Saturday, January 19, 2013

NHL January 19th 2013

Opening day is late, but better late than never. Thirteen games to get you back into the hockey mood North American style. As always, goalies are listed road then home, the first player under assist has the primary, and the second has the secondary. We begin with...

The Los Angeles Kings hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick are in goal. Chicago started with a Patrick Kane power play goal, powered by Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks added on as Hossa scored a goal of his own, thanks to Dan Carcillo and Brent Seabrook. Chicago padded the lead with a Michael Frolik goal, fueled by Marcus Kruger and Nick Leddy. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period as Jonathan Toews scored, via Kane. Los Angeles got on the board with a Rob Scuderi goal, with a lone assist from Colin Fraser and Kyle Clifford. The Kings got another in the third period with a Jordan Nolan goal, coming off of Matt Greene and Clifford. Chicago quickly replied as Hossa scored his second goal of the game, and Toews picked up the only helper. This made it a 5-2 final score, with the three stars being Hossa, Seabrook, and Clifford, while Kane and Toews get the honorable mentions. 

Northeast to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ondrej Pavelec make the starts. Winnipeg opened with a first period Dustin Byfuglien goal, coming on the power play via Tobias Enstrom and Andrew Ladd. Ottawa tied the game with a Milan Michalek goal, made possible by Patrick Wiercioch. The Senators took the lead in the second period as Chris Neil scored, with Erik Karlsson and Colin Greening recording the helpers. Ottawa added on in the third period with a Karlsson power play goal, powered by Sergei Gonchar. The Senators extended the lead as Kyle Turris scored, and Marc Methot and Karlsson had the assists. This made it 4-1, a final, with the three stars awarded to

Southeast to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host their cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Ilya Bryzgalov are all padded up. Pittsburgh led off with a first period Tyler Kennedy power play goal, powered by Paul Martin and Matt Niskanen. The Penguins extended the lead as James Neal potted the puck, with a lone assist from Evgeni Malkin. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a Claude Giroux goal, passed from Scott Hartnell and Brayden Schenn. Pittsburgh iced it at 3-1 with an empty net power play goal by Chris Kunitz, set up by Martin. The three stars were given to Neal, Giroux, and Fleury (26 for 27 in saves), while Martin gets the honorable mention.

Later on, the New York Islanders host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Evgeni Nabokov will be called on for the starts. New Jersey got going in the second period as Travis Zajac scored, courtesy of Ilya Kovalchuk and Henrik Tallinder. New York tied it in the third period with a Travis Hamonic power play goal, powered by Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo. The Devils took the lead back as David Clarkson scored, with the help of Patrik Elias and Matias Tedenby. This was the final score, with the three stars handed to Zajac, Brodeur (18 for 19 in saves), and Nabokov (26 for 28 in saves).

Up in Boston, the Bruins host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston began with a first period Milan Lucic goal, assisted by David Krejci and Andrew Ference. The Bruins added on in the second period as Daniel Paille scored a goal, with a lone assist from Gregory Campbell. New York got on the board as Brad Richards scored a goal, guided in by Rick Nash and Dan Girardi. Boston shot back in the third period on a Johnny Boychuk goal, made possible by Patrice Bergeron. The final stood here at 3-1, with the three stars being Zdeno Chara (for reasons unknown), Rask (20 for 21 in saves), and Bergeron, while any goal scorer would be welcomed in Chara's spot.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ben Scrivens and Carey Price have the green light to start. Toronto struck first in the first period on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, powered by Phil Kessel and Mike Kostka. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period when Tyler Bozak scored a power play goal, passed from Kessel and Dion Phaneuf. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Brian Gionta power play goal, guided in by Raphael Diaz and Rene Bourque. This was as close as it got, with Toronto holding on to win 2-1, with the three stars belonging to Kadri, Scrivens ( 21 for 22 in saves), and Gionta, while Kessel gets the honorable mention.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Anders Lindback are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period as Eric Brewer scored a goal, via Matt Carle and Martin St. Louis. Washington tied it with a Joel Ward power play goal, made possible by Wojtek Wolski and Tom Poti. The Lightning took the lead back when Vincent Lecavalier scored, with Keith Aulie getting the only assist. The Capitals tied it again in the second period as Ward put down his second of the night, thanks to Jason Chimera and John Carlson. Tampa Bay edged ahead again as St. Louis potted a power play goal, powered by Lecavalier and Cory Conacher. Washington retied it as Wolski scored, courtesy of Mike Ribeiro and Roman Hamrlik. The Lightning gained the lead once more in the third period as St. Louis scored his second of the game, assisted by Steven Stamkos and Teddy Purcell on the power play. Tampa Bay padded the lead as Conacher scored, with Purcell picking up the lone assist. The Lightning kept going as Brewer scored, with assists provided by Purcell, who got a sock trick, and Stamkos on the power play goal. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars being St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Conacher, while the honorable mentions include Purcell, Brewer, Stamkos, Ward, and Wolski.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jose Theodore are the veteran goalies. Florida led off with a first period Jonathan Huberdeau goal, coming off of Peter Mueller and Alex Kovalev. The Panthers added on as Brian Campbell scored an unassisted power play goal. Florida extended the lead as Campbell scored another power play goal, powered by Kovalev and Stephen Weiss. The Panthers padded the lead as Scottie Upshall notched a power play goal, via Huberdeau and Tomas Fleischmann. Dan Ellis relieved Ward to begin the second period. It didn't help, as Florida struck again on a Kovalev goal, guided in by Huberdeau and Filip Kuba. Carolina got on the board with a Patrick Dwyer goal, set up by Joni Pitkanen and Justin Faulk. They didn't score again, losing 5-1, with the three stars awarded to Huberdeau, Campbell, and Kovalev, while Theodore (41 for 42 in saves) gets the honorable mention.

To the west, the Dallas Stars welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Kari Lehtonen are standing in the creases. Dallas started in the first period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, coming off of Loui Eriksson. Phoenix tied it in the second period as Lauri Korpikoski scored a power play goal, powered by Radim Vrbata and Matthew Lombardi. The Coyotes took the lead as Vrbata scored a power play goal, made possible by Martin Hanzal and Keith Yandle. The Stars tied it with a Jagr's second of the game, a power play goal set up by Stephane Robidas and Ray Whitney. Dallas got the lead in the third period as Whitney scored a power play goal, from Jagr and Robidas. Phoenix tied it again as Vrbata put down his second of the game, an unassisted goal. The Stars got the lead back as Eriksson found twine, with helpers provided by Jagr and Derek Roy. This was good for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Jagr, Vrbata, and Eriksson, while Robidas and Whitney get the honorable mentions.

Moving north, as the St. Louis Blues bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jaroslav Halak will guard the cages. St. Louis opened with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, made possible by Ian Cole and Alex Steen. The Blues added on as Chris Stewart scored a power play goal, powered by Andy McDonald and Steen. St. Louis struck again with Tarasenko's second goal of the game, fueled by Kevin Shattenkirk on the power play. The Blues padded the lead as T.J. Oshie scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Alex Pietrangelo and David Backes. St. Louis extended the lead in the third period on Stewart's second goal of the night, via
Shattenkirk and Oshie on the power play. Jonas Gustavsson relieved Howard at this time. The Blues kept going as Patrik Berglund scored a power play goal, courtesy of Pietrangelo and Oshie. They held on for a 6-0 shutout victory, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Stewart, and Halak (14 save shutout), while Oshie, Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, and Steen get honorable mentions.

Back south a bit, the Nashville Predators host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne are the prepared goalies, having played in the KHL at times during the lockout. Nashville got going in the first period as Martin Erat scored, thanks to Sergei Kostitsyn and the goalie Rinne. Columbus tied it with a Nick Foligno power play goal, powered by Fedor Tyutin and Vinny Prospal. The Predators took the lead back as Ryan Ellis scored a power play goal, passed from Kostitsyn and Patric Hornqvist. The Blue Jackets evened the score in the second period as Artem Anisimov potted the puck, with the help of Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin. Columbus took the game 3-2 in the shootout with tallies from Anisimov and Derick Brassard overpowering Nashville's only goal by David Legwand. The three stars were given to Kostitsyn, Erat, and Tyutin, while the honorable mentions include Anisimov and Rinne (26 for 28 in saves with an assist).

Farther north, the Minnesota Wild bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Niklas Backstrom will be between the pipes. Colorado was first to score in the first period as John Mitchell scored, thanks to Steve Downie and Milan Hejduk. Minnesota tied it in the second period as Dany Heatley scored a power play goal, powered by Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. The Wild took the lead on a Mikael Granlund goal, fueled by Jared Spurgeon and Devin Setoguchi. Minnesota struck again as Heatley netted another power play goal, his second of the night, coming off of Parise and Koivu. The Avalanche shot back in the third period as Cody McLeod scored, with the help of Malk Olver and Greg Zanon. The Wild ended up winning 4-2 after a Pierre-Marc Bouchard goal, passed from Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak. The three stars were given to Heatley, Granlund, and Parise, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

Finally, we end the opening day in Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Cory Schneider will be given the starting nods. Anaheim began with a first period goal by Daniel Winnik, made possible by Saku Koivu and Andrew Cogliano. Vancouver tied it on a Dan Hamhuis goal, set up by Jannik Hansen and Chris Higgins. The Canucks took the lead on a Daniel Sedin power play goal, powered by Hansen and Alexander Edler. The Ducks tied it with a Sheldon Souray power play goal, via Teemu Selanne. Anaheim took the lead in the second period as Winnik scored his second of the night, with helpers provided by Koivu and Cogliano. The Ducks padded the lead as Corey Perry scored a power play, thanks to Selanne. Anaheim chased Schneider on a Kyle Palmieri goal eleven seconds later, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Toni Lydman. Roberto Luongo came on in relief. The Ducks extended the lead as Selanne scored a goal, guided in by Getzlaf on the power play. Vancouver shot back in the third period as Edler notched a power play goal, helped along by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Anaheim iced it at 7-3 with a Selanne goal, his second of the game, passed from Nick Bonino and Souray. The three stars were handed to Selanne, Winnik, and Koivu, while Cogliano, Getzlaf, Daniel Sedin, Hansen, and Edler get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL January 19th 2013

Two hockey seasons at once? Yes, please. NHL begins today, but this post is for the KHL. I may streamline the posts later, but for now, I will keep them separate. First up today...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Evgeny Lobanov will draw the starts. Kazan started with a first period power play goal by Dmitry Obukhov, powered by Denis Kulyash and Evgeny Medvedev. Yekaterinburg tied it with a power play goal by Stanislav Zhmakin, with a lone assist from Denis Sokolov. Avtomobilist took the lead in the second period on an Alexander Yukseyev goal, coming off of Branislav Mezei and Zhmakin. Ak Bars tied it again as Janne Pesonen scored, with the help of Jarkko Immonen. Yekaterinburg took the lead back as Mezei scored, courtesy of Rastislav Spirko and Sokolov on the power play. Kazan retied it with another Pesonen goal, passed from Immonen and Obukhov. This forced a shootout eventually, where two goals by Nikolai Zherdev lifted Ak Bars over a single goal by Igor Yemeleyev for Avtomobilist. The final was 4-3, with the three stars being Zherdev, Pesonen, and Obukhov, while Immonen, Zhmakin, Mezei, and Sokolov get the honorable mentions.

To the southwest, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton and Georgy Gelashvili will wear the pads. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Yaroslav Kosov, powered by Enver Lisin and Mikhail Yakubov. Metallurg added on in the second period as Mats Zuccarello scored a power play goal, via Evgeny Biryukov and Oleg Tverdovsky. Magnitogorsk kept going with a power play goal by Denis Platonov, guided in by Tverdovsky and Lisin. The scoring ended here, with the final being 3-0. The three stars went to Gelashvili (35 save shutout), Lisin, and Tverdovsky.

Backtracking east a bit as Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki and Vladislav Fokin receive the starting nods. Chelaybinsk led off with a first period goal by Alexander Shinin, passed from Anton Glinkin. Traktor extended the lead with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, courtesy of Jan Bulis and Dmitry Ryabykin. Ufa got on the board as Igor Mirnov scored, with a lone assist by Alexander Svitov. Chelyabinsk replied in the third period on a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, made possible by Bulis. This produced a 3-1 final score, with the three stars being Bulis, Fokin (28 for 29 in saves), and Kuznetsov.

In the west, Vityaz Chekhov welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Alexander Lazushin and Sergei Denisov are in the creases. Novokuznetsk was first to score in the first period with a Dmitry Chernykh power play goal, assisted by Mikhail Kuklev and Alexander Bumagin. Chekhov got on the board as Evgeny Timkin scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg took the lead back with a Vadim Mitryakov goal, with a lone assist by Yury Nazarov. Vityaz tied it again in the second period with an unassisted power play goal by Sergei Lesnukhin. Novokuznetsk replied with another Chernykh power play goal, powered by Bumagin and Kuklev. Metallurg added on in the third period with a Zakhar Arzamastsev goal, made possible by Alexei Yefimov. Chekhov got one back with an unassisted goal by Anton Tikhomirov. They failed to tie the game, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Chernykh, Bumagin, and Kuklev.

Up in Cherepovets, Severstal brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Jeff Glass and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Cherepovets got going in the second period on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, fueled by Denis Kazionov. Novosibirsk tied it in the third period with a Jonas Enlund goal, guided in by Maxim Ignatovich. The game went to a shootout, where Severstal won with goals by Mikhail Anisin and Ignat Zemchenko for a 2-1 final. The three stars were Zemchenko, Koshechkin (21 for 22 in saves), and Glass (53 for 54 saves, sadly in a loss).

Back to the south, Dynamo Moscow hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Alexander Yeryomenko are the masked men. St. Petersburg opened with a first period power play goal by Dmitry Kalinin, powered by Viktor Tikhonov and Igor Makarov. Moscow tied it as Nikita Lukin scored, via Kirill Knyazev. SKA took the lead back with a Gleb Klimenko goal, assisted by Yury Alexandrov and Evgeny Artyukhin. Dynamo retied it in the second period on a Janne Jalasvaara goal, coming off of Konstantin Gorovikov and Marek Kvapil. Moscow took the lead in the third period as Sergei Konkov potted the puck, with the help of Andrei Mironov. This made it 3-2, a final, with the three stars being Yeryomenko (37 for 39 in saves), Konkov, and Jalasvaara.

Finally, Dinamo Minsk hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Lars Haugen will protect the nets. Minsk began in the first period as Tim Stapleton scored, with the help of Teemu Laine and Cory Murphy. Dinamo added on with a Dmitry Meleshko goal, made possible by Alexander Kulakov and Alexander Kitarov. Minsk struck again with a power play goal by Kulakov, powered by Meleshko. Dinamo padded the lead in the second period as Kulakov scored another power play goal, with Kitarov getting the only assist. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period as Topi Jaakola scored, with assists provided by Nikita Gusev and Vyacheslav Litovchenko. This was all for the scoring, with the final being 4-1. The three stars went to Kulakov, Meleshko, and Haugen (26 for 27 in saves), while Kitarov gets the honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Friday, January 18, 2013

KHL January 18th 2013

Another set of six games today. We start in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Lev Praha. Tomas Popperle and Karri Ramo are the starting goalies. Omsk led off with a first period Alexander Frolov goal, assisted by Dmitry Syomin. Avangard added on in the third period when Alexander Perezhogin scored, via Frolov. Omsk padded the lead as Evgeny Mozer scored, with a lone assist by Oleg Piganovich. Avangard iced it at 4-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Tomas Zaborsky, set up by Georgijs Pujacs and Frolov. The three stars were Frolov, Ramo (39 save shutout), and Perezhogin.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Mikhail Biryukov will be in the blue paint. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score with a first period goal by Anton Krysanov, assisted by Konstantin Glazachev and Marek Troncinsky. Bratislava tied it in the second period when Milan Kytnar scored, via Romas Kukumberg. Yugra took the lead again on an Igor Skorokhodov goal, fueled by Krysanov and Kirill Safronov. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead in the third period when Krysanov scored an empty net goal, made possible by Glazachev and Sergei Demagin. This produced a 3-1 final, with the three stars being Krysanov, Niryukov (30 for 31 in saves), and Glazachev.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Pavel Poluektov will play in goal. Moscow opened with a first period Sergei Shirokov goal, made possible by Denis Denisov and Oleg Kvasha. CSKA added on as Igor Radulov scored, via Niklas Persson and Alexander Radulov. Moscow kept going on an Evgeny Ryasensky goal, courtesy of Persson and Alexander Radulov. CSKA padded the lead in the second period when Janis Sprukts scored, with the help of Patrick Davis and Dmitry Kugryshev. Astana got on the board as Nigel Dawes scored, with an assist provided by Evgeny Fadeyev. Moscow responded with a power play goal by Persson, powered by Igor Radulov and Alexander Radulov, the latter getting a sock trick. CSKA continued in the third period on a Vladimir Zharkov goal, coming off of Denisov and Kvasha. Poluektov was pulled for Vladimir Kramar at this time. Moscow struck again with an Ilya Zubov goal, guided in by Nikolai Prokhorkin. CSKA iced it at 8-1 with an Igor Radulov goal, set up by Yakov Rylov and Alexander Radulov. The three stars of the game were Igor Radulov, Alexander Radulov, and Persson, while Stana (21 for 22 in saves), Denisov, and Kvasha get honorable mentions.

In the west, Spartak Moscow hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Jan Lasak have the green light to start. Yaroslavl began in the second period as Yegor Averin scored, with the help of Alexander Guskov and Vladislav Kartayev. Moscow tied it with a Nikolai Bushuyev goal, made possible by Stefan Ruzicka. Spartak took the lead on a Nikita Shchitov goal, with Alexander Suglobov picking up the only assist. Moscow padded the lead as Bushuyev scored again, courtesy of Ruzicka and Denis Bodrov. Lokomotiv got one back as Averin scored a shorthanded goal, passed from Yury Petrov. Spartak replied in the third period with a power play goal by Vyacheslav Kozlov, powered by Branko Radivojevic and Jaroslav Obsut. Moscow added on as Anatoly Nikontsev scored, with helpers from Andrei Ankudinov and Radivojevic. This held up for a 5-2 win, with the three stars being Bushuyev, Ruzicka, and Radivojevic, while Avelin gets the honorable mention.

Into Ukraine, where Donbass Donetsk hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Christopher Holt will be the masked men. Donetsk started in the first period with a Randy Robitaille goal, fueled by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Lukas Kaspar. Donbass extended the lead in the second period as Denis Kochetkov scored, with the help of Sergei Varlamov. Donetsk iced it at 3-0 in the third period as Varlamov scored, with a lone Kochetkov assist. The three stars were Holt (29 save shutout), Kochetkov, and Varlamov.

Finally, we end with Dinamo Riga hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Maris Jucers will guard the cages. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the first period as Maxim Potapov scored, courtesy of Mikhail Varnakov and Matt Ellison. Riga tied it as Paul Szczechura potted a power play goal, powered by Krisjanis Redlihs and Miks Indrasis. Torpedo took the lead again on a Varnakov goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Yevseyenkov. Dinamo pulled even as Szczechura scored again, with helpers provided by Martins Porejs and Martins Karsums. Nizhny Novgorod took the lead once again with a power play goal by Vladimir Malenkikh, assisted by Ellison. Riga evened the score again as Karsums scored, with the help of Indrasis and Kristaps Sotnieks. Torpedo took the lead back as Martin Thornberg scored a goal, guided in by Yevseyenkov and Dmitry Makarov. This was all for the scoring, resulting in a 4-3 final, and the three stars went to Varnakov, Ellison, and Yevseyenkov, while Szczechura, Karsums, and Indrasis got the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. NHL returns tomorrow.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

KHL January 17th 2013

There's six games going on today. First up...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Matt Dalton and Evgeny Lobanov will be between the pipes. Yekaterinburg started in the first period with a Nikita Tryamkin power play goal, coming off of Evgeny Lapenkov. Nizhnekamsk tied it in the second period on a Petr Koukal goal, passed from Tomas Netik and Nikolai Belov. Neftekhimik took the lead as Netik scored, with a lone assist by Koukal. Avtomobilist retied the game in the third period on an Artyom Kryukov goal, assisted by Lapenkov. Yekaterinburg regained the lead on an Eduard Gimatov goal, courtesy of Sergei Gusev and Alexei Simakov. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Lapenkov, Koukal, and Netik.

A short trip to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Iiro Tarkki and Ari Ahonen tend the twines. Ufa began in the first period as Kirill Koltsov scored, thanks to Antti Pihlstrom. Magnitogorsk tied it in the third period with a Dmitry Kazionov goal, fueled by Denis Platonov and Sergei Mozyakin. Salavat Yulaev responded with an unassisted Alexander Svitov goal. Ufa padded the lead with a shorthanded empty net goal by Alexei Glukhov, passed from Svitov. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-1 with another shorthanded empty net goal, this time from Sergei Zinovyev, with a lone helper by Denis Khlystov. The three stars went to Svitov, Tarkki (29 for 30 in saves), and Mozyakin.

A bit west to Chelyabinsk, with Traktor hosting Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Vladislav Fokin earn the starting nods. Kazan opened with a first period Janne Pesonen goal, assisted by Dmitry Obukhov. Chelyabinsk answered as Stanislav Chistov scored a goal, with a lone assist from Evgeny Kuznetsov. Ak Bars took the lead again in the third period when Danis Zaripov scored a power play goal, powered by Ilya Nikulin and Niko Kapanen. Traktor tied it again when Deron Quint scored, and Kuznetsov again suppled the assist. Chelyabinsk took the lead with a Petri Kontiola goal, made possible by Maxim Yakutsenya and Alexei Vasilchenko. This was all they needed to win 3-2, with the three stars being Kuznetsov, Kontiola, and Fokin (23 for 25 in saves).

Westward to Cherepovets, as Severstal welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Alexander Lazushin and Vasily Koshechkin are in the creases. Cherepovets struck first in the first period on a Niclas Bergfors goal, assisted by Niclas Andersen and Alexei Medvedev. Severstal added on in the second period with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, fueled by Medvedev and Bergfors. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the third period with a Zakhar Arzamastsev goal, guided in by Alexei Yefimov. They failed to tie the game, falling 2-1, with the three stars being Bergfors, Koshechkin (23 for 24 in saves), and Medvedev.

Down to Chekhov, where Vityaz hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Ivan Lisutin will wear the masks. Chekhov finally led off in the second period as Artemy Panarin scored, with the help of Alexander Korolyuk and Josh Hennessy. Khabarovsk tied it when Evgeny Orlov scored, thanks to Timofei Shishkanov. Vityaz took the lead back with a Alexei Troshchinsky goal, made possible by Hennessy. Amur tied it late in the third period as Orlov scored, via Shishkanov and Topi Jaakola. This forced the game all the way to a shootout, where Amur prevailed by a 3-2 margin with goals by Orlov and Dmitry Tarasov enough to outpace a single tally by Panarin for Vityaz. The three stars were Orlov, Shishkanov, and Hennessy, while Panarin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Dinamo Minsk hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Jeff Glass and Lars Haugen are all padded up. Minsk was first to score with a first period goal by Geoff Platt, going down unassisted. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period on an Alexei Kopeikin goal, assisted by Viktor Bobrov. Sibir took the lead in the third period on a Jori Lehtera goal, courtesy of Alexander Kutuzov and Ivan Lekomtsev on the power play. Novosibirsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net power play goal by Jonas Enlund, powered by Bobrov and Arturs Kulda. The three stars were Bobrov, Glass (27 for 28 in saves), and Lehtera.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Two days until NHL hockey returns. Exciting times.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

KHL January 16th 2013

Four more games for today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard welcomes CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Karri Ramo guard the cages. Omsk led off with a shorthanded goal by Alexander Frolov, passed from Anton Belov and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on as Dmitry Syomin scored, courtesy of Pavel Valentenko and Perezhogin. Moscow got on the board in the second period as Igor Radulov scored, via Evgeny Ryasensky and Yakov Rylov on the power play. Omsk shot back as Perezhogin scored a goal, with a lone assist from Anssi Salmela. Avangard struck again with a power play goal by Belov, made possible by Frolov and Nikita Pivtsakin. Ilya Proskuryakov replaced Stana in goal. CSKA pulled back with a power play goal by Rylov, powered by Alexander Radulov and Ryasensky. Moscow chipped away in the third period on a power play goal by Niklas Persson, fueled by Denis Denisov and Alexander Radulov. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-3, and the three stars were Perezhogin, Belov, and Frolov, while the honorable mentions went to Ryasensky, Alexander Radulov, and Rylov.

To the west, Spartak Moscow hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Jan Lasak receive the starting nods. Dynamo began in the second period with a power play goal by Marek Kvapil, powered by Konstantin Gorovikov and Denis Mosalyov. Dynamo added on in the third period as Maxim Solovyov scored, with a lone assist by Kvapil. Spartak got on the board when Jaroslav Obsut put down a power play goal, via Stefan Ruzicka. Dynamo iced it at 3-1 when Denis Kokarev scored an empty net goal, with the help of Dominik Granak. The three stars went to Kvapil, Yeryomenko (19 for 20 in saves), and Solovyov.

Over in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Jan Laco tend the twines. Nizhny Novgorod struck first in the first period with a power play goal by Martin Thornberg, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Donetsk tied the game as Petr Podhradsky scored, via Fredrik Pettersson and Evgeny Nikiforov. Donbass took the lead in the second period on a Lukas Kaspar goal, courtesy of Randy Robitaille. Torpedo tied it with a power play goal from Mikhail Varnakov, passed from Matt Ellison and Juuso Hietanen. The game went into a shootout, where both Thornberg and Varnakov scored to lift Torpedo 3-2 over a lone tally by Vaclav Nedorost of Donbass. The three stars were Thornberg, Varnakov, and Koval (41 for 43 in saves).

Finally, we end as Dinamo Riga hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Maris Jucers will be between the pipes. Riga was first to score in the first period as Martins Karsums scored, with a lone assist by Paul Szczechura. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with a Patrick Thoresen power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kalinin and Tony Martensson. SKA took the lead in the third period as Viktor Tikhonov scored, with the help of Teemu Ramstedt. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Ezhov (18 for 19 in saves), Tikhonov, and Thoresen.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

KHL January 15 2013

Four games on today as the KHL returns from their All-Star break, beginning with...

Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosting Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Mikhail Biryukov will be in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk started in the first period with a Vitaly Sitnikov goal, made possible by Igor Magogin and Igor Skorokhodov. Yugra added on with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, fueled by Anton Krysanov. Khanty-Mansiysk kept going as Skorokhodov scored, with a lone assist by Rinat Ibragimov. Astana got on the board with an Alexei Litvinenko power play goal, powered by Roman Savchenko and Talgat Zhailauov. Yugra shot back with a Sergei Demagin goal, coming off of Glazachev and Tomas Starosta. Khanty-Mansiysk padded the lead in the second period on a Krysanov goal, coming shorthanded via Glazachev. Barys pulled back on a Maxim Spiridonov goal, guided in by Nigel Dawes. Astana chipped away as Andrei Gavrilin potted the puck, with assists provided by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and Zhailauov. Yugra replied in the third period on another Skorokhodov goal, passed from Sitnikov. Barys made it 6-4 with a power play goal by Dustin Boyd, set up by Konstantin Rudenko and Roman Starchenko. This was as close as it got, with the three stars belonging to Skorokhodov, Glazachev, and Krysanov, while Sitnikov and Zhailauov get the honorable mentions.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Kuznetsov and Matt Dalton are the masked men. Khabarovsk began in the first period with a Vyacheslav Litovchenko goal, coming on the power play via Topi Jaakola and Igor Ozhiganov. Nizhnekamsk tied it with a Petr Koukal power play goal, coming off of Renat Mamashev and Ruslan Nurtdinov. Amur took the lead back as Jaakola scored a goal, assisted by Mikhail Fisenko and Ozhiganov. Khabarovsk struck again on a Vladimir Loginov goal, with a lone assist from Nikita Gusev on the power play. Amur padded the lead with an Anton Poleshchuk goal, set up by Juha-Pekka Hytonen. Maxim Sokolov relieved Dalton at this time. Khabarovsk extended the lead on an Alexander Yunkov goal, courtesy of Dmitry Tarasov and Janne Lahti. Neftekhimik shot back with a Tomas Netik power play goal, with the only helper from Alexander Seluyanov. Nizhnekamsk pulled closer on an unassisted Nikolai Belov goal. Neftekhimik chipped away on a Netik goal, thanks to Koukal and Nurtdinov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on an Oskar Osala goal passed from Martin Cibak. Neftekhimik took the lead on a Cibak goal, from Maxim Berezin and Maxim Pestushko. This held up for a 6-5 win, with the three stars being Cibak, Netik, and Koukal, while Nurtdinov, Ozhiganov, and Jaakola get the honorable mentions.

Moving west to Cherepovets, with Severstal hosting Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Yaroslavl led off with a first period Mikelis Redlihs goal, assisted by Alexander Guskov and Staffan Kronwall. Lokomotiv added on with another Redlihs goal, coming off of Daniil Apalkov. Cherepovets got on the board in the second period with a Petr Caslava goal, guided in by Mikhail Anisin. Severstal tied it as Alexei Medvedev scored, via Ignat Zemchenko. The third period and overtime went silent, so the game was settled in a shootout. Here, Lokomotiv ended up winning 3-2 with a lone tally by Apalkov. The three stars were Redlihs, Apalkov, and Sanford (41 for 43 in saves).

Finally, in Prague, Lev Praha hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Jakub Stepanek will be in the blue paint. Praha opened with a first period Jakub Klepis goal, via Jakub Nakladal. Bratislava tied it as Martin Bakos scored a goal, with a lone assist by Michel Miklik. Slovan took the lead with a Peter Olvecky goal, assisted by Marko Dano. Bratislava struck again with a Mario Bliznak goal, coming off of Miklik and Ivan Datelinka. Slovan added on as Milan Kytnar scored in the second period, courtesy of Michal Sersen and Roman Kukumberg. Lev got one back as Klepis scored again, and again Nakladal had the only assist. Praha pulled closer with a Tomas Rachunek goal, guided in by Klepis and Sami Lepisto. They couldn't score again, falling 4-3, with the three stars being Klepis, Miklik, and Nakladal.

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Sunday, January 13, 2013

NFL Divisional Round 2013

Four more games to thin the playoff field a bit. First up...

The AFC Divisional game between the host Denver Broncos and visiting Baltimore Ravens. Denver started in the first quarter on a 90 yard Trindon Holliday punt return for a touchdown, and Matt Prater made the extra point. Baltimore tied it as Joe Flacco found Torrey Smith for a 59 yard touchdown pass, and Justin Tucker was there with the extra point. The Ravens took the lead as Corey Graham intercepted Payton Manning and took the ball 39 yards for a touchdown, allowing Tucker another extra point. The Broncos pulled even again as Manning found Brandon Stokley for a 15 yard touchdown pass, and Prater knocked in the extra point. Denver edged ahead in the second quarter with another Manning touchdown pass, going 14 yards to Knowshon Moreno, and Prater supplied the extra point. Baltimore tied it on another Flacco-to-Smith touchdown, this time for 32 yards, and Tucker booted the extra point. The Broncos shot back in the third quarter as Holliday ran the opening kickoff of the second half back for 104 yards and a touchdown, and Prater drilled the PAT. The Ravens again pulled even with a Ray Rice 1 yard touchdown rush, and Tucker was true with the extra point. Denver took the lead once again in the fourth quarter as Manning found Demaryius Thomas for 17 yards and a touchdown, and Prater was good with the extra point. Baltimore again pulled even with Flacco launching a 70 yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones, and Tucker kicked in the extra point. The game went through a first overtime and into a second overtime (the sixth quarter if you will), where the Ravens won 38-35 as Tucker made a 47 yard field goal to end the game. Baltimore continues on the road next week against an undetermined opponent while Denver is out of the playoffs, a major disappointment for a team that looked much better than this.

In the first of the NFC Divisional games, the San Francisco 49ers host the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay led off with a first quarter Sam Shields interception of Colin Kaepernick, returned 52 yards for a touchdown, and Mason Crosby knocked in the extra point. San Francisco tied it as Kaepernick ran 20 yards for a touchdown, and David Akers booted the extra point. The Packers retook the lead with a DuJuan Harris 18 yard touchdown run, and Crosby nailed the extra point. The 49ers tied it in the second quarter as Kaepernick passed 12 yards for a touchdown to Michael Crabtree, and Akers drilled the extra point. San Francisco took the lead as Kaepernick and Crabtree hooked up for another touchdown, this time a 20 yard play, and Akers made the extra point. Green Bay retied it as Aaron Rodgers passed 20 yards for a touchdown to James Jones, and Crosby handled the extra point. The 49ers got another lead on a 36 yard Akers field goal. The Packers tied it in the third quarter as Crosby made a 31 yard field goal. San Francisco edged ahead again on a 56 yard touchdown run by Kaepernick, and Akers kicked in the PAT. The 49ers padded the lead in the fourth quarter on a Frank Gore 2 yard touchdown run, and Akers booted the extra point. San Francisco kept going as Anthony Dixon ran in a 2 yard touchdown, and Akers made another extra point. Green Bay got some back as Rodger found Greg Jennings for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Crosby tacked on the extra point. San Francisco held on to win 45-31, and await the results of Sunday for their next opponent.

Continuing on the second day, the Atlanta Falcons welcome the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC Divisional. Atlanta started with a first quarter 39 yard field goal by Matt Bryant. The Falcons added on with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez, and Bryant tacked on the extra point. Atlanta padded the lead in the second quarter as Bryant made a 37 yard field goal. The Falcons extended the lead with Ryan finding Roddy White for 47 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant kicked another extra point. Seattle got on the board in the third quarter as Russell Wilson passed 29 yards for a touchdown to Golden Tate, and Ryan Longwell knocked in the extra point. Atlanta replied as Ryan passed 5 yards to Jason Snelling for a touchdown, and Bryant tacked on the PAT. The Seahawks pulled back in the fourth quarter as Wilson ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Longwell booted the extra point. Seattle chipped away with Wilson finding Zach Miller for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Longwell kicked another extra point. The Seahawks edged ahead as Marshawn Lynch ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Longwell again made the extra point. The Falcons retook the lead as Bryant made a 49 yard field goal. This held up for the 30-28 win, and means that Atlanta will host next week's NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Finally, in the other AFC Divisional, the New England Patriots host the Houston Texans. Houston began in the first quarter with a Shayne Graham 27 yard field goal. New England took the lead as Shane Vereen ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Stephen Gostkowski handled the extra point. The Patriots added on in the second quarter with a Gostkowski 37 yard field goal. New England kept going with a Tom Brady 8 yard touchdown pass to Vereen, and Gostkowski tacked on the PAT. The Texans pulled back as Arian Foster ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Graham was good with the extra point. Houston got closer with a 55 yard Graham field goal. The Patriots answered in the third quarter as Stevan Ridley ran 8 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski supplied the extra point. New England extended the lead as Brady passed 5 yards for a touchdown to Brandon Lloyd, and Gostkowski booted another extra point. The Patriots struck again as Brady passed for a 33 yard touchdown to Vereen, and Gostkowski was true with the extra point. The Texans shot back as Matt Schaub passed 25 yards for a touchdown to DeVier Posey for 25 yards and a touchdown, and Graham nailed the extra point. Houston got closer as Schaub passed 1 yard to Foster for a touchdown, and then he found Andre Johnson for the two-point conversion. New England iced it at 41-28 with a Gostkowski 38 yard field goal. The Patriots advance to host the Baltimore Ravens next week in the AFC Championship Game.

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KHL All-Star Game

This could be a bit sloppy, so fair warning. The English language website did not have a posting of the game text, so I'm using Google Translate to piece together what's happening.

This game pits East against West, being played in Traktor Arena in Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett for the East and Vasily Koshechkin for the West make the starts. The West scored the first of many goals as Ilya Kovalchuk potted the puck, with the help of Alexander Radulov. The West struck again as Alexander Korolyuk scored, thanks to Nikolai Zherdev. The East got on the board as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a goal, coming off of Jakub Petruzalek. The East tied it on a Tomas Zaborsky goal, via Alexander Perezhogin and Ilya Nikulin. The East edged ahead as Renat Mamashev scored, with Perezhogin picking up the only helper. The East added on as Igot Skorokhodov scored, via Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Jori Lehtera. The East got another on a Kagarlitsky goal, passed from Lehtera. The East continued their surge with an unassisted Kuznetsov goal. The West chipped back on a Sergei Shirokov goal, set up by Zherdev. The East shot back in the second period with a Kuznetsov goal to complete his hat trick, and Nikulin added an assist. The West quickly replied with a Zherdev goal, courtesy of Shirokov. The East answered again on a Deron Quint goal, with Lehtera adding his third assist for a sock trick. The West pulled back with a Radulov goal, and Pavel Datsyuk supplied an assist. The East answered after Staffan Kronwall commited a penalty on a breakaway, setting Lehtera up for a successful penalty shot. The East extended the lead with an Alexei Morozov goal, and Sergei Mozyakin was credited with the assist. At the middle of the period, Garnett was relieved by Konstantin Barulin, and Koshechkin was relieved by Rastislav Stana. The East continued with another Morozov goal, this time thanks to Nikulin. The East padded the lead as Mamashev scored a goal, powered by Zaborsky and Petruzalek. The West chipped back with another Kovalchuk goal from Radulov. The East came back with a Quint goal, guided in by Kagarlitsky and Lehtera. The East continued the attack in the third period with an unassisted Mozyakin goal. The East got another as Kuznetsov scored his fourth of the night, also going down unassisted. The West responded on a Korolyuk goal, helped along by Shirokov. The East struck again as Kagarlitsky scored another goal, with helpers provided by Lehtera and Skorokhodov. The East continued with a Skorokhodov goal, made possible by Quint. The East got another on a Petruzalek tally, set up by Perezhogin and Zaborsky. The West came back with a Michael Varnakov goal, assisted by Tim Stapleton and Sergei Plotnikov. The West chipped away as Shirkov put down an unassisted goal. The West pulled closer with another Varnakov goal, coming from Korolyuk and Shirokov. The West got another back as Kovalchuk finished his hat trick, with assist coming from Radulov, for a sock trick, and Datsyuk. This produced the 18-11 East win, and the awards for best defenders went to the East's Mamashev and the West's Ilya Gorokhov. Congratulations to all of the All-Stars for being at the top of the KHL in talent.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. KHL resumes on Tuesday, NHL begins next Saturday.