NHL Day 5 2013-2014

The first really big day for the NHL is today, with eleven games on, starting in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston began in the first period on a Torey Krug power play goal, made possible by Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Detroit tied it as Henrik Zetterberg scored his second of the season, fueled by Justin Abdelkader and Pavel Datsyuk. The Bruins retook the lead in the second period as Brad Marchand scored, thanks to Johnny Boychuk. Boston added on with a Jordan Caron goal, coming off of Reilly Smith and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins extended the lead with a third period power play goal by Zdeno Chara, powered by Krug and Lucic. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Krug, Rask (25 for 26 in saves), and Lucic.

Crossing into Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Montreal led off in the first period with a Brian Gionta goal, via Rene Bourque and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens added on in the third period with Lars Eller's third of the season, guided in by Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal extended the lead with a Gallagher goal, coming on the power play with helpers from Galchenyuk and P.K. Subban. Philadelphia got on the board as Vincent Lecavalier scored a power play goal, powered by Brayden Schenn and Mark Streit. The Canadiens answered on a Bourque goal, coming on a power play from Gionta and Eller. They would go on to win 4-1, with the three stars being Eller, Bourque, and Gallagher, while Galchenyuk, Gionta, and Price (22 for 23 in saves) were given the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New York Islanders bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Evgeni Nabokov are the Russian goalies. New York got going in the second period with a Lubomir Visnovsky power play goal, powered by Frans Nielsen and John Tavares. The Islanders added on as Matt Moulson scored, with helpers from Tavares and Visnovsky. Columbus got on the board in the third period with a Mark Letestu power play goal, assisted by Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets tied the game on a Nick Foligno goal, fueled by R.J. Umberger and Nikita Nikitin. The game went into a shootout, where Moulson and Letestu traded tallies before Atkinson sealed the deal with his shootout goal, leading Columbus to a 3-2 victory. Visnovsky, Atkinson, and Tavares are named the three stars.

West to Pittsburgh, with the Penguins hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Marc-Andre Fleury are called on to start. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his second of the season, assisted by Pascal Dupuis and Matt Niskanen. The Penguins added on with a Chuck Kobasew goal, his second of the year, coming off of Brandon Sutter and Niskanen. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Chris Kunitz converted a penalty shot. Buffalo got on the board as Thomas Vanek scored, with the help of Cody Hodgson. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Craig Adams goal, his second of the campaign, sailing into the empty net after being passed from Paul Martin. The three stars were Fleury (20 for 21 in saves), Niskanen, and Kobasew.

Back in Canada again, the Toronto Maple Leafs host their Ontario rivals, the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and James Reimer are between the pipes. Toronto was first to score in the first period with a Mason Raymond goal, his second of the season, guided in by Dave Bolland and Troy Bodie. Ottawa tied it as Kyle Turris scored, thanks to Jared Cowen and Patrick Wiercioch. The Senators took the lead on a Cory Conacher goal, fueled by Turris and Wiercioch. The Maple Leafs tied the game again on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, powered by Raymond and Joffrey Lupul. Ottawa took the lead back as Cowen scored in the second period, via Turris and Clarke MacArthur. The Senators extended the lead on a Jason Spezza goal, set up by Milan Michalek and Bobby Ryan. Jonathan Bernier replaced Reimer at this time. Toronto got one back as Lupul scored a power play goal, with assists provided by Raymond and Kadri. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the year, passed from Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Raymond and Bozak scored to lift Toronto to a 5-4 win. The three stars were awarded to Raymond, Turris, and Bozak, while Kadri, Lupul, Cowen, and Wiercioch get the honorable mentions.

Crossing over to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Corey Crawford show alliteration in the goalie matchup. Chicago opened in the second period on a Patrick Kane goal, his second of the season, assisted by Bryan Bickell and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Nick Leddy and goalie Crawford. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period with a Martin St. Louis goal, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Matthew Carle. The Lightning tied it on a Teddy Purcell power play goal, pushed through by St. Louis and Stamkos. Tampa Bay ended up completing the comeback in the shootout with a lone tally by Valtteri Filppula. In the 3-2 game, the three stars were St. Louis, Stamkos, and Bishop (37 for 39 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Kari Lehtonen receive the starting nods. Washington started in the first period as Alex Ovechkin scored his fourth goal of the season, a power play goal powered by Mike Green and Marcus Johansson. Dallas tied it on an Erik Cole goal, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars took the lead in the second period as Alex Chiasson scored his second of the year, courtesy of Cody Eakin and Jordie Benn. They would cruise from here to a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (25 for 26 in saves), Chiasson, and Ovechkin.

Back north a bit, the St. Louis Blues host the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period as Brenden Morrow scored a power play goal, powered by Derek Roy and Chris Stewart. The Blues added on in the second period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, passed from Jaden Schwartz and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis extended the lead on a Schwartz goal, via Vladimir Sobotka. The Blues padded the lead with a Roy goal, coming off of Stewart and Morrow. St. Louis got another as Alexander Steen scored his second of the season, coming on a penalty shot. The Blues kept going with a Ryan Reaves goal, courtesy of Sobotka. St. Louis iced it on a Patrik Beglund goal, assisted by Tarasenko and Schwartz. Later, Schwartz dropped the gloves with Kris Versteeg to complete his Gordie Howe Hat Trick. This was enough for a 7-0 win, with the three stars being Halak (19 save shutout), Schwartz, and Morrow, while Tarasenko, Roy, Stewart, and Sobotka all get honorable mentions.

Further to the north, the Minnesota Wild host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Niklas Backstrom are the veteran goalies. Anaheim began in the first period with a Saku Koivu goal, courtesy of Francois Beauchemin and Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks added on when Nick Bonino scored a power play goal, with the help of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, made possible by Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter on the power play. Anaheim replied in the second period as Jakob Silfverberg scored his second of the season, via Mathieu Perreault and Dustin Penner. The Wild answered on a Jason Pominville power play goal, going in unassisted. Minnesota tied it on a third period Parise goal, his second of the game, thanks to Keith Ballard and Jonas Brodin. The game went to overtime, where the Ducks won 4-3 on a Perreault goal, guided in by Beauchemin and Cam Fowler. The three stars were awarded to Perreault, Parise, and Beauchemin.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Edmonton opened in the first period as Jeff Petry scored, with the help of David Perron and Ladislav Smid. Vancouver tied it as Brad Richardson scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Jason Garrison. The Canucks took the lead as Dan Hamhuis scored, with a lone assist by Henrik Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead on a Jannik Hansen goal, fueled by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks padded the lead in the second period as Daniel Sedin scored a power play goal, powered by Henrik Sedin, who got a sock trick, and Alexander Edler. Vancouver added on with an unassisted Ryan Kesler goal. Jason LaBarbera relieved Dubnyk at this time. The Oilers took one back on a Boyd Gordon, his second of the season, via Ales Hemsky. The Canucks iced it in the third period on Garrison's second of the year, a shorthanded empty net goal that went in without assistance. The three stars in the 6-2 game were Henrik Sedin, Garrison, and Daniel Sedin.

Finally, down in San Jose, the Sharks host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Antti Niemi tend the twines. San Jose started in the first period as Tomas Hertl scored, thanks to Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks added on with Hertl's second of the game, courtesy of Matt Irwin and Brent Burns on the power play. San Jose extended the lead as Patrick Marleau scored a power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Vlasic and Joe Pavelski. Phoenix got on the board in the second period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, fueled by Zbynek Michalek. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Logan Couture, set up by Pavelski. The three stars went to Hertl, Niemi (22 for 23 in saves), and Vlasic, while Pavelski gets an honorable mention.

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KHL Day 32 2013-2014

Today is the second day where there is only one game on, coming from...

Moscow, as Dynamo hosts their cross-town rivals, Spartak. Jeff Glass and Alexander Lazushin are the goalies. Dynamo began in the first period with a Yury Babenko power play goal, made possible by Maxim Karpov. Spartak tied it on a second period Viktor Bobrov goal, guided in by Nikolai Zherdev and Rastislav Spirko. Dynamo retook the lead in the third period as Konstantin Glazachev scored, with the help of Maxim Solovyov and the goalie Lazushin. They held on for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Glazachev, Lazushin (17 for 18 in saves), and Glass (30 for 32 in saves).

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NHL Day 4 2013-2014

Today we have six games to work with, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ryan Miller are set to start. Ottawa got going in the third period with an Erik Karlsson goal, assisted by Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 1-0 final score, with the three stars being Anderson (35 save shutout), Karlsson, and Miller (45 for 46 in saves). 

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Cam Ward will be in the creases. Carolina started in the first period as Radek Dvorak scored, with the help of Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes added on in the second period as Nathan Gerbe scored a power play goal, powered by Faulk and Jay Harrison. Detroit got on the board in the third period with a Justin Abdelkader goal, via Henrik Zetterberg and Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings tied it on a Zetterberg goal, fueled by Daniel Alfredsson and Johan Franzen. Detroit ended up winning 3-2 with a Stephen Weiss goal, guided in by Franzen and Niklas Kronwall. The three stars of the game were Zetterberg, Franzen, and Faulk.

Back north, the New Jersey Devils bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Martin Brodeur are the veteran goalies. New Jersey was first to score in the first period with a Damien Brunner goal, coming off of Dainius Zubrus and Alexei Loktionov. New York tied it with a Michael Grabner goal with a lone assist from Travis Hamonic. The Devils took the lead in the second period with a Michael Ryder goal, assisted by Bryce Salvador and Marek Zidlicky. The Islanders pulled even as Grabner scored his second of the game, thanks to Josh Bailey. New York gained the lead in the third period as Frans Nielsen scored, via Grabner and Matt Donovan. New Jersey pulled even on Brunner's second of the game, passed from Ryane Clowe and Anton Volchenkov. The tie lasted into a shootout, where the lone tally from Matt Moulson gave the Islanders a 4-3 win. The three stars belonged to Grabner, Brunner, and Moulson. 

West to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets hosting the Calgary Flames. Joey MacDonald and Sergei Bobrovsky are called on to start. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Sean Monahan goal, assisted by Lee Stempniak and Sven Baertschi. Columbus tied it on a Jack Johnson power play goal, powered by Marian Gaborik and James Wisniewski. The Flames took the lead back as T.J. Galiardi scored an unassisted goal. The Blue Jackets retied it on a Gaborik goal, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Blake Comeau. Calgary retook the lead in the third period as Jiri Hudler notched his second of the season, thanks to Galiardi and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Curtis Glencross goal, with assists provided by David Jones and Mark Giordano. Columbus got one back as Artem Anisimov scored, set up by David Savard and Johnson. They failed to get an equalizer, with the final reading 4-3, and the three stars went to Galiardi, Gaborik, and Johnson.

Crossing into Canada, the Winnipeg Jets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ondrej Pavelec are in the blue paint. Los Angeles opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Matt Greene. Winnipeg tied it on an Evander Kane goal, helped along by Devin Setoguchi and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead on an Olli Jokinen goal, passed from Michael Frolik and Tobias Enstrom. Winnipeg added on as Devin Setoguchi scored a power play goal, powered by Kane and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets extended the lead as Setoguchi scored his second of the game, made possible by Kane and Jokinen. The Kings took one back on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his second of the season, pushed through by Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles pulled closer as Justin Williams scored a power play goal, with helpers provided by Matt Frattin and Willie Mitchell. Winnipeg iced it at 5-3 with the second of the year by Bryan Little coming from Andrew Ladd. The three stars were given to Setoguchi, Kane, and Jokinen. 

Finally, in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Colorado led off in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, via Jamie McGinn and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on in the second period when Patrick Bordeleau scored, thanks to Nate Guenin and Marc-Andre Cliche. Nashville got one back as Paul Gaustad scored, with the help of Mike Fisher and Craig Smith. Colorado iced it at 3-1 as Parenteau scored an empty net goal, set up by Paul Stastny and John Mitchell. The three stars were Parenteau, Varloamov (26 for 27 in saves), and Rinne (33 for 35 in saves). 

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KHL Day 31 2013-2014

Only one game today, coming from...

Minsk, as Dinamo hosts Avangard Omsk. Teemu Lassila and Kevin Lalande are in goal. Omsk began in the first period with a Tomas Zaborsky goal, assisted by Kirill Lyamin and Alexander Perezhogin. Minsk tied it with an Alexei Yefimenko goal, via Andrei Stas. Dinamo took the lead on a power play goal by Geoff Platt, powered by Zbynek Irgl and Tomas Surovy. Avangard retied it with a Dmitry Semin power play goal, set up by Sergei Kostitsyn and Alexander Frolov. Minsk took the lead back on a Stas goal, coming off of Dmitry Meleshko. Omsk tied the game again in the second period on a Dmitry Vorobyov goal, with a lone assist from Alexei Badyukov. Dinamo retook the lead with an Ilya Kaznadei goal, with assists provided by Stas and Meleshko. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Stas, Meleshko, and Kaznadei.

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Thursday Night Football Week 5 2013

Tonight's Thursday Night game comes from Cleveland, where the Browns host the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo opened in the first quarter on a 1 yard touchdown run by Fred Jackson, and Dan Carpenter made the extra point. The Bills added on as Carpenter made a 52 yard field goal. Cleveland got on the board in the second quarter with a Billy Cundiff field goal of 30 yards. The Browns tied it as Willis McGahee ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Cundiff was there with the extra point. Cleveland took the lead on a 79 yard punt return for a touchdown by Travis Benjamin, allowing Cundiff to make another extra point. Buffalo tied it again in the third quarter as C.J. Spiller ran 54 yards for a touchdown, and Carpenter knocked in the PAT. The Bills gained the lead again as Jackson rushed for 1 yard and a touchdown, and Carpenter supplied the extra point. The Browns countered with a 37 yard touchdown pass from Brandon Weeden to Josh Gordon, and Cundiff was true with the extra point. Cleveland took the lead again with a fourth quarter field goal of 24 yards by Cundiff. The Browns added on as Cundiff made a 44 yard field goal. Cleveland extended the lead when T.J. Ward returned an interception of Jeff Tuel for 44 yards and a touchdown, and Cundiff booted the extra point. They would win 37-24, and the Browns are now 3-2 while dropping the Bills to 2-3.

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NHL Day 3 2013-2014

For the first time this season, over half the teams in the league are in action, with eight games scheduled. We begin the night in...

Boston, where the Bruins host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Lindback and Tuukka Rask receive the starting nods. Boston began in the first period with a Chris Kelly goal, coming on a shorthanded penalty shot. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period as Valtteri Filppula scored, courtesy of Eric Brewer and Alex Killorn. The Bruins took the lead back with a Milan Lucic goal, passed from David Krejci. Boston wrapped it up in the third period on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Patrice Bergeron. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Kelly, Rask (32 for 33 in saves), and Bergeron.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Marc-Andre Fleury are called upon to start. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Chuck Kobasew goal, assisted by Brandon Sutter and Beau Bennett. The Penguins added on as Sidney Crosby scored, with helpers provided by Pascal Dupuis and Matt Niskanen. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period with a Craig Adams goal, coming off of Evgeni Malkin and Tanner Glass. This resulted in a 3-0 final, with Fleury (27 save shutout), Kobasew, and Adams getting the three stars.

Back near the Atlantic coast, the Washington Capitals bring in the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo (formerly of Avangard Omsk in the KHL) and Braden Holtby will be in the creases. Calgary was first to score in the first period with a David Jones goal, coming off of Sean Monahan. The Flames added on as Lee Stempniak scored, with the help of Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund. Calgary extended the lead as Jiri Hudler scored a power play goal, powered by T.J. Brodie and Giordano. Michal Neuvirth relieved Holtby at this time. Washington got on the board in the second period with a Connor Carrick goal, coming off of Marcus Johansson and Karl Alzner. The Flames replied with a Lance Bouma goal, set up by Brian McGrattan and Ben Street. The Capitals took one back as Alex Ovechkin scored his second of the season, a power play goal, fueled by Mike Green and Johansson. Washington pulled closer as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by Johansson, who got a sock trick, and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals tied it in the third period on a Backstrom power play goal, guided in by Mikhail Grabovski and Ovechkin. The game went to a shootout, where tallies from Grabovski and Ovechkin led to a 5-4 Capitals victory. The three stars were awarded to Ovechkin, Johansson, and Backstrom, while Giordano gets an honorable mention.

To the northwest, the Minnesota Wild host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Niklas Backstrom protect the nets. Minnesota started in the first period with a Matt Cooke goal, guided in by Kyle Brodziak and Mikael Granlund. Los Angeles tied it on a Drew Doughty power play goal, powered by Slava Voynov and Anze Kopitar. The Wild took the lead back as Jonas Brodin scored a power play goal, assisted by Nino Niederreiter. The Kings tied it in the third period on a Jeff Carter goal, passed from Matt Frattin and Robyn Regehr. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Kopitar and Carter scored to lift the Kings to a 3-2 victory. Carter, Kopitar, and Quick (27 for 29 in saves).

Way to the south, the Dallas Stars welcome the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Kari Lehtonen are the veteran goalies. Florida opened in the first period on a Scott Gomez goal, assisted by Scottie Upshall and Brian Campbell. Dallas tied it in the second period as Alex Chiasson scored, thanks to Ray Whitney and Brenden Dillon. The Stars took the lead in the third period on a Dillon shorthanded goal, set up by Vernon Fiddler and Antoine Roussel. The Panthers retied it with an Aleksander Barkov goal, guided in by Tom Gilbert and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida took the lead on a Marcel Goc goal, coming off of Tomas Fleischmann and Campbell. The Panthers iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Goc, his second of the night. The three stars were Goc, Dillon, and Barkov, while Campbell gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a David Backes power play goal, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund. The Blues added on when Vladimir Sobotka scored, thanks to Jay Bouwmeester and Pietrangelo. St. Louis chased Rinne with a T.J. Oshie goal, made possible by Alexander Steen and Backes. Carter Hutton relieved Rinne. Nashville got on the board as Mike Fisher scored, with the help of Nick Spaling and Eric Nystrom. The Predators pulled closer in the second period on a David Legwand goal, with a lone assist by Patric Hornqvist. The Blues replied as Steen scored a power play goal, coming off of Derek Roy and Kevin Shattenkirk. The scoring ended here, with the Blues winning 4-2, and the three stars were Steen, Pietrangelo, and Backes.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks host the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Antti Niemi guard the cages. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Jason Garrison goal, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin on the power play. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, via Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead with a Justin Braun goal, fueled by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Logan Couture. San Jose added on in the third period when Patrick Marleau scored, with the help of Couture. The Sharks got another on a Tommy Wingels goal, guided in by Andrew Desjardins. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Niemi (21 for 22 in saves), Couture, and Braun.

Finally, in Phoenix, the Coyotes welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Phoenix was first to score in the first period with a Kyle Chipchura goal, coming off of Rob Klinkhammer and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. New York tied it in the second period as Marc Staal netted a power play goal, powered by Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Radim Vrbata goal, assisted by Martin Hanzal and Derek Morris. Phoenix extended the lead with another Vrbata goal in the third period, fueled by Keith Yandle and Antoine Vermette on the power play. The Coyotes added on as Vrbata completed his hat trick with his third of the game, passed from Hanzal. They went on to win 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Vrbata, Hanzal, and Smith (23 for 24 in saves).

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KHL Day 30 2013-2014

Nine games coming from Russia today. Fun fact: I was still awake when the first game started. We begin in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Lev Praha. Petri Vehanen and Alexei Murygin are the goalies. Khabarovsk got going in the second period with a Jakub Petruzalek goal, assisted by Jan Mursak. Amur added on as Mursak scored an empty net goal, going in unassisted. With three second left in the game, Petruzalek added a second empty net goal, also unassisted. The three stars were Murygin (35 save shutout), Petruzalek, and Mursak.

Next up, Admiral Vladivostok welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Miroslav Kopriva and Joakim Lundstrom are in the blue paint. Bratislava opened in the second period with a Tomas Netik goal, set up by Michal Sersen. Vladivostok tied it as Richard Gynge scored, thanks to Mathias Porseland. Admiral took the lead with a Niclas Bergfors goal, made possible by Enver Lisin and Denis Osipov. Vladivostok iced it at 3-1 as Lisin scored an unassisted goal. The three stars were Lundstrom (26 for 27 in saves), Lisin, and Bergfors.

Westward to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings in Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Niko Hovinen are given the starting nods. Riga was first to score in the first period on an Aleksandrs Nizivijs goal, fueled by Paul Szczechura. Dinamo added on with a second period Andris Dzerins goal, passed from Sandis Ozolins and Gints Meija. This would be good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Tellqvist (35 save shutout), Nizivijs, and Dzerins.

Into Novosibirsk, where Sibir hosts CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana opposes a lesser foe in Mikko Koskinen in goal. Moscow began in the second period with an Ilari Filppula goal, guided in by Daniil Markov and Ilya Zubov. Novosibirsk tied it with an unassisted goal by Jori Lehtera. Sibir took the lead on an Alexander Kutuzov goal, coming off of Jonas Enlund. Novosibirsk extended the lead with a Kristian Kudroc goal, going in unassisted. CSKA got one back in the third period as Sergei Shirokov scored, with the help of Maxim Goncharov. They failed to get an equalizer, falling 3-2, with the three stars being Kudroc, Lehtera, and Kutuzov.

Moving along to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on in the second period as Mozyakin scored again, via Danis Zaripov and Kovar. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the third period with an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, helped along by Justin Hodgman and Denis Platonov. This made it 3-0, the final, with Mozyakin, Koshechkin (23 save shutout), and Kovar getting the three stars.

To the west, Vityaz Podolsk brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Ivan Lisutin are the reliable goalies. Cherepovets started in the first period with a Nikolai Kazakovtsev goal, assisted by Pavel Dedunov and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Podolsk tied it in the third period with a Logan Pyett goal, made possible by Yury Koksharov and Vyacheslav Solodukhin. Vityaz took the lead as Pyett scored again, thanks to Dinar Khafizullin and Koksharov. Podolsk added on when Maxim Afinogenov potted an empty net goal, set up by Alexander Vasilyev and Josh Hennessy. They would go on to win 3-1, with the three stars handed to Pyett, Lisutin (28 for 29 in saves), and Koksharov.

Up in Moscow, Dynamo hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Yeryomenko guard the cages. Yaroslavl led off in the second period as Yegor Yakovlev scored, with the help of Alexander Chernikov and Alexei Vasilyev. Lokomotiv added on with another Yakovlev goal, with a lone assist by Yury Petrov. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Sergei Plotnikov scored, thanks to Daniil Apalkov. Moscow got one back on a Maxim Solovyov goal, passed from Denis Kokarev and Alexei Tsvetkov, but it only made it a 3-1 loss for them. The three stars were Yakovlev, Sanford (26 for 27 in saves), and Plotnikov.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo welcomes Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Vitaly Koval are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period with a Mikhail Grigoryev goal, made possible by Tim Brent. Mytishchi answered in the second period as Yaroslav Dyblenko scored, with the help of Alexei Mikhnov and Andreas Engqvist. Atlant took the lead as Dyblenko scored an unassisted goal in the third period. Mytishchi iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal from Sergei Shmelyov, set up by Rafael Batyrshin. The three stars were given to Dyblenko, Galimov (27 for 28 in saves), and Grigoryev.

Finally, we end in Kazan, with Ak Bars bringing in SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Konstantin Barulin are between the pipes. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with an Evgeny Skachkov goal, via Vadim Shipachyov. Kazan tied it as Artyom Lukoyanov scored, thanks to Vladimir Tkachyov and Evgeny Medvedev. SKA took the lead back in the third period on a Dmitry Yudin goal, going in unassisted. St. Petersburg added on as Alexei Ponikarovsky scored an unassisted power play goal. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Yudin, Salak (30 for 31 in saves), and Ponikarovsky.

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NHL Day 2 2013-2014

Three more games on the second day of the season, beginning in...

Philadelphia, with the Flyers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Steve Mason are sent out to start. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, powered by Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit. Toronto tied it in the second period on a Phil Kessel goal, with a lone assist by Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead when Dave Bolland scored, courtesy of Joffrey Lupul and Nikolai Kulemin in the third period. Toronto added on as Bolland scored his second of the game, a power play goal assisted by Lupul and Cody Franson. They went on for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Bolland, Bernier (31 for 32 in saves), and Lupul.

Westward to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a Mikael Samuelsson goal, fueled by Cory Emmerton and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with an unassisted Pavel Datsyuk goal. Buffalo got on the board in the third period as Zemgus Girgensons scored, with the help of Brian Flynn. It wasn't enough for them to avoid a 2-1 loss, with the three stars awarded to Datsyuk, Howard (19 for 20 in saves), and Miller (30 for 32 in saves).

Finally, in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Viktor Fasth and Semyon Varlamov receive the starting nods. Colorado opened with an unassisted Ryan O'Reilly goal in the first period. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Steve Downie power play goal, powered by O'Reilly and Alex Tanguay. Colorado extended the lead as John Mitchell scored, thanks to Tyson Barrie and Cody McLeod. The Avalanche padded the lead on a Jamie McGinn goal, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Tanguay. Colorado kept going in the third period as McGinn scored his second of the game, set up by MacKinnon and P.A. Parenteau. The Avalanche got another on a power play goal by Matt Duchene, made possible by Downie and Tanguay, the latter getting a sock trick. Anaheim avoided the shutout as Jakob Silfverberg scored, and the assists were credited to Nick Bonino and Mark Fistric. They still lost 6-1, and the three stars were handed to McGinn, Tanguay, and O'Reilly, while Downie, MacKinnon, and Varlamov (35 for 36 in saves) were given honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 29 2013-2014

There are five KHL games on today, and three NHL games tonight. We begin today in...

Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Alexander Sudnitsin are in the creases. Ufa led off in the first period with a Nikita Filatov goal, assisted by Kirill Koltsov and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev added on with an Alexander Mereskin goal, passed from Denis Khlystov and Yegor Dubrovsky. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Alexei Glukhov scored, with the help of Alexander Stepanov. Nizhnekamsk got on the board when Maxim Berezin scored, via Mikhail Anisin and Petr Koukal. Neftekhimik pulled closer on an unassisted Koukal goal. Nizhnekamsk tied it with an Andrei Taratukhin goal, guided in by Pyotr Khokhryakov and Bogdan Yakimov. The tie lasted into overtime, where Anisin lifted Neftekhimik to a comeback victory by scoring a power play goal, pushed along by Nikita Shchitov. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Anisin, Taratukhin, and Koukal.

Way to the west, Donbass Donetsk welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Michael Leighton are set to start. Yekaterinburg started in the first period with an Eduard Lewandowski goal, with a lone assist by Andrei Antonov. Donetsk tied it as Teemu Laine scored a power play goal, thanks to Ruslan Fedotenko. Avtomobilist took the lead back as Igot Yemeleyev scored a power play goal, powered by Nikolai Zhilin. Donbass tied it again on an unassisted goal by Peter Podhradsky. Donetsk took the lead on a Sergei Varlamov goal, set up by Lukas Kaspar and Evgeny Belukhin. Donbass extended the lead with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, courtesy of Maxim Yakutsenya and Clay Wilson. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars belonging to Varlamov, Dadonov, and Podhradsky.

Backtracking to Moscow, as Spartak hosts Barys Astana. Ari Ahonen and Alexei Ivanov are between the pipes. Astana struck first in the first period on a Josh Gratton goal, fueled by Roman Savchenko. Moscow tied it as Alexander Nikulin scored a goal, passed from Nikolai Zherdev. Barys retook the lead as Konstantin Rudenko scored, thanks to Dmitry Upper and Nikolai Antropov. Astana extended the lead in the third period with a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, assisted by Andrei Gavrilin. Barys added on when Mike Lundin found twine, with the help of Roman Starchenko. Spartak got one back on a Vyacheslav Kozlov goal, set up by Denis Bodrov and Zherdev. Moscow puller closer with a Rastislav Spirko goal, via Kozlov and Andrei Sergeyev. They failed to get an equalizer, losing 4-3. The three stars were given to Lundin, Kozlov, and Zherdev.

Leaving Russia again, we head to Minsk, where Dinamo brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Kevin Lalande are called on for the starts. Minsk opened in the first period with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, assisted by Tomas Surovy. Dinamo added on with a Geoff Platt goal, via Oleg Goroshko and Artur Gavrus. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board when Guntis Galvins scored, thanks to Alexei Pepelyaev and Mikhail Yakubov on the power play. Minsk replied in the second period with a Lukas Krajicek goal, courtesy of Platt. Dinamo struck again as Surovy scored, with a lone assist provided by Kalyuzhny. Minsk extended the lead with a Platt goal, made possible by Konstantin Zakharov and Ilya Shinkevich. Yugra shot back with a Mikhail Zhukov goal, coming off of Kirill Knyazev and Vitaly Sitnikov. Khanty-Mansiysk pulled closer as Veli-Matti Savinainen potted a shorthanded goal, set up by Vladimir Gorbunov. They wouldn't score again, dropping a 5-3 game, with the three stars going to Platt, Kalyuzhny, and Surovy.

Finally, in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Barry Brust protect the nets. Zagreb got going in the second period with a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, powered by Bill Thomas and Hannu Pikkarainen. Medvescak added on with another power play goal, scored by Hugh Jessiman and assisted by Pikkarainen and Matt Murley. Zagreb extended the lead in the third period when Andrew Murray scored, with the help of Luke Walker. Medvescak padded the lead on another Cheechoo goal, via Mark Katic. This made it a 4-0 final, with Cheechoo, Brust (39 save shutout), and Pikkarainen getting the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 1 2013-2014

I know you've all been waiting for this even more than I have been. This is the first time in two years we've had a normal NHL opening night. For a refresher course, I list all goalie matchups as road team and then home team, so that is how you can understand them. I fully believe I will be able to provide up-to-date coverage at the end of the last game every night, for the entirety of the season. With that said, there are three games to get things going today, beginning in...

Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Carey Price are the masked men. Toronto began in the first period with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, powered by Phil Kessel and Cody Franson. Montreal tied it with a Lars Eller goal, passed from Raphael Diaz and Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead with a Brendan Gallagher goal, fueled by Eller and Galchenyuk. The Maple Leafs tied it in the second period on a Dion Phaneuf goal, guided in by Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin. Toronto took the lead as Tyler Bozak scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. The Maple Leafs extended the lead with a Mason Raymond goal, set up by Troy Bodie. Montreal got one back as Eller scored his second of the game, an unassisted goal. The unofficial three stars belonged to Eller, Galchenyuk, and Raymond.

Down in the States, the Chicago Blackhawks raise their Stanley Cup banner in front of the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Chicago led off in the first period with a Brandon Bollig goal, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger. Washington tied it on an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, powered by Mikhail Grabovski and Nicklas Backstrom. The Blackhawks retook the lead as Patrick Kane scored, with helpers provided by Jonathan Toews and Michal Rozsival. The Capitals retied it in the second period with a Grabovski goal, with a lone assist by Joel Ward. Chicago took the lead back as Brent Seabrook scored a power play goal, via Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad. Washington tied it again in the third period with a Grabovski power play goal, with assists provided by Mike Green and Ovechkin. The Capitals took the lead on another Grabovski goal, his second of the game coming on the power play from Green and Backstrom. The Blackhawks got another equalizer on a Saad goal, made possible by Michal Handzus and Duncan Keith. Chicago took the lead again with a Johnny Oduya goal, pushed along by Saad and Hjalmarsson. The Blackhawks iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Hossa, and it went in unassisted. The three stars were unofficially named as Grabovski, Saad, and Hossa, while Ovechkin, Hjalmarsson, Backstrom, and Green.

Finally, we're back in Canada, as the Edmonton Oilers host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Devan Dubnyk draw the starts. Edmonton started in the first period as Mike Brown scored, with a assists by Luke Gazdic and Will Acton. Winnipeg tied it with a power play goal by Mark Scheifele, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom. The Jets took the lead as Bryan Little scored, via Enstrom and Byfuglien. The Oilers evened the score again with a Boyd Gordon goal, coming off of Justin Schultz and Ales Hemsky on the power play. Edmonton took the lead in the second period as Hemsky scored, with helpers provided by Taylor Hall and Ryan Smyth. The Oilers added on as Jesse Joensuu scored a power play goal, powered by Jordan Eberle and Mark Arcobello. Winnipeg got one back as Michael Frolik scored, with assistance from Zach Bogosian and Jacob Trouba. The Jets tied it up with a Trouba goal, going in unassisted. Winnipeg took the lead when Frolik scored his second of the night, made possible by Eric Tangradi and Byfuglien, the latter getting a sock trick. This was good for a 5-4 win, and the three stars were awarded unofficially to Frolik, Byfuglien, and Trouba, while Hemsky and Enstrom get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. All three stars selections this season are my opinion only, and not reflective of the actual stadium-selected three stars.

KHL Day 28 2013-2014

Eight games on the schedule today, which is also the first day of the NHL season (more on that tonight). We begin the day of hockey in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Slovan Bratislava. Miroslav Kopriva and Alexei Murygin are set to start. Bratislava opened with a first period Tomas Mojzis goal, fueled by Milan Bartovic. Slovan added on when Roman Kukumberg scored, thanks to Libor Hudacek. Khabarovsk got on the board when Alexander Yunkov scored, with a lone assist by Jakub Petruzalek. Bratislava replied with a Michel Miklik goal, set up by Michal Vondrka. Slovan extended the lead with an unassisted goal by Juraj Mikus. Bratislava padded the lead in the second period as Tomas Netik scored, courtesy of Bartovic. Amur got one back with a Timofei Shishkanov goal, made possible by Evgeny Korotkov. The scoring ended here, with Slovan picking up a 5-2 win, and the three stars were Bartovic, Miklik, and Kopriva (31 for 33 in saves).

Into Vladivostok, where Admiral welcomes Lev Praha. Petri Vehanen and Joakim Lundstrom receive the starting nods. Vladivostok began in the first period on a Vladimir Pervushin goal, courtesy of Sergei Barbashev. Praha tied it on a Topi Jaakola goal, coming off of Calle Ridderwall. Lev took the lead on a second period goal by Michal Repik, via Michal Birner. Admiral retied it in the third period as Enver Lisin scored an unassisted goal. Praha ended up winning 3-2 in overtime with another Jaakola goal, again set up by Ridderwall. The three stars were Jaakola, Repik, and Ridderwall.

Westward to Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Sergei Gaiduchenko are in the creases. Riga was first to score in the first period with a Marcel Hossa goal, made possible by Vojtech Polak and Aleksandrs Nizivijs. Novosibirsk tied it on a Vladimir Butuzov goal, thanks to Artyom Karavayev and Stepan Sannikov. Dinamo took the lead back as Hossa scored again, with the help of Kyle Wilson and Arvids Rekis. Riga added on in the second period as Sandis Ozolins scored a power play goal, powered by Wilson. Dinamo extended the lead in the third period when Wilson scored, and Ozolins and Polak had the assists. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Hossa, Wilson, and Ozolins, while Polak gets the honorable mention.

Next up, Metallurg Novokuznetsk brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Proskuryakov and Niko Hovinen are the masked men. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on a Yegor Martynov power play goal, powered by Raymond Giroux. Moscow tied it in the second period as Nikolai Prokhorkin scored a goal, assisted by Denis Denisov. CSKA took the lead with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, going in unassisted. Metallurg tied it again with a third period goal by Kurtis McLean, guided in by Artyom Gareyev. Moscow took the game 3-2 with a power play goal in overtime scored by Maxim Goncharov, set up by Denisov and Ilya Zubov. The three stars were Zharkov, Denisov, and Proskuryakov (26 for 28 in saves).

Way to the west, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Johan Backlund are between the pipes. Podolsk started in the first period with a Sergei Topol goal, via Alexander Korolyuk and Yury Koksharov. Yaroslavl tied it on a power play goal by Daniil Apalkov, powered by Sergei Plotnikov and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv took the lead on a second period goal by Averin, an unassisted goal. Vityaz retied the game in the third period with a power play goal by Korolyuk, guided in by Logan Pyett and Josh Hennessy. Yaroslavl took the lead back with an Anton But goal, with a lone helper provided by Mikhail Pashnin. They held on for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being given to Averin, Korolyuk, and But.

Backtracking to Kazan, as Ak Bars hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Emil Garipov are in the blue paint. Kazan led off with a power play goal by Alexander Svitov, powered by Dmitry Obukhov and Tomas Vincour. Mytishchi tied it on an Alexander Kadeikin goal, fueled by Bobby Sanguinetti and Sergei Shmelyov. Ak Bars regained the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Mikhail Varnakov, set up by Alexander Burmistrov. Kazan added on in the third period with another power play goal, this time from the tape of Burmistrov, and passed from Evgeny Medvedev and Shaun Heshka. Atlant got one back as Konstantin Koltsov converted a penalty shot he received after being tripped by Ilya Nikulin on a breakaway. Ak Bars quickly shot back with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, with a lone helper by Nikulin. They would go on to win 4-2, with the three stars being Burmistrov, Varnakov, and Tkachyov.

Completing the circle, we're back in Moscow, as Dynamo hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Moscow got going in the first period with a Filip Novak power play goal, with a lone assist by Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo added on with a Konstantin Volkov goal, thanks to Novak and Maxim Karpov. Moscow extended the lead when Martins Karsums scored, via Alexei Tsvetkov and Denis Kokarev. Cherepovets got on the board in the second period when Nikolai Bushuyev scored, with the help of Linus Videll. The scoring ended here, with Dynamo winning 3-1, and the three stars were Novak, Yeryomenko (19 for 20 in saves), and Volkov.

We end the day in Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Georgy Gelashvili will play goal. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period as Daniil Zharkov scored, with helpers provided by Maxim Potapov and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Torpedo added on with a power play goal by Jarkko Immonen, powered by Juuso Hietanen. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead as Immonen scored again in the second period, thanks to Pavel Valentenko and Sakari Salminen. St. Petersburg got on the board as Yury Alexandrov scored, courtesy of Artemy Panarin. Torpedo responded as Immonen finished his hat trick with a power play goal, assisted by Hietanen and Denis Parshin. Nizhny Novgorod padded the lead on a Mikhail Grigoryev goal, passed from Wojtek Wolski and Vladimir Denisov. SKA got one back on a Panarin goal, guided in by Viktor Tikhonov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. They got no closer, losing 5-2, with the three stars being Immonen, Hietanen, and Panarin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and check back here tonight and for the rest of the season for NHL action alongside KHL games.

Monday Night Football Week 4 2013

Tonight's Monday Night Football game comes from New Orleans, as the Saints host the Miami Dolphins. New Orleans led off in the first quarter with a 5 yard touchdown run by Darren Sproles, and Garrett Hartley made the extra point. Miami got on the board as Caleb Sturgis made a 34 yard field goal. The Saints extended the lead with a Drew Brees touchdown pass of 27 yards to Jimmy Graham in the second quarter, and Hartley handled the extra point. The Dolphins shot back as Lamar Miller ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Sturgis booted the extra point. New Orleans shot back on a Brees touchdown pass of 13 yards to Sproles, and Hartley was true with the PAT. The Saints added on in the third quarter with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Brees to Benjamin Watson, and Hartley supplied another extra point. New Orleans padded the lead with a 43 yard touchdown pass from Brees to Graham, allowing Hartley to make another extra point. Miami answered in the fourth quarter as Ryan Tannehill found Charles Clay for 3 yards and a touchdown, and Sturgis knocked in the extra point. The Saints replied with a 29 yard field goal by Hartley. This made it 38-17, the final, with the Saints going to 4-0 and the Dolphins falling to 3-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 27 2013-2014

Only four games going today, beginning in...

Moscow, as Spartak hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Jeff Glass are between the pipes. Khanty-Mansiysk got going in the third period with a Jonas Andersson goal, assisted by Andrei Shefer and Mikhail Yakubov. Yugra held on to the 1-0 win, with the three stars being Biryukov (36 save shutout), Andersson, and Glass (21 for 22 in saves).

Over in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Lars Haugen are the masked men. Astana led off in the first period with a Talgat Zhailauov power play goal, powered by Roman Savchenko and Roman Starchenko. Minsk tied it with a second period goal by Oleg Goroshko, courtesy of Alexander Kitarov and Lukas Krajicek. Dinamo took the lead on an Alexei Yefimenko goal, coming on the power play via Dmitry Meleshko and Krajicek. Barys tied it with a Brandon Bochenski goal, fueled by Dustin Boyd and Savchenko. Astana took the lead as Bochenski scored again, thanks to Nikolai Antropov and Maxim Semyonov. Barys added on as Starchenko scored, with assists provided by Zhailauov and Fyodor Polishchuk. Astana extended the lead in the third period on a Bochenski goal, completing his hat trick on a shorthanded goal set up by Boyd. This made it 5-2, a final, with Bochenski, Zhailauov, and Starchenko getting the three stars, while Savchenko, Boyd, and Krajicek get the honorable mentions.

Into Ukraine, where Donbass Donetsk welcomes Avangard Omsk. Teemu Lassila and Michael Leighton are in the creases. Donetsk opened in the first period with a Petteri Wirtanen goal, made possible by Teemu Laine. Donbass added on as Vaclav Nedorost scored, with the help of Peter Podhradsky. Donetsk extended the lead as Evgeny Dadonov scored, thanks to Nedorost and Oskars Bartulis. Donbass padded the lead on another goal by Nedorost, via Maxim Yakutsenya and Clay Wilson. Donetsk struck again in the second period with an unassisted goal by Lukas Kaspar. Omsk got on the board on an unassisted goal by Alexei Badyukov. Donbass shot back in the third period when Laine scored, with helpers from Wirtanen and Ruslan Fedotenko. This produced a 6-1 final score, with the three stars being Nedorost, Wirtanen, and Laine, while Leighton gets an honorable mention for his 27-for-28 in saves performance.

Finally, in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Barry Brust will protect the nets. Zagreb started in the first period on a Matt Murley goal, guided in by Jonathan Cheechoo. Medvescak added on in the second period with a Cheechoo power play goal, powered by Murley and Kurtis Foster. Zagreb extended the lead on a Murley unassisted goal in the third period. This was good for a 3-0 win, and Murley, Brust (32 save shutout), Cheechoo.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NFL Week 4 2013

Welcome to the bye months. Over the next nine weeks, every team will get a spare Sunday of rest. Only two enjoy that luxury this Sunday, but thirteen more pairs of teams go at it. We begin in...

Detroit, as the Lions host the Chicago Bears. Chicago struck first in the first quarter on a Robbie Gould field goal of 34 yards. Detroit tied it with a field goal by David Akers, good from 23 yards out. The Lions took the lead in the second quarter on an Akers field goal from 31 yards. The Bears gained the lead as Matt Forte ran 53 yards for a touchdown, and Gould drilled the extra point. Detroit replied with an Akers field goal of 41 yards. The Lions pulled ahead on a Matthew Stafford 1 yard touchdown run, and Akers was true with the extra point. Detroit extended the lead as Stafford passed 2 yards for a touchdown pass caught by Calvin Johnson, and Akers nailed the extra point. The Lions got some more as Reggie Bush ran in a 37 yard touchdown, and Akers was there with the PAT. Chicago got some back when Gould made a 28 yard field goal. The Bears chipped back in the third quarter on a Gould field goal from 25 yards away. Detroit responded on a Nick Fairley 4 yard fumble return for a touchdown after a bobble from Jay Cutler. The Lions tacked on a fourth quarter field goal by Akers, good from 43 yards. Chicago got some back as Cutler tossed a 14 yard touchdown to Alshon Jeffrey, and then he tossed the two-point conversion to Jeffrey as well. The Bears pulled closer on a Cutler touchdown of 10 yards to Earl Bennett, and another successful two-point conversion pass, this time going to Brandon Marshall brought them to a 40-32 deficit. They would not complete the comeback, falling by that margin, and both teams move to 3-1 on the season.

Down in Houston, the Texans welcome the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle led off in the first quarter on a Steven Hauschka field goal of 48 yards. Houston answered in the second quarter as Matt Schaub tossed a 31 yard touchdown pass to Garrett Graham, and Randy Bullock booted the extra point. The Texans added on with a 5 yard touchdown pass from Schaub to Arian Foster, and Bullock again supplied the extra point. Houston extended the lead as Bullock made a 22 yard field goal. The Texans padded the lead with a 42 yard Bullock field goal. The Seahawks responded in the third quarter as Hauschka made a 39 yard field goal. Seattle pulled closer in the fourth quarter on a 3 yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch, and Hauschka knocked in the PAT. The Seahawks tied the game as Richrd Sherman returned an interception of Schaub for 58 yards and a touchdown, and Hauschka's extra point was the equalizer. The tie lasted into overtime, where a field goal of 45 yards was good enough for Hauschka and Seattle to claim a victory. The Seahawks go to 4-0 while the Texans fall to 2-2.

Back north a bit, we have the battle of Ohio, where the Cleveland Browns bring in the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland got going in the first quarter with a 2 yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to Jordan Cameron, and Billy Cundiff knocked in the extra point. Cincinnati got on the board in the second quarter with a Mike Nugent field goal of 25 yards. The Browns answered when Cundiff made a 51 yard field goal in the third quarter. The Bengals replied with a Nugent field goal of 43 yards. Cleveland shot back in the fourth quarter as Hoyer found Chris Ogbonnaya for 1 yard and a touchdown, and Cundiff drilled the PAT. They held on for a 17-6 win, and both teams stand at 2-2 now.

Southeast to Jacksonville, with the Jaguars hosting the Indianapolis Colts. Jacksonville was first to score in the first quarter on a Josh Scobee field goal of 53 yards. Indianapolis tied it in the second quarter as Adam Vinatieri made a 22 yard field goal. The Colts took the lead on a Darius Butler interception of Blaine Gabbert, returned for 41 yards and a touchdown, and Vinatieri made the extra point. Indianapolis added on with a 1 yard touchdown run by Trent Richardson, and Vinatieri handled another extra point. The Colts extended the lead as Vinatieri knocked in a 46 yard field goal. Indianapolis padded the lead in the third quarter with a 31 yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck to Coby Fleener, and Vinatieri was there with the PAT. The Colts kept going on a Luck touchdown pass of 5 yards to Reggie Wayne, and Vinatieri again made the extra point. Indianapolis wrapped it up at 37-3 with a fourth quarter field goal of 28 yards by Vinatieri.

Northwest is next, as the Kansas City Chiefs welcome the New York Giants. Kansas City began in the second quarter with an Alex Smith touchdown pass of 5 yards to Sean McGrath, and Ryan Succop was there with the extra point. New York tied it as Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Brown kicked in the extra point. The Chiefs retook the lead as Succop made a 51 yard field goal. Kansas City added on in the third quarter as Dexter McCluster returned a punt for 89 yards and a touchdown, and Succop nailed the PAT. The Chiefs extended the lead in the fourth quarter when Smith found Jamaal Charles for 2 yards and a touchdown, and Succop again handled the extra point. Kansas City padded the lead as Smith tossed a 34 yard touchdown to Dwayne Bowe, and Succop booted the extra point. They coasted to a 31-7 victory from here, and the Chiefs are now 4-0 while the Giants are 0-4.

Back in Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bring in the Arizona Cardinals. Tampa Bay started in the first quarter as Mike Glennon passed an 8 yard touchdown to Mike Williams, and Rian Lindell made the extra point. The Buccaneers added on in the second quarter as Lindell was true with a 50 yard field goal. The scoring was silent until the fourth quarter, where Ariona got on the board as Jay Feely made a 42 yard field goal. The Cardinals tied the game when Carson Palmer passed 13 yards to Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown, and Feely handled the PAT. Arizona won it 13-10 as Feely made a 27 yard field goal the defense was able to protect. The Cardinals are now 2-2 while the Buccaneers are 0-4.

Up the Atlantic coast, the Buffalo Bills host the Baltimore Ravens. Buffalo opened in the first quarter on a 27 yard field goal by Dan Carpenter. The Bills added on as Carpenter made another 27 yard field goal. Baltimore pulled ahead in the second quarter as Joe Flacco found Marlon Brown for a 10 yard touchdown pass, and Justin Tucker supplied the extra point. Buffalo responded with an EJ Manuel touchdown pass to Robert Woods, a 42 yard connection, and Carpenter knocked in the PAT. The Bills extended the lead as Fred Jackson rushed in a 16 yard touchdown, and Carpenter nailed the extra point. The Ravens got some back in the third quarter on a 26 yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Torrey Smith, and Tucker was true with the extra point. Buffalo countered on a Carpenter field goal of 22 yards. Baltimore chipped back with a Tucker field goal from 35 yards out in the fourth quarter. The Ravens pulled closer with a Tucker field goal of 24 yards. They failed to tie the game, dropping a 23-20 decision, and both teams go to 2-2 on the season.

Across the pond, the Minnesota Vikings are named the host team against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the London game. Minnesota struck first in the first quarter on a Blair Walsh field goal of 54 yards. The Vikings added on as Matt Cassel found Greg Jennings for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Walsh was true with the extra point. Pittsburgh got on the board with an 8 yard touchdown run by Le'Veon Bell, and Shaun Suisham knocked in the extra point. Minnesota answered as Adrian Peterson ran 60 yards for a touchdown, and Walsh was true with the extra point. The Steelers countered with Suisham making a 26 yard field goal. The Vikings replied as Walsh booted a 37 yard field goal. Pittsburgh chipped back in the third quarter as Bell ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Suisham handled the PAT. Minnesota shot back on a 7 yard touchdown run by Peterson, and Walsh drilled the extra point. The Vikings padded the lead as Cassel and Jennings connected for 16 yards and a touchdown, and Walsh supplied another extra point. The Steelers got some back on a Ben Roethlisberger touchdown pass of 15 yards to Jericho Cotchery, and Suisham nailed the extra point. Pittsburgh pulled closer again as Suisham made a 28 yard field goal. This wasn't enough for them, and they lost 34-27, with the Vikings now at 1-3 while dropping the Steelers to 0-4.

Back in the States, the Tennessee Titans welcome the New York Jets. Tennessee was first to score in the first quarter on a Jake Locker touchdown pass of 1 yard to Delanie Walker, and Rob Bironas was there with the extra point. The Titans added on as Bironas made a 26 yard field goal. New York got on the board in the second quarter as Nick Folk made a 45 yard field goal. Tennessee replied with a 4 yard touchdown pass from Locker to Nate Washington, and Bironas was true with the extra point. The Jets shot back as Folk made a 47 yard field goal. The Titans answered on a 16 yard touchdown by Locker to Justin Hunter, and Bironas kicked the extra point. Tennessee picked up the scoring again in the fourth quarter as Geno Smith fumbled the ball in his own end zone, and Karl Klug recovered it for a touchdown, allowing Bironas to make another extra point. New York chipped back with a 34 yard Smith touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland, and Folk supplied the extra point. The Titans replied on a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown pass to Washington, for 77 yards, and Bironas made the extra point. Fitzpatrick was in the game for the injured Locker. This produced the 38-13 final score, with the Titans now at 3-1 and the Jets at 2-2.

Way to the west, the Oakland Raiders bring in the Washington Redskins. Oakland began in the first quarter as Jeremy Stewart recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown, and Sebastian Janikowski made the extra point. The Raiders added on as Matt Flynn found Mychal Rivera for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Janikowski handled another extra point. Washington got on the board in the second quarter on a 25 yard field goal by John Potter. The Redskins pulled closer as Flynn was intercepted by David Amerson for 45 yards on the return, good for a touchdown, and Potter contributed the extra point. Washington took the lead in the third quarter as Robert Griffin III passed 5 yards to Pierre Garcon for a touchdown, and Potter booted the PAT. The Redskins padded the lead on a Roy Helu, Jr. touchdown run of 14 yards, and another Potter extra point made it 24-14 in the fourth quarter. This was a final, with both teams going to 1-3 for the season.

Backtracking to Denver, where the Broncos host the Philadelphia Eagles. Denver opened in the first quarter with a 6 yard Peyton Manning touchdown pass to Wes Welker, and Matt Prater drilled the extra point. Philadelphia answered with an Alex Henery field goal of 35 yards. The Broncos shot back as Trindon Holliday returned the ensuing kickoff for 105 yards and a touchdown, and Prater was called on to make the extra point. The Eagles replied in the second quarter with a 25 yard Henery field goal. Philadelphia pulled closer with a 4 yard Chris Polk touchdown run, and Henery supplied the extra point. Denver countered with a 4 yard touchdown run by Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos added on in the third quarter as Manning found Demaryius Thomas for 1 yard and a touchdown, and Prater was true with the PAT. Denver extended the lead as Manning and Thomas connected again, this time for 15 yards and a touchdown, and Prater supplied the extra point. The Broncos padded the lead as Manning threw his second touchdown of the day to Welker, and Prater capped off the 4 yard connection with an extra point. Denver got some more when Steven Johnson recovered a blocked punt and ran it 17 yards into the end zone for a touchdown, allowing Prater to make another extra point. The Broncos kept going as Prater made a 53 yard field goal. The Eagles got some pity points late as Nick Foles tossed a 6 yard touchdown pass to Jeff Maehl, and Henery kicked the extra point. This produced the 52-20 Broncos win, with the Broncos now at 4-0 and the Eagles at 1-3.

Southwest to San Diego, where the Chargers welcome the Dallas Cowboys. San Diego started in the first quarter as Philip Rivers passed a 26 yard touchdown to Danny Woodhead, and Nick Novak kicked the extra point. Dallas tied it in the second quarter as Tony Romo tossed a 5 yard touchdown to Dez Bryant, and Dan Bailey was there with the extra point. The Chargers retook the lead as Novak made a 36 yard field goal. The Cowboys pulled ahead again with a 34 yard touchdown pass from Romo to Bryant, and Bailey booted the extra point. Dallas added on as Sean Lee picked off Rivers and took the interception 52 yards for a touchdown, and Bailey nailed the extra point. San Diego answered on a 42 yard Novak field goal. The Chargers pulled closer in the third quarter on a 13 yard touchdown reception from Rivers to Woodhead, and Novak was there with the PAT. San Diego took the lead on a 23 yard field goal by Novak in the fourth quarter. The Chargers wrapped it up at 30-21 with a 56 yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Antonio Gates, with Novak good on the extra point. They held on from here, meaning that both teams go to 2-2 on the season.

Finally, Sunday Night Football is in Atlanta, where the Falcons bring in the New England Patriots. Atlanta led off in the first quarter on a field goal by Matt Bryant, good from 23 yards out. New England took the lead in the second quarter as Tom Brady tossed a 1 yard touchdown to Matthew Mulligan, and Stephen Gostkowski made the extra point. The Patriots added on with a Gostkowski field goal of 48 yards. The Falcons shot back as Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzalez for 21 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant handled the extra point. New England took the lead in the third quarter as Gostkowski made a 22 yard field goal. The Patriots added on as LeGarrette Blount ran in a 47 yard touchdown, and Gostkowski knocked in the PAT. Atlanta replied as Bryant made a 45 yard field goal. New England extended the lead as Brady found Kenbrell Thompkins for 18 yards and a touchdown, and Gostkowski drilled the extra point. The Patriots padded the lead as Gostkowski handled a 49 yard field goal. The Falcons got closer with another Ryan touchdown pass to Gonzalez, this time for 11 yards, and Bryant supplied the extra point. Atlanta chipped away as Bryant made a 25 yard field goal. The Patriots held on for a 30-23 win, and improved to 4-0 while dropping the Falcons to 1-3.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 26 2013-2014

Big day in hockey here, with ten games to play. We begin in the far east, where...

Admiral Vladivostok hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Joakim Lundstrom are given the starting nods. Vladivostok got going in the second period on a Viktor Drugov goal, assisted by Sergei Lesnukhin. Admiral added on in the third period as Niclas Bergfors scored, with a lone assist by Felix Schutz. Vladivostok iced it at 3-0 with an unassisted Enver Lisin goal with a second left in regulation, and this was a final. The three stars went to Lundstrom (24 save shutout), Drugov, and Bergfors.

North to Khabarovsk, where Amur hosts CSKA Moscow. Rastislav Stana and Mika Jarvinen will play goal. Khabarovsk led off with a first period goal by Dylan Reese, coming on the power play via Vladimir Loginov and Artyom Kryukov. Moscow tied it with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, set up by Igor Grigorenko. CSKA took the lead in the second period as Ilari Filppula scored, with the help of Ilya Zubov and Sergei Shirokov. Moscow added on in the third period with a Denis Denisov goal, fueled by Brandon Reid and Oleg Saprykin. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Filppula, Stana (30 for 31 in saves), and Denisov.

Moving west to Novosibirsk, where Sibir welcomes Lev Praha. Atte Engren and Mikko Koskinen are the relatively unknown goalies. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period with a Stepan Sannikov goal, fueled by Konstantin Alexeyev. Sibir added on as Jori Lehtera scored, and again, Alexeyev had the only assist. Novosibirsk extended the lead with an Oleg Gubin goal, passed from Kristian Kudroc and Dmitry Monya. Sibir padded the lead with a Jonas Enlund goal, set up by Lehtera. Jan Lukas came on in relief of Engren in the second period. Praha got on the board with a Patrik Zackrisson goal in the second period, made possible by Jiri Sekac. Lev got closer as Zackrisson scored again, this time with the help of Ondrej Nemec and Sekac. Praha chipped closer with a Justin Avezado goal, thanks to Spencer Humphries. Novosibirsk answered in the third period with an unassisted goal by Monya. They coasted to a 5-3 win from here, with the three stars being Lehtera, Monya, and Zackrisson, while Alexeyev and Sekac get the honorable mentions.

Heading over to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings in Slovan Bratislava. Miroslav Kopriva and Niko Hovinen are given the green light to start. Bratislav struck first in the second period with a power play goal by Michel Miklik, powered by Michal Vondrka and Peter Olvecky. Slovan added on with a Juraj Mikus power play goal, going in unassisted. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the third period with a Yegor Martynov goal, an unassisted goal. Bratislava answered with a Miklik goal, his second of the game, set up by Zdenek Kutlak, an empty net goal. They would go on for a 3-1 win, and the three stars were Miklik, Kopriva (25 for 26 in saves), and Mikus.

Westward to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Andrei Vasilevsky will be between the pipes. Ufa opened in the second period on a Sergei Zinovyev goal, passed from Yegor Dubrovsky. Chelyabinsk tied it with a power play goal by Stanislav Chistov, powered by Dmitry Ryabykin and Alexei Vasilchenko. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back in the third period on a Denis Khlystov goal, courtesy of Alexander Mereskin and Andrei Konev. Ufa added on with another Zinovyev goal, with a lone assist provided by Alexander Pankov. They would go on to win 3-1 with that, and Zinovyev, Vasilevsky (20 for 21 in saves), and Khlystov were given the three stars.

Staying in the region, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period with an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Yegor Milovzorov and Stanislav Romanov on the power play. Neftekhimik added on as Martin Cibak scored a goal, assisted by Osala and Milovzorov. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the second period with a Bogdan Potekhin goal, coming off of Denis Platonov. Metallurg tied the game as Danis Zaripov potted an unassisted goal. Magnitogorsk took the lead with a third period goal by Jan Kovar, courtesy of Zaripov and Rinat Ibragimov. Metallurg extended the lead as Chris Lee scored a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Nizhnekamsk got one back on a Maxim Berezin goal, guided in by Mikhail Anisin. They failed to get an equalizer, dropping a 4-3 decision to Metallurg. Zaripov, Osala, and Milovzorov were named the three stars.

Finally breaching into the west, as Dynamo Moscow hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Sergei Borisov and Alexander Yeryomenko will be in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the second period as Maxim Pestushko scored a power play goal, powered by Leo Komarov. Mytishchi answered with a Juha-Pekka Haataja goal, guided in by Bobby Sanguinetti and Maxim Velikov. Dynamo replied as Pestushko scored another power play goal, assisted by Konstantin Gorovikov and Filip Novak. Atlant tied the game again in the third period as Haataja scored his second of the game, with a lone helper from Maxim Mayorov. Moscow retook the lead again on a Marek Kvapil goal, and Konstantin Volkov had the only assist. They held on this time to win 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Pestushko, Haataja, and Kvapil.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Vitaly Koval are the reliable goalies. Cherepovets started with a Linus Videll goal in the first period, made possible by Nikolai Bushuyev. Severstal added on in the third period as Videll scored his second of the game, an empty net goal set up by Bushuyev and Evgeny Kovyrshin. They would go on to a 2-0 win, with Stepanek (22 save shutout), Videll, and Bushuyev getting the three stars.

Further east again, as Ak Bars Kazan brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Yury Klyuchnikov is mismatched with Konstantin Barulin in goal. Kazan led off in the third period with a Janne Pesonen goal, guided in by Grigory Panin and Kirill Petrov. Ak Bars added on as Tim Stapleton scored, with a lone assist by Alexander Burmistrov. Ak Bars won the game 2-0, and Barulin (25 save shutout), Pesonen, and Panin were the three stars.

Finally, in Podolsk, Vityaz hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Ivan Lisutin guard the cages. St. Petersburg opened with a second period goal by Tony Martensson, passed from Patrick Thoresen and Roman Cervenka. Podolsk tied it with an Anton Korolyov goal, courtesy of Alexander Rybakov. Vityaz took the lead in the third period when Yury Koksharov scored, thanks to Sergei Topol. SKA tied it on a power play goal by Ilya Kovalchuk, powered by Cervenka and Thoresen. The game went into a shootout, where tallies by Kovalchuk and Viktor Tikhonov led St. Petersburg to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Kovalchuk, Thoresen, and Cervenka.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.