Saturday, April 6, 2013

NHL April 6th 2013

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Ondrej Pavelec make the starts. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kent Huskins and Simon Gagne. Winnipeg tied it as Grant Clitsome scored his third of the year in the second period, a power play goal set up by Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Jets took the lead with a power play goal by Kyle Wellwood, his third of the season, powered by Evander Kane and Olli Jokinen. Winnipeg extended the lead as Kane scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Mike Santorelli and Alex Burmistrov. The Jets padded the lead with a Little goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Wheeler and Andrew Ladd. Steve Mason relieved Bryzgalov for the third period. This was all for the scoring, resulting in a 4-1 final, with the three stars being Kane, Little, and Pavelec (30 for 31 in saves), while Wheeler got an honorable mention.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Ray Emery and Pekka Rinne are in the blue paint. Chicago opened in the first period on a Bryan Bickell goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Michal Handzus and Marcus Kruger. This was the game's only goal, with the final being 1-0, and the three stars were Bickell, Rinne (29 for 30 in saves), and Emery (20 save shutout).

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Los Angeles began quickly in the first period as Mike Richards notched his ninth of the season, with a lone assist from Jeff Carter. The Kings added on as Carter scored his twenty-second of the year, a power play goal powered by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. Edmonton got on the board in the second period with a Magnus Paajarvi power play goal, his eighth of the season, pushed through by Nail Yakupov and Sam Gagner. Los Angeles shot back on a Slava Voynov goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal set up by Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll. The Kings iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Drew Doughty, his second of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Carter, Quick (23 for 24 in saves), and Richards.

Back east, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Martin Brodeur are called on to start. Toronto was first to score in the first period with the second of the season by Leo Komarav, assisted by Mark Fraser and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs added on in the third period when Tyler Bozak scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk. New Jersey got on the board with a David Clarkson goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Marek Zidlicky. They failed to get an equalizer, falling 2-1, with the three stars being given to Reimer (27 for 28 in saves), Bozak, and Clarkson.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Brandon Prust and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens added on in the second period as Michael Ryder scored his sixteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Subban and Tomas Plekanec. Boston got on the board with a Daniel Paille goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist from Johnny Boychuk. They couldn't find the tying goal, losing 2-1, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Price (26 for 27 in saves), and Ryder, while Subban gets an honorable mention.

Back in the south, the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Dan Ellis in goal. New York got going in the second period on a Derek Stepan power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Brad Richards and Ryane Clowe. The Rangers added on with a Ryan Callahan goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Rick Nash and Stepan. New York extended the lead as Nash potted his fifteenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Mats Zuccarello and Michael Del Zotto. Justin Peters relieved Ellis for the third period. Carolina got on the board in the third period when Zac Dalpe scored, via Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal. The Rangers finished it with a Brian Boyle empty net goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. This made it a 4-1 final score, with the three stars belonging to Lundqvist (48 for 49 in saves), Nash, and Skinner, while Stepan gets an honorable mention.

Speaking of New York, we head there next as the Islanders host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Evgeni Nabokov man the creases. New York started in the first period as Michael Grabner scored his twelfth of the season, via John Tavares. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Richard Panik goal, his second of the year, coming off of Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Carle. The Islanders took the lead back with a Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. The Lightning tied it in the third period as Carle scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Steven Stamkos and Benoit Pouliot. New York reclaimed the lead with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the season, made possible by Anders Lee and Mark Streit. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Andrew MacDonald, his third of the year, with a lone helper from Bailey. The three stars were handed to Martin, Bailey, and Carle.

Moving along to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jacob Markstrom are the excellent young goalies. Washington opened in the first period on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Mike Ribeiro and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on in the second period with a Ribeiro power play goal, his twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Mike Green and Ovechkin. Washington padded the lead as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with the help of Backstrom and Marcus Johansson.  The Capitals extended the lead as Ovechkin completed his hat trick with his twenty-third of the year, another power play goal, powered by Johansson and Backstrom, the latter getting a sock trick. Florida got on the board in the third period as Tomas Kopecky scored his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Fleischmann and T.J. Brennan. The Panthers pulled closer as Peter Mueller scored his eighth of the year, a power play goal with helpers from Shawn Matthias and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida chipped away with another Kopecky goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Matthias. It wasn't enough to avoid a 4-3 loss, with the three stars being Ovechkin, Ribeiro, and Kopecky, while Backstrom, Johansson, and Matthias get the honorable mentions.

Way to the west, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Mike Smith protect the nets. Phoenix quickly began with a first period Mikkel Boedker goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Martin Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Hanzal power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata. Phoenix padded the lead with a Boyd Gordon goal, his third of the season, courtesy of David Moss. The Coyotes extended the lead when Doan notched his thirteenth of the year, via Vrbata and Ekman-Larsson. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 4-0 final, with Smith (24 save shutout), Ekman-Larsson, and Hanzal getting the three stars, while Doan and Vrbata receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Cory Schneider are the redheaded goalies. Vancouver led off with a Dan Hamhuis goal, his third of the season, via Alexandre Burrows and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks extended the lead as Jason Garrison scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Maxim Lapierre and Dale Weise. Calgary got on the board with a Dennis Wideman goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Matt Stajan and Mark Giordano. Vancouver answered in the second period on a Burrows goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks padded the lead with an Alexander Edler power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Daniel Sedin, who got a sock trick, and Henrik Sedin. The Flames got one back in the third period on an Alex Tanguay goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Matt Stajan and Lee Stempniak.

Friday, April 5, 2013

NHL April 5th 2013

Six games on a slightly busy Friday, beginning in...

Pittsburgh, with the Penguins hosting the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh got going in the third period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. New York tied it with a Rick Nash goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming from Derek Stepan. The game went to a shootout, where a lone tally by Jokinen lifted the Penguins to a 2-1 win. Fleury (34 for 35 in saves), Jokinen, and Lundqvist (26 for 27 in saves) received the three stars.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Buffalo began in the first period with a Luke Adam goal, fueled by Adam Pardy and Mike Weber. Ottawa tied it as Marc Methot scored his second of the season, thanks to Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad. The Senators took the lead in the third period on an Eric Gryba goal, his second of the year, coming off of Zibanejad and Chris Neil. The Sabres tied it as Steve Ott scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Mark Pysyk and Pardy. Buffalo took the lead on a Brian Flynn goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Jochen Hecht and Weber. The Sabres added on with a Hecht goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Tyler Myers and Kevin Porter. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Weber, Miller (35 for 37 in saves), and Ott, while Hecht, Zibanejad, and Pardy receive the honorable mentions.

West to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jake Allen are the young goalies. St. Louis started in the second period on a Chris Stewart power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. Columbus tied it as Artem Anisimov scored his tenth of the year, via Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. The Blues took the lead back with a David Backes goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Alexander Steen. St. Louis finished it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Patrik Berglund, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Bouwmeester. The three stars went to Backes, Allen (26 for 27 in saves), and Bobrovsky (16 for 18 in saves), while Bouwmeester could take the third slot.

Further to the west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are in the creases. Detroit opened in the first period with a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg. Colorado tied it with a Mark Olver goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by David van der Gulik and Aaron Palushaj. The Red Wings took the lead back with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Avalanche tied it in the third period as P.A. Parenteau scored his fifteenth of the year, via Jamie McGinn and Matt Duchene. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime as Datsyuk scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Zetterberg. The three stars were awarded to Datsyuk, Parenteau, and Olver, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Anaheim, as the Ducks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Viktor Fasth protect the nets.
Dallas led off in the first period with a Lane MacDermid goal, his second of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel and Ryan Garbutt. Anaheim tied it on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his twelfth of the year, via Dave Steckel and Bryan Allen. The Stars took the lead back on a shorthanded goal by Eric Nystrom, his fifth of the season, set up by Vernon Fiddler and Trevor Daley. Dallas added on with an Alex Chiasson goal, assisted by Fiddler and Brenden Dillon. This was all they needed to win 3-1, with the three stars belonging to Lehtonen (27 for 28 in saves), Corey Perry, and Stephane Robidas, while Fiddler and Chiasson could take the second and third slots.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Calgary was first to score in the first period as Mikael Backlund potted his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Michael Cammalleri. San Jose tied it on a third period Dan Boyle goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Logan Couture and Matt Tennyson. The Sharks gained the lead with the twelfth of the campaign by Joe Pavelski, assisted by Brent Burns and T.J. Galiardi. This made it 2-1, the final, with Pavelski, Kiprusoff (39 for 41 in saves), and Niemi (23 for 24 in saves) getting the three stars.

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

NHL April 4th 2013

Ten games on tonight as the traded players settle into new cities. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Dan Ellis will make the starts. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Teddy Purcell goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Matt Carle. The Lightning added on as Tom Pyatt scored his eighth of the year, via Alex Killorn and Eric Brewer. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Keith Aulie scored his second of the season, thanks to Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period with a St. Louis goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Benoir Pouliot and Carle. Tampa Bay kept going with a Pouliot goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Stamkos and St. Louis. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Bishop (45 save shutout), St. Louis, and Pouliot, while Carle and Stamkos got the honorable mentions.

Up in Boston, the Bruins host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston opened in the second period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara. This was the game's only goal, resulting in a 1-0 final. Rask (40 save shutout), Jagr, and Brodeur (25 for 26 in saves) were awarded the three stars.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Braden Holtby are in the creases. New York started in the first period as Mike Green scored his eighth of the season, via Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. New York tied it in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey. The game went into a shootout, where a lone tally by Alex Ovechkin lifted the Capitals to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Holtby (35 for 36 in saves), Green, and Nabokov (21 for 22 in saves).

Crossing into Canada, as the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov and James Reimer received the starting nods. Philadelphia led off in the first period on a Simon Gagne goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Erik Gustafsson and Ruslan Fedotenko. Toronto tied it with a Nikolai Kulemin goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Joffrey Lupul and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs gained the lead as John-Michael Liles scored his second of the season, via Mikhail Grabovski and Frazer McLaren. The Flyers pulled even as Jakub Voracek scored his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Sean Couturier and Matt Read. Philadelphia took the lead in the second period as Brayden Schenn scored his seventh of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The Flyers extended the lead with a Jay Rosehill goal, with a lone assists by Couturier. Toronto got one back in the third period as James van Riemsdyk notched his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Phaneuf and Cody Franson. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 as Luke Schenn scored his third of the year, an empty net goal set up by Gustafsson and Claude Giroux. The three stars went to Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, and Nazem Kadri, while Gustafsson, Phaneuf, or Couturier could take the bottom two slots.

Staying in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Peter Budaj are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on an Alex Burmistrov goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Grant Clitsome and Andrew Ladd. Montreal tied it on a Michael Ryder power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Brian Gionta and Lars Eller. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period when Ryder scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, via P.K.Subban. Montreal added on with a power play goal by Gionta, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Eller and Subban. The Canadiens padded the lead in the third period when Alex Galchenyuk registered his fourth of the campaign, with the help of Travis Moen and Ryder. This held up for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Ryder, Budaj (33 for 34 in saves), and Subban, while Gionta and Eller receive the honorable mentions.

South to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Columbus was first to score in the second period on a James Wisniewski power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Brandon Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik. Nashville tied it on a Kevin Klein goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Patric Hornqvist and David Legwand. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period as Gaborik scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Dubinsky and Matt Calvert. Columbus added on as Calvert scored his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Fedor Tyutin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Gaborik, Bobrovsky (38 for 39 in saves), and Calvert, while Dubinsky gets an honorable mention.

A little north to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Corey Crawford are called on to start. St. Louis began with a first period Adam Cracknell goal, made possible by Chris Porter and Ryan Reaves. Chicago tied it in the second period when Jonathan Toews scored his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the year, via Toews. The Blues tied it in the third period with another Cracknell goal, his second of the game, coming from Porter. St. Louis took the lead as David Backes notched his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jay Bouwmeester and Alexander Steen. Chicago retied the game as Viktor Stalberg scored his seventh of the year, assisted by Michal Rozsival and Bryan Bickell. The game went to a shootout, where Toews was matched by Chris Stewart, Kane was canceled out by Andy McDonald, and Marian Hossa was paced by Steen before the Blues broke through for a 4-3 win on a Kevin Shattenkirk tally. Cracknell, Toews, and Backes received the three stars while Porter gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard faces a lesser foe in Chad Johnson in goal. Detroit started in the first period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his seventh of the season coming on the power play from Gustav Nyquist and Brendan Smith. Phoenix tied it in the second period as Michael Stone scored his fourth of the year, courtesy of Keith Yandle and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes took the lead on a Chris Conner goal, fueled by Boedker and Antoine Vermette. Phoenix added on with a Shane Doan goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Martin Hanzal and Yandle. The Red Wings got one back in the third period as Daniel Cleary scored his ninth of the year, a power play goal powered by Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg. The Coyotes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Hanzal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Stone. The three stars were Johnson (34 for 36 in saves), Boedker, and Conner, while Hanzal, Stone, and Yandle got the honorable mentions.

West to Los Angeles, where the Kings welcome the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Jonathan Bernier have the green light to start. Los Angeles opened with a first period goal by Justin Williams, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on as Jeff Carter scored his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Mike Richards and Drew Doughty. Darcy Kuemper relieved Backstrom at this time. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period on another Williams goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, fueled by Anze Kopitar and Robyn Regehr. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 3-0, and the three stars went to Williams, Bernier (23 save shutout), and Regehr.

Finally, we end in Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Cory Schneider will man the blue paint. Vancouver led off in the first period on a Kevin Bieksa power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Jason Garrison. The Canucks added on in the second period as Henrik Sedin scored his tenth of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. Vancouver extended the lead in the third period with the tenth of the season by Chris Higgins, fueled by Derek Roy and Jannik Hansen. The Canucks padded the lead on a Zack Kassian goal, his sixth of the year, thanks to Maxim Lapierre and Garrison. This was good for a 4-0 win, with Schneider (23 save shutout), Henrik Sedin, and Roy getting the three stars while Garrison gets an honorable mention.

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Eastern Conference Final: Ak Bars Kazan VS. Traktor Chelyabinsk

Welcome to the post for the Eastern Conference final between Ak Bars Kazan and Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series.

Game 1: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Michael Garnett for Traktor and Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars. Chelyabinsk was first to score in the first period with a power play goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, assisted by Jan Bulis and Stanislav Chistov. Kazan tied it with a power play goal by Danis Zaripov, powered by Alexei Morozov and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars won it 2-1 in overtime as Konstantin Korneyev scored an unassisted power play goal. The three stars were Korneyev, Barulin (23 for 24 in saves), and Garnett (46 for 47 in saves). Ak Bars owns a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Michael Garnett for Traktor and Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars. Kazan got going in the second period with a power play goal by Denis Kulyash, powered by Evgeny Medvedev and Janne Pesonen. Ak Bars added on as Danis Zaripov scored, courtesy of Alexei Morozov and Niko Kapanen. Chelyabinsk got on the board in the third period with a Jan Bulis goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Belov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kazan replied with a Jarkko Immonn goal, assisted by Medvedev and Pesonen on the power play. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Barulin (21 for 22 in saves), Medvedev, and Pesonen. Ak Bars will travel with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars and Michael Garnett for Traktor. The game was scoreless for nearly ninety-nine minutes before a Chelybinsk goal in the second overtime, scored by Anton Glinkin and going in unassisted. The final score was 1-0, and the three stars went to Glinkin, Garnett (39 save shutout), and Barulin (47 for 48 in saves). Traktor still trails Ak Bars 2-1 in the series.

Game 4: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars and Michael Garnett for Traktor. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period with a Valery Nichushkin goal, assisted Nikita Nesterov. Traktor added on with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, fueled by Alexei Vasilchenko and Petri Kontiola. Kazan got on the board as Alexei Morozov scored an unassisted power play goal. Ak Bars tied it in the second period when Denis Kulyash scored an unassisted goal. Kazan gained the lead on an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, set up by Denis Golubev and Kulyash. Chelyabinsk tied it again with a power play goal by Jan Bulis, powered by Deron Quint and Dmitry Ryabykin. Traktor gained the lead with another Bulis power play goal, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Stanislav Chistov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead in the third period on a Kontiola power play goal, with a lone assist from Yakutsenya. Ak Bars chipped back on a Morozov goal, coming off of Evgeny Medvedev. Kazan tied it again as Lauris Darzins scored, thanks to Alexei Tereshchenko and Kulyash. Ak Bars won 6-5 in overtime as Danis Zaripov scored, courtesy of Medvedev. The three stars were Kulyash, Medvedev, and Morozov, while Bulis, Yakutsenya and Kontiola are given the honorable mentions. Ak Bars will head home with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Michael Garnett for Traktor and Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period on a Jan Bulis goal, assisted by Deron Quint and Stanislav Chistov. Kazan tied it in the third period on an Ilya Nikulin power play goal, powered by Konstantin Koneyev and Alexei Morozov. Traktor won it with just eight seconds left in overtime (an odd reference to the Fray's Over My Head (Cable Car)) as Petri Kontiola scored, with a lone assist from Valery Nichushkin. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Kontiola, Garnett (41 for 42 in saves), and Barulin (38 for 40 in saves). Traktor has pulled closer, and now only trails Ak Bars 3-2 in the series.

Game 6: Traktor Sport Palace, Chelyabinsk, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars and Michael Garnett for Traktor. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Jan Bulis power play goal, powered by Stanislav Chistov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Traktor added on as Anton Glinkin scored a goal, with a lone assist from Maxim Karpov. Kazan got on the board in the second period when Denis Golubev scored, with the help of Artyom Lukoyanov and Nikolai Zherdev. Chelyabinsk answered in the third period with an Andrei Popov goal, fueled by Vladimir Antipov. Ak Bars shot back on an Alexei Morozov goal, coming off of Ilya Nikulin. They failed to tie the game, falling 3-2, with the three stars being Popov, Garnett (24 for 26 in saves), and Glinkin. Traktor has pulled all the way back to tie the series at 3 and force a game 7.

Game 7: TatNeft Arena, Kazan, Russia. In goal: Michael Garnett for Traktor and Konstantin Barulin for Ak Bars. Chelyabinsk led off in the second period with a Vladimir Antipov power play goal, powered by Deron Quint and Andrei Kostitsyn. Kazan tied it in the third period with a Janne Pesonen goal, fueled by Dmitry Obukhov and Jarkko Immonen. Traktor took the lead back with a Kostitsyn goal, assisted by Petri Kontiola and Maxim Yakutsenya. They held on to win 2-1, with the three stars being Kostitsyn, Garnett (30 for 31 in saves), and Antipov. Traktor completed the rare comeback from down 3-0 to win the series 4-3 and compete for the Gagarin Cup against Dynamo Moscow.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

NHL April 3rd 2013

Only five games on tonight, beginning in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period with a Brian Boyle potting his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Derick Brassard. The Rangers added on as Ryan McDonagh scored his third of the year, with the help of Richards and Ryane Clowe. New York padded the lead as Clowe scored, courtesy of Derek Stepan. The Rangers struck again in the second period as Brassard scored a power play goal, set up by Boyle and Dan Girardi. Pittsburgh got on the board as Pascal Dupuis potted his eighteenth of the season, with assists provided by Robert Bortuzzo and Brenden Morrow. New York shot back with another Clowe goal, coming on the power play via Brassard and Boyle. The Rangers iced it at 6-1 with a third period John Moore goal, made possible by Boyle and Brassard, both of whom got a sock trick. The three stars went to Clowe, Brassard, and Richards, while Boyle gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ilya Bryzgalov guard the cages. Montreal struck first in the first period as Alexei Emelin scored his third of the season, thanks to Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on a Sean Couturier goal, his third of the year, passed from Ruslan Fedotenko and Simon Gagne. The Flyers took the lead as Gagne scored his third of the season, fueled by Oliver Lauridsen and Luke Schenn. The Canadiens retied it on a Brandon Prust goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jeff Halpern and Alex Galchenyuk. Twenty seconds later, Montreal had the lead when Desharnais scored his ninth of the season, assisted by Emelin and Pacioretty. Philadelphia tied it in the third period on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Bruno Gervais and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers gained the lead with an Erik Gustafsson goal, made possible by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 on a Voracek goal, his fifteenth of the yer finding the empty net with a lone assist by Read. The three stars were awarded to Read, Simmonds, and Couturier, while Voracek, Gagne, Desharnais, Emelin, and Pacioretty picked up the honorable mentions.

Way southwest to Anaheim, as the Ducks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Viktor Fasth draw the starts. Anaheim led off in the first period on a Radek Dvorak goal, fueled by Ryan Getzlaf and Daniel Winnik. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Teemu Selanne power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. Anaheim extended the lead as Kyle Palmieri scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Peter Holland and Matt Beleskey. Dallas got on the board in the third period on an Erik Cole goal, his seventh of the season, via Vernon Fiddler and Alex Goligoski. The Ducks answered with a Getzlaf goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The Stars shot back on a Lane MacDermid goal, with a lone assist from Ryan Garbutt. Anaheim iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano, his eleventh of the campaign, set up by Saku Koivu and Sheldon Souray. Getzlaf, Fowler, and Palmieri received the three stars.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Joey MacDonald are in the creases. Calgary began with a first period Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Dennis Wideman. The Flames added on with another Stajan goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, coming off of Curtis Glencross and Lee Stempniak. Edmonton got on the board as Sam Gagner scored his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jeff Petry and Lennart Petrell. The Oilers tied it as Ryan Whitney scored his fourth of the year, courtesy of Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton took the lead in the second period as Nail Yakupov scored his eighth of the season, a power play goal powered by Gagner and Whitney. The Oilers added on with a Hall power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. Edmonton padded the lead with a power play goal by Nugent-Hopkins, his third of the season, made possible by Hall and Ales Hemsky. The Oilers struck again on a Jordan Eberle goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, via Hall and Nugent-Hopkins, both of whom got sock tricks. Edmonton extended the lead with another Eberle goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with a lone helper by Hall. The Oilers finished it at 8-2 with Yakupov's second of the game and ninth of the year, pushed through by Ryan Smyth. The three stars were awarded to Hall, Stajan, and Nugent-Hopkins, while Yakupov, Eberle, Gagner and Whitney receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, we end in San Jose, where the Sharks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. San Jose opened with a first period Martin Havlat goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Sharks added on as Dan Boyle scored his sixth of the year, an unassisted power play goal. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his fifth of the season, via Zach Parise and Jonas Brodin. The Wild tied it as Dany Heatley scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Justin Falk. San Jose took the lead back on a Thornton goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Burns. The Sharks iced it at 4-2 with a third period T.J. Galiardi goal, his second of the year, powered by Havlat and Scott Gomez. The three stars went to Joe Pavelski, Burns, and Galiardi, while Thornton and Havlat could take the first slot.

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NHL April 2nd 2013

This post detailing last night's games is delayed because I was at the Sounders game. There are seven games on, beginning on...

Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Kevin Poulin are the weak starters. New York began in the first period as Anders Lee scored, thanks to Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas. Winnipeg tied it with a Paul Postma goal, his second of the season, fueled by Eric Tangradi and Kyle Wellwood. The Jets added on in the second period with another Postma goal, his second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Chris Thorburn and Tangradi. The Islanders tied it on a Colin McDonald goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Michael Grabner and Mark Streit. New York took the lead back with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Josh Bailey and Streit. The Islanders extended the lead in the third period on a Matt Moulson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by John Tavares and Brad Boyes. New York iced it at 5-2 as Tavares put his twenty-third of the year into the empty net, and Boyes and Moulson provided the assists. The three stars were given to Nielsen, Lee, and Postma, while Moulson, Tavares, Streit, Boyes, and Tangradi receive the honorable mentions.

Over in Boston, the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Anton Khudobin are given the starting nods. Ottawa started in the first period with a Colin Greening goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Zack Smith and Marc Methot. Boston tied it on a David Krejci goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic. The Bruins took the lead with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Brad Marchand. The Senators retied it in the third period as Andre Benoit scored his third of the year, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad. Boston took the lead back as Nathan Horton recorded his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Lucic and Krejci. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Seguin, Lucic, and Khudobin (45 for 47 in saves), while Krejci and Lehner (47 for 50 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Dan Ellis are in the creases. Carolina struck first in the first period as Jiri Tlusty scored his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Bobby Sanguinetti and Alexander Semin. The Hurricanes added on as Tlusty scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Marc-Andre Bergeron and Eric Staal on the power play. Washington got on the board with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson. The Capitals tied it in the second period with a Mike Green power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Backstrom and Ovechkin. Carolina took the lead back as Tlusty finished his hat trick with hims seventeenth of the season, guided in by Eric Staal and Semin on the power play. Washington pulled even again as Green scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Backstrom, who got a sock trick. Justin Peters relieved Ellis at this time. The Capitals took the lead as Ovechkin notched his second of the night and twentieth of the season, with assists provided by Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. Washington padded the lead as Joel Ward scored his seventh of the year, a shorthanded goal with a lone assist from Johansson. This was it for the scoring, producing a 5-3 final, with the three stars being Backstrom, Tlusty, and Ovechkin, while Green, Johansson, Semin, and Eric Staal all earn honorable mentions.

Further to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning host their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Jacob Markstrom and Mathieu Garon are between the pipes. Florida led off in the first period on a power play goal by Tomas Kopecky, his thirteenth of the season, powered by T.J. Brennan and Tomas Fleischmann. The Panthers added on in the second period as Greg Rallo scored a power play goal, set up by Brennan and Filip Kuba. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Tom Pyatt goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Teddy Purcell and Matt Carle. The Lightning tied it with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Victor Hedman and Purcell. The game went to a shootout, where Florida won 3-2 on a lone tally by Peter Mueller. The three stars were awarded to Markstrom (39 for 41 in saves), Hedman, and Purcell, while Brennan gets an honorable mention.

Back in the north, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Tomas Vokoun have the green light to start. Buffalo was first to score in the first period as Kevin Porter scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Pittsburgh tied it with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. The Sabres took the lead back with a Steve Ott goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Jason Pominville and Adam Pardy. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period when Cody Hodgson put away his thirteenth of the campaign, with the help of Pominville and Mark Pysyk. The Sabres added on with another Porter goal, his second of the game, made possible by Brian Flynn and Andrej Sekera. Marc-Andre Fleury relieved Vokoun at this time, and from here both goalies were perfect. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were given to Porter, Pominville, and Ott.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Colorado Avalanche. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Colorado got going in the third period on a Matt Duchene goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Matt Hunwick. Nashville tied it with a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Taylor Beck and Shea Weber. The Predators took the lead on a David Legwand goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Beck and Hornqvist. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Paul Gaustad empty net goal, his second of the year, with assists from Kevin Klein and Legwand. Legwand, Rinne (25 for 26 in saves), and Hornqvist were named the three stars.

Finally, in Phoenix, the Coyotes host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jason LaBarbera tend the twines. Phoenix opened in the first period with a Keith Yandle goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Kyle Chipchura and Raffi Torres. Los Angeles tied it as Justin Williams scored his eighth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Coyotes took the lead back in the second period as Matthew Lombardi registered his fourth of the season, thanks to Rob Klinkhammer and Mikkel Boedker. Phoenix padded the lead in the third period with another Yandle goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Chipchura and Torres. This was good for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being LaBarbera (39 for 40 in saves), Yandle, and Klinkhammer, while Chipchura and Torres receive the honorable mentions.

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Monday, April 1, 2013

NHL April 1st 2013

No fooling here, we've got nine games tonight on April Fools' Day and Opening Day of Baseball. As I said earlier, no baseball on this blog this summer, but keep a watch for a possible sequel to the Ultimate Baseball Fantasy Trip over here. We begin the games in...

New Jersey, with the Devils hosting the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Martin Brodeur are the seasoned veteran goalies. New York quickly struck first in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on as Travis Hamonic scored his third of the year, thanks to Nielsen. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac. New York replied in the third period on a John Tavares power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Lubomir Visnovsky and Mark Streit. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Nielsen, Bailey, and Ponikarovsky.

Over in New York City, the Rangers welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Henrik Lundqvist will draw the starts. New York began in the first period as Derek Stepan netted his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Ryan Callahan and Rick Nash. Winnipeg tied it on a Nik Antropov goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Kyle Wellwood. The Jets gained the lead as Zach Bogosian scored his third of the season, via Ron Hainsey and Olli Jokinen. The Rangers retied it in the second period with a Callahan shorthanded goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Mats Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. New York took the lead in the third period on another Stepan goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, guided in by Anton Stralman and Callahan. The Rangers padded the lead with a Nash goal, his thirteenth of the year, pushed through by Brad Richards and Callahan, the latter getting a sock trick. They held on to win 4-2, with the three stars belonging to Callahan, Stepan, and Lundqvist (26 for 28 in saves), while Nash gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Johan Franzen and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on in the second period with a Daniel Cleary power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit padded the lead with a Damien Brunner goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Gustav Nyquist. Jean-Sebastien Giguere relieved Varlamov at this time. Colorado got on the board in the third period as Jamie McGinn scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal, set up by John Mitchell and Cody McLeod. The Avalanche pulled closer with a Matt Duchene goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Franzen, Howard (22 for 24 in saves), and Abdelkader.

Back east to Montreal, where the Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Peters is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Carolina opened in the first period with a Jordan Staal goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Patrick Dwyer and Brett Bellemore. Montreal tied it on an Andrei Markov power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Jeff Halpern goal, with a lone assist from Nathan Beaulieu. Montreal added on in the third period as Max Pacioretty put away his tenth of the season, thanks to Francis Bouillon. The Canadiens iced it at 4-1 as Pacioretty scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, an empty net goal helped along by Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec. The three stars were awarded to Halpern, Markov, and Price (18 for 19 in saves), while Pacioretty gets an honorable mention.

West again to Minnesota, with the Wild hosting the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Niklas Backstrom are the masked men. St. Louis led off with a first period Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Near the end of the period, Halak was pulled for Brian Elliott after suffering an injury. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Dany Heatley power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jonas Brodin and Torrey Mitchell. The Blues took the lead back when Andy McDonald recorded his fourth of the season, coming off of Alexander Steen and David Backes. St. Louis added on with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his third of the year, assisted by Schwartz and Patrik Berglund. The Blues finished it at 4-1 as Barret Jackman scored his third of the campaign, with a lone helper by McDonald. Schwartz, Shattenkirk, and Brodin were given the three stars, and McDonald gets an honorable mention.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago started in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks extended the lead in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his nineteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a David Legwand goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Victor Bartley and Kevin Klein. The Predators tied it with a Taylor Beck goal, his second of the year, fueled by Patric Hornqvist and Legwand. Chicago won it 3-2 in the shootout as Toews scored, and then was matched by Craig Smith, but Michal Rozsival put away the winner. The three stars went to Kane, Rinne (38 for 40 in saves), and Saad, while Legwand gets an honorable mention.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Anaheim Ducks. Viktor Fasth and Kari Lehtonen have the green light to start. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Bobby Ryan power play goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Ducks added on as Corey Perry scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Ryan and Getzlaf. Anaheim struck again as Matt Beleskey scored his sixth of the season, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri and Sheldon Souray. The Ducks wrapped it up at 4-0 with a Teemu Selanne empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Ryan, Fasth (26 save shutout), and Getzlaf.

Up in Canada again, the Edmonton Oilers host their southern rivals, the Calgary Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Edmonton began in the first period on a Justin Schultz goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers added on as Hall scored his twelfth of the year, with the help of Justin Schultz. Edmonton chased Kiprusoff with a Ryan Jones goal, his second of the season, made possible by Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz. Joey MacDonald came on in relief. The Oilers padded the lead in the third period on a Yakupov goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Jones and Ryan Whitney. Calgary avoided the shutout with a Brian McGrattan goal, his second of the campaign, courtesy of Tim Jackman and Steve Begin. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being handed to Dubnyk (33 for 34 in saves), Justin Schultz, and Hall, while Yakupov and Jones got the honorable mentions.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider and Antti Niemi guard the cages. San Jose struck first in the second period on an Andrew Desjardins goal, fueled by Adam Burish and Scott Gomez. The Sharks added on as Joe Thornton potted his sixth of the season, courtesy of Matt Tennyson. San Jose extended the lead on a Logan Couture power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Marleau and Thornton. Vancouver got on the board as Chris Higgins scored his ninth of the season, via Jannik Hansen and Kevin Bieksa. The Canucks chipped closer in the third period on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Higgins and Hansen. They couldn't score an equalizer, falling 3-2, with the three stars being Thornton, Higgins, and Desjardins, while Hansen gets an honorable mention.

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Western Conference Final: SKA St. Petersburg VS. Dynamo Moscow

Welcome to the post for the Western Conference Final between SKA St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow in the KHL Gagarin Cup playoffs. This post will act as a reference for the entire series.

Game 1: Ice Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ilya Ezhov for SKA. Moscow opened with a first period goal by Janne Jalasvaara goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo added on with a power play goal by Dominik Granak, powered by Konstantin Gorovikov. Moscow extended the lead in the second period as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, with a lone assist from Alexei Sopin. St. Petersburg got on the board in the third period with an Alexander Kucheryavenko, fueled by Igor Makarov and Anton Burdasov. SKA pulled closer as Viktor Tikhonov potted the pick, with the help of Patrick Thoresen. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kasyanchuk, Yeryomenko (28 for 30 in saves), and Kucheryavenko. Dynamo takes an early 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Ice Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ivan Kasutin for SKA. Moscow led off in the first period as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, thanks to Konstantin Gorovikov and Filip Novak. Dynamo added on as Denis Mosalyov scored, with the help of Denis Kokarev and Alexei Tsvetkov. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Andrei Pervyshin goal, fueled by Patrick Thoresen and Viktor Tikhonov. Moscow shot back as Alexei Sopin scored, with a lone helper from Kokarev. SKA got one back in the second period on a Tikhonov goal, made possible by Kevin Dallman and Tony Martensson. Dynamo added on as Marek Kvapil scored a goal, guided in by Sopin. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-2, with the three stars going to Sopin, Kokarev, and Tikhonov. Dynamo heads home with a 2-0 series lead in hand.

Game 3: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, assisted by Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. SKA added on as Martensson scored, thanks to Kevin Dallman and Tikhonov. Moscow got on the board in the third period with a Dominik Granak goal, passed from Konstantin Gorovikov and Marek Kvapil. Dynamo tied it on an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, courtesy of Denis Kokarev. Moscow took the lead with seven seconds left in the game as Konstantin Kasyanchuk scored, with the help of Andrei Mironov. Dynamo iced it at 4-2 just six seconds later as Yury Babenko scored, with a lone assist from Sergein Soin. The three stars were Kasyanchuk, Tikhonov, and Martensson. Dynamo has placed a stranglehold on SKA by holding a 3-0 lead over them.

Game 4: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. Moscow struck first in the first period as Marek Kvapil scored, with the help of Jakub Petruzalek and Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo added on in the second period with an Alexei Tsvetkov power play goal, coming off of Denis Kokarev. St. Petersburg got on the board with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Patrick Thoresen and Yury Alexandrov. SKA tied it with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, with a lone assist from Alexander Kucheryavenko. St. Petersburg took the lead as Evgeny Artyukhin scored, thanks to Dallman and Anton Burdasov. SKA extended the lead on another Dallman goal, fueled by Igor Makarov and Kucheryavenko in the third period. St. Petersburg added on when Dmitry Vorobyov scored a goal, set up by Tony Martensson and Viktor Tikhonov. SKA iced it at 6-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Teemu Ramstedt. The three stars were Dallman, Kucheryavenko, and Ezhov (23 for 25 in saves). SKA stays alive but still trails 3-1 in the series.

Game 5: Ice Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo and Ilya Ezhov for SKA. Moscow began in the third period with an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, assisted by Alexei Sopin and Janne Jalasvaara. St. Petersburg tied it with a Viktor Tikhonov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kalinin and Kevin Dallman. SKA won in the second overtime with another Tikhonov goal, passed from Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. The final was 2-1, with the three stars going to Tikhonov, Ezhov (43 for 44 in saves), and Yeryomenko (49 for 51 in saves). SKA pulled closer with the win and only trails 3-2 in the series now.

Game 6: Luzhniki Minor Arena, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Ezhov for SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko for Dynamo. Moscow started in the second period with a Marek Kvapil goal, and Jakub Petruzalek had the only helper. Dynamo added on when Kvapil scored again, his second of the game helped along by Sergei Soin and Petruzalek. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Evgeny Artyukhin goal, set up by Fyodor Fedorov. Moscow shot back with a power play goal by Ilya Gorokhov, powered by Denis Kokarev and Alexei Tsvetkov. Dynamo padded the lead as Kvapil finished his hat trick, assisted by Petruzalek, who got a sock trick, and Soin. Moscow iced it at 5-1 with an empty net goal by Sergei Konkov, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kvapil, Petruzalek, and Soin, while Yeryomenko gets an honorable mention by going 20 for 21 in saves. The series is over, and Dynamo will represent the Western Conference as they compete for the Gagarin Cup after their 4-2 series win.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

NHL March 31st 2013

Easter Sunday for the Christian world, and hockey brings us five games today. The first is a rivalry game from...

Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Chicago opened with a first period Jeremy Morin goal, going in unassisted. The Blackhawks added on as Brandon Saad scored his fifth of the season, courtesy of Michael Frolik and Jonathan Toews. Chicago extended the lead as Dave Bolland scored his sixth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Blackhawks padded the lead in the second period as Toews scored his seventeenth of the season, passed from Saad. Jonas Gustavsson relieved Howard at this time. Chicago kept going as Saad scored his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Hjalmarrson and Toews. The Blackhawks struck again in the third period as Bolland scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, with assists from Jimmy Hayes and Michal Rozsival. Chicago got another with an unassisted Nick Leddy goal, his sixth of the year, going down unassisted. Detroit got on the board late as Cory Emmerton scored his third of the campaign, with the help of Brian Lashoff and Brendan Smith. This produced a 7-1 final, with the three stars going to Saad, Bolland, and Toews.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Bernier and Kari Lehtonen are given the starting nods. Los Angeles led off twenty-five seconds in as Jeff Carter scored his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Mike Richards and Dustin Penner. Dallas tied it in the second period on a Jamie Benn goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Alex Goligoski. The Kings took the lead in the third period as Brad Richardson scored, thanks to Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles extended the lead with a Justin Williams goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Dustin Brown and Slava Voynov. The Stars got one back as Ray Whitney scored his seventh of the year, a power play goal powered by Goligoski and Derek Roy. They couldn't get an equalizer, falling 3-2, with the three stars belonging to Richardson, Lehtonen (37 for 40 in saves), and Anze Kopitar, while Goligoski could take the third slot.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus got going in the second period with a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Mark Letestu and Vinny Prospal. Anaheim tied it in the third period on an Emerson Etem goal, his third of the year, made possible by Andrew Cogliano and Bryan Allen. The Blue Jackets won 2-1 on an overtime goal by Letestu, his ninth of the campaign, guided in by Nikita Nikitin and Dalton Prout. The three stars were awarded to Letestu, Bobrovsky (29 for 30 in saves), and Brassard.

East to Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ilya Bryzgalov are the masked men. Washington started in the first period on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his sixth of the season, via Jack Hillen and Marcus Johansson. Philadelphia tied it with a Max Talbot goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Zac Rinaldo and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers took the lead on a Matt Read goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist from Claude Giroux. The Capitals tied it with a second period Mike Green goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Brooks Laich. Washington took the lead in the third period on a Johansson power play goal, his fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Capitals extended the lead as Alex Ovechkin potted his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by John Carlson and Troy Brouwer. Philadelphia got one back as Giroux scored his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Timonen and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers tied it with Timonen scoring his fourth of the year, a shorthanded goal, set up by Giroux and Wayne Simmond. Philadelphia won it 5-4 in overtime on a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, his third of the campaign, coming shorthanded from Timonen and Sean Couturier. The three stars of the game were Fedotenko, Timonen, and Giroux, while Johansson gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Ryan Miller are the goalies. Boston began in the third period on a David Krejci goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Nathan Horton and Matt Bartkowski. The Bruins padded the lead as Horton netted his eleventh of the year, with helpers provided by Krejci and Milan Lucic. This produced a 2-0 final, with the three stars being given to Khudobin (26 save shutout), Krejci, and Miller (29 for 31 in saves), while Horton gets an honorable mention.

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