Saturday, October 11, 2014

NHL October 11th, 2014

Full slate of games, with every team playing tonight. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. Washington led off with an Alexander Ovechkin power play goal, powered by John Carlson and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals added on with another Ovechkin goal, courtesy of Backstrom and Karl Alzner. Washington extended the lead on a second period Mike Green power play goal, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals padded the lead in the third period on a Joel Ward goal, coming off of Carlson and Burakovsky. This was good for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Holtby (29 save shutout), and Backstrom, while Carlson and Burakovsky get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Sergei Bobrovsky receive the starting nods in goal. Columbus began in the first period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his second of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Marko Dano. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, passed from Ryan Johansen and David Savard. New York got on the board in the second period as Lee Stempniak scored, thanks to Anthony Duclair and Marc Staal. Columbus answered with a Cam Atkinson goal, his second of the year, coming off of Foligno and Johansen. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period with a Dano goal, via Dalton Prout and Michael Chaput. The Rangers replied with a Rick Nash goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Duclair. Columbus finished it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Atkinson, his second of the game and third of the year, set up by Hartnell. The three stars went to Atkinson, Dano, and Duclair, while Hartnell, Johansen, and Foligno get the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning bring in the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop are the former teammates in net. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Victor Hedman power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Steven Stamkos and Valtteri Filppula. Ottawa tied it in the third period on an Erik Karlsson goal, courtesy of Alex Chiasson and Bobby Ryan. The Senators took the lead on a Mark Stone goal, with a lone assist by Kyle Turris. The Lightning retied it on a Brett Connolly goal, guided in by Brian Boyle. The tie went to a shootout, where Turris and Mika Zibanejad lifted Ottawa to a 3-2 win over a lone tally from Nikita Kucherov. The three stars were handed to Turris, Lehner (38 for 40 in saves), and Bishop (32 for 34 in saves).

Way north in Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Pittsburgh was first to score in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his second of the season, assisted by Christian Ehrhoff. The Penguins added on as Sidney Crosby scored a power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Hornqvist and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a power play goal from Chris Kunitz, guided in by Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Joffrey Lupul, via Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The Penguins shot back on a Malkin power play goal, passed from Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh padded the lead on a Brandon Sutter goal in the third period, his second of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Malkin. The Maple Leafs got one back with a power play goal by Tyler Bozak, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Stuart Percy. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Crosby, Malkin, and Hornqvist, while Letang gets the honorable mention.

A little to the south, the Detroit Red Wings welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jimmy Howard are in the blue paint. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, courtesy of Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon. Detroit tied it with a Luke Glendening goal, helped along by Justin Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings took the lead in the third period with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his second of the season, made possible by Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. The Ducks tied it with a Matt Beleskey goal, via Ryan Kesler. Anaheim took the lead again on an unassisted Getzlaf goal. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Getzlaf, Beleskey, and Andersen (27 for 29 in saves).

Back to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces his former mentor, Roberto Luongo, in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Tuomo Ruutu goal, assisted by Eric Gelinas and Jon Merrill. The Devils added on with a power play goal by Martin Havlat, powered by Gelinas and Patrik Elias. New Jersey extended the lead on a Michael Cammalleri power play goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marek Zidlicky and Damon Severson. The Devils padded the lead on an unassisted Severson goal. New Jersey kept going in the second period, chasing Luongo with a Ryane Clowe goal, fueled by Michael Ryder and Adam Henrique. Al Montoya came on in relief. Florida got on the board with a Derek MacKenzie goal, helped along by Scottie Upshall and Brian Campbell on the power play. The final stood at 5-1 from here on, with the three stars named as Severson, Gelinas, and Schneider (28 for 29 in saves).

North once again to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ray Emery have the green light to start in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, passed from Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on as Wayne Simmonds scored his third of the season, thanks to Brayden Schenn and Michael Del Zotto. Philadelphia extended the lead with a second period power play goal by Simmonds, his second of the game and fourth of the year, powered by Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Markov goal, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban. The Canadiens pulled closer with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by P.A. Parenteau and Markov. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, fueled by Plekanec and Markov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Parenteau had the only tally to complete the Canadiens comeback to a 4-3 win. The three stars were handed to Markov, Plekanec, and Simmonds.

A little east to New York, where the Islanders welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Backups Anton Khudobin and Chad Johnson are called on to start. New York dented the scoreboard with a John Tavares power play goal in the first period, powered by Brock Nelson and Johnny Boychuk. Carolina tied it on a Jiri Tlusty power play goal, guided in by John-Michael Liles and Alexander Semin. The Islanders retook the lead on a Cory Conacher goal fueled by Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Hurricanes pulled even as Tlusty scored again, thanks to Eric Staal and Semin on the power play. New York retook the lead in the second period with a Nelson power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Boychuk and Okposo. The Islanders added on with a Josh Bailey goal, helped along by Frans Nielsen and Nikolay Kulemin. Carolina got one back in the third period with an unassisted Tlusty goal. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars going to Tlusty, Tavares, and Nelson, while Boychuk, Okposo, and Semin get the honorable mentions.

Out to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Brian Elliott are the veteran goalies. St. Louis quickly opened in the first period with a Joakim Lindstrom goal, assisted by Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. The Blues added on as David Backes scored a power play goal, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Stastny. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period on an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, made possible by Shatternkirk and Stastny, the latter getting a sock trick. The Blues padded the lead on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, fueled by Jaden Schwartz and Shattenkirk, the latter getting a sock trick. Calgary got on the board in the third period with a Curtis Glencross goal, coming off of Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie on the power play. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were given to Stastny, Shattenkirk, and Elliott (23 for 24 in saves).

A tad east to Nashville, where the Predators host the Dallas Stars. Anders Lindback faces a former teammate in Pekka Rinne in goal. Dallas was first to score in the first period with an Antoine Roussel goal, via Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt. Nashville tied it with a Shea Weber goal in the second period, his second of the season, fueled by Filip Forsberg and Derek Roy. The Predators took the lead in the third period on a Paul Gaustad goal, coming off of Taylor Beck and Eric Nystrom. Nashville added on with a Nystrom goal, his second of the year, guided in by Gaustad. The Predators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Roman Josi, set up by Nystrom and Weber. The three stars went to Nystrom, Gaustad, and Weber.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Devan Dubnyk in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with an unassisted Tanner Pearson goal. The Kings added on with a Jeff Carter goal, via Tyler Toffoli. Arizona got on the board with a power play goal by Antoine Vermette, powered by Keith Yandle. The Coyotes tied it in the second period as Mikkel Boedker scored, thanks to Yandle and Michael Stone for his second of the season. Arizona ended up winning 3-2 in overtime with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, assisted by Vermette and Yandle, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were given to Vermette, Yandle, and Ekman-Larsson.

Up to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Charlie Coyle goal, made possible by Jonas Brodin and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on with a second period Jason Zucker goal, via Thomas Vanek and Matt Dumba. Minnesota iced it at 3-0 with a Zach Parise empty net goal, his second of the season, set up by Matt Cooke and Jared Spurgeon. The three stars were Kuemper (30 save shutout), Coyle, and Zucker.

Eastward again to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Corey Crawford are given the starting nods. Chicago led off in the first period with an Andrew Shaw goal, via Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks added on as Duncan Keith scored his second of the season, going in unassisted. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his second of the year, guided in by Andrej Meszaros and Drew Stafford. The Sabres tied it on a shorthanded goal by Tyler Ennis, set up by Stafford. Chicago retook the lead in the third period on a Patrick Kane goal, assisted by Shaw and Saad. The Blackhawks extended the lead with a Marian Hossa shorthanded goal, fueled by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. Chicago padded the lead as Patrick Sharp scored his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks finished it at 6-2 on a Dan Carcillo goal, with a lone assist by Saad, who got a sock trick. The three stars were Saad, Kane, and Shaw, while Stafford and Toews get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Ryan Miller in goal. Edmonton began in the first period with a Brad Hunt power play goal, powered by Teddy Purcell and David Perron. The Oilers added on as Mark Arcobello scored, with the help of Purcell and Perron. Vancouver got on the board with a Henrik Sedin goal, his second of the season, thanks to Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler. Edmonton shot back in the second period with a Nail Yakupov goal, with a lone assist by Benoit Pouliot. The Canucks pulled back on a Nick Bonino goal, made possible by Dan Hamhuis and Alexandre Burrows. The Oilers replied with a shorthanded goal by Jesse Joensuu, set up by Arcobello and Mark Fayne. Vancouver answered with a power play goal by Radim Vrbata, his second of the year, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Linden Vey power play goal, with helpers from Daniel Sedin, who got a sock trick, and Vrbata. The tie went to a shootout, where a Chris Higgins tally put Vancouver in the win column with the 5-4 decision. The three stars were handed to Daniel Sedin, Vrbata, and Henrik Sedin, while Arcobello, Purcell, and Perron get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the fifteenth and final game of the day has the San Jose Sharks bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Alex Stalock are the unappreciated goalies. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, made possible by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on as Tomas Hertl scored, thanks to Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead in the second period on a Marleau goal, his second of the season, fueled by Matthew Nieto and Brent Burns. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars being Marleau, Stalock (30 save shutout), and Vlasic.

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KHL October 11th, 2014

Five games on today, beginning in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period on a Sami Lepisto power play goal, powered by Alexei Simakov and Jakub Petruzalek. Vladivostok tied it on a Niclas Bergfors goal, via Richard Gynge and Alexander Goroshansky. Avtomobilist took the lead back with a Petruzalek goal, with a lone helper from Sergei Yemelin. Yekaterinburg added on with an Andrei Antonov goal, courtesy of Eduard Lewandowski and Anatoly Golyshev. Avtomobilist extended the lead as Alexander Bumagin scored a power play goal in the second period, thanks to Filipp Metlyuk and Anton Krysanov. Yekaterinburg padded the lead with a shorthanded goal by Dmitry Megalinsky in the third period, set up by Gilbert Brule. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars going to Petruzalek, Kovar (26 for 27 in saves), and Antonov.

Moving along to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Vasily Koshechkin are the masked men. Khanty-Mansiysk was first to score in the first period with an Ivan Yatsenko goal, via Andrei Sergeyev and Andrei Chibisov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Jan Kovar power play goal, with a lone assist by Sergei Mozyakin. Yugra shot back with a power play goal by Sergeyev, helped along by Vitaly Sitnikov. Metallurg tied it again with a Danis Zaripov goal, assisted by Chris Lee and Kovar. Khanty-Mansiysk retook the lead in the second period with an Igor Bortnikov goal, made possible by Igor Magogin and Sitnikov. Yugra added on as Ben Maxwell scored, thanks to Sergeyev and Lukas Kaspar. Magnitogorsk pulled back on an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Vladislav Kaletnik. Metallurg tied it again with a Kovar power play goal, powered by Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk took the lead in the third period on a Mozyakin goal, guided in by Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Kovar, Mozyakin, and Sergeyev, while Sitnikov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Ville Kolppanen are between the pipes. Togliatti struck first in the first period on an Alexander Sharov power play goal, powered by Alexei Mastryukov and Stanislav Bocharov. Lada added on as Andrei Nikitenko scored, thanks to Vitaly Shulakov and Jiri Hunkes on the power play. Nizhnekamsk got on the board in the second period with a goal by Igor Polygalov, coming off of Pavel Kulikov and Teemu Eronen. Togliatti shot back as Hunkes scored, with a lone assist by Yury Petrov. Lada iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal in the third period from Peter Podhradsky. The three stars went to Hunkes, Ezhov (36 for 37 in saves), and Nikitenko.

Into Moscow, where CSKA brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Kevin Lalande have the green light to start in goal. Moscow got going in the second period on an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov. This was the only goal, so CSKA won 1-0. The three stars went to Lalande (16 save shutout), Grigorenko, and Sateri (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan began in the first period with an Alexander Svitov goal, assisted by Evgeny Bodrov and Yakov Rylov. Ak Bars added on in the second period with a power play goal by Ilya Nikulin, powered by Igor Mirnov and Justin Azevedo. Kazan extended the lead in the third period as Sergei Kostitsyn scored, thanks to Azevedo and Konstantin Korneyev. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars handed to Azevedo, Svitov, and Nilsson (19 save shutout).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. Also, don't worry about tonight's MLS and NHL posts being late. I will get them done by tomorrow at noon.

Friday, October 10, 2014

NHL October 10th, 2014

One game tonight, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. New York began in the first period with a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, powered by Kyle Okposo and John Tavares. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, assisted by Tavares and Boychuk. New York extended the lead with another Nelson goal in the second period, a power play goal via Boychuk and Tavares, the latter getting a sock trick. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Nathan Gerbe power play goal, guided in by Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera. The Islanders shot back with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, passed from Ryan Strome and Nelson. New York padded the lead on a Travis Hamonic goal, thanks to Nelson and Strome. The Hurricanes pulled back on a Chris Terry goal, fueled by Sekera and Riley Nash. Carolina chipped closer as Eric Staal scored a power play goal, with the help of Elias Lindholm and Jiri Tlusty. This was as close as it got, with the final being 5-3, and the three stars went to Nelson, Tavares, and Boychuk, while Sekera and Strome get the honorable mentions.

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KHL October 10th, 2014

Six more games for today as the schedule balances for a little bit. We begin in...

Omsk, where Avangard hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov is mismatched with Konstantin Barulin in goal. Novokuznetsk led off in the first period with a power play goal by Sergei Sentyurin, powered by Mikhail Kuklev and James O'Brien. Metallurg added on in the third period on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, assisted by O'Brien. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars being Khakimov (37 save shutout), O'Brien, and Sentyurin.

Up to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Vitaly Koval draw the starts in goal. Ufa started in the first period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, via Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov on the power play. Khabarovsk tied it with a Rastislav Spirko goal, courtesy of Dmitry Tarasov and Dmitry Lugin. Amur took the lead in the second period on an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, made possible by Tarasov and Lugin. Salavat Yulaev tied it with an Ivan Vishnevsky power play goal, powered by Koltsov and Kaigorodov. Ufa took the lead on a Denis Khlystov goal, assisted by Alexander Kutuzov and Denis Tolpeko. Salavat Yulaev added on as Anton Slepyshev scored, thanks to Denis Bodrov. Ufa extended the lead in the third period on a Kaigorodov power play goal, coming off of Koltsov, who got a sock trick, and Vishnevsky. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead with an unassisted power play goal by Ilkka Heikkinen. Ufa iced it at 7-2 with an Andrei Zubarev goal, passed from Alexei Glukhov and Slepyshev. The three stars went to Kaigorodov, Koltsov, and Vishnevsky, while Tarasov, Lugin, and Slepyshev get honorable mentions.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Jan Laco are the masked men. Astana opened in the first period with a Dmitry Upper penalty shot goal, coming from a Sergei Gimayev hook on a breakaway. Barys added on with a Brandon Bochenski power play goal, powered by Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd. Astana extended the lead in the second period with a Dawes goal, made possible by Boyd and Bochenski. Barys padded the lead with a Mike Lundin power play goal, with a lone assist by Bochenski. Astana kept going with a power play goal by Boyd, coming off of Bochenski, who got a sock trick, and Lundin. Novosibirsk got on the board with a power play goal by Alexei Kopeikin, assisted by Viktor Bobrov and Dmitry Kugryshev. Barys answered with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, with assists provided by Boyd and Lundin. Sibir replied in the third period with an Igor Ozhiganov power play goal, helped along by Vyacheslav Belov and Dmitry Monya. Novosibirsk pulled closer on a Kugryshev power play goal, guided in by Patrik Hersley and Belov. This only made it 6-3, with the three stars going to Bochenski, Boyd, and Lundin, while Dawes, Kugryshev, and Belov get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Evgeny Ivannikov are in the blue paint. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by the goalie Ivannikov and Dmitry Yudin. SKA added on with an unassisted Kovalchuk goal. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the third period with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, passed from Dmitry Kalinin and Kovalchuk. Helsinki got on the board with a Steve Moses goal, with a lone assist by Daine Todd on the power play. SKA shot back with a power play goal by Artemy Panarin, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Kovalchuk. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kovalchuk, Ivannikov (26 for 27 in saves), and Tikhonov.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Lars Haugen receive the starting nods. Minsk began in the second period with an Oleg Goroshko goal, with a lone assist by Lukas Krajicek. Dinamo added on with a Charles Linglet goal, passed from Ryan Vesce. Minsk extended the lead with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, assisted by Jonathan Cheechoo and Paul Szczechura. Bratislava got on the board in the third with a Michal Sersen goal, with a lone assist from Milan Bartovic. Dinamo finished it at 4-1 with a Vesce goal, made possible by Matt Ellison and Linglet. The three stars were handed to Linglet, Haugen (29 for 30 in saves), and Vesce.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Dekanich and Edgars Masalskis protect the nets. Riga got going in the second period with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal, assisted by Kaspars Saulietis. Dinamo added on with a Maris Bicevskis goal, fueled by Lauris Darzins and Andris Dzerins. Zagreb got on the board with a Matt Anderson goal, coming off of Aaron Polushaj and Andrew Hutchinson. Medvescak tied it with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, guided in by Mike Glumac and Andrew Murray. Riga took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Darzins, set up by Miks Indrasis and Kristaps Sotnieks. Zagreb retied it on a power play goal by Martin St. Pierre, powered by Mark Katic and Pascal Pelletier. Dinamo retook the lead as Darzins scored, with a lone assist by Indrasis. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Darzins, Indrasis, and Bicevskis.

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Thursday, October 9, 2014

NHL October 9th, 2014

Twelve games on for the second day of the season, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jhonas Enroth are the goalies. Columbus dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Jack Skille goal, coming off of Jared Boll and Michael Chaput. Buffalo tied it with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, courtesy of Marcus Foligno. The Blue Jackets reclaimed the lead on a Cam Atkinson power play goal in the third period, powered by Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. Columbus added on with an Artem Anisimov goal, helped along by Scott Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg. The final was 3-1, with the three stars being Atkinson, Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves), and Anisimov.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Steve Mason are the young goalies. New Jersey struck first in the first period on a Michael Ryder goal, via Ryane Clowe and Andy Greene. The Devils added on in the second period as Adam Henrique scored, with a lone assist by Ryder. New Jersey extended the lead as Michael Cammalleri scored, thanks to Jaromir Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, assisted by Mark Streit and Jakub Voracek on the power play. The Flyers pulled closer with a Wayne Simmonds goal, coming off of Matt Read and Andrew MacDonald. Philadelphia tied it with another Simmonds goal, courtesy of Vincent Lecavalier and Giroux on the power play. The Devils retook the lead in the third period with a Patrik Elias goal, helped along by Zidlicky and Martin Havlat. The Flyers retied it with a Lecavalier goal, made possible by Simmonds and Streit. New Jersey pulled ahead again on a Dainius Zubrus goal, guided in by Henrique and Ryder. The Devils iced it at 6-4 with a Cammalleri empty net goal, set up by Jagr. The three stars belonged to Cammalleri, Ryder, and Simmonds, while the honorable mentions include Henrique, Jagr, Zidlicky, Giroux, Streit, and Lecavalier.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh led off with a Patric Hornqvist goal in the first period, going in unassisted. The Penguins added on with a Sidney Crosby goal, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Pascal Dupuis goal, assisted by Maatta and Evgeni Malkin. Anaheim got on the board with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks pulled closer on a Corey Perry goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Patrick Maroon. Anaheim tied it on a power play goal from Perry, with helpers from Kesler and Vatanen. The Penguins regained the lead with another Crosby goal, helped along by Dupuis and Hornqvist on the power play. Pittsburgh padded their lead on a Blake Comeau goal, made possible by Maatta, who got a sock trick with his three assists, and Dupuis. The Penguins kept going in the third period with a shorthanded Brandon Sutter goal, set up by Dupuis, who got a sock trick. The Ducks got one back as Perry finished his hat trick with another power play goal, with helpers from Getzlaf and Kesler. This was as close as it got, with the final being 6-4. The three stars were awarded to Dupuis, Perry, and Crosby, while Hornqvist, Maatta, Kesler, Getzlaf, and Vatanen get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Braden Holtby receive the starting nods. Washington started in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, courtesy of Troy Brouwer. Montreal tied it in the third period with Tomas Plekanec's third of the season, via Alex Galchenyuk and Tom Gilbert. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Nicklas Backstrom was matched by Galchenyuk, Eric Fehr cancelled out David Desharnais, and then Brendan Gallagher scored to lift the Canadiens to a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Tokarski (29 for 30 in saves), Holtby (23 for 24 in saves), and Galchenyuk.

West to Detroit, as the Red Wings welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jimmy Howard are between the pipes. Boston opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Patrice Bergeron. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, passed from Johan Franzen and Danny DeKeyser in the second period. The Red Wings took the lead with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, powered by Darren Helm and Franzen. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Howard (16 for 17 in saves), Franzen, and Nyquist.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ben Bishop guard the cages. Florida got going in the second period on an Erik Gudbranson goal, assisted by Dylan Olsen and Derek MacKenzie. Tampa Bay tied it with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, powered by Valtteri Filppula and Anton Stralman. The Lightning took the lead in the third period on a Ryan Callahan power play goal, coming off of Filppula and Victor Hedman. The Panthers retied it as Jonathan Huberdeau scored, thanks to Brian Campbell and Aaron Ekblad. Tampa Bay won 3-2 in overtime with a Hedman power play goal, with a lone assist by the goalie Bishop. The three stars went to Hedman, Filppula, and Johnson.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Brian Elliott are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Rick Nash goal, with a lone assist by Chris Kreider. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, via David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. The Rangers retook the lead on a Kreider goal, coming off of Nash and Martin St. Louis. The Blues tied it again as Paul Stastny scored, thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko and Schwartz. New York pulled ahead with Nash's second of the game, assisted by St. Louis. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars handed to Nash, Schwartz, and Kreider, while St. Louis gets an honorable mention.

Down in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Pekka Rinne are in the creases. Ottawa was first to score in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, fueled by Clarke MacArthur and Mark Borowiecki. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Craig Smith power play goal, powered by Filip Forsberg and Derek Roy. The Predators took the lead on a Shea Weber goal, courtesy of Ryan Ellis and Paul Gaustad. Nashville added on with an Eric Nystrom goal, guided in by Gaustad and Forsberg. The Senators got one back with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, helped along by Cody Ceci and Chris Phillips. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Gaustad, and Nystrom.

Southwest to Dallas, as the Stars bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen protect the nets. Chicago started in the first period with a Duncan Keith goal, assisted by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp. Dallas tied it in the second period as Trevor Daley scored a power play goal, powered by Ales Hemsky and Jason Spezza. The Stars took the lead with a Cody Eakin goal, made possible by Ryan Garbutt and Antoine Roussel. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Sharp power play goal, assisted by Keith and Patrick Kane. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Chicago won 3-2 with a Kane tally. The three stars were Keith, Sharp, and Kane.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Darcy Kuemper are the inconsistent goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Ryan Suter. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jared Spurgeon goal, made possible by Zach Parise and Pominville. Minnesota extended the lead on a Parise goal, with a lone assist by Granlund. The Wild padded the lead with an unassisted Nino Neiderreiter goal. Minnesota kept going with a Suter goal, courtesy of Parise and Charlie Coyle. This was all they needed to win 5-0, with the three stars going to Pominville, Parise, and Suter, while Kuemper (16 save shutout) and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada for the first Battle of Alberta, as the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Ben Scrivens are the weak goalies. Calgary led off in the first period with a Mason Raymond goal, coming off of Mark Giordano and Joe Colborne. The Flames added on as Jiri Hudler scored his second of the season, with the help of Sean Monahan and Paul Byron. Edmonton got on the board with a Teddy Purcell power play goal, powered by David Perron and Nail Yakupov. The Oilers tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Taylor Hall, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. Calgary retook the lead on another Raymond goal in the third period, assisted by Lance Bouma and Colborne. The Flames extended the lead as Raymond finished his hat trick, thanks to Colborne, who got a sock trick, and Hudler. Calgary padded the lead on a T.J. Brodie power play goal, via Curtis Glencross and Mikael Backlund. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Raymond, Colborne, and Hudler.

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Mike Smith are the masked men. Winnipeg began in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, with a lone assist by Andrew Ladd. Arizona tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, via Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Jets took the lead back with a Blake Wheeler goal, courtesy of Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian. Winnipeg added on with another Wheeler goal, assisted by Bogosian and Enstrom. The Jets extended the lead on a Mark Stuart goal, guided in by Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg padded the lead with a second period Dustin Byfuglien goal, made possible by Wheeler. The Jets struck again with a third period shorthanded Little goal, set up by Adam Pardy. The Coyotes took one back on a Martin Hanzal goal, with assists provided by Zbynek Michalek and Martin Erat. The final was 6-2, and the three stars belonged to Wheeler, Little, and Enstrom, while Bogosian gets an honorable mention.

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KHL October 9th, 2014

Six games on for today, beginning in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Yekaterinburg began with a first period Alexei Simakov power play goal, powered by Tobias Viklund. Avtomobilist added on in the third period with a Jakub Petruzalek power play goal, via Simakov and Sami Lepisto. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Jan Bulis goal, with a lone assist by Martin Ruzicka. Traktor tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, guided in by Stanislav Chistov and Semyon Kokuyov. The tie went to a shootout, where Anatoly Golyshev and Petruzalek topped a Chistov tally to secure a 3-2 win for Avtomobilist. Petruzalek, Simakov, and Chistov received the three stars.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Vasily Koshechkin draw the starts in goal. Magnitogorsk started in the first period with a Denis Platonov goal, guided in by Chris Lee and the goalie Koshechkin. Vladivostok tied it with an Enver Lisin goal, passed from Vladislav Ushenin and Vyacheslav Ushenin. Admiral took the lead in the second period as Richard Gynge scored, thanks to Niclas Bergfors and Alexei Byvaltsev. Vladivostok added on with an unassisted Ilya Zubov goal. Metallurg got one back with a Maxim Yakutsenya goal, coming off of Francis Pare and Oskar Osala. Alexander Pechursky relieved Koshechkin for the third period. Admiral answered with a penalty shot goal by Vyacheslav Ushenin, which he received after a slash from Yaroslav Khabarov. Magnitogorsk pulled back on a penalty shot goal from Evgeny Grigorenko, after Jan Kolar held him on a scoring chance. This was as close as it got, with the final at 4-3. the three stars went to Vyacheslav Ushenin, Zubov, and Gynge.

West to Moscow, as CSKA brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Stanislav Galimov are in the creases. Moscow opened in the first period with a power play goal by Stephane Da Costa, powered by Nikita Zaitsev and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, fueled by Georgy Misharin and Alexei Bondarev. Moscow extended the lead in the second period on an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Da Costa and Alexander Radulov. CSKA padded the lead as Sergei Andronov scored, with the help of Evgeny Artyukhin and Jan Mursak. Andrei Gavrilov replaced Popperle in goal. Sochi got on the board with an unassisted Cory Emmerton goal in the third period. Moscow shot back with an Andronov power play goal, coming off of Mursak. CSKA kept going with a Da Costa goal, with assists provided by Bogdan Kiselevich and Radulov on the power play. The Leopards got one back as Emmerton scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Roman Lyuduchin. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars going to Da costa, Andronov, and Emmerton, while Radulov and Mursak get the honorable mentions.

Back to Cherepovets, where Severstal hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jakub Stepanek are the masked men. Cherepovets struck first in the first period with a Gennady Stolyarov goal, assisted by Pavel Buchnevich. Severstal added on with a Vadim Berdnikov goal, passed from Marek Kvapil and Adam Almqvist. Cherepovets extended the lead on an Evgeny Mons goal, helped along by Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Pavel Chernov. Podolsk got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Roman Horak goal. Vityaz chipped closer with a Dmitry Shitikov goal, courtesy of Mikhail Yakubov and Alexei Grishin. Podolsk tied it in the second period on a Robert Kousal goal, coming off of Konstantin Klimontov and Shitikov. Vityaz took the lead in the third period as Klimontov scored a power play goal, powered by Maxim Afinogenov. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Klimontov, Shitikov, and Horak.

Continuing to Togliatti, where Lada welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ilya Ezhov are the veteran goalies. Kazan was first to score in the first period with an Alexander Burmistrov goal, fueled by Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars added on as Janne Pesonen scored in the second period, thanks to Shaun Heshka. Togliatti got on the board with an Alexei Mastryukov goal, via Alexander Sharov. Lada tied it in the third period on a Stanislav Romanov goal, courtesy of Denis Barantsev. Kazan won 3-2 in overtime as Burmistrov scored his second of the game, with a lone assist by Kirill Petrov. The three stars went to Burmistrov, Romanov, and Pesonen.

Finally, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ivan Kasutin guard the cages. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with a Vladimir Galuzin power play goal, powered by Pavel Valentenko and Juuso Hietanen. Torpedo added on with a power play goal by Wojtek Wolski, assisted by Sakari Salminen and Jarkko Immonen. Moscow got on the board in the second period with an unassisted Dmitry Pestunov power play goal. Nizhny Novgorod iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Sergei Bernatsky, set up by Wolski and Salminen. The three stars were given to Wolski, Kasutin (22 for 23 in saves), and Salminen.

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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

MLS Wednesday October 8, 2014

Two games on tonight, with the first coming from...

Toronto, as Toronto FC hosts the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Joe Bendik man the nets. Houston struck first in the thirty-fifth minute on a Giles Barnes goal, coming off of Kofi Sarkodie. The Dynamo went down to ten men in the fifty-fifth minute, as A.J. Cochran was sent off on a straight red card for his foul. Toronto took a yellow card for a Daniel Lovitz foul in stoppage time. Houston held on for a 1-0 win, and the man of the match was Deric with his clean sheet and six saves.

The other game has the Portland Timbers hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Donovan Ricketts are the keepers. The teams traded yellow cards in the first half, with Portland's Ben Zemanski getting on in the twentieth minute, followed by Shaun Francis of San Jose getting the other in the thirtieth minute. The Timbers led off with a forty-first minute Rodney Wallace goal, via Darlington Nagbe. Portland added on with a fifty-first minute penalty kick conversion by Diego Valeri. The Timbers took a yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute as Norberto Paparatto committed a foul. Portland extended their lead with another Valeri goal in the seventy-third minute. This made it 3-0, with the man of the match being Valeri for his brace. Interestingly, the Earthquakes failed to put a shot on goal against the Timbers, leading to a clean sheet with no saves for Ricketts in what is like one of his easiest games of all time.

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NHL October 8th, 2014

Welcome to the new season of NHL action. We begin with a storied rivalry in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Montreal opened in the first period on a Max Pacioretty goal, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Alexei Emelin. Toronto tied it with a Nazem Kadri goal, coming off of Brandon Kozun and Joffrey Lupul. The Maple Leafs took the lead as Tyler Bozak scored, thanks to Stuart Percy and Dion Phaneuf on the power play. The Canadiens retied it in the second period on a Tomas Plekanec goal, with a lone assist by Emelin. Montreal took the lead in the third period with a P.K. Subban goal, via David Desharnais and Parenteau. Toronto retied it on a Morgan Rielly goal, courtesy of Leo Komarov. The Canadiens won 4-3 as Plekanec scored his second of the night, with the help of Alex Galchenyuk. The three stars went to Plekanec, Emelin, and Parenteau.

Stateside, the Boston Bruins welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston started with a Reilly Smith power play goal in the first period, powered by Carl Soderberg and Patrice Bergeron. Philadelphia tied it in the third period on a Sean Couturier goal, assisted by Jakub Voracek and Matt Read. The Bruins took the lead back with a Chris Kelly goal, fueled by Adam McQuaid and Soderberg. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kelly, Rask (19 for 20 in saves), and Soderberg.

Out west and in Canada again, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller are the goalies with rhyming last names. Vancouver struck first in the first period on an Alexander Burrows power play goal, powered by Dan Hamhuis and Christopher Tanev. Calgary tied it in the second period on a Paul Byron goal, coming off of Joe Colborne. The Canucks retook the lead as Zack Kassian scored, with the help of Linden Vey and Brad Richardson. Vancouver added on with a Radim Vrbata goal, made possible by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. The Flames got one back with a Jiri Hudler goal, guided in by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an empty net goal from Henrik Sedin, set up by Tanev and Richardson. The three stars were Henrik Sedin, Tanev, and Richardson.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Tommy Wingels goal, made possible by Tye McGinn and Jason Demers. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, powered by Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose extended the lead with a Wingels goal, his second of the night, with a lone assist from Burns. The Sharks padded the lead on a Matthew Nieto goal, via Marleau. Martin Jones relieved Quick for the third period. San Jose cruised to a 4-0 victory, and the three stars were Wingels, Niemi (34 save shutout), and Marleau, while Burns gets an honorable mention.

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KHL October 8th, 2014

Welcome to another day of KHL action. There are three games today. Also, keep an eye out tonight for NHL hockey, with the season debut with four games tonight. In Russia, we begin with...

Atlant Mytishchi hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Atte Engren are the goalies. Helsinki began in the first period with a Steve Moses goal, assisted by Ryan Gunderson and Petr Koukal. Mytishchi tied it with an Andrei Taratukhin goal, via Oleg Yashin and Yaroslav Dyblenko. Jokerit retook the lead in the second period on a Linus Omark goal, with a lone assist by Moses. Helsinki added on with a power play goal by Tommi Huhtala, powered by Juhamatti Aaltonen and Gunderson. Atlant shot back in the third period as Artyom Chernov scored a power play goal, thanks to Sergei Shmelyov and Dyblenko. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Moses, Gunderson, and Dyblenko.

Into St. Petersburg, where SKA welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust faces a lesser foe in Evgeny Ivannikov in goal. St. Petersburg was first to score with a first period goal by Jimmie Ericsson, assisted by Ilya Kovalchuk and Viktor Tikhonov. Zagreb tied it in the second period with an unassisted power play goal by Mark Katic. SKA took the lead back on a Patrick Thoresen power play goal, powered by Tony Martensson and Roman Cervenka. St. Petersburg added on in the third period on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, guided in by Evgeny Dadonov and Artemy Panarin. Medvescak pulled back on a Bill Thomas goal, coming off of Martin St. Pierre and Anthony Stewart. SKA shot back as Ilya Kablukov scored, thanks to Igor Makarov and Anton Burdasov. St. Petersburg iced it on a Martensson empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Martensson, Shipachyov, and Kablukov.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Jakub Sedlacek are in the blue paint. Bratislava led off in the first period with a Milan Bartovic goal, assisted by Tomas Netik. Slovan added on in the second period as Matt Murley scored an unassisted goal. Riga got on the board with a Gunars Skvorcovs goal, courtesy of Kaspars Saulietis. Bratislava answered with a power play goal by Murley, powered by Ladislav Nagy and Tomas Starosta. Slovan extended the lead in the third period as Netik scored, with a lone assist by Bartovic. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Murley, Bartovic, and Netik.

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

KHL October 7th, 2014

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

Moscow, as Dynamo hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Sharychenkov are the goalies. Moscow got going in the third period with an unassisted goal by Dmitry Pestunov. Dynamo iced it at 2-0 with an empty net goal by Kaspars Daugavins, set up by Denis Mosalyov and Janne Jalasvaara. The three stars were awarded to Sharychenkov (23 save shutout), Pestunov, and Sanford (25 for 26 in saves).

The other game comes just a little to the south, as Vityaz Podolsk hosts the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Harri Sateri draw the starts in goal. Sochi dented the scoreboard in the first period on an Andre Petersson power play goal, made possible by Nikita Shchitov and Andrei Plekhanov. The Leopards added on with an Andrei Pervyshin power play goal, powered by Cory Emmerton and Pavel Koledov. Sochi extended the lead in the second period on a Petersson goal, via Ilya Krikunov and Plekhanov. Podolsk got on the board with a Mario Kempe goal, assisted by Roman Horak and Dmitry Tsyganov. Vityaz pulled closer as Dmitry Shitikov converted a penalty shot he received after being hooked by Pervyshin. The Leopards shot back in the third period with an unassisted Emmerton goal. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Petersson, Emmerton, and Plekhanov.

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Monday, October 6, 2014

KHL October 6th, 2014

Nine games on today, with the first in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Sergei Borisov are between the pipes. Moscow began in the first period with a Stephane Da Costa goal, assisted by Igor Grigorenko. CSKA added on with a power play goal by Da Costa, powered by Denis Denisov. Khabarovsk got one back with a Sergei Peretyagin power play goal, going in unassisted. This was it for the scoring, with the final being 2-1. Da Costa, Galimov (18 for 19 in saves), and Borisov (35 for 37 in saves) were named the three stars.

West to Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Ilya Sorokin are in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk led off in the first period with a Ryan Stoa goal, via Alexei Kosourov and Kirill Kaprizov. Cherepovets tied it on a Yury Trubachyov goal, courtesy of Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Evgeny Mons. Severstal took the lead on another Trubachyov goal, coming off of Pavel Buchnevich and Mons. Cherepovets added on in the second period as Gennady Stolyarov scored, thanks to Buchnevich. Severstal extended the lead with a Mons goal, made possible by Pavel Chernov. Cherepovets padded the lead with an unassisted Chernov goal in the third period. Severstal kept going as Buchnevich scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg got one back with a penalty shot conversion by Alexander Romanov, which he received after a slash from Alexander Urbom. Novokuznetsk pulled closer on a Denis Kurepanov goal, guided in by Romanov and Dmitry Maltsev. Cherepovets finished it at 7-3 with a shorthanded Anatoly Nikontsev goal, set up by Chernov. The three stars were handed to Trubachyov, Mons, and Buchnevich, while Chernov and Romanov get the honorable mentions.

Staying nearby, Sibir Novosibirsk brings in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period on a Konstantin Alexeyev goal, via Sergei Shumakov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Wojtek Wolski goal in the second period, going in unasissted. Torpedo took the lead as Wolski scored again, with a lone assist by Sergei Bernatsky. Nizhny Novgorod added on as Wolski completed the natural hat trick in under two minutes, with Juuso Hietanen getting credited with the assist on the last goal. Nikita Bespalov relieved Koskinen at this time. Sibir got one back in the third period on a Shumakov goal, fueled by Oleg Gubin and Stepan Sannikov on the power play. They failed to tie the game, losing 3-2, with the three stars going to Wolski, Shumakov, and Kasutin (40 for 42 in saves).

Further west to Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Stepan Goryachevskikh are the goalies with little KHL experience. Ufa dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, assisted by Alexander Kutuzov and Dmitry Makarov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, powered by Kirill Koltsov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the third period on a Nikita Gusev goal, coming off of Ben Maxwell and Philip Larsen on the power play. They failed to get an equalizer, with the final being 2-1. Irving (37 for 38 in saves), Vishnevsky, and Hartikainen receive the three stars.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekihimik welcomes Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Alexander Sudnitsin protect the nets. Astana opened in the first period with an Evgeny Blokhin power play goal, assisted by Maxim Semyonov. Nizhnekamsk tied it with a Pyotr Khokhryakov penalty shot goal, which he received after Oskars Bartulis held him on a scoring chance. Barys took the lead back in the second period as Konstantin Pushkaryov scored, with a lone assist by Konstantin Romanov. Neftekhimik tied it on a Maxim Rybin goal, made possible by Pavel Kulikov. Nizhnekamsk pulled ahead with an Andrei Stepanov goal, fueled by Rybin and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Neftekhimik added on with a power play goal by Dan Sexton, powered by Tim Stapleton and Rybin. Astana got one back on a Dustin Boyd goal, courtesy of Brandon Bochenski and Mike Lundin. Barys tied it with a Bochenski goal, with helpers provided by Nigel Dawes and Lundin. The game went to a shootout, where Dawes and Gleb Klimenko cancelled each other out twice, before Barys took it on two goals by Roman Starchenko to top a single goal from Stepanov. The three stars of the 5-4 game were Rybin, Bochenski, and Starchenko, while Dawes, Klimenko, Lundin, and Stepanov get the honorable mentions.

Moving along to Togliatti, where Lada brings in Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Ilya Ezhov draw the starts in goal. Togliatti was first to score in the first period on a Denis Golubev goal, fueled by Yury Petrov. Lada added on in the second period as Martin Zatovic scored, thanks to Semyon Valuisky. Konstantin Barulin relieved Kostin for the third period. Omsk tied it on a Denis Kulyash goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Togliatti answered with an empty net goal by Zatovic, set up by Petrov, for a 3-1 victory. The three stars went to Zatovic, Ezhov (44 for 45 in saves), and Petrov.

Out to St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Evgeny Ivannikov receive the starting nods. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Artemy Panarin power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeny Dadonov. SKA added on in the second period on a Tony Martensson goal, fueled by Roman Cervenka and Patrick Thoresen. Bratislava got on the board with a Michal Vondrka goal, via Martin Stajnoch. St. Petersburg answered with another Panarin goal, coming off of Andrei Kuteikin and Dadonov. SKA extended their lead with an Alexander Kadeikin goal, courtesy of Andrei Yermakov. St. Petersburg padded the lead with a Cervenka penalty shot goal in the third period, after he was hooked by Kurtis Foster. SKA kept going as Panarin finished his hat trick with another goal, thanks to Dadonov, who got a sock trick. St. Petersburg continued with another Cervenka goal, guided in by Thoresen and Martensson. Slovan got one back late as Andrej Stastny scored, with the help of Ivan Baranka and Mario Bliznak. The final stood at 7-2, and the three stars were Panarin, Cervenka, and Dadonov, while Martensson and Thoresen get the honorable mentions.

Up in Helsinki, Jokerit welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Riku Helenius occupy the creases. Zagreb led off in the first period with an unassisted power play goal by Matt Anderson. Medvescak added on in the second period as Martin St. Pierre scored, thanks to Pascal Pelletier. Helsinki got on the board with a Riku Hahl goal, assisted by Jere Sallinen and Linus Omark. Zagreb shot back with a Brandon Segal goal, via Pelletier and Mark Katic. Jokerit replied with a Niko Kapanen power play goal, powered by Omark. This was all the scoring for the game, and the final was 3-2. The three stars belonged to Pelletier, Omark, and Segal.

Finally, in Riga, Dinamo brings in a similarly named Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Jakub Sedlacek guard the cages. Minsk began in the first period with a Charles Linglet goal, courtesy of Matt Ellison and Ryan Vesce. Riga tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Mikelis Redlihs, powered by Ginta Meija and Maris Bicevskis. Minsk took the lead back in the third period with a power play goal by Artur Gavrus, assisted by Alexei Kalyuzhny. Minsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Paul Szczechura, set up by Ilya Shinkevich and Jonathan Cheechoo. The three stars went to Haugen (27 for 28 in saves), Gavrus, and Linglet.

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

MLS Weekend, October 2-5, 2014

Four straight days of soccer on North American soil. First of all, a game in...

Philadelphia, as the Union host the Chicago Fire on Thursday night. Sean Johnson and Rais Mbolhi are in goal. Chicago's Lovel Palmer had a yellow card for a foul in the fifth minute. The Fire took another yellow card for a Patrick Nyarko foul in the eighty-sixth minute. Philadelphia started the scoring in the eighty-eighth minute as Amobi Okugo scored, thanks to Brian Brown and Danny Cruz. Chicago took another yellow card in stoppage time for a Jeff Larentowicz foul. The Fire tied the game a minute later on an unassisted Robert Earnshaw goal. This stayed for a 1-1 final, with the man of the match being Earnshaw for his late equalizer.

On Friday, the single game was Sporting Kansas City welcoming DC United. Bill Hamid and Andy Gruenebaum man the nets. Kansas City took a yellow card in the thirtieth minute for a Seth Sinovic foul. DC had a yellow card of their own in the first minute of first half stoppage time for a foul by Davy Arnaud. Sporting's Paulo Nagamura was booked on a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-second minute, followed by Dominic Dwyer getting a yellow card for dissent in the fifty-fifth minute. The game ended in a scoreless draw, with the man of the match being Gruenebaum for a clean sheet with seven saves.

There are five games on Saturday, beginning in...

New York, as the Red Bulls bring in the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Luis Robles are set to start in goal. New York started in the forty-seventh minute with an unassisted Thierry Henry goal. Houston took a yellow card for an Oscar Garcia foul in the fifty-fourth minute. The Red Bulls had a yellow card go to Peguy Luyindula in the seventy-third minute for his foul. The Dynamo took another booking as Giles Barnes received a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute. In the eighty-fifth minute, Tim Cahill of New York was ejected on a straight red card for his serious foul. The final held at 1-0 despite the Red Bulls playing at ten men for the last few minutes. Robles was the man of the match for his clean sheet with four saves.

Across the continent, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC host FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and David Ousted are the gloved men. Vancouver began in the fourteenth minute with a Sebastian Fernandez goal, assisted by Mauro Rosales and Erik Hurtado. The Whitecaps added on in the eighteenth minute as Fernandez scored again, with the help of Rosales. Dallas took a yellow card for a Je-Vaughn Watson foul in the sixtieth minute. Vancouver's Kendall Watson also had a yellow card for his seventy-eighth minute foul. The Whitecaps' hero, Fernandez, was given a yellow card in stoppage time for time wasting. They won 2-0, with the man of the match being Fernandez with the brace.

Back east, the New England Revolution welcome the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Bobby Shuttleworth are guarding the woodwork. New England opened in the twentieth minute with a Lee Nguyen goal, via Teal Bunbury. Columbus tied it in the twenty-fifth minute as Ethan Finlay scored, with the help of Tony Tchani. The Crew took a yellow card for a Waylon Francis foul in the thirty-ninth minute. The Revolution saw yellow cards issued to Jose Goncalves for unsporting behavior in the forty-first minute, as well as for fouls by A.J. Soares in the fifty-ninth minute and Jermaine Jones in the sixty-fourth minute. Jones made up for his card with a sixty-seventh minute goal to put New England ahead, guided in by Chris Tierney. In the seventieth minute, Columbus' chances got much worse as Francis was sent off with a second yellow card, this one for unsporting behavior. Another unsporting behavior yellow card went to the Crew's Federico Higuain in stoppage time. The Revolution saw Nguyen get a yellow card for time wasting in stoppage time as well. The final stood at 2-1, and the man of the match was Jones for his game winner.

Westward to Los Angeles, as the Galaxy bring in Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Jaime Penedo are in the six-yard boxes. Los Angeles began with a twenty-second minute Robbie Keane goal, via Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy added on with another Keane goal in the twenty-fifth minute, passed from A.J. DeLaGarza and Landon Donovan. The teams traded yellow cards in the sixty-sixth minute, as Sarvas got one for a foul, while Jonathan Osorio received one for the argument he made. Los Angeles iced it at 3-0 with an Alan Gordon goal in stoppage time, set up by Sarvas. The man of the match was Keane for his brace.

Closing out Saturday, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts an Jon Busch are the veteran keepers. San Jose took a yellow card for dissent by Jason Hernandez in the twenty-first minute. The Earthquakes led off in the fifty-sixth minute as Chris Wondolowski scored an unassisted goal. Portland tied it in the seventy-first minute with a Rodney Wallace goal, guided in by Alvas Powell. The Timbers took the lead in the seventy-fourth minute on another Wallace goal, via Liam Ridgewell and Gaston Fernandez. Portland had a yellow card go to Wallace in the seventy-eighth minute for a foul. San Jose went down to ten men in stoppage time after a red card ejected Pablo Pintos for his serious foul. The final favored the Timbers 2-1, and Wallace was the man of the match with his brace.

The first Sunday game saw the Colorado Rapids welcome the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Clint Irwin draw the starts in goal. Seattle started with an eleventh minute Clint Dempsey penalty kick conversion. The Sounders took a yellow card for a foul by Brad Evans in the twenty-first minute. The Sounders added on as Obafemi Martins scored in the twenty-eighth minute, with the help of Marco Pappa. Seattle extended the lead in the thirty-third minute with a Pappa goal, courtesy of Dempsey. Colorado got on the board with a forty-third minute Deshorn Brown goal, going in unassisted. The Rapids had a yellow card for a Shane O'Neill foul in the forty-fourth minute. Colorado's Nick LaBrocca took a yellow card in the sixty-third minute for his foul. Seattle padded their lead with a seventieth minute Martins goal, set up by Lamar Neagle. In the seventy-fifth minute, Pappa received a yellow card for his foul. The final stood at 4-1, with the man of the match being Martins for his brace.

East to Chicago, as the Fire bring in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Sean Johnson are the gloved men. Montreal had a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute Hassoun Camara foul. Chicago had a yellow card for a Gonzalo Segares foul in the eighty-eighth minute. The final ended at 0-0, with Bush being the man of the match for his

Finishing off the weekend, Chivas USA host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Dan Kennedy are in the six yard boxes. Chivas had a yellow card go to Oswaldo Minda for a foul in the twenty-second minute. Chivas scored first in the forty-seventh minute with a Felix Borja goal. Salt Lake had a yellow card for a seventy-seventh minute with a Luke Mulholland foul. Chivas took another yellow card as Nathan Sturgis committed a foul in the eighty-second. Real had a yellow card go to Javier Morales in the eighty-fifth minute for his foul. Chivas won 1-0, and Borja was the man of the match.

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Premier League Week 7

Welcome to week 7. We begin in...

Hull City, where they host Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Steve Harper are the keepers. Hull City's Jake Livermore received a yellow card for his foul in the thirty-fifth minute. Crystal Palace saw Fraizer Campbell get booked on a yellow card in the forty-fourth minute. In the fifty-fifth minute, Adrian Mariappa of Crystal Palace received a yellow card. Hull City got things going in the sixtieth minute with a goal by Mohamed Diame, assisted by an Andrew Robertson. Hull City added on with an eighty-ninth minute goal from Nikica Jelavic, courtesy of Livermore. This made it a 2-0 final in favor of Hull City.

Moving along to Leicester City, which welcomes Burnley. Tom Heaton and Kaspar Schmeichel are set to start in goal. Burnley's Stephen Ward received a yellow card for his seventh minute foul. Leicester City struck first in the thirty-third minute as Jeffrey Schlupp scored, thanks to Riyad Mahrez's cross. Burnley tied it in the thirty-ninth minute on a Michael Kightly goal, via Lukas Jutkiewicz with a header pass. Leicester City took the lead back in the fortieth minute with an unassisted Mahrez goal. In the fifty-fourth minute, Burnley's Scott Arfield was booked on a yellow card for his foul. In the seventy-seventh minute, Schlupp was shown a yellow card for Leicester City for his foul. Leicester City took another yellow card in stoppage time for a foul by David Nugent. Burnley tied it on a Ross Wallace free kick in the sixth minute of stoppage time, and this made it a 2-2 draw in the end.

Out to Liverpool, where they bring in West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Simon Mignolet are guarding the woodwork. In the seventeenth minute, Martin Skrtel of Liverpool received a yellow card for his foul. Liverpool took another yellow card in the twenty-eighth minute for a Steven Gerrard foul. West Brom had a yellow card go to Craig Dawson for a foul in the twenty-ninth minute. Liverpool opened the scoring in the forty-fifth minute with an Adam Lallana goal, courtesy of Jordan Henderson. In the fifty-sixth minute, Saido Berahino converted a penalty kick to tie the game for West Brom. Liverpool took the lead back with a goal by Henderson in the sixty-first minute, thanks to Raheem Sterling. West Brom took a yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute for a Joleon Lescott foul. Liverpool held on for a 2-1 win.

Continuing to where Sunderland hosts Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Vito Mannone are the goalies. Sunderland started in the fourth minute with a close range header goal by Connor Wickham, assisted by a Steven Fletcher cross. Stoke City tied it on a Charlie Adam goal in the fifteenth minute, passed from Victor Moses. In the twenty-third minute, Sunderland took the lead back with a Fletcher header goal, via Jordi Gomez's cross after a corner kick. In the twenty-seventh minute, Marc Muniesa of Stoke City picked up a yellow card for his foul. Stoke City had another yellow card in the sixty-second minute on an Oussama Assaidi foul. In the sixty-fourth minute, Sunderland's Billy Jones was booked for a foul on a yellow card. Stoke City had another yellow card for a Phil Bardsley foul in the sixty-sixth minute. Sunderland took two more yellow cards in quick succession, with Patrick van Aanholt getting one in the sixty-seventh minute and Fletcher receiving the other in the seventieth minute, both for fouls. Sunderland extended their lead in the seventy-ninth minute on another Fletcher goal, coming off of Wickham after a fast break. In stoppage time, Stoke City's Bojan was given a yellow card for his foul. The final was 3-1 in favor of Sunderland.

Next up, Swansea City welcomes Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Lukas Fabianski are the gloved men. In the seventeenth minute, Swansea City began with a goal by Wilfried Bony, via Gylfi Sigurdsson. Newcastle United tied it in the forty-third minute as Papiss Demba Cisse scored, thanks to Gabriel Obertan's cross. Swansea City took the lead back on a fiftieth minute goal by Wayne Routledge, assisted by Sigurdsson with the through ball. Newcastle United had a yellow card go to Fabricio Coloccini in the sixty-first minute for his foul. Swansea City had the next yellow card for a Jonjo Shelvey foul in the seventy-third minute. Newcastle United tied it with another goal from Cisse, coming at close range with an assist from Sammy Ameobi's cross. In the eighty-eighth minute, Daryl Janmaat of Newcastle United got a yellow card for his foul. The score held level at 2-2 for the final.

Closing out on Saturday, Aston Villa brings in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Brad Guzan protect the nets. Manchester City saw Aleksandar Kolarov receive a yellow card for his foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Manchester City led off with a goal in the eighty-second minute by Yaya Toure, assisted by Fernando. Manchester City added on in the eighty-eighth minute as Sergio Aguero scored, thanks to James Milner. This was good for a 2-0 win for Manchester City.

Opening on Sunday, Manchester United hosts Everton. Tim Howard and David de Gea are in the six-yard boxes. Manchester United took a yellow card in the ninth minute for a Robin van Persie foul. Everton had a yellow card of their own in the seventeenth minute as Muhamed Besic committed a foul. In the twenty-sixth minute, Everton's Steven Pienaar was given a yellow card for his foul. Manchester United opened the scoring in the twenty-seventh minute with an Angel Di Maria goal, courtesy of Juan Mata. In the thirty-first minute, Manchester United's Daley Blind took a yellow card for his foul. Manchester United took another yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute for a foul by Antonio Valencia. Everton tied the game later that minute with a Steven Naismith goal, a header set up by a Leighton Baines cross after a set piece. In the sixty-second minute, Falcao put Manchester United back in the lead with a goal, coming off of Di Maria. The goalie Howard received a yellow card in stoppage time for Everton. The final stood at 2-1 favoring Manchester United.

Into London, as Chelsea welcomes Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Thibaut Courtois are the goalies. Chelsea took a yellow card in the twentieth minute for a Gary Cahill foul. At the twenty-second minute mark, Arsenal's Calum Chambers picked up a yellow card for injuring the goalie Courtois. Petr Cech relieved the injured keeper. In the twenty-seventh minute, Arsenal took a yellow card for a Laurent Koscielny foul. Chelsea made him pay for it even more with an Eden Hazard penalty kick conversion. Chelsea had a yellow card go to Branislav Ivanovic in the fifty-third minute for a foul, and another booking went to Andre Schurrle in the sixty-sixth minute. In the seventy-eighth minute, Chelsea extended their lead with a Diego Costa goal, assisted by a Cesc Fabregas through ball. In the eighty-sixth minute, Oscar was given a yellow card for Chelsea for his foul. Arsenal had a yellow card for a Danny Welbeck foul in stoppage time. Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 victory.

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur brings in Southampton. Fraser Forster and Hugo Lloris guard the nets. Tottenham Hotspur struck first in the fortieth minute with a Christian Eriksen goal, assisted by Nacer Chadli. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card for a foul by Younes Kaboul in the fifty-third minute. Tottenham Hotspur had another yellow card in the sixty-sixth minute for an Erik Lamela foul. In the seventy-seventh minute, Dusan Tadic of Southampton received a yellow card for his foul. The final held at 1-0 for Tottenham Hotspur.

Finally, West Ham hosts the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Adrian are the keepers. West Ham received a gift as QPR's Nedum Onuoha put the ball in his own net for an own goal. QPR took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul by Sandro. West Ham had a booking for James Tomkins in the forty-ninth minute for his foul that brought out a yellow card. West Ham extended their lead in the fifty-ninth minute as Diafra Sakho scored, thanks to Tomkins after a set piece situation. West Ham had another yellow card in the eighty-third minute for a foul by Aaron Cresswell. QPR took a yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for a foul by Karl Henry. West Ham ended up winning 2-0.

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KHL October 5th, 2014

Three games on today, beginning in...

Kazan, as Ak Bars hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Anders Nilsson are between the pipes. Kazan led off in the first period with an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, via Alexander Svitov and Yakov Rylov. Yekaterinburg tied it with a Jakub Petruzalek goal, assisted by Viktor Postnikov and Alexei Simakov on the power play. Ak Bars retook the lead in the third period with an Oscar Moller goal, fueled by Kirill Petrov and Alexander Burmistrov. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Moller, Nilsson (22 for 23 in saves), and Lukoyanov.

West to Podolsk, as Vityaz welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Harri Staeri protect the nets. Podolsk began in the first period with a Yury Koksharov goal, fueled by Mario Kempe and Dmitry Tsyganov. Yaroslavl tied it in the second period as Yegor Yakovlev scored a power play goal, powered by Yegor Averin and Staffan Kronwall. Vityaz took the lead back Koksharov scored again, with a lone assist by Anton Korolyov. Lokomotiv retied it with a power play goal by Daniil Apalkov, thanks to Yakovlev and Averin. Podolsk took the lead again on a Roman Horak goal, guided in by Kempe and Maxim Afinogenov. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Koksharov, Yakovlev, and Kempe, while Averin gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Moscow, Dynamo brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Alexander Sharychenkov draw the starts. Moscow got going in the second period with a Yury Babenko power play goal, powered by Mat Robinson and Alexei Tereshchenko. Sochi tied it in the third period on a Roman Lyuduchin goal, via Alexei Krutov. Dynamo won 2-1 in overtime on an Alexander Osipov goal, with a lone helper from Kaspars Daugavins. The three stars were Osipov, Sharychenkov (25 for 26 in saves), and Babenko.

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