NHL Day 166 2013-2014

Nine games on this Saturday, beginning with a matinee in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Backups Cam Ward and Chad Johnson are called on to start. Boston opened in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Lucic and Krejci. Carolina got on the board in the third period with an Alexander Semin goal, his eighteenth of the season, passed from Jordan Staal. Boston shot back with a Chris Kelly goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by Krejci, who got a sock trick, and Dougie Hamilton. The Bruins extended the lead on another Iginla goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, fueled by Kevan Miller and Lucic. Boston iced it at 5-1 with a Torey Krug goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Carl Soderberg and Gregory Campbell. The three stars went to Iginla, Lucic, and Krejci.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome their in-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Steve Mason are between the pipes. Philadelphia began with a Scott Hartnell power play goal in the first period, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers added on as Matt Read scored a shorthanded goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Sean Couturier. Philadelphia extended the lead in the second period on a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Luke Schenn and Nicklas Grossmann. The Flyers padded the lead with another Read goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, assisted by Couturier and Giroux. This was it for the scoring, leaving the final at 4-0, with the three stars being Mason (25 save shutout), Read, and Giroux, while Couturier gets an honorable mention.

Up in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner welcomes Carey Price back to the crease. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Daniel Briere goal, his twelfth of the season, an unassisted goal. Ottawa tied it on a Jason Spezza goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Clarke MacArthur and Erik Karlsson. The Senators took the lead in the second period on a Zack Smith goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone helper from Karlsson. Ottawa added on in the third period with an Ales Hemsky goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Spezza. The Senators extended the lead with a MacArthur goal, his twentieth of the season, via Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan. The Canadiens got one back on a Lars Eller goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Brian Gionta and P.K. Subban. Montreal pulled closer with a Gionta goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Subban and Eller. The Canadiens tied it with a David Desharnais goal, his thirteenth of the year, pushed through by Subban, who got a sock trick, and Andrei Markov. Montreal completed the comeback with a 5-4 in overtime on a Francis Bouillon goal, with assists provided by Max Pacioretty and Desharnais. The three stars went to Desharnais, Subban, and Gionta, while Eller, Spezza, Karlsson, and MacArthur get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Ben Bishop are the masked men. Tampa Bay got going in the second period on a B.J. Crombeen goal, his third of the season, assisted by Mike Kostka and Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning added on as Kostka scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Ondrej Palat and Filppula. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period on a Nate Thompson goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist from J.T. Brown. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Bishop (23 save shutout), Kostka, and Filppula.

North to New York, as the Islanders welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Anders Nilsson are the unknown goalies. New York struck first in the first period on a Frans Nielsen goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Anders Lee and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on with an Okposo power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, powered by Brock Nelson and Lubomir Visnovsky. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Drew Stafford and Christian Ehrhoff. New York answered on a Ryan Strome goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Matt Martin and Visnovsky. The Islanders finished it at 4-1 with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his ninth of the campaign, going into an empty net via Visnovsky and Thomas Hickey. The three stars were Okposo, Nilsson (33 for 34 in saves), and Visnovsky.

Southwest to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Miller and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Blues added on in the second period as Berglund scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, thanks to Steve Ott and Roman Polak. St. Louis extended the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from T.J. Oshie and Alex Pietrangelo. Nashville got on the board with an Eric Nystrom goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Colton Sissons and Paul Gaustad. The Blues replied in the third period with the thirtieth of the campaign for Alexander Steen, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and David Backes. This made it 4-1, the final, with Berglund, Miller (30 for 31 in saves), and Tarasenko earning the three stars.

Up north, the Minnesota Wild host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Dalton Prout goal, his second of the season, made possible by Jack Johnson and Matt Calvert. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Jason Pominville goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, fueled by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. In the shootout, Parise and Mikko Koivu tallied for the Wild, but the Blue Jackets answered back with goals from Artem Anisimov, Mark Letestu, and a winner from Ryan Johansen to take the game 2-1. The three stars went to Bobrovsky (32 for 33 in saves), Kuemper (28 for 29 in saves), and Parise.

Way to the south, the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Mike Smith are in the blue paint. Phoenix started in the first period with a Chris Summers goal, via Lauri Korpikoski and David Moss. The Coyotes added on with a Rob Klinkhammer goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Paul Bissonnette and Keith Yandle. Calgary got on the board in the second period with a Curtis Glencross power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Michael Cammalleri and Mark Giordano. The Flames tied it on a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Cammalleri and Sean Monahan. Phoenix retook the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Shane Doan his, nineteenth of the season, coming off of Yandle and Antoine Vermette. This made it 3-2, good for a win, with the three stars going to Yandle, Cammalleri, and Doan.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Martin Jones make the spot starts. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Tim Jackman goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Mathieu Perreault and Matt Beleskey. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eleventh of the year, coming on the power play from Jarret Stoll and Alec Martinez. The Ducks retook the lead on a Pat Maroon goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Hampus Lindholm. This was all they needed to win 2-1, with the three stars being Andersen (37 for 38 in saves), Maroon, and Jackman.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 6 2014

Two more games on today, with the first in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. Yaroslavl began in the first period on an Ilya Gorokhov power play goal, powered by Sergei Plotnikov and Janis Sprukts. Lokomotiv added on in the second period with a Plotnikv goal, made possible by Yegor Averin. Yaroslavl extended the lead with a Sergei Konkov goal, guided in by Vladislav Kartayev. Lokomotiv padded the lead in the third period on a Alexander Chernikov shorthanded goal, set up by Plotnikov. Alexander Sharychenkov relieved Yeryomenko. Yaroslavl kept going with a Chernikov power play goal, via Alexei Vasilyev and Yegor Yakovlev. Lokomotiv finished it at 6-0 with a Konkov power play goal, with a lone assist by Mikhail Pashnin. The three stars were Konkov, Chernikov, and Plotnikov, while Sanford (28 save shutout) gets the honorable mention. The series is now tied at 3, with the decisive game in two days in Moscow.

The other game is from Riga, as Dinamo hosts Donbass Donetsk. Michael Leighton and Jakub Sedlacek make the starts. Donetsk got going in the second period on a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist from Ruslan Fedotenko. Riga tied it with a Lauris Darzins goal, via Paul Szczechura and Roberts Bukarts. Dinamo pulled ahead on an Andris Dzerins goal, coming off of Krisjanis Redlihs. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Dzerins, Sedlacek (42 for 43 in saves), and Darzins. The series will be wrapped up in Donetsk, currently tied at 3 games each.

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NHL Day 165 2013-2014

Eight games on a busy Friday. Post was delayed due to my travel day.

We begin with the New York Islanders hosting the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Evgeni Nabokov are set to start. San Jose began with a Matthew Nieto goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on with a Jason Demers goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Martin Havlat and James Sheppard. New York got on the board in the second period with an Anders Lee goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. San Jose shot back with a Joe Thornton goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Brent Burns. The Islanders pulled back with a Brock Nelson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Matt Donovan and Josh Bailey. The Sharks replied with a Havlat goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Sheppard. New York answered in the third period on a Nielsen goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, fueled by Okposo and Lee. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Havlat, Lee, and Sheppard, while Okposo and Nielsen get the honorable mentions.

Down in Washington, the Capitals welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Jaroslav Halak are in the blue paint. Washington opened on a first period goal by Joel Ward, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Eric Fehr and Jason Chimera. Vancouver tied it on a Jordan Schroeder goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Zack Kassian. Washington took the lead back in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-fifth of the season, powered by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington added on with a Tom Wilson goal, his third of the year, guided in by Kuznetsov and Jay Beagle. The Canucks shot back in the third period on a Shawn Matthias goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Chris Higgins and Chris Tanev. Vancouver tied it on a Nicklas Jensen goal, coming off of Higgins and Tanev. The Capitals took the lead back on a Mike Green goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Kuznetsov, the latter getting a sock trick. The final stood from here at 4-3, with the three stars going to Kuznetsov, Higgins, and Tanev.

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Jimmy Howard in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Tomas Tatar and Drew Miller. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Ryan Smyth goal, his tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The tie lasted to a shootout, where the Red Wings won 2-1 with a Tatar tally. The three stars were Tatar, Howard (21 for 22 in saves), and Fasth (22 for 23 in saves).

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces former mentor Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida struck first in the first period on a Brian Campbell goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau and Jimmy Hayes. New Jersey tied it on a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Damien Brunner and Travis Zajac. The Devils took the lead in the second period on a Bryce Salvador goal, fueled by Patrik Elias and Ryane Clowe. New Jersey added on with an Elias goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Brunner and Andy Greene. The Panthers got one back on a Quinton Howden goal, his second of the year, passed from Scott Gomez and Huberdeau. Florida tied it in the third period as Brad Boyes potted his eighteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Panthers took the lead as Scottie Upshall netted his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Boyes. Florida iced it at 5-3 on a Vincent Trocheck empty net goal, set up by Campbell. The three stars were Boyes, Campbell, and Huberdeau, while Elias and Brunner get the honorable mentions.

Up in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Nashville started in the first period with a Mike Fisher goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Matt Cullen and Roman Josi. The Predators added on as Patric Hornqvist potted his thirteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Shea Weber and Josi. Chicago got on the board with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, via Kris Versteeg. Nashville answered in the third period on a Ryan Ellis goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Josi, who got a sock trick. The Blackhawks got one back as Peter Regin put away his fourth of the campaign, with the help of Johnny Oduya and Andrew Shaw. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Josi, Ellis, and Hornqvist.

Crossing into Canada, where the Winnipeg Jets bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ondrej Pavelec make the starts. New York was first to score in the first period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his fourteenth of the season, fueled by Benoit Pouliot and Kevin Klein. Winnipeg tied it on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Blake Wheeler and Tobias Enstrom. The Jets added on as Andrew Ladd scored his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Bryan Little and Michael Frolik. The Rangers retied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi. Pavelec was hurt, so Al Montoya played goal at the start of the second period. New York took the lead again with another Hagelin goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, via Martin St. Louis and Klein. The Rangers finished it at 4-2 in the third period when Hagelin finish his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, with helpers provided by Brad Richards. Hagelin, Klein, and Lundqvist (30 for 32 in saves) were the three stars.

Back stateside, the Dallas Stars host the Calgary Flames. Joey MacDonald and Tim Thomas are the older goalies. Dallas got going in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Vernon Fiddler and Jordie Benn. Calgary tied it on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Joe Colborne and Mark Giordano. The Stars took the lead with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of Trevor Daley and Tyler Seguin. Dallas added on as Erik Cole put away his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Brenden Dillion and Travis Morin. The Flames got one back in the third period with a Paul Byron power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Curtis Glencross and Kris Russell. Calgary retied it on a Cammalleri goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, via T.J. Brodie and Colborne. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jordie Benn was cancelled out by Sean Monahan, allowing Corban Knight to score the game-winner for a 4-3 Flames victory. The three stars went to Cammalleri, Colborne, and Jordie Benn.

Finally, in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Semyon Varlamov guard the cages. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the first period with a John Mitchell goal, his eighth of the season, via Gabriel Landeskog and Nate Guenin. Anaheim tied it in the second period with a Daniel Winnik goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Nick Bonino and Bryan Allen. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Nick Holden. The Ducks evened the score with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Pat Maroon and Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim pulled ahead on Palmieri's second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Hampus Lindholm and Bonino. The Ducks added on as Corey Perry scored his thirty-sixth of the year, thanks to Teemu Selanne and Cam Fowler. Anaheim chased Varlamov with a Ben Lovejoy goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Fowler and Getzlaf. Former Duck Jean-Sebastien Giguere came on in relief. Colorado pulled back with another McGinn power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, with assists from Erik Johnson and O'Reilly. The Avalanche chipped closer on a Landeskog goal, his twentieth of the season, pushed through by Mitchell and Jan Hejda. The Ducks replied with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his thirteenth of the year, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Luca Sbisa. This was it for the scoring, with the final standing at 6-4. The three stars went to Palmieri, McGinn, and Fowler, while Getzlaf, Bonino, Landeskog, Mitchell, and O'Reilly get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 5 2014

Three series are left in the East. All three play today, beginning in...

Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk opened with a first period power play goal by Danis Zaripov, with a lone assist by Sergei Mozyakin. Metallurg added on with Jan Kovar goal, fueled by Mozyakin and Zaripov. Vladivostok got on the board in the second period when Igor Bortnikov scored a power play goal, powered by Ilya Zubov. Admiral tied it with an Alexei Ugarov power play goal, coming off of Evgeny Grachyov. Magnitogorsk took the lead in the third period on a Kovar goal, his second of the game, made possible by Mozyakin, who got a sock trick. Vladivostok tied it with a Justin Hodgman power play goal, guided in by Logan Pyett. Metallurg won 4-3 in overtime with a Mozyakin goal, helped along by Zaripov. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Zaripov, and Kovar. Metallurg wins the series 4-1.

Moving along to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Georgy Gelashvili and Andrei Vasilevsky are set to start. Ufa started in the first period with a power play goal by Yegor Dubrovsky, powered by Denis Khlystov and Denis Tolpeko. Nizhny Novgorod tied it with a power play goal by Wojtek Wolski, assisted by Juuso Hietanen and Sakari Salminen. Torpedo took the lead on a Salminen goal in the second period, passed from Wolski and Jarkko Immonen on the power play. Salavat Yulaev tied it with another power play goal by Nikita Shchitov, courtesy of Khlystov and Tolpeko. Ufa regained the lead in the third period on a power play goal from Dubrovsky, his second of the game, via Khlystov, who got a sock trick. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Antti Pihlstrom, set up by Alexei Kaigorodov and the goalie Vasilevsky. The three stars were given to Dubrovsky, Khlystov, Tolpeko, while Salminen and Wolski get the honorable mention. Salavat Yulaev takes a 3-2 series lead.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Emil Garipov are in the creases. Novosibirsk got going in the third period with an Oleg Gubin goal, courtesy of Sergei Shumakov and Stepan Sannikov. This was the only goal in the game, for a 1-0 final. Koskinen (29 save shutout), Gubin, and Garipov (27 for 28 in saves). Sibir takes a 3-2 series lead.

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NHL Day 164 2013-2014

Seven games on a slow Thursday, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Tuukka Rask are the veteran goalies. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Zdeno Chara goal, his sixteenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on as Jarome Iginla scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Johnny Boychuk and Milan Lucic. Phoenix got on the board in the third period with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Shane Doan. This was as close as it got, with the three stars going to Rask (21 for 22 in saves), Iginla, and Chara.

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Cam Ward are the backups making spot starts. Buffalo started in the first period with a Tyler Ennis goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming on a penalty shot after Jiri Tlusty slashed him on the breakaway. Carolina tied it with a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Murphy and Elias Lindholm. The Sabres retook the lead in the third period on a Drew Stafford goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Cory Conacher and Mike Weber. The Hurricanes retied it as Alexander Semin potted his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Andrej Sekera and Jordan Staal. Carolina took the lead as Tlusty scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Semin and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal from Nathan Gerbe, his fourteenth of the year, set up by Patrick Dwyer and Eric Staal. The three stars were Semin, Jordan Staal, and Neuvirth (51 for 54 in saves).

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets bring in the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Sergei Bobrovsky are the young goalies. Columbus struck first in the first period on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Boone Jenner and Nick Foligno. San Jose tied it on a Patrick Marleau goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, with a lone assist from Logan Couture. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the second period on a shorthanded goal by R.J. Umberger, his eighteenth of the season, set up by Brandon Dubinsky. The Sharks pulled even in the third period with a Matthew Nieto goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose took the lead on Marleau's second of the game and twenty-eighth of the season, a power play goal powered by Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle. Columbus retied it with a James Wisniewski goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Dubinsky and Matt Calvert. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pavelski's lone tally gave the Sharks a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Marleau, Couture, and Pavelski, while Dubinsky gets an honorable mention.

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning host their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. Dan Ellis is mismatched with Ben Bishop in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his seventh of the season, coming on the power play from Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Bjugstad. Tampa Bay tied it on a Sami Salo goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper from Valtteri Filppula. The Panthers retook the lead with a Quinton Howden goal, made possible by Jimmy Hayes and Brandon Pirri. The Lightning retied it with a Mike Kostka goal, his third of the season, via Teddy Purcell. Tampa Bay pulled ahead on a Ryan Callahan goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Ondrej Palat and Filppula. The Lightning added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-first of the season, guided in by Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Stamkos, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Filppula, who got a sock trick, and Victor Hedman. Florida responded with a Scottie Upshall goal, his twelfth of the season, with assists provided by Bjugstad and Brad Boyes. The Panthers chipped closer with a Pirri goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Alex Petrovic and Brian Campbell. This only made it 5-4, the final, with Stamkos, Filppula, and Pirri getting the three stars, while Bjugstad gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Scrivens and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Edmonton led off in the first period with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Taylor Hall and Andrew Ference. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Sobotka goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Vladimir Tarasenko and T.J. Oshie. The Blues added on with a Tarasenko goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, from Oshie and Sobotka. The Oilers replied on a Mark Fraser goal, via Boyd Gordon and Jesse Joensuu. St. Louis retook the lead with a third period goal by Alex Pietrangelo, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Sobotka. The Blues added on with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by David Backes and Alexander Steen. St. Louis extended the lead with an Oshie power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues finished it at 6-2 with Schwartz's second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, helped along by Maxim Lapierre and Magnus Paajarvi. The three stars were given to Sobotka, Oshie, and Schwartz, while Steen and Tarasenko get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper have the green light to start. Minnesota began in the first period with a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kyle Brodziak. New York tied it on a second period Derek Stepan power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Rick Nash. The Wild retook the lead in the third period on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, fueled by Jason Pominville and Mikael Granlund. This stood up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Kuemper (29 for 30 in saves), Parise, and Neiderreiter.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Los Angeles got going in the first period with a Marian Gaborik goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Drew Doughty and Justin Williams. The Kings added on with a power play goal by Anze Kopitar, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Doughty and Gaborik. Toronto got on the board with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly. Bernier was pulled for James Reimer at the start of the second period. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his second of the year, fueled by Cody Franson and Kadri. Toronto took the lead in the third period as Mason Raymond scored his nineteenth of the campaign, a shorthanded goal set up by James van Riemsdyk. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Reimer (31 for 31 in saves in a relief win), Gaborik, and Kadri, while Doughty gets an honorable mention.

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KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 5 2014

Two games on today, beginning in...

Moscow, as Dynamo hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. It took until the second overtime for a goal to be scored, and it came from Konstantin Volkov of Moscow, via Yury Babenko and Denis Kokarev. This made it a 1-0 final, with Yeryomenko (33 save shutout), Volkov, and Sanford (40 for 41 in saves) earning the three stars. Dynamo will look to finish the series on Saturday, currently holding a 3-2 series lead.

Out in Ukraine, Donbass Donetsk hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Jan Laco make the starts. Riga started in the first period with a Gints Meija power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins. Dinamo added on in the second period as Darzins scored, thanks to Sandis Ozolins and Paul Szczechura. Donetsk got on the board with a Tuomas Kiiskinen goal, guided in by Petteri Wirtanen and Teemu Laine on the power play. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Darzins, Sedlacek (35 for 36 in saves), and Meija. Donbass still has a 3-2 series lead.

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NHL Day 163 2013-2014

Four games on tonight, a slow Wednesday for the NHL. We begin with a rivalry game in...

Montreal, where the Canadiens host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Peter Budaj in goal. Boston got going in the second period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his nineteenth of the year, guided in by Brad Marchand and Matt Bartkowski. Boston extended the lead with a Milan Lucic goal, his twentieth of the season, via Jarome Iginla and David Krejci. The Bruins padded the lead in the third period as Zdeno Chara scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Bergeron and Marchand. Montreal got on the board with a David Desharnais goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Rask (35 for 36 in saves), and Marchand.

West to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Ondrej Pavelec are the inconsistent goalies. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Bryan Little and Jacob Trouba. Vancouver tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, coming off of Jason Garrison and Jordan Schroeder. The Jets retook the lead in the third period with a Michael Frolik goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Olli Jokinen and Keaton Ellerby. The Canucks retied it as Burrows scored his second of the game, thanks to Jannik Hansen. In the shootout, Chris Higgins scored the only tally for a 3-2 Canucks win. Burrows, Higgins, and Lack (32 for 34 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado opened in the first period with a Brad Malone goal, fueled by Tyson Barrie and the goalie Varlamov. The Avalanche added on in the second period with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jamie McGinn and Ryan O'Reilly. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, passed from Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Colorado shot back in the third period on an O'Reilly power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Duchene and Erik Johnson. The Blackhawks got one back as Brandon Saad scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Shaw and Duncan Keith. This made it 3-2, the final, with Duchene, O'Reilly, and Varlamov (37 for 39 in saves earning the three stars).

Finally, in Calgary, the Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Joni Ortio are in the blue paint. Calgary started in the first period with a Mark Giordano goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by T.J. Brodie. The Flames added on with a T.J. Galiardi goal, his third of the year, going in shorthanded via Paul Byron and Brodie. Calgary extended the lead as Michael Cammalleri potted his seventeenth of the season, a power play goal, powered by Mikael Backlund and Giordano. Hiller was pulled for Frederik Andersen. The Flames padded the lead as Backlund scored his fifteenth of the year, thanks to Lance Bouma and the goalie Ortio. Calgary struck again in the second period on another Backlund goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Kris Russell. Anaheim got on the board with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his twentieth of the year, assisted by Jakob Silfverberg and Francois Beauchemin. The Flames shot back with a Ladislav Smid goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Byron and Bouma. The Ducks got one back in the third period on a Nick Bonino goal, his seventeenth of the year, with assists provided by Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa. Calgary answered on a Corban Knight goal, made possible by Kevin Westgarth and Ben Hanowski. This made it 7-2, the final, with the three stars going to Backlund, Giordano, and Brodie, while Byron and Bouma get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 4 2014

Four more games today. We begin in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Evgeny Ivannikov are given the starting nods. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period with an unassisted goal by Francis Pare. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with a Michael Commodore goal, going in unassisted. Admiral took the lead with an Ilya Zubov goal, assisted by Igor Bortnikov and Richard Gynge. Metallurg retied it in the third period as Jan Kovar scored, thanks to Sergei Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk won in the third overtime with a Danis Zaripov goal, made possible by Kovar and Mozyakin. The three stars of the 3-2 game were Kovar, Zaripov, and Mozyakin. Metallurg goes home with a 3-1 series lead.

West to Novosibirsk, as Sibir welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Mikko Koskinen are in the blue paint. Kazan got going in the second period with an unassisted goal by Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars added on with a power play goal by Mikhail Varnakov, powered by Nikulin and Shaun Heshka. Kazan extended the lead on a power play goal by Janne Pesonen, fueled by Heshka and Alexander Svitov. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars shot back in the third period with an unassisted goal from Nikolai Belov. Kazan padded the lead on a Heshka power play goal, via Svitov and Nikulin. Ak Bars kept going with a Tomas Vincour goal, passed from Alexei Tereshchenko and Kirill Petrov. Sibir got one back with a Jonas Enlund goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Monya. Novosibirsk pulled closer on a power play goal by Ivan Lekomtsev, helped along by Monya. This only made it 6-3, the final, with Nikulin, Heshka, and Svitov getting the three stars, while Monya gets an honorable mention. The series heads west tied at 2.

Further to the west, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Astana dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Roman Savchenko goal, via Fyodor Polishchuk. Barys added on with a Konstantin Romanov goal, with a lone assist by Talgat Zhailauov. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a power play goal by Fyodor Malykhin, powered by Tobias Viklund and the goalie Kovar. They failed to tie the game, losing 2-1, with the three stars being Yeremeyev (29 for 30 in saves), Romanov, and Savchenko. Barys sweeps Avtomobilist out of the playoffs, advancing to the semifinals.

Finally, in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Ivan Kasutin are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod began in the second period with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, helped along by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Ufa tied it on a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, powered by Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead on an Igor Mirnov goal, with a lone assist by Kaigorodov. Ufa added on with an Arturs Kulda goal, fueled by Brent Sopel and Teemu Hartikainen. Georgy Gelashvili relieved Kasutin for the third period. Torpedo got one back in the third period on a Jarkko Immonen goal, passed from Mikhail Grigoryev and Evgeny Skachkov. Salavat Yulaev iced it at 4-2 with an unassisted empty net goal by Yegor Dubrovsky. The three stars were Kaigorodov, Kulda, and Vishnevsky. The series is now tied at 2.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 162 2013-2014

Nine games on tonight, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and Jhonas Enroth are set to start. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Drew Stafford power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis. Nashville tied it on a power play goal by Nick Spaling, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Shea Weber and Roman Josi. The Predators took the lead in the second period as Weber scored his sixteenth of the season, thanks to Colin Wilson and Craig Smith. Nashville added on with a Smith goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Wilson and Gabriel Bourque. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Paul Gaustad, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Spaling and Mike Fisher. The three stars were Weber, Smith, and Hutton (24 for 25 in saves), while Spaling and Wilson get the honorable mentions.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Steve Mason are in the blue paint. New Jersey led off in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Tuomo Ruutu. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Nicklas Grossman goal, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux. The Devils retook the lead on a third period Jagr goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Ruutu. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Jagr, Brodeur (30 for 31 in saves), and Ruutu.

Further south to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. Carolina got going in the second period with a Jiri Tlusty goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jordan Staal and Andrej Sekera. New York tied it on a Kevin Klein goal, his second of the year, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot. The Hurricanes retook the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Tlusty and Alexander Semin. Carolina added on in the third period as Elias Lindholm scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal. This made it a 3-1 game, and the three stars went to Jordan Staal, Tlusty, and Ward (24 for 25 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Detroit began in the first period with a Danny DeKeyser goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by David Legwand. Columbus tied it with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventeenth of the year, coming off of Nick Schultz and Nathan Horton. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the third period with an unassisted goal by Boone Jenner, his twelfth of the season. Columbus added on with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Matt Calvert and Horton. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on Derek MacKenzie's seventh of the campaign, fueled by Mark Letestu and Blake Comeau. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 4-1, and the three stars went to Bobrovsky (39 for 40 in saves), Jenner, and Horton.

South again to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo are in the creases. Phoenix struck first in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes added on in the second period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Vrbata and Lauri Korpikoski. Phoenix extended the lead in the third period on a Vrbata goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker. Florida got on the board with a Brandon Pirri goal, his seventh of the year, a power play goal made possible by Dmitry Kulikov and Nick Bjugstad. This only made it 3-1, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Smith (31 for 32 in saves), and Ekman-Larsson.

Back in Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Jussi Jokinen goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Matt Niskanen and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-first of the year, guided in by Lee Stempniak. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Fleury (32 save shutout), Jokinen, and Stempniak.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Dallas Stars. Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller have the green light to start. St. Louis started in the first period with an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Magnus Paajarvi and Maxim Lapierre. Dallas tied it on a Colton Sceviour power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski and Ray Whitney. The Stars took the lead in the third period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his eleventh of the season, guided in by Jamie Benn. The Blues tied it on a Roman Polak goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Jamie Benn goal, his twenty-sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Trevor Daley and Tyler Seguin. The three stars were Jamie Benn, Roussel, and Sceviour.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Darcy Kuemper are the relatively unknown goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the year, guided in by Erik Haula and Dany Heatley. Minnesota extended the lead as Pominville scored his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Granlund and Parise. Edmonton got on the board with a Jeff Petry goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers pulled closer in the third period with a David Perron goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Andrew Ference and Sam Gagner. Edmonton tied it with an Eberle goal, his twenty-first of the year, passed from Ference and Oscar Klefborn. In the shootout, Parise and Eberle traded goals, followed by Mikko Koivu doing the same with Perron, and then Taylor Hall scored the game winner. The three stars of the 4-3 Oilers victory were Eberle, Ference, and Parise, while Pominville and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Matthew Nieto. Toronto tied it on a Jake Gardiner goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Mason Raymond. The Sharks retook the lead on a Brent Burns goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on in the second period with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Justin Braun and James Sheppard. The Sharks extended the lead on a Pavelski goal, his thirty-third of the season, fueled by Thornton and Dan Boyle. San Jose padded the lead in the third period with Pavelski's second of the game and thirty-fourth of the year, coming off of Jason Demers and Thornton, the latter getting a sock trick. The Maple Leafs got one back as Gardiner scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Raymond and James van Riemsdyk. The Sharks shot back on a Martin Havlat goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Sheppard and Wingels. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 6-2. The three stars were given to Pavelski, Thornton, and Wingels, while Gardiner, Sheppard, and Raymond get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 4 2014

Today is the last day of guaranteed games out west. We begin in...

Moscow, as CSKA hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow led off in the first period with a power play goal by Nikita Zaitsev, powered by Andrei Pervyshin and Jan Mursak. CSKA added on in the second period as Yakov Rylov scored, with a lone assist by Igor Fefelov. St. Petersburg got on the board with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, assisted by Kevin Dallman and Roman Cervenka. SKA tied it on a Tony Martensson goal, via Thoresen and Cervenka on the power play. Moscow retook the lead on Zaitsev's second power play goal of the game, coming off of Deron Quint. CSKA extended the lead with a Nikolai Prokhorkin third period goal, courtesy of Enver Lisin and Igor Grigorenko. St. Petersburg got one back with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, with a lone helper by Maxim Chudinov. SKA tied it on a Cervenka goal, guided in by Dallman and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg won 5-4 in overtime with an unassisted goal by Alexei Ponikarovsky. The three stars were Cervenka, Zaitsev, and Dallman, while Thoresen gets an honorable mention. SKA completes the 4-0 series sweep and advances to the Conference Semifinals.

Northeast to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Leo Komarov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Ilya Gorokhov. Dynamo took the lead back on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Maxim Solovyov. Lokomotiv tied it again in the third period with a power play goal from Staffan Kronwall, fueled by Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. Yaroslavl won 3-2 in overtime with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, coming off of Gorokhov and Janis Sprukts. The three stars went to Redlihs, Gorokhov, and Kronwall. The series is now tied at 2 as it heads back to Moscow.

Out in Riga, Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Jan Laco and Jakub Sedlacek are the backups making spot starts. Donetsk began in the first period with a Teemu Laine goal, fueled by Tuomas Kiiskinen and Clay Wilson. Donbass added on in the second period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Dadonov. Donetsk extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Varlamov scored, thanks to Lukas Kaspar. Riga got on the board with a Gints Meija goal, coming off of Maris Bicevskis and Georgijs Pujacs. Donbass iced it at 4-1 with a Kiiskinen empty net goal, set up by Laine. The three stars were Laine, Laco (24 for 25 in saves), and Kiiskinen. Donbass leads the series 3-1 as they head back home.

Finally, in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Mark Dekanich draw the starts. Prague dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Jakub Matai goal, via Lukas Cingel and Jakub Nakladal. Lev added on with a power play goal by Mikko Maenpaa goal, powered by Nathan Oystrick and Martin Thornberg. Zagreb got on the board in the third period with an Alan Letang goal, guided in by Boyd Kane. Prague shot back on a David Ullstrom goal, coming off of Jiri Novotny. Medvescak got one back with a Matt Ellison goal, coming off of Charles Linglet. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Ullstrom, Maenpaa, and Matai. Lev won the series 4-0, sweeping Medvescak out of the playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 3 2014

Four more quarterfinals today for the Eastern Conference, beginning in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Evgeny Ivannikov protect the nets. Vladivostok was first to score in the first period on a Felix Schutz goal, assisted by Niclas Bergfors and Richard Gynge. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Admiral retook the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Ilya Zubov, coming off of Igor Bortnikov and Justin Hodgman. Metallurg tied it on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, passed from Oskar Osala. Vladivostok pulled ahead on another Schutz goal, with a lone assist by Gynge. Magnitogorsk tied it once again in the third period with a Chris Lee goal, made possible by Zaripov and Kovar. Admiral won 4-3 in the second overtime with Zubov's second of the game, via Bortnikov. The three stars were given to Zubov, Schutz, and Zaripov, while Gynge, Bortnikov, and Kovar get the honorable mentions. Metallurg has a 2-1 series lead.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Konstantin Barulin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period with a Jonas Enlund power play goal, powered by Vyacheslav Belov and Dmitry Monya. Sibir added on with another Enlund power play goal, guided in by Ivan Lekomtsev and Belov. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the second period as Enlund finished his natural hat trick, with a lone assist by Yegor Martynov. Sibir padded the lead with a Monya goal, helped along by Jori Lehtera. Emil Garipov relieved Barulin at this time. Novosibirsk kept going on an Igor Ignatushkin goal, passed from Alexander Romanov. Sibir struck again as Alexei Kopeikin scored, thanks to Lehtera. Kazan got on the board with a power play goal by Mikhail Varnakov, made possible by Ilya Nikulin. Novosibirsk finished it at 7-1 with an Oleg Gubin power play goal, courtesy of Alexander Kutuzov and Sergei Shumakov. The three stars were Enlund, Monya, and Lehtera. Sibir takes a 2-1 series lead.

Westward to Yekaterinburg, where Avtomobilist brings in Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Jakub Kovar are in the creases. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period with an Artyom Chernov goal, guided in by Anton Lazarev. Astana tied it on a Konstantin Romanov goal in the second period, passed from Konstantin Rudenko. Barys took the lead in the third period with a Rudenko goal, fueled by Brandon Bochenski. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Rudenko, Yeremeyev (26 for 27 in saves), and Romanov. Barys has a 3-0 series lead, leaving Avtomobilist on the brink.

Finally, in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Ivan Kasutin draw the starts. Ufa started in the first period with a Igor Mirnov goal, passed from Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the third period as Mikhail Grigoryev scored, thanks to Alexei Potapov and Roman Konkov. Salavat Yulaev won 2-1 in the third overtime with an Alexander Stepanov goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Stepanov, Vasilevsky (52 for 53), and Kasutin (50 for 52 in saves). Torpedo still has a 2-1 series lead.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL Day 161 2013-2014

We have an unusual eight games on this Monday evening, beginning in...

Washington, as the Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff and Jaroslav Halak are in the creases. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his thirtieth of the season, guided in by Sidney Crosby and Lee Stempniak. Washington tied it on an Eric Fehr goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. The Penguins retook the lead on a Crosby power play goal, his thirtieth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Olli Maatta. The Capitals tied it in the second period on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Brooks Laich and John Carlson. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Kunitz goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, made possible by Stempniak and Crosby. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kunitz, Crosby, and Stempniak.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Nashville got going in the second period with a Nick Spaling goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Michael Del Zotto and Colin Wilson. The Predators added on as Craig Smith scored his nineteenth of the year, thanks to Mattias Ekholm and Seth Jones. Nashville extended the lead with an Eric Nystrom goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa got on the board in the third period with a Jared Cowen goal, his fifth of the year, via Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. The Senators pulled closer with the sixth of the season by Marc Methot, guided in by Spezza and Hemsky. Ottawa tied it on a Spezza goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Hemsky, who got a sock trick, and Erik Karlsson. The Predators won 4-3 in overtime on a Jones goal, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Ryan Ellis. The three stars were Spezza, Hemsky, and Jones.

Back stateside, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay was first to score in the first period with a Tyler Johnson shorthanded goal, his twentieth of the season, set up by Ondrej Palat and Eric Brewer. Phoenix tied it in the second period with a Brandon McMillan goal, his second of the year, guided in by Keith Yandle and Shane Doan. The Lightning retook the lead on a Palat goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Ryan Callahan and Keith Aulie. The Coyotes tied it again in the third period with a Martin Erat goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Phoenix took the lead on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. Tampa Bay pulled even again on another Palat goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, helped along by Valtteri Filppula and Matthew Carle. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Radim Vrbata gave the Coyotes a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Palat, Vrbata, and Boedker.

West to Dallas, where Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Tim Thomas make the starts. The game has been postponed due to Rich Peverley's collapse on the bench. It is suspected to stem from his heart condition. Please send your prayers to Peverley and his family.

Northwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard with a second period John Mitchell goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson. Winnipeg tied it on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play from Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Jets took the lead on another Byfuglien goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, passed from Michael Frolik and Little. The Avalanche tied it on a Andre Benoit goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mitchell. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime on a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, assisted by Nick Holden and Barrie. The three stars were handed to Byfuglien, Mitchell, Barrie, while Little gets an honorable mention.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones and Joni Ortio are the relatively unknown goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Justin Williams goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. The Kings added on with a Trevor Lewis goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Slava Voynov and Kyle Clifford. Los Angeles extended the lead in the third period on a Kopitar goal, his twentieth of the season, made possible by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Calgary got on the board with a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund. The Flames pulled closer on a Brian McGrattan goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Chris Butler and Max Reinhart. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Lewis, and Williams.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Eddie Lack are the masked men. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Chris Higgins power play goal, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Yannick Weber and Jason Garrison. The Canucks added on in the second period on a Henrik Sedin goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Jensen and Tom Sestito. Vancouver extended the lead on a power play goal by Ryan Kesler, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. New York got on the board in the third period with a Josh Bailey power play goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Brock Nelson and Matt Donovan. The Islanders pulled closer on a Ryan Strome goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Kyle Okposo and Lubomir Visnovsky. New York tied it on a Calvin de Haan power play goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Travis Hamonic. The Islanders took the lead on a Frans Nielsen goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Anders Lee and Okposo. The Canucks retied it with a Chris Tanev goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Higgins and Jannik Hansen. New York pulled ahead again with a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, via Colin McDonald. The Islanders padded the lead with a Lee goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers provided by Okposo, who got a sock trick, and Nielsen. New York finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Cal Clutterbuck, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Bailey and Hamonic. The three stars went to Okposo, Bailey, and Nielsen, while Lee, Higgins, and Hamonic get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Frederik Andersen man the creases. Toronto opened in the first period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on as Kessel scored his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by James van Riemsdyk and Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period on a Paul Ranger goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Kessel and Bozak. Anaheim got on the board with a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, coming off of Pat Maroon and Ryan Getzlaf. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with Kessel, Bozak, and Bernier (43 for 44 in saves) get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and #PrayForPeverley.

KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Day 3 2014

Four more games on today, as the series shift to the lower-seeded teams. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Curtis Sanford are between the pipes. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Sergei Konkov and Ilya Gorokhov. Moscow tied it in the third period when Leo Komarov scored on a penalty shot he received after Gorokhov held him on a breakaway. Lokomotiv retook the lead on a Yury Petrov goal, with a lone assist by Jonas Holos. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Petrov, Sanford (32 for 33 in saves), and Yeryomenko (33 for 35 in saves). Dynamo still leads 2-1 in the series.

Into Moscow, where CSKA welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Jeff Glass protect the nets. Moscow began in the first period with a power play goal by Igor Grigorenko, powered by Enver Lisin and Nikolai Prokhorkin. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Patrick Thoresen, helped along by Roman Cervenka. SKA won 2-1 in overtime with a Cervenka goal, made possible by Dmitry Kalinin and Kevin Dallman. The three stars went to Cervenka, Salak (43 for 44 in saves), and Thoresen. SKA pushes CSKA to the brink with a 3-0 series lead.

Out to Riga, where Dinamo brings in Donbass Donetsk. Michael Leighton and Mikael Tellqvist are set to start. Donetsk started in the first period with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, via Ruslan Fedotenko. Riga tied it with a Marcel Hossa power play goal, powered by Roberts Bukarts and Sandis Ozolins. Donbass retook the lead in the second period on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, fueled by Yakutsenya and Fedotenko. Dinamo retied it as Maris Bicevskis scored, with a lone assist by Mat Robinson. Donetsk pulled ahead again with a Lukas Kaspar goal, coming off of Clay Wilson. Riga tied it again on a Gints Meija goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo took the lead with a Hossa goal, courtesy of Aleksandrs Nizivijs and Krisjanis Redlihs. Riga added on in the third period with an Andris Dzerins goal, assisted by Hossa and Nizivijs. Dinamo extended the lead with a Kristaps Sotnieks goal, passed from Nizivijs, who got a sock trick, and Hossa. Riga padded the lead as Lauris Darzins scored, thanks to Sotnieks and Bukarts. This was good for a 7-3 win, with the three stars being Hossa, Nizivijs, and Yakutsenya, while Bukarts, Fedotenko, and Sotnieks get the honorable mentions. Donbass holds a 2-1 series lead.

Finally in Zagreb, Medvescak hosts Lev Prague. Petri Vehanen and Barry Brust receive the starting nods. Prague dented the scoreboard in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Martin Thornberg, set up by Patrik Zackrisson. Lev added on with an unassisted goal by Michal Repik. Zagreb got on the board with a Boyd Kane goal, coming off of Ivan Svarny. Medvescak tied it on a Sasa Martinovic penalty shot goal, which he received after Martin Sevc tripped him. Prague picked up the lead in the third period with a David Ullstrom goal, with a lone helper by Sevc. Lev added on as Thornberg scored his second of the game, with the help of Mikko Maenpaa and Nathan Oystrick. Prague finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted power play goal by Petr Vrana. The three stars were Thornberg, Ullstrom, and Vrana. Lev takes a dominating 3-0 series lead.

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NHL Day 160 2013-2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York began in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by John Moore and Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on with a third period goal by Chris Kreider, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan. New York extended the lead on another Kreider goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, via Stepan and McDonagh. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Lundqvist (30 save shutout), Kreider, and McDonagh, while Stepan gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Roberto Luongo in goal. Florida got going in the second period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his sixth of the season, via Nick Bjugstad and Sean Bergenheim. Boston tied it on a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming on the power play from Andrej Meszaros and Reilly Smith. The Bruins took the lead in the third period with a Torey Krug goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Boston added on with a Bergeron power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Loui Eriksson and Soderberg. The Panthers got one back with Hayes' second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Jonathan Huberdeau. The Bruins replied with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twentieth of the year, helped along by Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Boston iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Chris Kelly, his sixth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Soderberg, Bergeron, and Hayes.

North again to Buffalo, where the Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford faces a lesser foe in Jhonas Enroth in goal. Chicago opened in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya. Buffalo tied it on a Drew Stafford goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Cory Conacher and Tyler Ennis. The Blackhawks retook the lead in the third period on a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Crawford (20 for 21 in saves), Toews, and Kane.

Westward to Minnesota, as the Wild bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ilya Bryzgalov are the backups making spot starts. St. Louis started in the first period with a power play goal by T.J. Oshie, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on with a Carlo Colaiacovo goal, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Minnesota got on the board in the second period as Jason Pominville scored his twenty-third of the year, thanks to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Wild tied it with a Matt Moulson goal, his eighteenth of the season, fueled by Mikko Koivu. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Oshie and Steen each scored to give the Blues the 3-2 win. The three stars were Oshie, Steen, and Colaiacovo.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces former backup Ben Scrivens in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Tyler Toffoli. Edmonton tied it on a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-second of the year, fueled by David Perron and Sam Gagner. The Kings took the lead back in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Robyn Regehr and Dustin Brown. Los Angeles added on as Carter scored a power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, powered by Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov. The Kings extended the lead on a Trevor Lewis goal, his third of the season, coming off of Carter. The Oilers got one back with a third period goal by Gagner, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Hall. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-2, and the three stars went to Carter, Gagner, and Hall.

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KHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Day 2 2014

Four games on again, as is the norm for the first half of the round. We begin with...

Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Andrei Vasilevsky are set to start. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with a Krystofer Kolanos goal, assisted by Denis Parshin and Sergei Bernatsky. This was it for the scoring, with the three stars being Kasutin (34 save shutout), Kolanos, and Vasilevsky (17 for 18 in saves) in the 1-0 game. Torpedo will head home with a dominating 2-0 series lead.

Down in Astana, Barys welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vitaly Yeremeyev are the solid goalies. Astana was first to score in the first period with a Mikhail Rakhmanov goal, assisted by Dmitry Upper. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Andre Deveaux goal, fueled by Eduard Lewandowski and Igor Yemeleyev. Barys took the lead in the second period on a Roman Starchenko goal, guided in by Konstantin Rudenko and Nikolai Antropov. Avtomobilist tied it on an Artyom Chernov goal, passed from Fyodor Malykhin and Tobias Viklund. Yekaterinburg pulled ahead on a power play goal by Malykhin, powered by Sami Lepisto and Anton Lazarev. Astana retied it on another Starchenko goal, via Kristian Kudroc and Rudenko. Barys pulled ahead in the third period with a Brandon Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Mike Lundin. Avtomobilist retied it as Dmitry Megalinsky scored a power play goal, thanks to Sergei Demagin and Alexei Simakov. Astana won 5-4 in overtime on an unassisted power play goal by Lundin. The three stars were awarded to Lundin, Starchenko, and Rudenko, while Malykhin gets an honorable mention. Barys will head on the road with a 2-0 series lead.

Back in Russia, Metallurg Magnitogorsk brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Evgeny Ivannikov and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, powered by Oskar Osala and Mikhail Yunkov. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with an unassisted goal by Niclas Bergfors. Metallurg retook the lead with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, fueled by Rinat Ibragimov. Magnitogorsk added on with a Tim Brent goal, assisted by Denis Platonov and Sergei Tereshchenko. Admiral got one back with a power play goal by Dmitry Vorobyov, with a lone assist from Michael Commodore. Metallurg shot back on a Francis Pare goal, passed from Osala and Ibragimov. Vladivostok pulled back on an Evgeny Grachyov goal, coming off of Justin Hodgman and Ilya Zubov. Magnitogorsk finished it at 5-3 in the third period with a power play goal by Chris Lee, courtesy of Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. The three stars were Ibragimov, Osala, and Pare.

Finally, in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen faces a lesser foe in Emil Garipov in goal. Novosibirsk led off just fifteen seconds into the game with a Dmitry Monya goal, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Jonas Enlund. Sibir added on in the second period with a power play goal by Dmitry Kugryshev, powered by Ivan Lekomtsev. Kazan got on the board in the third period as Alexander Osipov scored a power play goal, guided in by Kirill Petrov and Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars tied it on a Mikhail Varnakov goal, coming off of Tim Stapleton and Alexander Burmistrov. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime on another Osipov goal, with a lone helper from Alexander Svitov. The three stars were Osipov, Varnakov, and Garipov (25 for 27 in saves). The series heads east tied it at 1.

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