On Monday night at Capital One Arena during the final minute of the second period a melee would breakout after Brendan Leipsic would lay down the boom and Chandler Stephenson would grow the Washington Capitals lead to three over the Anaheim Ducks. During this melee would see Garnet Hathaway fight Nick Ritchie, then get tangled with Ducks defender Erik Gudbranson.
While the referee and linesman were trying to untangle the players, Gudbranson would sucker punch Hathaway which would lead Hathaway to spitting on Gudbranson (see tweets above for videos). A decision Hathaway regretted once he realized what he did.
Colin Campbell of the NHL announced yesterday that Hathaway would have a hearing today for his actions towards Gudbranson, however, Gudbranson is not seeing any form of discipline for his sucker punch to Hathaway that led to the spitting from him. It’s also very auspicious that Hathaway is getting a hearing while Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand spent the last two seasons licking opposing players, which is gross, to no disciplinary action outside of a talking to. Both the licking and the spitting can be seen as legitimate health concerns and should be handled accordingly, but yet some how the sucker punch is ok in today’s age of awareness of concussions and mental health, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman still denies.
So what does Hathaway’s immediate future hold? After going through his hearing with the NHL, Hathaway has been suspended for three games for the incident, and will forfeit, per the CBA, $24,193.53 in salary based on his average annual salary. Hathaway will be able to return to the Capitals lineup on Black Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Three games seems excessive given how Gudbranson received nothing for his sucker punch on Hathaway, and Marchand has never been fined or suspended for licking other players. A fine would have been more suitable for this offense, which is also a first time offense.
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Anaheim Ducks (10-9-2 22pts) v. Washington Capitals (15-3-4 34pts)
Game Recap:
Coming off their 3-2 shootout victory against Boston, the Washington Capitals look to build on their momentum against the visiting Anaheim Ducks. In the first period the Capitals would need only 50 seconds to break the tie and take the first lead of the game as Richard Panik would score his first as a Capital off of a beautiful Travis Boyd pass to take the one goal lead. The ducks would get a late powerplay opportunity, but the Capitals would shut them down going into the first intermission.
In the second period the Capitals would get their first powerplay opportunity of the game, and it would be the captain Alex Ovechkin from his office with his 15th of the season to give the Capitals the two goal lead. Theni in the final minute of the period there would be an explosion as Brendan Leipsic would throw his weight around and lay out two heavy hits to discombobulate the Ducks in their own zone and Chandler Stephenson would be the recipient of a Garnet Hathaway pass to take the 3-0 lead, but the goal would be overshadowed with the melee that would ensue as Leipsic would take on three Ducks at the same time the goal was scored and would result in Hathaway and Nick Ritchie to be tossed from the game, and a total of 50 penalty minutes between the two teams.
In the third period after killing off the lone powerplay that would come out of the second period powder keg, the Capitals would strike once again as Jakub Vrana would find his own rebound and bank it past John Gibson to give the Capitals the 4-0 lead. However, on a TJ Oshie double minor for high sticking, the Ducks would strike as Sam Steel would score his first of the season to cut the Capitals lead to three. Nicolas Deslauriers would score to cut the Capitals lead to two, but Tom Wilson would deflect the puck into the empty net to give the Capitals the 5-2 victory.
Lineups:
Anaheim Ducks:
Rickard Rakell — Ryan Getzlaf — Max Jones
Devin Shore — Adam Henrique — Jakob Silfverberg
Nick Ritchie — Sam Steel — Troy Terry
Nicolas Deslauriers — Derek Grant — Carter Rowney
Michael Del Zotto — Cam Fowler
Josh Mahura — Erik Gudbranson
Brendan Guhle — Korbinian Holzer
John Gibson
Ryan Miller
Scratched: Ondrej Kase, Jacob Larsson
Injured: Josh Manson (lower body), Hampus Lindholm (lower body)
Washington Capitals (15-3-4) vs Anaheim Ducks (10-9-2)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Braden Holtby
10-1-3
2.97 / .904% / 0
Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson
7-9-0
2.83 / .915% / 0
Tonight, the Washington Capitals will play the Anaheim Ducks back at Capital One Arena. Although the last time these two teams played each other was back on February 17th, 2019, with the Capitals losing 5-2, most fans remember the heartbreaking 6-5 loss that came versus Anaheim last December, after Washington gave up a lead by allowing five unanswered goals. This time around, the Washington Capitals are looking to avoid a similar fate. For comparisons’ sake, the Ducks’ record one year ago to the day was 8-9-4, and the Capitals’, 9-7-3 (HockeyReference).
On Saturday, the Washington Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins for the 15th time in 16 meetings, in a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat 3-2 shootout win. Due to salary cap restraints, the Capitals were forced to send down goaltender Ilya Samsonov and Tyler Lewington to the Hershey Bears, and brought up Travis Boyd and Vitek Vanecek. After losing the previous nights’ match to the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Todd Reirden wanted to send a message, and thus scrambled up all four lines, and started veteran goaltender Braden Holtby. Promoted to the top line were Tom Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Reirden swapped Richard Panik from the 3RW to the 3LW spot, dropped Chandler Stephenson to the 4C position, and brought up Hathaway from the 4RW to the 3RW position. The Capitals received the first power play of the night at the eight-minute mark as David Pastrnak went off for hooking. The Capitals would not convert. 90 seconds later, Charlie Coyle, for the second time in as many nights, scored the first goal of the game, giving the Bruins a first period 1-0 lead. However, three minutes later, Travis Boyd, who had just been called down from Hershey, scored his first goal of the season to tie the game 1-1. The Bruins would receive their first power play with 39 seconds remaining in the first period, and would start the second with the man advantage. The Capitals successfully killed off the Gudas penalty, but three minutes and 30 seconds into the middle frame, David Pastrnak scored his 17th of the season, renewing Bostons’ lead. After having just one point in four games, it was only a matter of time until Pastrnak struck again. Still, just two points in five games would be considered a slump for the Czech winger. The Caps’ would be given the opportunity to even up the score as Danton Heinen would be called for hooking, but was unable to do so. Goaltender Braden Holtby would actually be called for tripping, but Bostons’ 3rd ranked power play still did not convert. The Bruins would get another power play just before the second expired, and for the second time, Boston would start the next period on a power play. The Capitals killed off Bostons’ third power play, and successfully kept them off the board. Tom Wilson and Zdeno Chara received matching minors at the 13:59 mark, but the score remained unchanged. Time was winding down in the third period, and Todd Reirden elected to pull Braden Holtby for the extra skater, hoping to tie the game with two minutes left. Versus the Canadiens, the Capitals allowed an empty net goal. However, with 59 seconds left, TJ Oshie scored the game-tying goal, assuring that the Capitals would earn at least a single point. The sudden-death 3-on-3 overtime period would end without a winner, and a shootout would decide the victor. TJ Oshie missed on his opportunity, and Charlie Coyle who started the scoring for Boston, would give the Bruins the advantage in the shootout. Evgeny Kuznetsov missed, and Holtby robbed Pastrnak. Nicklas Backstrom, who won the shootout for the Caps vs Vancouver, finally solved Halak, and Brad Marchand missed for Boston. Alex Ovechkin missed for the Capitals, but David Krejci would also miss. Jakub Vrana, a la Pavel Datsyuk, would trick Halak giving Washington their first ‘lead’ of the game. That shootout attempt would be the eventual winning goal for the Capitals, as Holtby denied Chris Wagner. This would be the second time the young winger would win a shootout for the Capitals just this season alone. The Capitals peppered Jaroslav Halak with 44 shots on goal, setting a season-high. Braden Holtby stopped 21 of 23 shots faced, earning him a .913 save percentage. Holtby is expected to start tonight. It is worth noting that in his last 10 appearances, Braden Holtby is 9-0-1, with a 2.44GAA, and a .924 save percentage. A 2.44 GAA places him in 6th and his SV% 4th among top 10 goalies, with at least 10 starts since October 18th. However, his W-L-OTL record place him first among all NHL goalies (QuantHockey).
The Anaheim Ducks, who are just 4-4-2 in their last 10, defeated the reigning Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Ryan Getzlaf scored his 8th goal of the season just four minutes into the game. A minute and 41 seconds later, Derek Grant would add to the Ducks’ lead, as he scored his 3rd of the year. The Blues were absolutely stifled by Anaheim, despite the Ducks having lost five of their last six starts. Vince Dunn scored the singular goal for St. Louis at the 3:14 mark of the second period. The Blues received their first power play just short of six minutes into the second, as Dylan Shore was called for high-sticking. However, it was Derek Grant who would score a shorthanded goal, his 2nd of the game, and the Blues would expire their power play without a goal. Derek Grant would complete his first career hat trick as he scored an empty net goal at the 18:21 mark of the final frame. Jakob Silfverberg leads the Ducks with 9 goals and 17 assists, and Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, and Rickard Rakell are tied with 14 points each. Anaheim have just 4 wins on the road this season, but the Caps are only slightly better at home with 5. The Ducks’ power play all but bottoms out at 30 of 31, operating at just 9.1% efficiency. They allow just 2.91 goals against, on average (T-9th fewest) but they average 2.71 goals for (T-23rd), which, for the 2nd place Capitals, should be easy to overcome (TheScore, Anaheim Ducks). Versus the Blues, the Ducks were outshot 38 to 25, but goaltender John Gibson allowed just one goal (TheScore, ANA @ STL). Gibson, who has won 7 of 16 starts, is expected to start for Anaheim tonight.
Carl Hagelin skated in a non-contact jersey this morning, and despite still being listed as day-to-day, staff suggests that he is improving. He will not dress tonight, and thus, will miss his sixth straight game. Nic Dowd’s injury seems to have been more severe than first anticipated, and did not skate this morning. We will continue to update this article as we receive further information from the Washington Capitals. The Anaheim Ducks will be without Patrick Eaves (IR-NR, undisclosed), Ryan Kesler (IR-NR, hip), Hampus Lindholm (DL, undisclosed), and Josh Manson (DL, knee).
Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.
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NHL News and Notes from Sunday, November 3rd, 2019
News:
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that Patric Hornqvist has been placed on injured reserve. Hornqvist is considered out longer term due to a lower body injury.
Patric Hornqvist has been placed on injured reserve. He will be out longer-term with a lower-body injury. pic.twitter.com/9BEoiTRXHy
After a scary moment in boston, Ottawa Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion has stated that Scott Sabourin has suffereed a fractured nose and is expected to be released from the hospital.
Pierre Dorion says Sabourin has fractured nose, expected to be released from hospital in Boston today
Lucic was assessed two minors for roughing Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kole Sherwood in Columbus Saturday night. Per the CBA, Lucic will forfeit $64,516.12 in salary.
Game Recaps:
Calgary Flames v. Washington Capitals – 7p EST Start Time
Jakub Vrana scores his first career hat trick as the Washington Capitals defeat the Calgary Flames 4-2 with the World Series Champion Nationals in the house. TXHT Recap
Chicago Blackhawks v. Anaheim Ducks – 830p EST Start Time
In Anaheim the Ducks would host the Chicago Blackhawks, and it would be the Blackhawks striking first as Adam Boqvist would score his first career NHL goal to give them the lead. Then Alex DeBrincat would score on the powerplay to give the Blackhawks the 2-0 lead going into the first intermission. Then in the second period the Ducks would cut the deficit back to one as Same Steel would score his first of the season. Then in the third period on the powerplay the Ducks would tie the game at two on a Nick Ritchie tally. However, in overtime Patrick Kane would score the game winner to give the Blackhawks the 3-2 victory.
Philadelphia Flyers v. New Jersey Devils – 7p EST Start Time
In New Jersey the Devils would fall to the Philadelphia Flyers that would see Wayne Simmonds score his first as a Devil against his former team. The Devils would also get goals from Sami Vantanen and Taylor Hall, but the Flyers would get goals from Oskar Lindblom, Sean Couturier, and Joel Farabee (first career goal) to force overtime. Then in the shootout it would be Couturier securing the victory for the Flyers with the lone goal for the 4-3 victory.
Tampa Bay Lightning v. New York Islanders – 7p EST Start Time
On the Island the New York Islanders would take it to the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the Lightning would get goals from Yanni Gourde and Ryan McDonagh, the Islanders would outscore the Lightning with goals from Matthew Barzal, Ryan Pulock, Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, and Derick Brassard to take the 5-2 victory.
Buffalo Sabres v. Washington Capitals – 7p EST Start Time
The Capitals would get a 2 goal game from Jakub Vrana, and 3 point games from Tom Wilson and Michal Kempny as they defeat the Sabres 6-1. TXHT’s Recap
Detroit Red Wings v. Carolina Hurricanes – 730p EST Start Time
In Carolina the Detroit Red Wings would get a two goal game from Anthony Mantha and another goal from Tyler Bertuzzi, but it would be the host Hurricanes getting a two goal game from Sebastian Aho, as well as goals from Andrei Svechnikov, Nino Niederreiter (PPG), Martin Necas, Brock McGinn (SHG), and Teuvu Teravainen to take a commanding 7-3 victory.
Columbus Blue Jackets v. St. Louis Blues – 8p EST Start Time
The Columbus Blue Jackets head to St. Louis to test their mettle against the Blues, and the first and second period would see both teams score the same number of goals. In the first period the Blues would score on a Robert Thomas marker, but the Jackets would respond with a Pierre-Luc Dubois goal. then in the second period Sonny Milano and Oliver Bjorkstrand (PPG) would score for the JAckets to take a 3-1 lead, but the Blues would respond with two goals in less than 30 seconds when both Brayden Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist would score to tie the game at three. then after a scoreless third period the Blues would only need eight seconds of overtime as David Perron would score on the powerplay to secure the 4-3 victory.
Dallas Stars v. Colorado Avalanche – 9p EST Start Time
In Colorado the Dallas Stars would get back to back goals from Roope Hintz (even strength, PPG) to take the 2-0 lead, but Nathan MacKinnon would strike on the powerplay to cut the Stars lead to one heading into the second intermission. In the third period the Stars would hold off the Avalanche to take the 2-1 victory.
Vancouver Canucks v. Anaheim Ducks – 10p EST Start Time
In Anaheim the Vancouver Canucks would outshoot the Ducks 19-5 in the first period, but it would be the Ducks getting the lone goal of the period when Jakob Silfverberg would score while shorthanded to give the Ducks the 1-0 lead. Then in the third period the Canucks would get on the board with a Adam Gaudette tally to tie the game and send it to overtime. However, in overtime Ryan Getzlaf would score the game winner to secure the 2-1 victory for the Ducks.
Winnipeg Jets v. San Jose Sharks – 1030p EST Start Time
In San Jose the Winnipeg Jets would get the early jump on the Sharks when Gabriel Bourque would score his first of the season to take the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Barclay Goodrow would score for the Sharks only to be answered back by Blake Wheeler for the Jets. In the third period Tomas Hertl would score to tie the game at two for the Sharks. However, the Jets would get one last goal from Nikolaj Ehlers to secure the 3-2 victroy late in the third period.
JETS GET THE W!
🚨: Gabriel Bourque, @BiggieFunke, @NikolajEhlers24
NHL News and Notes from Tuesday, October 29th, 2019
News:
The Colorado Avalanche have announced that forward Gabriel Landeskog will be out indefinitely with a lower body injury. No timeline or details in regards to the injury has been given at this time. Kassie’s Report
San Jose Sharks v. Boston Bruins – 7p EST Start Time
In Boston the Bruins would dominate the San Jose Sharks as they would get goals from David Pastrnak (PPG), David Krejci (PPG), Charlie Coyle, Chris Wagner, and Brandon Carlo to take a 5-1 victory over the Sharks. The Sharks lone goal would come from Brent Burns on the powerplay.
Washington Capitals v. Toronto Maple Leafs – 7p EST Start Time
The Washington Capitals end their five game road trip with two goal games from Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime. TXHT Recap
Tampa Bay Lightning v. New York Rangers – 7p EST Start Time
In Madison Square Garden we would see the the New York Rangers score four unanswered goals to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the Lightning got the 1-0 lead from a Nikita Kucherov goal, the Rangers would get goals from Kaapo Kakko (PPG), Filip Chytil, Adam Fox, and Ryan Strome to secure the 4-1 victory.
Philadelphia Flyers v. Pittsburgh Penguins – 7p EST Start Time
In Pittsburgh the Penguins would dominate the Philadelphia Flyers right from the start as they would get goals from Justin Schultz, Jared McCann, Dominik Simon, Sydney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Zach Aston-Reese, and Dominik Kahun to win 7-1 in commanding fashion.
Calgary Flames v. Carolina Hurricanes – 7p EST Start Time
Coming off of their overtime loss in the Heritage Classic the Calgary flames look to bounce back in Carolina as they take on the Hurricanes. However, after taking the 1-0 lead on an Elias Lindholm tally, the Hurricanes would take over as Andrei Svechnikov would score back to back goals to take the 2-1 victory.
Edmonton Oilers v. Detroit Red Wings – 730p EST Start Time
The Detroit Red Wings would play host to the Edmonton Oilers, and would get two quick goals in the first period from Dylan Larkin (PPG) and Patrik Nemeth to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the third period Leon Draisaitl would score for the Oilers, but Filip Hronek would score to seal the deal for the Red Wings in their 3-1 victory.
Chicago Blackhawks v. Nashville Predators – 8p EST Start Time
Hours after re-signing their captain to an eight year contract, the Nashville Predators would shutout the Chicago Blackhawks as Nick Bonino would score all three goals for the Predators.
Minnesota Wild v. Dallas Stars – 830p EST Start Time
In Dallas the Minnesota Wild would take a three goal lead late into the the second period after getting goals from Jason Zucker, Eric Staal (PPG), and Ryan Suter (PPG), but they would give up six unanswered to Stars who would get goals from Alexander Radulov (hat trick), Roope Hintz (PPG), Joe Pavelski, and Tyler Seguin to take the 6-3 victory.
Winnipeg Jets v. Anaheim Ducks – 10p EST Start Time
In a wild west shootout the Anaheim Ducks would outlast the Winnipeg Jets thanks to a four goal second period. The Jets would get goals from Nikolaj Ehlers (2), Blake Wheeler, and Bryan Little, but the Ducks would get goals from Cam Fowler, Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, Troy Terry, Derek Grant, and a pair from Carter Rowney to claim the 7-4 victory.
NHL News and Notes from Sunday, October 27th, 2019
News:
Blackhawks Brent Seabrook a healthy scratch last night against the LA Kings, as he continues to struggle.
Islanders will be without tough guy Matt Martin and Tom Kuhnhackl for four to six weeks. Martin crashed into the boards hurting his leg. While Kuhnhackl left after the first period Friday night with an undisclosed injury.
Matt Martin and Tom Kuhnhackl each out 4-6 weeks, per Lou Lamoriello. #Isles
Florida Panthers v. Edmonton Oilers – 4p EST Start Time
Panthers look to continue their winning ways against the Oilers in Edmonton. The first period would see teams both exchange decent chances, but the score would remain 0-0 after one. All cylinders would be rolling in the second for the Panthers as they would score three goals in under 3 minutes of play to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Edmonton goalie Mike Smith would be pulled from the game in favor of Mikko Koskinen. Koskinen wouldn’t fair much better as the Panthers would score two more in the third and add an empty netter to seal the win. After being down 4-0, the Oilers would squeeze in two goals in hopes of sparking a comeback but fall short. Panthers would win the game 6-2.
St. Louis Blues v. Detroit Red Wings – 5p EST Start Time
Blues looking to recover from being shutout against the Red Wings in Detroit. Period one would see Brayden Schenn and Zach Sanford of the Blues score goals 5 minutes apart to give the Blues a quick two-goal lead. In the second the Wings and Blues would exchange goals off the sticks of Filip Hronek and Ryan O’Reilly respectively to keep the two-goal lead after two periods. 3 goals in the third would spark the Detroit comeback as the Wings jumped in front 4-3. O’Reilly would strike again with under 5 minutes remaining this time on the powerplay to tie the game up and send it to overtime. Where David Perron would become the overtime hero and seal the 5-4 win for the Blues.
San Jose Sharks v. Ottawa Senators – 7p EST Start Time
The Sens look to stop the Sharks momentum while creating some of their own. Ottawa would jump out in front 6 minutes into the game on Connor Brown’s 1st of the season. The Sens would score another late in the first after Sharks Evander Kane would score on the powerplay to tie the game. 2-1 heading into the second, once again the Sens would score two more goals and the Sharks would sandwich one of their own in there. Sens Anthony Duclair would add a goal late in the third to seal the 5-2 win for the Sens.
Philadelphia Flyers v. New York Islanders – 7p EST Start Time
Flyers hoping to keep the lamp lit against the red hot Islanders. It looked like the Flyers were going to run away with this game early on as Jakub Voracek opened the scoring just over a minute into game. The Islanders would fire back with three goals of their own in the first, the Flyers would get one back just before the period would end. Period two would pick right up where the first one finished, Philadelphia would watch two more goals tickle the twine before 6 minutes would go by, bringing the Islanders lead to 5-2. Period three would see Flyers Claude Giroux score cutting the lead to 5-3 and that would the final.
Boston Bruins v. New York Rangers – 7p EST Start Time
Bruins look to keep running over the competition as they come to New York to play the Rangers. Rangers forward Michael Haley would open the scoring in the first period and would bring to life the Perfection line. Over the next two period Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev would face a combined 43 shots, as Brad Marchand (2 goals 3 assists), David Pastrnak (5 assists) and Patrice Bergeron (3 goals) would combine for 13 points in the four-goal second, and three-goal third for the Bruins. The Rangers would would score 3 themselves in the third period but it wouldn’t be enough to overcome seven goals from the Bruins on the night. Bruins would be happy as they walk away with a 7-4 victory.
Los Angeles Kings v. Chicago Blackhawks – 7p EST Start Time
Blackhawks looking to get things clicking as the Kings come to town. Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat and Robin Lehner would have games to never forget on this night. Strome would score twice and add an assist, DeBrincat would score once and add two assists in a four-goal 40 minutes. LA and Chicago would exchange third-period goals, while Lehner would put in a 39 save performance and only allow one goal in a 5-1 rout of the Kings.
Just over 24 hours after the #Blackhawks were shutout for the first time on the year, they bounced back with their highest offensive output of the year.
Anaheim Ducks v. Vegas Golden Knights – 8p EST Start Time
Anaheim looked to dethrone the Knights in Vegas. After a big win in Colorado yesterday the Ducks looked to come into the back to back with some energy as Ryan Getzlaf would open the scoring just under five minutes in. This would awaken the Knights as the next 55 minutes would see 49 shots and five unanswered goals until the Ducks Adam Henrique would answer with a goal late in the game. As the Golden Knights would slay the Ducks a 5-2.
NHL News and Notes from Saturday, October 26th, 2019
Game Recaps:
Chicago Blackhawks v. Carolina Hurricanes – 1p EST Start Time
The Blackhawks came into the night hoping to surprise the Hurricanes at home. But ended up running into a brick wall in Petr Mrazek, who would make 32 saves to shutout the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. Carolina would open the scoring in the first period off the stick of Andrei Svechnikov, who would score his first of two on the night. The Hurricanes would strike again in the second stretching the lead to 2-0. Canes would add two more in the third to secure 4-0 the shutout victory at home.
St. Louis Blues v. Boston Bruins – 7p EST Start Time
The Blue came into Boston looking to keep up their winning ways and shut down the Bruins in their own arena. The Bruins would open the scoring courtesy of the red hot David Pastrnak. The play would remain fairly even for the rest of the period. But the Bruins would strike again in the second period off the stick of Anders Bjork. The Bruins would control the play for the rest of the period and would add an empty netter in the third to seal the win and the 3-0 shutout for the Bruins.
Toronto Maple Leafs v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p EST Start Time
The Leafs coming into the second half of a back to back, look to take it to their division rival. Montreal would open the scoring with two quick strikes off the sticks of Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin to give the Habs a 2-0 lead. Muzzin would score for the Leafs late in the first to give hope in an otherwise terrible first period. The second period would see the Leafs tie the game courtesy of Andreas Johnsson. Then the floodgates would open as Montreal would score 3 unanswered goals to give the Habs 5-2 win. Terrible defensive miscues and terrible zone coverage would ultimately be the demise of the Leafs.
Nashville Predators v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 7p EST Start Time
The Preds looking come into the game looking to steal one from one of the east’s best teams. Nashville would open the score in the first off the stick of Calle Jarnkrok to give the Preds a 1-0 lead after one period. Stamkos and Johnson would strike back in the second period to take the lead for the Lightning 2-1. But Nashville Captain Roman Josi would score to tie the game and take it to overtime. In overtime Nashville defenceman Ryan Ellis would score to give the Preds 3-2.
Columbus Blue Jackets v. Philadelphia Flyers – 7p EST Start Time
Columbus is looking to grab some momentum as they take on the Flyers. Columbus Boone Jenner and Jakub Voracek of the Flyers would exchange goals in the first period. Jenner would score in the second period as the Blue Jackets would add two more and James Van Riemsdyk would add one to cut the lead to 3-2 for Columbus. The Flyers would come out surging as Shayne Gostisbehere would score one of 5 goals in the third period for the Flyers, as the Blue Jackets would add just one of their own. The Flyers would walk away with a 7-4 win.
Pittsburgh Penguins v. Dallas Stars – 8p EST Start Time
Pittsburgh comes into Dallas looking to keep the Stars down. The first two periods would see Matt Murray put on a clinic, making 22 saves and allowing no goals. But Pittsburgh would come out flying in the third scoring three unanswered goals to win the game 3-0 and record a shutout win for Matt Murray.
Coach Sullivan on the 3rd period: "I didn't think we won a lot of puck battles in the 2nd period. We had a discussion about that in between periods. Our guys responded really well."
Los Angeles Kings v. Minnesota Wild – 8p EST Start Time
The Kings come into Minnesota hoping to pick up some points against the Wild. The Wild would open the score courtesy of Gerald Mayhew’s second of the season. The scoreboard would stay quiet until the second period where the Kings and Wild would exchange goals from Ben Hutton and Eric Staal respectively to bring the Wild’s lead to 2-1 after two periods. The third period would see the Wild score three unanswered goals to really take the pounding to the Kings 5-1.
Anaheim Ducks v. Colorado Avalanche – 9p EST Start Time
The Ducks sport new defencemen in Colorado as they hope to overcome some injuries to beat the surging Avalanche. The first period would see a pair of goals from the Ducks courtesy of Adam Henrique and Carter Rowney to give the Ducks a 2-1 lead after one period. Ryan Getzlaf and Joonas Donskoi would exchange goals in the second to bring the score to 3-1 Ducks. The third period would see a powerplay goal from Nathan MacKinnon to bring the led to 3-2 Ducks. But the Ducks would respond in the third with two of their own to take the win 5-2.
Calgary Flames v. Winnipeg Jets – 10p EST Start Time
The Heritage Classic was a match for the making. You could visibly see all the snow on the ice, but the players seemed to visibly enjoy the game. Jets and Flames players raving about the ice and the conditions. The first period would come and go with no score, but not short of chances at both ends. The second period would see the Flames take a 1-0 lead on a powerplay goal from Elias Lindholm, the rest of the period would see no scoring. The third period would bring drama, the Jets would tie the game thanks to a late goal by Josh Morrissey. This would send the game to overtime in Regina. Where Bryan Little would score to win the game and the Heritage Classic 2-1.
San Jose Sharks v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p EST Start Time
Montreal looked to pick up a big win against the struggling Sharks, and in the first period, they would open the scoring courtesy of Nick Cousins 1st of the year. Evander Kane would kick start the offence for the Sharks by scoring with 0.55 seconds left in the first period on the power-play and then adding another five minutes into the second period once again on the power-play to give the Sharks a 2-1 advantage, in what would become a 4 goal second for the Sharks. The Canadiens would add one late in the second but it would be enough to make any sort of comeback, as the Canadiens would fall 4-2 to the Sharks.
Arizona Coyotes v. New York Islanders – 7p EST Start Time
The Islanders would open the scoring against the Coyotes early in the first with Derrick Brassard scoring just over a minute into the game. Michael Grabner would answer back midway through the period and the scoring would stay 1-1 until Josh Bailey would bury his 4th of the season just over fourteen minutes into the second. Anders Lee and Conor Garland would exchange goals in the third until Scott Mayfield would put the icing on the cake with an empty netter. Islanders would walk away from this game with a 4-2 win.
Buffalo Sabres v. New York Rangers – 7p EST Start Time
Rangers were hoping to steal a game from the red hot Sabres and would strike third times in the first period, all within an 8 minutes window to jump out to 3-0 lead. The second period would see the Sabres strike twice with a Tony DeAngelo goal sandwiched in the middle to make it a 4-2 game after two periods. There would continue to be no stop from the Rangers tonight as they would add two more goals in the third period to make the final 6-2 Rangers.
Carolina Hurricanes v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7p EST Start Time
The Blue Jackets and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo came in with something to prove tonight against the Canes. Jackets would open the scoring with a goal from Alexander Texier just over three minutes into the game. The Canes would respond just over a minute later off the stick of Dougie Hamilton to tie the game at 1-1. The Canes would score two more goals in the first to stretch the lead to 3-1. The second period was a different story as goals by Ryan Murray and Sonny Milano would bring the Blue Jackets right back into this game at 2-2. The third would see no goals but many chances and the game would head to overtime where the Blue Jackets Speedster Cam Atkinson would put in the overtime winner. Blue Jackets would walk away with a 4-3 victory in overtime.
Los Angeles Kings v. St. Louis Blues – 8p EST Start Time
The Stanley Cup Champion St.Louis Blues were set to face off against the struggling LA Kings in St. Louis. Kings would open the scoring first thanks to Jeff Carter just before the 15-minute mark of the 1st. Vince Dunn would tie the game just over 3 minutes later on the powerplay, this would be the first of 3 powerplay goals in the game for the Blues. Just 3 minutes into the second Alex Iaffalo would score giving the Kings the 2-1 lead. The Blues would score twice in 1:40 courtesy of Alex Pietrangelo on the Powerplay and Robert Thomas, this would give the Blues their first lead of the night at 3-2. The Blues would add two more goals off the stick of Brayden Schenn in the third period, to run over the Kings 5-2.
Minnesota Wild v. Nashville Predators – 8p EST Start Time
The Wild looked to steal a win from Pekka Rinne and the Predators on Thursday night but seemingly ran into a brick wall. The first period would open with the Wild furiously peppering Pekka Rinne with 13 shots, yet they couldn’t solve the netminder. The first period would end with the score 0-0, and that’s where the Preds would take over. Preds would score 37 seconds into the 2nd period and then add another with less than 30 seconds left in the period, to make 2-0 after two periods. The third period would come and it would see the Preds score twice again to make it 4-0. Pekka Rinne would put ina 26 save effort for the shutout.
Philadelphia Flyers v. Chicago Blackhawks – 830p EST Start Time
Flyer looking to gain some momentum against the lowly Blackhawks in Chicago. The game would open with the Flyer grabbing ahold of the game and never looking back. Flyers Oskar Lindblom would score the only goal in the first period, as the Flyers would take a 1-0 lead into the intermission. Claude Giroux would be the only goal scorer in the second period just 59 seconds in, to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead. The first two periods would leave the Blackhawks with just 8 shots combined, while the Flyer had a 2 goal lead and 18 shots. The third period would bring about a more aggressive Blackhawks team as Brandon Saad would score a minute in. The third would see Chicago fire 16 shots at Brian Elliot but were only able to be him once. The Flyers would go on to score 2 more in the 3rd period and win 4-1.
Anaheim Ducks v. Dallas Stars – 830p EST Start Time
The Ducks and Stars were ready for a goalies duel, with two of the leagues best goalies squaring off in Ben Bishop and John Gibson. Dallas Stars rookie Denis Guraniov would score two goals in the first period to give the Stars a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd period. Ducks Max Comtois would score on the powerplay just over 4 minutes into the 2nd period to cut the lead in half. But that’s all the score that would come in this game as both goalies shut the door and never let another puck past them. Stars would squeak past the Ducks 2-1.
Florida Panthers v. Calgary Flames – 9p EST Start Time
Flames looked to put themselves back on track at home, while the Panthers looked to keep their winning ways going. This game was not meant for the goaltenders at all. Calgary would open the score in the first with an Austin Czarnik goal on the powerplay and then the floodgates would open. The Second would see the Panthers score twice off the sticks of Huberdeau and Weegar, while the Flames would score in the middle of the two Panther goals courtesy of Matthew Tkachuk. 2-2 would be the score at the end of the second period. Flames Matthew Tkachuk and Captain Mark Giordano would both score respectively to open the 3rd period. The Panthers would storm back being down 4-2, scoring three of there own off the sticks of Josh Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, and Mark Pysyk to give the Panthers a 5-4 lead with five minutes remaining. Sam Bennett would send this game to overtime with his 2nd of the season with just under three minutes remaining in the game. Overtime would solve nothing but the shootout would see the Panthers miss both their shots while the Flames would score on theirs. Flames put out a spotty win against the Panthers 6-5
Washington Capitals v. Edmonton Oilers – 9p EST Start Time
Oilers looking to start red hot, while the Caps look to find some consistency in holding leads. Darnell Nurse would open the scoring 13 minutes into the first to give the Oilers the 1-0 lead. But the Caps would not lay down and take a loss. The Caps came out flying in the second period scoring 3 goals, including 2 from Captain Alex Ovechkin. This would put the Caps on top 3-1 heading into the 3rd period. The 3rd period would be the Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl show and another defensive third-period meltdown for the Caps. Both McDavid and Draisaitl would score to tie the game up and send it to overtime. Just 1:18 into the 3rd period Leon Draisaitl would take the feed from Connor McDavid and bury it. Oilers would walk out with a 4-3 Overtime victory over the Caps.
NHL News and Notes from Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019
Game Recaps:
Toronto Maple Leafs v. Boston Bruins – 7p EST Start Time
The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs would renew their rivalry once again, this time in Boston as both teams look for their sixth win of the season. In the first period David Pastrnak would score a sneaky one for his 10th of the season on the powerplay. Then in the second period Kasperi Kapanen would get on the board for the Leafs to tie the game, but less than two minutes later Brad Marchand would strike to retake the lead for the Bruins. However, Alexander Kerfoot would score on the powerplay to tie the game back up at two. Then in the third period the Bruins would get a pair of goals from Brett Ritchie and Par Lindholm to secure a 4-2 victory over the Leafs.
San Jose Sharks v. Buffalo Sabres – 7p EST Start Time
In Buffalo the Sabres play host to the San Jose Sharks, and it would be the Sharks swimming all over the Sabres as they would get goals from Dylan Gambrell (first career NHL goal) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic to take a 2-0 lead. Then in the second period Jack Eichel would score for the Sabres while on the powerplay, then with 31 seconds left in the period Sam Reinhart would tie the game at two. Then in the third period Jeff Skinner would score 45 seconds into the game for the Sabres to take the lead, but Erik Karlsson would score his first of the season to tie the game and send it to overtime, which would see Jack Eichel score his second of the game to give the Sabres the 4-3 victory.
Pittsburgh Penguins v. Florida Panthers – 7p EST Start Time
In Florida the Panthers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins and after a scoreless first period both teams would trade goals in the second. first it would be the Panthers striking with a Noel Acciari marker, then the Penguins would strike with a Teddy Blueger tally, but then the Panthers would strike back with a Denis Malgin goal to take the 2-1 lead. Then in the third period Patric Hornqvist would score for the Penguins, but the Panthers would get goals from Jonathan Huberdeau and Frank Vatrano to secure a 4-2 victory for the Panthers.
Arizona Coyotes v. New York Rangers – 7p EST Start Time
At the legendary Madison Square Garden the New York Rangers would take on the Arizona Coyotes. In the first period the Coyotes would get the lone strike as Lawson Crouse would score his second of the season. Then in the second period Anthony DeAngelo would score his second of the season to tie the game at one, but late in the period both teams would trade powerplay goals as both Alex Goligoski and DeAngelo (his second of the game) would make this a 2-2 game heading into the second intermission. After a scoreless third period it would be the Coyotes striking in overtime as Christian Dvorak scoring his fourth of the season to give the Coyotes the 3-2 victory.
Vancouver Canucks v. Detroit Red Wings – 730p EST Start Time
In Detroit the Red Wings would take on the Vancouver Canucks, and in the first period Anthony Mantha would strike for the Wings on the powerplay for the lone tally of the period. In the second period the Wings would get the lone goal from Dennis Cholowski to gain the 2-0 lead, but in the third period the Canucks would score five unanswered goals to take the victory. The Canucks would get a hat trick from captain Bo Horvat (2 PPGs, and an even strength goal), as well as goals from Jake Virtanen and Tim Schaller to secure the victory 5-2.
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators – 8p EST Start Time
In Nashville the Predators look to feast on the Anaheim Ducks, and the first period would look good for the Predators as Roman Josi would score on the powerplay followed by a Colton Sissons tally to take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Then in the second period the Predators would score two more goals as Rocco Grimaldi and Mattias Ekholm (SHG) would get on the board to expand the lead to four. Then in the third period the ducks would finally get on the board as Ryan Getzlaf would score his third of season, but the Predators would with two more goals as Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok would tally to give the Predators the 6-1 victory.
Edmonton Oilers v. Minnesota Wild – 8p EST Start Time
In Minnesota the Wild would smother the Edmonton Oilers in the first period as they would strike three times in the first period. The Wild would get back to back goals from Eric Staal, and then a powerplay goal from Brad Hunt to take the 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Then the Wild would shut the door the following two periods as they would go on to win 3-0.
Los Angeles Kings v. Winnipeg Jets – 8p EST Start Time
In Winnipeg the Los Angeles Kings look to ground the Jet, but in the first period we would see both teams trade goals as Austin Wagner would score for the Kings, then Kyle Connor would strike for the Jets as they head into the first intermission tied at one. Then in the second period the two teams would trade goals again as Kurtis MacDermid would score for the Kings, and Nikolaj Ehlers would respond for the Jets. Then in the third period Anze Kopitar would score the lone goal of the period to give the Kings the 3-2 victory.
Vegas Golden Knights v. Chicago Blackhawks – 830p EST Start Time
In Chicago the Blackhawks would host the Vegas Golden Knights, and in the first period Kirby Dach would score his first career NHL goal in his second career game to give the Blackhawks the 1-0 lead. However, after a scoreless second period, in the third period the Knights would strike when Nick Holden would score with 93 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. Then in the shootout it would be Shea Theodore scoring the winning goal in the third round to give the Golden Knights the 2-1 victory.
Calgary Flames v. Winnipeg Jets – 10p EST Start Time
