KHL November 1st, 2014

One game on the first day of the month, as Dinamo Minsk hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Lars Haugen are the masked men. Novosibirsk was first to score with a Sergei Shumakov goal, assisted by Konstantin Alexeyev and Oleg Gubin. Sibir added on with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, fueled by Dmitry Monya. Novosibirsk extended the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Igor Ozhiganov, powered by Stepan Sannikov and Shumakov. Minsk got on the board with an Alexander Kulakov goal, via Matt Ellison and Evgeny Nogachyov. Sibir shot back in the third period on a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, courtesy of Patrik Hersley and Alexeyev on the power play. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Shumakov, Koskinen (21 for 22 in saves), and Alexeyev.

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NHL October 31st, 2014

Four games for Halloween night, beginning in...

Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Curtis McElhinney receive the starting nods. Toronto led off in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Daniel Winnik and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period on a David Clarkson power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Dion Phaneuf and Peter Holland. Toronto extended the lead with a Kadri goal, his third of the season, coming off of Kessel and Winnik. Columbus got one back with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Ryan Johansen and Jack Johnson. The Maple Leafs shot back on a Winnik goal, with a lone assist by Kessel. This made it 4-1, the final, and the three stars were Kessel, Kadri, and Winnik.

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Gustav Nyquist power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings added on with an unassisted goal by Pavel Datsyuk, his third of the year. Detroit extended the lead with another Nyquist goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, a power play goal made possible by Kronwall and Datsyuk. The Red Wings padded the lead on a Tomas Tatar goal, his second of the year, guided in by Nyquist and Riley Sheahan. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period on an Alec Martinez goal, assisted by Mike Richards and Trevor Lewis. The Kings pulled closer with a shorthanded third period goal by Tyler Toffoli, his sixth of the season, set up by Robyn Regehr and Dwight King. Detroit iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Datsyuk, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. The three stars went to Nyquist, Datsyuk, and Kronwall, while Zetterberg gets an honorable mention.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Corey Perry goal, his tenth of the season, via Francois Beauchemin. Dallas tied it in the third period on an Antoine Roussel goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime on a Nate Thompson goal, courtesy of Perry and Cam Fowler. The three stars were given to Perry, Andersen (21 for 22 in saves), and Thompson.

Finally, the Calgary Flames host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonas Hiller are the veteran goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sean Monahan power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Dennis Wideman and Curtis Glencross. Nashville tied it on a Craig Smith goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators took the lead on a James Neal goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Mike Ribeiro. The Flames tied it on a Jiri Hudler goal in the third period, his third of the year, passed from Markus Granlund and Johnny Gaudreau. Calgary took the lead on a T.J. Brodie power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Flames added on as Gaudreau scored his second of the year, thanks to Deryk Engelland and Ladislav Smid. Nashville pulled back with a power play goal by Neal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Matt Cullen and Filip Forsberg. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Gaudreau, Monahan, and Neal.

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KHL October 31st, 2014

Happy Halloween everyone. The KHL celebrates with ten games for today. We begin in...

Omsk, with Avangard hosting Lada Togliatti. Jeff Glass and Konstantin Barulin are the masked men. Omsk started in the first period with a Chad Kolarik power play goal, powered by Denis Kulyash and Alexander Perezhogin. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Barulin (24 save shutout), Kolarik, and Glass (35 for 36 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Jan Laco are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period on a Dan Sexton goal, with a lone assist by Yegor Milovzorov. Astana tied it with a Kevin Dallman goal, passed from Dustin Boyd on the power play. Barys took the lead on another Dallman goal, fueled by Boyd and Brandon Bochenski. Neftekhimik retied it as Teemu Eronen scored, with the help of Tim Stapleton. Nizhnekamsk edged ahead on a Stapleton power play goal, powered by Sexton and Milovzorov. Astana pulled even in the second period on a Talgat Zhailauov goal, coming off of Andrei Gavrilin and Evgeny Blokhin. Neftekhimik took the lead back on a Gleb Klimenko goal, assisted by Pyotr Khokhryakov. Barys tied it again with a Nigel Dawes power play goal in the third period, and Bochenski had the lone helper. Astana gained the lead with a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, guided in by Zhailauov and Gavrilin. Nizhnekamsk pulled level again as Stapleton scored a power play goal, thanks to Milovzorov, who got a sock trick, and Nikolai Belov. The tie went to a shootout, where Roman Starchenko's goal gave Barys a 6-5 win. The three stars went to Zhailauov, Dallman, and Stapleton, while Sexton, Milovzorov, Boyd, Bochenski, and Gavrilin get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar guard the cages. Yekaterinburg dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Alexander Rybakov goal, via Alexander Bumagin and Jakub Petruzalek. They held on for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Kovar (24 save shutout), Rybakov, and Garnett (39 for 40 in saves).

Over in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Leland Irving receive the starting nods. Khanty-Mansiysk led off in the first period with an Alexei Pepelyaev goal, via Vitaly Sitnikov. Yugra added on with a Lukas Kaspar goal, fueled by Mikhail Mamkin and Ivan Yatsenko. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead in the second period with an Igor Bortnikov goal, coming off of Denis Gorbunov and Andrei Chibisov. Ufa got on the board with an Ivan Vishnevsky power play goal, powered by Denis Khlystov and Kirill Koltsov. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Biryukov (35 for 36 in saves), Kaspar, and Bortnikov.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Tomas Popperle are the goalies with cool names. Helsinki got going in the second period with a Juhamatti Aaltonen power play goal, powered by Jere Karalahti. Sochi tied it on an Oleg Saprykin goal, courtesy of Roman Lyuduchin and Nikita Shchitov. Jokerit took the lead on a Linus Omark third period goal, made possible by Ryan Gunderson and Ville Lajunen. The Leopards tied it as Artyom Kryukov scored, thanks to Max Warn. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Cory Emmerton and Andre Petersson lifted Sochi to a 3-2 victory, as Helsinki's only tally came from Niko Kapanen. The three stars went to Kryukov, Saprykin, and Popperle (28 for 30 in saves).

North to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Dinamo Riga. Edgars Masalskis and Vitaly Kolesnik are the backups making spot starts. Yaroslavl struck first in the first period with an unassisted Staffan Kronwall goal. Lokomotiv added on with a Vladislav Kartayev goal, assisted by Yegor Korshkov. Riga got on the board with a second period power play goal by Andris Dzerins, powered by Krisjanis Redlihs and Oskars Cibulskis. Yaroslavl shot back on a third period goal by Yegor Averin, courtesy of Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov on the power play. Lokomotiv finished it at 4-1 with a Korshkov goal, via Sergei Konkov and Kartayev. The three stars went to Korshkov, Kartayev, and Kolesnik (20 for 21 in saves).

Toward Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Atte Engren occupy the creases. Novokuznetsk began in the first period on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, passed from James O'Brien and Mark Skutar. Metallurg added on with a Ryan Stoa goal, with a lone assist by Mikhail Kuklev. Mytishchi tied it on a Vyacheslav Kozlov goal, courtesy of Artyom Chernov and Roman Rukavishnikov. Atlant tied it with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, coming off of Igor Levitsky. Mytishchi took the lead in the third period as Levitsky scored, thanks to Soshnikov. Atlant finished it at 4-2 with another Levitsky goal set up by Soshnikov. The three stars went to Levitsky, Soshnikov, and Kozlov.

Into Moscow, where Dynamo welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. St. Petersburg was first to score on an Andrei Kuteikin goal, passed from Artemy Panarin on the power play. Moscow tied it with a Denis Mosalyov power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Nikolai Zherdev. SKA took the lead back in the second period with a Tony Martensson goal, guided in by Patrick Thoresen and Anton Belov. Dynamo tied it on a shorthanded goal by Mat Robinson, set up by Sergei Soin and Mosalyov. Moscow gained the lead with a third period goal by Denis Kokarev, fueled by Mosalyov and Maxim Solovyov. St. Petersburg tied it again with a Yury Alexandrov goal, with a lone assist by Thoresen. Dynamo won 4-3 in overtime on a Janne Jalasvaara goal, assisted by Kaspars Daugavins and Alexei Tereshchenko. The three stars were handed to Mosalyov, Jalasvaara, and Thoresen.

Out in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Ivan Nalimov and Mark Dekanich play goal. Zagreb opened with a Bill Thomas power play goal in the first period, powered by Mathieu Carle and Pascal Pelletier. Vladivostok tied it on a Konstantin Makarov goal, made possible by Ilya Zubov and Enver Lisin. Admiral took the lead with a Jan Kolar power play goal, via Zubov and Niclas Bergfors. Vladivostok added on with a power play goal by Denis Kuzmin, coming off of Lisin and Alexei Ugarov. Admiral extended the lead in the second period with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Zubov. Medvescak got one back as Aaron Palushaj scored, with a lone assist by Brock Trotter. Zagreb pulled closer in the third period on another Thomas goal, guided in by Matt Anderson and Pelletier. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Zubov, Thomas, and Lisin, while Pelletier gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Johan Backlund are the veteran starters. Khabarovsk started with a Jesse Niinimaki goal, passed from Evgeny Orlov. Amur added on in the second period with a power play goal by Michel Miklik, powered by Alexander Ryazantsev and Tommi Taimi. Khabarovsk extended the lead in the third period with a Marcel Hascak goal, fueled by Mikhail Fisenko and Dmitry Lugin. Bratislava got on the board with a Mario Lunter goal, coming off of Rok Ticar. They still lost 3-1, with the three stars going to Murygin (34 for 35 in saves), Miklik, and Hascak.

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NHL October 30th, 2014

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg and Jhonas Enroth are set to start in goal. Buffalo got going in the second period on a Drew Stafford power play goal, powered by Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers. Boston tied it on an Adam McQuaid goal, via Carl Soderberg and Brad Marchand. The Sabres took the lead with an Ennis goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Torrey Mitchell and Stafford. The Bruins tied it in the third period on a Marchand goal, his second of the year, guided in by Loui Eriksson and Dennis Seidenberg. Boston won 3-2 in overtime as Marchand scored his second of the game and third of the campaign, thanks to Reilly Smith and Dougie Hamilton. The three stars went to Marchand, Ennis, and Stafford.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Cory Schneider are the masked men. Winnipeg started with a first period goal by Blake Wheeler, his fourth of the season, coming off of Toby Enstrom and Zach Bogosian. New Jersey tied it in the third period as Michael Ryder scored his second of the year, with a lone assist by Jon Merrill. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jacob Josefson gave the Devils a 2-1 win with the lone tally. The three stars went to Josefson, Schneider (24 for 25 in saves), and Pavelec (27 for 28 in saves).

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Martin Jones is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a power play goal by Chris Kunitz, his fourth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on as Kris Letang scored a power play goal, with the help of Kunitz. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third period with another Kunitz goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Sidney Crosby and Christian Ehrhoff. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Kunitz, Fleury (36 save shutout), and Letang.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators host the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Craig Anderson are in the blue paint. Ottawa led off with a first period Mark Stone goal, his second of the season, via Curtis Lazar and Cody Ceci. Chicago tied it on a Jonathan Toews goal, his third of the year, passed from Marian Hossa and Bryan Bickell. The Blackhawks took the lead on a Kris Versteeg goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brad Richards. The Senators retied it on a second period Clarke MacArthur power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by David Legwand and Patrick Wiercioch. Ottawa took the lead on a third period Bobby Ryan goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago tied it again as Toews scored his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks edged ahead with a Hossa goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper by Versteeg. The Senators evened it again with a Mika Zibanejad goal, fueled by Alex Chiasson and Erik Karlsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Patrick Sharp scored the game winner for a 5-4 Blackhawks victory. The three stars were handed to Toews, Hossa, and Versteeg.

Back south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Ben Bishop draw the starts. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on a Vladislav Nemestnikov goal, his third of the season, fueled by Anton Stralman and Jonathan Drouin. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Brayden Schenn. The Lightning reclaimed the lead with a second period Steven Stamkos power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jason Garrison and Valtteri Filppula. Tampa Bay added on in the third period with another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Filppula and Alex Killorn. The Flyers got one back on a Jakub Voracek goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Manning and Claude Giroux. The Lightning replied with a Garrison power play goal, courtesy of Stamkos and Filppula, the latter getting a sock trick. Philadelphia answered on a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Voracek and Giroux. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars being Stamkos, Filppula, and Garrison, while Voracek and Giroux get the honorable mentions.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Arizona was first to score in the first period on a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. Florida tied it on a second period power play goal by Brandon Pirri, his third of the year, guided in by Jussi Jokinen and Erik Gudbranson. The Panthers took the lead on a Scottie Upshall goal in the third period, made possible by Tomas Kopecky and Derek MacKenzie. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being named as Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), Upshall, and Pirri.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Jake Allen are the young goalies. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the first period on an Alexander Steen goal, his second of the season, passed from Carl Gunnarsson and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Blues added on in the third period as Ryan Reaves scored his second of the year, thanks to Maxim Lapierre. This produced the 2-0 final, with the three stars going to Allen (24 save shutout), Steen, and Reaves.

Further north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Darcy Kuemper are in the creases. San Jose opened in the first period with a Mirco Mueller goal, assisted by Matthew Nieto and James Sheppard. The Sharks added on with a Tommy Wingels power play goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. Minnesota got on the board with a Mikko Koivu goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter. San Jose shot back in the third period on a Joe Thornton goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Pavelski. The Wild answered on a Kyle Brodziak goal, fueled by Thomas Vanek and Justin Fontaine. Minnesota tied it with Brodziak's second of the game, coming off of Vanek and Nate Prosser. In the shootout, the Wild got goals from Koivu and Jason Pominville, while Logan Couture had the only Sharks goal. The final was 4-3 for the Wild, with the three stars going to Brodziak, Vanek, and Pavelski.

Westward to Colorado, as the Avalanche bring in the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Colorado began with a first period goal by Cody McLeod, assisted by Matt Duchene and Max Talbot. The Avalanche added on as Nathan MacKinnon scored a power play goal in the second period, powered by Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead on a Marc-Andre Cliche goal, via Talbot and McLeod. The Avalanche padded the lead on MacKinnon's second of the game, coming off of Jarome Iginla and Jamie McGinn. Colorado iced it at 5-0 with a Johnson goal, his second of the season, passed from Duchene. The three stars went to MacKinnon, Varlamov (40 save shutout), and McLeod, while Johnson, Talbot, and Duchene get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Vancouver got going with a second period goal by Nick Bonino, his fourth of the season, made possible by Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on in the third period as Brad Richardson scored his third of the year, thanks to Shawn Matthias and Yannick Weber. Montreal got on the board with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of P.K. Subban and Alexei Emelin. The Canadiens tied it on a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Dale Weise and David Desharnais. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime on a Daniel Sedin goal, his third of the campaign, via Henrik Sedin on the power play. The three stars went to Daniel Sedin, Richardson, and Bonino.

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New York Red Bulls VS. Sporting Kansas City: MLS Eastern Conference Play-In Game

From Harrison, New Jersey. The goalies are Luis Robles for New York and Eric Kronberg for Kansas City. Kansas City struck first in the fifty-third minute on a Dominic Dwyer goal, fueled by Benny Feilhaber. New York tied it as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored in the seventy-seventh minute, thanks to Thierry Henry and Peguy Luyindula. The Red Bulls took the lead on a Wright-Phillips goal in the ninetieth minute, set up by Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo and Luyindula. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips. The Red Bulls will advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinal against DC United.

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KHL October 30th, 2014

Two games today, beginning in...

Nizhny Novgorod, with Torpedo hosting CSKA Moscow. Kevin Lalande and Ivan Kasutin are in the blue paint. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with a goal by Jarkko Immonen, fueled by Vladimir Malevich and Sakari Salminen. Torpedo added on in the second period as Vadim Khomitsky scored, thanks to Immonen and Salminen. Nizhny Novgorod extended the lead on an unassisted Salminen power play goal. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars being Salminen, Kasutin (32 save shutout), and Immonen.

The other games features Slovan Bratislava hosting Sibir Novosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Johan Backlund draw the starts. Novoibirsk led off with a first period goal by Sergei Shumakov, guided in by Stepan Sannikov. Bratislava tied it on a power play goal by Vaclav Nedorost, going in unassisted. Slovan took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Tomas Surovy, set up by Milan Bartovic. Sibir tied it on a Jonas Enlund goal in the second period, coming off of Dmitry Kugryshev. Novosibirsk took the lead on a Dmitry Monya power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Renat Mamashev. This was all they needed for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Monya, Enlund, and Shumakov.

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NHL October 29th, 2014

Two games on tonight, with the first in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Detroit got going in the second period on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Kyle Quincey. Washington tied it on a power play goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov, powered by Joel Ward and the goalie Holtby. The Capitals took the lead as Troy Brouwer scored his second of the year, thanks to John Carlson and Andre Burakovsky. The Red Wings retied it in the third period on an unassisted Abdelkader goal, his fourth of the season. Detroit edged ahead as Abdelkader scored his second of the game and fifth of the year, made possible by Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings finished it at 4-2 with a power play goal by Datsyuk, his second of the campaign, coming off of Zetterberg and Brendan Smith. The three stars went to Abdelkader, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg.

Out west, the Edmonton Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Craig Smith goal, his second of the season, guided in by Derek Roy and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Taylor Beck goal, fueled by Colin Wilson and Matias Ekholm. Nashville extended the lead with a third period Shea Weber goal, his fourth of the year, via Mike Ribeiro. Edmonton got on the board with a Taylor Hall goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. The Predators replied on another Smith goal, his second of the game and third of the year, coming off of Matt Cullen and Josi. This made it a 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Smith, Rinne (26 for 27 in saves), and Josi.

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FC Dallas VS. Vancouver Whitecaps FC: MLS Western Conference Play-In Game

From Toyota Park in Frisco, Texas. The goalies are David Ousted of Vancouver and Chris Seitz of Dallas. The teams exchanged yellow cards at first, with Gershon Koffie taking one in the fourteenth minute for Vancouver, followed by Dallas' Je-Vaughn Watson in the thirty-fifth minute, both for fouls. Dallas struck first on a Tesho Akindele goal, via Mauro Diaz. The Whitecaps' Pedro Morales received a yellow card for his unsporting behavior in the forty-fifth minute. Vancouver took another yellow card with a fifty-seventh minute foul by Kendall Waston. The Whitecaps tied the game with an Erik Hurtado goal in the sixty-fourth minute. Dallas tied it on a Michel penalty kick goal in the eighty-fourth minute. In the eighty-fifth minute, Vancouver took a yellow card for an argument by Sebastian Fernandez, while Dallas had two yellow cards going to Diaz and Andres Escobar. In stoppage time, Fernandez was ejected from the game on a straight red card for a combination of a foul and abusive language. Dallas went on for a 2-1 win, and will play the Seattle Sounders FC in the conference semifinals.

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KHL October 29th, 2014

Ten games on a busier day, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Konstantin Barulin are in the blue paint. Omsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Alexander Popov goal, courtesy of Nikita Pivtsakin and Chad Kolarik. Avangard added on with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, fueled by Denis Parshin and Valery Vasilyev. Omsk extended the lead on a power play goal in the third period by Kolarik, powered by Tom Wandell. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a power play goal by Igor Magogin, assisted by Vitaly Sitnikov and Artyom Bulyansky. Avangard shot back on a Sergei Shirokov goal, passed from Sobotka and Miroslav Blatak. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Kolarik, Sobotka, and Barulin (30 for 31 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Jan Laco are the goalies with short names. Togliatti began in the first period with a Vitaly Shulakov goal, via Anton Shenfeld and Georgy Belousov. Astana tied it on a Konstantin Pushkaryov goal, guided in by Talgat Zhailauov and Oskars Bartulis. Barys took the lead on a Mike Lundin power play goal in the third period, powered by Kevin Dallman and Brandon Bochenski. This produced a 2-1 final, and the three stars were given to Lundin, Laco (28 for 29 in saves), and Pushkaryov.

Back in Russia, Salavat Yulaev brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Vladimir Sokhatsky protect the nets. Ufa was first to score on an Arturs Kulda goal, coming off of Antti Pihlstrom and Alexei Kaigorodov. Chelyabinsk tied it in the second period as Maxim Kondratyev scored, thanks to Dmitry Pestunov and Vitaly Atyushov. Traktor took the lead in the third period with a Deron Quint goal, fueled by Alexei Zavarukhin and Semyon Kokuyov. Salavat Yulaev tied it on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, assisted by Dmitry Makarov and Yegor Dubrovsky. Traktor won 3-2 with shootout goals by Martin Ruzicka and Pestunov while Salavat Yulaev just had a goal from Kaigorodov. The three stars went to Pestunov, Kaigorodov, and Quint.

Over to Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period on a Gilbert Brule goal, assisted by Tobias Viklund and Jakub Petruzalek. Avtomobilist added on with an Anton Lazarev goal, guided in by Sami Lepisto and Alexei Simakov. Yekaterinburg extended the lead as Alexander Rybakov scored, thanks to Filipp Metlyuk and Alexander Bumagin. This was all they needed for a 3-0 win, with the three stars given to Kovar (28 save shutout), Brule, and Lazarev.

Down in Sochi, the Leopards welcome Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Tomas Popperle are between the pipes. Sochi struck first in the first period on a Nikita Shchitov goal, assisted by Yury Pautov and Roman Lyuduchin. The Leopards added on with another Shchitov goal, coming on the power play via Andre Petersson and Ryan Whitney. Sochi extended the lead in the second period with a Whitney goal, passed from Shchitov and Petersson. Riga got on the board with a Charles Genoway power play goal in the third period, powered by Linus Videll. Dinamo pulled closer with a Videll goal, courtesy of Oskars Cibulskis. The Leopards iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Ilya Krikunov, set up by Petersson, who got a sock trick, and Igor Ignatushkin. The three stars were awarded to Shchitov, Petersson, and Whitney.

North to Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Curtis Sanford are the goalies with NHL experience. Helsinki opened in the first period on a Steve Moses power play goal, powered by Linus Omark. Jokerit added on as Petr Koukal scored, with the help of Daine Todd and Omark. Helsinki extended the lead in the second period on another Moses goal, fueled by Koukal and Omark, the latter getting a natural sock trick. Yaroslavl got on the board with a Sergei Plotnikov goal, assisted by Sergei Konkov and Staffan Kronwall on the power play. This was it for the scoring, and the final was 3-1. The three stars went to Moses, Omark, and Koukal.

Into Belarus, where Dinamo Minsk hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Ivan Nalimov and Lars Haugen are in the blue paint. Minsk started in the third period with a Ryan Vesce goal, coming off of Pavel Razvadovsky and Matt Ellison. This made it 1-0, the final, and the three stars were handed to Haugen (29 save shutout), Vesce, and Nalimov (22 for 23 in saves).

Eastward to Russia again, with Vityaz Podolsk welcoming SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Ivan Lisutin guard the cages. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Artemy Panarin goal, courtesy of Andrei Kuteikin and Viktor Tikhonov. SKA added on as Tikhonov scored a power play goal, powered by Kuteikin and Evgeny Dadonov. Podolsk got one back with a power play goal by Alexander Kucheryavenko, assisted by Ivan Vereshchagin and Georgy Berdyukov. Vityaz tied it on a Mario Kempe power play goal, guided in by Maxim Afinogenov and Berdyukov. St. Petersburg took the lead back in the second period as Dmitry Kalinin scored, thanks to Ilya Kablukov and Igor Makarov. Podolsk tied it again on a Mikhail Yakubov goal, passed from Dmitry Shitikov and Nikita Vyglazov. SKA regained the lead on a Makarov goal, with a lone assist by Anton Burdasov. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the third period with a Roman Cervenka goal, via Alexander Barabanov and Maxim Chudinov. SKA padded the lead on a Chudinov power play goal, helped along by Ilya Kovalchuk. Vityaz got one back with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, coming off of Berdyukov, who got a sock trick, and Anton Korolyov. This made it 6-4, the final, and the three stars went to Chudinov, Tikhonov, and Makarov, while Kuteikin and Berdyukov got the honorable mentions.

Up to Mytishchi, where Atlant brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Atte Engren are the experienced goalies. Mytishchi struck first in the first period with a Vyacheslav Kozlov goal, assisted by Maxim Mayorov. Khabarovsk tied it on a Dmitry Lugin goal, fueled by Jesse Niinimaki. Atlant answered on an Artyom Chernov goal, via Sergei Shmelyov. This proved enough for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Engren (27 for 28 in saves), Chernov, and Kozlov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Barry Brust man the nets. Novokuznetsk was first to score in the second period on a Sergei Sentyurin goal, coming off of Mikhail Plotnikov and James O'Brien. Zagreb tied it as Matt Anderson scored, thanks to Brandon Segal and Aaron Palushaj in the third period. In the shootout, Medvescak got goals from Pascal Pelletier, Bill Thomas, and Mark Katic, while Metallurg had only goals by Ryan Stoa and Alexander Komaristy. This produced a 2-1 final, and the three stars went to Brust (26 for 27 in saves), Khakimov (36 for 37 in saves), and Katic.

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NHL October 28th, 2014

Twelve games on for a very busy day, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Tuukka Rask draw the starts. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his second of the season, helped along by Thomas Vanek. Boston tied it on a Seth Griffith goal, his second of the year, guided in by David Krejci and Zach Trotman. The Bruins took the lead as Griffith scored his second of the game and third of the season in the second period, via Gregory Campbell and Milan Lucic. Boston added on with a Lucic power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Torey Krug and Griffith. The Wild got one back on a third period goal by Zach Parise, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota tied it on a Justin Fontaine goal, passed from Ryan Carter and Matt Cooke. The Wild gained the lead with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the year, assisted by Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Griffith, Lucic, and Scandella.

Down in New York, the Islanders welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Jaroslav Halak are in the blue paint. New York began with a Brock Nelson power play goal in the first period, his sixth of the season, powered by Johnny Boychuk and Kyle Okposo. Winnipeg tied it on a second period Andrew Ladd power play goal, his third of the year, guided in by Bryan Little and Toby Enstrom. The Jets took the lead with an unassisted Paul Postma goal on the power play. Winnipeg added on with a Jacob Trouba goal, via Mark Stuart and Little. The Islanders got one back as John Tavares scored his fourth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Nelson and Boychuk. New York tied it as Mikhail Grabovski scored his third of the year, thanks to Lubomir Visnovsky. The Jets pulled ahead again in the third period on another Ladd goal, his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, fueled by Little, who got a sock trick, and Michael Frolik. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Ladd, Little, and Nelson, while Boychuk gets an honorable mention.

A little west to Philadelphia, as the Flyers bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick faces a lesser foe in Ray Emery in goal. Philadelphia opened with a first period Michael Raffl goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Los Angeles tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Tyler Toffoli goal, his fifth of the year. The Flyers took the lead on a Chris VandeVelde goal, passed from Voracek and Nick Schultz. The Kings tied it in the third period when Mike Richards scored, with the help of Drew Doughty and Kyle Clifford. The tie lasted to overtime, where Brayden Schenn's third of the campaign, an unassisted goal, lifted Philadelphia to a 3-2 win. The three stars were handed to Emery (38 for 40 in saves), Voracek, and Schenn.

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Marc-Andre Fleury protect the nets. New Jersey started with a Dainius Zubrus goal nine seconds into the first period, his second of the season, assisted by Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr. Pittsburgh tied it on a Blake Comeau goal, his second of the year, via Pascal Dupuis. The Devils took the lead back in the second period with a shorthanded goal by Jacob Josefson, set up by Stephen Gionta. New Jersey added on as Tuomo Ruutu potted his second of the season, courtesy of Gionta and Andy Greene. The Penguins got one back with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh tied it with a Hornqvist goal, his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Simon Despres. The Penguins took the lead on a Craig Adams goal, with a lone helper from Brandon Sutter. Pittsburgh extended the lead with a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Chris Kunitz and Despres. Schneider was pulled for Scott Clemmensen for the third period. The Penguins padded the lead on a third period goal from Dupuis, his fourth of the season, coming on the power play from Steve Downie and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh kept going on a Downie power play goal, with assists provided by Comeau and Sutter. The Penguins finished it at 8-3 with a Crosby goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Crosby, Dupuis, and Hornqvist, while Gionta, Comeau, Despres, Sutter, and Downie get the honorable mentions.

Continuing to Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Ottawa Senators. Robin Lehner and Curtis McElhinney are the uninspiring goalies. Columbus was first to score in the first period on a David Savard goal, his second of the season, coming on the power play from Artem Anisimov and Alexander Wennberg. Ottawa tied it with a Clarke MacArthur power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Erik Karlsson and Bobby Ryan. The Senators took the lead in the second period with the second of the season from Zack Smith, courtesy of Cody Ceci. The Blue Jackets tied it on a Cam Atkinson goal, his fourth of the year, passed from James Wisniewski and Ryan Johansen. Ottawa took the lead back with a third period goal by Karlsson, his third of the season, coming off of Kyle Turris and the goalie Lehner. The Senators added on with a power play goal by Alex Chiasson, his third of the year, made possible by MacArthur and Mark Stone. Ottawa extended the lead on MacArthur's second of the night and fourth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Turris. This ended up being it for the scoring, and the three stars in the 5-2 game were MacArthur, Karlsson, and Turris.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his second of the season, made possible by Radko Gudas and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning added on with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his second of the year, guided in by Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Kucherov scored again, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Johnson and Ondrej Palat in the second period. Arizona got on the board with a Shane Doan goal, via Michael Stone and Antoine Vermette. The Lightning shot back with an unassisted Brian Boyle goal, his second of the season. The Coyotes replied on a Martin Erat goal, his third of the year, assisted by Martin Hanzal and Sam Gagner. Tampa Bay answered with Kucherov completing his hat trick in the third period on his fourth of the season, courtesy of Johnson, who got a sock trick, and Eric Brewer. The Lightning padded the lead on another Boyle goal, his second of the game and third of the year, fueled by J.T. Brown and Anton Stralman. Smith was replaced by Devan Dubnyk at this time. Arizona got one back on a B.J. Crombeen goal, thanks to Joe Vitale and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Tampa Bay countered with a Matthew Carle power play goal, powered by Johnson and Andrej Sustr. The final was 7-3, and the three stars were given to Kucherov, Johnson, and Boyle.

North to Canada, where the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Jonathan Bernier occupy the creases. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period on a power play goal by Tyler Bozak, his fourth of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs added on with a third period goal by Kessel, his fifth of the year, guided in by Mike Santorelli. Toronto extended the lead as James van Riemsdyk scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Rielly and Bozak. The Maple Leafs padded the lead with a Jake Gardiner goal, coming off of Daniel Winnik and Leo Komarov. This led to a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Kessel, Bozak, and Rielly, while Bernier (10 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Back in the States, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Scott Darling are the rookie goalies. Anaheim got going with a shorthanded and unassisted Devante Smith-Pelly goal in the third period, his third of the season. This was the only goal the Ducks needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars were awarded to Gibson (38 save shutout), Smith-Pelly, and Darling (24 for 25 in saves).

Further south, the Dallas Stars bring in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Kari Lehtonen guard the cages. Dallas started in the first period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, coming off of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. St. Louis tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Stars took the lead back in the second period with a Seguin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Jason Spezza and Trevor Daley. The Blues tied it again as Lehtera scored his second of the season, thanks to Tarasenko and Alexander Steen. Dallas got the lead back in the third period on a Daley power play goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist from Alex Goligoski. St. Louis tied it again with a Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and third of the season, helped along by Lehtera. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime with another Tarasenko goal, completing his hat trick with a power play goal as his fourth of the year, powered by Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars were awarded to Tarasenko, Lehtera, and Seguin, while Daley and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Back into Canada, as the Calgary Flames host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Jonas Hiller are the veteran goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Mark Giordano goal, his second of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie. Montreal tied it with an unassisted Tom Gilbert goal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where P.A. Parenteau scored the only goal for a 2-1 Canadiens win. The three stars went to Price (37 for 38 in saves), Gilbert, and Giordano.

Southward to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Semyon Varlamov tend the twines. San Jose began in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Mirco Mueller and Joe Thornton. Colorado tied it in the second period on a shorthanded goal by Alex Tanguay, his fourth of the year, set up by Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period as Gabriel Landeskog potted his fourth of the season, courtesy of Ryan O'Reilly and Hejda. The Sharks tied it on a Logan Couture goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Justin Braun and Tommy Wingels. San Jose won it with goals by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton in the shootout for a 3-2 final. The three stars went to Varlamov (49 for 51 in saves), Niemi (31 for 33 in saves), and Hejda.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ryan Miller receive the starting nods. Vancouver struck first in the first period on a Brad Richardson goal, coming off of Zack Kassian and Shawn Matthias. The Canucks added on in the second period as Linden Vey scored a power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Radim Vrbata and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead as Jannik Hansen scored his third of the year, thanks to Yannick Weber and Luca Sbisa. Carolina got on the board with a Jiri Tlusty goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Richardson, his second of the game, set up by Alexandre Burrows and Christopher Tanev. The three stars went to Richardson, Miller (25 for 26 in saves), and Vey.

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KHL October 28th, 2014

Two games for today, beginning with...

Severstal Cherepovets hosting CSKA Moscow. Kevin Lalande and Jakub Stepanek are set to start in goal. Moscow got going in the second period with a Damir Zhafyarov goal, going in unassisted. Cherepovets tied it on a Marek Kvapil goal, fueled by Gennady Stolyarov and Andrei Shefer. Severstal took the lead as Dmitry Kagarlitsky scored, thanks to Pavel Chernov. CSKA tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Nikolai Prokhorkin, powered by Alexander Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime on a Radulov goal, via Prokhorkin and Stephane Da Costa on the power play. The three stars went to Radulov, Prokhorkin, and Zhafyarov.

The other game sees Medvescak Zagreb host Sibir Nobosibirsk. Mikko Koskinen and Barry Brust are the masked men. Zagreb dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Edwin Hedberg, via Mathieu Carle. Medvescak added on in the third period with a power play goal by James Wright, powered by Carle and Andrew Hutchinson. The final stood at 2-0, and Brust (23 save shutout), Carle, and Hedberg got the three stars.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL October 27th, 2014

Two games on a very slow evening, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Henrik Lundqvist are the masked men. Minnesota got going in the second period on a Nate Prosser goal, via Justin Fontaine and Matt Cooke. The Wild added on with a Cooke goal, his second of the season, fueled by Fontaine and Ryan Carter. Minnesota extended the lead on a Jason Pominville goal, his third of the year, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Marco Scandella. New York got on the board with a third period goal by Kevin Klein, his second of the season, guided in by Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash. The Rangers pulled closer with a Nash goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Matt Hunwick and Derick Brassard. The Wild shot back on a Jason Zucker goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Nino Neiderreiter and Ryan Suter. New York replied on a Brassard goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Carl Hagelin and Zuccarello. The Rangers tied it with an Anthony Duclair goal, made possible by Hunwick and Klein. New York took the lead with a Zuccarello goal, with assists provided by Brassard and Ryan McDonagh. This was all they needed to complete the comeback and win the game 5-4. The three stars were Zuccarello, Brassard, and Klein, while Cooke, Fontaine, Nash, and Hunwick received honorable mentions.

The other game comes from Edmonton, as the Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski and Ben Scrivens are in goal. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, with a lone assist by Mark Arcobello. The Oilers added on with a Nail Yakupov goal in the second period, his second of the season, fueled by Pouliot and Mark Fayne. Edmonton extended the lead on a Taylor Hall goal, his fifth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Joensuu. The final was 3-0, and the three stars went to Pouliot, Scrivens (29 save shutout), and Yakupov.

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KHL October 27th, 2014

Nine games on today, as the schedule returns to full strength. The first game is in...

Astana, as Barys hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov faces a lesser foe in Pavel Poluektov in goal. Astana dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Roman Starchenko goal, fueled by Roman Savchenko and Konstantin Rudenko. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the third period with a Ben Maxwell goal, assisted by Philip Larsen. Yugra took the lead on a power play goal by Denis Gorbunov goal, passed from Alexei Pepelyaev and Igor Bortnikov. Barys tied it on a Dustin Boyd goal, made possible by Brandon Bochenski and Nigel Dawes. Khanty-Mansiysk won 3-2 with a power play goal by Lukas Kaspar in overtime, with a lone assist by Andrei Sergeyev. The three stars went to Kaspar, Gorbunov, and Maxwell.

Into Russia, as Avangard Omsk welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Michael Garnett and Konstantin Barulin are the reliable goalies. Omsk led off in the first period with a Alexander Popov goal, assisted by Sergei Shirokov. Avangard added on with a third period power play goal by Alexander Perezhogin, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Denis Kulyash. Omsk extended the lead with a Roman Berdnikov goal, via Valery Vasilyev and Ivan Nepryayev. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Popov, Perezhogin, and Barulin (15 save shutout).

Up in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Leland Irving draw the starts. Ufa started in the first period with an Evgeny Skachkov power play goal, fueled by Alexei Kaigorodov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Stanislav Alshevsky power play goal, powered by Nikolai Belov and Yaroslav Alshevsky. Neftekhimik took the lead in the second period on a Maxim Trunyov goal, coming off of Josh Hennessy and Maxim Rybin. Salavat Yulaev tied it in the third period on a Denis Khlystov goal, courtesy of Ilkka Heikkinen and Denis Tolpeko. Nizhnekamsk got goals from Hennessy and Yegor Milovzorov in the shootout to take a 3-2 win. The three stars were given to Hennessy, Trunyov, and Milovzorov.

Out west, Dynamo Moscow hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Alexander Yeryomenko are the masked men. Riga began in the first period with a Miks Indrasis goal, via Krisjanis Redlihs and the goalie Sedlacek. Moscow tied it on a Alexei Tsvetkov goal, with a lone assist by Nikolai Zherdev. Dynamo took the lead on a Konstantin Volkov goal, passed from Konstantin Glazachev and Andrei Mironov. Moscow added on with a Maxim Pestushko power play goal, powered by Kaspars Daugavins and Glazachev. Dinamo got one back with a power play goal by Pyotr Schastlivy, assisted by Marcel Hossa and Charles Genoway. Riga tied it on an unassisted Gints Meija goal. Dinamo took the lead as Schastlivy scored again in the third period, with the help of Linus Videll. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Schastlivy, Meija, and Glazachev.

Up in Mytishchi, Atlant welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Atte Engren are between the pipes. Vladivostok struck first in the first period on a Andrei Sigaryov goal, assisted by Artyom Podshendyalov. Mytishchi tied it on an Andreas Engqvist goal, via Matthew Gilroy and Artyom Chernov. Admiral took the lead back in the second period on a power play goal by Jan Kolar, powered by Alexander Kuznetsov. Atlant tied it as Engqvist scored again, thanks to Igor Radulov and Yaroslav Dyblenko. Vladivostok won 3-2 with a goal in overtime by Konstantin Makarov, guided in by Artyom Zemchyonok and the goalie Proskuryakov. The three stars were handed to Engqvist, Makarov, and Kolar.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Alexei Murygin and Lars Haugen occupy the creases. Khabarovsk got going in the second period with a shorthanded Evgeny Orlov goal, set up by Vyacheslav Litovchenko and Denis Yezhov. Minsk tied it on an Ilya Shinkevich goal, courtesy of Lukas Krajicek. Dinamo took the lead on a Nick Bailen power play goal, powered by Paul Szczechura and Alexei Kalyuzhny in the third period. Amur tied it again with an Alexander Ryazantsev goal, with a lone assist by Tommi Taimi on the power play. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Ryan Vesce clinched it for Minsk by a 3-2 margin. The three stars were given to Bailen, Shinkevich, and Vesce.

Back in Russia, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Helsinki was first to score in the second period with a Tommi Huhtala goal, coming off of Niko Kapanen and Juhamatti Aaltonen. Jokerit added on in the third period as Huhtala scored again, thanks to Aaltonen. This was good for a 2-0, with the three stars being Huhtala, Karlsson (23 save shutout), and Aaltonen.

East to Kazan, where Ak Bars welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Anders Nilsson receive the starting nods. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard with a third period goal by Dais Zaripov, a power play goal powered by Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. This was the only goal in the game, with the final standing at 1-0. The three stars were awarded to Koshechkin (22 save shutout), Zaripov, and Nilsson (24 for 25 in saves).

Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Alexander Salak and Curtis Sanford guard the cages. St. Petersburg opened in the second period with an Alexander Barabanov goal, passed from Dinar Khafizullin and Ilya Kovalchuk. Yaroslavl tied it on a Sergei Plotnikov goal, guided in by Jiri Novotny and Yegor Yakovlev. SKA took the lead back with an unassisted Patrick Thoresen goal in the third period. Lokomotiv tied it again with a Sergei Konkov goal, via Daniil Apalkov and Martin Thornberg. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Staffan Kronwall scored twice for Lokomotiv, while Artemy Panarin had the only goal for SKA. The final was 3-2, and the three stars went to Kronwall, Konkov, and Plotnikov.

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Premier League Week 9

The slate of ten games sees the first six come on Saturday this week. We begin with...

West Ham United hosting Manchester City. Joe Hart and Adrian are the goalies. In the seventh minute, Morgan Amalfitano was shown a yellow card for his foul for West Ham. Amalfitano made up for his error with a goal in the twenty-first minute for West Ham, guided in by Enner Valencia. In the forty-fourth minute, Vincent Kompany was given a yellow card for his foul for Manchester City. West Ham took a yellow card for an Alexandre Song foul in the forty-seventh minute. West Ham added on to their lead in the seventy-fifth minute with a Diafra Sakho goal, passed from Aaron Cresswell on a cross. Manchester City got on the board with a David Silva goal, set up by Jesus Navas. They failed to get an equalizer, dropping a 2-1 decision.

Along to Liverpool, who welcomes Hull City. Eldin Jakupovic and Simon Mignolet draw the starts in goal. In the fortieth minute, the first yellow card went to Hull City's Tom Huddlestone for a foul. Hull City had another yellow card in the fiftieth minute on a Hatem Ben Arfa foul. Liverpool had the next three yellow cards, going to Raheem Sterling in the fifty-fifth minute, Mario Balotelli in the fifty-seventh minute, and Jordan Henderson in the eighty-first minute. The first two of those three were for fouls, while the third was for a dive. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

Continuing to Southampton, who brings in Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Fraser Forster guard the nets. Southampton struck first in the thirty-third minute on a Sadio Mane goal after a set piece. Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross was given a yellow card in the thirty-ninth minute. Stoke City had another yellow card in the eighty-first minute for a foul by Marc Wilson. The final score favored Southampton 1-0, which is only seven goals less than they scored last week.

Next up, Sunderland hosts Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Vito Mannone are in goal. Arsenal had the first yellow card in the twenty-fourth minute for a Kieran Gibbs foul. Arsenal opened with a thirtieth minute goal by Alexis Sanchez. In the thirty-eighth minute, Sunderland's Sebastian Larsson received a yellow card for his foul. Arsenal took the next two yellow cards, going to Danny Welbeck in the fiftieth minute for a dive and Mikel Arteta in the fifty-fifth minute for dangerous play. Sunderland had a pair of yellow cards as well, going to Lee Cattermole for his sixty-third minute foul and to Connor Wickham in the sixty-eighth minute, also for a foul. In stoppage time, Arsenal's lead doubled on another Sanchez goal. This made it a 2-0 win for them.

Moving to where West Bromwich Albion welcomes Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Ben Foster man the nets. Crystal Palace began on a sixteenth minute goal by Brede Hangeland from close range after a corner kick. Crystal Palace added on in first half stoppage time with a Mile Jedinak penalty kick goal. West Brom took a yellow card in the same stoppage time session for a Stephane Sessegnon foul. In the fifty-first minute, West Brom got on the board with a Victor Anichebe header goal from close range, off a Chris Brunt cross after a corner kick. Jedinak took a yellow card for his sixty-sixth minute foul for Crystal Palace. West Brom had a pair of yellow cards issued to Craig Gardner in the eighty-second minute and Sebastian Blanco in the eighty-eighth minute, both for fouls. West Brom tied it in the second half stoppage time as Saido Berahino converted a penalty kick. The 2-2 draw held to be a final score.

Closing out Saturday, Swansea City brings in Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Lukasz Fabianski are in the six-yard boxes. Swansea City started in the thirty-fourth minute on a Wilfried Bony goal, courtesy of Gylfi Sigurdsson. In the fifty-seventh minute, Swansea City extended the lead on another Bony goal, set up by Jefferson Montero. This made it 2-0, the final.

On Sunday, the first game saw Burnley host Everton. Tim Howard and Tom Heaton are the keepers. Everton led off with a fourth minute goal by Samuel Eto'o, a header assisted by a cross from Leighton Baines. Burnley tied it on a twentieth minute goal by Danny Ings, via Lukas Jutkiewicz's through ball. In the twenty-fourth minute, Romelu Lukaku was shown a yellow card. Lukaku gave Everton the lead to make up for his mistake by scoring in the twenty-ninth minute. In the thirty-first minute, George Boyd of Burnley received a yellow card. Burnley had another yellow card in the fifty-second minute for a foul by Scott Arfield. Everton had the next yellow card for a fifty-fifth minute foul by Steven Naismith. Burnley was booked twice more, with yellow cards given to Stephen Ward in the sixty-third minute and Ashley Barnes in the seventy-fourth minute, both for fouls. At the eighty-five minute mark, Eto'o scored again to extend the Everton lead, with an assist from Steven Pienaar. The final stood at 3-1.

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur welcomes Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Hugo Lloris guard the woodwork. In the eighteenth minute, Emmanuel Adebayor knocked in a header from close range off a cross from Ryan Mason to give Tottenham Hotspur the first lead. In the twenty-third minute, Yoan Gouffran was shown a yellow card for his foul for Newcastle United. Eight seconds into the second half, Newcastle United tied it on a Sammy Ameobi goal, set up by Jack Colback. At the fifty minute mark, Colback received a yellow card for his foul. Newcastle United took the lead in the fifty-eighth minute on a Ayoze Perez goal, made possible by Remy Cabella's cross. In the sixty-third minute, Tottenham Hotspur saw a yellow card go to Etienne Capoue for a foul. Krul of Newcastle United picked up a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-seventh minute. Newcastle United had another yellow card in the ninetieth minute for an offense by Daryl Janmaat. The final stood at 2-1 in favor of Newcastle United.

The last Sunday game sees Manchester United bring in Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and David de Gea tend the nets. In the twelfth minute, Manchester United took a yellow card for a foul by Rafael. Chelsea had a pair of yellow cards in the first half, going to Didier Drogba in the twenty-second minute and Nemanja Matic in the thirty-ninth minute, both for fouls. Chelsea had a second half yellow card go to Cesc Fabregas in the fiftieth minute. Chelsea led off with a fifty-third minute Drogba header, assisted by Fabregas' cross off of a corner kick. Chelsea had another pair of yellow cards go to Oscar in the sixty-second minute for a foul and Branislav Ivanovic in the sixty-fifth minute. Manchester United had a booking in the seventy-seventh minute as Marouane Fellaini was shown a yellow card for a foul. In the eighty-eighth minute, Eden Hazard of Chelsea was given a yellow card for his foul. In stoppage time, Chelsea went down a man as Ivanovic received his second yellow card of the game and was sent off for that foul. Manchester United cashed in on the advantage with a Robin van Persie goal about a minute later after a set piece. The final was 1-1.

Closing out the week, the Queens Park Rangers host Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Robert Green draw the starts. QPR opened in the seventeenth minute on a Charlie Austin goal, via Bobby Zamora. In the fifty-eighth minute, Aston Villa saw a yellow card go to Andreas Weimann. QPR added on in the sixty-ninth minute as Austin scored again, coming off of a cross from Eduardo Vargas. Aston Villa took another yellow card in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul by Matthew Lowton. The final stood at 2-0.

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NHL October 26th, 2014

Five games for today, beginning in...

Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ondrej Pavelec draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg led off in the first period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Zach Bogosian and Michael Frolik. Colorado tied it on a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Alex Tanguay. The Jets won 2-1 on an overtime goal by Bryan Little, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars went to Ladd, Pavelec (22 for 23 in saves), and Little.

Southwest to Los Angeles, where the Kings welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. Columbus started in the first period with a Tim Erixon power play goal, powered by Scott Hartnell and Ryan Johansen. Los Angeles tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Jeff Carter, his fifth of the season, guided in by Tyler Toffoli and Drew Doughty. The Kings took the lead as Toffoli scored his fourth of the year, thanks to Carter and Robyn Regehr. Los Angeles added on with a Dwight King goal, assisted by Justin Williams and Carter. The Blue Jackets got one back on a Mark Letestu goal, his third of the season, passed from Corey Tropp and Dalton Prout. The Kings shot back on a third period Tanner Pearson goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Toffoli and Brayden McNabb. Los Angeles finished it at 5-2 with another Pearson goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, made possible by Toffoli and Carter, both of whom got sock tricks. The three stars went to Toffoli, Carter, and Pearson.

Back east, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson faces a lesser foe in Scott Darling in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his second of the season, via Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane. Ottawa tied it on a shorthanded Milan Michalek goal, set up by Alex Chiasson. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a power play goal by Brent Seabrook, powered by Brad Richards and Marian Hossa. This was it for the scoring, and the final was 2-1. Darling (32 for 33 in saves), Seabrook, and Toews received the three stars.

To California again, as the Anaheim Ducks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. San Jose opened in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Patrick Marleau. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. San Jose extended the lead on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the season, via Marleau and Couture. The Sharks padded the lead in the third period on a Tommy Wingels power play goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Matthew Nieto and Tomas Hertl. Anaheim got on the board with a Matt Beleskey goal, his fifth of the campaign, coming on the power play from Ryan Kesler and Cam Fowler. The final stood at 4-1, and Niemi (33 for 34 in saves), Marleau, and Couture were given the three stars.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Washington Capitals. Justin Peters is mismatched with Ryan Miller in goal. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his third of the season, via Andre Burakovsky and Mike Green. Vancouver tied it on a Henrik Sedin goal, his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Radim Vrbata and Daniel Sedin. The Canucks took the lead on a Nick Bonino goal, his third of the season, guided in by Chris Higgins and Dan Hamhuis. Vancouver added on with a Luca Sbisa goal, made possible by Bonino and Higgins. The Capitals got one back on a Liam O'Brien goal, courtesy of Green. The Canucks iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an unassisted empty net power play goal by Vrbata, his third of the year. The three stars went to Bonino, Vrbata, and Higgins, while Green gets an honorable mention.

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MLS Weekend October 24-26, 2014

Nine games on for the final weekend of the regular season in MLS. We begin with a Friday night game in...

Chicago, where the Fire host the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and Sean Johnson receive the starting nods in goal. Houston struck first with an Omar Cummings goal in the eighteenth minute, helped along by Brad Davis. Chicago's Alex took a yellow card for his thirty-third minute foul. The Fire tied the game in the sixty-sixth minute on a Jeff Larentowicz penalty kick goal. Chicago saw another yellow card go to Logan Pause in the seventieth minute for a foul. The Dynamo took two yellow cards in the eighty-second minute, for a foul by Davis and a handball by Deric, followed by an eighty-fifth minute foul putting a yellow card to A.J. Cochran's name. The Fire took the lead in stoppage time with a goal by Florent Sinama-Pongolle. This made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Johnson for his eight-save performance.

Saturday's first game was also the weekend's most important, as the Seattle Sounders FC welcomed the Los Angeles Galaxy to a battle for the Supporters' Shield. Jaime Penedo and Stefan Frei tend the twines. Seattle was hit with a yellow card for a foul by Clint Dempsey in the fifteenth minute. Los Angeles took a yellow card on a foul by Dan Gargan in the twenty-second minute. The Galaxy had another yellow card go to Landon Donovan in the thirty-eighth minute for his foul. The Sounders had another yellow card in the fifty-first minute for Zach Scott's foul. In the seventy-first minute, the chippy character of the game spilled over into coincidental yellow cards for arguments going to Los Angeles' Marcelo Sarvas and Seattle's Gonzalo Pineda. The Sounders opened with an eighty-fifth minute goal by Marco Pappa, set up by Obafemi Martins. Seattle iced it at 2-0 with another Pappa goal in stoppage time, where he stole the ball from Penedo and chipped it in after a short run. The man of the match was Pappa, and the Sounders claimed the Supporters' Shield.

Back east, the Montreal Impact bring in DC United. Bill Hamid and Evan Bush are in goal. Montreal started in the twenty-sixth minute with a Marco Di Vaio goal, passed from Dilly Duka. The Impact had a yellow card for a foul in the fortieth minute by Calum Mallace. DC tied it in the eighty-sixth minute on a Fabian Espindola goal, assisted by Samuel Inkoom. The final was 1-1, and the man of the match was Di Vaio for his final MLS goal, as he is retiring.

Down in the States, the New England Revolution hosts Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Bobby Shuttleworth receive the starting nods. New England was first to score with a thirty-sixth minute goal by Lee Nguyen, courtesy of Chris Tierney. Toronto's Justin Morrow was given a yellow card in the sixty-first minute for a foul. This was it for the game, with the final favoring the Revolution 1-0. The man of the match was Nguyen.

Further south to Texas, where FC Dallas welcomes the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Chris Seitz are called on to start. Portland led off in the forty-third minute on a Darlington Nagbe goal, set up by Diego Chara. The Timbers took a yellow card for encroachment by Gaston Fernandez in the sixty-first minute. In the sixty-third minute, Dallas' Fabian Castillo was given a yellow card for a handball. Dallas took another yellow card for a David Texeira foul in the sixty-eighth minute. Portland added on with an eighty-second minute goal by Maximiliano Urruti goal, courtesy of Fernandez. The final stood at 2-0, with the man of the match being Nagbe's game-winner.

Closing out Saturday, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and David Ousted are the keepers. Colorado took a yellow card for unsporting behavior by Gabriel Torres in the seventeenth minute. Vancouver struck first in the seventieth minute on a Kendall Waston goal, guided in by Pedro Morales. The Whitecaps took a yellow card for a foul by Jordan Harvey in the eighty-seventh minute. This stood up for a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Ousted for a five-save clean sheet.

Sunday's first game saw the Columbus Crew host the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Steve Clark are set to start in goal. Columbus began with a thirteenth minute goal by Jairo Arrieta, passed from Ben Speas and Wil Trapp. In the fifty-seventh minute Philadelphia Amobi Okugo received a yellow card his persistent infringement. The Union tied it in the eighty-fifth minute on a Zach Pfeffer goal, helped along by Okugo and Sebastien Le Toux. The Crew took the lead with a ninetieth minute Bernardo Anor goal, going in unassisted. This made it 2-1, and the man of the match was Anor for his timely winner.

Out west, Chivas USA welcomes the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Dan Kennedy receive the starting nods. Chivas started in the thirty-third minute on an unassisted Felix Borja goal. Chivas took a yellow card for persistent infringement by Oswaldo Minda in the fifty-first minute. San Jose had a yellow card for a Victor Bernandez foul in the sixty-sixth minute. The final stood at 1-0, with the man of the match being Borja.

The final game of the regular season was in Kansas City, as Sporting brings in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Eric Kronberg play in goal. New York led off with a fifteenth minute goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips, passed from Eric Alexander. The Red Bulls added on in the seventieth minute as Wright-Phillips scored again, an unassisted goal. The final was 2-0, and Wright-Phillips was the man of the match with his brace.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion and watch for the MLS Cup playoff posts in the coming weeks.

KHL October 25 and 26, 2014

Two games over the entire weekend, with the first in...

Moscow on Saturday, as CSKA hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Stanislav Galimov are in the creases. Moscow led off in the first period with a Jan Mursak power play goal, powered by Bogdan Kiselevich and Alexander Radulov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a second period Danis Zaripov goal, fueled by Jan Kovar on the power play. Metallurg took the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Timkin goal, made possible by Bogdan Potekhin. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Timkin, Koshechkin (24 for 25 in saves), and Zaripov.

The Sunday game has the Sochi Leopards host Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Tomas Popperle are the goalies. Nizhny Novgorod began in the first period with a Jarkko Immonen goal, courtesy of Sergei Demagin and Sakari Salminen on the power play. Sochi tied it on a second period goal by Alexander Shcherbina, via Alexei Krutov. Torpedo took the lead in the third period on a Petteri Nokelainen goal, with a lone assist by Vyacheslav Kulyomin. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Kasutin (25 for 26 in saves), Nokelainen, and Immonen.

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