Saturday, January 5, 2013

KHL January 5th 2013

Only four games today, but they were big ones in the east. First up...

Amur Khabarovsk hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Alexei Kuznetsov will be between the pipes. Khabarovsk got going in the first period as Evgeny Orlov scored, courtesy of Igor Ozhiganov and Timofei Shishkanov. Amur added on as Mikhail Fisenko scored, via Andrei Stepanov. Khabarovsk struck again with a Perttu Lindgren goal, made possible by Jakub Petruzalek and Nikita Gusev. Astana got on the board as Nigel Dawes scored, thanks to Vitaly Novopashin and Brandon Bochenski. Amur replied in the second period as Gusev scored, with a lone assist from Juha-Pekka Hytonen. Barys shot back with a power play goal by Roman Savchenko, powered by Alexei Litvinenko and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Khabarovsk struck back as Dmitry Tarasov netted the puck, with helpers provided by Ozhiganov and Alexander Osipov. Barys pulled Yeremeyev at this time, in favor of Pavel Poluektov. Astana pulled closer in the third period as Talgat Zhailauov scored a goal, assisted by Fyodor Polishchuk and Krasnoslobodtsev. Barys chipped away as Samvel Mnatsyan scored a goal, guided in by Dawes and Dustin Boyd. They failed to tie the game, falling 5-4, with the three stars being Gusev, Ozhiganov, and Dawes, while Krasnoslobodtsev gets an honorable mention.

Westward, as Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Avangard Omsk. Karri Ramo and Sergei Gaiduchenko have the green light to start. Omsk led off with a first period Igor Volkov goal, assisted by Anton Belov and Tomas Zaborsky on the power play. Avangard added on in the second period as Volkov scored again, with helpers provided by Zaborsky and Anssi Salmela. Omsk padded the lead in the third period as Zaborsky scored a power play goal, powered by Alexander Popov and Volkov. Novosibirsk got on the board with a power play goal from Evgeny Fyodorov, passed from Alexander Romanov and Viktor Bobrov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1, and the three stars were Volkov, Zaborsky, and Ramo (34 for 35 in saves).

Moving along to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Edgars Masalskis and Yury Klyuchnikov are all padded up. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period as Stanislav Bocharov scored an unassisted goal. Novokuznetsk tied it with an Alexander Islamov goal, passed from Brent Sopel. Metallurg took the lead on a Yury Nazarov goal, set up by Konstantin Turukin. Novokuznetsk extended the lead with an Alexei Yefimov goal, made possible by Anton Lazarev and Alexander Mereskin. Yugra shot back with an unassisted goal by Alexei Pepelyaev. Metallurg responded as Nazarov scored again in the second period, this time with a lone assist coming from Chris Simon. Khanty-Mansiysk chipped away with a power play goal by Sergei Demagin, powered by Tomas Starosta. Yugra tied the game with a Rinat Ibragimov goal, guided in by Anton Krysanov and Kirill Safronov. The game went into overtime, where Khanty-Mansiysk won with three seconds remaining as Igor Magogin scored, courtesy of Ibragimov, for a 5-4 final. The three stars were Ibragimov, Nazarov, and Magogin.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki and Konstantin Barulin will guard the cages. Kazan opened in the first period with a Janne Pesonen goal, via Alexei Yemelin and Alexei Tereshchenko. Ak Bars added on with an Alexei Morozov goal, courtesy of Danis Zaripov and Denis Kulyash. Kazan struck again on a Kirill Petrov goal, passed from Tereshchenko and Lauris Darzins. Ufa got on the board with Miroslav Blatak's goal, made possible by Antti Pihlstrom and Alexei Kaigorodov. Ak Bars padded the lead on a Konstantin Korneyev goal, coming off of Ilya Nikulin and Zaripov. Kazan extended the lead again as Kapanen scored an unassisted power play goal. Ak Bars kept going as Zaripov scored a power play goal, powered by Korneyev and Nikulin. Kazan padded the lead again on a Darzins power play goal, helped along by Petrov and Tereshchenko, the latter getting a sock trick. Salavat Yulaev answered in the third period with an unassisted Alexander Svitov goal. Ak Bars responded as Kapanen scored another power play goal, this time set up by Morozov and Nikulin, the latter getting a sock trick. Kazan scored again as Darsins netted a power play goal, pushed through by Petrov and Tereshchenko. Ufa got one back with a power play goal by Pihlstrom, with assists provided by Kirill Koltsov and Igor Mirnov. This produced the 9-3 final, with the three stars being Darzins, Tereshchenko, and Kapanen, while Zaripov, Nikulin, Korneyev, Morozov, Petrov, and Pihlstrom get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, January 4, 2013

KHL January 4th 2013

Five games going on today, with the first coming from...

Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Ari Ahonen tend the twines. Magnitogorsk started with a first period power play goal by Evgeny Malkin, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Sergei Gonchar. Metallurg added on in the second period as Malkin scored again, with the help of Mozyakin and Nikolai Kulemin. Magnitogorsk iced it at 3-0 in the third period when Malkin finished his hat trick with his third goal of the night, assisted by Mozyakin, who got a sock trick, and Enver Lisin. The three stars were Malkin, Ahonen (23 save shutout), and Mozyakin.

In the west, CSKA Moscow hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton and Rastislav Stana are the masked men. Moscow opened with a first period power play goal from Alexander Radulov, powered by Yakov Rylov and Pavel Datsyuk. Nizhnekamsk tied the game on a Maxim Pestushko goal, fueled by Yegor Milovzorov. CSKA took the lead back in the second period with an Ilya Zubov goal, coming on the power play from Niklas Persson and Sergei Shirokov. Moscow finished it at 3-1 with an empty net goal scored by Shirokov, with a lone assist by Igor Radulov. The three stars went to Shirokov, Stana (21 for 22 in saves), and Zubov.

Also in Moscow, Dynamo hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Alexander Yeryomenko will be in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod struck first in the first period as Ruslan Zainullin scored, via Martin Thornberg. Moscow tied it on a second period power play goal by Richard Gynge, going in unassisted. Dynamo took the lead as Alexander Ovechkin scored, courtesy of Leo Komarov and Konstantin Gorovikov. Moscow extended the lead as Dominik Granak scored, with helpers provided by Gynge and Denis Kokarev. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Gynge, Yeryomenko (23 for 24 in saves), and Ovechkin.

A little west, SKA St. Petersburg hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Semyon Varlamov and Sergei Bobrovsky are the NHL level goalies. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, powered by Yury Alexandrov and Tony Martensson. SKA added on as Alexander Kucheryavenko scored, with a lone assist provided by Maxim Afinogenov. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the third period as Vladimir Tarasenko scored, thanks to Dmitry Kalinin. SKA wrapped it up with an Ilya Kovalchuk empty net goal, passed from Tarasenko. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Bobrovsky (26 save shutout), and Thoresen.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Evgeny Lobanov and Jaroslav Janus receive the starting nods. Bratislava finally led off in the third period as Vladimir Mihalik scored, with the help of Roman Kukumberg. Slovan extended the lead as Jan Lipiansky scored, via Libor Hudacek and Milan Bartovic. Yekaterinburg got one back late as Rastislav Spirko scored, thanks to Fyodor Malykhin and Alexei Simakov. Bratislava finished the scoring at 3-1 with a power play goal by Bartovic, powered by Hudacek. The three stars were Bartovic, Janus (23 for 24 in saves), and Hudacek

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

KHL January 3rd 2013 + 1,000th post special

Only three games for today, all being played in the west. First up...

Vityaz Chekhov hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki and Ivan Lisutin earn the starting nods. Ufa was first to score with a first period Alexander Svitov goal, with a lone assist from Alexander Pankov. Salavat Yulaev added on in the second period as Antti Pihlstrom scored, via Igor Mirnov. Ufa iced it at 3-0 with an unassisted goal by Oleg Saprykin in the third period. The three stars went to Tarkki (24 save shutout), Svitov, and Pihlstrom.

Up in Cherepovets, Severstal welcomes Spartak Moscow. Alexei Yakhin and Vasily Koshechkin are between the pipes. Cherepovets led off with a first period Vadim Berdnikov goal, going down unassisted. Severstal padded the lead as Evgeny Ketov scored, with the help of Denis Kazionov and Vadim Shipachyov. Moscow got on the board with a power play goal by Nikolai Bushuyev, powered by Jaroslav Obsut and Denis Bodrov. Cherepovets shot back with a second period goal by Pavel Dedunov, an unassisted goal. Severstal extended the lead as Shipachyov scored a power play goal, assisted by Alexander Ryazantsev and Petr Caslava. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-1, with the three stars going to Shipachyov, Koshechkin (15 for 16 in saves), and Ketov.

Finally, we end in Riga, with Dinamo Minsk hosting Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Lars Haugen guard the cages. Riga started with a first period goal by Oskars Cibulskis, passed from Gints Meija and Andris Dzerins. Riga added on as Alexandre Giroux scored an unassisted goal. Minsk got on the board in the second period as Vladimir Denisov potted the puck with an unassisted goal. Minsk tied it in the third period with a Lukas Krajicek goal, set up by Teemu Laine. Riga took the lead back with a goal form Paul Szczechura, guided in by Krisjanis Redlihs. This held up for a 3-2 final, with the three stars being Szczechura, Tellqvist (33 for 35 in saves), and Giroux.

As promised, a special message. Twenty-five and a half months ago, I started working on this blog at the whim of a friend of mine. Since then, I have taken many different paths with my efforts on here. Originally intended to represent three areas of life, the sports section became a much more important factor to me. While I have dropped the music and Subway aspects of the blog, the name has not yet changed. Partially out of a reverence for the history of my work and partially out of laziness, the name and design is the same as always. While there are changes ahead, today is not the time for them. Today, on the day of my 1,000th blog post, I would like to once again extend my appreciation to all of my readers, fans, friends, and family that have supported me. I have blogged many partial and full seasons of baseball, football, and hockey, and throughout the trials of keeping up with the pace, I have found something that I enjoy doing. This is why my plans for the future include keeping up with this blog en route to a career in something very similar. When I leave for college in August, I cannot promise that I will be able to keep up with the workload on here anymore. What I can promise is that I won't be wasting time, and if I am to come back to writing on my own blog, it will be with the knowledge and abilities of a more full-fledged and official writer. I plan to study journalism in my higher education, with a specific knack for sports. Combining my passion for writing with an even stronger love of sports is something I hope I can accomplish in my life, and hopefully I can look back to this project of mine as where it all began. As I said, what I have here is far from complete, and I will continue working on this site until I am unable to do to whatever circumstances may arise as my life continues. Once again, thank you all for your support. It means the absolute world to me that so many people have seen this blog. The first 1,000 posts were good; here's to 1,000 more great ones.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

NFL Afternoon/Evening Games Week 17 2012

This post closes the regular season with seven total games. First up...

The San Francisco 49ers square off with the Arizona Cardinals by the bay in an NFC West game. Arizona opened in the first quarter as Jay Feely made a 35 yard field goal. The Cardinals padded the lead in the second quarter as Feely booted a 31 yard field goal. San Francisco got on the board as Colin Kaepernick tossed a 49 yard touchdown to Michael Crabtree, and David Akers made the extra point. The 49ers added on in the third quarter as Akers made a 43 yard field goal. San Francisco padded the lead as Kaepernick passed 7 yards for another touchdown to Crabtree, and Akers knocked in another PAT. The 49ers kept going with a 2 yard Frank Gore touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Akers booted the extra point. San Francisco continued as Akers made a 26 yard field goal. Arizona answered as Brian Hoyer tossed a 37 yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd, and Feely knocked in the extra point. This was all they could manage, falling 27-13, with San Francisco ending the year at 11-4-1 while Arizona finished at 5-11.

Down south, the San Diego Chargers host their AFC West rivals, the Oakland Raiders. San Diego began in the first quarter with a Micheal Spurlock 99 yard return of the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and Nick Novak booted the extra point. The Chargers padded the lead as Novak kicked a 30 yard field goal. Oakland got on the board in the second quarter with Terrelle Pryor passing 9 yards to Darrius Heyward-Bey for a touchdown, and Sebastian Janikowski kicked the extra point. San Diego extended the lead on an 11 yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates, and Novak was true with the PAT. The Chargers scored some more as Rivers found Danario Alexander for 34 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter, and Novak tacked on the extra point. The Raiders got some back in the fourth quarter as Pryor ran 3 yards for a touchdown, and Janikowski supplied the extra point. Oakland pulled closer as Pryor passed 5 yards to Denarius Moore for a touchdown, and Janikowski was there with the extra point. They failed to tie the game, losing 24-21, with San Diego ending at 7-9 while Oakland drops to 4-12.

To the Northeast, as the Denver Broncos host the Kansas Chiefs in the other AFC West game. Denver started with a first quarter Knowshon Moreno 3 yard touchdown run, allowing Matt Prater to make the extra point. Kansas City got on the board in the second quarter as Ryan Succop made a 23 yard field goal. The Broncos padded the lead when Peyton Manning passed 11 yards to Eric Decker for a touchdown, and Prater nailed the extra point. Denver kept going as Manning found Decker for 16 yards and another touchdown, and Prater made another PAT. The Broncos extended the lead in the third quarter with a 13 yard Manning touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, and Prater tacked on another extra point. Denver kept going as Lance Ball ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Prater supplied the extra point. The Broncos struck again on a Prater 42 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. This made it 38-3, a final, with Denver ending at 13-3 and Kansas City falling to 2-14.

Further north, the Minnesota Vikings welcome the Green Bay Packers in an NFC North game. Minnesota led off with a first quarter Blair Walsh 54 yard field goal. The Vikings extended the lead as Adrian Peterson ran for 7 yards for a touchdown, and Walsh made the extra point. Minnesota kept going in the second quarter as Walsh made a 37 yard field goal. Green Bay got on the board as Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Mason Crosby made the extra point. The Vikings struck again as Christian Ponder threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright, and Walsh supplied the PAT. The Packers got some back with a 51 yard field goal by Crosby. Green Bay pulled closer in the third quarter as Rodgers and Jennings connected for a 5 yard touchdown, and Crosby made another extra point. Minnesota extended the lead as Ponder found Peterson for two yards and a touchdown, and Walsh tacked on the extra point. The Packers shot back with an 8 yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to James Jones, and Crosby kicked in the extra point. Green Bay tied it in the fourth quarter on a 40 yard field goal by Crosby. The Vikings took the lead back as Ponder connected with Michael Jenkins for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Walsh knocked in the extra point. The Packers tied it again as Rodgers threw a 2 yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, and Crosby had the equalizer with the extra point. Minnesota finished it at 37-34 with a Walsh field goal of 29 yards. They improve to 10-6 while Green Bay drops to 11-5.

Back east, the New England Patriots bring in the Miami Dolphins for an AFC East game. New England struck first in the first quarter as Tom Brady passed 9 yards to Wes Welker for a touchdown, and Stephen Gostkowski made the extra point. The Patriots padded the lead in the second quarter as Stevan Ridley ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski booted the extra point. New England extended the lead as Ridley ran 2 yards for another touchdown, and Gostkowski made another extra point. The Patriots added on in the fourth quarter as Brady threw a 23 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski made the PAT. This was all they needed to win 28-0, and New England improved to 12-4 while Miami fell to 7-9.

Well to the west, the Seattle Seahawks host the St. Louis Rams in the other NFC West game. Seattle got going in the second quarter with a Steven Hauschka 43 yard field goal. St. Louis took the lead as Sam Bradford threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Austin Pettis, and Greg Zuerlein made the extra point. The Seahawks got some back in the third quarter as Hauschka made a 49 yard field goal. The Rams added on as Zuerlein made a 39 yard field goal. Seattle took the lead as Russell Wilson tossed a 10 yard touchdown pass to Michael Robinson, and Hauschka was there with the PAT. St. Louis tied it again as Zuerlein made a 25 yard field goal. The Seahawks took the lead on a Wilson 1 yard touchdown run, and Hauschka drilled the extra point. This held up for a 20-13 win, with Seattle now at 11-5 and St. Louis falling to 7-8-1.

Finally, in prime time, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys fight for the NFC East crown in Washington. Dallas was first to score in the second quarter as Tony Romo passed 9 yards for a touchdown to Jason Witten, and Dan Bailey made the extra point. Washington tied it as Alfred Morris ran 17 yards for a touchdown, and Kai Forbath made the extra point. The Redskins took the lead in the third quarter as Robert Griffin III ran 10 yards for a touchdown, and Forbath kicked in another extra point. The Cowboys took some back in the fourth quarter as Bailey made a 48 yard field goal. Washington padded the lead with a 32 yard touchdown rush by Morris, and Forbath booted the PAT. Dallas shot back as Romo threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Kevin Ogletree, and then Romo found Dwayne Harris for the two-point conversion. The Redskins finished it at 28-18 when Morris ran in his third touchdown of the game from 1 yard out, and Forbath supplied another extra point. Washington wins the division at 10-6 and the Cowboys drop to 8-8.

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NFL Morning Games Week 17 2012

First post of the day for football. No Fantasy Football All-Stars this week, since my teams couldn't make it far enough to justify. The second post today will be the last for the year, and I'll be back with the KHL on Thursday. Nine games for this post, beginning in...

Buffalo, with the Bills hosting the New York Jets for an AFC East game. New York started in the first quarter with a Nick Folk field goal of 47 yards. Buffalo took the lead as Bryan Scott picked off Mark Sanchez and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, allowing Rian Lindell to make the extra point. The Jets got some back with a second quarter Folk field goal of 23 yards. New York took the lead as Folk was true on a 28 yard field goal. The Bills replied as Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a 66 yard touchdown pass to C.J. Spiller, and Lindell tacked on the PAT. Buffalo padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Brad Smith ran 4 yards for a touchdown, and Lindell kicked the extra point. The Bills struck again as Tashard Choice ran in a 13 yard touchdown, and Lindell made another extra point. Buffalo won 28-9, improving to 6-10, while dropping the Jets to the same mark.

To the south, the New Orleans Saints welcome the Carolina Panthers in an NFC South game. Carolina opened with a first quarter Graham Gano 20 yard field goal. The Panthers extended the lead in the second quarter as Mike Tolbert ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Gano was there with the extra point. New Orleans got on the board as Drew Brees threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston, and Garrett Hartley made the extra point. The Saints pulled ahead with Jonathan Vilma intercepting Cam Newton for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Hartley again made the PAT. Carolina shot back as Gano made a 31 yard field goal. New Orleans replied with Harley kicking a 53 yard field goal. The Saints extended the lead in the third quarter as Brees passed 19 yards to Jimmy Graham for a touchdown, and Hartley drove in the extra point. The Panthers chipped away as DeAngelo Williams ran 54 yards for a touchdown, and Gano was true with the extra point. Carolina took the lead on another Tolbert 1 yard touchdown run, and Gano again handled the extra point. The Panthers padded the lead with another Tolbert 1 yard touchdown rush, and Gano was there to make the extra point. Carolina kept going as Williams ran in a 12 yard touchdown, and Gano again booted the extra point. New Orleans shot back as Brees passed 9 yards for another touchdown pass to Colston, and Hartley knocked in the extra point. The Panthers scored some more with a 42 yard Gano field goal. The Saints responded as Brees passed 33 yards for a touchdown to Darren Sproles, and Hartley again kicked an extra point. They failed to score again, losing 44-38, and both teams end at 7-9.

East to Atlanta, as the Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the other NFC South game. Tampa Bay struck first in the first quarter on a Connor Barth 48 yard field goal. Atlanta tied it on a 28 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Buccaneers took the lead back in the second quarter as Josh Freeman passed 8 yards for a touchdown to Mike Williams, and Barth was there with the extra point. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Barth 22 yard field goal. The Buccaneers added on as Barth made a 42 yard field goal in the third quarter. The Falcons shot back as Michael Turner ran 17 yards for a touchdown, and Bryant tacked on the PAT. Tampa Bay extended their lead as Doug Martin ran 40 yards for a touchdown, but the two-point attempt failed. Atlanta pulled back in the fourth quarter as Matt Ryan found Harry Douglas for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant supplied the extra point. This was as close as it got, with the final being 22-17, allowing Tampa Bay to move up to 7-9 while Atlanta ends the year at 13-3.

Up north, the Detroit Lions bring in the Chicago Bears to close out a division game for the NFC North. Detroit got going in the first quarter as Jason Hanson made a 44 yard field goal. Chicago took the lead on a 60 yard Jay Cutler touchdown pass to Earl Bennett, and Olindo Mare supplied the extra point. The Bears added on with a Mare field goal of 33 yards. Chicago struck again on a second quarter 1 yard touchdown run by Matt Forte, and Mare nailed the extra point. The Bears padded the lead as Mare made a 40 yard field goal. The Lions answered with Matthew Stafford passing 25 yards to Kris Durham for a touchdown, and Hanson kicked the PAT. Detroit chipped away in the third quarter as Stafford connected with Will Heller for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. Chicago replied as Mare made a 28 yard field goal. The Bears struck again as Mare made a 20 yard field goal. The Lions got some back as Stafford passed 9 yards to Brian Robiskie for a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. They failed to tie it, losing 26-24, with Chicago going to 10-6 while the Lions fall to 4-12.

Back east, the New York Giants host their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. New York was first to score in the first quarter as Eli Manning passed 3 yards for a touchdown to Rueben Randle, and Lawrence Tynes kicked in the extra point. The Giants added on with a 38 yard touchdown connection between Manning and Randle, and Tynes again handled the extra point. New York kept going as Manning found David Wilson for 15 yards and a touchdown, and Tynes again made the extra point. Philadelphia got on the board in the second quarter as Michael Vick passed 7 yards for a touchdown to Jeremy Maclin, and Alex Henery tacked on the extra point. The Giants answered with a 1 yard Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown run, and Tynes again handled the PAT. New York got some more as Manning threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz, and Tynes kicked another extra point. The Giants padded the lead in the fourth quarter on a Manning 1 yard touchdown pass to Henry Hynoski, and Tynes was true with the extra point. This was good for a 42-7 win, with the Giants needing help to get in the playoffs at 9-7, while the Eagles end the year at a miserable 4-12.

Southwest to Tennessee, as the AFC South's cellar dwelling Tennessee Titans host their even-worse rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee led off with a first quarter 2 yard touchdown run by Chris Johnson, and Rob Bironas made the extra point. Jacksonville tied it as Chad Henne found Jordan Shipley for 5 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Scobee made the extra point. The Jaguars took the lead with Henne passing 30 yards to Justin Blackmon for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Scobee was true with the extra point. The Titans retied it as Zach Brown returned an interception of Henne for 79 yards and a touchdown, and Bironas knocked in the extra point. Tennessee took the lead on a 69 yard Darius Reynaud punt return for a touchdown, and Bironas again kicked the PAT. The Titans struck again with another punt return for a touchdown by Reynaud, this time for 81 yards, and Bironas drilled the extra point. Tennessee extended the lead with another Brown interception returned for a touchdown, taking Henne's errant pass 30 yards to the house, allowing Bironas to make another extra point. The Titans scored some more in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard Bironas field goal. Jacksonville got some back as Mike Harris returned a blocked punt for 19 yards and a touchdown, but the two-point attempt failed. The defensively-oriented game ended here at 38-20, with Tennessee going to 6-10 and Jacksonville falling to 2-14.

The other AFC South game is in Indianapolis, with the Colts hosting the Houston Texans. Indianapolis began in the first quarter as Andrew Luck passed 1 yard to Coby Fleener for a touchdown, and Adam Vinatieri was there with the extra point. Houston got on the board as Shayne Graham made a 51 yard field goal. The Texans chipped away in the second quarter as Graham made a 37 yard field goal. The Colts padded the lead with a 1 yard touchdown run by Vick Ballard, and Vinatieri knocked in the extra point. Houston shot back as Arian Foster ran 13 yards for a touchdown, allowing Graham to make the PAT. The Texans edged ahead on a Graham 37 yard field goal. Indianapolis retook the lead as Deji Karim returned the ensuing kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, and Vinatieri was there with the extra point. The Colts extended the lead with Luck passing 70 yards to T.Y. Hilton for a touchdown, and Vinatieri made another extra point. This was good for a 28-16 win, with Indianapolis going to 11-5 while the Texans drop to 12-4.

East again, as the Pittsburgh Steelers play a meaningless home game against their AFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh got things going in the second quarter on a Shaun Suisham field goal of 41 yards. Cleveland tied it on a 51 yard Phil Dawson field goal. The Steelers took the lead with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Leonard Pope, and Suisham handled the extra point. The Browns tied it again in the third quarter as Thaddeus Lewis found Greg Little for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Dawson knocked in the PAT. Pittsburgh regained the lead as Roethlisberger found Antonio Brown for 9 yards and a touchdown, and Suisham tacked on the extra point. The Steelers added on in the fourth quarter as Roethlisberger tossed a 12 yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, and Suisham again kicked the extra point. This produced the 24-10 final, with Pittsburgh ending at 8-8 and Cleveland falling to 5-11.

Finally, the other AFC North teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens play in Cincinnati. Baltimore finally started in the first quarter as Anthony Allen ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Justin Tucker supplied the extra point. Cincinnati tied it on an 11 yard Andy Dalton touchdown pass to Marvin Jones, and Josh Brown's extra point was the equalizer. The Bengals took the lead in the third quarter on a 47 yard Brown field goal. Cincinnati struck again as Brown made a 32 yard field goal. The Ravens took the lead in the fourth quarter as Tyrod Taylor ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Tucker's extra point was the go-ahead point. The Bengals retook the lead with a Brown 38 yard field goal. Cincinnati added on as Carlos Dunlap intercepted Taylor and took it 14 yards for a touchdown, allowing Brown another PAT. Baltimore replied with a Tucker field goal of 49 yards. This was as close as it got, with the final being 23-17, and both teams go to 10-6.

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KHL December 30th 2012

Eight games before the three day break. First up...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Jeff Glass and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Novosibirsk opened in the first period with a Sergei Shumakov goal, assisted by Evgeny Fyodorov and Viktor Drugov. Sibir added on in the second period with a power play goal by Kristian Kudroc, powered by Alexander Romanov and Jori Lehtera. Chelyabinsk got on the board as Vladimir Antipov scored, via Yegor Dugin. Traktor tied it in the third period as Andrei Kostitsyn scored, courtesy of Anton Glinkin and Jan Bulis. The game was settled in the overtime as Novosibirsk got goals from Jonas Enlund and Lehtera to win 3-2. The three stars went to Lehtera, Glass (34 for 36 in saves), and Shumakov.

Southeast to Omsk, as Avangard welcomes Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Karri Ramo are in the blue paint. Mytishchi finally got going in the second period with a Rafael Batyrshin goal, passed from Igor Ignatushkin. This was the game's only goal, resulting in a 1-0 final. The three stars were given to Galimov (51(!) save shutout), Batyrshin, and Ramo (19 for 20).

To the west, Dynamo Moscow hosts their cross-town rivals, CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Alexander Yeryomenko will be between the pipes. Dynamo started in the first period with a Denis Kokarev goal, courtesy of Alexei Tsvetkov. CSKA tied it in the second period as Igor Radulov scored, thanks to Oleg Kvasha and Sergei Shirokov. CSKA took the lead with a power play goal by Niklas Persson, powered by Alexander Radulov and Mikhail Grabovsky. Dynamo tied it again as Alexander Ovechkin scored, with a helper from Konstantin Gorovikov. CSKA took the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Ilya Zubov, with a lone assist from Shirokov. CSKA padded the lead when Alexander Radulov scored an empty net goal to make it 4-2, guided in by Grabovsky. The three stars were Alexander Radulov, Shirokov, and Grabovsky.

Back in the east, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Ari Ahonen are in the creases. Magnitogorsk began in the first period as Evgeny Malkin scored, with help from Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg added on in the second period as Mozyakin scored, via Nikolai Kulemin. Magnitogorsk padded the lead as Mozyakin scored again, thanks to Sergei Gonchar and Malkin. Metallurg kept going with a power play goal by Viktor Antipin, powered by Kulemin and Malkin, Magnitogorsk extended the lead as Mozyakin finished his hat trick with a power play goal, coming off of Kulemin and Malkin, both of whom got a sock trick. Metallurg got another in the third period with another Mozyakin goal, his fourth of the game, made possible by Kulemin and Malkin again. Magnitogorsk iced it at 7-0 with a Dmitry Kazionov goal, passed from Georgy Misharin and Yaroslav Khabarov. The three stars were Mozyakin, Malkin, and Kulemin, while Ahonen (26 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Over in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Alexander Lazushin and Chris Holt are manning the goals. Yekaterinburg was first to score in the first period as Fyodor Malykhin scored, with the help of Sergei Gusev and Artyom Kryukov. Avtomobilist added on as Malykhin scored again in the second period, thanks to Rastislav Spriko and Alexei Simakov. Novokuznetsk got on the board with an Anton Lazarev goal, made possible by Stanislav Romanov. Metallurg tied it as Alexander Bumagin scored, via Dmitry Megalinsky. Yekaterinburg took the lead again on an unassisted goal by Simakov. Novokuznetsk tied it again when Bumagin scored a goal, guided in by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille on the power play goal. Metallurg won 4-3 in overtime with a power play goal by Kagarlitsky, powered by Robitaille and Bumagin. The three stars went to Bumagin, Malykhin, and Kagarlitsky, while Simakov and Robitaille get the honorable mentions.

Northeast to Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Mikhail Biryukov guard the cages. Khanty-Mansiysk struck first in the first period as Anton But scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Yaroslavl tied it with an unassisted Niklas Hagman goal. Yugra took the lead back as Anton Krysanov scored a goal, assisted by Rinat Ibragimov and Konstantin Glazachev. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead with a power play goal by Sergei Demagin, powered by Dmitry Altaryov and But. Lokomotiv replied with an Emil Galimov goal in the second period, set up by Artyom Anisimov and Alexander Guskov. Yaroslavl tied it with a Maxim Trunyov goal, passed from Alexei Kalyuzhny. Lokomotiv took the lead as Anisimov scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Yaroslavl extended the lead with a Hagman goal, fueled by Kalyuzhny and Galimov. Lokomotiv kept going with Galimov scoring a goal, with a lone assist by Anisimov. Yiugra got one back in the third period as Igor Magogin scored, with helpers provided by Denis Grebeshkov and But. This was as close as it go, with the final being 6-4, leaving the three stars with Galimov, Hagman, and Anisimov, while Kalyuzhny and But get the honorable mentions.

South in Kazakhstan, with Barys Astana hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Vitaly Yeremeyev protect the nets. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with a Vladimir Gorbunov goal, passed from Ilya Krikunov. Torpedo added on with a power play goal by Martin Thornberg, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Astana got on the board in the second period as Roman Savchenko scored an unassisted goal. Barys tied as Talgat Zhailauov scored a power play goal, assisted by Savchenko and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Astana took the lead in the third period as Nigel Dawes scored, with a lone assist from Dustin Boyd. Barys extended the lead as Dawes potted the puck again, an unassisted goal. Nizhny Novgorod got one back as Pyotr Schastlivy scored, thanks to Maxim Potapov and Matt Ellison. Torpedo tied it on another Thornberg goal, set up by Juuso Hietanen and Makarov. Astana won 5-4 in overtime on an Alexei Litvinenko goal, coming off of Dmitry Upper. The three stars went to Dawes, Thornberg, and Makarov.

Finally, in St. Petersburg, SKA hosts Lev Praha. Jakub Stepanek and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Praha got going in the first period with a power play goal by Ondrej Nemec, powered by Marcel Hossa and Petr Vrana. St. Petersburg tied it with a Kevin Dallman goal, with a lone assist from Ilya Kovalchuk. Lev took the lead back as Jakub Voracek scored, via Erik Christensen and Jaroslav Svoboda. SKA tied the game as Ivan Nepryayev scored, with assists from the goalie Bobrovsky and Andrei Pervyshin. St. Petersburg took the lead on a Petr Prucha goal, courtesy of Tony Martensson and Alexei Semenov. Praha retied it on a Svoboda goal, passed from Hossa and Tomas Surovy. SKA took the lead again as Kovalchuk scored, and Viktor Tikhonov recorded the only assist. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-3 with another Kovalchuk goal, guided in by Tikhonov and Dallman. The three stars went to Kovalchuk, Dallman, and Svoboda, while Tikhonov and Hossa get the honorable mentions.

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