NHL Day 117 2013-2014

Ten games today, with three matinees. The first game is yesterday's postponed affair in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Ottawa Senators to finish fixing their schedule. Robin Lehner and Anton Khudobin are the young goalies. Carolina led off in the first period on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Manny Malhotra and Mike Komisarek. The Hurricanes added on in the second period on an Eric Staal goal, his twelfth of the year, via Alexander Semin and Ron Hainsey. Carolina extended the lead with Malhotra's fifth of the campaign, courtesy of Gerbe and Drayson Bowman. The Hurricanes padded the lead on a Riley Nash goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Andrej Sekera and Radek Dvorak. Ottawa got on the board with a Kyle Turris goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Clarke MacArthur and Eric Gryba. The Senators pulled closer with another Turris goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, a shorthanded goal set up by MacArthur and Gryba. Carolina shot back on a Tuomo Ruutu power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Sekera and Semin. Ottawa chipped back on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Bobby Ryan and Cory Conacher. The Hurricanes finished it at 6-3 with a third period Malhotra empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, pushed through by Gerbe and Bowman. The three stars went to Malhotra, Gerbe, and Turris, while Semin, Sekera, Bowman, MacArthur, and Gryba all got honorable mentions.

North to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Steve Mason draw the starts. Boston opened in the first period on a Zdeno Chara power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Jarome Iginla and David Krejci. The Bruins added on with an Iginla goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Milan Lucic and Torey Krug. Boston extended the lead in the second period with an unassisted goal by Reilly Smith, his sixteenth of the season. The Bruins padded the lead on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Brad Marchand. Mason was pulled for Ray Emery at this time. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Jakub Voracek and Kimmo Timonen. Boston answered with a power play goal by Iginla, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, made possible by Krug and Krejci. The Bruins finished it at 6-1 with a Chara power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with helpers provided by Iginla and Krejci, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Iginla, Chara, and Krejci, and Krug got the honorable mention.

Over on Long Island, the New York Islanders host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Kevin Poulin are in the creases. New York struck first in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Kyle Okposo and John Tavares. The Islanders added on with an Okposo goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Vanek and Thomas Hickey. St. Louis got on the board when Vladimir Tarasenko scored his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Maxim Lapierre. The Blues tied it in the second period with another Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, coming off of Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. New York retook the lead with a Matt Martin goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Colin McDonald and Casey Cizikas. St. Louis tied it again in the third period on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Alex Pietrangelo and Steen. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Steen and Shattenkirk overwhelmed Vanek to give the Blues a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Tarasenko, Shattenkirk, and Steen, while Vanek and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

At the normal times, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carey Price are the well-known goalies. Washington got going in the second period on a goal by Alex Ovechkin goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, powered by Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. The Capitals added on with a John Erskine goal, coming off of Martin Erat and Troy Brouwer. Washington extended the lead on a Jay Beagle goal, via Tom Wilson and Mike Green. The Capitals padded the lead on a John Carlson goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Brooks Laich and Erat. Peter Budaj relieved Price at this time. Washington struck again in the third period on a Casey Wellman goal, guided in by Ovechkin and Connor Carrick. This was good for a 5-0 win, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Holtby (21 save shutout), and Erat.

West to Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Ondrej Pavelec are the oft-criticized goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler. The Jets added on as Wheeler scored his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jacob Trouba and the goalie Pavelec. Toronto got on the board with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Phil Kessel. Winnipeg shot back with a power play goal by Bryan Little, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets extended the lead on a Zach Bogosian goal, his second of the season, coming off of Little and Andrew Ladd. Jonathan Bernier relieved Reimer at this time. The Maple Leafs got one back on a Troy Bodie goal, his second of the year, made possible by Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. Toronto pulled closer with a Tim Gleason goal, fueled by Carter Ashton and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period as Kessel scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to James van Riemsdyk. Winnipeg won on a Byfuglien goal in overtime, his twelfth of the year, with helpers from Ladd and Michael Frolik. The three stars of the 5-4 game went to Byfuglien, Little, and Wheeler, while Kessel and Ladd get the honorable mentions.

Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Sergei Bovrovsky protect the nets. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Matt Ellis goal, his third of the season, assisted by Henrik Tallinder and Ville Leino. Columbus tied it on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Murray and Mark Letestu. The Sabres took the lead back with a shorthanded and unassisted Christian Ehrhoff goal, his third of the season. Buffalo added on in the second period as Marcus Foligno scored his sixth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Jamie McBain and Ehrhoff. Curtis McElhinney relieved Bobrovsky at this time. The Sabres extended the lead in the third period on a Steve Ott goal, his seventh of the season, via Cody Hodgson and Ehrhoff. The Blue Jackets got one back with a Letestu goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of MacKenzie and Corey Tropp. Buffalo wrapped it up at 5-2 with a Hodgson empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Ehrhoff, Hodgson, and MacKenzie, while Letestu gets an honorable mention.

Further to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Sami Aittokallio is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Tampa Bay dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Tyler Johnson goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with a Mark Barberio goal, his third of the year, coming off of Valtteri Filppula and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a Filppula goal, his nineteenth of the season, via J.T. Brown and Nikita Kucherov. Semyon Varlamov replaced Aittokallio at this time. Colorado got on the board with a goal by John Mitchell, his fifth of the year, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie. The Avalanche pulled closer with a Barrie goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Nathan MacKinnon and P.A. Parenteau. The Lightning responded in the third period with another Johnson goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Martin St. Louis and Hedman. Tampa Bay padded the lead when Johnson completed his hat trick on his sixteenth of the campaign, made possible by Hedman, who got a sock trick, and Sami Salo. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Johnson, Hedman, and Filppula, while Barrie gets an honorable mention.

Across to Dallas, as the Stars host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Dallas began in the second period on a Sergei Gonchar power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Ray Whitney and the goalie Lehtonen. The Stars added on in the second period with a power play goal by Jamie Benn, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Alex Goligoski and Tyler Seguin. Dallas extended the lead on a Rich Peverley goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Shawn Horcoff. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 3-0, and the three stars going to Lehtonen (24 save shutout with an assist), Gonchar, and Benn.

Westward to Dodger Stadium for the first of the Stadium Series games, where the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks at the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jonas Hiller and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Corey Perry goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Matt Beleskey goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Nick Bonino and Teemu Selanne. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period with an empty net goal by Andrew Cogliano, his seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Kyle Palmieri. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Hiller (36 save shutout), Perry, and Beleskey.

Up in San Jose, we finish the day with the Sharks hosting the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Antti Niemi are the solid goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period on an unassisted Matt Cooke goal, his eighth of the season. The Wild added on in the second period with a Keith Ballard goal, fueled by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Thornton goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Matt Irwin. The Sharks tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Tommy Wingels and Irwin. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Thornton goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Pavelski. The three stars went to Thornton, Pavelski, and Irwin.

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KHL Day 144 2013-2014

Eight games beginning yesterday for those on the American West Coast, with the first from...

Khabarovsk, where Amur hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Alexei Murygin are the masked men. Khabarovsk was first to score in the first period with a Dmitry Tarasov goal, fueled by Andrei Stepanov. Nizhnekamsk tied it in the second period on a Maxim Berezin goal, coming off of Andrei Mnikhovich and Dan Sexton. Amur retook the lead with a power play goal by Dmitry Lugin, powered by Evgeny Korotkov and Alexander Yunkov. Neftekhimik retied it on a Pavel Zdunov goal, passed from Maxim Trunyov and Vitaly Shulakov. Khabarovsk regained the lead in the third period with a Yunkov goal, assisted by Korotkov and Lugin. Amur added on with another Yunkov goal, his second of the game, made possible by Lugin and Sergei Teryayev. Nizhnekamsk shot back as Pyotr Khokhryakov scored, thanks to Pavel Kulikov. Neftekhimik tied it on a Petr Koukal goal, helped along by Berezin and Mnikhovich. Amur won 5-4 in the shootout on a lone tally by Yunkov. The three stars were Yunkov, Lugin, and Korotkov, while Berezin and Mnikhovich get the honorable mentions.

South to Vladivostok, as Admiral welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky andev geny Ivannikov are in the creases. Vladivostok got going in the second period on a Niclas Bergfors goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Zubov. Admiral added on as Richard Gynge scored, thanks to Zubov. Vladivostok extended the lead on a Michael Commodore goal, coming off of Igor Bortnikov. Ufa got on the board in the third period with an unassisted goal by Igor Mirnov. Salavat Yulaev pulled closer with a Tomas Zaborsky goal, passed from Alexei Kaigorodov. This was not good enough to avoid a 3-2 loss, with the three stars being Zubov, Commodore, and Gynge.

Out west a bit, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Dmitry Monya goal, fueled by Jori Lehtera and Jonas Enlund. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on a Francis Pare goal, via Oskar Osala. Sibir took the lead back in the third period on an Oleg Gubin goal, coming off of Stepan Sannikov and Sergei Shumakov. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (22 for 23 in saves), Gubin, and Monya.

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg bring in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Ilya Sorokin are given the starting nods. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period with a Petri Kontiola goal, coming off of Semyon Kokuyov. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the second period with a Semyon Valuisky goal, via Evgeny Lapenkov. Metallurg took the lead on a Kurtis McLean goal, with a lone assist by Lapenkov. Traktor retied it in the third period as Alexei Zavaruhkin scored, thanks to Igor Valeyev and Stanislav Chistov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where goals by Kontiola and Evgeny Kuznetsov gave Traktor a 3-2 win. Kontiola, Lapenkov, and Kuznetsov get the three stars.

Westward to Moscow, Spartak hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak faces a lesser foe in Igor Shestyorkin in goal. St. Petersburg began in the first period on an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Dinar Khafizullin and Maxim Chudinov. SKA added on in the second period as Vadim Shipachyov scored, with a lone assist by Artemy Panarin. Moscow got on the board with an Igor Volkov goal, coming off of Nikolai Lemtyugov. St. Petersburg replied in the third period with an Igor Makarov goal, passed from Alexei Ponikarovsky. SKA extended the lead on a Roman Cervenka goal, made possible by Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. St. Petersburg padded the lead as Makarov scored again, his second of the game, assisted by Ponikarovsky and Dmitry Yudin. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Makarov, Salak (23 for 24 in saves), and Ponikarovsky.

Outside of Russia, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Dmitry Milchakov have the green light to start. Mytishchi opened in the first period with a Sergei Shmelyov goal, assisted by Evgeny Artyukhin and Alexander Kadeikin. Atlant added on with an Igot Levitsky goal, passed from Maxim Velikov and Juha-Pekka Haataja. Mytishchi extended the lead on an unassisted goal by Janne Niskala. Milchakov was pulled for Kevin Lalande at this time. Minsk got on the board with a goal by Vitaly Kiryushchenkov, going in unassisted. Atlant answered on another Shemylov goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist from Artyukhin. Mytishchi padded the lead on an Oleg Yashin goal, coming off of Alexei Mikhnov. Atlant got another in the third period on a Mikhnov goal, courtesy of Igor Radulov. Mytishchi wrapped it up at 7-1 with a Kadeikin goal, fueled by Artyukhin, who got a sock trick. The three stars were given to Shmelyov, Artyukhin, and Kadeikin, while Mikhnov gets an honorable mention.

Moving along to Ukraine, as Donbass Donetsk hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Michael Leighton are the veteran goalies. Cherepovets dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Evgeny Kovyrshin goal, passed from Nikolai Kazakovtsev and Pavel Buchnevich. Severstal added on with a third period goal by Niclas Andersen, courtesy of Buchnevich. Donetsk got on the board with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, guided in by Evgeny Belukhin and Evgeny Dadonov. Cherepovets shot back with an unassisted empty net goal by Gennady Stolyarov. Donbass got one back late on a power play goal by Nedorost, powered by Petteri Wirtanen. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2, and the three stars were given to Stolyarov, Nedorost, and Buchnevich.

Finally, in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Mark Dekanich are the North American goalies. Zagreb started in the second period with a Mike Glumac goal, set up by Michael Ryan. This was it for the scoring, so Medvescak won 1-0. The three stars went to Dekanich (42 save shutout), Glumac, and Sanford (28 for 29 in saves).

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NHL Day 116 2013-2014

Another day reduced due to weather, as last Tuesday's postponement means tonight's Hurricanes game has been moved to tomorrow morning, and we only have five games tonight. We begin in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Washington Capitals. Michal Neuvirth and Cory Schneider draw the starts. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Stephen Gionta goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Jaromir Jagr. The Devils added on in the second period as Adam Henrique scored his fourteenth of the year on the power play, powered by Jagr and Travis Zajac. Washington got on the board in the third period with a Jason Chimera goal, his tenth of the season, via John Erskine and Tom Wilson. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Schneider (30 for 31 in saves), Henrique, and Gionta.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jonas Gustavsson are in the creases. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Daniel Alfredsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on in the second period as Riley Sheahan scored his second of the year, an unassisted goal. Montreal got on the board with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of David Desharnais and P.K. Subban. Detroit shot back with a Kronwall goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Gustav Nyquist and Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings wrapped it up at 4-1 on a Nyquist goal, his eighth of the campaign, with assists provided by Zetterberg and Justin Abdekader. The three stars went to Zetterberg, Kronwall, and Nyquist.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Tim Thomas are between the pipes. Colorado began in the first period on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Matt Duchene. The Avalanche added on with a Paul Stastny, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Alex Tanguay. Colorado extended the lead in the second period on a Jamie McGinn goal, his eleventh of the season, via O'Reilly and Duchene. Florida got on the board with a third period goal by Scottie Upshall, his eighth of the year, made possible by Tomas Fleischmann and Tom Gilbert. The Panthers pulled closer on another Upshall goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, fueled by Sean Bergenheim and Gilbert. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being O'Reilly, Upshall, and Duchene, while Gilbert gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Calgary, as the Flames bring in the Nashville Predators. Devan Dubnyk and Karri Ramo received the starting nods. Nashville struck first in the first period on an Eric Nystrom goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Gabriel Bourque and Matt Cullen. Calgary tied it as Mark Giordano scored a power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kris Russell and Mikael Backlund. The Predators retook the lead in the second period with another Nystrom goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, via Roman Josi and Shea Weber. Nashville added on when Nystrom completed his hat trick with his tenth of the year, courtesy of Paul Gaustad and Victor Bartley. Reto Berra relieved Ramo at this time. The Flames got one back in the third period on a David Jones goal, his seventh of the season, a power play goal fueled by Matt Stajan. The Predators answered as Nystrom scored his fourth of the game and eleventh of the year, with the help of Cullen and Josi. Calgary pulled back with a Backlund goal, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from Russell and Lee Stempniak. The Flames tied it on another Jones goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, with a lone assist from T.J. Brodie. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jiri Hudler was matched by Josi, and then Sean Monahan scored to complete the Flames comeback in a 5-4 win. The three stars were Nystrom, Jons, and Backlund, while Josi, Cullen, and Russell get the honorable mentions.

Finally, up in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith faces a former Coyote, Ilya Bryzgalov, in goal. Phoenix started in the first period with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Lauri Korpikoski. The Coyotes added on with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Martin Hanzal and Mike Ribeiro. Phoenix extended the lead on a Derek Morris goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jeff Halpern and Rob Klinkhammer. The Coyotes padded the lead in the second period on a Ribeiro goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of David Moss and the goalie Smith. Edmonton got on the board with a Matt Hendricks goal, his third of the season, via Ryan Jones and Boyd Gordon. The Oilers pulled closer on a David Perron goal in the third period, his nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Corey Potter and Martin Marincin. Edmonton got closer on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with Ribeiro,  Morris, and Nugent-Hopkins getting the three stars.

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KHL Day 143 2013-2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Avangard Omsk. Henrik Karlsson and Alexei Kuznetsov are set to start. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period when Nikita Gusev converted a penalty shot he received after being held by Nikita Pivtsakin. Yugra added on with a Mikhail Zhukov goal, with a lone assist by Artyom Bulyansky. Omsk got on the board in the second period with an unassisted power play goal by Sergei Kostitsyn. This was it for the scoring, resulting in a 2-1 final. The three stars were Kuznetsov (43 for 44 in saves), Zhukov, and Gusev.

Down to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist welcomes Barys Astana. Ari Ahonen and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. Yekaterinburg started in the first period on an Alexei Simakov penalty shot conversion he received after a slash from Alexei Litvinenko. Astana tied it with a shorthanded and unassisted Brandon Bochenski goal. Avtomobilist retook the lead in the second period on another Simakov goal, with a lone assist from Dmitry Megalinsky. Yekaterinburg added on with a power play goal by Anton Lazarev, powered by Sami Lepisto. Avtomobilist extended the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Sergei Demagin, guided in by Megalinsky and Evgeny Fyodorov. Barys answered on a Mike Lundin power play goal, made possible by Roman Starchenko. Yekaterinburg shot back as Eduard Lewandowski scored, thanks to Alexei Yefimov and Sergei Gusev. Avtomobilist wrapped it up at 6-2 with an empty net goal by Lewandowski, set up by Igor Yemeleyev. The three stars were given to Simakov, Lewandowski, and Megalinsky.

West a bit to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Ivan Kasutin will be in the blue paint. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Michel Miklik goal, passed from Peter Olvecky. Slovan added on in the second period as Milan Bartovic scored, thanks to Jan Brejcak. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Wojtek Wolski power play goal, powered by Pavel Valentenko and Sakari Salminen. Torpedo tied it as Evgeny Skachkov scored, via Valentenko and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev on the power play. Bratislava retook the lead with a Libor Hudacek power play goal, guided in by Miroslav Satan and Branko Radivojevic. This was it for the scoring, with Slovan winning 3-2. The three stars were handed to Hudacek, Bartovic, and Miklik.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo brings in Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Alexander Sharychenkov are the masked men. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Dominik Granak power play goal, powered by Konstantin Gorovikov. Riga tied it in the second period as Kristaps Sotnieks scored a power play goal, coming off of Kyle Wilson and Lauris Darzins. Dinamo took the lead with a Rustams Begovs goal, assisted by Paul Szczechura and Miks Indrasis. Riga added on in the third period with a Martins Cipulis goal, with a lone assist by Darzins. Dynamo shot back with a Maxim Solovyov power play goal, guided in by Maxim Pestushko. Dinamo iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted goal by Szczechura. The three stars went to Szczechura, Darzins, and Cipulis.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Emil Garipov are sent out to start. Kazan led off in the first period with a Janne Pesonen goal, via Tim Stapleton. Prague tied it on a second period goal by Niko Kapanen, a power play goal powered by Martin Sevc and Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars retook the lead in the third period as Stapleton scored a power play goal, courtesy of Shaun Heshka and Evgeny Medvedev. Lev tied it with three seconds left in regulation on a power play goal by Ondrej Nemec, made possible by Azevedo and Kapanen. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Kapanen matched Pesonen before Martin Thornberg scored two to top one by Jakub Petruzalek, giving Lev a 3-2 win. The three stars were given to Kapanen, Thornberg, and Azevedo, while Stapleton and Pesonen get the honorable mentions.

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NHL Day 115 2013-2014

Ten games on tonight, beginning in...

New York, as the Rangers host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. St. Louis began on a first period goal by Alexander Steen, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Jaden Schwartz and David Backes. New York got on the board in the second period with a Rick Nash goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. The Blues took the lead back in the third period on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Backes. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Halak (34 for 35 in saves), Shattenkirk, and Backes.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery faces former Flyer Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with an unassisted Jack Johnson goal, his third of the season. Philadelphia tied it on a second period Brayden Schenn goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Flyers took the lead on a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Mark Streit and Andrej Meszaros. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his third of the year, via Artem Anisimov and Corey Tropp. Columbus gained the lead on a power play goal by Matt Calvert, his sixth of the season, coming off of James Wisniewski and Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets added on with a Dubinsky goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Calvert and Fedor Tyutin. Columbus extended the lead with a Nathan Horton goal, his fourth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Ryan Murray. This was good for a 5-3 win, with the three stars being Calvert, Dubinsky, and Horton.

Back east to Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Jhonas Enroth draw the starts. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Cody Hodgson goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Steve Ott. Carolina tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres took the lead back in the second period with a Brian Flynn goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Phil Varone and Marcus Foligno. The Hurricanes tied it on an Alexander Semin goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Andrej Sekera and Justin Faulk. Buffalo took the lead back in the third period on a Tyler Ennis goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Drew Stafford and Zenon Konopka. Carolina retied it again with another Semin goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Sekera goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Tuomo Ruutu and Mike Komisarek. Carolina finished it at 5-3 with a Tlusty empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Sekera. The three stars were given to Semin, Sekera, and Tlusty.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson opposes former Senator Ben Bishop in goal. Tampa Bay opened on a shorthanded Tyler Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the season, set up by Victor Hedman. Ottawa tied it on a power play goal by Erik Karlsson, his twelfth of the year, powered by Clarke MacArthur and Jason Spezza. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period on a B.J. Crombeen goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Hedman and Valtteri Filppula. The Senators retied it with a MacArthur power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Spezza and Bobby Ryan. Tampa Bay retook the lead in the third period on an Ondrej Palat goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Martin St. Louis and Hedman, the latter getting a sock trick. Ottawa tied it again with a Chris Neil goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Zack Smith and Karlsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nikita Kucherov's lone tally gave the Lightning a 4-3 win. The three stars were given to Hedman, MacArthur, and Karlsson, while Spezza gets an honorable mention.

North again to New York, where the Islanders host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Kevin Poulin are the backups making spot starts. New York struck first in the first period on a Michael Grabner goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Thomas Hickey. The Islanders added on as Brock Nelson scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Grabner. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Chris Kunitz goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, passed from Sidney Crosby and Olli Maatta. The Penguins tied it as Crosby scored his twenty-seventh of the year, assisted by Kunitz and Matt Niskanen. Pittsburgh took the lead on a second period Maatta goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kunitz and Niskanen. The Penguins extended the lead on a Kris Letang goal, his tenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Crosby and James Neal. New York pulled back in the third period with a Josh Bailey goal, his fifth of the season, via Peter Regin and Frans Nielsen. Pittsburgh shot back on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Neal. The Islanders chipped back on a Kyle Okposo goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Matt Donovan. The Penguins iced it at 6-4 with a Brandon Sutter empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Crosby, Maatta, and Kunitz, while Niskanen, Grabner, and Neal get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Minnesota, the Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper are the little-known goalies. Minnesota started in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Dany Heatley. The Wild added on with a Matt Cooke goal, his seventh of the year, via Justin Fontaine and Kyle Brodziak. Chicago got on the board in the third period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, assisted by Nick Leddy and Patrick Sharp. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Kuemper (33 for 34 in saves), Cooke, and Pominville.

Well south to Dallas, where the Stars welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Seguin. Toronto tied it on a Nikolai Kulemin goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Carl Gunnarsson and Nazem Kadri. The Stars retook the lead on a Cody Eakin goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Alex Goligoski. Dallas added on in the second period with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Jamie Benn and Sergei Gonchar. The Stars extended the lead on a power play goal by Shawn Horcoff, his sixth of the season, powered by Gonchar and the goalie Lehtonen. Dallas padded the lead as Rich Peverley scored a shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Jamie Benn and Jordie Benn. The Stars got another with a Trevor Daley goal, his third of the season, assisted by Goligoski and Eakin. Dallas struck again in the third period as Nichushkin potted his second of the game and eleventh of the year, with the help of Seguin and Jamie Benn, the latter getting a sock trick. This produced the 7-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Jamie Benn, Nichushkin, and Eakin, while Gonchar, Goligoski, and Seguin pick up the honorable mentions.

Way northwest to Vancouver, as the Canucks host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Roberto Luongo are set to start. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Chris Higgins goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Dale Weise and Christopher Tanev. Nashville tied it in the third period on a Craig Smith goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nick Spaling. The Predators took the lead with a Seth Jones power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Matt Cullen and Ryan Ellis. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win, and the three stars were handed to Hutton (33 for 34 in saves), Jones, and Smith.

Southward to Anaheim, as the Ducks bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Frederik Andersen in goal. Los Angeles struck first in the first period on an Anze Kopitar goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Trevor Lewis and Dwight King. Anaheim tied it in the second period on a Dustin Penner power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Corey Perry and Nick Bonino. The Ducks took the lead with a Pat Maroon goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Mark Fistric. This produced a 2-1 final score, with the three stars going to Andersen (30 for 31 in saves), Maroon, and Penner.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Alex Stalock have the green light to start. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Justin Braun. This was the only goal in the game, so the Sharks won 1-0. The three stars were given to Stalock (20 save shutout), Pavelski, and Pavelec (31 for 32 in saves).

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KHL Day 142 2013-2014

Eight games on today, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Alexei Murygin are in goal. Ufa dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexei Kaigorodov goal, assisted by Igor Mirnov and Antti Pihlstrom. This was good for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Vasilevsky (24 save shutout), Kaigorodov, and Murygin (34 for 35 in saves).

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Evgeny Ivannikov guard the cages. Nizhnekamsk was first to score in the first period on a Renat Mamashev goal, passed from Pyotr Khokhryakov. This was the game's only goal, resulting in a 1-0 final. The three stars went to Sudnitsin (36 save shutout), Mamashev, and Ivannikov (20 for 21 in saves).

West to Novosibirsk, as Sibir brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, with a lone helper by Dmitry Monya. Chelyabinsk tied it in the second period on a Stanislav Chistov goal, courtesy of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alexei Zavarukhin. Traktor took the lead on a Semyon Kokuyov goal, made possible by Konstantin Panov. Sibir retied it in the third period as Monya scored, thanks to Jori Lehtera. Novosibirsk won 3-2 in overtime on a Jonas Enlund goal, coming off of Lehtera. The three stars were Monya, Lehtera, and Enlund.

Moving along to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts the other Metallurg from Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin faces a lesser foe in Nikita Lozhkin in goal. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period on a Viktor Antipin goal, passed from Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk added on as Antipin scored his second of the game, assisted by Jan Kovar and Danis Zaripov. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period with a Kovar goal, made possible by Mozyakin and Zaripov. Magnitogorsk padded the lead in the third period on a Denis Platonov power play goal, powered by Tim Brent. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a power play goal by Kurtis McLean, guided in by Evgeny Lapenkov and Tuukka Mantyla. Novokuznetsk got closer with a Nikita Kamalov power play goal, with a lone helper by Alexei Kosourov. Novokuznetsk chipped closer on an unassisted goal by Denis Kurepanov. This wasn't enough to avoid the 4-3 loss, with the three stars belonging to Antipin, Kovar, and Mozyakin, while Zaripov gets an honorable mention.

Way west to Moscow, as Spartak welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Igor Shestyorkin are the backups making spot starts. Moscow started in the first period on a Viktor Bobrov goal, fueled by Evgeny Kulik. Yaroslavl tied it with a second period power play goal by Janis Sprukts, powered by Staffan Kronwall and Geoff Platt. Lokomotiv took the lead with a power play goal from Sergei Plotnikov, with a lone assist by Platt. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal from Yegor Averin, set up by Mikhail Pashnin and Daniil Apalkov. The three stars were Kolesnik (18 for 19 in saves), Plotnikov, and Platt.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Dmitry Milchakov are between the pipes. Cherepovets began in the first period on an Evgeny Mons goal, assisted by Linus Videll and Niclas Andersen. Minsk tied it in the third period with a power play goal by Andrei Stas, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Alexei Yefimenko. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Richard Lintner and Kalyuzhny overwhelmed Pavel Chernov to give Dinamo a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Milchakov (21 for 22 in saves), Kalyuzhny, and Stepanek (30 for 31 in saves).

Further along in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Stanislav Galimov and Mark Dekanich are the masked men. Zagreb opened in the first period on a Mike Glumac goal, passed from Mike Iggulden. Mytishchi tied it in the second period on a Sergei Shmelyov goal, assisted by Alexander Kadeikin and Evgeny Artyukhin. Medvescak retook the lead with a Matt Ellison goal, with a lone assist by Charles Linglet. Zagreb added on as Ellison scored again, and Linglet also had the lone helper again. Atlant pulled back in the third period on an Artyukhin goal, made possible by Rafael Batyrshin and Kadeikin. Medvescak replied on a Bill Thomas goal, coming off of Jonathan Cheechoo. This was good for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Ellison, Artyukhin, and Linglet, while Kadeikin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Donetsk, Donbass hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jan Laco protect the nets. Donetsk got going in the first period on a Clay Wilson power play goal, powered by Peter Podhradsky. St. Petersburg tied it with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, assisted by Yury Alexandrov and Artemy Panarin. Donbass retook the lead in the second period as Oleg Piganovich scored, thanks to Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Lukas Kaspar. Donetsk added on with a third period goal from Jan Kolar, guided in by Kagarlitsky and Randy Robitaille. Donbass extended the lead on a Ruslan Fedotenko goal, with a lone helper from Teemu Laine. SKA got one back with a Panarin goal, coming off of Tikhonov and Kevin Dallman. This only made it 4-2, with the three stars going to Kagarlitsky, Tikhonov, and Panarin.

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NHL Day 114 2013-2014

Four more games from the NHL for today, beginning with the game rescheduled from yesterday in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers finally host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Steve Mason are in goal. Carolina struck first in the first period with an Alexander Semin goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Jiri Tlusty. The Hurricanes added on in the second period with a Nathan Gerbe goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl. The Flyers tied it in the third period as Scott Hartnell scored a power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Giroux. Carolina took the lead on a Tlusty goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Andrej Sekera and Justin Faulk. This was good for a 3-2 win, and Tlusty, Giroux, and Gerbe got the three stars.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Matt Niskanen. The Penguins added on with a Taylor Pyatt power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Niskanen and Paul Martin. Montreal got on the board as Rene Bourque scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Daniel Briere and Brandon Prust. Pittsburgh shot back in the second period on another Jokinen goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, via Olli Maatta and James Neal. The Penguins extended their lead with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Malkin goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Rob Scuderi and Brooks Orpik. Peter Budaj relieved Price at this time. This made it 5-1, which was it for the scoring, and the three stars were Jokinen, Malkin, and Fleury (23 for 24 in saves), while Niskanen got an honorable mention.

Further along to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in their longtime rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Jonas Gustavsson in goal. Chicago started in the first period on a Marian Hossa goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks added on with Andrew Shaw's fourteenth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad. Detroit got on the board with a Tomas Tatar goal, his eleventh of the season, via Brendan Smith and Tomas Jurco. The Red Wings tied it on a Patrick Eaves goal, his second of the year, passed from Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterburg. Chicago took the lead back in the second period on a Patrick Sharp power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Kane. Detroit retied it with a Kyle Quincey goal, his third of the year, coming off of Gustav Nyquist and Zetterberg. The Red Wings gained the lead on a Nyquist goal, his seventh of the season, with the help of Zetterberg, who got a sock trick, and Abdelkader. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with an unassisted Marcus Kruger goal, his fifth of the year. The tie went to a shootout, where Toews and Eaves matched each other, Sharp was canceled out by Todd Bertuzzi, and then Darren Helm scored to secure a Detroit 5-4 win. The three stars went to Nyquist, Zetterberg, and Abdelkader, while Toews, Kane, Sharp, and Eaves get honorable mentions.

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Karri Ramo are in front of the nets. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Sean Monahan goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by T.J. Galiardi and Joe Colborne. The Flames added on in the second period with a Lance Bouma goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of T.J. Brodie and the goalie Ramo. Phoenix got on the board as Antoine Vermette scored his fifteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Lauri Korpikoski and Michael Stone. Calgary replied on a Matt Stajan goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mark Giordano and David Jones. The Coyotes got one back in the third period with a Shane Doan goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by Keith Yandle and Mike Ribeiro. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Ramo (30 for 32 in saves), Stajan, and Monahan.

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KHL Day 141 2013-2014

Four games on today in both the KHL and the NHL. This is for the KHL, which starts off in...

Podolsk, as Vityaz hosts Dinamo Riga. Mikael Tellqvist and Ivan Lasutin are the masked men. Riga was first to score in the first period with an unassisted goal by Lauris Darzins. Podolsk tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Vyacheslav Solodukhin, powered by Georgy Berdyukov and Mathias Porseland. Vityaz took the lead with an Anton Korolyov goal, made possible by Porseland and Ivan Ivanov. Podolsk added on in the third period as Maxim Afiongenov scored, with a lone assist by Alexei Makeyev. Vityaz extended the lead with a goal by Alexander Vasilyev, going in unassisted. Podolsk padded the lead on another Afinogenov goal, his second of the game, coming off of Airat Ziazov and Makeyev. Dinamo shot back on a Martins Cipulis goal, via Mat Robinson. Vityaz replied with a Makeyev power play goal, guided in by Afinogenov and Yakov Seleznyov. This made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars going to Afinogenov, Makeyev, and Porseland.

East to Nizhny Novgorod welcomes Lev Prague. Atte Engren and Ivan Kasutin are in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with an Evgeny Skachkov goal, via Pavel Valentenko and Evgeny Belokhvostikov. Torpedo added on with a Sakari Salminen goal, coming off of Wojtek Wolski. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead on a Mikhail Grigoryev goal, passed from Wolski. Torpedo padded the lead in the second period with a Jarkko Immonen goal, assisted by Wolski, who got a sock trick, and Salminen. Prague got on the board as Calle Ridderwall scored, thanks to Marc-Andre Gragnani and Niko Kapanen. Nizhny Novgorod shot back with Skachkov's second of the game, with a lone helper by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal. Lev replied on a third period Kapanen goal, made possible by Gragnani and Ridderwall. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Skachkov, Wolski, and Salminen, while Ridderwall, Kapanen, and Gragnani get the honorable mentions.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars brings in Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Kazan led off in the first period with a Yegor Milovzorov goal, helped along by Jakub Petruzalek. Bratislava tied it with a Miroslav Satan goal, courtesy of Libor Hudacek and Jonathan Sigalet. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Petruzalek scored twice, topping a single goal by Milan Bartovic to give Ak Bars the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Petruzalek, Barulin (24 for 25 in saves), and Janus (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, in Moscow, Dynamo hosts CSKA Moscow. Jeff Glass and Alexander Sharychenkov are between the pipes. CSKA got going in the second period on an Alexander Frolov goal, via Vladimir Zharkov. Dynamo tied it in the third period with a Martins Karsums goal, passed from Maxim Solovyov and Maxim Karpov. Dynamo won 2-1 with shootout goals by Marek Kvapil and a winner by Leo Komarov, topping a lone tally from Alexander Radulov. The three stars were given to Sharychenkov (26 for 27 in saves), Glass (28 for 29 in saves), and Komarov.

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NHL Day 113 2013-2014

Originally, we had ten games on the schedule tonight, but the Flyers and Hurricanes were postponed tomorrow by another Polar Vortex storm. The Hurricanes game against the Senators, originally scheduled on Friday, has now been moved to Saturday as well. Just a couple of scheduling notes. With that, we begin the first of nine games tonight in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Florida Panthers. Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller are the veteran goalies. Buffalo began in the first period on a Drew Stafford power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Steve Ott and Linus Omark. Florida tied it on a Jesse Winchester goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ed Jovanovski and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Sabres retook the lead as Stafford scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Tyler Ennis. The Panthers retied it on a Sean Bergenheim goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Tom Gilbert and Aleksander Barkov. Florida gained the lead with a Jovanovski goal, going in unassisted. The Panthers added on in the second period as Nick Bjugstad scored his eleventh of the season, thanks to Brian Campbell and Gilbert. Buffalo pulled back in the third period with a Ott goal, his sixth of the year, a power play goal with assists provided by Stafford and Ville Leino. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Jovanovski, Stafford, and Ott, while Gilbert gets an honorable mention.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Sergei Bobrovsky are the young goalies. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Dwight King goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Trevor Lewis. Columbus tied it on an R.J. Umberger power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by James Wisniewski and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Ryan Johansen goal, his nineteenth of the season, guided in by Ryan Murray and Johansen. The Kings retied it in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twentieth of the year, made possible by Mike Richards. Columbus regained the lead on an Umberger goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nathan Horton goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Artem Anisimov and Boone Jenner. Columbus extended the lead as Anisimov scored his thirteenth of the campaign, thanks to Nick Foligno. Los Angeles got one back on a Robyn Regehr goal, set up by Justin Williams and Richards. This produced the 5-3 final, with Umberger, Anisimov, and Wisniewski getting the three stars, while Richards gets an honorable mention.

Into Washington, as the Capitals bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Braden Holtby are the average goalies. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Clarke MacArthur and Eric Gryba. The Senators added on in the third period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Wiercioch and Erik Karlsson. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Anderson (34 save shutout), Turris, and Spezza.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils host the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Cory Schneider draw the starts. New Jersey opened in the first period on a Mark Fayne goal, his second of the season, guided in by Damien Brunner and Patrik Elias. The Devils added on with a Ryan Carter goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Stephen Gionta and Eric Gelinas. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexander Steen goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, coming off of Jaden Schwartz and David Backes. New Jersey responded on a Jaromir Jagr goal, his sixteenth of the year, passed from Reid Boucher and Travis Zajac. Elliott was injured after this, and Jaroslav Halak came on in relief. The Devils extended the lead in the second period on a Ryane Clowe goal, his third of the season, via Marek Zidlicky and Brunner. New Jersey padded the lead as Adam Henrique scored his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal assisted by Gelinas and Zidlicky. The Devils got another in the third period on a Brunner power play goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Elias and Zajac. New Jersey finished it at 7-1 with a Gelinas goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Anton Volchenkov. The three stars were handed to Gelinas, Brunner, and Elias, while Zidlicky and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

Down in New York, the Rangers welcome their cross-town rivals, the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Cam Talbot are called on to start. The Rangers struck first in the first period on a Rick Nash goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider. The Rangers added on with another Nash goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Dan Girardi and Kreider. The Islanders got on the board with a Matt Martin goal, his third of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Rangers replied in the second period on a Kreider power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Derek Stepan and Brad Richards. The Islanders pulled back on a Thomas Hickey goal, his third of the season, via Okposo and Thomas Vanek. The Islanders tied it as Colin McDonald scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Tavares and Peter Regin. The Islanders took the lead in the third period with a Vanek power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Tavares, who got a sock trick, and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders won it 5-3 with an unassisted empty net goal by Nielsen, his seventeenth of the year. The three stars were awarded to Vanek, Nash, and Tavares, while Kreider, Nielsen, and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Kari Lehtonen are in the creases. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his third of the season, coming off of Alex Goligoski and Antoine Roussel. The Stars added on with an Erik Cole power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Goligoski and Jamie Benn. Dallas extended the lead in the second period on a Ray Whitney power play goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Sergei Gonchar and Cody Eakin. The Stars padded the lead in the third period as Jordie Benn scored his second of the year on a penalty shot he received after Kuemper threw equipment. This was all they needed for a 4-0 win, with Lehtonen (18 save shutout), Fiddler, and Goligoski getting the three stars.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Toronto started in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Dion Phaneuf and Mason Raymond. The Maple Leafs added on with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Cody Franson and Tyler Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Nazem Kadri goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Jake Gardiner and Joffrey Lupul. Jean-Sebastien Giguere relieved Varlamov at this time. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on another Kessel goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by van Riemsdyk and Carl Gunnarsson. Colorado got on the board with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of P.A. Parenteau and Nick Holden. The Avalanche pulled closer with another MacKinnon goal in the third period, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, made possible by Max Talbot. Toronto iced it at 5-2 with a Jay McClement empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Nikolai Kulemin and Lupul. The three stars went to Kessel, MacKinnon, and van Riemsdyk, while Bozak and Lupul get the honorable mentions.

North to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Kellen Lain goal, courtesy of Dale Weise and Tom Sestito. The Canucks added on in the second period as Zack Kassian scored his tenth of the season, via Ryan Kesler and Daniel Sedin. Edmonton got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his seventeenth of the year, assisted by Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner. This wasn't enough to avoid a 2-1 loss, with the three stars going to Luongo (28 for 29 in saves), Kassian, and Lain.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Jonas Hiller are the masked men. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Cam Fowler power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Matt Beleskey. Winnipeg tied it on a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Evander Kane and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead with a Bryan Little goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ladd and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg added on with a shorthanded Kane goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Little. Frederik Andersen relieved Hiller at this time. The Ducks replied in the third period on a Nick Bonino goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg. This only made it 3-2, the final, with Kane, Little, and Pavelec (40 for 42 in saves) getting the three stars.

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NHL Day 112 2013-2014

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States, so we've got a pair of Monday matinees mixed amongst our seven games on the schedule today. We begin on...

Long Island, as the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Anders Nilsson are the mediocre goalies. Philadelphia dented the scoreboard in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Matt Read, his twelfth of the season, set up by Sean Couturier and Kimmo Timonen. New York tied it with a John Tavares goal, his twenty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Kyle Okposo and Thomas Vanek. The Flyers took the lead back on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia added on as Read scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Mark Streit. The Islanders shot back in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck. New York tied it with an Okposo power play goal, his twentieth of the year, fueled by Frans Nielsen and Andrew MacDonald. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nielsen was matched by Claude Giroux, Tavares and Read cancelled each other out, and then Okposo sealed a 4-3 Islanders win with a fourth round tally. The three stars belonged to Okposo, Read, and Tavares.

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Chad Johnson draw the starts. Boston was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Brad Marchand, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a Torey Krug power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by David Krejci and Ryan Spooner. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Willie Mitchell goal, fueled by Mike Richards. The Kings tied it in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. Boston took the lead back on Marchand's second of the game and sixteenth of the year, helped along by Reilly Smith and Bergeron. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Marchand, Bergeron, and Krug.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins bring in the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Drew Shore shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by the goalie Clemmensen. The Panthers added on in the second period as Shore scored his second of the game and third of the year, thanks to Jesse Winchester and Jonathan Huberdeau. Florida extended the lead in the third period with a Dmitry Kulikov goal, his fourth of the season, via Winchester and Marcel Goc. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Matt Niskanen goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. The Panthers shot back with a Huberdeau goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Nick Bjugstad. Florida wrapped it up at 5-1 with a Shawn Matthias goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Winchester and Mike Weaver. The three stars were Shore, Huberdeau, and Winchester,

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the St. Louis Blues. Jaroslav Halak and Jimmy Howard are the masked men. St. Louis struck first in the first period on a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Chris Stewart and Roman Polak. Detroit tied it with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Riley Sheahan. The Blues retook the lead in the second period with a Barret Jackman goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Alexander Steen. St. Louis added on as Kevin Shattenkirk scored his seventh of the year on the power play, via Steen and Derek Roy. The Blues extended the lead in the third period on a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his fourth of the campaign, with the help of Alex Pietrangelo and Ryan Reaves. This made it 4-1, the final, with Steen, Halak (22 for 23 in saves), and Jackman getting the three stars.

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Carter Hutton in goal. Dallas led off in the first period on a Cody Eakin power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Rich Peverley and Ray Whitney. Nashville tied it on a Nick Spaling goal, his eighth of the year, via Roman Josi and David Legwand. The Predators took the lead with a Shea Weber goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Eric Nystrom and Gabriel Bourque. Nashville added on in the second period as Josi scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Paul Gaustad and Nystrom. The Predators extended the lead on a third period Mike Fisher goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Josi, Hutton (35 for 36 in saves), and Nystrom.

Out west, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Mike Smith are the reliable goalies. Toronto started in the first period with a Jake Gardiner goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on as Kessel netted his twenty-fourth of the year, a power play goal with a lone assist by Cody Franson. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Carl Gunnarsson scored, thanks to Dion Phaneuf and Carter Ashton. Phoenix got on the board in the third period when Mike Ribeiro netted a power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Maple Leafs shot back with a Kadri goal, his twelfth of the year, a power play goal assisted by Gardiner and Morgan Rielly. The Coyotes got one back with a shorthanded goal by Antoine Vermette, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Lauri Korpikoski. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Gardiner, Kessel, and Kadri.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Antti Niemi are the Finnish goalies. Calgary opened in the first period on a Jiri Hudler goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Justin Braun and Brent Burns. The Sharks took the lead with a Tommy Wingels goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Patrick Marleau and Brad Stuart. The Flames tied it on a Kevin Westgarth goal, via Brian McGrattan and Kris Russell. San Jose pulled ahead again in the second period with Pavelski's second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, coming off of Joe Thornton and Jason Demers. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 3-2, and the three stars went to Pavelski, Wingels, and Niemi (21 for 23 in saves).

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KHL Day 139 2013-2014

Only four games on in the KHL today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Henrik Karlsson are in goal. Donetsk got going in the third period with a Lukas Kaspar power play goal, with a lone helper by Randy Robitaille. Donbass added on as Evgeny Dadonov scored a power play goal, powered by Andrei Konev and Maxim Yakutsenya. This was all they needed to win 2-0, with the three stars being Laco (30 save shutout), Kaspar, and Dadonov.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Jakub Kovar tend the twines. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period on a Tobias Viklund power play goal, powered by Anton Lazarev and Fyodor Malykhin. Avtomobilist added on in the second period as Igor Yemeleyev scored, thanks to Alexei Yefimov. This held up for a 2-0 win, and Kovar (32 save shutout), Viklund, and Yemeleyev were the three stars.

South to Astana, as Barys brings in Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Milchakov and Vitaly Yeremeyev are the backups in goal. Astana started in the first period with a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, powered by Mike Lundin and Kristian Kudroc. Minsk tied it on an Andrei Stas power play goal in the third period, coming off of Alexei Yefimenko. Dinamo won 2-1 in overtime with a Lukas Krajicek goal, fueled by Stas and Alexei Kalyuzhny. The three stars belonged to Stas, Milchakov (32 for 33 in saves), and Krajicek.

Finally, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra hosts Spartak Moscow. Alexei Ivanov and Alexei Kuznetsov are set to start. Moscow led off in the first period with a Filipp Toluzakov goal, courtesy of Valery Vasilyev. Spartak added on with a Denis Bodrov power play goal, made possible by Oleg Kvasha and Vyacheslav Kozlov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the second period with an Andrei Shefer power play goal, powered by Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Khvostov. Yugra tied it with a Sergei Lesnukhin goal, with a lone helper by Radek Smolenak. Moscow retook the lead in the third period on a Kozlov power play goal, via Kvasha. Khanty-Mansiysk retied it with another Shefer power play goal, assisted by Mikhail Zhukov. Yugra pulled ahead on a Tomas Starosta goal, coming off of Smolenak. Khanty-Mansiysk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Zhukov, set up by Smolenak, who got a sock trick, and Ilari Melart. The three stars were handed to Shefer, Zhukov, and Smolenak, while Kozlov and Kvasha get the honorable mentions.

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NHL Day 111 2013-2014

Only three games on today, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Marian Hossa goal, his twentieth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Boston tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Patrice Bergeron and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins took the lead as Marchand scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, coming off of Reilly Smith and Johnny Boychuk. The Blackhawks retied it on a Brandon Bollig goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Marcus Kruger and Duncan Keith. The tie lasted into a shootout, where Marchand canceled out Jonathan Toews, before Patrick Kane scored to seal the 3-2 Chicago win. The three stars went to Marchand, Crawford (34 for 36 in saves), and Rask (35 for 37 in saves).

East to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Justin Peters in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a Mark Barberio power play goal, powered by Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with a Palat goal, his tenth of the season, thanks to Martin St. Louis and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Tom Pyatt and Ryan Malone. The Lightning padded the lead in the second period as Teddy Purcell netted his tenth of the season, via Radko Gudas and Matthew Carle. Carolina got on the board on an Alexander Semin power play goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone helper by Eric Staal. The Hurricanes pulled closer with an unassisted Eric Staal goal, his eleventh of the season. Tampa Bay shot back on a Barberio goal, his second of the game, made possible by Eric Brewer and Palat. Carolina replied in the third period on a Ron Hainsey goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of John-Michael Liles and Jiri Tlusty. This only made it 5-3, the final, with Barberio, Palat, and Eric Staal getting the three stars.

Finally, in New York, the Rangers bring in the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. New York started in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on as Nash scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Ryan McDonagh. New York extended the lead with a Derek Stepan goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Dan Girardi. Grubauer was pulled for Braden Holtby at this time. Washington got on the board with a second period power play goal by Alex Ovechkin, his thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. The Rangers shot back as Ryan Callahan scored his ninth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Dominic Moore and Girardi. This was all they needed for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Nash, Lundqvist (24 for 25 in saves), and Girardi.

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Conference Championship Sunday 2014

The first of two big games today comes from Denver, as the Broncos host the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Denver began in the first quarter on a field goal of 27 yards by Matt Prater. The Broncos added on in the second quarter with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Jacob Tamme, and Prater made the extra point. New England got on the board with a 47 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Denver shot back with a 35 yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos extended the lead in the third quarter with a 3 yard Manning touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, and Prater was true with the extra point. Denver padded the lead on a 19 yard field goal by Prater in the fourth quarter. The Patriots shot back as Brady found Julian Edelman for 7 yards and a touchdown, and Gostkowski knocked in the PAT. The Broncos got some more with a 54 yard Prater field goal. New England chipped back on a 5 yard Brady touchdown run, but Shane Vereen failed to run in the two-point attempt. This only made it 26-16, the final, with the Broncos going to the Super Bowl in two weeks while ending the Patriots season.

Northwest to Seattle, as the Seahawks host their bitter rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, for the NFC Championship. San Francisco led off on a first quarter Phil Dawson field goal of 25 yards. The 49ers added on in the second quarter as Anthony Dixon ran in a 1 yard touchdown, and Dawson handled the extra point. Seattle got on the board with a 32 yard field goal by Stephen Hauschka. The Seahawks tied the game in the third quarter as Marshawn Lynch rushed 40 yards for a touchdown, and Hauschka booted the extra point for the equalizer. San Francisco retook the lead on a 26 yard touchdown pass from Colin Kaepernick to Anquan Boldin, and Dawson nailed the PAT. Seattle got some back on a 40 yard field goal by Hauschka. The Seahawks took the lead in the fourth quarter on a Russell Wilson touchdown pass of 35 yards to Jermaine Kearse, and Hauschka drilled the extra point. Seattle extended the lead with a 47 yard Hauschka field goal. This held up for a 23-17 win, sending the Seahawks to face the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl while eliminating the 49ers from the playoffs.

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KHL Day 138 2013-2014

Eight games on today, beginning in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Andrei Stelmakh is mismatched with Mikhail Biryukov in goal. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexander Frolov power play goal, powered by Deron Quint and Denis Denisov. Vladivostok tied it with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Justin Hodgman. CSKA retook the lead on an Alexander Radulov, assisted by Nikolai Prokhorkin and Zakhar Arzamastsev. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Biryukov (29 for 30 in saves), Radulov, and Frolov.

Up in Mytishchi, Atlant welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Stanislav Galimov are the veteran goalies. Mytishchi got going in the second period with a Roman Rukavishnikov goal, passed from Maxim Mayorov and Alexander Kadeikin. Kazan tied it on a Tim Stapleton power play goal in the third period, powered by Mikhail Varnakov and Shaun Heshka. Ak Bars won 2-1 in overtime on an Ilya Nikulin goal, coming off of Varnakov and Alexander Burmistrov. The three stars belonged to Garipov (22 for 23 in saves), Nikulin, and Varnakov.

West to St. Petersburg, as SKA brings in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Ilya Ezhov receive the starting nods. St. Petersburg opened in the first period on an Igor Makarov goal, with a lone assist by Artemy Panarin. SKA added on as Evgeny Ketov scored, thanks to Ilya Kablukov. St. Petersburg extended the lead on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, fueled by Ilya Kovalchuk and Ketov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board as Vladimir Denisov scored, with the help of Roman Lyuduchin and Maxim Potapov. Torpedo got closer on a Sakari Salminen goal, coming off of Pavel Valentenko and Juuso Hietanen. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a second period goal by Wojtek Wolski, with a lone helper from Mikhail Grigoryev. Torpedo took the lead with a power play goal by Hietanen, powered by Jarkko Immonen and Salminen. SKA retied it in the third period with a Dinar Khafizullin power play goal, pushed through by Shipachyov and Roman Cervenka. In the shootout, Wolski and Kovalchuk washed each other out, and then a Salminen goal gave Torpedo the 5-4 win. The three stars were handed to Salminen, Hietanen, and Ketov, while Shipachyov gets the honorable mention.

Back east, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Curtis Sanford are in the creases. Yaroslavl began in the first period on a Vadim Khlopotov goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Gorokhov. Lokomotiv added on with a Daniil Apalkov power play goal, powered by Yegor Averin and Gorokhov. Yaroslavl extended the lead in the second period with an Averin goal, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Gorokhov, the latter getting a sock trick. Moscow got on the board as Martins Karsums scored, thanks to Maxim Solovyov and Maxim Karpov. Dynamo pulled closer on an unassisted Alexei Tsvetkov goal. Moscow tied it with a Maxim Pestushko goal, via Leo Komarov. Dynamo gained the lead as Andrei Mironov scored a power play goal, guided in by Denis Kokarev and Yegor Dugin. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-3, and the three stars went to Gorokhov, Averin, and Mironov.

Across the lake, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin faces a lesser foe in Alexander Tryanichev in goal. Cherepovets was first to score on a first period Pavel Chernov shorthanded goal, set up by Gennady Stolyarov. Severstal added on as Chernov scored his second of the game, with the help of Evgeny Mons and Petr Caslava. Cherepovets extended the lead with a power play goal by Alexander Yevseyenkov, powered by Stolyarov and Caslava. Johan Backlund relieved Lisutin at this time. Severstal padded the lead with a Mons goal, with a lone helper by Chernov. Podolsk got on the board in the second period with an Ivan Ivanov power play goal, fueled by Nikita Shatsky and Yury Koksharov. Cherepovets replied with a Sergei Monakhov goal, coming off of Alexander Kuvayev. Vityaz shot back on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, made possible by Maxim Afinogenov. Severstal answered with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, courtesy of Nikolai Kazakovtsev. Cherepovets got another on a Mons goal in the third period, helped along by Nikolai Stasenko and Linus Videll. Podolsk got one back on an Alexei Makeyev goal, with a lone assist by Afinogenov. This only made it 7-3, the final, with Chernov, Mons, and Stolyarov getting the three stars, while Caslava and Afinogenov get the honorable mentions.

Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Mika Jarvinen and Mikael Tellqvist are the goalies. Riga struck first in the second period on a Mat Robinson goal, with a lone assist by Miks Indrasis. Dinamo added on with a Jamie Johnson goal, fueled by Georgijs Pujacs and Martins Cipulis. Khabarovsk got on the board as Sergei Smurov scored, thanks to Vladimir Loginov. Riga responded with an unassisted empty net goal by Kyle Wilson. Dinamo iced it at 4-1 with a Paul Szczechura goal, passed from Indrasis and Marcel Hascak. The three stars were Johnson, Tellqvist (15 for 16 in saves), and Indrasis.

Further west to Prague, as Lev hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Nikita Bespalov and Petri Vehanen are called on to start. Prague led off in the first period on a Martin Thornberg goal, made possible by Ondrej Nemec. Lev tied it on a Jiri Novotny goal in the second period, via Justin Azevedo. Novosibirsk got on the board with a power play goal by Dmitry Kugryshev, powered by Alexander Kutuzov and Alexei Kopeikin. Prague iced it at 3-1 in the third period when Thornberg scored his second of the game, an empty net goal set up by Petr Vrana. Thornberg, Vehanen (25 for 26 in saves), and Novotny earned the three stars.

Finally, in Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Nikita Lozhkin and Miroslav Kopriva are the backups in goal. Bratislava started in the first period with a Vladimir Mihalik power play goal, powered by Milan Bartovic and Peter Olvecky. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Ansel Galimov, set up by Evgeny Lapenkov. Metallurg took the lead in the second period on a Vadim Mitryakov goal, courtesy of Igor Velichkin. Novokuznetsk added on as Alexei Kosourov scored, thanks to Galimov. Slovan got one back in the third period on a Michel Miklik goal, passed from Roman Kukumberg and Tomas Mojzis. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Galimov, Lozhkin (28 for 30 in saves), and Kosourov.

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