paint. Los Angeles got going in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore. Philadelphia tied it on a Joel Farabee goal, his tenth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Claude Giroux. The Kings retook the lead on a Moore goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Danault and Arvidsson. Los Angeles added on with an Adrian Kempe power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Kings extended the lead as Brendan Lemieux scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Arthur Kaliyev and Doughty. The Flyers got one back in the third period with a Kevin Hayes power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Giroux and Atkinson. Los Angeles fired back with a Danault goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Moore and Arvidsson. Philadelphia got one back with an Ivan Provorov goal, his fourth of the year, with helpers from Farabee and Atkinson. The Kings iced it at 6-3 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Moore. The three stars were Arvidsson, Moore, and Danault, while Doughty, Farabee, Atkinson, and Giroux get the honorable mentions. 

Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.