NHL Day 96 2013-2014

Big day today, including two matinees to get things going. The first comes from...

Boston, where the Bruins host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Tuukka Rask are in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Boston tied it with a Daniel Paille goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug and Gregory Campbell. The Bruins took the lead when Krug scored his ninth of the season in the second period, passed from Paille. Boston added on as Krug notched his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Adam McQuaid and Carl Soderberg. The Bruins extended the lead with a Reilly Smith goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. This made it a 4-1 final, with Krug, Rask (36 for 37 in saves), and Paille getting the three stars.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Semyon Varlamov tend the twines. Colorado was first to score in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Andre Benoit and Paul Stastny. The Avalanche added on in the second period on a Jamie McGinn goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Matt Duchene. Colorado extended the lead as Erik Johnson potted his seventh of the season, via Gabriel Landeskog and Stastny. Alex Stalock relieved Niemi. The Avalanche padded the lead as MacKinnon scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, courtesy of John Mitchell. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, coming off of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks got closer with a Marleau goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Jason Demers and Matthew Nieto. San Jose pulled closer on a third period goal by Logan Couture, helped along by Marleau and Scott Hannan. This only made it 4-3, the final, and the three stars went to MacKinnon, Marleau, and Stastny.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Ryan Miller are the American goalies. Buffalo dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Matt Moulson power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Ennis and Christian Ehrhoff. New Jersey tied it on a Michael Ryder power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Travis Zajac and Marek Zidlicky. The Sabres retook the lead with a Matt D'Agostini power play goal, helped along by Steve Ott and Linus Omark. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Miller (21 for 22 in saves), D'Agostini, and Moulson.

Nearby in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Bernier are in goal. New York began in the first period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh. The Rangers added on with a Dominic Moore goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. New York extended the lead in the second period as Benoit Pouliot scored his eighth of the season, made possible by Marc Staal and Derick Brassard. The Rangers padded the lead on a Chris Kreider goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Derek Stepan and John Moore. New York got another as Dominic Moore scored his second of the game and third of the season, an unassisted goal. Bernier was replaced by James Reimer in goal. Toronto got on the board with a Joffrey Lupul goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tyler Bozak and Morgan Rielly. The Rangers shot back in the third period as Brad Richards netted his tenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Callahan and Hagelin. New York wrapped it up at 7-1 on a Brian Boyle power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Michael Del Zotto and J.T. Miller. The three stars were handed to Dominic Moore, Hagelin, and Talbot (25 for 26 in saves).

Over in Quebec, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Carey Price are the veteran goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Colin Greening goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Erik Condra and Zack Smith. Montreal tied it when Daniel Briere put away his sixth of the year, with the help of Travis Moen and Douglas Murray. The Senators retook the lead as Mark Stone scored, with assists provided by Matt Kassian and Chris Phillips. Ottawa added on with a Condra goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone helper from Marc Methot. The Canadiens got one back in the third period as Briere scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, assisted by Tomas Plekanec and Murray. Montreal tied it with a Brian Gionta goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Briere and Plekanec. The tie lasted to overtime, where the Senators won 4-3 when Clarke MacArthur notched a power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Erik Karlsson. The three stars were awarded to Briere, Condra, and Murray, while Plekanec gets an honorable mention.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers bring in the Nashville Predators. Marek Mazanec and Tim Thomas show alliteration in the goalie matchup. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Craig Smith goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Nick Spaling and David Legwand. Florida tied it as Brad Boyes scored his eleventh of the year, with the help of Aleksander Barkov and Tom Gilbert. The Panthers took the lead with a Tomas Kopecky goal, his fourth of the season, via Marcel Goc and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Predators retied it in the second period on a Mike Fisher goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist from Colin Wilson. Florida retook the lead with a Sean Bergenheim goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Barkov and Boyes. The Panthers added on in the third period when Goc scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Huberdeau. Nashville got one back on a Seth Jones goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. The Predators tied it again on a Paul Gaustad goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Patric Hornqvist and Weber. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Legwand cancelled out Huberdeau before Kopecky scored the game winner for the Panthers to make it a 5-4 final. Kopecky, Goc, and Boyes get the three stars while Huberdeau, Barkov, and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Back north to New York, as the Islanders host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Evgeni Nabokov are the Russian goalies. Carolina got going in the second period as Manny Malhotra scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Patrick Dwyer. New York tied it with the seventeenth of the year by John Tavares, fueled by Thomas Vanek. The Hurricanes retook the lead as Jordan Staal scored his ninth of the season, made possible by Dwyer and Nathan Gerbe. Carolina added on with a Brett Sutter goal, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Andrej Sekera. The Islanders got one back in the third period as Vanek scored a power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Andrew MacDonald and Ryan Strome. It wasn't enough to avoid a 3-2 loss, with the three stars being Vanek, Dwyer, and Khudobin (38 for 40 in saves).

Out west, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Niklas Backstrom get the spot starts. Washington opened in the first period on a Marcus Johansson power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with a (nifty) Mike Green goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. Minnesota got on the board in the second period as Nino Neiderreiter scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Charlie Coyle and Matt Cooke. The Wild tied it on a power play goal by Ryan Suter, his third of the year, passed from Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota took the lead as Suter scored his second of the game and fourth of the season on the power play, via Koivu and Dany Heatley. Washington tied it again on a (weird) Green goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with a lone assist from Brooks Laich. The Wild retook the lead as Jason Zucker netted his second of the season on the power play, guided in by Keith Ballard and Jonas Brodin. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 in the third period with a Suter goal to complete his hat trick with his fifth of the year, set up by Clayton Stoner just after killing a penalty. The three stars went to Suter, Green, and Koivu. Full disclosure: I watched almost all of the game. Green's first goal is an early goal of the year candidate, and his second is going to be up for odd play of the year. Also, the Capitals only faced eleven shots on goal, and yet Holtby gave up five in a truly awful full-game goaltending performance.

Down in St. Louis, the Blues bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney is mismatched with Brian Elliott in goal. Columbus led off in the first period on an Artem Anisimov goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets added on as Mark Letestu scored his second of the year, via Blake Comeau and the goalie McElhinney. St. Louis got on the board in the second period on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Barret Jackman and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues tied it with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Vladimir Tarasenko and Shattenkirk. St. Louis took the lead as Maxim Lapierre scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues added on in the third period with a Berglund goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Tarasenko and Sobotka. St. Louis extended the lead when Jaden Schwartz scored his fifteenth of the season, with the help of David Backes and T.J. Oshie. The Blues padded the lead on a Pietrangelo goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Oshie and Backes. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Berglund, Pietrangelo, and Sobotka, while Shattenkirk, Tarasenko, Oshie, and Backes get the honorable mentions.

Further to the south, the Dallas Stars host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard faces a lesser foe in Dan Ellis in goal. Detroit struck first in the first period with an unassisted Henrik Zetterberg goal, his thirteenth of the season. Dallas tied it on a shorthanded goal by Rich Peverley, his sixth of the year, set up by Shawn Horcoff. The Red Wings retook the lead on a Joakim Andersson goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Kyle Quincey. Detroit added on as Drew Miller scored his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings extended the lead in the second period as Tomas Tatar scored his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit padded the lead in the third period on a Zetterberg goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, guided in by Daniel Cleary. This produced the 5-1 final, with Howard (44 for 45 in saves), Zetterberg, and Andersson getting the three stars.

Out in Phoenix, the Coyotes welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Mike Smith are the masked men. Phoenix began in the second period on a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes added on with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his fifth of the year, via Connor Murphy and Martin Hanzel. Philadelphia got on the board with a Scott Hartnell goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mark Streit. Phoenix shot back with a Boedker goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Keith Yandle and Murphy. The Flyers pulled back on a Brayden Schenn goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Vincent Lecavalier and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia tied it in the third period as Wayne Simmonds scored a power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers took the lead as Voracek scored his tenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Philadelphia iced it at 5-3 with a Claude Giroux empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to Voracek, Boedker, and Murphy.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Quick are the recently-returned-from-injury goalies. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Dustin Brown goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll. The Kings took the lead as Jeff Carter notched his fourteenth of the season, via Dwight King and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles iced it at 3-1 with another Carter empty net goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, set up by Drew Doughty. The three stars were handed to Carter, Quick (27 for 28 in saves), and Luongo (46 for 48 in saves).

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KHL Day 123 2013-2014

Two games on a slower day today, beginning in...

Moscow, as Spartak hosts Dinamo Minsk. Kevin Lalande and Jeff Glass are the North American goalies. Moscow got going in the second period on a Vladimir Peshekhonov goal, courtesy of Denis Ignashin and Pavel Medvedev. Minsk tied it as Alexei Yefimenko scored, thanks to Zbynek Irgl and Alexander Kitarov. Dinamo took the lead in the third period as Irgl scored an unassisted goal. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Irgl, Lalande (36 for 37 in saves), and Yefimenko.

Out in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Mark Dekanich draw the starts. Zagreb opened in the first period as Mike Glumac scored, via Patrick Bjorkstrand. Donetsk tied it as Lukas Kaspar scored a power play goal, powered by Teemu Laine. Donbass took the lead in the second period as Dmitry Kagarlitsky scored, with assists provided by Peter Podhradsky and Clay Wilson. Donetsk iced it at 3-1 in the third period on an empty net goal from Evgeny Dadonov, set up by Maxim Yakutsenya and Wilson. The three stars were given to Kagarlitsky, Laco (27 for 28 in saves), and Wilson.

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NHL Day 95 2013-2014

Four games on tonight, beginning in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Martin Brodeur in goal. Chicago began in the second period as Patrick Sharp scored his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews. New Jersey tied it on an Andy Greene goal, his seventh of the year, thanks to Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period on a Brandon Saad goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Patrick Kane and Brent Seabrook. Chicago added on as Sharp scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, fueled by Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks extended the lead on a Marian Hossa goal, his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Toews and Keith. The Devils got one back as Marek Zidlicky scored his sixth of the year, via Andrei Loktionov and Reid Boucher. New Jersey pulled closer as Zidlicky scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, powered by Eric Gelinas and Adam Henrique. Chicago answered as Sharp finished his hat trick with his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Keith, who got a sock trick. This made it 5-3, the final, with Sharp, Keith, and Zidlicky getting the three stars, while Toews and Seabrook get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming on the power play via Sidney Crosby and Matt Niskanen. The Penguins added on as Jussi Jokinen scored his tenth of the year, with the help of Brian Gibbons and Joe Vitale. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a second period Jokinen goal, his second of the night and eleventh of the season, passed from Gibbons and Brandon Sutter. The Penguins padded the lead as Crosby netted his twenty-third of the year, courtesy of Kunitz and Brooks Orpik. New York got on the board in the third period on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Benoit Pouliot and Derick Brassard. The Rangers pulled closer as Zuccarello scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, via Dan Girardi. Pittsburgh shot back as Kunitz scored his second of the night and twenty-third of the season, with helpers provided by Crosby and James Neal. This was good for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Kunitz, Crosby, and Jokinen, while Zuccarello and Gibbons get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Karri Ramo are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay started in the second period on an Ondrej Palat goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Teddy Purcell and Mark Barberio. The Lightning added on as Nikita Kucherov scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Palat and Matthew Carle. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Bishop (19 save shutout), Palat, and Kucherov.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Jonas Hiller are the veteran goalies. Edmonton led off in the first period as Boyd Gordon scored his sixth of the season, made possible by Ryan Smyth and Jeff Petry. Anaheim tied it with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers retook the lead as Nail Yakupov scored his eighth of the season, thanks to David Perron and Taylor Hall. The Ducks tied it again on a Ben Lovejoy goal, his second of the year, passed from Saku Koivu and Palmieri. Anaheim took the lead on another Lovejoy goal, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Cam Fowler and Matt Beleskey. The Ducks added on with a Tim Jackman goal in the second period, his second of the year, fueled by Nick Bonio and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Cogliano scored his thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. This was good for a 5-2 win, with the three stars going to Lovejoy, Palmieri, and Jackman.

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KHL Day 122 2013-2014

The KHL is back from their New Year's break, and they come back in full force with twelve games, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Evgeny Ivannikov are set to start. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period with an unassisted goal by Artemy Panarin. SKA added on with an Anton Burdasov goal, going in unassisted. Vladivostok got on the board when Andrei Nikitenko scored, thanks to Konstantin Sokolov and Sergei Barbashev. Admiral tied it in the second period as Felix Schutz scored, with a lone assist by Richard Gynge. St. Petersburg retook the lead as Panarin scored another unassisted goal. SKA extended the lead with an Alexander Kucheryavenko goal in the third period, coming off of Evgeny Ryasensky. Vladivostok pulled back with an unassisted power play goal from Alexei Ugarov. Admiral tied it again on an Evgeny Grachyov goal, going in unassisted. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Justin Hodgman scored the only goal to give Admiral the 5-4 win. The three stars were Panarin, Grachyov, and Hodgman.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Alexei Murygin are between the pipes. Khabarovsk got going in the second period on a Dmitry Lugin goal, with a lone helper by Alexander Yunkov. Amur added on when Mikhail Klimchuk scored, thanks to Dmitry Tarasov and Sergei Abramov. Yaroslavl got on the board in the third period with a Staffan Kronwall power play goal, powered by Mikelis Redlihs. This was as close as it got, with the final being 2-1, and the three stars went to Murygin (44 for 45 in saves), Klimchuk, and Lugin.

West a bit to Novosibirsk, as Sibir brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. Novosibirsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on an unassisted goal by Alexander Nesterov. Cherepovets tied it as Niclas Andersen scored an unassisted goal. Severstal took the lead with an Anatoly Nikontsev goal, fueled by Vadim Berdnikov. Sibir tied the game in the third period with another Nesterov goal, assisted by Dmitry Kugryshev. Cherepovets retook the lead as Nikontsev scored his second of the game, a power play goal powered by Bogdan Kiselevich. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Nikontsev, Nesterov, and Andersen.

Staying nearby, as Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov faces a lesser foe in Nikita Lozhkin in goal. Mytishchi opened in the first period with an Oleg Yashin goal, via Ilya Kablukov. Atlant added on as Yashin scored again, with another lone assist by Kablukov. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the second period with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, coming off of Denis Kurepanov. Mytishchi replied on a Rafael Batyrshin goal, guided in by Janne Niskala. Atlant extended the lead as Alexei Mikhnov scored, thanks to Yury Trubachyov and Nikita Soshnikov. Metallurg got one back in the third period on a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Vadim Mitryakov. Mytishchi finished it at 5-2 with a Yashin empty net goal to complete his hat trick, and Kablukov's lone helper gave him a sock trick as well. The three stars were Yashin, Kablukov, and Batyrshin.

Further west to Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the unknown goalies. Ufa struck first in the first period on an Alexander Mereskin goal, fueled by Igor Mirnov and Ildar Isangulov. Salavat Yulaev added on when Tomas Zaborsky scored, thanks to Denis Khlystov and Yegor Dubrovsky. Ufa extended the lead in the second period on a Mirnov goal, passed from Kirill Koltsov and Antti Pihlstrom. Riga got on the board with a Marcel Hossa goal, made possible by Kyle Wilson and Georgijs Pujacs. Dinamo pulled closer with a Miks Indrasis goal, via Roberts Bukarts. Riga tied it in the third period on a goal by Bukarts, with assists provided by Krisjanis Redlihs and Marcel Hascak. Salavat Yulaev won 4-3 in overtime on a Nikita Filatov goal, guided in by Andrei Zubarev and Koltsov. The three stars were handed to Mirnov, Bukarts, and Koltsov.

Moving along to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Magnitogorsk started in the first period as Francis Pare scored, with a lone helper from Oskar Osala. Metallurg added on with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, fueled by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period with a Kovar goal, coming off of Zaripov. Metallurg padded the lead as Kovar scored his second of the game, again via Zaripov, who got a sock trick. Magnitogorsk kept going with a Zaripov power play goal, powered by Mozyakin. Metallurg struck again with an Osala goal, made possible by Evgeny Timkin. Janus was pulled for Miroslav Kopriva at this time. Bratislava got on the board as Tomas Mojzis scored, thanks to Branko Radivojevic. Slovan pulled closer in the third period as Michal Vondrka scored, with the help of Michel Miklik. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Kovar, Zaripov, and Mozyakin, while Osala gets an honorable mention.

Next up, Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Michael Garnett are the masked men. Chelyabinsk led off in the second period on a Jan Bulis power play goal, powered by Maxim Kondratyev and Andrei Kostitsyn. Prague tied it on a Jiri Novotny goal, with a lone assist by Martin Sevc. Traktor took the lead back in the third period when Petri Kontiola scored, thanks to Bulis. Lev tied it again as David Ullstrom scored a power play goal, coming off of Justin Azevedo. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jakub Klepis scored to win the game 3-2 for Lev. The three stars went to Bulis, Klepis, and Ullstrom.

Northwest a tad to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vitaly Koval are given the starting nods. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with a Fyodor Malykhin power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Anton Lazarev. Nizhny Novgorod tied it as Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev scored, with the help of Vladimir Galuzin and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Torpedo took the lead on a power play goal by Juuso Hietanen, fueled by Denis Parshin and Pavel Valentenko. Avtomobilist tied it in the second period on an unassisted goal by Dmitry Megalinsky. Yekaterinburg took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Artyom Chernov, coming off of Megalinsky and Lepisto. Nizhny Novgorod retied it on a Sakari Salminen goal, guided in by Mikhail Grigoryev and Wojtek Wolski. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jarkko Immonen of Torpedo and Sergei Demagin of Avtomobilist traded goals before Parshin sealed a 4-3 Torpedo win with his tally. The three stars were Parshin, Megalinsky, and Lepisto.

Into Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik brings in CSKA Moscow. Ilya Proskuryakov and Alexander Sudnitsin occupy the blue paint. Moscow was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Frolov goal, made possible by Nikita Zaitsev. CSKA added on in the second period as Denis Denisov scored, with a lone assist by Enver Lisin. Moscow extended the lead on a third period Ivan Nepryayev goal, fueled by Lisin and Jan Mursak. CSKA padded the lead as Alexei Morozov scored, with the help of Ilari Filppula and Oleh Saprykin. Nizhnekamsk got on the board as Stanisav Alshevsky scored, via Nikolai Belov and Yaroslav Alshevsky. This only made it 4-1, the final, with Proskuryakov (20 for 21 in saves), Lisin, and Denisov getting the three stars.

Westward to Podolsk, as Vityaz hosts Barys Astana. Ari Ahonen and Ivan Lisutin are between the pipes. Podolsk got going in the third period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, passed from Igor Golovkov and Robert Kousal. Astana tied it on a Nigel Dawes goal, via Talgat Zhailauov and Brandon Bochenski. Barys won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies from Roman Starchenko and Zach Hamill. The three stars went to Ahonen (17 for 18 in saves), Lisutin (39 for 40 in saves), and Hamill.

Into the city of Moscow, as Dynamo welcomes Avangard Omsk. Andrei Mezin and Alexander Sharychenkov are given the green light to start. Omsk struck first in the first period on a Stefan Ruzicka goal, fueled by Miroslav Blatak. Avangard added on as Dmitry Semin scored, with the help of Sergei Shirokov on the power play. Moscow got on the board with a Maxim Karpov goal, coming off of Yegor Dugin and Denis Kokarev. Omsk replied as Ruzicka scored his second of the game, going in shorthanded and unassisted. Dynamo shot back with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, passed from Kokarev. Moscow tied it on a power play goal by Yury Babenko, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Glazachev. Avangard retook the lead with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, guided in by Shirokov and Ivan Baranka. Dynamo retied it with Babenko's second of the game, with a lone assist by Glazachev. Moscow took the lead in the third period on a Marek Kvapil goal, courtesy of Denis Mosalyov. Dynamo extended the lead as Babenko finished his hat trick on a shorthanded goal set up by Kokarev, who got a sock trick, and the goalie Sharychenkov. This stood for a 6-4 win, with the three stars going to Babenko, Ruzicka, and Glazachev, while Kokarev and Shirokov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Konstantin Barulin are the reliable goalies. Kazan dented the scoreboard in the second period on a power play goal by Kirill Petrov, powered by Konstantin Korneyev and Ilya Nikulin. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it as Artyom Bulyansky scored, via Ivan Khlyntsev. Ak Bars retook the lead on another Petrov goal, with a lone assist by Artyom Lukoyanov. Kazan added on in the third period with an Alexander Svitov goal, passed from Grigory Panin and Dmitry Obukhov. Yugra shot back as Nikita Gusev scored, thanks to Alexei Kruchinin. Ak Bars iced it at 4-2 with a power play goal from Alexander Burmistrov, assisted by Tim Stapleton and Mikhail Varnakov. The three stars went to Petrov, Svitov, and Burmistrov.

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NHL Day 94 2013-2014

Ten games on today as the new year of hockey begins in earnest. We begin our coverage from...

New York, as the Islanders host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford returns from injury to face Evgeni Nabokov in goal. New York was first to score in the first period with a Casey Cizikas goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on in the second period as Thomas Vanek scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Kyle Okposo and Andrew MacDonald. Chicago got on the board with a Brent Seabrook power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Kris Versteeg and Nick Leddy. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Ben Smith goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp. New York won 3-2 in overtime with an Okposo goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, assisted by John Tavares and MacDonald. The three stars were Okposo, MacDonald, and Nabokov (37 for 39 in saves).

Down in Washington, the Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Philipp Grubauer are the backups making spot starts. Carolina began in the first period as Jeff Skinner scored his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Alexander Semin and Eric Staal. Washington tied it in the second period when Alex Ovechkin scored his thirty-first of the year, thanks to Marcus Johansson and Karl Alzner. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Manny Malhotra goal, his third of the season, made possible by Drayson Bowman and Tuomo Ruutu. The Capitals tied it again on a Troy Brouwer goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Johansson. Washington took the lead with a Steve Oleksy goal, his second of the season, with a lone assist from Jay Beagle. Carolina tied it with another Skinner goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, passed from Ryan Murphy and Eric Staal. The Hurricanes would win 4-3 in overtime as Skinner completed his hat trick with his nineteenth of the campaign, guided in by Murphy and Malhotra. The three stars were handed to Skinner, Malhotra, and Eric Staal, while Murphy and Johansson get the honorable mentions.

Back north a touch to Boston, as the Bruins host the Nashville Predators. Marek Mazanec and Niklas Svedberg are the little known goalies. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Mike Fisher and Shea Weber. Boston tied it in the third period on a Johnny Boychuk goal, his second of the year, fueled by Ryan Spooner and Carl Soderberg. The Bruins took the lead as Jarome Iginla potted his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Milan Lucic and David Krejci. The Predators retied it on a Weber goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Fisher and Hornqvist. Boston won 3-2 in overtime on a Brad Marchand goal, his tenth of the campaign, passed from Patrice Bergeron and Dougie Hamilton. The three stars were Weber, Marchand, and Fisher.

Crossing into Canada, as the Ottawa Senators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Craig Anderson draw the starts. Ottawa led off in the first period as Mika Zibanejad scored his tenth of the season, courtesy of Cory Conacher and Joe Corvo. Winnipeg tied it on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his eighth of the year, via Anthony Peluso and James Wright. The Senators retook the lead as Milan Michalek potted his seventh of the season, guided in by Zibanejad and Conacher. The Jets retied it in the second period with an Evander Kane goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Jacob Trouba and Michael Frolik. Ottawa pulled ahead in the third period as Zack Smith scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Marc Methot. The Senators added on with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Kyle Turris. Winnipeg got one back on an Olli Jokinen goal, his tenth of the campaign, passed from Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Zibanejad, Byfuglien, and Conacher.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Brian Elliott are the masked men. St. Louis struck first in the first period as Brenden Morrow scored his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. The Blues added on in the second period with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and Pietrangelo. Ben Scrivens replaced Jones at this time. St. Louis extended the lead as Oshie scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, with a lone helper from Vladimir Sobotka. The Blues padded the lead in the third period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Magnus Paajarvi. St. Louis iced it at 5-0 on a Barret Jackman goal, made possible by Morrow and Derek Roy. The three stars were given to Oshie, Elliott (30 save shutout), and Morrow, while Pietrangelo gets an honorable mention.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Niklas Backstrom are in the blue paint. Minnesota got going in the second period on the second of the season by Marco Scandella, assisted by Matt Cooke and Justin Fontaine. The Wild added on as Jason Pominville netted his eighteenth of the year, thanks to Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. Minnesota extended the lead with a Jason Zucker goal, coming off of Nino Neiderreiter and Mikael Granlund. Buffalo got on the board in the third period as Matt Ellis scored his second of the season, with the help of Mike Weber and Tyler Ennis. The Wild shot back as Kyle Brodziak scored his third of the year, an empty net goal set up by Suter and Koivu. The three stars went to Pominville, Koivu, and Suter in the 4-1 game.

South to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Kari Lehtonen tend the twines. Dallas opened in the first period on a Jamie Benn goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Tyler Seguin and Kevin Connauton. Montreal tied it as Max Pacioretty scored his eighteenth of the year, thanks to P.K. Subban. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period on a David Desharnais goal, his fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Subban and Brendan Gallagher. The Stars retied it as Valeri Nichushkin scored his eighth of the season on a penalty shot he received after Josh Gorges tripped him. Montreal took the lead back on a Subban goal, his seventh of the year, via Pacioretty and the goalie Price. The Canadiens added on in the third period with a Gallagher power play goal, his eleventh of the campaign, powered by Pacioretty and Desharnais. Dallas got one back with a Seguin power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, fueled by Cody Eakin and Connauton. The Stars evened it on a Brenden Dillon goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Alex Goligoski and Rich Peverley. Montreal retook the lead as Lars Eller scored his tenth of the campaign, via Travis Moen. The Canadiens finished it at 6-4 with a Pacioretty empty net goal, his nineteenth of the season and second of the game, set up by Subban, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Pacioretty, Subban, and Desharnais, while Gallagher, Seguin, and Connauton get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Colorado started in the first period on a Jamie McGinn goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Matt Duchene and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche added on in the second period as Ryan O'Reilly scored his fourteenth of the year, via Gabriel Landeskog. Philadelphia got on the board as Wayne Simmonds potted his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Andrej Meszaros and Scott Hartnell. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Varlamov (29 for 30 in saves), O'Reilly, and McGinn.

Back down in Phoenix, the Coyotes bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Columbus got going in the second period as Nathan Horton scored a power play goal, powered by James Wisniewski and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets added on in the third period as R.J. Umberger scored his eleventh of the season, a power play goal guided in by Fedor Tyutin and Nick Foligno. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to McElhinney (34 save shutout), Horton, and Umberger.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Edmonton Oilers. Devan Dubnyk and Antti Niemi protect the nets. San Jose began in the first period as Brent Burns scored his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose extended the lead as Bracken Kearns scored his third of the season, thanks to Andrew Desjardins and James Sheppard. The Sharks padded the lead with a Logan Couture goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of John McCarthy. Edmonton got on the board with a Nail Yakupov goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle. San Jose responded in the third period as Pavelski scored his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Thornton and Matt Irwin. This was good for a 5-1 win, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Niemi (23 for 24 in saves), and Thornton.

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NHL Day 93 2013-2014

The calendar has flipped to 2014, and this year begins with the Winter Classic. The first of two games today comes from...

Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the Detroit Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Big House on the University of Minnesota campus. Jonathan Bernier and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Detroit got going in the second period as Daniel Alfredsson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Henrik Zetterberg and Brendan Smith. Toronto tied it as James van Riemsdyk potted his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Phaneuf. The Red Wings tied it with a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fifth of the year, via Smith. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pavel Datsyuk and Joffrey Lupul exchanged goals before Bozak secured a 3-2 Maple Leafs victory. The three stars were Bozak, Bernier (41 for 43 in saves), and Phaneuf, while Smith gets an honorable mention.

The other game comes from Vancouver, where the Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Eddie Lack are the young goalies. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Brad Richardson goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Chris Higgins. Tampa Bay tied it as Valtteri Filppula netted his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on as Tyler Johnson scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Ondrej Palat and Mark Barberio. The Canucks tied it again on a Zac Dalpe goal, coming off of Dale Weise and Tom Sestito. Tampa Bay pulled ahead on a power play goal by Nikita Kucherov, his fourth of the year, powered by Radko Gudas and Matthew Carle. The Lightning added on in the third period with a Killorn goal, his tenth of the campaign, guided in by Victor Hedman and Filppula. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Filppula, Killorn, and Bishop (28 for 30 in saves).

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NHL Day 92 2013-2014

Eleven games on for New Year's Eve. The first is a matinee from...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Brodeur tend the twines. New Jersey started in the first period with an Adam Henrique goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ryane Clowe and Michael Ryder. The Devils added on in the second period on a Ryder goal, his twelfth of the year, thanks to Henrique and the goalie Brodeur. Pittsburgh got on the board as Matt Niskanen scored his fourth of the campaign. This was as close as it got, with the final being 2-1, and the three stars were Ryder, Brodeur (19 for 20 in saves with an assist), and Henrique.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Tim Thomas are the veteran goalies. Florida got going in the second period on a Brad Boyes goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Aleksander Barkov. New York tied it in the third period with a Dan Girardi goal, third of the year, guided in by Derek Stepan and Rick Nash. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Brad Richards had the lone tally for a 2-1 Rangers win. The three stars went to Lundqvist (21 for 22 in saves), Thomas (30 for 31 in saves), and Richards.

Back north to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Josh Harding are in the creases. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on as Schwartz scored his fourteenth of the year, with the help of Vladimir Tarasenko and the goalie Elliott. Minnesota got on the board late in the third period as Ryan Suter scored his second of the campaign, via Charlie Coyle and Mikko Koivu. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schwartz, Elliott (24 for 25 in saves with an assist), and Oshie.

Eastward to Boston, where the Bruins host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Tuukka Rask. Boston was first to score in the first period on a David Krejci goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Jarome Iginla and Milan Lucic. New York tied it in the second period as Frans Nielsen scored his fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Bruins took the lead back on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Ryan Spooner and Reilly Smith. Boston added on as Daniel Paille scored his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Zdeno Chara. The Islanders pulled back as Nielsen scored his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, guided in by Thomas Vanek and Tavares on the power play. New York tied it on an Okposo goal, his fifteenth of the year, made possible by Andrew MacDonald on the power play. The Islanders gained the lead in the third period as Tavares scored his fifteenth of the season, via Vanek and Thomas Hickey. New York extended their lead on another Tavares goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, passed from MacDonald and Okposo on the power play. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars belonging to Tavares, Okposo, and Nielsen in the 5-3 game, while Vanek and MacDonald get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Cam Ward are the masked men. Montreal began in the first period on a Lars Eller goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens added on as Max Pacioretty scored his sixteenth of the year on the power play, powered by David Desharnais and Andrei Markov. Montreal extended the lead as Pacioretty scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season in the second period, helped along by P.K. Subban and Desharnais. Carolina got on the board in the third period as Jeff Skinner scored his fifteenth of the year, a power play goal via Jordan Staal and Andrej Sekera. The Hurricanes pulled closer as Skinner scored his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, thanks to Sekera and Eric Staal. Carolina tied it with an Eric Staal goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Skinner and Brett Bellemore. The Hurricanes took the lead as Manny Malhotra scored his second of the season, assisted by Zach Boychuk and Tuomo Ruutu. The Canadiens retied it as Subban scored his sixth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Markov and Desharnais, the latter getting a sock trick. Carolina won 5-4 in overtime as Alexander Semin potted his fifth of the campaign, set up by Ron Hainsey and Eric Staal. Skinner, Pacioretty, and Eric Staal earned the three stars, while Subban, Desharnais, Sekera, and Markov got the honorable mentions.

Way north to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Backups Jhonas Enroth and Al Montoya make the spot starts. Winnipeg opened in the first period as Keaton Ellerby scored his second of the season, thanks to Andrew Ladd. The Jets added on in the second period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his third of the year, fueled by Chris Thorburn and Devin Setoguchi. Winnipeg iced it at 3-0 with an Anthony Peluso empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Evander Kane and Mark Scheifele. The three stars were Montoya (27 save shutout), Ellerby, and Trouba.

Back to the south, as the Dallas Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Ben Scrivens and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Los Angeles struck first in the first period on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mike Richards and Drew Doughty. Dallas tied it as Erik Cole scored his ninth of the year, a power play goal assisted by Alex Chiasson and Tyler Seguin. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Seguin power play goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Chiasson and Jamie Benn. Dallas added on as Cole scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, guided in by Rich Peverley and Valeri Nichushkin. The Kings got one back in the third period on an Anze Kopitar goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Carter and Dwight King. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Cole, Seguin, and Carter, while Chiasson gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Semyon Varlamov are given the starting nods. Columbus led off in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Nick Foligno and R.J. Umberger. Colorado tied it on a Jan Hejda goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Boone Jenner goal, his fifth of the season, thanks to Blake Comeau and Jack Johnson. The Avalanche tied it again as Jamie McGinn potted his seventh of the year, guided in by Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado took the lead on an O'Reilly goal, his thirteenth of the season coming on the power play via Duchene and Erik Johnson. The Avalanche added on in the third period with a power play goal by Gabriel Landeskog, his twelfth of the year, powered by Paul Stastny and Nathan MacKinnon. Columbus got one back as Foligno notched his eleventh of the season, fueled by Umberger and Johansen. Colorado shot back as MacKinnon scored his tenth of the year, a power play goal passed from Andre Benoit and Tyson Barrie. This was good for a 5-3 win, with the three stars being MacKinnon, O'Reilly, and Duchene, while Johansen, Foligno, and Umberger get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonas Hiller are in the blue paint. Anaheim started in the first period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Matt Beleskey and Cam Fowler. San Jose tied it in the second period on a Dan Boyle goal, his seventh of the year, coming on the power play from Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Ducks took the lead back with a Francois Beauchemin goal, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg. The Sharks retied it as Logan Couture scored his twelfth of the season, guided in by Patrick Marleau and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Anaheim retook the lead on a Nick Bonino power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Getzlaf and Fowler. The Ducks added on with a Beleskey goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Bonino. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period as Getzlaf scored his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Corey Perry. Niemi was pulled for Ael Stalock at this time. The Ducks padded the lead on a shorthanded goal by Andrew Cogliano, his twelfth of the season, set up by Saku Koivu. San Jose got one back as Bracken Kearns scored his second of the year, a power play goal coming off of Matt Irwin and Matthew Nieto. This produced the 6-3 final score, with Getzlaf, Bonino, and Beleskey getting the three stars, while Fowler gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Reto Berra draw the starts. Philadelphia opened in the first period as Mark Streit scored his fifth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his eleventh of the year, with a lone assist by Paul Byron. The Flyers took the lead back as Brayden Schenn scored his ninth of the season, courtesy of Andrej Meszaros and Simmonds. Philadelphia added on as Scott Hartnell scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Luke Schenn and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers wrapped it up at 4-1 with a Braydon Coburn goal, his fourth of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Sean Couturier. The three stars were given to Brayden Schenn, Emery (23 for 24 in saves), and Simmonds.

Finally, down in Phoenix, the Coyotes welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Ilya Bryzgalov and Mike Smith protect the nets. Phoenix began in the first period with a Keith Yandle goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Derek Morris and Lauri Korpikoski. Edmonton tied it as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his eleventh of the year, via Taylor Hall and David Perron. The Oilers took the lead in the second period as Perron scored his seventeenth of the season, with a lone helper by Hall. Edmonton added on as Justin Schultz scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Hall, who got a sock trick. The Coyotes got one back on a Tim Kennedy goal, his second of the season, guided in by Martin Hanzal and Michael Stone. Phoenix tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Yandle and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime on a Yandle goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. Yandle, Hall, and Perron were given the three stars.

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NHL Day 91 2013-2014

Four games on tonight, beginning with...

The Ottawa Senators host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Craig Anderson are in the creases. Washington began in the first period as Joel Ward scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Martin Erat and Jason Chimera. Ottawa tied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Cory Conacher and Milan Michalek. The Senators took the lead in the second period on a Kyle Turris goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Bobby Ryan. Ottawa iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Clarke MacArthur, his twelfth of the year going into the empty net, set up by Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen. The three stars belonged to Anderson (34 for 35 in saves), Turris, and Zibanejad.

Southwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Antti Raanta are the impressive backups in goal. Chicago led off in the first period as Brandon Saad scored his fourteenth of the season, via Bryan Bickell and Duncan Keith. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Raanta (26 save shutout), Saad, and Jones (29 for 30 in saves).

East a little to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard returns from injury against Marek Mazanec in goal. Nashville opened in the first period as Colin Wilson potted his sixth of the season, courtesy of Seth Jones and Mike Fisher. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Drew Miller. The Predators took the lead with a Craig Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Paul Gaustad. Nashville added on as Nick Spaling netted his seventh of the year, thanks to Smith. The Red Wings got one back as Pavel Datsyuk scored his fifteenth of the season in the third period, coming off of Niklas Kronwall. The Predators answered with a Fisher goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Wilson and Patric Hornqvist. Detroit pulled back as Miller put away his fifth of the season, fueled by Kyle Quincey and Darren Helm. Nashville countered with a Wilson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, guided in by Jones and Fisher. The Red Wings chipped closer with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Kronwall. The Predators wrapped it up at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Roman Josi, his third of the campaign, set up by Matt Cullen. The three stars were handed to Wilson, Fisher, and Smith, while Miller, Kronwall, and Jones get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Eddie Lack are the masked men. Philadelphia started in the first period as Mark Streit scored his fourth of the season, assisted by Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux. Vancouver tied it on a Tom Sestito goal in the second period, his third of the year, guided in by Dan Hamhuis and Zac Dalpe. The Canucks took the lead as Jannik Hansen scored his eighth of the season, made possible by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Flyers retied it as Giroux netted his eleventh of the year, fueled by Raffl. Vancouver took the lead back in the third period on a Daniel Sedin goal, his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Hamhuis. Philadelphia tied it again late on a Brayden Schenn goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Scott Hartnell and Matt Read. The Flyers won 4-3 with a Vincent Lecavalier shootout goal. The three stars were Giroux, Daniel Sedin, and Raffl, while Hamhuis gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 90 2013-2014

There are ten games on today to close out a busy weekend, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with Ryan Miller in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Drew Stafford goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Christian Ehrhoff. Washington tied it in the third period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mikhail Grabovski. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Steve Ott's lone goal was good for a 2-1 Sabres win. The three stars were given to Miller (49 for 50 in saves), Ott, and Grubauer (16 for 17 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj and Scott Clemmensen play goal. Florida was first to score in the first period on a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Tomas Fleischmann. Montreal tied it in the second period as Brandon Prust scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Raphael Diaz and Francis Bouillon. The Panthers retook the lead with a Brian Campbell goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tom Gilbert and Brad Boyes. Florida added on as Barkov scored his seventh of the year, with the help of Gilbert and Boyes. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Sean Bergenheim empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Campbell. The three stars went to Campbell, Gilbert, and Boyes.

North again to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Curtis McElhinney man the creases. Columbus began in the first period as Brandon Dubinsky scored his seventh of the season, courtesy of Fedor Tyutin and Jack Johnson. Pittsburgh tied it as James Neal scored his twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Matt Niskanen and Chris Kunitz. The Penguins took the lead in the second period as Neal scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Sidney Crosby. The Blue Jackets tied it again with a Corey Tropp goal, his second of the year, coming off of Boone Jenner and Nikita Nikitin. Pittsburgh took the lead back in the third period on a Crosby goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Kunitz and Neal. The Penguins added on with a Kunitz power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, made possible by Crosby and Neal. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Neal finished his hat trick with his fourteenth of the season, a power play goal with assists provided by Joe Vitale and Deryk Engelland. Columbus got one back on a Nikitin goal, his second of the year, passed from Derek MacKenzie and Blake Comeau. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Neal, Crosby, and Kunitz, while Nikitin gets an honorable mention.

South to Dallas, as the Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. St. Louis led off in the first period on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and T.J. Oshie. The Blues added on in the second period when Oshie scored his fifth of the year, an unassisted goal. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming on the power play from Ray Whitney and Erik Cole. The Stars tied it on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Aaron Rome and Jordie Benn. The tie lasted until Kevin Shattenkirk scored in overtime, his sixth of the campaign coming on the power play via Alex Pietrangelo and Sobotka for a 3-2 Blues win. The three stars were handed to Oshie, Shattenkirk, and Sobotka.

Eastward to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Anders Lindback in goal. New York struck first in the first period as Rick Nash scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Derek Stepan. Tampa Bay tied it with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Teddy Purcell and Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning took the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Radko Gudas and Jean-Philippe Cote. The Rangers retied it with a power play goal by Mats Zuccarello, his ninth of the year, via Derick Brassard and Ryan McDonagh. New York took the lead in the second period on a Chris Kreider power play goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Zuccarello and McDonagh. The Rangers added on with a Benoit Pouliot power play goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Brassard and Zuccarello. Tampa Bay got one back in the third period on a Filppula goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Purcell and Dmitry Korobov. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, and the three stars were Zuccarello, Filppula, and Brassard, while McDonagh and Purcell get the honorable mentions.

North to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jonathan Bernier are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Tyler Bozak. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Alexander Semin. The Maple Leafs took the lead with Kessel's second of the game and twentieth of the season, fueled by James van Riemsdyk and Bozak. Toronto added on with an unassisted goal by Nikolai Kulemin, his fifth of the year. The Hurricanes pulled back on a Justin Faulk power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Jeff Skinner. The Maple Leafs shot back in the third period as Paul Ranger scored his second of the year, with a lone assist by Bozak, who got a sock trick. Toronto wrapped it up at 5-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Dion Phaneuf, his fourth of the campaign. Kessel, Bernier (41 for 43 in saves), and Bozak get the three stars.

Across Canada to Calgary, as the Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Reto Berra are between the pipes. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Jannik Hansen goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks iced it at 2-0 in the third period as Mike Santorelli scored his ninth of the year, via Ryan Kesler. The three stars were Lack (18 save shutout), Hansen, and Santorelli.

Backtracking to Minnesota, with the Wild welcoming the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Josh Harding draw the starts. Minnesota opened in the first period on a Ryan Suter goal, guided in by Mike Rupp and Torrey Mitchell. The Wild added on in the second period as Jonas Brodin scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Mikko Koivu and Nino Neiderreiter. Minnesota extended the lead as Neiderreiter scored his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Koivu. New York got on the board with a John Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders pulled closer as Cal Clutterbuck scored his fifth of the year, assisted by Thomas Hickey and Brock Nelson. New York tied it in the third period as Hickey scored his second of the season, with the help of Colin McDonald and Ryan Strome. The Islanders took the lead on an Okposo goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Hickey and Andrew MacDonald. The Wild retied it as Justin Fontaine scored his eighth of the season, passed from Matt Cooke and Marco Scandella. New York pulled ahead with another Okposo goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, coming off of Vanek. This held up for a 5-4 win, with Okposo, Hickey, and Neiderreiter getting the three stars while Vanek and Koivu get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Denver, as the Colorado Avalanche bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Winnipeg got going in the third period on an Andrew Ladd goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Blake Wheeler and Jacob Trouba. Colorado tied it on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson. The Jets won 2-1 in overtime as Wheeler scored his fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars belonged to Wheeler, Montoya (33 for 34 in saves), and Varlamov (35 for 37 in saves).

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Anaheim Ducks in a Battle of California. Frederik Andersen and Antti Niemi receive the starting nods. San Jose led off in the first period as Brent Burns scored his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on as Logan Couture scored his eleventh of the year, via Burns and Jason Demers. San Jose extended the lead in the second period with a Bracken Kearns goal, coming off of Andrew Desjardins and Mike Brown. Anaheim got on the board in the third period with a Pat Maroon goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Niemi (30 for 31 in saves), Burns, and Kearns.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NFL Week 17 2013

All the games are today, and by the end of the night, we know who's going to the playoffs and who's going home. All games are divisional matchups. The first comes from...

Cincinnati, as the Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North. Baltimore opened in the first quarter as Justin Tucker kicked a 38 yard field goal. The Ravens added on as Tucker made a 22 yard field goal. Cincinnati took the lead when Andy Dalton connected with A.J. Green for a 53 yard touchdown, and Mike Nugent made the extra point. The Bengals extended the lead in the second quarter as Nugent nailed a 39 yard field goal. Cincinnati padded the lead as Dalton found Marvin Jones for 16 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent was true with the extra point. Baltimore shot back in the third quarter on a 34 yard field goal from Tucker. The Ravens chipped closer as Joe Flacco tossed an 8 yard touchdown to Marlon Brown, and then Ray Rice ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game. The Bengals retook the lead in the fourth quarter on a 1 yard touchdown rush by Dalton, and Nugent booted the PAT. Cincinnati struck again on a 38 yard field goal by Nugent. The Bengals wrapped it up at 34-17 when Dre Kirkpatrick picked off Flacco and returned the interception for 21 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent knocked in the extra point. The Bengals end the season at 11-5 while the Ravens are 8-8 and will not make the playoffs.

The other AFC North game comes from Pittsburgh, as the Steelers welcome the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh began in the first quarter on a 9 yard Ben Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Jericho Cotchery, and Shaun Suisham nailed the extra point. The Steelers added on in the second quarter as Le'Veon Bell ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Suisham was there with the PAT. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Suisham kicked a 30 yard field goal in the third quarter. The Steelers padded the lead in the fourth quarter when Suisham supplied a 32 yard field goal. Cleveland got on the board as Jason Campbell tossed a 35 yard touchdown pass to Fozzy Whittaker, and Billy Cundiff made the extra point. This made it 20-7, the final, with the Steelers going to 8-8, staying alive for the postseason depending on what the San Diego Chargers do, and the Browns falling to 4-12 for the season.

Down in Tennessee, the Titans bring in the Houston Texans in an underwhelming AFC South battle. Houston was first to score in the first quarter on a 3 yard Jonathan Grimes touchdown run, and Randy Bullock made the extra point. Tennessee got on the board in the second quarter with a Rob Bironas field goal of 42 yards. The Titans pulled closer with a 55 yard Bironas field goal. Tennessee took the lead in the third quarter on an 11 yard Chris Johnson touchdown run, and Bironas tacked on the PAT. The Titans extended the lead as Bironas made a 37 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Texans got some back on a 19 yard Bullock field goal. This is as close as it got, with the final being 16-10, and the Titans wrap up at 7-9 while the Texans get the first overall draft pick at 2-14.

Southeast to Atlanta, as the Falcons host the Carolina Panthers with the NFC South on the line. Atlanta started in the first quarter as Matt Ryan tossed a 9 yard touchdown pass to Jason Snelling, and Matt Bryant kicked in the extra point. The Falcons added on in the second quarter as Bryant made a 42 yard field goal. Carolina got on the board with a Melvin White interception of Ryan, returned 8 yards for a touchdown, and Graham Gano supplied the extra point. The Panthers took the lead with a 3 yard Cam Newton touchdown pass to Ted Ginn, Jr., and Gano nailed the PAT. Atlanta retook the lead in the third quarter as Ryan connected with Roddy White for 39 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant booted the extra point. Carolina shot back and pulled ahead as Newton passed a 7 yard touchdown to Greg Olsen, and Gano drilled the extra point. The Falcons chipped closer in the fourth quarter on a Bryant field goal from 37 yards. They failed to gain a lead, losing 21-20, with the Panthers securing a first round bye at 12-4 while the Falcons leave the season a disappointing 4-12.

Northward to Minnesota, as the Metrodome is sent away by the Vikings welcoming their NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions. Minnesota led off as Cordarrelle Patterson ran 50 yards for a touchdown, and Blair Walsh made the extra point. Detroit tied it in the third quarter as Matthew Stafford threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Reggie Bush, and David Akers made the extra point. The Lions took the lead in the fourth quarter on an Akers field goal of 25 yards. Detroit added on as Akers made a 53 yard field goal. The Vikings took the lead as Matt Cassel tossed an 8 yard touchdown to Patterson, and Walsh booted the PAT. This held up for a 14-13 win, with the Vikings ending at 5-10-1 while the Lions close out a failure of a season at 7-9.

Way south to Miami, as the Dolphins bring in the New York Jets for an AFC East showdown. Miami dented the scoreboard in the second quarter on a Ryan Tannehill touchdown pass of 5 yards to Mike Wallace, and Caleb Sturgis made the extra point. New York tied it on a 1 yard touchdown run by Sheldon Richardson, and Nick Folk blasted the PAT. The Jets took the lead as Geno Smith ran in a 7 yard touchdown, and Folk was there with the extra point. New York added on in the fourth quarter on a 35 yard Folk field goal. The Jets extended the lead as Folk made a 26 yard field goal. They went on to win 20-7, and both teams are out of playoff contention at 8-8.

Backtracking to Indianapolis for the other AFC South game, as the Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Indianapolis struck first in the first quarter on a 1 yard Donald Brown touchdown run, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. The Colts added on as Trent Richardson rushed 2 yards for a touchdown, and Vinatieri handled the extra point. Indianapolis extended the lead on a Vinatieri field goal of 23 yards. Jacksonville got on the board when Josh Scobee made a 37 yard field goal in the second quarter. The Colts shot back on a 26 yard field goal by Vinatieri. Indianapolis padded the lead in the third quarter with a 7 yard Andrew Luck touchdown pass to Griff Whalen, and Vinatieri nailed the PAT. The Colts kept going in the fourth quarter as Vinatieri made a 39 yard field goal. The Jaguars got some back as Chad Henne tossed a 14 yard touchdown pass to Kerry Taylor, and Scobee supplied the extra point. This resulted in a 30-10 final, with the Colts as division champions at 11-5 while the Jaguars finish at 4-12.

Reaching halfway for the day, we have a meaningless NFC East game as the New York Giants welcome the Washington Redskins. Washington got going in the second quarter as Kai Forbath made a 31 yard field goal. New York took the lead as Eli Manning tossed a 24 yard touchdown pass to Jerrel Jernigan, and Josh Brown made the extra point. The Giants added on as Brown made a 34 yard field goal. The Redskins pulled back as Forbath booted a 49 yard field goal. New York extended their lead in the third quarter as Jernigan rushed 49 yards for a touchdown, and Brown made the PAT. The Giants iced it at 20-6 in the fourth quarter when Brown made a 38 yard field goal. The Giants finish at 7-9 while the Redskins end up at 3-13.

In the later wave of kickoffs, the Chicago Bears bring in the Green Bay Packers to fight for the NFC North crown and a playoff spot. Chicago opened in the first quarter on a Jay Cutler touchdown pass of 4 yards to Matt Forte, and Robbie Gould nailed the extra point. Green Bay got on the board in the second quarter with a 33 yard field goal by Mason Crosby. The Packers took the lead when Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball, picked up by teammate Jarret Boykin, who then ran 15 yards for the touchdown, and Crosby supplied the PAT. Green Bay added on as Crosby made a 27 yard field goal. The Bears shot back in the third quarter on a 5 yard touchdown run by Forte, and Gould booted the extra point. The Packers reclaimed the lead as Rodgers tossed a 7 yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb, and Crosby was there with the extra point. Chicago retook the lead when Forte ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Gould handled the extra point. The Bears extended the lead in the fourth quarter on a Cutler touchdown pass of 5 yards to Brandon Marshall, and Gould supplied the extra point. Green Bay answered as Eddie Lacy ran in a 6 yard touchdown, and Crosby kicked the extra point. The Packers took the lead with a Rodgers 48 yard touchdown pass to Cobb, but he failed to find anyone on the two-point attempt. It didn't matter, as the Packers won 33-28, and took the NFC North at 8-7-1 while the Bears dropped to 8-8 and will not be in the playoffs.

To the northwest, the Seattle Seahawks host their NFC West rivals, the St. Louis Rams. Seattle started in the first quarter on a Malcom Smith interception of Kellen Clemens, returned 37 yards for a touchdown, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. The Seahawks added on in the second quarter as Hauschka made a 28 yard field goal. Seattle extended the lead on a 35 yard field goal by Hauschka. St. Louis got on the board in the third quarter with a Greg Zuerlein field goal of 36 yards. The Seahawks shot back on a 2 yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch, and Hauschka handled the PAT. Seattle padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Russell Wilson found Golden Tate for 47 yards and a touchdown, and Hauschka knocked in another extra point. The Rams got some back with a 2 yard Clemens touchdown pass to Jared Cook, but they failed on their two-point attempt. This produced a 27-9 final, with the Seahawks clinching home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs at 13-3, while the Rams end the year at 7-9.

Down in San Diego, the Chargers welcome the Kansas City Chiefs for an AFC West battle. Kansas City led off in the first quarter on a 17 yard touchdown run by Knile Davis, and Ryan Succop made the extra point. San Diego tied it as Philip Rivers tossed a 22 yard touchdown pass to Ladarius Green, and Nick Novak knocked in the extra point. The Chiefs retook the lead on a 2 yard Chase Daniel touchdown pass to Dexter McCluster, and Succop nailed the PAT. The Chargers pulled even again in the second quarter as Rivers found Antonio Gates for 4 yards and a touchdown, and Novak booted the extra point. Kansas City regained the lead on a 2 yard Davis touchdown run, followed by a Succop extra point. The Chiefs extended the lead in the third quarter when Succop made a 46 yard field goal. San Diego pulled back in the fourth quarter as Rivers tossed a 6 yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal, and Novak was there with the extra point. The Chargers tied it with a Novak 22 yard field goal. San Diego went ahead in overtime as Novak made a 36 yard field goal, and the defense held to protect the 27-24 lead and make it a win. The Chargers improved to 8-8 and won the tiebreaker between five teams to be the second AFC wild card, while the Chiefs are the first wild card at 11-5.

A little east to Arizona, where the Cardinals bring in the San Francisco 49ers for the other NFC West game. San Francisco began in the first quarter as Phil Dawson booted a 27 yard field goal. The 49ers added on as Colin Kaepernick found Anquan Boldin for 4 yards and a touchdown, and Dawson was there with the extra point. San Francisco extended the lead on a Kaepernick touchdown pass of 3 yards to Vernon Davis, and Dawson was true with the extra point. Arizona got on the board in the second quarter when Carson Palmer threw a 1 yard touchdown pass to Jake Ballard, and Jay Feely nailed the PAT. The Cardinals pulled closer in the fourth quarter as Feely made a 49 yard field goal. Arizona tied it as Palmer tossed a 34 yard touchdown to Andre Roberts, and Feely supplied another extra point. The 49ers took the lead as Dawson made a 56 yard field goal. The Cardinals retied it with a Feely field goal of 43 yards. San Francisco still took the game 23-20 on a 40 yard Dawson field goal as time expired. The loss sent the Cardinals out of the playoff picture, with the 49ers at 12-4 and the fifth seed, and the Cardinals at 10-6.

Backtracking to Oakland, as the Raiders host the Denver Broncos in a mostly meaningless AFC West game. Denver got going in the first quarter on a 3 yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Eric Decker, and Matt Prater made the extra point. The Broncos added on as Manning tossed a 7 yard touchdown pass to Knowshon Moreno, and Prater knocked in the extra point. Denver extended the lead in the second quarter with a 34 yard Prater field goal. The Broncos padded the lead with a 63 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Demaryius Thomas, and Prater booted the PAT. Denver kept going as Manning and Thomas connected again, this time for a 5 yard touchdown, and Prater was true with the extra point. The Broncos got some more in the fourth quarter on a 54 yard Prater field goal. Oakland got on the board as Terrelle Pryor threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Rod Streater, and Sebastian Janikowski supplied the extra point. The Raiders pulled closer on a 9 yard Pryor touchdown pass to Nick Kasa, and Janikowski drilled the extra point. The final stood here at 34-14, with the Broncos clinching home field advantage in the AFC playoffs with a 13-3 record while the Raiders end at a dismal 4-12.

Southeast to New Orleans, where the Saints welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a battle in the NFC South. New Orleans was first to score in the first quarter on a 44 yard Drew Brees touchdown pass to Lance Moore, and Shayne Graham made the extra point. Tampa Bay tied it as Mike Glennon found Tiquan Underwood for 48 yards and a touchdown, and Rian Lindell knocked in the extra point. The Saints retook the lead as Brees tossed a 10 yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham, and Shayne Graham made the extra point again. New Orleans added on in the second quarter with a 41 yard Brees touchdown pass to Robert Meachem, and Shayne Graham was there with the extra point. The Buccaneers replied on a 1 yard Glennon touchdown pass to Tim Wright, and Lindell booted the PAT. The Saints shot back as Brees connected for 76 yards and a touchdown to Kenny Stills, and Shayne Graham tacked on the extra point. Tampa Bay pulled back with a 54 yard Lindell field goal in the third quarter. New Orleans answered on an 8 yard touchdown run by Pierre Thomas, capped off by a Shayne Graham extra point. The Saints padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Brees rushed 9 yards for a touchdown, and Shayne Graham had another extra point. This resulted in a 42-17 final, with the Saints making the playoffs at 11-5 while the Buccaneers are 4-12 to close out the season.

Northeast to New England, as the Patriots bring in the Buffalo Bills for an AFC East showdown. New England struck first in the first quarter with a 43 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Buffalo tied it on a 51 yard field goal from Dan Carpenter. The Patriots retook the lead as Gostkowski made a 35 yard field goal. New England added on in the second quarter as LeGarrette Blount rushed 36 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski was there with the extra point. The Patriots extended the lead on a 29 yard Gostkowski field goal. The Bills shot back in the third quarter as Thad Lewis threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to T.J. Graham, and Carpenter knocked in the PAT. New England answered in the fourth quarter with a Tom Brady touchdown pass of 5 yards to Shane Vereen, and then he successfully found Julian Edelman for the two-point conversion. Buffalo replied on a 5 yard Fred Jackson touchdown run, and Carpenter handled the extra point. The Patriots countered with a 35 yard field goal by Gostkowski. The Bills chipped closer on a 37 yard Carpenter field goal. New England iced it at 34-20 as Blount broke free for a 35 yard touchdown run, and Gostkowski nailed another extra point. The Patriots get a first round bye at 12-4, while the Bills fall to 6-10 to finish the year.

Finally, the NFL regular season ends with a battle in Dallas, as the Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles for NFC East supremacy and the right to go to the playoffs. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the first quarter on a 47 yard Alex Henery field goal. The Eagles added on in the second quarter with a Nick Foles touchdown pass of 3 yards to LeSean McCoy, and Henery knocked in the extra point. Dallas got on the board as Kyle Orton tossed a 17 yard touchdown pass to Gavin Escobar, and Dan Bailey supplied the PAT. Philadelphia replied as Foles tossed a 14 yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek, and Henery was true with the extra point. The Cowboys pulled back on a 44 yard field goal by Bailey. Dallas chipped closer in the third quarter with a 43 yard Bailey field goal. The Cowboys edged closer on a 36 yard Bailey field goal. The Eagles extended their lead in the fourth quarter when Bryce Brown ran 6 yards for a touchdown, and Henery knocked in the extra point. Dallas answered as Orton found Dez Bryant for 32 yards and a touchdown, but he couldn't get the game tied as his two-point attempt to Bryant was broken up. This cost them the game, as they lost 24-22. The Eagles go to the playoffs as NFC East champions at 10-6 while the Cowboys are on the outside looking in at 8-8.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Day 117 2013-2014

Seven games on today before the KHL New Year's break. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Vitaly Kolesnik are in the creases. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with a Francis Pare goal, assisted by Oskar Osala. Yaroslavl tied it in the second period with a goal by Sergei Plotnikov, helped along by Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv took the lead on a Sergei Konkov goal, made possible by Plotnikov and Igor Musatov. Yaroslavl added on in the third period with a Jonas Holos empty net goal, set up by Apalkov. The final was 3-1, and the three stars went to Plotnikov, Kolesnik (19 for 20 in saves), and Apalkov.

Into Moscow, as Spartak welcomes their cross-town rivals, Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Jeff Glass receive the starting nods. Dynamo was first to score in the first period as Alexander Ryazantsev scored a power play goal, powered by Filip Novak and Denis Kokarev. Dynamo added on with a Yury Babenko goal, assisted by Dominik Granak and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Dynamo extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Denis Mosalyov. Alexei Ivanov relieved Glass for the second period. Dynamo padded the lead in the second period on a Maxim Pestushko goal, fueled by Konstantin Gorovikov and Granak. Dynamo kept going in the third period with a Konstantin Glazachev goal, coming off of Alexei Tsvetkov and Maxim Solovyov. Dynamo got another with a Denis Barantsev goal, made possible by Konstantin Volkov and Maxim Karpov. This produced the 6-0 final score, with the three stars being Sharychenkov (18 save shutout), Granak, and Ryazantsev.

Back to Cherepovets, where Severstal brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jakub Stepanek draw the starts. Chelyabinsk led off in the first period with an Alexei Zavarukhin goal, going in unassisted. Traktor added on with an unassisted goal by Petri Kontiola. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Maxim Kondratyev scored, via Andrei Popov. Stepanek was pulled for Ivan Kasutin at this time. Cherepovets got on the board in the second period on an Ignat Zemchenko power play goal, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Teemu Laasko. Traktor answered as Denis Abdullin scored, thanks to Konstantin Klimontov. Severstal shot back on a Nikolai Kazakovtsev goal, coming on the power play from Zemchenko. Chelyabinsk replied as Popov scored in the third period with assists provided by Anton Glinkin and Kondratyev. Cherepovets pulled back on a Pavel Dedunov goal, courtesy of Pavel Chernov. Severstal chipped closer on a Vadim Berdnikov goal, thanks to Alexander Guskov. Traktor finished it at 6-4 with an Alexei Vasilchenko empty net goal set up by Igor Valeyev. The three stars went to Kondratyev, Popov, and Zemchenko.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Vitaly Koval and Kevin Lalande protect the nets. Minsk struck first in the first period with a Tomas Surovy goal, assisted by Geoff Platt. Dinamo added on in the second period on an Alexander Materukhin goal, fueled by Andrei Stas and Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk extended the lead as Materukhin scored again, via Kalyuzhny and Stas. Dinamo padded the lead with a power play goal by Alexander Kitarov, powered by Surovy and Ilya Kaznadei. This held up for a 5-0 win, with the three stars being Materukhin, Lalande (25 save shutout), and Surovy, while Stas and Kalyuzhny get the honorable mentions.

Moving along to Riga, as Dinamo brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Mikael Tellqvist guard the cages. Bratislava began in the first period as Michal Vondrka scored on a penalty shot he received after being slashed by Arvids Rekis. Slovan added on in the second period when Juraj Mikus scored, thanks to Martin Stajnoch. Bratislava extended the lead on a Michel Miklik goal, with a lone assist by Vondrka. Riga got on the board in the third period when Kyle Wilson scored, via Paul Szczechura and Mat Robinson. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-1, and the three stars went to Vondrka, Janus (38 for 39 in saves), and Mikus.

Into Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Jan Laco are in the blue paint. Kazan dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Janne Pesonen goal, fueled by Alexei Tereshchenko and Shaun Heshka. Donetsk tied it with a Tuomas Kiiskinen goal, coming off of Viktor Zakharov and Sergei Varlamov. Ak Bars took the lead back in the second period as Dmitry Obukhov scored a power play goal powered by Ilya Nikulin. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Garipov (33 for 34 in saves), Obukhov, and Pesonen.

Westward to Zagreb, as Medvescak hosts Vityaz Podolsk for the last game of the day. Ivan Lisutin and Mark Dekanich are between the pipes. Zagreb started in the first period on a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, courtesy of Matt Murley and Bill Thomas. Medvescak added on in the second period with a Mike Glumac goal, via Ivan Svarny. Zagreb extended the lead as Michael Ryan scored, thanks to Thomas and Mark Katic. Medvescak padded the lead on a Charles Linglet goal, guided in by Cheechoo. Podolsk got on the board in the third period with an Airat Ziazov goal, fueled by Alexei Makeyev and Anton Korolyov. Vityaz pulled closer with an Alexander Korolyuk goal, assisted by Dmitry Shitikov and Igor Golovkov. They couldn't tie it, losing 4-2, with the three stars being Cheechoo, Thomas, and Ryan.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and we'll pick this up again on January 3rd.