NHL Day 180 2013-2014

Eleven games on today, beginning in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins. Chad Johnson and Braden Holtby are given the starting nods. Boston got going in the second period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, fueled by Carl Soderberg and David Krejci. The Bruins added on with a Soderberg power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson. Boston extended the lead as Iginla scored his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, thanks to Milan Lucic and Krejci. Washington got on the board with a Jason Chimera goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Mike Green and Joel Ward. The Bruins shot back in the third period with a Bergeron goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, with assists provided by Soderberg and Dougie Hamilton. The Capitals got one back on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The final was 4-2, an the three stars were Iginla, Soderberg, and Bergeron, while Krejci gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Semyon Varlamov draw the starts. Colorado began in the first period with a Paul Stastny goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. San Jose tied it with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Brent Burns. The Avalanche retook the lead on a Cody McLeod shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Nick Holden and John Mitchell. Colorado added on in the second period with a Mitchell goal, his tenth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Jamie McGinn and Holden. The Sharks got one back as Dan Boyle scored his tenth of the season, thanks to James Sheppard. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2. The three stars were awarded to Varlamov (47 for 49 in saves), Mitchell, and Holden.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop faces a lesser foe in Matt Hackett. Buffalo started in the first period with a Matt D'Agostini goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Johan Larsson. The Sabres added on with a Cody Hodgson goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Christian Ehrhoff. Tampa Bay got on the board with an Alex Killorn goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Matthew Carle. The Lightning tied it on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-second of the year, via J.T. Brown and Radko Gudas. Buffalo took the lead back in the third period with a Cory Conacher goal, his seventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Tampa Bay tied it on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Teddy Purcell and Stamkos. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime on a power play goal by Stamkos, his twenty-third of the campaign, thanks to Valtteri Filppula and Purcell. Stamkos, Purcell, and Callahan received the three stars.

Crossing into Toronto, with the Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Toronto led off in the first period with a Cody Franson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jake Gardiner and Jay McClement. Detroit tied it in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Darren Helm, his eighth of the year, set up by Joakim Andersson. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, coming off of Johan Franzen and Jakub Kindl. Detroit added on as Helm scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Kindl and Daniel Alfredsson. The Maple Leafs got one back on a Joffrey Lupul goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Morgan Rielly and Gardiner. The Red Wings responded in the third period on a Helm goal, finishing his hat trick with his tenth of the year, made possible by Danny DeKeyser. This produced the 4-2 final, with Helm, Kindl, and Gardiner getting the three stars.

Way south to Florida, as the Panthers welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Dan Ellis draw the starts. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, courtesy of P.K. Subban. The Canadiens added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, via Alexei Emelin and Daniel Briere. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Pacioretty scored his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the season, thanks to David Desharnais and Vanek. Florida got on the board with a Brad Boyes goal, his nineteenth of the year, passed from Sean Bergenheim and Brian Campbell. The Canadiens shot back in the third period with a Desharnais goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, assisted by Pacioretty and Mike Weaver. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Pacioretty, Vanek, and Desharnais.

Backtracking to New York, as the Islanders bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Anders Nilsson are in the blue paint. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Frans Nielsen goal, his twenty-third of the season, made possible by Josh Bailey. New Jersey tied it on an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, via Damien Brunner and Patrik Elias. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nielsen and Brock Nelson scored to seal a 2-1 Islanders win. The three stars were Nielsen, Nilsson (23 for 24 in saves), and Schneider (19 for 20 in saves).

Back south, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Anton Khudobin. Carolina struck first in the second period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Elias Lindholm and Riley Nash. Columbus tied it on a Matt Calvert goal, his eighth of the year, with an unassisted goal. The Hurrcianes retook the lead in the third period as Andrei Loktionov scored his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by Nash and Jay Harrison. The Blue Jackets tied it again with an Artem Anisimov goal, his twentieth of the year, guided in by Nathan Horton and Nick Foligno. Columbus won 3-2 in overtime on a power play goal by Ryan Johansen goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, coming off of Anisimov and James Wisniewski. Johansen, Anisimov, and Nash.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Ryan Miller guard the cages. Dallas opened in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Shawn Horcoff. The Stars added on in the second period with a Sceviour goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Horcoff and Vernon Fiddler. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexander Steen goal, his thirty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk. Dallas shot back as Cody Eakin scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Jordie Benn and Antoine Roussel. The Blues pulled back in the third period on a Steen power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, made possible by David Backes and Shattenkirk. The Stars finished it at 4-2 with a Roussel goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Jordie Benn and Eakin. The three stars were given to Sceviour, Steen, and Eakin, while Roussel, Jordie Benn, Horcoff, and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Phoenix, as the Coyotes bring in the Minnesota Wild. Ilya Bryzgalov and Thomas Greiss are set to start. Phoenix began in the first period with a power play goal by Mikkel Boedker, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Minnesota tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Mikko Koivu. The Wild took the lead with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Jason Pominville and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota added on as Parise scored his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Koivu. The three stars belonged to Parise, Bryzgalov (23 for 24 in saves), and Koivu.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec returns from injury to face Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles led off with a Trevor Lewis goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Kyle Clifford and Jake Muzzin. The Kings added on as Anze Kopitar potted his twenty-third of the year, via Marian Gaborik. Los Angeles extended the lead with another Kopitar goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Gaborik and Willie Mitchell. Pavelec was pulled for Al Montoya in the second period. Winnipeg got on the board with a Matt Halischuk goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, assisted by Evander Kane and Eric O'Dell. The Kings shot back with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Tanner Pearson and Mitchell. The Jets got one back with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, powered by Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglien. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Gaborik, and Mitchell.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Eddie Lack are the inexperienced goalies. Anaheim started with a Luca Sbisa goal in the first period, via Sami Vatanen and Pat Maroon. The Ducks added on with a Matt Beleskey goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Richard Rakell and Daniel Winnik. Vancouver got on the board with a Brad Richardson goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Ryan Stanton and Zack Kassian. Anaheim shot back in the second period as Saku Koivu scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Winnik and Andrew Cogliano. The Ducks extended the lead in the third period on a Corey Perry goal, his thirty-eighth of the year, passed from Koivu and Cogliano. Anaheim finished it at 5-1 with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, powered by Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The three stars went to Koivu, Perry, and Winnik, while Cogliano gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Day 6 2014

One game to go through today, which is in Ufa. Salavat Yulaev hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Andrei Vasilevsky are called on to start. Ufa opened in the first period on a Ivan Vishnevsky power play goal, guided in by Alexei Kaigorodov. Astana tied it with an Evgeny Blokhin goal, via Konstantin Rudenko and Nikolai Antropov. Salavat Yulaev retook the lead in the third period with a power play goal by Igor Mirnov, powered by Dmitry Makarov and Arturs Kulda. Ufa added on with a Anton Slepyshev goal, with a lone assist from Alexander Stepanov. Barys got one back with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, passed from Cam Barker. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Slepyshev, Mirnov, and Vishnevsky. Salavat Yulaev wins the series 4-2 and will play Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Eastern Conference Final.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Conference Finals start on Wednesday.

NHL Day 179 2013-2014

Six games on this evening, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Steve Mason are set to start. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period on a Vincent Lecavalier power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Kimmo Timonen and Claude Giroux. Toronto tied it on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Tyler Bozak. The Flyers took the lead back with a Scott Hartnell power play goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Timonen and Giroux. Philadelphia added on with a Giroux goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Hartnell. The Maple Leafs got one back as Dave Bolland put away his seventh of the season, assisted by Mason Raymond and Jake Gardiner. The Flyers shot back with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with assists provided by Zac Rinaldo and Andrew MacDonald. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Giroux, Hartnell, and Timonen.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the third period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Deryk Engelland. The Penguins added on with a Beau Bennett goal, his second of the year, fueled by Robert Bortuzzo. Columbus got on the board with a Matt Calvert power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by James Wisniewski and Jack Johnson. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Fleury (35 for 36 in saves), Bennett, and Kunitz.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Craig Anderson are in the blue paint. Ottawa opened with an Erik Condra goal, his sixth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Zack Smith. The Senators added on as Cody Ceci scored his third of the year, thanks to Clarke MacArthur and Mark Stone. Ottawa extended the lead in the second period on a Milan Michalek goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Sharp power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Jonathan Toews and the goalie Raanta. The Blackhawks pulled closer with an unassisted goal by Marian Hossa, his twenty-seventh of the season. The Senators shot back with a Kyle Turris power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of MacArthur and Patrick Wiercioch. Ottawa padded the lead with a MacArthur goal, his twenty-third of the season, fueled by Stone. Chicago pulled back with a Brent Seabrook goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Michal Handzus and Peter Regin, a shorthanded goal. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to MacArthur, Stone, and Turris.

Way south to Dallas, as the Stars host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Kari Lehtonen are the Finnish goalies. Dallas led off in the first period on a Ryan Garbutt goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Antoine Roussel and Brendon Dillon. The Stars added on with a Vernon Fiddler goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Colton Sceviour and Alex Goligoski. Nashville got on the board in the second period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Roman Josi. Dallas shot back with a Sceviour goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Trevor Daley and Goligoski. The Stars extended the lead on a power play goal Alex Chiasson, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Ray Whitney and Goligoski, the latter getting a sock trick. The Predators replied with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok. Dallas answered on a Daley goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers provided by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Nashville got it back as Eric Nystrom scored his fifteenth of the year in the third period, thanks to Colton Sissons and Richard Clune. The Stars countered with an unassisted goal by Valeri Nichushkin, his fourteenth of the season. Dallas iced it at 7-3 with a Cody Eakin goal, his fifteenth of the year, with the help of Garbutt and Roussel. The three stars went to Goligoski, Sceviour, and Garbutt, while Roussel and Daley get the honorable mentions.

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Karri Ramo are between the pipes. Calgary began in the first period with a Joe Colborne power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by T.J. Brodie and Curtis Glencross. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Michael Cammalleri and Paul Byron. New York got on the board with a second period goal by Brian Boyle, his sixth of the season, assisted by Derek Dorsett and Dominic Moore. The Rangers tied it on a Raphael Diaz goal, his second of the year, passed from Brad Richards. New York took the lead on a Richards goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Carl Hagelin and Benoit Pouliot. Calgary retied it on a Kevin Westgarth goal, his third of the year, made possible by Matt Stajan and Brodie. The Flames took the lead with a Cammalleri goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Chris Butler. This held up for a 4-3 win, with Cammalleri, Brodie, and Richards earning the three stars.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Ben Scrivens draw the starts. Anaheim started in the first period with Nick Bonino's nineteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. Edmonton tied it with a Sam Gagner goal, his ninth of the year, via David Perron and Taylor Hall. The Oilers took the lead in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Martin Marincin. The Ducks tied on a Pat Maroon goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Mathieu Perreault and Stephane Robidas. Edmonton took the lead back in the third period with a Oscar Klefbom goal, courtesy of Perron and Justin Schultz. Anaheim retied it on a Perreault goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Maroon and Teemu Selanne. The Oilers won with an Andrew Ference goal in overtime, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Perron, Perreault, and Maroon.

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KHL Western Conference Semifinals Day 6 2014

Two games on today, with series on the line. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. Yaroslavl got going in the third period on a Yury Petrov goal, assisted by Mikelis Redlihs and Geoff Platt. Lokomotiv added on as Vitaly Vishnevsky scored an unassisted goal. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Sanford (26 save shutout), Petrov, and Vishnevsky. Lokomotiv wins the series 4-2, and waits to see who their Conference Final opponent is.

Out in Bratislava once again, Donbass Donetsk hosts Lev Prague in the last game to be played in Slovakia this postseason. Atte Engren and Jan Laco are called on to start. Prague dented the scoreboard with a power play goal by Ondrej Nemec in the third period, powered by Justin Azevedo. This was the game's only goal, so Lev won 1-0. The three stars were Engren (20 save shutout), Nemec, and Laco (24 for 25 in saves). Lev will advance to play Lokomotiv in the Conference Finals after their 4-2 series win.

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NHL Day 178 2013-2014

Ten games on tonight as the season starts to hit the stretch run. We begin with a rematch of the last Stanley Cup Final, as...

The Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, courtesy of Matt Bartkowski and Daniel Paille. The Bruins added on in the third period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his fourteenth of the year, guided in by Chris Kelly and Johnny Boychuk. Boston extended the lead on Bergeron's second of the game and twenty-fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Brad Marchand. This made it 3-0, the final, with Rask (28 save shutout), Bergeron, and Soderberg getting the three stars.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Martin Brodeur in goal. Phoenix opened in the first period with a Kyle Chipchura goal, his fourth of the season, via Lauri Korpikoski and Chris Summers. The Coyotes added on in the second period with a Summers goal, his second of the year, guided in by Chipchura and Radim Vrbata. New Jersey got on the board with a Ryane Clowe goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jon Merrill and Jacob Josefson. The Devils tied it on a third period goal by Adam Henrique, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Patrik Elias and the goalie Brodeur. Phoenix won 3-2 in the shootout, with a lone tally by Mikkel Boedker making the difference. The three stars were Chipchura, Summers, and Boedker.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Los Angeles Kings. Backups Martin Jones and Jeff Zatkoff draw the starts. Los Angeles began in the first period with a power play goal by Jeff Carter, his twenty-sixth of the season, powered by Marian Gaborik and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Tyler Toffoli and Jarret Stoll. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Chris Kunitz goal, his thirty-third of the season, made possible by Jayson Megna and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins tied it on a Taylor Pyatt goal, his fourth of the year, via Brian Gibbons and Marcel Goc. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Drew Doughty goal, his ninth of the campaign, with assists provided by Dustin Brown and Tanner Pearson. This made it 3-2, the final, with Doughty, Martinez, and Carter.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Montreal struck first in the first period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens added on as Plekanec scored his second of the game and twentieth of the year, thanks to Subban. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Riley Sheahan goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Luke Glendening and Brian Lashoff. Montreal shot back on a David Desharnais goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Thomas Vanek. The Red Wings got one back on a third period Tomas Tatar goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Detroit tied it with another Tatar goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Tomas Jurco and Sheahan. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-third of the season, set up by Desharnais and Vanek. Montreal extended the lead with a Vanek goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin. The Red Wings got one back on a Johan Franzen goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, guided in by Gustav Nyquist and Darren Helm. This only made it 5-4, with the three stars being Vanek, Desharnais, and Plekanec, while Tatar, Subban, and Sheahan get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the New York Islanders. Evgeni Nabokov and Ben Bishop are set to start. Tampa Bay got going in the second period on a Ryan Callahan goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Radko Gudas and Valtteri Filppula. New York tied it on a Ryan Strome goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Matt Martin and Matt Donovan. The Islanders took the lead with a Donovan goal, his second of the season, fueled by Frans Nielsen and Anders Lee. The Lightning retied it in the third period as Callahan scored his second of the game and fifteenth oft he year, guided in by Eric Brewer. The tie lasted to a long shootout, which the Lightning won 5-4 for a 3-2 win in the game. Tampa Bay saw goals from Mike Kostka, Ondrej Palat, Steven Stamkos, Matthew Carle, and Sami Salo for the winner, while New York had tallies from Nielsen, Brock Nelson, Colin McDonald, and Casey Cizikas. The three stars were Callahan, Donovan, and Nielsen.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Carolina started in the first period with a Jiri Tlusty goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Eric Staal and Brett Bellemore. Dan Ellis relieved Luongo for the second period. The Hurricanes added on as Tlusty scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year in the second period, assisted Andrei Loktionov and Justin Faulk. Carolina extended the lead on a Jeff Skinner goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, coming off of Patrick Dwyer. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 3-0. The three stars were awarded to Khudobin (35 save shutout), Tlusty, and Skinner.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Ryan Miller receive the starting nods. St. Louis was first to score in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his nineteenth of the season, fueled by David Backes and Roman Polak. The Blues added on with a shorthanded goal by Oshie, his second of the game and twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. St. Louis extended the lead on a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Carlo Colaiacovo and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues padded the lead in the third period on an Oshie goal, his twenty-first of the year to complete his hat trick, via Bouwmeester and Backes. St. Louis got another on a Brenden Morrow power play goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Alexander Steen and Vladimir Sobotka. Minnesota got on the board with a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, assisted by Charlie Coyle and Mikko Koivu. This made it 5-1, the final, with Oshie, Miller (27 for 28 in saves), and Backes, while Bouwmeester gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Nashville, as the Predators host the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Hackett and Carter Hutton are the unknown goalies. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Colton Sissons goal, fueled by Richard Clune and Eric Nystrom. The Predators added on as Colin Wilson scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Viktor Stalberg and Nick Spaling. Nashville extended the lead on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, made possible by Gabriel Bourque and Craig Smith. The Predators padded the lead with a Shea Weber power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Matt Cullen and Patric Hornqvist. Nathan Lieuwen relieved Hackett for the second period. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, his second of the season, guided in by Brian Flynn and Johan Larsson. Nashville answered on a Weber goal, his twentieth of the year and second of the game, assisted by Roman Josi and Mike Fisher. The Predators finished it at 6-1 with a third period Nystrom goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Clune. The three stars were Weber, Nystrom, and Clune.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Semyon Varlamov are set to start. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Yannick Weber power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Nicklas Jensen and Daniel Sedin. Colorado tied it with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-third of the year, coming off of Andre Benoit and Cody McLeod. The Avalanche took the lead in the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, fueled by Paul Stastny and Cory Sarich. The Canucks tied it with a Zack Kassian goal, his thirteenth of the year, made possible by Dan Hamhuis and David Booth. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime with a Tyson Barrie goal, his tenth of the campaign, with helpers from Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly. The three stars went to Duchene, Barrie, and Landeskog.

Finally, in San Jose, the Sharks host the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Antti Niemi are in the blue paint. San Jose started in the first period with a Dan Boyle goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Martin Havlat and James Sheppard. Winnipeg tied it with an Andrew Ladd goal, his twenty-second of the year, guided in by Michael Frolik and Bryan Little. The Sharks took the lead with a Brent Burns power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. The Jets tied it in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg took the lead on a Dustin Byfuglien power play goal, his twentieth of the season, fueled by Wheeler and Frolik. San Jose retied it with a Logan Couture power play goal, his twentieth of the year, with assists provided by Sheppard and Havlat. The Jets gained the lead in the third period on a Tobias Enstrom power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Wheeler and Little. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Wheeler, Little, and Frolik, while Sheppard and Havlat got the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Day 5 2014

The only game today is between the host Barys Astana and the visitors Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Vasilevsky and Vitaly Yeremeyev protect the nets. Astana was first to score in the first period with a Konstantin Rudenko goal, courtesy of Roman Savchenko. Ufa tied it on an Ivan Vishnevsky goal, passed from Alexander Stepanov. Barys took the lead back in the second period on a Dustin Boyd goal, assisted by Brandon Bochenski and Rudenko. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Rudenko, Yeremeyev (24 for 25 in saves), and Boyd.

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NHL Day 177 2013-2014

Only three games on tonight, beginning in...

Minnesota, as the Wild host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Vancouver led off in the first period with a David Booth goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Minnesota tied it with a Charlie Coyle goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Mikko Koivu and Jared Spurgeon. The Canucks retook the lead in the second period Booth scored his second of the game and eighth of the season, another unassisted goal. Vancouver added on as Zack Kassian potted his twelfth of the year, thanks to Brad Richardson. Ilya Bryzgalov relieved Kuemper for the third period. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Garrison and Jannik Hansen. Vancouver padded the lead on a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Alexandre Burrows and Chris Higgins. The Wild got one back on a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Erik Haula and Ryan Suter. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars going to Booth, Kassian, and Lack (29 for 31 in saves).

East to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Henrik Lundqvist are the masked men. New York began in the first period with a Derek Dorsett goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Brian Boyle. The Rangers added on in the second period on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his fourteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. New York extended the lead in the third period as Dominic Moore scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Kevin Klein. Philadelphia got on the board with a Jakub Voracek goal, his twenty-first of the year, guided in by Mark Streit and Claude Giroux. This produced the 3-1 final score, with Lundqvist (30 for 31 in saves), McDonagh, and Moore getting the three stars.

Finally, out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo receive the starting nods. Anaheim started in the first period with a Nick Bonino goal, his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal via Sami Vatanen and the goalie Hiller. Calgary tied it on a Brian McGrattan goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Kevin Westgarth and Tyler Wotherspoon. The Flames took the lead on a Jiri Hudler goal, his sixteenth of the season, courtesy of Ladislav Smid and Matt Stajan. The Ducks tied it in the third period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Vatanen and Pat Maroon. Anaheim took the lead on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Stephane Robidas and Jakob Silfverberg. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Cogliano, Perreault, and Bonino.

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KHL Western Conference Semifinals Day 5 2014

Two games on today as the series are both very tight. We begin in...

St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Salak are between the pipes. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Roman Cervenka and Patrick Thoresen. Yaroslavl tied it on an Ilya Gorokhov power play goal, assisted by Mikelis Redlihs and Sergei Konkov. Lokomotiv took the lead on an Emil Galimov goal, with a lone assist by Yury Petrov. Yaroslavl added on in the third period with a Yegor Averin goal, via Sergei Plotnikov on the power play. SKA got one back as Thoresen scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Dmitry Kalinin and Cervenka. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Averin, Thoresen, and Cervenka. Lokomotiv leads the series 3-2.

The other game is once again in Bratislava, but this time Lev Prague hosts Donbass Donetsk as Lev's arena was booked for today. Michael Leighton and Petri Vehanen draw the starts. Prague opened in the first period with a Michal Repik goal, made possible by Michal Birner. Lev added on as Patrik Zackrisson scored, thanks to Justin Azevedo. Donetsk got on the board in the second period with a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, via Andrei Konev. Prague finished it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Zackrisson, set up by Repik. The three stars were Zackrisson, Vehanen (26 for 27 in saves), and Repik. Lev owns a 3-2 series lead with this win.

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NHL Day 176 2013-2014

Ten games on this evening, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Bernier protect the nets. Toronto began in the first period on a Joffrey Lupul power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner. St. Louis tied it with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eighteenth of the year, fueled by Alexander Steen and Roman Polak. The Blues took the lead on a David Backes power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Oshie. St. Louis added on in the second period on another Backes goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Alex Pietrangelo and Steen. The Blues extended the lead on a Steen goal, his thirty-first of the season, courtesy of Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrik Berglund. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto pulled closer with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, assisted by Phil Kessel and Gardiner. St. Louis iced it at 5-3 with a Backes empty net goal to finish his hat trick, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Oshie and Steen. The three stars were Backes, Steen, and Oshie, while Gardiner gets an honorable mention.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Phoenix Coyotes. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Phoenix opened in the first period on a David Moss goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Martin Hanzal and Brandon McMillan. Pittsburgh tied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by James Neal and Sidney Crosby. The Coyotes retook the lead as Antoine Vermette scored his twenty-fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Shane Doan and Mikkel Boedker. The Penguins tied it again with a Taylor Pyatt goal, his third of the year, with assists by Rob Scuderi and Simon Despres. Phoenix took the lead in the second period on a Boedker goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, coming off of Doan and Michael Stone. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Boedker, Greiss (23 for 25 in saves), and Doan.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jaroslav Halak are the masked men. Washington was first to score with a first period goal by Alex Ovechkin, his forty-seventh of the season, a power play goal guided in by John Carlson and Troy Brouwer. The Capitals added on as Ovechkin scored his second of the game and forty-eighth of the year, another power play goal, powered by Brouwer and Nicklas Backstrom. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Mike Richards power play goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin. Washington shot back with a Dustin Penner goal, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist by Chris Brown. The Kings answered in the third period with a Dwight King goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Dustin Brown and Willie Mitchell. Los Angeles tied it with a Marian Gaborik goal, his ninth of the year, via Tyler Toffoli and Muzzin. The Kings took the lead on a Brown goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, assisted by King and Jarret Stoll. The Capitals tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov shorthanded goal, set up by Ovechkin and Eric Fehr. The Kings won 5-4 in the shootout with goals by Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. The three stars were Ovechkin, King, and Brown, while Muzzin and Brouwer get the honorable mentions.

South to Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the New York Islanders. Anders Nilsson and Cam Ward are the mediocre goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Colin McDonald goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Thomas Hickey and Ryan Strome. The Islanders added on with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey. New York extended the lead on another McDonald goal, his eighth of the season and second of the game, made possible by Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic. Anton Khudobin relieved Ward at this time. The Islanders padded the lead on a Matt Martin goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Kevin Czuczman and Hickey. Carolina got on the board with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Riley Nash and Andrei Loktionov. The Hurricanes got another back as Loktionov potted his sixth of the year, with the help of Jiri Tlusty and Brett Bellemore. Carolina pulled closer with an Alexander Semin power play goal in the second period, his twenty-second of the season, with assists provided by Jordan Staal and John-Michael Liles. New York replied with a Martin goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, set up by Strome and McDonald. The Hurricanes pulled back on a Nathan Gerbe goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, via Jordan Staal and Ron Hainsey. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being McDonald, Martin, and Loktionov, while Hickey, Strome, and Jordan Staal get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens host the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Hackett and Carey Price are in the creases. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his thirty-second of the season, assisted by Thomas Vanek and David Desharnais. The Canadiens added on with a Daniel Briere power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Rene Bourque. The three stars in the 2-0 game were Price (24 save shutout), Pacioretty, and Briere.

Way to the south, the Florida Panthers host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Roberto Luongo are between the pipes. Ottawa got going in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his second of the season, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris. The Senators added on with a Clarke MacArthur power play goal, his twenty-second of the year, powered by Patrick Wiercioch and Turris. Florida got on the board as Sean Bergenheim scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Brian Campbell and Nick Bjugstad. The Panthers tied it with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his third of the year, passed from Scottie Upshall and Tomas Fleischmann. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Turris was overwhelmed by tallies from Trocheck and Brandon Pirri, giving Florida the 3-2 win. The three stars were Trocheck, Turris, and Luongo (37 for 39 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his twenty-eighth of the season, powered by Boone Jenner and James Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets added on with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming on the power play via Jack Johnson and Wisniewski. Detroit got on the board as Gustav Nyquist scored his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar. Curtis McElhinney relieved Bobrovsky for the second period. The Red Wings tied it in the second period as Nyquist potted his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Tatar. Columbus retook the lead in the third period on a Cam Atkinson goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Matt Calvert and Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets iced it at 4-2 with a Johansen empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Wisniewski, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Johansen, Nyquist, and Wisniewski, while Dubinsky and Tatar get the honorable mentions.

West to Chicago, as the Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Corey Crawford receive the starting nods. Chicago started in the first period with an Andrew Shaw power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Dallas got on the board with a Ryan Garbutt goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Jordie Benn. Chicago shot back on a Keith goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Sharp and Shaw. The Stars got one back in the third period on another Garbutt goal, his fourteenth of the season and second of the game, made possible by Vernon Fiddler and Antoine Roussel. The Blackhawks wrapped it up at 4-2 with a Marian Hossa empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Shaw, Keith, and Garbutt, while Sharp gets an honorable mention.

Over in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Pekka Rinne tend the twines. Nashville led off in the first period with a Roman Josi goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Gabriel Bourque and Craig Smith. The Predators added on as Josi scored his second of the game and eleventh of the year, thanks to Calle Jarnkrok. Colorado got on the board with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Paul Stastny and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche tied it in the second period with another Landeskog goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, guided in by Stastny. Nashville retook the lead with a Matt Cullen goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Ryan Ellis and Mike Fisher. Colorado retied it in the third period on a Cody McLeod goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Matt Duchene and Andre Benoit. The Predators took the lead back with another Cullen goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by Patric Hornqvist and Ellis. The Avalanche retied it on a Nick Holden goal, his ninth of the year, with assists provided by Landeskog and Tyson Barrie. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan O'Reilly and Landeskog topped a Jarnkrok tally for a 5-4 Avalanche win. The three stars were given to Landeskog, Cullen, and Josi, while Jarnkrok, Ellis, and Stastny get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Edmonton, the Oilers host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Ben Scrivens are the starting goalies. Edmonton began in the first period with a David Perron goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Taylor Hall and Jeff Petry. San Jose tied it on a Joe Pavelski goal in the second period, his thirty-fifth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead on a power play goal by Marleau, his thirty-first of the season, powered by Pavelski and Brent Burns. San Jose added on with a Martin Havlat goal, his ninth of the year, with a lone assist by Jason Demers. The Sharks extended the lead on another power play goal by Pavelski, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the season, pushed through by Dan Boyle and Burns. San Jose padded the lead as Pavelski finished his hat trick on his thirty-seventh of the year, fueled by Thornton and Brad Stuart. The Oilers got one back with a Hall goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Andrew Ference and Jordan Eberle. This made it 5-2, the final, with Pavelski, Marleau, and Hall getting the three stars, while Burns and Thornton get the honorable mentions.

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KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Day 4 2014

Two more games going today, beginning in...

Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Magnitogorsk was first to score in the first period with a Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Jan Kovar and Evgeny Grigorenko. Novosibirsk tied it on a power play goal by Ivan Lekomtsev, powered by Alexander Kutuzov. Metallurg took the lead back on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, guided in by Evgeny Biryukov. Magnitogorsk added on in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Mozyakin, set up by Grigorenko and Chris Lee. Sibir got one back in the third period on a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, made possible by Vyachelsav Belov and Jarno Koskiranta. This only made it 3-2, the final, with Mozyakin, Grigorenko, and Koshechkin (30 for 32 in saves) getting the three stars. Metallurg advances to the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-0 series sweep of Sibir.

West to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Andrei Vasilevsky draw the starts. Ufa got going in the third period with an Igor Mirnov goal, assisted by Alexei Kaigorodov. Astana tied it on a Nigel Dawes goal, guided in by Roman Savchenko. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back with a Dmitry Makarov goal, courtesy of Alexander Stepanov and Teemu Hartikainen. Barys tied again as Dmitry Upper scored, thanks to Dawes and Mike Lundin. Ufa won 3-2 in overtime on a power play goal by Kirill Koltsov, powered by Stepanov. The three stars were given to Koltsov, Stepanov, and Makarov. Salavat Yulaev has pushed Barys to the brink with a 3-1 series lead.

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NHL Day 175 2013-2014

Six games on today, beginning in...

New York City, with the Rangers hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Mike Smith and Henrik Lundqvist are the veteran goalies. Phoenix opened in the first period on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and the goalie Smith. The Coyotes added on with a Jeff Halpern goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Kyle Chipchura and Michael Stone. New York got on the board in the second period with a Brad Richards goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Carl Hagelin and Benoit Pouliot. The Rangers tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello. Phoenix took the lead with a Chipchura goal, his third of the season, passed from Zbynek Michalek. New York tied it again in the third period on a Dan Girardi goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by McDonagh and Pouliot. The Rangers won 4-3 in overtime on a McDonagh goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, fueled by Girardi and Hagelin. The three stars were given to McDonagh, Girardi, and Chipchura, while Hagelin and Pouliot get the honorable mentions.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Ray Emery in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, assisted by Alec Martinez and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings added on as Justin Williams potted his eighteenth of the year, thanks to Robyn Regehr and Anze Kopitar. Philadelphia got on the board in the third period with a Matt Read goal, his twentieth of the season, via Braydon Coburn and Sean Couturier. The Flyers tied it on a Jakub Voracek goal, his twentieth of the year, with a lone assist by Scott Hartnell. Los Angeles reclaimed the lead on a Dwight King goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Slava Voynov. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to King, Williams, and Carter.

Back on the coast, the Boston Bruins bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Peter Budaj is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Montreal started in the first period with an Alexei Emelin goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Daniel Briere and Brian Gionta. Boston tied it with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Loui Eriksson. The Canadiens won 2-1 in the shootout with an Alex Galchenyuk tally. The three stars were Budaj (28 for 29 in saves), Rask (21 for 22 in saves), and Galchenyuk.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop draw the starts. Ottawa led off in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his twentieth of the season, courtesy of Colin Greening. Tampa Bay tied it on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Tyler Johnson and J.T. Brown. The Senators retook the lead in the second period with a Jason Spezza goal, his nineteenth of the season, via Milan Michalek and Karlsson. Ottawa added on as Kyle Turris potted his twenty-second of the year, with the help of Mark Stone and Karlsson. The Lightning got one back on a Victor Hedman power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, assisted by Palat and Ryan Callahan. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Spezza's goal gave the Senators a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Karlsson, Spezza, and Palat.

West to Dallas, as the Stars welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Al Montoya and Kari Lehtonen are in the blue paint. Dallas began in the first period with a Ray Whitney power play goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Jamie Benn and Sergei Gonchar. The Stars added on in the second period with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirty-second of the year, a power play goal powered by Benn and Alex Chiasson. Winnipeg got one back in the third period with a power play goal by Bryan Little, his twenty-second of the campaign, fueled by Evander Kane and Tobias Enstrom. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Lehtonen (32 for 33 in saves), Benn, and Seguin receiving the three stars.

Finally, up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Karri Ramo are the little known goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period with a James Sheppard goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Matthew Nieto and Dan Boyle. Calgary tied it on a second period goal by Joe Colborne, his ninth of the year, assisted by Tyler Wotherspoon and Curtis Glencross. The Flames won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Michael Cammalleri. The three stars were Ramo (33 for 34 in saves), Stalock (26 for 27 in saves), and Cammalleri.

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KHL Western Conference Semifinals Day 4 2014

Two more games on for the west today, and both series will be playing games after today. We begin in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Curtis Sanford make the starts. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period on an Anton Malyshev goal, made possible by Dinar Khafizullin. SKA added on with a Tony Martensson power play goal, powered by Patrick Thoresen and Roman Cervenka. St. Petersburg extended the lead on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, with a lone assist by Viktor Tikhonov. Yaroslavl got on the board in the second period with a Yegor Yakovlev goal, guided in by Daniil Apalkov and Sergei Plotnikov. SKA shot back with an unassisted goal by Alexander Barbanov. St. Petersburg padded the lead on a power play goal by Tikhonov, fueled by Cervenka and Martensson. SKA wrapped it up at 6-1 with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, with assists provided by Kevin Dallman and Cervenka, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars belonged to Cervenka, Martensson, and Tikhonov. SKA evened the series at 2 games apiece.

Westward to Bratislava, as Donbass Donetsk brings in Lev Prague for another neutral site game. Petri Vehanen and Jan Laco are the masked men. Donetsk struck first in the first period on an Oskars Bartulis goal, via Evgeny Dadonov and Lukas Kaspar. Donbass added on in the second period with an Alexander Toryanik goal, courtesy of Evgeny Belukhin and Viktor Zakharov. Prague got on the board as Justin Azevedo scored in the third period, thanks to Ondrej Nemec and Nathan Oystrick. Donetsk finished it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Dadonov, set up by Maxim Yakutsenya. The three stars went to Laco (36 for 37 in saves), Toryanik, and Dadonov. The series is now tied at 2.

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KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Day 3 2014

Two games from the east today, beginning in the far east with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. Novosibirsk opened in the first period with an Ivan Lekomtsev power play goal, powered by Alexander Kutuzov and Dmitry Kugryshev. Magnitogorsk tied it on a third period goal from Yaroslav Khabarov, going in unassisted. Metallurg won 2-1 in overtime on an unassisted goal by Denis Platonov. The three stars were Platonov, Koshechkin (33 for 34 in saves), and Khabarov. Metallurg pushes Sibir to the brink with a 3-0 series lead.

Westward to Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev hosts Barys Astana. Vitaly Yeremeyev and Andrei Vasilevsky are set to start. Ufa started in the first period with an unassisted goal by Yegor Dubrovsky. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Andrei Zubarev, powered by Denis Khlystov and Sergei Zinovyev. Ufa extended the lead in the second period with an Igor Mirnov goal, via Antti Pihlstrom and Alexei Kaigorodov. Astana got on the board as Dmitry Upper scored, thanks to Konstantin Pushkaryov and Konstantin Romanov. Barys pulled closer with a Brandon Bochenski goal, coming off of Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd. Salavat Yulaev shot back in the third period on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, made possible by Dmitry Makarov and Arturs Kulda. Ufa iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Pihlstrom, set up by Mirnov. The three stars were Mirnov, Hartikainen, and Pihlstrom. Salavat Yulaev takes a 2-1 series lead.

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NHL Day 174 2013-2014

Seven games this Sunday, beginning in...

New York, as the Islanders host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Evgeni Nabokov are the Russian goalies. New York began in the first period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his tenth of the season, via Frans Nielsen and Johan Sundstrom. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Travis Hamonic power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Calvin de Haan. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-0. The three stars went to Nabokov (41 save shutout), Clutterbuck, and Hamonic.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Marc-Andre Fleury are set to start. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the third period with a David Backes goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, passed from Alexander Steen and Alex Pietrangelo. This held up for a 1-0 win. The three stars belonged to Elliott (33 save shutout), Backes, and Fleury (26 for 27 in saves).

Back east to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Cory Schneider draw the starts. New Jersey started in the first period with a Damien Brunner goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Adam Henrique and Marek Zidlicky. The Devils added on in the second period with a Patrik Elias goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Jon Merrill. New Jersey extended the lead on a Merrill goal, his second of the season, coming off of Ryane Clowe and Peter Harrold. Drew MacIntyre relieved Reimer at this time. Toronto got on the board with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs pulled closer in the third period on a Phil Kessel goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, helped along by Dion Phaneuf. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Merrill, Elias, and Brunner.

Out west, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Nashville opened in the first period on a Mike Fisher goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on in the second period with a Gabriel Bourque goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Calle Jarnkrok. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Rinne (29 save shutout), Fisher, and Bourque.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Ilya Bryzgalov and Jimmy Howard are the veteran goalies. Detroit led off in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Niklas Kronwall and Daniel Alfredsson on the power play. The Red Wings added on with Nyquist's second of the game and twenty-third of the year, made possible by Tomas Tatar. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Jason Pominville power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild tied it in the third period with a Charlie Coyle goal, his ninth of the year, via Matt Moulson and Koivu. Minnesota took the lead on a Zach Parise goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Detroit retied it with a Tatar goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Brendan Smith. The Wild won 4-3 in overtime with a Moulson goal, his twenty-first of the campaign, with assists provided by Jonas Brodin and Coyle. The three stars were Moulson, Coyle, and Nyquist, while Tatar and Koivu got the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Nathan Lieuwen and Eddie Lack are the relatively unknown goalies. Buffalo was first to score in the first period on a Tyler Ennis goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Marcus Foligno and Christian Ehrhoff. The Sabres added on as Jamie McBain scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Brian Flynn and Matt D'Agostini. Vancouver got on the board with a Brad Richardson goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Zack Kassian and Shawn Matthias. The Canucks tied it on a Matthias goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Kassian and Richardson. Vancouver took the lead in the second period as Yannick Weber potted his fourth of the season, via Kassian, who got a sock trick, and Matthias. The Canucks extended the lead in the third period as David Booth notched his sixth of the year, with the help of Kassian. This produced a 4-2 final, with Kassian, Matthias, and Richardson getting the three stars.

Finally, in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Florida Panthers. Dan Ellis faces former mentor Jonas Hiller in goal. Anaheim struck first in the first period on a Pat Maroon power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Teemu Selanne goal, his ninth of the year, via Perry and Getzlaf. Anaheim extended the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the season. Florida got on the board as Jimmy Hayes scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Krys Barch and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers pulled closer on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Vincent Trocheck. The Ducks shot back on a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Mathieu Perreault and Maroon. Anaheim padded the lead on a Perry goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Sami Vatanen and Bryan Allen. The Ducks finished it at 6-2 with a third period goal by Getzlaf, his thirtieth of the year, coming off of Selanne and Stephane Robidas. The three stars were Perry, Getzlaf, and Maroon, while Selanne gets an honorable mention.

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KHL Western Conference Semifinals Day 3 2014

Two more games today. The first is in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. Yaroslavl got going in the second period on a Vladislav Kartayev goal, coming off of Sergei Konkov and Geoff Platt. St. Petersburg tied it on a Roman Cervenka goal, fueled by Tony Martensson and Patrick Thoresen. Lokomotiv took the lead again on a Yegor Averin goal, passed from Sergei Plotnikov and Yury Petrov. Yaroslavl added on in the third period with a Plotnikov goal, with a lone assist by Petrov. Lokomotiv iced it at 4-1 with a Konkov empty net goal, set up by Emil Galimov. The three stars went to Plotnikov, Konkov, and Sanford (33 for 34 in saves), while Petrov got an honorable mention. Lokomotiv owns a 2-1 series lead.

Over in Bratislava, Donbass Donetsk hosts Lev Prague in the refuge center for games that can't be played in the designated home arena. Atte Engren and Michael Leighton draw the starts. Donetsk was first to score in the first period on an Evgeny Dadonov power play goal, powered by Clay Wilson and Peter Podhradsky. Prague tied it on a second period goal from Niko Kapanen, via Ryan O'Byrne and Michal Birner. Donbass took the lead back with a  Evgeny Belukhin goal, coming off of Dadonov and Maxim Yakutsenya. Lev retied it with a Petr Vrana shorthanded goal, set up by Martin Thornberg. Prague won 3-2 in the third period on a Michal Repik goal, guided in by Vrana. The three stars were Vrana, Repik, and Dadonov. Lev takes a 2-1 series lead.

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