NHL December 27th, 2014

Thirteen games on as the NHL comes out of the Christmas break. The first game is in...

Buffalo, with the Sabres hosting the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Jhonas Enroth are the little-known goalies. New York led off in the first period with a Nick Leddy goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on in the second period with a John Tavares goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. New York extended the lead on Tavares' second of the game and fifteenth of the season, passed from Bailey and Okposo. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his fourth of the year, via Drew Stafford and Josh Gorges. The Sabres pulled back with a shorthanded goal by Zemgus Girgensons, his tenth of the season, set up by Deslauriers and Gorges. Buffalo tied it on a Chris Stewart goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Stafford and Patrick Kaleta. The Sabres won with a lone tally by Tyler Ennis in the shootout, for a 4-3 final. The three stars were Tavares, Deslauriers, and Gorges, while Bailey and Okposo get the honorable mentions.

In New York City, the Rangers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Henrik Lundqvist tend the twines. New York struck first in the first period on a Derek Stepan shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Stepan power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle. New Jersey got on the board with a Steve Bernier goal, his third of the season, via Eric Gelinas and Tuomo Ruutu. New York iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Stepan empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his sixth of the year, set up by Carl Hagelin and St. Louis. The three stars went to Stepan, Lundqvist (19 for 20 in saves), and St. Louis.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Craig Anderson are in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Mark Borowiecki and Bobby Ryan. Detroit tied it on a Justin Abdelkader goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The Senators took the lead back in the second period with an unassisted Clarke MacArthur goal, his tenth of the season. The Red Wings tied it again in the third period on a Zetterberg power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Zetterberg, Nyquist, and Kronwall.

Way south to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Ben Bishop receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay began in the first period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula. Carolina got on the board with an Andrej Sekera goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bishop (25 for 26 in saves), Killorn, and Ward (36 for 38 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets welcome the Boston Bruins. Niklas Svedberg and Curtis McElhinney are the backups making spot starts. Columbus was first to score in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Kevin Connauton. Boston tied it on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Reilly Smith and Zdeno Chara. The Blue Jackets regained the lead in the second period with a Hartnell goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, passed from James Wisniewski and Connauton. Columbus added on with a Connauton goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Matt Calvert and Brandon Dubinsky. Tuukka Rask replaced Svedberg in goal. The Blue Jackets extended the lead on a power play goal by Nick Foligno, his seventeenth of the season, powered by Jack Johnson and Ryan Johansen. The Bruins got one back with a Craig Cunningham goal, his second of the year, with assists provided by Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille. Columbus replied on an unassisted Calvert goal, his fourth of the campaign. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period with a Jeremy Morin goal, helped along by Johnson and Dubinsky. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars being Connauton, Hartnell, and Calvert, while Wisniewski, Dubinsky, and johnson get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and John Curry are the unknown goalies. Minnesota started in the first period on a Mikael Granlund goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jason Pominville. Winnipeg tied it in the second period as Bryan Little scored his fourteenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Grant Glitsome. The Jets took the lead in the third period on an Adam Lowry goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Evander Kane and Matt Halischuk. The Wild retied it with a Pominville goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Stu Bickel and Granlund. Winnipeg retook the lead with a shorthanded goal by Blake Wheeler, his eleventh of the season, set up by Kane and Dustin Byfuglien. Minnesota tied it again on a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella. The
Jets won 4-3 in overtime with a Ladd goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Little. The three stars were awarded to Ladd, Little, and Kane, while Pominville and Granlund get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Washington struck first in the first period on an Eric Fehr goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jay Beagle and Brooks Laich. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Marcus Johansson goal, his tenth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brooks Orpik. Washington extended the lead on another Fehr goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, fueled by Joel Ward and John Carlson. This was good for a 3-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Fehr, Holtby (31 save shutout), and Johansson.

Southwest to St. Louis, as the Blues welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Jake Allen are in the blue paint. Dallas was first to score in the first period on a Travis Moen goal, courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Jordie Benn. St. Louis tied it on an Alex Pietrangelo goal, his fourth of the season, via Paul Stastny and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Stars took the lead back with an unassisted Ryan Garbutt goal, his sixth of the year. The Blues tied it again as Vladimir Tarasenko scored a power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Dallas took the lead in the second period on a Trevor Daley power play goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Tyler Seguin and the goalie Lehtonen. The Stars added on with a Jason Demers power play goal, his second of the season, helped along by Erik Cole and Colton Sceviour. St. Louis got one back in the third period with a David Backes goal, his ninth of the year, with the help of Jay Bouwmeester and T.J. Oshie. This was as close as it got, with the final at 4-3, and the three stars going to Demers, Daley, and Garbutt.

Continuing to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen faces a lesser foe in Devan Dubnyk in goal. Anaheim began in the first period on a Rene Bourque goal, his second of the season, fueled by Ryan Getzlaf and Devante Smith-Pelly. Arizona tied it on a Zbynek Michalek goal, passed from Martin Erat and Sam Gagner. In the shootout, Shane Doan scored the only goal for a 2-1 Coyotes win. The three stars were given to Dubnyk (35 for 36 in saves), Andersen (28 for 29 in saves), and Doan.

Heading east to Nashville, where the Predators host the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery is mismatched with Pekka Rinne in goal. Nashville led off in the first period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Roman Josi and Shea Weber on the power play. Philadelphia tied it on a Claude Giroux goal in the second period, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Braydon Coburn and Nick Schultz. The Predators took the lead back with a power play goal by Mike Fisher, his fourth of the season, powered by Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro. Nashville added on with a Colin Wilson power play goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Seth Jones and Josi. The Predators finished it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Wilson, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Fisher. The three stars went to Wilson, Forsberg, and Rinne (26 for 27 in saves), while Fisher and Josi get the honorable mentions.

West again to Colorado, as the Avalanche welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Calvin Pickard man the creases. Colorado opened in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Max Talbot. Chicago tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the year, via Jonathan Toews. The Avalanche took the lead back with an Erik Johnson goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Ryan O'Reilly and Daniel Briere. The Blackhawks tied it again with a Patrick Kane goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Duncan Keith and Kris Versteeg. Chicago took the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Brent Seabrook, his seventh of the season, powered by David Rundblad and Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks added on in the third period on a power play goal by Patrick Sharp, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Toews and Kane. Chicago wrapped it up at 5-2 with a Kane empty net goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Ben Smith. The three stars were Kane, Toews, and Seabrook.

Up in Calgary, the Flames bring in the Edmonton Oilers for a Battle of Alberta. Viktor Fasth and Jonas Hiller are the former Ducks goalies in goal. Calgary dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Joe Colborne goal, assisted by Paul Byron and Curtis Glencross. The Flames added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. Calgary extended the lead as Gaudreau scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, thanks to Jiri Hudler and T.J. Brodie. Ben Scrivens replaced Fasth. Edmonton got on the board with a third period goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his tenth of the season, passed from Justin Schultz and Andrew Ference. The Flames shot back with a Glencross goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Matt Stajan and Mark Giordano. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Gaudreau, Glencross, and Hiller (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. San Jose started in the first period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Joe Thornton. Los Angeles tied it on a Tyler Toffoli goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jamie McBain and Trevor Lewis. The Kings took the lead in the second period as Anze Kopitar scored a power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Marian Gaborik and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles added on in the third period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Drew Doughty and Kopitar. This was good for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Kopitar, Quick (21 for 22 in saves), and Toffoli.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL December 27th, 2014

Two games on today, beginning in...

Minsk, where Dinamo hosts the similarly named Dinamo Riga. Jeff Deslauriers and Danny Taylor are in goal. Riga began in the first period on a Gints Meija goal, via Milan Jurcina and Andris Dzerins. Minsk tied it in the third period with a Charles Linglet goal, going in unassisted. Minsk won 2-1 in overtime with a Paul Szczechura power play goal, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny and Nick Bailen. The three stars went to Szczechura, Taylor (25 for 26 in saves), and Deslauriers (36 for 38 in saves).

In Russia, the other game is Vityaz Podolsk hosting Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Ivan Lisutin are the masked men. Mytishchi led off in the first period with an Igor Levitsky goal, assisted by Andrei Taratukhin. Podolsk tied it on a Maxim Mamin goal in the second period, made possible by Nikita Vyglazov. Vityaz took the lead with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, coming off of Yakov Seleznyov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. Atlant retied it with another Levitsky goal, passed from Matthew Gilroy and Mikhail Tyulyapkin. Mytishchi took the lead with an unassisted goal by Gilroy in the third period. Atlant iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Taratukhin, set up by Gilroy and Levitsky. The three stars were Levitsky, Gilroy, and Taratukhin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Premier League Week 18 (Boxing Day)

Ten games on in one day? It must be Boxing Day. We begin with...

Chelsea hosting West Ham United. Adrian and Thibaut Courtois are the goalies. West Ham United's James Collins took a yellow card for his twenty-eighth minute foul. Chelsea began on a thirty-first minute goal by John Terry, passed from Diego Costa after a corner. In the thirty-third minute, Aaron Cresswell of West Ham had a yellow card for a foul. West Ham took another yellow card on a Winston Reid foul in the fifty-eighth minute. Chelsea extended their lead with a sixty-second minute Costa goal, coming off of Eden Hazard. This was good for a 2-0 win.

Next up, Burnley welcomes Liverpool. Bradley Jones and Tom Heaton draw the starts in goal. In the sixty-second minute, Raheem Sterling scored for Liverpool, with an assist from Philippe Coutinho on a through ball. In the eighty-second minute, Lucas Leiva took a yellow card for Liverpool. Liverpool claimed a 1-0 win.

Back to London, where Crystal Palace brings in Southampton. Fraser Forster and Julian Speroni protect the nets. In the seventeenth minute, Sadio Mane scored for Southampton, with the help of James Ward-Prowse. Southampton added on in the forty-eighth minute on a Ryan Bertrand goal, made possible by Mane's cross. Southampton extended the lead in the fifty-third minute on a Toby Alderweireld header goal, set up by a Ward-Prowse cross after a corner kick. Crystal Palace saw a yellow card go to Damien Delaney in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. Crystal Palace got on the board with a Scott Dann header goal in the eighty-sixth minute, assisted by Mile Jedinak on a cross after a set piece. The final favored Southampton 3-1.

Continuing to Everton hosting Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Tim Howard are guarding the woodwork. In the twenty-eighth minute, Steven Naismith of Everton received a yellow card for his foul Jonathan Walters of Stoke City had a yellow card in the thirty-fifth minute for a foul. In the thirty-eighth minute, Stoke City opened with a Bojan penalty kick goal. In the seventy-eighth minute, Gareth Barry took a yellow card for Everton for his foul. Stoke City saw a pair of yellow cards for Geoff Cameron in the eighty-third minute and Charlie Adam for a ninetieth minute foul. Stoke City held on for a 1-0 win.

Moving along to Leicester City welcoming Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Ben Hamer are in the six-yard boxes. Tottenham Hotspur began in the first minute on a Harry Kane goal, passed from Nacer Chadli on a cross. Tottenham Hotspur had a yellow card go to Kyle Walker in the thirty-fifth minute. Leicester City tied it in the forty-eighth minute with a Leonardo Ulloa goal, via Riyad Mahrez. In the seventy-first minute, Christian Eriksen gave Tottenham Hotspur the lead back with a goal on a free kick. In the eighty-second minute, Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen took a yellow card for a foul. Leicester City's Jamie Vardy received a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul. The final was 2-1 for Tottenham Hotspur.

In Manchester, United brings in Newcastle United. Jak Alnwick is mismatched with David de Gea in goal. In the twenty-third minute, Manchester United opened with a Wayne Rooney goal, via Falcao. Rooney added on for Manchester United in the thirty-sixth minute with his second goal of the game, made possible by Juan Mata's through ball. In the fifty-third minute, Robin van Persie extended the lead for Manchester United with a goal guided in by Rooney with the through ball. In the sixty-first minute, Steven Taylor of Newcastle United received a yellow card for a foul. Manchester United had a yellow card go to van Persie in the sixty-sixth minute for a foul. In the eighty-seventh minute, Papiss Demba Cisse put Newcastle United on the board with a penalty kick goal. Yoan Gouffran of Newcastle United took a yellow card for his eighty-ninth minute foul. Manchester United won 3-1.

Over to Sunderland hosting Hull City. Allan McGregor and Costel Pantilimon are the keepers. Sunderland quickly struck first with a first minute Adam Johnson goal, going in unassisted. Sunderland saw yellow cards go to Sebastian Larsson in the sixteenth minute and Santiago Vergini in the nineteenth minute, both for fouls. Hull City tied it with a Gaston Ramirez goal at the thirty-two minute mark, passed from David Meyler. In first half stoppage time, James Chester of Hull City received a yellow card for a foul. In the fifty-first minute, Chester made up for his transgression with a header goal, made possible by Ramirez with a cross after a corner, putting Hull City ahead. Sunderland's Steven Fletcher took a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul. In the seventy-third minute, Robbie Brady took a yellow card for a foul for Hull City. Sunderland took another yellow card on a Billy Jones foul in the seventy-fourth minute. Hull City iced it at 3-1 with a Nikica Jelavic goal in second half stoppage time, set up by Ahmed Elmohamady.

Out in Wales, Swansea City welcomes Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Lukasz Fabianski are the gloved men. Swansea City was first to score in the thirteenth minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick goal. In the twenty-fourth minute, Swansea City's Jonjo Shelvey took a yellow card for a foul. Aston Villa had a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute on a Carlos Sanchez foul. Aston Villa had yellow cards go to Ciaran Clark in the forty-ninth minute, Jores Okore in the seventy-sixth minute for a foul, and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the eighty-ninth minute during the second half. Swansea City held on to win 1-0.

Following that, West Bromwich Albion brings in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Ben Foster play goal. Manchester City got going in the eighth minute on a Fernando goal from close range. In the thirteenth minute, Yaya Toure converted the penalty kick to add on for Manchester City. Manchester City extended the lead in the thirty-fourth minute with a David Silva goal, assisted by Jesus Navas. In the eighty-fourth minute, Fernando received a yellow card for a foul for Manchester City. West Brom got on the board in the eighty-seventh minute with a Brown Ideye header goal, courtesy of James Morrison after a corner kick.

Finally, Arsenal hosts the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Wojciech Szczesny man the nets. In the twenty-seventh minute, QPR took a yellow card for a Rio Ferdinand foul. In the thirty-seventh minute, Arsenal dented the scoreboard with an Alexis Sanchez header goal, via Kieran Gibbs. Arsenal went down to ten men in the fifty-third minute with an Olivier Giroud fight that drew out a straight red card. Jordon Mutch of QPR had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-fifth minute. Arsenal added on in the sixty-fifth minute on a Tomas Rosicky goal, passed from Sanchez on a fast break. In the seventieth minute, QPR took a yellow card for a Junior Hoilett foul. QPR got on the board in the seventy-ninth minute with a Charlie Austin penalty kick conversion. In stoppage time, QPR's Niko Kranjcar took a yellow card for a foul, as did Arsenal's Francis Coquelin. Arsenal won 2-1 despite a manpower disadvantage.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL December 26th, 2014

Six games on for today, beginning in...

Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Vasily Koshechkin are set to start in goal. Astana led off in the first period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski and Mike Lundin. Barys added on with a Dustin Boyd goal, fueled by Nigel Dawes and Dallman. Alexei Murygin replaced Koshechkin in goal. Astana extended the lead with a Talgat Zhailauov goal, passed from Roman Savchenko and Nikolai Antropov. Barys padded the lead on a Bochenski goal, with a lone assist by Dawes. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, helped along by Chris Lee. Koshechkin returned to the Metallurg net for the second period. Astana shot back with a Dawes goal, made possible by Bochenski. Metallurg replied on a Jan Kovar goal, with a lone helper from Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk pulled closer with an Alexei Bereglazov goal, coming off of Mozyakin and Vladislav Kaletnik. Metallurg chipped away on a Tim Stapleton power play goal, assisted by Lee and Danis Zaripov. Barys replied on a Bochenski goal, set up by Dawes, who got a sock trick. Magnitogorsk countered on a Mozyakin goal, from Zaripov. Metallurg tied it on a Stapleton goal, courtesy of Tim Brent and Denis Platonov. In the shootout, Konstantin Pushkaryov scored for Barys, but Lee and Stapleton tallied for Metallurg to give them a 7-6 win. Stapleton, Mozyakin, and Lee received the three stars, while Bochenski, Dallman, Boyd, Dawes, and Zaripov received honorable mentions.

Up in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Anders Nilsson and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Yekaterinburg got going in the second period with an unassisted Anton Lazarev goal. Avtomobilist added on with a Sergei Gusev power play goal in the third period, powered by Filipp Metlyuk. Yekaterinburg iced it at 3-0 with a Lazarev empty net goal, set up by Alexander Rybakov and Sami Lepisto. The three stars went to Lazarev, Kovar (35 save shutout), and Gusev.

West to Cherepovets, Severstal brings in the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Jakub Stepanek are the goalies. Cherepovets dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Yury Trubachyov goal, thanks to Zakhar Arzamastsev and Marek Kvapil. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Stepanek (15 save shutout), Trubachyov, and Popperle (24 for 25 in saves).

Into Moscow, where CSKA hosts Avangard Omsk. Eduard Reizvikh and Stanislav Galimov are between the pipes. Omsk began in the first period with an Alexander Popov goal, via Alexander Perezhogin. Moscow tied it with a Nikita Zaitsev power play goal, powered by Alexander Radulov. CSKA took the lead with an Igor Makarov goal, fueled by Alexei Bondarev. Moscow added on in the second period with an Igor Grigorenko goal, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Zaitsev, Galimov (21 for 22 in saves), and Grigorenko.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Mikhail Biryukov are the masked men. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the second period on a Sakari Salminen goal, guided in by Jarkko Immonen and Evgeny Mozer. Moscow tied it in the third period with a Filip Novak goal, fueled by Konstantin Volkov and Nikolai Zherdev. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Immonen and Wojtek Wolski scored for a 2-1 Torpedo win. The three stars went to Biryukov (24 for 25 in saves), Sharychenkov (25 for 26 in saves), and Immonen.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava bring in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen faces a lesser foe in David LeNeveu in goal. St. Petersburg started in the first period on an Evgeny Ketov goal, guided in by Anton Burdasov and Alexander Kadeikin. SKA added on with an Alexander Barabanov goal, fueled by Burdasov. Jaroslav Janus replaced LeNeveu in goal. St. Petersburg extended the lead on a Tony Martensson goal, coming off of Patrick Thoresen and Jimmie Ericsson. SKA padded the lead in the second period as Burdasov scored, thanks to Ilya Klabukov and Barabanov. St. Petersburg struck again with a shorthanded goal by Burdasov, set up by Kablukov. SKA continued in the third period on a power play goal by Maxim Chudinov, powered by Anton Belov. Bratislava got on the board with a Milan Bartovic goal, made possible by Cam Barker. The final stood at 6-1, with the three stars given to Burdasov, Barabanov, and Kablukov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL December 25th, 2014

Merry Christmas to all celebrating the holiday today. My gift from the KHL was just two games to cover before I get the rest of the day to relax. We begin with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Alexander Pechursky are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk started in the first period with a Dmitry Tarasov goal, fueled by Tuukka Mantyla. Novosibirsk tied it on a Jonas Enlund goal, via Jarno Koskiranta. Sibir took the lead with a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, with a lone assist by Patrik Hersley. Novosibirsk added on with a power play goal by Hersley, powered by Enlund and Koskiranta. Sibir extended the lead on a Sergei Shumakov goal, made possible by Stepan Sannikov. Amur got one back on a Tarasov penalty shot goal after Maxim Ignatovich hooked him on a scoring opportunity. Khabarovsk pulled closer with an Anton Krysanov goal, coming off of Michel Miklik. Novosibirsk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Dmitry Monya, set up by Alexei Kopeikin and Igor Ozhiganov. The three stars went to Hersley, Tarasov, and Enlund, while Koskiranta gets an honorable mention.

The other games has Lokomotiv Yaroslavl host Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Curtis Sanford draw the starts. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with a Staffan Kronwall goal, assisted by Daniil Apalkov and Sergei Plotnikov. Lokomotiv added on with an unassisted Plotnikov power play goal. Yaroslavl extended the lead on a Vladislav Kartayev goal, courtesy of Kirill Kapustin. Artyom Artemyev replaced Engren in goal. Lokomotiv padded the lead with an Ilya Gorokhov goal, via Emil Galimov and Sergei Konkov. Yaroslavl continued in the second period on a Galimov goal, made possible by Konkov. Mytishchi got on the board with a Vadim Khlopotov goal, passed from Yegor Alyoshin and Artyom Voronin. Atlant pulled closer with an Artyom Chernov goal, guided in by Alexander Yunkov and Albert Yarullin. Lokomotiv replied with a power play goal by Jonas Holos, powered by Yegor Averin and Alexei Vasilyev. Mytishchi countered in the third period with a Nikita Soshnikov goal, helped along by Dmitry Korobov and Sergei Shmelyov. This produced the 6-3 final, with the three stars going to Galimov, Konkov, and Gorokhov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL December 24th, 2014

Ten games on today, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Sergei Borisov are the goalies. Novosibirsk opened in the first period with an Alexei Kopeikin goal, fueled by Dmitry Monya and Viktor Bobrov. Sibir added on with a power play goal by Patrik Hersley, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev. Novosibirsk extended the lead with an Oleg Gubin power play goal, coming off of Sergei Shumakov. Khabarovsk got on the board in the third period on a Denis Yezhov goal, via Dmitry Lugin and Vyacheslav Litovchenko on the power play. Sibir shot back with a Kugryshev goal, assisted by Jonas Enlund and Jarno Koskiranta. This made it 4-1, with the three stars going to Salak (25 for 26 in saves), Kugryshev, and Hersley.

West for thousands of miles to Bratislava, as Slovan welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Jaroslav Janus are in the blue paint. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period on an Igor Polygalov goal, courtesy of Yegor Milovzorov and Andrei Ivanov. Bratislava tied it on a second period goal by Rok Ticar, via Michal Vondrka and Ziga Jeglic. Neftekhimik regained the lead on a Matt Anderson goal, fueled by Ivanov and Milovzorov. Nizhnekamsk added on in the third period with an unassisted Alexander Nikulin goal. Slovan got one back with a Tomas Netik goal, made possible by Ticar and Jeglic. Bratislava tied it as Ladislav Nagy scored, thanks to Vaclav Nedorost and Cam Barker. Slovan pulled ahead on an unassisted goal by Tomas Surovy. Neftekhimik retied it with a Dan Sexton goal, going in unassisted. Nizhnekamsk took the lead again on a Sexton goal, passed from Georgijs Pujacs. Neftekhimik finished it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Milovzorov, set up by Alexander Yevseyenkov. The three stars belonged to Sexton, Milovzorov, and Ivanov, while Ticar and Jeglic get the honorable mentions.

Over in Riga, Dinamo brings in CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Jakub Sedlacek are in the creases. Riga struck first in the first period on a Mikelis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Linus Videll and Oskars Cibulskis. Dinamo added on with another Mikelis Redlihs power play goal, with a lone assist by Roberts Bukarts. Moscow got on the board with an unassisted goal by Evgeny Korotkov. Riga shot back on a Videll power play goal, assisted by Krisjanis Redlihs and Mikelis Redlihs. CSKA pulled back in the second period on a power play goal by Ondrej Nemec, fueled by Simon Hjalmarsson and Stephane Da Costa. Dinamo replied with a Charles Genoway power play goal, helped along by Miks Indrasis. Moscow countered on a power play goal by Igor Makarov, guided in by Denis Denisov. CSKA tied it in the third period with a Nemec power play goal, coming off of Da Costa. Moscow took the lead on a Da Costa goal, pushed through by Hjalmarsson and Georgy Misharin. This held up for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Da Costa, Nemec, and Mikelis Redlihs, while Videll and Hjalmarsson get the honorable mentions.

Southeast to Astana, as Barys hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Jan Laco draw the starts in goal. Kazan began in the first period with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, made possible by Justin Azevedo and Sergei Kostitsyn. Ak Bars added on with an Igor Mirnov goal, passed from Evgeny Medvedev and Sheldon Brookbank. Kazan extended the lead in the second period with a Varnakov power play goal, powered by Konstantin Korneyev and Azevedo. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd goal, with a lone assist by Mike Lundin. Ak Bars iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal from Mikhail Glukhov, set up by Petr Vrana and Medvedev. The three stars went to Varnakov, Garipov (32 for 33 in saves), and Azevedo, while Medvedev gets an honorable mention.

Up in Chelyabinsk, Traktor welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Michael Garnett are the veteran goalies. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period on an Anton Glinkin power play goal, powered by Garnett and Maxim Kondratyev. Traktor added on in the third period with an Artyom Borodkin goal, via Stanislav Chistov and Francis Pare. Togliatti got on the board with a Martin Zatovic goal, courtesy of Vitaly Shulakov and Anton Shenfeld on the power play. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Garnett (32 for 33 in saves), Borodkin, and Glinkin.

East a little to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on as Zaripov scored a power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk extended the lead with a third period Mozyakin goal, via Vladimir Malenkikh and Jan Kovar. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars going to Mozyakin, Koshechkin (41 save shutout), and Zaripov, while Jan Kovar gets the honorable mention.

Continuing to Ufa, as Salavat Yulaev hosts Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Vladimir Sokhatsky guard the cages. Ufa was first to score in the first period on an Anton Slepyshev goal, via Alexander Kutuzov and Alexander Stepanov. Omsk tied it in the second period with a Sergei Kalinin goal, guided in by Denis Parshin. Avangard took the lead with a Chad Kolarik goal, assisted by Roman Berdnikov and Felix Schutz. Salavat Yulaev tied it on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, passed from Ilkka Heikkinen. Ufa gained the lead on a Kutuzov goal, coming off of Yegor Dubrovsky and Denis Khlystov. Omsk retied it in the third period with a Kolarik power play goal, powered by Denis Kulyash and Vladimir Sobotka. Avangard won 4-3 in overtime with an Alexander Perezhogin power play goal, with a lone helper from Nikita Pivtsakin. The three stars were given to Kolarik, Kutuzov, and Perezhogin.

West a little to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Mikhail Biryukov are given the starting nods. Sochi led off in the first period with a Pavel Koledov power play goal, powered by Clay Wilson and Cory Emmerton. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a power play goal by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev, assisted by Nikita Filatov and Dmitry Kazionov. The Leopards took the lead back with a Max Warn goal, fueled by Wilson and Igor Radulov. Torpedo tied it in the second period on a Filatov goal, passed from Artyom Blazhiyevsky on the power play. Nizhny Novgorod won 3-2 with an overtime goal by Sakari Salminen, with a lone assist by Alexei Pepelyaev. The three stars were Filatov, Wilson, and Salminen.

Over in Cherepovets, Severstal brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Jakub Stepanek have the green light to play goal. Cherepovets opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Andreas Thuresson. Moscow tied it in the second period on a Martins Karsums goal, guided in by Gleb Koryagin and Alexei Tsvetkov. Dynamo gained the lead on a Yegor Dugin goal, helped along by Denis Mosalyov. Severstal retied it on a Thuresson power play goal, powered by Alexander Shinin and Logan Pyett. Cherepovets took the lead back with Thuresson completing his hat trick, thanks to Evgeny Kovyrshin. Severstal added on with a Pavel Chernov goal, made possible by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Cherepovets iced it at 5-2 on Thuresson's fourth of the game, an unassisted empty netter. The three stars were awarded to Thuresson, Chernov, and Stepanek (19 for 21 in saves).

Finally, Dinamo Minsk hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen faces a lesser foe in Danny Taylor in goal. St. Petersburg got going in the second period on a Jimmie Ericsson goal, via Dinar Khafizullin and Patrick Thoresen. Minsk tied it with a Nick Bailen goal, fueled by Alexander Kulakov and Dmitry Meleshko. Dinamo won 2-1 in the shootout with two Ryan Vesce tallies, topping a lone tally from Evgeny Ketov. The three stars went to Vesce, Taylor (25 for 26 in saves), and Koskinen (24 for 25 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL December 23rd, 2014

This is it for a couple of days. Eleven games on the last day before the Christmas break. We begin in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Tuukka Rask in goal. Boston led off in the first period on a Brad Marchand goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Patrice Bergeron. Nashville tied it on a Colin Wilson goal, his eighth of the year, via James Neal and Mattias Ekholm. The Bruins retook the lead on a David Krejci power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Torey Krug and Milan Lucic. The Predators retied it on a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Ekholm and Taylor Beck. Boston regained the lead on a Loui Eriksson goal in the second period, his eighth of the season, guided in by Matt Bartkowski and Chris Kelly. The Bruins added on with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, with helpers provided by Bergeron and Kevan Miller. Nashville got one back as Beck scored his fourth of the season in the third period, thanks to Jarnkrok and Shea Weber. Boston iced it at 5-3 with Eriksson's second of the game and ninth of the year, an empty net goal set up by Bergeron, who got a sock trick, and Kelly. The three stars went to Marchand, Bergeron, and Eriksson, while Jarnkrok, Beck, Ekholm, and Kelly get the honorable mentions.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Kari Lehtonen are the masked men. Toronto started in the first period with a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a van Riemsdyk goal, his fifteenth of the year, guided in by Kadri and the goalie Bernier. Toronto extended the lead on a Tyler Bozak goal, his thirteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Dion Phaneuf and Kessel. The Maple Leafs padded the lead in the third period on a Mike Santorelli empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by van Riemsdyk. The three stars went to Bernier (43 save shutout), van Riemsdyk, and Kadri, while Kessel gets an honorable mention.

Back northeast to New Jersey, as the Devils bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Anton Khudobin and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Stephen Gionta goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Steve Bernier and Tuomo Ruutu. Carolina tied it on a third period goal by Ron Hainsey, via Patrick Dwyer and Andrej Sekera. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Chris Terry lifted the Hurricanes to a 2-1 win with the lone tally. The three stars belonged to Schneider (32 for 33 in saves), Khudobin (18 for 19 in saves), and Hainsey.

Out on Long Island, the New York Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Chad Johnson in goal. New York was first to score in the first period on a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by John Tavares and Lubomir Visnovsky. Montreal tied it in the second period on an Andrei Markov goal, his fifth of the year, via P.K. Subban. The Canadiens took the lead on a Brendan Gallagher goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Sergei Gonchar and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal added on in the third period with a David Desharnais goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Lars Eller and P.A. Parenteau. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Price (37 for 38 in saves), Gallagher, and Markov.

Staying in New York, the Rangers welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist protect the nets. New York struck first in the first period on a Rick Nash goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. The Rangers added on in the second period with a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Dan Boyle and Brassard. New York extended the lead in the third period as Nash scored his second of the game and twenty-second of the season, with the help of Zuccarello. Washington got on the board with an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Troy Brouwer and John Carlson. The Capitals pulled closer with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Carlson and Marcus Johansson. The Rangers replied on a St. Louis power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Nash and Derek Stepan. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Nash, St. Louis, and Zuccarello, while Brassard and Carlson get the honorable mentions.

Out in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Ray Emery and Darcy Kuemper are called on to start in goal. Philadelphia began in the first period with a Sean Couturier goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by R.J. Umberger. The Flyers added on as Claude Giroux scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Luke Schenn and Jakub Voracek. Minnesota got on the board with a Marco Scandella goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Jared Spurgeon and Zach Parise. The Wild tied it in the second period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter. Philadelphia took the lead with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Mark Streit. The Flyers extended the lead in the third period on a Vincent Lecavalier goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Andrew MacDonald and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Philadelphia finished it at 5-2 with a Michael Raffl empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Voracek. The three stars were given to Simmonds, Voracek, and Lecavalier.

Backtracking to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Petr Mrazek are the backups in goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Nicolas Deslauriers goal, his third of the season, guided in by Drew Stafford and Brian Flynn. Detroit tied it on a Stephen Weiss power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jakub Kindl and Gustav Nyquist. The Sabres took the lead as Chris Stewart scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Cody Hodgson and Mikhail Grigorenko. Buffalo added on in the second period on a shorthanded Andre Benoit goal, set up by Flynn. The Red Wings got one back on a Danny DeKeyser goal, his second of the year, coming off of Tomas Jurco and Luke Glendening. Detroit tied it in the third period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Pavel Datsyuk and Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings gained the lead with a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with helpers from DeKeyser and Nyquist. Detroit extended the lead on a Johan Franzen power play goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Zetterberg and Kindl. The Red Wings padded the lead with a Tatar power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, made possible by Brendan Smith and Nyquist, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars in the 6-3 game were Tatar, Nyquist, and DeKeyser, while Kindl, Flynn, and Zetterberg get the honorable mentions.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrei Vasilevskiy receive the starting nods. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eleventh of the season, via Niktia Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. The Lightning added on with another Johnson goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, passed from Palat and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period on a Kucherov goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Matthew Carle and Valtteri Filppula. Fleury was relieved by Jeff Zatkoff in goal. The Lightning padded the lead on a Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the year clinching a hat trick, with helpers provided by Kucherov and Palat, the latter getting a sock trick. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Rob Klinkhammer. The Penguins pulled closer in the third period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone helper from Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh chipped closer on a Kris Letang goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by Hornqvist and Malkin. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Johnson, Kucherov, and Palat, while Hornqvist and Malkin get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Devan Dubnyk faces his former team and Viktor Fasth in goal. Arizona struck first in the first period on a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Martin Erat and Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes added on with an Erat goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Connor Murphy and Gagner. Edmonton got on the board with a Justin Schultz goal, his third of the season, fueled by Brad Hunt and Mark Arcobello. Arizona shot back in the second period with a Keith Yandle goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette. The Coyotes extended the lead in the third period on Brandon Gormley's second of the season, via Hanzal and Gagner. Arizona padded the lead on Gagner's second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Gormley and Hanzal, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Gagner, Hanzal, and Gormley, while Erat gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Colorado Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Semyon Varlamov occupy the creases. Colorado was first to score in the first period on an Erik Johnson goal, his ninth of the season, via Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche added on with a Zach Redmond power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado extended the lead as Alex Tanguay scored his twelfth of the season in the second period, thanks to Jarome Iginla and Brad Stuart. The Avalanche padded the lead on an O'Reilly goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Landeskog and Stuart on the power play. Colorado kept going on an Iginla goal, his eighth of the campaign, coming off of John Mitchell and Tanguay. Martin Brodeur replaced Allen in goal. This made it a 5-0 final, with the three stars going to Tanguay, Iginla, and Varlamov (26 save shutout), while O'Reilly, Landeskog, and Stuart get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the last game until Friday has the Chicago Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Mathieu Perreault goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Michael Frolik and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on as Bryan Little scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler. Winnipeg extended the lead on an Anthony Peluso goal, made possible by Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn. Antti Raanta replaced Crawford in goal. The Jets padded the lead in the second period with a Perreault power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Ladd. Chicago got on the board with a Marian Hossa goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Brandon Saad. Winnipeg iced it at 5-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Wheeler, his tenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Perreault, Hutchinson (38 for 39 in saves), and Ladd, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL December 23rd, 2014

Just one game today, as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Vitaly Kolesnik are the goalies. Podolsk began in the first period on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, courtesy of Anton Korolyov. Yaroslavl tied it on an Emil Galimov goal, coming off of Staffan Kronwall and Kirill Kapustin. Lokomotiv added on with an Andrei Loktionov power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Martin Thornberg. Yaroslavl extended the lead in the second period as Loktionov scored again, with a lone assist by Kronwall. Vityaz got one back with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Mathias Porseland. Lokomotiv shot back in the third period on a power play goal by Geoff Platt, assisted by Kontiola and Kronwall, the latter getting a sock trick. This made it a 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Loktionov, Kronwall, and Kontiola.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL December 22nd, 2014

Six games today, beginning in...

DC, as the Washington Capitals host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Braden Holtby are the goalies. Washington got going in the second period on a Jay Beagle goal, his fifth of the season, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and Mike Green. Ottawa tied it on an Erik Condra goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Capitals retook the lead on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, powered by Green and Marcus Johansson. The final stood at 2-1 from here, with Holtby (38 for 39 in saves), Green, and Backstrom getting the three stars.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Colin Wilson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Victor Bartley. The Predators added on with a Craig Smith goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Shea Weber. Nashville extended the lead in the third period on a Seth Jones goal, guided in by Bartley and James Neal. The Predators padded the lead as Smith scored his second of the game and tenth of the season, thanks to Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. Nashville continued on a Mike Fisher goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Wilson and Ryan Ellis. Columbus got on the board with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, powered by Ryan Johansen and Jack Johnson. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Smith, Rinne (30 for 31 in saves), and Wilson, while Bartley gets an honorable mention.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Roberto Luongo guard the cages. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period on a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twelfth of the season, via Simon Despres and Sidney Crosby. Florida tied it on a Jussi Jokinen goal in the second period, his fourth of the year, assisted by Dave Bolland and Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers took the lead on a Jimmy Hayes goal in the third period, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Sean Bergenheim. Florida added on with another Hayes goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, courtesy of Bergenheim and Aleksander Barkov. The Penguins got one back on a Nick Spaling power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Derrick Pouliot and Despres. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers won 4-3 with a Barkov shootout tally. The three stars went to Hayes, Bergenheim, and Despres.

Across the continent, the Vancouver Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ryan Miller are in goal. Vancouver was first to score with an Alexandre Burrows goal in the first period, his seventh of the season, passed from Bo Horvat and Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on as Kevin Bieksa scored his third of the year, with the help of Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead with a Daniel Sedin goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Radim Vrbata and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks chased Smith with a second period Brad Richardson goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. Devan Dubnyk came on in relief. Vancouver padded the lead on a Burrows power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Alexander Edler. Arizona got on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his eighth of the year, with assists provided by Sam Gagner and Keith Yandle. The Canucks shot back with a third period goal by Chris Higgins, his sixth of the season, coming on the power play from Linden Vey and Nick Bonino. Vancouver struck again on a Shawn Matthias power play goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone helper by Richardson. The final stood at 7-1, with the three stars being Burrows, Richardson, and Daniel Sedin, while Henrik Sedin gets an honorable mention.

Down in Anaheim, the Ducks welcome the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Frederik Andersen are the masked men. Anaheim opened in the second period with a Rickard Rakell goal, coming off of Emerson Etem and Matt Beleskey. San Jose tied it in the third period on a Joe Pavelski goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. The Sharks took the lead with a Melker Karlsson goal, fueled by Barclay Goodrow and Brenden Dillon. The Ducks retied it on a Cam Fowler goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ryan Getzlaf and Devante Smith-Pelly. Anaheim won 3-2 in overtime with a Ryan Kesler goal, his twelfth of the campaign, made possible by Patrick Maroon and Getzlaf. The three stars went to Kesler, Getzlaf, and Fowler.

Finally, a little up the freeway, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Trevor Lewis goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Drew Doughty and Brayden McNabb. The Kings added on with a power play goal by Marian Gaborik, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Jamie McBain, his second of the season, powered by Dustin Brown and Williams. Calgary got on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau power play goal, his eighth of the year, via Dennis Wideman and Kris Russell. The Flames pulled closer in the third period on Gaudreau's second of the game and ninth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. Calgary tied it on a Gaudreau goal to complete the natural hat trick, his tenth of the year, made possible by Jiri Hudler and Wideman. The Flames won on a Giordano goal, his tenth of the campaign, passed from Lance Bouma and Hudler. The three stars of the 4-3 game went to Gaudreau, Giordano, and Hudler, while Wideman and Williams get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Premier League Week 17

Ten games on over three days, beginning in...

Manchester, as City hosts Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Joe Hart are in goal. In the thirty-sixth minute, Aleksandar Kolarov received a yellow card for a foul for Manchester City. In the thirty-ninth minute, Jason Puncheon of Crystal Palace took a yellow card for his foul. Manchester City opened in the forty-ninth minute with a David Silva goal, guided in by Pablo Zabaleta. Manchester City added on with a Silva goal in the sixty-first minute, passed from Kolarov on a cross after a corner kick. Manchester City's James Milner received a yellow card in the seventh-ninth minute for a foul. Manchester City extended the lead as Yaya Toure scored in the eighty-first minute, with an assist from Milner. This made it a 3-0 final score.

Next up, Aston Villa welcomes Manchester United. David de Gea and Brad Guzan are in the six-yard boxes. In the eighteenth minute, Christian Benteke scored for Aston Villa after a set piece. Manchester United tied it on a fifty-third minute Falcao header, passed from Ashley Young on a cross. In the sixty-fifth minute, Aston Villa went down to ten men when Gabriel Agbonlahor was shown a straight red card for a foul. In the seventy-fifth minute, Tyler Blackett of Manchester United got a yellow card for a foul, and then Guzan got a yellow card for Aston Villa for backtalking the official. The score stayed level at 1-1.

Over to Hull City bringing in Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Allan McGregor protect the nets. In the fifteenth minute, Ki Sung-Yueng scored for Swansea City, with the help of Jonjo Shelvey. Hull City took a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute for a foul by Jake Livermore. Swansea City had a yellow card go to Ashley Richards in the fortieth minute for a foul. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sone Aluko of Hull City took a yellow card for a foul. Neil Taylor had the last yellow card in the seventy-fifth minute for a foul for Swansea City. The final favored Swansea City 1-0.

Down in London, the Queens Park Rangers host West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Robert Green are the gloved men. West Brom started in the tenth minute with a Joleon Lescott header at close range, passed from Stephane Sessegnon on a headed pass after a corner kick. West Brom added on in the twentieth minute with a Silvestre Varela goal, set up by a Sessegnon through ball. QPR got on the board when Charlie Austin converted a penalty kick in the twenty-fourth minute. In the thirty-ninth minute, Richard Dunne of QPR took a yellow card for a foul. QPR tied it on a forty-eighth minute Austin goal, coming off of Bobby Zamora headed pass after corner kick. In the eighty-sixth minute, Austin completed his hat trick and gave QPR the lead with a goal, courtesy of Joey Barton's cross after a corner kick. QPR went on to win 3-2.

Along to Southampton welcoming Everton. Tim Howard and Fraser Forster are the keepers. In the thirty-eighth minute, Southampton received a gift as Everton's Romelu Lukaku put the ball in his own net. In the sixty-fifth minute, Southampton added on with a Graziano Pelle goal, coming off of Shane Long. Everton took a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute for a Muhamed Besic foul. Southampton's Jose Fonte was given a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. Southampton extended the lead in the eighty-second minute on a Maya Yoshida header goal, made possible by a Steven Davis cross. This produced the 3-0 final for Southampton.

Back into London with Tottenham Hotspur bringing in Burnley. Tom Heaton and Hugo Lloris are set to start in goal. In the third minute, Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies received a yellow card for a foul. In the twenty-first minute, Tottenham led off the scoring on a Harry Kane header from close range, set up by Nacer Chadli with the cross after a set piece. Burnley tied it in the twenty-seventh minute with an Ashley Barnes goal, coming off of George Boyd. Tottenham Hotspur regained the lead with a thirty-fifth minute Erik Lamela goal, assisted by Ryan Mason. This was all they needed for a 2-1 win.

Closing out Saturday, West Ham United hosts Leicester City. Ben Hamer and Adrian are the goalies. West Ham United began in the twenty-fourth minute with an Andy Carroll goal. Leicester City saw yellow cards given to Andy King in the thirty-third minute and Jamie Vardy in the forty-first minute, both for fouls. West Ham United added on in the fifty-sixth minute on a Stewart Downing goal, made possible by Diafra Sakho headed pass. Leicester City took another yellow card in the sixty-fourth minute for a Leonardo Ulloa foul. The final stood at 2-0 for West Ham United.

Sunday's first game had Newcastle United welcome Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Jak Arnwick are set to start in goal. In the second minute, Sunderland's Sebastian Coates took a yellow card for a foul. Newcastle United took three straight yellow cards, going to Fabricio Coloccini in the ninth minute, Cheick Tiote in the twenty-fourth minute, and Jack Colback in the twenty-fifth minute, all for fouls. In the thirty-ninth minute, Connor Wickham of Sunderland was given a yellow card for a foul. Sunderland took a pair of yellow cards in the second half, for a fifty-sixth minute Lee Cattermole foul and a sixty-ninth minute John O'Shea foul. Sunderland got on the board with a ninetieth minute goal by Adam Johnson, set up by William Buckley after a fast break. Newcastle United's Paul Dummett had a yellow card in the same minute. Sunderland went on to win 1-0.

Over to Liverpool bringing in Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Bradley Jones guard the woodwork. Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini took a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul. In the forty-fifth minute, Liverpool began with a Philippe Coutinho goal, passed from Jordan Henderson. Arsenal tied it in first half stoppage time on a Mathieu Debuchy header goal, courtesy of a Flamini headed pass after a set piece. In the forty-seventh minute, Arsenal's Debuchy received a yellow card for a foul. Arsenal took the lead at the sixty-four minute mark on an Olivier Giroud goal, coming off of Santiago Cazorla. Liverpool took a ninetieth minute yellow card for a Fabio Borini foul. Two minutes later, Borini was sent off on a second yellow card foul, leaving Liverpool down at ten men and facing a one-goal deficit. Arsenal took a yellow card for a Cazorla foul a minute after that. Just over six minutes into stoppage time, Martin Skrtel got the improbable tying goal for Liverpool, a header assisted by an Adam Lallana cross after a corner kick. The final stood at 2-2.

Monday's game had Stoke City host Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic are the keepers. Chelsea began in the second minute with a John Terry goal, via Cesc Fabregas' cross after a corner. In the twentieth minute, Stoke City's Phil Bardsley took a yellow card. Stoke City saw a yellow card go to Erik Pieters in the fifty-third minute. Chelsea added on with a Fabregas goal, assisted by Eden Hazard in the seventy-eighth minute. In the ninetieth minute, Jonathan Walters of Stoke City received a yellow card for a foul. Chelsea won 2-0.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

KHL December 22nd, 2014

As you may have heard, the Russian economy took a drastic downturn this past week. This has trickled down to having a dire impact on the health of the KHL. I'm here to say that I will continue covering the league as long as it operates. With that, three games on today, beginning in...

Helsinki, as Jokerit hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Riku Helenius are in goal. Helsinki began with a first period Steve Moses power play goal, powered by Linus Omark. Riga tied it on a Gunars Skvorcovs goal, with a lone assist by Maris Bicevskis. Jokerit regained the lead with a Moses goal, assisted by Ville Lajunen and Omark. Helsinki added on in the second period on an Omark power goal, helped along by Moses. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Moses, Omark, and Helenius (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Bratislava, Slovan welcomes Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Jaroslav Janus are the masked men. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, courtesy of Andrej Stastny and Michal Vondrka. Togliatti tied it on an unassisted Stanislav Romanov power play goal. Lada took the lead in the third period on an Alexander Streltsov goal, made possible by Fedor Fedorov. Slovan tied it as Tomas Netik scored, thanks to Michal Sersen. Lada won 3-2 in the shootout on a Yury Petrov goal. The three stars went to Streltsov, Ezhov (46 for 48 in saves), and Petrov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Calvin Heeter are in the creases. Zagreb started on a first period goal by Edwin Hedberg, via Mark Popovic and James Wright. Medvescak added on with a Ville Leino power play goal, powered by Mathieu Carle. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Eric Beaudoin scored an unassisted goal. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Igor Polygalov goal, made possible by Maxim Berezin and Yegor Milovzorov. Medvescak answered with a Mark Flood power play goal, coming off of Pascal Pelletier and Martin St. Pierre. Neftekhimik replied in the third period on an Andrei Ivanov goal, with a lone assist by Milovzorov. Zagreb countered with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, with helpers from Hedberg and Shaone Morrisonn. Nizhnekamsk got one back on a Maxim Rybin shorthanded goal, set up by Matt Anderson and Stanislav Kalashnikov. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Hedberg, Milovzorov, and Flood.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

NHL December 21st, 2014

Six games today, beginning in...

Detroit, as the Red Wings host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Petr Mrazek are the unknown goalies. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Riley Sheahan and Henrik Zetterberg. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. In the shootout, Landeskog and Matt Duchene scored for the Avalanche before Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar matched for the Red Wings, and then Jarome Iginla gave the Avalanche a 2-1 shootout win. The three stars went to Pickard (34 for 35 in saves), Iginla, and Mrazek (22 for 23 in saves).

West to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen faces a lesser foe in Ben Scrivens in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period on a Taylor Hall power play goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Jordan Eberle. Dallas tied it with Shawn Horcoff's fifth of the year, via Jyrki Jokipakka and Colton Sceviour. The Stars took the lead as Erik Cole scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Ales Hemsky and Alex Goligoski. The Oilers retied it in the second period on a Purcell goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hall. Edmonton took the lead on a Mark Arcobello goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Petry and Andrew Ference. The Oilers added on with another Arcobello goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Steven Pinizzotto and Matt Hendricks. Edmonton extended the lead with a Hall goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, made possible by Purcell. Dallas shot back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin. The Stars pulled closer on a Seguin goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the season, guided in by John Klingberg and Goligoski. Dallas tied it on a Seguin goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, with helpers from Benn and Hemsky. Seguin and Eberle cancelled each other out in the shootout, followed by Vernon Fiddler matched by Purcell, and a Horcoff goal to give the Stars a 6-5 win. The three stars belonged to Seguin, Hall, and Arcobello, while Purcell, Eberle, Horcoff, Hemsky, Benn, and Goligoski get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Boston Bruins bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Tuukka Rask are between the pipes. Boston began in the first period on a Dougie Hamilton power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Carl Soderberg and Loui Eriksson. Buffalo tied it on an Andrej Meszaros goal, fueled by Chris Stewart and Johan Larsson. The Sabres took the lead on a Rasmus Ristolainen power play goal, his third of the year, assisted by Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons. The Bruins retied it with a Chris Kelly goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Hamilton. Buffalo pulled ahead with a Tim Schaller goal in the third period, passed from Nicolas Deslauriers and Brian Flynn. Boston retied it as Hamilton scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, thanks to Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith. The Bruins won 4-3 in overtime on an Eriksson goal, his seventh of the campaign, made possible by Milan Lucic and Chara. The three stars went to Hamilton, Eriksson, and Chara.

Westward again, where the Chicago Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Antti Raanta are in the blue paint. Chicago started in the first period on a David Rundblad goal, via Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks added on with a Kris Versteeg goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Kane and Sharp. Chicago extended the lead on a third period Kane power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Sharp, who got a sock trick, and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks finished it at 4-0 with a Jonathan Toews goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, assisted by Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The three stars belonged to Raanta (31 save shutout), Kane, and Sharp, while Seabrook gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to New York, where the Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Backups Anton Khudobin and Cam Talbot make the starts. New York got going in the first period on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his second of the season, fueled by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. This was good for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (18 save shutout), Khudobin (30 for 31 in saves), and McDonagh.

Finally, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Rob Zepp and Ondrej Pavelec are given the green light to play goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period on a Jakub Voracek goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl. Winnipeg tied it with an unassisted Matt Halischuk goal. The Jets took the lead on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Bryan Little. Winnipeg added on in the second period as Mathieu Perreault scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik. The Flyers got one back in the third period on a Mark Streit goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Chris VandeVelde and Vincent Lecavalier. Philadelphia tied it on a Lecavalier goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Flyers won on Voracek's second of the game and fourteenth of the year in overtime, an unassisted goal for a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Voracek, Lecavalier, and Streit.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.