Saturday, November 15, 2014

NHL November 15th, 2014

Twelve games on today, with three of them playing as matinees. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Tuukka Rask receive the starting nods. Carolina was first to score in the first period on a Jiri Tlusty goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Justin Faulk and Eric Staal. Boston tied it on a Seth Griffith goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Bruins took the lead as Patrice Bergeron scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Brad Marchand and Dennis Seidenberg. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Rask (33 for 34 in saves), Bergeron, and Griffith.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Kari Lehtonen are the reliable goalies. Dallas got going in the second period on an Antoine Roussel goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Vernon Fiddler and Ales Hemsky. Minnesota tied it on an Erik Haula goal, his second of the year, via Ryan Carter. The Wild took the lead in the third period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his second of the season, assisted by Charlie Coyle. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Kuemper (27 for 28 in saves), Granlund, and Haula.

West to Los Angeles for the last matinee, as the Kings bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Jonathan Quick protect the nets. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Emerson Etem goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Patrick Maroon and Ryan Getzlaf. Los Angeles tied it on a shorthanded Tyler Toffoli goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Jarret Stoll. The Ducks took the lead back with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Bryan Allen and Sami Vatanen. The Kings tied it in the third period on an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles won 3-2 in overtime with a Stoll power play goal, fueled by Justin Williams and Muzzin. The three stars were given to Stoll, Muzzin, and Kopitar.

Back east, the Buffalo Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Michal Neuvirth are the backups in goal. Buffalo began in the first period on a Tyler Ennis power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Drew Stafford and Matt Moulson. The Sabres added on with a shorthanded goal by Zemgus Girgensons, his fifth of the year, set up by Brian Flynn and Tyson Strachan. Buffalo extended the lead in the second period on a Stafford goal, his fourth of the season, via Nicolas Deslauriers and Andrej Meszaros. Toronto got on the board with a David Clarkson goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri. The Sabres shot back on a Moulson goal, his second of the season, fueled by Ennis and Mike Weber. The Maple Leafs replied as Phil Kessel scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Rielly. Buffalo countered in the third period on a Tyler Myers goal, coming off of Moulson and Ennis. The Sabres wrapped it up at 6-2 with a Girgensons goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, helped along by Cody McCormick. The three stars went to Girgensons, Ennis, and Moulson, while Stafford gets an honorable mention.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Carey Price are in the creases. Montreal struck first in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. The Canadiens added on with a David Desharnais power play goal, his second of the year, passed from Pacioretty and Markov. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as P.K. Subban potted his fourth of the season, a power play goal guided in by Alex Galchenyuk and Tomas Plekanec. Philadelphia got on the board as Brayden Schenn scored his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Jakub Voracek. The Flyers pulled closer on another Schenn goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, coming off of Claude Giroux and Voracek. The Canadiens shot back in the third period with another Parenteau goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, via Sergei Gonchar and Desharnais. Philadelphia answered with a Matt Read power play goal, his second of the season, fueled by Carlo Colaiacovo and Sean Couturier. Montreal countered on a Dale Weise goal, his second of the year, made possible by Galchenyuk and Gonchar. The Canadiens finished it at 6-3 with another Weise goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, helped along by Plekanec and Galchenyuk, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Parenteau, Galchenyuk, and Weise, while Pacioretty, Markov, Desharnais, Plekanec, Schenn, Voracek, and Gonchar get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the New Jersey Devils bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Cory Schneider are the above-average goalies. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Martin Havlat goal, his second of the season, guided in by Michael Ryder and Patrik Elias. Colorado tied it on a John Mitchell goal, his third of the year, coming off of Gabriel Landeskog and Jarome Iginla. The Devils took the lead in the third period as Eric Gelinas scored his second of the season, thanks to Elias. The Avalanche tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Colorado took the lead with a Matt Duchene goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Alex Tanguay. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Duchene, Johnson, and Elias.

West to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh led off in the first period on a Blake Comeau goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Patric Hornqvist and Christian Ehrhoff. New York tied it with a Lee Stempniak goal, his fourth of the year, via Dan Girardi and Carl Hagelin. The Rangers took the lead with a Martin St. Louis goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Rick Nash on the power play. The Penguins tied it in the second period on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Nick Spaling. Pittsburgh took the game in the shootout with goals from Sidney Crosby and Brandon Sutter to top a Derek Stepan tally for a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Fleury (29 for 31 in saves), Lundqvist (36 for 38 in saves), and Sutter.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. New York started in the first period on a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the season, passed from John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. Tampa Bay tied it on a Ryan Callahan goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Jason Garrison and Valtteri Filppula. The Islanders retook the lead as Josh Bailey scored his third of the season, thanks to Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy. The Lightning tied it again with a Filppula power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Steven Stamkos and Garrison. Tampa Bay gained the lead on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. Tampa Bay extended the lead on a third period goal by Radko Gudas, helped along by Callahan. This made it 5-2, with the three stars being Callahan, Filppula, and Garrison. 

Northwest to Nashville, as the Predators bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Pekka Rinne are the masked men. Winnipeg got going in the second period on a shorthanded Blake Wheeler goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Evander Kane. Nashville tied it with a James Neal goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Mike Ribeiro. The Predators took the lead on a third period goal by Craig Smith, his sixth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Calle Jarnkrok. This gave them a 2-1 win, and the three stars belonged to Rinne (21 for 22 in saves), Smith, and Neal.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus struck first in the first period on a David Savard goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Adam Cracknell and Artem Anisimov. The Blue Jackets added on as Cam Atkinson scored his seventh of the year in the second period, a power play goal powered by Jack Johnson and Boone Jenner. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Bobrovsky (36 for 37 in saves), Atkinson, and Savard.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Washington Capitals. Justin Peters and Brian Elliott are set to start in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the first period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Kevin Shattenkirk. Washington tied it in the second period on a Joel Ward goal, his eighth of the year, via Mike Green and Nate Schmidt. The Blues took the lead back as Schwartz netted his seventh of the season, made possible by Shattenkirk and Carl Gunnarsson. St. Louis added on in the third period as David Backes scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Patrik Berglund. The Blues extended the lead with a Berglund goal, his second of the season, passed from T.J. Oshie and Backes. This made it 4-1, and the three stars of the game were Schwartz, Backes, and Berglund, while Shattenkirk gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson faces a lesser foe in Karri Ramo in goal. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris. Calgary tied it in the second period on a Paul Byron goal, his fourth of the year, via Sven Baertschi and Josh Jooris. The Flames took the lead in the third period on a Markus Granlund goal, his third of the season, assisted by Lance Bouma. Calgary added on with a Jooris goal, his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano. The Senators got one back on a Bobby Ryan goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Milan Michalek and Eric Gryba. The Flames replied with a Bouma goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Granlund. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Jooris, Bouma, and Granlund.

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KHL November 15th, 2014

The only game today has Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen is mismatched with Michael Garnett in goal. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period on a Yegor Milovzorov goal, via Dan Sexton. Neftekhimik added on with a Sexton goal, courtesy of Tim Stapleton and Milovzorov. Chelyabinsk got on the board in the second period as Anton Glinkin scored, with assists provided by Dmitry Pestunov and Oleg Piganovich. Traktor tied it on a Martin Ruzicka goal, with a lone assist by Igor Velichkin. Chelyabinsk took the lead with an Andrei Popov goal, assisted by Pestunov. Traktor extended the lead as Konstantin Panov scored, thanks to Stanislav Chistov and Piganovich. Chelyabinsk padded the lead on a Chistov goal, made possible by Panov. Traktor made it 6-2 with a power play goal in the third period by Maxim Kondratyev, powered by Deron Quint and Chistov. The three stars went to Chistov, Panov, and Pestunov, while Milovzorov, Sexton, and Piganovich get the honorable mentions.

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NHL November 14th, 2014

Six games on tonight, beginning in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney faces former Blue Jacket Steve Mason in goal. Columbus led off with a James Wisniewski power play goal, powered by Ryan Johansen and Tim Erixon. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Mark Streit and Jakub Voracek. The Blue Jackets regained the lead on a Nick Foligno goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Erixon and Johansen on the power play. The Flyers retied it in the second period on a Voracek power play goal, his seventh of the season, via Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. Columbus reclaimed the lead as Foligno scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, thanks to Johansen, who got a sock trick, and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Wisniewski goal, his second of the night, coming off of Foligno and Johansen on the power play. Philadelphia got one back in the third period on a Michael Del Zotto goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Giroux and the goalie Mason. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Foligno, Wisniewski, and Johansen, while Giroux, Voracek, and Erixon get the honorable mentions.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Braden Holtby are the young goalies. New Jersey got going in the third period on an unassisted Michael Cammalleri goal, his seventh of the season. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars belonged to Schneider (30 save shutout), Cammalleri, and Holtby (27 for 28 in saves).

Northwest to Detroit, as the Red Wings bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Jimmy Howard tend the twines. Detroit began in the first period on a Luke Glendening goal, his second of the season, fueled by Drew Miller. Chicago tied it with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Red Wings retook the lead in the second period as Johan Franzen potted his fifth of the season, with the help of Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit added on with a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Joakim Andersson and Glendening. The Red Wings extended the lead in the third period as Brendan Smith scored his second of the campaign, an empty net goal set up by Pavel Datsyuk and Justin Abdelkader. The final was 4-1, with the three stars being Glendening, Howard (25 for 26 in saves), and Franzen.

Along to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss is mismatched with Jonathan Bernier in goal. Pittsburgh dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Pascal Dupuis goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Christian Ehrhoff and Brandon Sutter. The Penguins added on in the third period on a Dupuis goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Robert Bortuzzo. Toronto got on the board with a Cody Franson goal, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Dupuis, Greiss (30 for 31 in saves), and Bernier (38 for 40 in saves).

South to Florida, where the Panthers welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Florida opened in the first period on a Jimmy Hayes goal, his third of the season, via Vincent Trocheck and Jussi Jokinen. New York tied it in the second period as John Tavares scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Islanders took the lead with a Ryan Strome goal, his second of the season, passed from Thomas Hickey and the goalie Halak. New York took the lead on a third period Nikolay Kulemin goal, his third of the year, guided in by Johnny Boychuk and Mikhail Grabovski. The Panthers got one back on a Brian Campbell power play goal, powered by Jokinen and Aleksander Barkov. Florida tied it on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Trocheck and Hayes. In the shootout, the Islanders got goals from Frans Nielsen and Okposo to top a Jonathan Huberdeau tally for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Hayes, Jokinen, and Trocheck.

Finally, across the continent, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk and Ryan Miller draw the starts. Arizona started with a Martin Hanzal goal in the first period, his third of the season, guided in by Keith Yandle and Connor Murphy. The Coyotes added on in the second period with another Hanzal goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, passed from Tobias Rieder and Martin Erat. Arizona extended the lead as Hanzal completed his natural hat trick on his fifth of the season, via Erat and Zbynek Michalek. The Coyotes padded the lead on a Shane Doan goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Sam Gagner and Yandle. Arizona made it 5-0 with a third period Yandle power play goal, his second of the campaign, powered by Mikkel Boedker and Gagner. This was it for the scoring, and the three stars were awarded to Hanzal, Yandle, and Dubnyk (35 save shutout), while Erat and Gagner get the honorable mentions.

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Friday, November 14, 2014

KHL November 14th, 2014

Nine games on today, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Alexei Murygin occupy the creases. Kazan opened in the first period on an Oscar Moller power play goal, powered by Alexander Svitov and Alexander Burmistrov. Ak Bars added on with a shorthanded goal by Svitov, set up by Artyom Lukoyanov. Khabarovsk got on the board with an Alexander Loginov power play goal, fueled by Rastislav Spirko and Dmitry Lugin. Kazan replied with a Dmitry Obukhov in the second period, via Svitov and Evgeny Medvedev on the power play. Ak Bars extended the lead as Lukoyanov scored, with a lone assist by Stepan Zakharchuk. Kazan padded the lead on a Justin Azevedo power play goal, coming off of Ilya Nikulin. Ak Bars continued with an Igor Mirnov goal, passed from Lukoyanov. Kazan struck again in the third period with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, courtesy of Sergei Kostitsyn. Ak Bars made it 8-1 on a Sheldon Brookbank goal, pushed through by Burmistrov. The three stars went to Svitov, Lukoyanov, and Burmistrov.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Vladivostok struck first in the first period on an Alexei Ugarov goal, via Konstantin Makarov and Enver Lisin. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Sergei Yemelin goal, fueled by Vladislav Yegin and Alexei Yefimov. Avtomobilist took the lead on an unassisted Yefimov goal. Yekaterinburg added on in the second period as Anton Lazarev scored, thanks to Tobias Viklund and Alexei Simakov. Avtomobilist extended the lead with an Anatoly Golyshev goal, assisted by Alexander Rybakov. This made it 4-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Yefimov, Kovar (20 for 21 in saves), and Lazarev.

Out to Novokuznetsk, where Metallurg brings in the similarly-named Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Alexander Pechursky and Rafael Khakimov are the mediocre goalies. Novokuznetsk started in the first period with an Ansel Galimov goal, passed from Dmitry Maltsev. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Sergei Mozyakin and Danis Zaripov. Novokuznetsk won 2-1 in overtime with a Cade Fairchild goal, with a lone assist by Alexander Romanov. The three stars were given to Khakimov (40 for 41 in saves), Fairchild, and Pechursky (31 for 33 in saves).

Southwest to Astana, as Barys hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Jan Laco are the masked men. Astana got going in the second period on a Dustin Boyd power play goal, powered by Mike Lundin and Kevin Dallman. Omsk tied it on a shorthanded goal by Denis Kulyash, set up by Vladimir Sobotka and Alexander Popov. Avangard took the lead in the third period with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, via Popov. Omsk added on as Miroslav Blatak scored an empty net goal, with the help of Sobotka. The three stars went to Barulin (34 for 35 in saves), Popov, and Sobotka.

Up in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Ivan Kasutin are called on to start. Cherepovets was first to score in the first period with a Pavel Chernov goal, guided in by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a power play goal by Jarkko Immonen, with a lone assist by Wojtek Wolski. Torpedo took the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Sakari Salminen, powered by Wolski and Juuso Hietanen. Severstal tied it again on a power play goal by Andrei Shefer, via Yury Trubachyov and Pavel Buchnevich. Cherepovets took the lead in the third period with a Buchnevich penalty shot goal after he was slashed by Vadim Khomitsky. Severstal added on with a Kagarlitsky goal, assisted by Vadim Berdnikov and Logan Pyett. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Buchnevich, Kagarlitsky, and Wolski.

Westward to Moscow, as CSKA brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Kevin Lelande protect the nets. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andrei Stas goal, via Vladimir Zharkov and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on with a Bogdan Kiselevich goal, assisted by Simon Hjalmarsson and Nikita Zaitsev on the power play. Moscow extended the lead as Sergei Andronov scored, thanks to Grigory Panin. CSKA padded the lead with a Zharkov goal, passed from Mikhail Naumenkov and Georgy Misharin. Moscow kept going on a Hjalmarsson goal, made possible by Evgeny Artyukhin. Vladimir Sokhatsky replaced Irving. CSKA continued with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, coming off of Roman Lyubimov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Moscow struck again in the third period on another Hjalmarsson goal, guided in by Stanislav Yegorshev and Jan Mursak. This produced the 7-0 final, with the three stars being Hjalmarsson, Zharkov, and Lelande (19 save shutout).

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Harri Sateri guard the cages. Podolsk led off in the first period on a Vyacheslav Soloukhin goal, assisted by Yakov Seleznyov and Anton Korolyov. Yaroslavl tied it with an unassisted goal by Geoff Platt in the second period. Vityaz retook the lead on a Dmitry Shitikov power play goal, powered by Maxim Afinogenov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. Podolsk added on with a shorthanded Afinogenov goal, set up by Kucheryavenko. Lokomotiv got one back as Janis Sprukts scored, thanks to Staffan Kronwall. Yaroslavl tied it in the third period on an Alexei Vasilyev goal, via Sergei Plotnikov and Daniil Apalkov. Vityaz won 4-3 in overtime with a Seleznyov goal, courtesy of Solodukhin and Robert Kousal. The three stars went to Seleznyov, Afinogenov, and Solodukhin, while Kucheryavenko gets an honorable mention.

Into Latvia, as Dinamo Riga welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Jakub Sedlacek are between the pipes. Riga began in the first period with a power play goal by Linus Videll, powered by Marcel Hossa and Krisjanis Redlihs. Minsk tied it on a second period goal by Alexander Materukhin, a shorthanded goal set up by Matt Ellison. Riga took the lead back with a Charles Genoway goal, assisted by Kaspars Saulietis. Riga added on with a power play goal by Hossa, fueled by Milan Jurcina and Genoway. Riga extended the lead in the third period as Jurcina scored, thanks to Genoway. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Hossa, Genoway, and Jurcina.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Mark Owuya play goal. Zagreb got going in the second period on a Martin St. Pierre goal, via Pascal Pelletier. Medvescak added on as Aaron Palushaj scored a power play goal, powered by Matt Anderson and Bill Thomas. Zagreb extended the lead in the third period on a Pelletier goal, with a lone assist by St. Pierre. Mytishchi got on the board with a Petr Vrana goal, assisted by Andreas Engqvist and Artyom Chernov. Medvescak shot back with a St. Pierre goal, guided in by Pelletier and Mark Katic. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to St. Pierre, Pelletier, and Owuya (29 for 30 in saves).

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

NHL November 13th, 2014

Nine games for tonight, beginning in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Cam Ward draw the starts. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Mark Stuart and Mark Scheifele. Carolina tied it on an Elias Lindholm power play goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, powered by Nathan Gerbe and Riley Nash. The Jets took the lead back as Wheeler scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Zach Bogosian and Scheifele. Winnipeg iced it at 3-1 on an empty net goal by Michael Frolik in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Andrew Ladd and Stuart. The three stars went to Wheeler, Scheifele, and Stuart.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. Colorado began in the first period with a Matt Duchene goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tyson Barrie and Ryan O'Reilly. New York tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his second of the year, via Dominic Moore and Matt Hunwick. The Avalanche took the lead back on an Alex Tanguay goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Erik Johnson and Duchene. The Rangers tied it again with a Derek Stepan goal, assisted by Rick Nash. New York took the lead with a Dan Girardi goal, made possible by Mats Zuccarello and John Moore. Colorado retied it in the third period on a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Zach Redmond and Barrie. In the shootout, the Avalanche got goals from MacKinnon and Tanguay to top a tally by Stepan for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Tanguay, MacKinnon, and Barrie, while Duchene gets an honorable mention.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg is mismatched with Carey Price in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Dougie Hamilton goal, his fourth of the season, a power play goal coming off of Loui Eriksson. Montreal tied it on a Dale Weise penalty shot goal in the second period after he was tripped by Dennis Seidenberg. The Canadiens took the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Brendan Gallagher. Montreal added on with a Max Pacioretty goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Weise and Mike Weaver. The Canadiens extended the lead in the second period on a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, guided in by David Desharnais. Montreal padded the lead on a Jiri Sekac power play goal, his third of the campaign, powered by Nathan Beaulieu and Eller. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Pacioretty, Weise, and Eller.

Way south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Ben Bishop are in the blue paint. San Jose got going in the second period on a Joe Thornton goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Sharks added on as Tyler Kennedy scored, with the help of Brent Burns and the goalie Niemi. Tampa Bay got on the board in the third period on a Steven Stamkos goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Andrej Sustr and Valtteri Filppula. They failed to tie it, losing 2-1, with the three stars going to Niemi (32 for 33 in saves), Kennedy, and Bishop (37 for 39 in saves).

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jake Allen receive the starting nods. St. Louis opened with a first period T.J. Oshie goal, made possible by Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera on the power play. The Blues added on with a Carl Gunnarsson goal, coming off of Maxim Lapierre and Steve Ott. Nashville got on the board with a Filip Forsberg goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by James Neal and Roman Josi. The Predators tied it in the second period as Shea Weber scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Forsberg and Josi. St. Louis reclaimed the lead with a goal by Tarasenko, his tenth of the season, passed from Lehtera and Jaden Schwartz. Nashville retied it on a Josi power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Weber and Forsberg. The Blues shot back with a third period goal by Paul Stastny, his second of the campaign, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Gunnarsson. This held up for a 4-3 win, with the three stars given to Tarasenko, Forsberg, and Josi, while Lehtera, Gunnarsson, and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Darcy Kuemper are the unknown goalies. Buffalo started in the first period on a Rasmus Ristolainen goal, via Matt Moulson and Zemgus Girgensons. Minnesota tied it as Ryan Carter potted his second of the season, with the help of Kyle Brodziak and Justin Fontaine. The Wild took the lead with a Nino Neiderreiter goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Charlie Coyle. The Sabres retied it on a Girgensons goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Nikita Zadorov. Kuemper was removed for Niklas Backstrom at this point. Minnesota retook the lead on a Brodziak goal, his third of the year, helped along by Fontaine and Carter. The Wild added on as Neiderreiter scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Mikael Granlund and Matt Dumba. Minnesota extended the lead with a second period Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his second of the year, with assists from Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Buffalo got one back in the third period on a Torrey Mitchell goal, his second of the season, pushed through by Drew Stafford and Nicolas Deslauriers. The Wild iced it at 6-3 as Neiderreiter finished his hat trick on an empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Coyle and Ryan Suter. The three stars were handed to Neiderreiter, Girgensons, and Brodziak, while Carter, Fonatine, and Coyle get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Calgary, the Flames host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Jonas Hiller are the average goalies. Calgary led off in the first period on a Paul Byron goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Sven Baertschi. Arizona tied it on a Shane Doan goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Antoine Vermette and Zbynek Michalek. The Flames retook the lead in the second period on another Byron goal, his second of the game and third of the season, passed from Baertschi and Kris Russell. Calgary added on with a Sean Monahan goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Curtis Glencross and David Jones. The Coyotes got one back with a Vermette power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Doan and Mikkel Boedker. Arizona tied it on a Joe Vitale goal, his second of the year, helped along by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and B.J. Crombeen. The Flames pulled ahead with a Mark Giordano goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by T.J. Brodie and Jiri Hudler. Calgary extended the lead in the third period on an unassisted Jones goal, his third of the year. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Byron, Baertschi, and Jones, while Doan and Vermette get the honorable mentions.

Staying in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ben Scrivens receive the starting nods. Ottawa struck first in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Cody Ceci. The Senators added on with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Chris Phillips and Clarke MacArthur. Ottawa extended the lead with a Milan Michalek goal, his second of the season, via Bobby Ryan and Mika Zibanejad. Edmonton got on the board with a Leon Draisaitl power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by David Perron and Nikita Nikitin. The Oilers pulled closer in the third period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Benoit Pouliot and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton tied it on a Jeff Petry goal, courtesy of Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime with a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, with helpers from Curtis Lazar and Jared Cowen. The three stars were given to Hoffman, Nugent-Hopkins, and Michalek.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Martin Jones in goal. Dallas was first to score on a Ryan Garbutt goal in the first period, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Stars added on in the second period as Jason Spezza notched his third of the year, courtesy of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Lehtonen (27 save shutout), Garbutt, and Spezza.

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KHL November 13th, 2014

Two games today, beginning in...

Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Michael Garnett are in the creases. Togliatti got going in the second period on a Denis Golubev goal, with a lone assist by Yury Petrov. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win. The three stars went to Ezhov (34 save shutout), Golubev, and Garnett (19 for 20 in saves).

The other one is in Khanty-Mansiysk, as Yugra hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Barry Brust protect the nets. Nizhnekamsk began in the first period with an Igor Polygalov goal, via Mikhail Zhukov. Neftekhimik added on in the second period with an Andrei Ivanov goal, passed from Maxim Rybin and Zhukov. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead with a Maxim Berezin goal, courtesy of Tim Stapleton and Yegor Milovzorov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Vitaly Sitnikov power play goal, powered by Andrei Chibisov and Philip Larsen. Yugra pulled closer with an Artyom Bulyansky goal, assisted by Igor Magogin and Larsen. Neftekhimik replied in the third period on a Stapleton goal, made possible by Dan Sexton. This made it 4-2, with the three stars going to Stapleton, Zhukov, and Larsen.

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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

NHL November 12th, 2014

Two games on today, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Toronto led off in the first period on a Phil Kessel goal, his ninth of the season, via Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period as Kessel scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, thanks to Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Toronto extended the lead with a Morgan Rielly, his second of the season, coming off of Peter Holland. The Maple Leafs padded the lead when Bozak potted his sixth of the year, a power play goal, powered by van Riemsdyk and Franson. Toronto kept going on a power play goal by van Riemsdyk, his seventh of the season, guided in by Bozak and Jake Gardiner. Boston got on the board with a Dennis Seidenberg goal, his second of the year, made possible by Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron. The Maple Leafs wrapped it up with a Holland power play goal in the third period, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Leo Komarov and Mike Santorelli. This was good for a 6-1 win, with the three stars going to Kessel, van Riemsdyk, and Holland, while Franson and Bozak get the honorable mentions.

The other game has the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Los Angeles began in the first period on an Anze Kopitar penalty shot goal, his fourth of the season, after he was hooked by Sami Vatanen. The Kings added on as Drew Doughty scored, with the help of Jake Muzzin and Jeff Carter. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Cam Fowler goal, his second of the year, via Andrew Cogliano and Rickard Rakell. Los Angeles shot back with a Trevor Lewis goal, his second of the season, coming off of Kyle Clifford and Brayden McNabb. The Ducks pulled back on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, assisted by Ryan Kesler and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim tied it in the third period on a Kesler goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Silfverberg and Matt Beleskey. The Kings took the lead back on a Marian Gaborik goal, his second of the season, fueled by Doughty and Muzzin. Los Angeles extended the lead with a Justin Williams goal, his second of the year, made possible by Alec Martinez and Kopitar. The Ducks replied on another Kesler goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with helpers from Vatanen and Lindholm. Anaheim tied it with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his fifth of the year, pushed through by Devante Smith-Pelly and Vatanen. In the shootout, Kesler and Silfverberg topped Gaborik for a 6-5 Ducks win. The three stars went to Kesler, Silfverberg, and Kopitar, while Vatanen, Doughty, Muzzin, Gaborik, and Lindholm got the honorable mentions.

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KHL November 12th, 2014

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Khabaovsk, as Amur hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Alexei Murygin are set to start in goal. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period with an Anatoly Golyshev power play goal, powered by Filipp Metlyuk and Andrei Antonov. This stood for a 1-0 victory, with the three stars going to Kovar (24 save shutout), Golyshev, and Murygin (31 for 32 in saves).

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Kazan began in the first period with a Justin Azevedo goal, assisted by Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with a power play goal by Varnakov, powered by Konstantin Korneyev and Sergei Kostitsyn. Kazan extended the lead as Dmitry Obukhov scored, thanks to Amitry Arkhipov and Stepan Zakharchuk. Ilya Proskuryakov replaced Nalimov in goal. Ak Bars padded the lead with a shorthanded Azevedo goal in the second period, set up by Zakharchuk. Vladivostok got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Sigaryov goal, going in unassisted. Kazan shot back with an Alexander Svitov goal, coming off of Artyom Lukoyanov and Igor Mirnov. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Azevedo, Garipov (26 for 27 in saves), and Zakharchuk.

Out to Astana, where Barys brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jan Laco are the masked men. Sochi struck first with a Roman Derlyuk goal, via Ilya Krikunov and Nikita Shchitov. Astana tied it on a Dustin Boyd goal, made possible by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Barys took the lead on a Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Dawes. Astana added on with a Talgat Zhailauov goal, passed from Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys extended the lead with a Konstantin Rudenko goal, fueled by Roman Starchenko. The Leopards got one back with a power play goal by Cory Emmerton, powered by Evgeny Lapenkov and Clay Wilson. Sochi pulled closer in the third period on a Krikunov goal, guided in by Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards tied it on a Kostitsyn goal, helped along by Igor Ignatushkin and Krikunov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pushkaryov and Dawes gave Barys a 5-4 win. The three stars were given to Krikunov, Dawes, and Bochenski, while Pushkaryov and Kostitsyn get the honorable mentions.

Back east, Sibir Novosibirsk hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Alexander Pechursky is mismatched with Mikko Koskinen in goal. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period on a Dmitry Monya power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Viktor Bobrov. Sibir added on in the second period on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Stepan Sannikov and Konstantin Alexeyev. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Maxim Ignatovich scored a power play goal, with the help of Renat Mamashev and Koskiranta. Sibir padded the lead with an Oleg Gubin goal, assisted by Sannikov and Mamashev. Magnitogorsk got on the board with an Oskar Osala goal, guided in by Maxim Yakutsenya. This was as close as it got, with the final at 4-1. The three stars went to Koskiranta, Mamashev, and Sannikov.

Westward to Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev welcomes Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Vladimir Sokhatsky are between the pipes. Omsk led off with a first period goal by Vladimir Pervushin, assisted by Kirill Semyonov and Ivan Nepryayev. Ufa tied it on a Dmitry Makarov goal, coming off of Teemu Hartikainen and Anton Slepyshev. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Avangard got goals from Artur Lauta and Semyonov to top a single tally by Salavat Yulaev's Alexei Kaigorodov for a 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Semyonov, Barulin (28 for 29 in saves), and Sokahtsky (29 for 30 in saves).

Continuing to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Ivan Kaustin draw the starts. Mytishchi opened in the first period with a Maxim Potapov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Korobyov and Artyom Chernov. Atlant added on with a Chernov goal, with a lone helper by Andreas Engqvist. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Chernov, Engren (22 save shutout), and Potapov.

Down in Moscow, CSKA hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Stanislav Galimov tend the twines. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Roman Lyubimov goal, via Sergei Andronov. CSKA added on with a Damir Zhafyarov goal, assisted by Stanislav Yegorshev and Vladimir Zharkov. Yaroslavl got on the board in the third period with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Jiri Novotny and Sergei Konkov. Lokomotiv tied it with another Platt goal, courtesy of Sergei Plotnikov and Ilya Gorokhov. Moscow won 3-2 in a shootout with a Lyubimov tally. The three stars went to Platt, Lyubimov, and Zhafyarov.

North to Helsinki, where Jokerit welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Danny Taylor and Henrik Karlsson occupy the creases. Helsinki started in the second period on an Eetu Poysti goal, made possible by Jere Karalahti. Jokerit added on with a Jere Sallinen goal, fueled by Johan Harju and Ryan Gunderson. Helsinki extended the lead in the third period as Topi Jaakola scored, thanks to Niko Kapanen and Tommi Huhtala. Minsk got on the board with a Charles Linglet power play goal, powered by Lukas Krajicek and Dmitry Meleshko. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Karlsson (21 for 22 in saves), Sallinen, and Jaakola.

Back in Russia, SKA St. Petersburg brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Evgeny Ivannikov guard the cages. Moscow got going in the second period on a Konstantin Gorovikov penalty shot goal, after he was slashed by Andrei Kuteikin. Dynamo added on with an Andrei Mironov goal, via Denis Kokarev. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Alexander Barabanov goal, passed from Anton Burdasov. Moscow replied with a power play goal by Alexander Osipov, powered by Kokarev and Mironov. Dynamo extended the lead in the third period as Martins Karsums scored a power play goal, with a lone helper by Nikolai Zherdev. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (33 for 34 in saves), Kokarev, and Mironov.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Owuya and Johan Backlund protect the nets. Zagreb dented the scoreboard in the first period on a Pascal Pelletier power play goal, powered by Mark Katic and Martin St. Pierre. Bratislava tied it on a Rok Ticar penalty shot goal in the third period, after he was hooked by Mark Flood. Medvescak won 2-1 with a lone tally by Pelletier in the shootout. The three stars were awarded to Pelletier, Owuya (32 for 33 in saves), and Backlund (26 for 27 in saves).

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NHL November 11th, 2014

Appropriately enough, eleven games will be played this Veteran's Day. We begin in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Cory Schneider are the young goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period on a Tuomo Ruutu goal, his third of the season, via Seth Helgeson and Adam Larsson. The Devils added on with a Michael Cammalleri, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jaromir Jagr and Andy Greene. Minnesota got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Ryan Carter goal in the third period. New Jersey answered on a power play empty net goal by Travis Zajac, his third of the campaign, powered by Jagr and Marek Zidlicky. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Schneider (23 for 24 in saves), Jagr, and Cammalleri.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New York struck first in the first period on a Nick Leddy goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Johnny Boychuk and Ryan Strome. The Islanders added on with an unassisted power play goal by Anders Lee, his second of the year. New York extended the lead in the second period with a Travis Hamonic goal, his second of the season, assisted by John Tavares and Nikolay Kulemin. The Islanders padded the lead as Kulemin scored his second of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Frans Nielsen. New York struck again on a third period goal by Casey Cizikas, via Lubomir Visnovsky and Cory Conacher. The Islanders finished it at 6-0 on a Strome goal, with a lone assist by Brock Nelson. The three stars went to Kulemin, Strome, and Halak (20 save shutout).

Staying in New York, the Rangers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York was first to score in the first period on a Mats Zuccarello goal, his third of the season, helped along by Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with a Martin St. Louis goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Rick Nash and Marc Staal. New York extended the lead on a Kevin Klein goal, his third of the season, fueled by Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Rangers padded the lead in the second period as Derick Brassard scored a power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nash and Dan Girardi. New York continued in the third period on a shorthanded goal by Nash, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Stepan and Staal. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars going to Lundqvist (33 save shutout), Nash, and Stepan, while Staal gets an honorable mention.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Braden Holtby are called on to start in goal. Washington opened in the first period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Troy Brouwer and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom. Columbus got on the board with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Boone Jenner. Washington shot back with another Ovechkin goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Jay Beagle and Backstrom. The Blue Jackets got one back in the second period as David Savard scored his third of the season, thanks to Fedor Tyutin and Jenner. The Capitals answered in the third period with a Johansson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Burakovsky and Nate Schmidt. This made it a 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Johansson, Ovechkin, and Burakovsky, while Backstrom and Jenner get the honorable mentions.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Lars Eller goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jiri Sekac and Mike Weaver. The Canadiens added on in the third period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and Tom Gilbert. Montreal iced it at 3-0 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Tomas Plekanec, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Max Pacioretty. The three stars were handed to Price (29 save shutout), Eller, and Galchenyuk.

Way south to Florida, where the Panthers bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Roberto Luongo are between the pipes. Florida started in the first period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Vincent Trocheck and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers added on with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his second of the year, assisted by Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky. Florida extended the lead in the second period on a Derek MacKenzie goal, his second of the season, passed from Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers padded the lead in the third period on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, made possible by Shawn Thornton and Ekblad. San Jose got on the board as Joe Thornton buried his fifth of the year, with the help of Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Ekblad, Luongo (21 for 22 in saves), and Barkov.

Northwest to St. Louis, as the Blues host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth is mismatched with Jake Allen in goal. St. Louis led off in the first period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his fourth of the season, via Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on as Lehtera scored again in the second period, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Tarasenko and Schwartz. St. Louis extended the lead on with Lehtera completing his natural hat trick on his sixth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Schwartz, who got a natural sock trick, and Barret Jackman. Buffalo got on the board with a third period Tyler Ennis power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Matt Moulson and Drew Stafford. The Blues shot back on a David Backes power play goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alexander Steen. St. Louis padded the lead as Joakim Lindstrom potted his second of the year, a power play goal made possible by Steen and Magnus Paajarvi. The Blues finished it with another Lindstrom goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, again on the power play, guided in by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Shattenkirk. The three stars of the 6-1 game were Lehtera, Lindstrom, and Schwartz, while Tarasenko, Steen, and Shattenkirk get the honorable mentions.

Over in Nashville, the Predators welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth and Pekka Rinne occupy the creases. Nashville began in the first period on a Mike Ribeiro goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of James Neal and Filip Forsberg. The Predators added on with a Matt Cullen goal, his second of the year, via Seth Jones and Craig Smith. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg netted his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Ribeiro. Ben Scrivens replaced Fasth in the second period. Edmonton got on the board in the second period on a Benoit Pouliot goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. The Oilers pulled closer with a Nail Yakupov goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by David Perron and Mark Arcobello. This was as close as it got, with the final being 3-2. The three stars belonged to Forsberg, Ribeiro, and, Cullen.

Continuing to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Corey Crawford are the goalies exemplifying alliteration in their names. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Ondrej Palat and Eric Brewer. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Brad Richards goal, his third of the year, guided in by Kris Versteeg and Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks took the lead in the third period on a Marcus Kruger goal, his second of the season, passed from Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa. The Lightning tied it with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Drouin. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Patrick Kane scored to give Chicago a 3-2 win. The three stars belonged to Richards, Kruger, and Kane.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Arizona was first to score in the first period on an unassisted Connor Murphy goal, his second of the season. The Coyotes added on in the second period on a Joe Vitale goal, via Kyle Chipchura and Murphy. Dallas got on the board with a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Patrick Eaves and Jordie Benn. The Stars tied it on a power play goal by Seguin, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel. Dallas took the lead with a third period goal by Erik Cole, his fourth of the year, coming off of Colton Sceviour and Shawn Horcoff. Arizona tied it again with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Michael Stone and Lauri Korpikoski. The Stars regained the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Ryan Garbutt, his second of the year. They held on for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Seguin, Murphy, and Garbutt.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ryan Miller received the starting nods. Vancouver got going in the second period on a Shawn Matthias goal, his second of the season, passed from Linden Vey and Brad Richardson. Ottawa tied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifth of the year, via Curtis Lazar and Jared Cowen. The Canucks took the lead back with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Nick Bonino and Chris Higgins. The Senators tied it on a Kyle Turris goal, his third of the year, assisted by Clarke MacArthur and Alex Chiasson. Vancouver retook the lead in the third period on a Kevin Bieksa goal, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Ottawa tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Turris. The Canucks won 4-3 in overtime on a Daniel Sedin goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Henrik Sedin and Dan Hamhuis. The three stars were Daniel Sedin, Turris, and Henrik Sedin.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

KHL November 9-11, 2014

Since there are only four games the next three days, I'll condense them into this one post here. On Sunday, the single game had...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Dinamo Riga. Edgars Masalskis and Rafael Khakimov are the average goalies. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on an Ansel Galimov goal, passed from Alexei Kosourov and Mikhail Kuklev. Riga tied it on a second period Andris Dzerins goal, via Roberts Bukarts and Marcel Hossa. Metallurg took the lead back on a Konstantin Turukin goal, assisted by Galimov. Novokuznetsk added on with a Galimov goal, courtesy of Kirill Kaprizov. Metallurg extended the lead with a James O'Brien goal, guided in by Sergei Dorofeyev and Mikhail Plotnikov. Jakub Sedlacek replaced Masalskis for the third period. Novokuznetsk padded the lead in the third period as Kuklev scored an unassisted goal. Metallurg kept going on a Plotnikov goal, made possible by Vadim Mitryakov and O'Brien. Dinamo got one back with a Miks Indrasis goal, with an assist provided by Maris Bicevskis. Riga pulled closer with another Indrasis goal, with helpers from Kristaps Sotnieks and Bicevskis. This only made it 6-3, the final, with Galimov, Indrasis, and Kuklev receiving the three stars, while O'Brien, Plotnikov, and Bicevskis get honorable mentions.

On Monday, the first game saw Salavat Yulaev welcome the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Vladimir Sokhatsky protect the nets. Ufa was first to score on a first period goal by Yegor Dubrovsky goal, assisted by Alexei Glukhov. Salavat Yulaev added on with a power play goal by Alexei Kaigorodov, powered by Kirill Koltsov. Ufa extended the lead in the second period as Koltsov scored, thanks to Evgeny Skachkov and Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead with an Anton Slepyshev goal, via Dmitry Makarov and Teemu Hartikainen. Popperle was pulled for Andrei Gavrilov at this time. Ufa kept going on another Kaigorodov goal, passed from Arturs Kulda and Skachkov. Salavat Yulaev continued in the third period with a Denis Tolpeko goal, coming off of Denis Khlystov. Sochi got on the board with an Artyom Kryukov goal, courtesy of Alexei Krutov. The Leopards pulled closer with an Andre Petersson goal, made possible by Evgeny Lapenkov. This only made it 6-2, the final, with the three stars being Kaigorodov, Koltsov, and Skachkov.

The other Monday game features Vityaz Podolsk bring in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ivan Lisutin are in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the third period with a power play goal by Dmitry Vishnevsky, powered by Martins Karsums and Kaspars Daugavins. This was good for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Yeryomenko (24 save shutout), Vishnevsky, and Lisutin (37 for 38 in saves).

Finally, on Tuesday, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Stepan Goryachevskikh are the masked men. Togliatti dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Semyon Valuisky goal, passed from Dmitry Vorobyov and Stanislav Bocharov. Lada added on in the second period as Georgy Belousov scored, thanks to Anton Shenfeld and Yury Petrov. Togliatti extended the lead on a power play goal by Shenfeld, powered by Martin Zatovic and Belousov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a penalty shot goal by Artyom Bulyansky, after he was slashed by Dmitry Stulov. Yugra pulled closer in the third period on a Denis Sokolov goal, assisted by Andrei Chibisov and Airat Ziazov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Shenfeld, Belousov, and Ezhov (37 for 39 in saves).

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Monday, November 10, 2014

MLS Western Conference Semifinal: FC Dallas VS. Seattle Sounders FC

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Western Conference Semifinal.

In Frisco, Texas, the goalies are Raul Fernandez of Dallas and Stefan Frei of Seattle. In the thirty-fourth minute, Michel converted a penalty kick to give Dallas the lead. Seattle tied it in the fifty-fourth minute with an Osvaldo Alonso goal, with an assist by Marco Pappa. The Sounders took a yellow card for a Leonardo Gonzales foul in the seventy-fourth minute. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and Alonso was man of the match for the equalizer. 

In Seattle, the goalies are Frei for Seattle and Chris Seitz for Dallas. Dallas took a yellow card in the fourteenth minute for a foul by Moises Hernandez. This was the only scorecard action, as the game ended in a scoreless draw. Zach Scott was the man of the match for his strong defensive play. The Sounders advance on the away goals tiebreaker to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference Final.

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NHL November 10th, 2014

Two games tonight, beginning in...

Boston, with the Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Tuukka Rask are the masked men. New Jersey began in the first period on a Travis Zajac goal, his second of the season, coming off of Michael Cammalleri and Andy Greene. Boston tied it with a Carl Soderberg goal, his fifth of the year, a power play goal powered by Reilly Smith and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with an unassisted goal by Bergeron, his third of the season. The Devils retied it in the second period as Jaromir Jagr scored his third of the year, thanks to Zajac and Cammalleri. Boston pulled ahead on a Seth Griffith goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Bruins extended the lead with a Smith goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Bergeron. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars being Bergeron, Zajac, and Smith, while Cammalleri gets an honorable mention.

The other game has the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller and Cam Ward draw the starts. Calgary led off in the first period with a David Jones goal, his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano. Carolina tied it on a Zach Boychuk goal, his third of the year, via Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with a Faulk goal, his second of the season, assisted by Riley Nash on the power play. Carolina added on with a Jeff Skinner goal, his third of the year, passed from Alexander Semin and Faulk. The Hurricanes extended the lead in the third period when Tim Gleason scored, with the help of Skinner. This was good for a 4-1 win, with the three stars going to Faulk, Skinner, and Ward (22 for 23 in saves).

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Sunday, November 9, 2014

NHL November 9th, 2014

Five games on throughout the afternoon. We begin in...

Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Jimmy Howard guard the cages. Detroit was first to score in the first period on a Johan Franzen power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Niklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist. Tampa Bay tied it on a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Valtteri Filppula and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning took the lead in the second period on a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, via Callahan. Tampa Bay added on with a Tyler Johnson goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone helper by Ondrej Palat. The Red Wings got one back on a power play goal by Darren Helm, powered by Franzen and Kronwall. Detroit tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eighth of the season, coming in the third period from Jonathan Ericsson. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Callahan's tally gave the Lightning a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Stamkos, Callahan, and Franzen, while Kronwall gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the New York Rangers welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Viktor Fasth is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Edmonton struck first with a first period goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle. New York tied it with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Kevin Hayes and Lee Stempniak. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period on a Pouliot goal, his second of the season, assisted by Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton added on in the third period with a Teddy Purcell empty net goal to make it 3-1, his second of the year, set up by Matt Hendricks. The three stars went to Pouliot, Nugent-Hopkins, and Fasth (20 for 21 in saves).

Into Canada, as the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario. James Reimer and Robin Lehner receive the starting nods. Ottawa began with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it with a Peter Holland goal, his third of the year, passed from Roman Polak and Leo Komarov. The Senators retook the lead on a Kyle Turris goal, his second of the season, coming off of Jared Cowen and Bobby Ryan. The Maple Leafs tied it again with a James van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, via Cody Franson. Ottawa pulled ahead again as Mark Stone scored his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by David Legwand and Erik Karlsson. Toronto pulled even with a Josh Leivo goal, made possible by Trevor Smith. The Maple Leafs gained the lead on a shorthanded goal by Mike Santorelli, his second of the year, set up by Holland. Toronto added on as David Clarkson scored his fourth of the campaign, thanks to Morgan Rielly and Stephane Robidas in the third period. They held on for a 5-3 win, with the three stars going to Holland, Santorelli, and Clarkson.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks bring in the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago led off in the first period on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, passed from Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks added on with a Brent Seabrook goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brad Richards and Peter Regin. Chicago extended the lead on a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, assisted by Marian Hossa and Marcus Kruger. San Jose got on the board with a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Braun and Joe Thornton. The Sharks pulled closer in the second period as Pavelski scored a power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, powered by Thornton and Patrick Marleau. The Blackhawks shot back in the third period with a Bryan Bickell goal, his second of the year, made possible by Johnny Oduya and Brandon Saad. Chicago iced it at 5-2 with a Toews empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The three stars were Pavelski, Toews, and Thornton.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Vancouver Canucks. Eddie Lack and Frederik Andersen are set to start in goal. Anaheim got going with a Sami Vatanen power play goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, powered by Ryan Kesler. Vancouver tied it on an Alexandre Burrows goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Dan Hamhuis and Nick Bonino. In the shootout, Bonino scored to give the Canucks the win. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Lack (28 for 29 in saves), Andersen (34 for 35 in saves), and Bonino.

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MLS Western Conference Semifinal: Real Salt Lake VS. Los Angeles Galaxy

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Western Conference Semifinal.

For game 1 in Salt Lake City, Nick Rimando of Salt Lake and Jaime Penedo of Los Angeles protect the nets. Los Angeles saw a yellow card go to Omar Gonzales in the fifty-third minute for a foul. salt Lake took a yellow card for a Tony Beltran foul in the sixty-third minute. Real's Chris Wingert was given a yellow card in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. The Galaxy's Robbie Rogers also had a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-seventh minute. The final was 0-0 for the first leg of the series. The man of the match was Penedo for a clean sheet with six saves on the road.

The same goalies participated in game 2 in Carson, California. Los Angeles began in the tenth minute on a Landon Donovan goal, via A.J. DeLaGarza and Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy added on with a Robbie Keane goal in the twentieth minute, passed from Donovan and Juninho. In the fifty-fourth minute, Los Angeles extended the lead as Donovan scored his second of the game, thanks to Keane. The Galaxy padded the lead with a Sarvas goal in the sixty-third minute, assisted by Keane and Robbie Rogers. Los Angeles kept going on with Donovan completing his hat trick in the seventy-second minute, courtesy of Keane, who had what I call a sock trick, which is three assists. Salt Lake took a yellow card in the seventy-ninth minute for a foul by Alvaro Saborio. The Galaxy had their own yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul by Donovan. Real took another booking on a yellow card as Tony Beltran committed a foul in the eighty-sixth minute. The final was 5-0, and that was also the score of the aggregate series. The man of this match was Donovan with his hat trick and an assist.

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MLS Eastern Conference Semifinal: Columbus Crew VS. New England Revolution

In MLS, the conference semifinals and finals are played in two game, aggregate goal sets, with a road goals tiebreakers. Here is the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

In Columbus, Bobby Shuttleworth of New England and Steve Clark of Columbus man the nets. New England took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute on a Jose Goncalves foul. The Revolution began with a thirty-fourth minute Charlie Davies goal, passed from Kelyn Rowe. New England added on in the fifty-first minute with a Chris Tierney goal. Columbus got on the board as Justin Meram scored. The Revolution shot back with a Lee Nguyen goal in the seventieth minute, set up by Jermaine Jones, while the Crew's Waylon Francis received a yellow card for a foul around the same time. New England extended the lead on a seventy-eighth minute Davies goal, coming off of Scott Caldwell. In stoppage time, Columbus' Bernardo Anor received a yellow card for a foul, and the Crew got a goal back three minutes later on a Federico Higuain penalty kick conversion. The final was 4-2 in favor of the Revolution, who will look to close things out at home next weekend. The man of the match for game 1 was Davies for his brace.

In Foxboro, the same goalies take the field. New England struck first with a forty-third minute Lee Nguyen goal, via Teal Bunbury. The Revolution added on in the fifty-fifth minute as Jose Goncalves scored, with the help of Charlie Davies and Nguyen. Columbus' playoff hopes dimmed further in the sixty-first minute as Ethan Finlay was sent off on a straight red card for his contact with Shuttleworth in goal. In the sixty-sixth minute, the Crew's Justin Meram was given a yellow card for a foul. Columbus got on the board with a Tony Tchani goal in the sixty-ninth minute, made possible by Meram. New England shot back on a Bunbury goal in the seventy-seventh minute, coming off of Daigo Kobayashi. The Crew went to nine men as Meram was ejected for his second yellow card foul in the eighty-fifth minute. The Revolution won the game 3-1, with Nguyen being the man of the match. They win the series 7-3 on aggregate, and play the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Final.

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Premier League Week 11

Ten more games coming at you from Britain! We begin with...

Liverpool hosting Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet tend the twines. Liverpool struck first in the ninth minute on an Emre Can goal, passed from Raheem Sterling. Chelsea tied it on a fourteenth minute goal by Gary Cahill, via Nemanja Matic after a corner kick. Sterling was given a yellow card for a foul in the forty-third minute for Liverpool. Chelsea had a yellow card on a Branislav Ivanovic foul in the forty-eighth minute. Liverpool's Mario Balotelli took a yellow card for his foul in the sixty-fifth minute. Chelsea took the lead on a Diego Costa goal in the sixty-seventh minute. Chelsea received another booking for a Matic foul in the sixty-ninth minute. Chelsea received three more yellow cards in the later minutes of the game, going to Oscar in the eighty-third minute, Costa for a foul in the eighty-seventh minute, and Courtois for time wasting in stoppage time. Chelsea held on for a 2-1 win anyway.

Moving along to Burnley welcoming Hull City. Steve Harper and Tom Heaton are the gloved men. Hull City had the first yellow card for a James Chester foul in the seventh minute. Burnley had a pair of first half yellow cards, going to Jason Shackell in the twenty-eighth minute and Stephen Ward in the forty-second minute, both for fouls. Burnley got going in the fiftieth minute on an Ashley Barnes header goal coming off of a Kieran Trippier cross. In the fifty-sixth minute, Michael Duff received a yellow card for his foul for Burnley. Hull City had the next yellow card in the seventy-second minute for an Abel Hernandez foul. Burnley saw yellow cards assessed to Dean Marney for an eighty-sixth minute foul and to Danny Ings for a ninetieth minute foul. Burnley still won 1-0.

Continuing to Manchester, where Manchester United brings in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and David de Gea receive the starting nods. Crystal Palace received two yellow cards in the first half, going to Joel Ward in the thirty-fifth minute and Damien Delaney in the thirty-eighth minute, both for fouls. Crystal Palace saw a booking on a yellow card for Yannick Bolasie in the sixty-fourth minute for his foul. Manchester United opened with a sixty-seventh minute Juan Mata goal, via Angel Di Maria. In the eighty-third minute, Manchester United's Antonio Valencia was shown a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United came out of it with a 1-0 victory.

South to Southampton hosting Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Fraser Forster protect the nets. In the thirty-seventh minute, Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin received a yellow card for a foul. Southampton took another yellow card as Toby Alderweireld committed a foul in the fifty-fourth minute. Leicester City's Liam Moore was booked on a yellow card for his fifty-eighth minute foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Shane Long scored to give Southampton the lead, with the help of Graziano Pelle. Leicester City took another yellow card in the seventy-eighth minute for a foul by Marcin Wasilewski. In the eightieth minute, Southampton added on with Long's second of the game, passed from Victor Wanyama. This produced the 2-0 final.

Next up, West Ham United welcomes Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Adrian are in the six-yard boxes. Aston Villa took a yellow card in the sixty-ninth minute for a foul by Tom Cleverley. In the eighty-ninth minute, Aston Villa had another yellow card go to Gabriel Agbonlahor for a foul. The final score was 0-0.

Finally, in London, the Queens Park Rangers bring in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Robert Green are the keepers. QPR took a yellow card in the nineteenth minute for a foul by Sandro. QPR began in the twenty-first minute on a Charlie Austin goal, passed from Mauricio Isla. Manchester City tied it on a thirty-second minute goal by Sergio Aguero, assisted by Eliaquim Mangala on a through ball. QPR took three yellow cards to end the half: Isla in the thirty-seventh minute, Richard Dunne in the fortieth minute, and Eduardo Vargas in first half stoppage time, all for fouls. Manchester City saw a booking on a yellow card for Bacary Sagna's fifty-fifth minute foul. QPR took the lead in the seventy-sixth minute as Martin Demichelis put the ball in his own net for an own goal. Manchester City retied it on an Aguero goal in the eighty-third minute, via Yaya Toure on a through ball. This made it 2-2, the final.

On Sunday, we begin with Sunderland hosting Everton. Tim Howard and Costel Pantilimon are the goalies. At the ten minute mark, Jordi Gomez of Sunderland received a yellow card for a foul. In the thirtieth minute, Everton's James McCarthy received a yellow card. Everton had another yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute Aiden McGeady foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sunderland began with a Sebastian Larsson free kick goal. Everton tied it on a seventy-sixth minute Leighton Baines penalty kick goal. The final held at 1-1.

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur welcomes Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Hugo Lloris protect the nets. Stoke City started in the sixth minute with a Bojan goal, passed from Steven N'Zonzi. Stoke City had a pair of yellow cards go to Geoff Cameron in the twenty-second minute and Begovic in the twenty-fourth minute. Stoke City added on with a Jonathan Walters goal, passed from Mame Biram Diouf. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card in first half stoppage time for an Etienne Capoue goal. Tottenham Hotspur had a pair of second half yellow cards go to Ryan Mason in the sixty-ninth minute and Younes Kaboul in the seventy-second minute, both for fouls. In the seventy-seventh minute, Tottenham Hotspur got on the board with a Nacer Chadli goal, coming off of a Danny Rose cross. Tottenham Hotspur's comeback attempt faced a hurdle in the eighty-fifth minute when Kyle Naughton's bad foul earned him a straight red card, putting his team at ten men.

Continuing to West Bromwich Albion bringing in Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Ben Foster are in the six-yard boxes. Newcastle United opened in the forty-fifth minute on an Ayoze Perez goal, passed from Daryl Janmaat. In the sixty-second minute, Newcastle Unite added on with a Fabricio Coloccini goal, made possible by a Janmaat cross. This made it 2-0, the final score.

Finally, Swansea City hosts Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski have the difficult to spell names. Swansea City had two bookings in the first half with a Neil Taylor foul in the thirty-seventh minute and Ki Sung-Yueng in the forty-first minute, both for yellow cards. Arsenal had a yellow card assessed to Aaron Ramsey in first half stoppage time. In the fiftieth minute, Ashley Williams of Swansea City received a yellow card for his foul. Arsenal took two more yellow cards for fouls by Per Mertesacker in the fifty-seventh minute and Calum Chambers in the sixty-second minute. Arsenal struck first in the sixty-third minute as Alexis Sanchez scored, with the help of Danny Welbeck on a fast break. Tom Carroll of Swansea City received a yellow card immediately after the goal. In the seventy-fourth minute, Kieran Gibbs of Arsenal was handed a yellow card. Swansea City tied it in the seventy-fifth minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick goal. Swansea City took the lead on a Bafetimbi Gomis goal in the seventy-eighth minute, set up by Jefferson Montero's cross. Arsenal's Sanchez received a yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute for his foul. Swansea City took a yellow card in the ninetieth minute with a Modou Barrow foul. The sloppy game ended favoring Swansea City 2-1.

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NHL November 8th, 2014

Twelve games on a busy day today, with the first coming as a matinee in...

Florida, with the Panthers hosting the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Al Montoya are the backups making spot starts. Florida began in the first period with a Scottie Upshall goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his second of the year, coming off of Willie Mitchell and Dmitry Kulikov. Calgary got on the board with a David Jones goal, via Johnny Gaudreau and Deryk Engelland. Florida shot back on Upshall's second of the game and third of the season, passed from Vincent Trocheck and Kulikov. The Flames replied on a shorthanded Mark Giordano goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Paul Byron and Lance Bouma. Calgary tied it with a Jiri Hudler goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Curtis Glencross and Markus Granlund. The Panthers regained the lead on a Jimmy Hayes goal, fueled by Upshall and Ekblad. The Flames tied it again on a Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Gaudreau and Giordano. Calgary took the lead as Bouma scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Hudler and Giordano. The Flames iced it at 6-4 on a power play empty net goal by Gaudreau, his third of the year, powered by Monahan. The three stars went to Giordano, Bouma, and Gaudreau, while Upshall, Ekblad, Kulikov, Hudler, and Monahan get the honorable mentions.

Up in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Jhonas Enroth are in goal. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Kris Letang goal, his second of the season, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on with a power play goal by Hornqvist, his eighth of the year, powered by Letang and Crosby. Pittsburgh extended the lead on a Letang goal, his second of the game and third of the season, via Paul Martin and Crosby, the latter getting a natural sock trick. The Penguins padded the lead in the second period on another Hornqvist power play goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Chris Kunitz and Crosby. Pittsburgh kept going on a Robert Bortuzzo goal, coming off of Crosby and Kunitz. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the season, made possible by Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta. The Penguins shot back on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Blake Comeau and Letang. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars going to Crosby, Hornqvist, and Letang, while Kunitz gets an honorable mention.

Into Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra is mismatched with Semyon Varlamov in goal. Philadelphia was first to score on a Claude Giroux power play goal in the first period, his third of the season, powered by Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek. The Flyers added on as Simmonds scored his seventh of the year in the second period, a power play goal made possible by Giroux and Voracek. Philadelphia extended the lead as Brayden Schenn scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Matt Read and Nick Schultz. The Flyers padded the lead on another Giroux power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, assisted by Vincent Lecavalier and Voracek. Colorado got on the board in the third period on a Max Talbot goal, going in unassisted. The Avalanche pulled closer on an Alex Tanguay goal, his sixth of the campaign, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Dennis Everberg. Colorado got another one back with a Zach Redmond goal, passed from Talbot and Cody McLeod. They failed to tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars being Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds, while Talbot gets an honorable mention.

North to Montreal, as the Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Carey Price are in the blue paint. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Tomas Plekanec. Minnesota tied it with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone assist by Thomas Vanek. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Lars Eller goal, his third of the season, coming off of Brandon Prust and Jiri Sekac. Montreal added on with a Sekac goal, his second of the year, made possible by Prust and Eller. The Canadiens extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored his sixth of the campaign, thanks to P.A. Parenteau and David Desharnais. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars given to Price (30 for 31 in saves), Sekac, and Eller, while Prust gets an honorable mention.

West to Ontario, as the Ottawa Senators welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Craig Anderson are the weak goalies. Ottawa led off in the first period with a Chris Neil power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Milan Michalek. Winnipeg tied it with a power play goal by Toby Enstrom, courtesy of Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Mathieu Perreault scored to give the Jets a 2-1 win. The three stars were awarded to Pavelec (37 for 38 in saves), Anderson (36 for 37 in saves), and Perreault.

Back stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Evgeni Nabokov and Anton Forsberg are the backups in goal. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on a J.T. Brown goal, assisted by Jason Garrison and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning added on with a Cedric Paquette goal, his third of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay extended the lead on an Anton Stralman power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan Callahan and Steven Stamkos. The Lightning padded the lead on a Brian Boyle goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brenden Morrow and Brown. Curtis McElhinney replaced Forsberg in goal for the second period. Columbus got on the board with a Scott Hartnell goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by James Wisniewski and Tim Erixon on the power play. Tampa Bay shot back with a Callahan goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Valtteri Filppula and Radko Gudas. The Blue Jackets answered on another Hartnell power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, with helpers from Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen. The Lightning struck back with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his third of the season, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Drouin. Columbus replied on a Johansen goal in the third period, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Brian Gibbons and Wisniewski. The Blue Jackets pulled closer on a power play goal by Foligno, his seventh of the season, coming off of Wisniewski, who got a sock trick, and Erixon. Tampa Bay finished it at 7-4 with an empty net goal by Johnson, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Callahan. The three stars were handed to Callahan, Brown, and Hartnell, while Drouin, Wisniewski, Erixon, Foligno, Johansen, and Johnson get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada again, as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Bernier receive the green light to start. New York started in the first period on a Chris Kreider goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello. Toronto tied it on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Dion Phaneuf. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a shorthanded Peter Holland goal, his second of the season, set up by Leo Komarov. Toronto added on with a Richard Panik goal, his third of the year, passed from Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri. The Rangers got one back on a Zuccarello goal, his second of the season, assisted by Kreider and Derek Stepan. New York tied it in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his third of the year, with a lone assist by Dominic Moore. The Rangers gained the lead in the third period on a Rick Nash goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Martin St. Louis and Derick Brassard. The Maple Leafs retied it on a Roman Polak goal, his second of the year, made possible by Kadri. Toronto took the lead on a Komarov goal, with a lone assist from Jake Gardiner. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars given to Komarov, Zuccarello, and Kreider, while Kadri gets the honorable mention.

South to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin faces former teammate Justin Peters in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, via John Carlson. Carolina got on the board with a Riley Nash power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Justin Faulk and Victor Rask. Washington shot back with a second period Eric Fehr goal, his second of the season, assisted by Carlson and Brooks Orpik. The Hurricanes got one back in the third period on an Eric Staal goal, his third of the year, coming off of Jeff Skinner and Alexander Semin. Carolina tied it as Elias Lindholm scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Faulk and Nash. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green. The three stars belonged to Nash, Carlson, and Faulk.

Out west, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Brian Elliott protect the nets. St. Louis began in the first period on a Jori Lehtera goal, his third of the season, fueled by Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and James Neal. The Predators took the lead in the third period as Neal potted his eighth of the campaign, thanks to Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rinne (28 for 29 in saves), Neal, and Forsberg.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Anders Lindback receive the starting nods. Dallas struck first in the first period on a Tyler Seguin goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Kevin Connauton. The Stars added on as Seguin scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Erik Cole and Jamie Benn. San Jose got on the board with a James Sheppard goal, his third of the season, guided in by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. Dallas shot back in the second period on a Seguin power play goal, completing his hat trick with his tenth of the year, powered by Antoine Roussel and Jason Spezza. The Sharks got one back in the third period as Patrick Marleau scored his fifth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. San Jose tied it with a Brent Burns goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Couture and Marleau. The Sharks took the lead as Burns scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Sheppard and Hertl. San Jose finished it at 5-3 on a Joe Thornton empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Couture, who got a sock trick, and Justin Braun. The three stars went to Seguin, Marleau, and Burns, while Couture, Sheppard, and Hertl get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. New York got going in the third period with the fifth of the season for Frans Nielsen, assisted by Mikhail Grabovski and Thomas Hickey. This was the only goal, so the Islanders won 1-0. The three stars belonged to Halak (19 save shutout), Nielsen, and Smith (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick are the American goalies. Los Angeles was first to score with a first period goal by Marian Gaborik, via Alec Martinez and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Jake Muzzin goal, fueled by Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli. Los Angeles extended the lead on a Kopitar goal, his third of the season, assisted by Gaborik and Muzzin. The Kings padded the lead in the second period on a Toffoli goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Martinez and Jeff Carter. Eddie Lack replaced Miller for the third period. Los Angeles kept going in the third period on a Carter goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Toffoli and Martinez, the latter getting a sock trick. Vancouver got on the board with a Chris Higgins goal, his third of the year, coming off of Linden Vey and Ryan Stanton. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Toffoli, Muzzin, and Gaborik, while Martinez, Kopitar, and Carter get the honorable mentions.

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