NHL Janaury 10th, 2015

Eleven games on for the day, with three leading off as matinees. We begin in...

Philadelphia, as the Flyers host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Steve Mason got the starts, but Mason got injured in the first period and was replaced by Ray Emery. Boston began in the first period with a David Pastrnak power play goal, powered by Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara. The Bruins added on in the third period with another Pastrnak goal, his second of the game, via David Krejci and Adam McQuaid. Boston extended the lead with a Chris Kelly shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Loui Eriksson and Chara. Philadelphia got on the board with a power play goal by Claude Giroux, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Mark Streit and Jakub Voracek. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Pastrnak, Rask (24 for 25 in saves), and Chara.

West to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Niklas Backstrom are in the blue paint. Nashville struck first in the first period on a Mike Fisher goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Colin Wilson. Minnesota tied it on a Charlie Coyle goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Christian Folin and Nino Niederreiter. The Predators retook the lead in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Olli Jokinen and Shea Weber. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Wilson goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Wilson, Rinne (36 for 37 in saves), and Jarnkrok.

Along to Colorado, where the Avalanche bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Semyon Varlamov are the experienced goalies. Dallas was first to score in the first period with a Brett Ritchie goal, his third of the season, assisted by Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The Stars added on with a Colton Sceviour goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Vernon Fiddler. Colorado got on the board in the second period on an Erik Johnson goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche tied it as John Mitchell scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Nate Guenin. Colorado took the lead with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Max Talbot. The Avalanche extended their lead with a Duchene goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, via Borna Rendulic. Dallas got one back as Ales Hemsky scored his sixth of the campaign, with the help of Jason Spezza and Shawn Horcoff. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Duchene, MacKinnon, and Mitchell.

At the normal times, the Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Andrei Markov. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Simon Despres and Nick Spaling. The Penguins won 2-1 in overtime on a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twelfth of the campaign, powered by Malkin and Kris Letang. The three stars went to Malkin, Fleury (27 for 28 in saves), and Price (35 for 37 in saves).

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Braden Holtby received the starting nods, but Howard was injured when Washington opened with Troy Brouwer's unassisted twelfth of the season on the power play. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in goal. The Capitals added on in the second period with a John Carlson goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Andre Burakovsky and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead with a Joel Ward goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich. Detroit got on the board with a Jonathan Ericsson goal, coming off of Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist. This was it for the scoring, with the final standing at 3-1. The three stars were Holtby (26 for 27 in saves), Carlson, and Ward.

Southwest to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Mike Smith are the average goalies. Arizona started in the first period with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Sam Gagner and Lucas Lessio. Ottawa tied it on a Milan Michalek power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Mika Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan. The Senators took the lead with a Clarke MacArthur goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Kyle Turris and Mark Stone. Ottawa added on with a second period goal by Mike Hoffman, his fourteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Zibanejad. The Senators extended the lead as Cody Ceci scored his second of the season in the third period, a power play goal, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and MacArthur. Ottawa finished it at 5-1 with a David Legwand goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were given to MacArthur, Zibanejad, and Anderson (31 for 32 in saves).

Backtracking to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets host the New York Islanders. Chad Johnson is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. New York quickly led off in the first period with a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Nick Leddy and Michael Grabner. Columbus tied it on a Jack Johnson power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by David Savard and Brandon Dubinsky. The Islanders retook the lead in the second period as Matt Martin scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Ryan Strome and Thomas Hickey. New York added on with an Anders Lee goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Strome and Hickey. The Islanders extended the lead when Brian Strait scored, with the help of Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. The Blue Jackets got one back in the third period on a Nick Foligno goal, his eighteenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Johansen and Scott Hartnell. New York responded with a Kyle Okposo goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Josh Bailey and Strait. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Strait, Strome, and Hickey.

Over in St. Louis, the Blues welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Brian Elliott are in the creases. Carolina began in the first period with a Victor Rask goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Ryan Murphy and Jeff Skinner. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, his twelfth of the year, via David Backes and Alex Pietrangelo. The Hurricanes took the lead on a Skinner goal, his tenth of the season, fueled by Rask and Alexander Semin. Carolina added on with an Eric Staal goal, his thirteenth of the year, an unassisted goal. The Blues pulled back in the second period on a Jaden Schwartz goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Paul Stastny. St. Louis tied it as Patrik Berglund scored his sixth of the year, with the help of Backes and Pietrangelo. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Riley Nash goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Nathan Gerbe and Tim Gleason. The Blues tied it on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the third period, his twenty-third of the year, made possible by Kevin Shattenkirk and Barret Jackman. The tie lasted to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie scored to give St. Louis a 5-4 win. The three stars went to Rask, Skinner, and Backes, while Pietrangelo gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jonathan Quick are between the pipes. Winnipeg struck first in the first period on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Michael Frolik and Dustin Byfuglien. The Jets added on as Bryan Little scored his sixteenth of the year, thanks to Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd. Winnipeg extended the lead on a power play goal by Wheeler, his twelfth of the season, powered by Perreault and Byfuglien. Los Angeles got on the board with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Drew Doughty and Marian Gaborik. The Kings pulled closer with a Justin Williams goal, his twelfth of the season, guided in by Jake Muzzin and Doughty on the power play. Los Angeles tied it in the third period on a Gaborik goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone assist from Kopitar. The Kings took the lead with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the campaign, passed from Trevor Lewis and Matt Greene. The Jets tied it with a Zach Bogosian goal, via Toby Enstrom. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Little's tally gave the Jets a 5-4 win. The three stars were Perreault, Wheeler, and Little, while Byfuglien, Gaborik, Kopitar, and Doughty all get honorable mentions.

Up in San Jose, the Sharks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Niemi guard the cages. New York was first to score in the first period with a Martin St. Louis goal, his fourteenth of the season, courtesy of Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with a Kreider goal, his eighth of the year, via Dan Girardi and Stepan. San Jose got on the board in the third period with a power play goal by Melker Karlsson, his sixth of the season, powered by James Sheppard and Matt Tennyson. New York iced it at 3-1 with a Rick Nash empty net goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, set up by Mats Zuccarello. The three stars were awarded to Kreider, Lundqvist (29 for 30 in saves), and Stepan.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio and Eddie Lack are the unknown goalies. Calgary got going in the first period on a Mikael Backlund goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of David Jones and Johnny Gaudreau. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars given to Ortio (35 save shutout), Backlund, and Lack (19 for 20 in saves).

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KHL January 10th, 2015

Eleven games today, beginning with...

Avangard Omsk host the Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Denis Kostin are in goal. Kazan started in the first period with a Justin Azevedo goal, assisted by Sergei Kostitsyn. Omsk tied it in the second period on a Denis Parshin power play goal, powered by Erik Gustafsson and Alexander Popov. Avangard took the lead with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, coming off of Denis Kulyash and Nikita Pivtsakin on the power play. Ak Bars tied it in the third period on a Mikhail Varnakov goal, fueled by Azevedo and Ilya Nikulin on the power play. Omsk retook the lead with a power play goal by Pivtsakin, fueled by Popov and Kulyash. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pivtsakin, Azevedo, and Popov, while Kulyash gets an honorable mention.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Pavel Poluektov draw the starts in goal. Astana began with a Nikita Mikhailis goal, fueled by Dmitry Upper and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys added on with a Roman Starchenko power play goal, powered by Konstantin Rudenko and Nikolai Antropov. Astana extended the lead on a second period power play goal by Dustin Boyd, passed from Mike Lundin and Nigel Dawes. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a Nikita Tryamkin goal, courtesy of Sergei Gusev and Evgeny Mityakin. Barys replied with a power play goal by Starchenko, assisted by Rudenko and Kevin Dallman. This produced the eventual 4-1 final, with the three stars being Starchenko, Poluektov (44 for 45 in saves), and Rudenko.

Back north, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk bring in Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Proskuryakov and Barry Brust are in the blue paint. Vladivostok opened in the first period on a Vladislav Ushenin goal, coming off of Vyacheslav Ushenin. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Nikita Gusev, courtesy of Mikhail Mamin. Admiral took the lead back on a Vyacheslav Ushenin power play goal, powered by Alexander Gorshkov and Artyom Zemchyonok. Yugra tied it in the second period on a Ben Maxwell goal, assisted by Artyom Bulyansky and Vitaly Sitnikov. Khanty-Mansiysk gained the lead as Maxwell scored again, thanks to Philip Larsen and Ilari Melart. Vladivostok retied it on a Gorshkov goal, guided in by Denis Osipov and Ivan Glazkov. Admiral pulled ahead on a Konstantin Makarov goal, with a lone assist by Enver Lisin. Stepan Goryachevskikh replaced Brust in goal at this time.  Vladivostok added on with a Niclas Bergfors goal, via Andrei Sigaryov and Denis Kuzmin. Admiral extended the lead in the third period as Tom Wandell scored an unassisted goal. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Maxwell, Vyacheslav Ushenin, and Gorshkov.

West a little to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Alexander Pechursky is mismatched with Michael Garnett in goal. Chelyabinsk led off with a Francis Pare goal, with a lone assist by Deron Quint. Traktor added on with a Pare goal, his second of the game, fueled by Stanislav Chistov and Konstantin Panov on the power play. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Ruslan Bashkirov goal, going in unassisted. Amur tied it with another Bashkirov goal, passed from Artyom Zub and Mikhail Zheleznov. Khabarovsk took the lead on a power play goal in the second period from Michel Miklik, powered by Dmitry Tarasov and Grigory Shafigulin. Chelyabinsk tied it again on an Andrei Popov power play goal, with a lone helper by Anton Glinkin. Amur pulled ahead on a Marcel Hascak goal, via Maxim Velikov and Tarasov. Traktor tied it again as Pare finished his hat trick, with the help of Chistov and Maxim Kondratyev. Chelyabinsk took the lead with a Popov power play goal, assisted by Dmitry Pestunov and Glinkin. Traktor extended the lead on Pare's fourth of the game, a shorthanded goal set up by Artyom Borodkin. This made it 6-4, with the three stars given to Pare, Bashkirov, and Popov, while Chistov, Tarasov, and Glinkin get the honorable mentions.

Back to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Vladimir Sokhatsky guard the cages. Ufa got going in the second period on a Denis Tolpeko goal, fueled by Alexei Glukhov and Denis Khlystov. Salavat Yulaev added on in the third period on a Kirill Koltsov goal, helped along by Dmitry Makarov. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Jan Kovar goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Chris Lee. Ufa answered on a Denis Bodrov unassisted empty net goal. Metallurg pulled back as Oskar Osala scored a power play goal, powered by Maxim Yakutsenya and Lee. This was it for the scoring, with the final at 3-2, and the three stars were Koltsov, Lee, and Tolpeko.

In Togliatti, Lada brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Evgeny Ivannikov are in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Vladimir Malinovsky, powered by Cade Fairchild. Togliatti got on the board as Yury Petrov scored, thanks to Denis Golubev and Alexander Chernikov. Lada took the lead with an Anton Shenfeld goal, passed from Vasily Streltsov and Denis Guryanov. Togliatti added on with a Chernikov goal in the second period, coming off of Denis Barantsev and Golubev on the power play. Lada extended the lead with a Georgy Belousov power play goal, courtesy of Shenfeld and Alexander Sharov. Togliatti padded the lead with an unassisted Streltsov goal. Metallurg got one back with an Ansel Galimov goal, with assists provided by Konstantin Turukin and Alexander Komaristy. Novokuznetsk got closer on a Nikolai Skladnichenko goal in the third period, helped along by Ryan Stoa. Lada finished it at 6-3 with an Andrei Nikitenko goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Vorobyov. The three stars went to Shenfeld, Chernikov, and Golubev, while Streltsov gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards host Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Tomas Popperle protect the nets. Sochi was first to score in the first period on an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, guided in by Ilya Krikunov and Igor Ignatushkin. Minsk tied it with an Alexei Kalyuzhny goal, via Paul Szczechura. The Leopards retook the lead on a Kostitsyn power play goal in the third period, powered by Krikunov and Ryan Whitney. Dinamo retied it as Kalyuzhny scored his second of the game, with the help of Jonathan Cheechoo and Szczechura. Minsk won 3-2 with a Cheechoo goal, helped along by Kalyuzhny and Oleg Goroshko. The three stars belonged to Kalyuzhny, Kostitsyn, and Cheechoo, while Szczechura and Krikunov get the honorable mentions.

Back north, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Ville Kolppanen are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, fueled by Alexander Yevseyenkov. Novosibirsk tied it on an Alexei Kopeikin goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Monya. Sibir took the lead in the third period with a Vyacheslav Belov power play goal, powered by Patrik Hersley and Jarno Koskiranta. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Belov, Salak (28 for 29 in saves), and Kopeikin.

Into Mytishchi, where Atlant brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Atte Engren are in the creases. Moscow got going in the third period on a Mat Robinson goal, guided in by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Martins Karsums. Dynamo added on as Nikolai Zherdev scored a power play goal, powered by Janne Jalasvaara and Alexei Tsvetkov. Moscow extended the lead on a Karsums power play goal, courtesy of Kaspars Daugavins. Mytishchi got on the board with a Maxim Potapov goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Nikita Soshnikov. Atlant pulled closer with an Oleg Yashin goal, made possible by Dmitry Korobov and Albert Yarullin. This was as close as it got, with the final at 3-2. The three stars were Karsums, Zherdev, and Robinson.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Calvin Heeter and Ivan Lisutin are the goalies. Zagreb began in the first period on a Pascal Pelletier goal, fueled by Ville Leino and Martin St. Pierre. Podolsk tied it on a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, via Yakov Seleznyov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. Vityaz took the lead on a second period goal by Kucheryavenko, helped along by Alexei Semenov and Solodukhin. Medvescak tied it as Bill Thomas scored in the third period, thanks to Andrew Hutchinson. Zagreb won 3-2 in overtime on a James Wright goal, assisted by Geoffrey Kinrade. The three stars were handed to Solodukhin, Kucheryavenko, and Wright.

Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Vitaly Kolesnik are the masked men. Bratislava led off in the second period as Tomas Netik scored, with a lone assist by Martin Stajnoch. Slovan added on in the third period on a Libor Hudacek goal, assisted by Michal Vondrka and Tomas Starosta. The final stood at 2-0, with the three stars going to Backlund (25 save shutout), Netik, and Hudacek.

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NHL January 9th, 2015

Five games tonight, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Keith Kinkaid draw the starts in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period on a Travis Zajac goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Patrik Elias and Adam Larsson. New York tied it in the third period on a Josh Bailey goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Calvin de Haan and John Tavares. The Devils took the lead back on a Scott Gomez goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Adam Henrique and Michael Ryder. The Islanders tied it with a Tavares goal, his eighteenth of the year, made possible by Kyle Okposo and Johnny Boychuk. New York won 3-2 in overtime with an unassisted Tavares goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign. The three stars were awarded to Tavares, Bailey, and Gomez.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Michal Neuvirth and Ben Bishop are the goalies. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period on a Valtteri Filppula goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Ryan Callahan and Cedric Paquette. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Cody McCormick shorthanded goal, set up by Patrick Kaleta. The Lightning regained the lead on a third period goal by Steven Stamkos, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Jonathan Drouin and Alex Killorn. This was good for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Bishop (20 for 21 in saves), and Filppula.

Way north to Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Jonathan Bernier guard the cages. Columbus opened in the first period with a Ryan Johansen goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Toronto tied it on an unassisted goal by Tyler Bozak, his fourteenth of the year. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Daniel Winnik goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Bozak. Toronto added on as Phil Kessel scored his nineteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by James van Riemsdyk and Cody Franson. The Maple Leafs extended the lead with a van Riemsdyk power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Kessel and Franson. The Blue Jackets got one back in the second period on a Johansen power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, helped along by David Savard and Nick Foligno. Toronto won 5-2 in the third period on an empty net goal by van Riemsdyk, his second of the game and nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Winnik. The three stars were van Riemsdyk, Johansen, and Kessel, while Bozak, Winnik, and Franson get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Jonas Hiller are given the starting nods. Calgary started in the first period on a Matt Stajan goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Florida tied it on a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Brad Boyes. The Panthers took the lead on a Boyes goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone helper by Huberdeau. The Flames tied it on a T.J. Brodie power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mark Giordano and Joe Colborne. Calgary gained the lead in the second period on a Mikael Backlund goal, his third of the season, helped along by Dennis Wideman and Lance Bouma. Florida retied it on a Sean Bergenheim goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Tomas Fleischmann and Dave Bolland. The Flames took the lead again on a Brodie goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, coming off of Bouma and Backlund. The Panthers tied it again as Jimmy Hayes scored his twelfth of the year, thanks to Jussi Jokinen and Erik Gudbranson. Florida took the lead with a Brian Campbell goal in the third period, his second of the season, an unassisted goal. Calgary tied it on a Stajan goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with assists provided by David Jones and Bouma, the latter getting a sock trick. The Panthers took the lead back with a Fleischmann goal, his fifth of the season, with helpers from Bolland and Bergenheim. This made it 6-5, the final, with the three stars going to Fleischmann, Brodie, and Stajan, while Huberdeau, Boyes, Bouma, Backlund, Bergenheim, and Bolland get the honorable mentions.

Finally, we end with the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Antti Raanta and Ben Scrivens are in goal. Chicago was first to score in the first period on a Brandon Saad goal, his eleventh of the season, via Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Edmonton tied it on a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Derek Roy. The Oilers took the lead on a Roy power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Teddy Purcell and Anton Lander. The Blackhawks tied it in the second period as Saad scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, with the help of Hossa and Toews. Edmonton retook the lead on a Jeff Petry goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Nail Yakupov and Roy. The Oilers added on with a Yakupov goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, coming off of Taylor Hall. Edmonton iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Hall, his eleventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Roy, Yakupov, and Saad, while Hall, Toews, and Hossa get the honorable mentions.

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KHL January 9th, 2015

Just two games today, with the first in...

St. Petersburg, as SKA hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Mikko Koskinen are the experienced goalies. St. Petersburg led off in the first period on an Anton Burdasov goal, fueled by Dmitry Yudin. SKA added on with an Artemy Panarin goal, passed from Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the second period on a Patrick Thoresen goal, with a lone assist by Tony Martensson. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Jarkko Immonen goal, assisted by Sakari Salminen and Vladimir Galuzin. SKA shot back with a Maxim Chudinov power play goal, powered by Panarin and Shipachyov. Torpedo replied on a Vladimir Malevich goal, via Dmitry Kazionov. St. Petersburg finished it at 5-2 in the third period on a Dadonov goal, courtesy of Panarin. The three stars were Dadonov, Panarin, and Shipachyov.

The other game has Jokerit Helsinki host Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Riku Helenius are the masked men. Cherepovets began in the first period on a Maxim Trunyov goal, fueled by Marek Kvapil. Severstal added on with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, passed from Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Alexander Shinin on the power play. Helsinki got on the board with a Niklas Hagman goal, coming off of Niko Kapanen and Tommi Huhtala. Jokerit tied it in the third period as Tomi Maki scored, thanks to Ville Lajunen. Helsinki took the lead late on a Linus Omark goal, guided in by Petr Koukal and Steve Moses. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Omark, Maki, and Hagman.

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NHL January 8th, 2015

Ten games for tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider faces a lesser foe in Niklas Svedberg. Boston began in the first period on a Milan Lucic goal, his seventh of the season, a power play goal powered by David Krejci and Torey Krug. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Boston iced it at 3-0 in the third period on a Lucic empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the campaign, set up by Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly. The three stars went to Lucic, Soderberg, and Svedberg (14 save shutout).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Cam Ward occupy the creases. Carolina got going in the second period on a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Alexander Semin and Ryan Murphy. Buffalo tied it on a Philip Varone goal, guided in by Chris Stewart. The Hurricanes took the lead back with a Jiri Tlusty power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nathan Gerbe and Justin Faulk. Carolina added on as Eric Staal scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Murphy and John-Michael Liles. The Hurricanes extended the lead on a Victor Rask goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Ron Hainsey. The Sabres got one back in the third period with a Varone goal, his second of the game, coming off of Tyson Strachan and Mike Weber. Carolina shot back with a Riley Nash goal, his sixth of the season, via Faulk and Tlusty. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Tlusty, Varone, and Faulk, while Murphy gets the honorable mention.

Back north, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Steve Mason are the masked men. Washington struck first with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mike Green and Marcus Johansson. Philadelphia tied it on a Sean Couturier goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Matt Read and Nick Schultz. The Capitals retook the lead on a third period goal by Karl Alzner, his fourth of the season, assisted by Green and Andre Burakovsky. The Flyers tied it again as R.J. Umberger scored his sixth of the year, thanks to Schultz and Read. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. The three stars went to Schultz, Read, and Green.

Westward to St. Louis, as the Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Brian Elliott receive the starting nods. St. Louis led off in the first period on an Alexander Steen goal, his eleventh of the season, coming on the power play from Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues added on with a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his second of the year, via Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera. San Jose got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Logan Couture, his fifteenth of the season, set up by Brenden Dillon. St. Louis answered with a Paul Stastny power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk. The Sharks got one back in the second period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Couture and Brent Burns. The Blues replied with a Lehtera goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Schwartz. St. Louis extended the lead on an Oshie goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Steen and David Backes. Alex Stalock replaced Niemi at this time. The Blues continued in the third period on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Stastny. St. Louis finished it at 7-2 on a Backes goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, driven in by Schwartz, who got a sock trick, and Alex Pietrangelo. The three stars went to Lehtera, Stastny, and Steen, while Schwartz, Oshie, Backes, and Tarasenko get the honorable mentions.

Back east to Nashville, where the Predators welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Pekka Rinne are the Finnish goalies. Nashville was first to score in the first period on a Shea Weber goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Mike Ribeiro and Roman Josi. Dallas tied it in the second period with a Jason Spezza goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Shawn Horcoff and Jason Demers. The Predators took the lead with a Miikka Salomaki goal, made possible by Josi and Calle Jarnkrok. The Stars retied it with a Trevor Daley goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Cody Eakin. Nashville won 3-2 in overtime on a Weber goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, set up by Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson. The three stars were handed to Weber, Josi, and Salomaki.

Up in Minnesota, the Wild bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Niklas Backstrom are the experienced goalies. Chicago started in the first period on a Patrick Sharp goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by David Rundblad and Andrew Shaw. The Blackhawks added on with a Patrick Kane power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Jonathan Toews. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu. Chicago replied in the third period on a Bryan Bickell goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Kane and Richards. The Wild got one back on a Pominville power play goal, his ninth of the season, pushed through by Thomas Vanek and Nino Niederreiter. The Blackhawks iced it at 4-2 with a Bickell empty net goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, set up by Kane and Richards, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Bickell, Kane, and Richards, while Pominville got the honorable mention.

Southwest to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Semyon Varlamov are between the pipes. Colorado opened in the first period with a Jarome Iginla goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Alex Tanguay and Ryan O'Reilly. The Avalanche added on with a Brad Stuart goal, courtesy of Jan Hejda and Matt Duchene. Ottawa got on the board in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his tenth of the year, via Erik Karlsson and David Legwand. Colorado replied with an Erik Johnson goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of O'Reilly. The Avalanche extended the lead as Iginla scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, a power play goal powered by Tanguay and Nick Holden. The Senators pulled back on an unassisted Bobby Ryan goal, his twelfth of the season. Colorado answered on a Daniel Briere goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Tyson Barrie and Nate Guenin. The final stood at 5-2, with Iginla, Tanguay, and O'Reilly receiving the three stars.

Down to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Mike Smith are the mediocre goalies. Arizona dented the scoreboard with a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his tenth of the season, via Antoine Vermette and Shane Doan. The Coyotes added on with a power play goal by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, his eleventh of the year, powered by Doan and Boedker. Arizona extended the lead on a Doan power play goal in the second period, his ninth of the season, assisted by Michael Stone and Tobias Rieder. Winnipeg got on the board in the third period as Mathieu Perreault scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Andrew Ladd and Mark Scheifele. The Coyotes answered on a Boedker goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, helped along by Chris Summers and Vermette. The final was 4-1, and the three stars were Boedker, Doan, and Vermette.

Up to Vancouver, as the Canucks bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ryan Miller tend the twines. Vancouver began in the first period on a Daniel Sedin goal, his ninth of the season, via Henrik Sedin and Yannick Weber. Florida got on the board with a Jonathan Huberdeau goal, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Panthers took the lead in the second period as Aleksander Barkov netted his third of the season, thanks to Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. Florida added on with a Huberdeau goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Dmitry Kulikov and Willie Mitchell. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars given to Huberdeau, Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), and Barkov.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Rangers. Cam Talbot is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles led off in the first period on a Tanner Pearson goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. The Kings added on with a Justin Williams goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Dustin Brown and Alec Martinez. New York got on the board with a Dan Boyle power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Rick Nash and Derick Brassard. The Rangers tied it in the second period on a Kevin Klein goal, his eighth of the year, via Kevin Hayes and John Moore. New York gained the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Dan Girardi. The Rangers extended the lead on a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Boyle and Brassard. Los Angeles got one back on Williams' second of the game and eleventh of the season in the third period, helped along by Brown and Anze Kopitar. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars being Boyle, Williams, and Brassard, while Brown gets an honorable mention.

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KHL January 8th, 2015

Five games on today, beginning in...

Omsk, as Avangard hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Eduard Reizvikh are the backups making spot starts. Moscow opened in the first period with a Mat Robinson goal, via Nikolai Zherdev and Denis Mosalyov. Dynamo added on in the second period as Maxim Pestushko scored, thanks to Kaspars Daugavins. Moscow extended the lead with an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, passed from Maxim Karpov and Robinson. Omsk got on the board with an unassisted Vladimir Pervushin goal. Dynamo replied on a Zherdev goal, fueled by Alexei Tereshchenko and Robinson. Avangard got one back with an Alexander Popov goal, with a lone assist by Denis Parshin. Moscow answered on a Daugavins goal in the third period, guided in by Konstantin Volkov. Dynamo padded the lead as Daugavins scored an unassisted empty net goal. Omsk clawed back with a power play goal by Erik Gustafsson, powered by Parshin and Popov. Moscow finished it at 7-3 with a Robinson empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Daugavins, Robinson, and Zherdev, while Popov and Parshin get honorable mentions.

Up in Khanty-Mansiysk, Yugra welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Barry Brust are in the blue paint. Khanty-Mansiysk struck first in the first period with an Igor Magogin goal, helped along by Nikita Gusev and Artyom Bulyansky. Yugra added on with a Ben Maxwell power play goal, powered by Philip Larsen and Alexander Korolyuk. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the second period with a Nikolai Skladnichenko power play goal, coming off of Sergei Dorofeyev. Khanty-Mansiysk iced it at 3-1 with an Andrei Chibisov goal, passed from Vitaly Sitnikov in the third period. The three stars went to Brust (28 for 29 in saves), Maxwell, and Chibisov.

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Michael Garnett protect the nets. Novosibirsk got going in the second period on a Jonas Enlund goal, courtesy of Jarno Koskiranta. Sibir added on with a Sergei Shumakov, with a lone assist by Maxim Ignatovich. Chelyabinsk got on the board with an Alexei Kruchinin power play goal, powered by Oleg Piganovich and Artyom Borodkin. Traktor tied it in the third period as Anton Glinkin scored a power play goal, coming off of Dmitry Pestunov and Vitaly Atyushov. A minute and a half into overtime, Renat Mamashev hooked Francis Pare, drawing a penalty shot. A protest by Salak got him ejected, bringing in Nikita Bespalov for the shot, which Pare scored on for a 3-2 Traktor win. The three stars went to Pare, Glinkin, and Kruchinin.

West to Mytishchi, as Atlant brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Calvin Heeter and Atte Engren are in the creases. Zagreb was first to score in the first period on an unassisted Martin St. Pierre power play goal. Medvescak added on with a Kurtis McLean goal in the second period, via Brandon Segal. Mytishchi got on the board with an Albert Yarullin power play goal, going in unassisted. Zagreb replied in the third period on a Segal penalty shot goal, after he was slashed by Dmitry Korobov. Atlant got one back on an Igor Levitsky goal, passed from Mikhail Tyulyapkin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the stars being Segal, McLean, and St. Pierre.

Finally, Dinamo Minsk hosts Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Lars Haugen are between the pipes. Minsk started with a Charles Linglet goal in the first period, coming on the power play from Ryan Vesce. Bratislava tied it in the second period on a Ladislav Nagy goal, passed from Cam Barker and Matt Murley. Dinamo pulled ahead on a Vesce power play goal, powered by Nick Bailen and Matt Ellison. Slovan tied it in the third period as Ziga Jeglic goal, via Tomas Netik. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Vesce and Andrei Stepanov scored for Dinamo, topping Jeglic's tally for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Vesce, Jeglic, and Linglet.

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NHL January 7th, 2015

Four games today, beginning in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Washington began in the first period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Troy Brouwer. Toronto tied it on a second period Daniel Winnik goal, his second of the year, coming off of Cody Franson and Nazem Kadri. The Capitals retook the lead on a shorthanded goal by Eric Fehr, his twelfth of the season, set up by Jay Beagle and Matt Niskanen. Washington added on with a Brooks Laich goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Fehr. The Maple Leafs pulled back on a Trevor Smith goal, passed from Leo Komarov and Roman Polak. The Capitals shot back as Johansson scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, with the help of John Carlson and Brouwer. Washington extended the lead with a Fehr goal in the third period, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Carlson and Mike Green. The Capitals padded the lead on an Alex Ovechkin empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars being Fehr, Johansson, and Brouwer, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Marc-Andre Fleury tend the twines. Pittsburgh led off in the first period on a Beau Bennett goal, his second of the season, assisted by Evgeni Malkin and Simon Despres. Boston tied it on a Zdeno Chara goal, his third of the year, via Reilly Smith and David Krejci. The Bruins took the lead in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his ninth of the season, helped along by Daniel Paille and Milan Lucic. The Penguins tied it in the third period on a Malkin goal, his eighteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Christian Ehrhoff. Boston won 3-2 in overtime as Bergeron scored his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, thanks to Lucic and Torey Krug. The three stars were Bergeron, Malkin, and Lucic.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Karri Ramo are the backups in goal. Calgary opened in the first period on a Mason Raymond goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by David Jones and Mikael Backlund. Detroit tied it on a Riley Sheahan goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Darren Helm. Ramo was removed from the game in the second period after a collision, and replaced by Jonas Hiller. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit added on in the third period with an Abdelkader power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Nyquist and Zetterberg. The Flames got one back with a Backlund shorthanded goal, his second of the season, set up by Paul Byron and T.J. Brodie. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Abdelkader, Zetterberg, and Backlund, while Nyquist gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ilya Bryzgalov receive the starting nods. New York started in the second period on a Derick Brassard goal, his eleventh of the season, via J.T. Miller and Marc Staal. The Rangers added on with a Rick Nash goal in the third period, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Kevin Klein. Anaheim got on the board with a Francois Beauchemin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. New York replied with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers iced it at 4-1 on an empty net goal by Dominic Moore, his third of the campaign, set up by Lee Stempniak and Miller. The three stars were Lundqvist (24 for 25 in saves), Miller, and Nash.

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KHL January 7th, 2015

Seven games for today, with the first in...

Yekaterinburg, as Avtomobilist hosts Lada Togliatti. Evgeny Ivannikov and Jakub Kovar are set to start in goal. Yekaterinburg opened in the first period on an Anton Lazarev goal, guided in by Gilbert Brule and Aaron Palushaj. Togliatti tied it on a power play goal by Stanislav Romanov, powered by Andrei Nikitenko and Alexei Mastryukov. Avtomobilist took the lead back in the second period on an Alexander Loginov goal, coming off of Brule and Lazarev. Lada tied it again with an Anton Shenfeld power play goal, passed from Dmitry Vorobyov and Martin Zatovic. Yekaterinburg won 3-2 in overtime on an Alexander Nesterov goal, via Loginov. The three stars went to Lazarev, Loginov, and Brule.

Into Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts. Ufa got going in the second period on a Dmitry Semin power play goal, powered by Ivan Vishnevsky and Kirill Koltsov. Astana tied it with a Roman Starchenko goal, guided in by Nikolai Antropov. Barys took the lead on a Nigel Dawes power play goal, coming off of Brandon Bochenski and Dustin Boyd. Astana iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Kevin Dallman, going in unassisted. The three stars were Poluektov (33 for 34 in saves), Dawes, and Starchenko.

Westward to Moscow, as CSKA brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Lisutin and Stanislav Galimov are the experienced goalies. Moscow dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Damir Zhafyarov, courtesy of Evgeny Korotkov. Podolsk tied it in the third period with a Nikita Vyglazov power play goal, powered by Alexei Semenov and Dmitry Shitikov. Vityaz took the lead with a power play goal from Vyacheslav Solodukhin, via Anton Korolyov and Yakov Seleznyov. CSKA retied it on an Igor Grigorenko goal, assisted by Alexander Radulov and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with a Stephane Da Costa goal, fueled by Radulov and Nikita Zaitsev on the power play. The three stars were Da Costa, Radulov, and Grigorenko.

East a little to Nizhny Novgorod, as Torpedo hosts Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Mikhail Biryukov are the masked men. Cherepovets was first to score in the first period on a Marek Kvapil power play goal, with a lone assist by Maxim Trunyov. Severstal added on as Zakhar Arzamastsev scored in the second period, thanks to Alexander Shinin and Trunyov. Cherepovets extended the lead in the third period on an Evgeny Mons goal, passed from Dmitry Kagarlitsky and Ignat Zemchenko. Severstal padded the lead on an empty net goal by Vadim Berdnikov, set up by Logan Pyett and Sergei Monakhov. The three stars in the 4-0 game were Stepanek (19 save shutout), Kvapil, and Trunyov.

Moving along to Kazan, as Ak Bars brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan struck first in the first period on a Kirill Petrov goal, guided in by Vladimir Denisov and Yakov Rylov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Dan Sexton power play goal, powered by Teemu Eronen and Evgeny Grigorenko. Neftekhimik gained the lead as Matt Anderson scored, thanks to Sexton. Ak Bars retied it on a second period goal by Sheldon Brookbank, made possible by Mikhail Varnakov and Justin Azevedo. Kazan took the lead in the third period on an Azevedo goal, guided in by Alexander Svitov and Varnakov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Azevedo, Sexton, and Varnakov.

Southwest to Sochi, as the Leopards welcome Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Tomas Popperle are in the creases. Yaroslavl started in the first period on a Jonas Holos goal, guided in by Daniil Apalkov and Sergei Plotnikov. Lokomotiv added on with an Andrei Loktionov power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Martin Thornberg. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Apalkov scored, thanks to Plotnikov and Yegor Averin. Dmitry Shikin replaced Popperle in goal. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Sergei Konkov goal, with a lone assist by Jiri Novotny. Sochi got on the board with an Evgeny Lapenkov power play goal, via Cory Emmerton and Andre Petersson. The Leopards pulled closer in the second period on a Ryan Whitney goal, made possible by Petersson and Pyotr Schastlivy. This only made it 4-2, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Apalkov, Plotnikov, and Petersson.

Westward to Riga, as Dinamo hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Jeff Deslauriers are all padded up. Riga led off in the first period on an Oskars Cibulskis power play goal, powered by Mikelis Redlihs. Helsinki tied it on a Tommi Huhtala goal in the second period, coming off of Niklas Hagman. Dinamo took the lead with a Roberts Bukarts goal, via Martins Cipulis and Linus Videll. Jokerit tied it in the third period on a Hagman goal, courtesy of Niko Kapanen and Ryan Gunderson. Riga regained the lead on a Bukarts goal, his second of the game, helped along by Videll and Redlihs. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Bukarts, Hagman, and Videll, while Redlihs gets an honorable mention.

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NHL January 6th, 2015

Ten games for tonight, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Buffalo Sabres. Jhonas Enroth and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods. New Jersey began in the first period with a Patrik Elias goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Michael Cammalleri and Adam Larsson. The Devils added on as Jordin Tootoo scored his third of the year, thanks to Marek Zidlicky and the goalie Schneider. New Jersey extended the lead on a shorthanded Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Elias and Mark Fraser. Buffalo got on the board in the second period with a Mikhail Grigorenko power play goal, powered by Chris Stewart. The Devils replied on a third period empty net goal by Cammalleri, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Zajac and Elias. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Elias, Zajac, and Cammalleri.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Steve Mason are the average goalies. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Mike Hoffman goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Jared Cowen. Philadelphia tied it on a Wayne Simmonds power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Mark Streit. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Simmonds and Jakub Voracek led the Flyers to a 2-1 win over a lone tally by Mika Zibanejad. The three stars went to Mason (41 for 42 in saves), Anderson (33 for 34 in saves), and Simmonds.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Carey Price protect the nets. Montreal led off in the first period on a Dale Weise goal, his fifth of the season, via Tomas Plekanec and Sergei Gonchar. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period as J.T. Brown scored his second of the year, with the help of Jonathan Drouin and Brian Boyle. The Lightning took the lead on a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay added on with a Brett Connolly goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Cedric Paquette. The Lightning extended the lead on Johnson's second power play goal of the game, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Palat and Kucherov. The Canadiens got one back in the third period on a Max Pacioretty goal, his seventeenth of the year, made possible by Brendan Gallagher and Gonchar. The final stood from here at 4-2, with the three stars being Johnson, Palat, and Kucherov, while Gonchar gets an honorable mention.

Down to Nashville, where the Predators host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Pekka Rinne are the veteran goalies. Carolina was first to score in the first period on an Eric Staal power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Elias Lindholm and Justin Faulk. Nashville tied it in the third period on a Ryan Ellis goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist from Viktor Stalberg. The Hurricanes retook the lead on a Faulk power play goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Victor Rask and Staal. The Predators tied it again with a Mike Fisher goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg. Nashville took the lead on a Roman Josi goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Stalberg and Eric Nystrom. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Staal, Faulk, and Stalberg.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the San Jose Sharks. Alex Stalock and Darcy Kuemper are the young goalies. Minnesota struck first in the first period on a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville. The Wild added on with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Zucker and Pominville. San Jose got on the board in the second period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks tied it in the third period as Pavelski scored his twenty-first of the year, with a lone assist by Logan Couture. San Jose took the lead on a Tommy Wingels goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of James Sheppard and Burns. Minnesota tied it again with another Zucker goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, fueled by Charlie Coyle. The Sharks won 4-3 in overtime on a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Justin Braun. The three stars were Zucker, Pavelski, and Burns, while Pominville gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Corey Crawford are in the blue paint. Colorado opened in the first period on a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of John Mitchell and Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche added on with a Max Talbot goal, his third of the year, passed from MacKinnon and Mitchell. This was all they needed for a 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Varlamov (54 save shutout), MacKinnon, and Mitchell.

South to Dallas, where the Stars host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky faces a lesser foe in Anders Lindback in goal. Columbus started in the first period on a James Wisniewski goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Hartnell and Foligno. Columbus extended the lead on a Kevin Connauton goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, via Johansen and Foligno, the latter getting a natural sock trick. Dallas got on the board with an Ales Hemsky goal, his fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Jamie Oleksiak. The Stars pulled closer on an Antoine Roussel goal, his tenth of the season, made possible by Ryan Garbutt. The Blue Jackets finished it at 4-2 in the third period on a Mark Letestu goal, his fourth of the yea, coming off of Alexander Wennberg and Sean Collins. The three stars belonged to Johansen, Foligno, and Hartnell.

Over to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Mike Smith are between the pipes. St. Louis got going in the first period on a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, via Dmitrij Jaskin and Patrik Berglund. The Blues added on in the second period with a David Backes goal, his tenth of the year, a power play goal powered by T.J. Oshie and Stastny. St. Louis extended the lead on a Backes power play goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Oshie. The Blues padded the lead as Backes completed a natural hat trick on his twelfth of the year, coming off of Berglund. St. Louis kept going in the third period on another Backes goal, his fourth of the game and thirteenth of the season, assisted by Alexander Steen and Oshie, the latter getting a sock trick. The Blues won 6-0 after a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Alex Pietrangelo and Steen. The three stars were Backes, Oshie, and Stastny, while Berglund and Steen get the honorable mentions.

Northward to Edmonton, as the Oilers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Viktor Fasth receive the starting nods. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Jordan Eberle power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jeff Petry and Anton Lander. Detroit tied it in the second period on a Kyle Quincey goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Justin Abdelkader. The Red Wings took the lead as Abdelkader scored his tenth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. The Oilers retied it in the third period on an Eberle goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. Detroit retook the lead on a Datsyuk power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist. The Red Wings iced it at 4-2 with a Luke Glendening power play goal into an empty net, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Eberle, Datsyuk, and Abdelkader.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Eddie Lack are the goalies with rhyming names. New York began in the first period on a Matt Martin goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Travis Hamonic. Vancouver tied it with a Ryan Stanton goal, via Brad Richardson. The Canucks took the lead in the second period on a Nick Bonino goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Kevin Bieksa. Vancouver added on with a Linden Vey goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Derek Dorsett. The Islanders got one back on a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Kyle Okposo. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Vey, Bonino, and Stanton.

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KHL January 6th, 2015

One game for today, as Admiral Vladivostok hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Ilya Proskuryakov are the goalies. Vladivostok began in the first period on a Vladislav Ushenin goal, assisted by Alexander Gorshkov and Denis Kuzmin. Admiral added on with a Jan Kolar power play goal, powered by Ilya Zubov and Richard Gynge. Vladivostok extended the lead in the second period as Enver Lisin scored, thanks to Konstantin Makarov. Admiral padded the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Artyom Zemchyonok goal. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Tuukka Mantyla goal, via Dmitry Lugin and Marcel Hascak on the power play. Amur pulled closer in the third period on a Lugin goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Tarasov. Vladivostok replied with a Tom Wandell goal, passed from Lisin and Makarov. Admiral got another on a Niclas Bergfors goal, guided in by Gynge and Zubov. Khabarovsk shot back with a Mikhail Fisenko power play goal, via Tarasov and Denis Yezhov. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Lisin, Lugin, and Makarov, while Tarasov, Gynge, and Zubov get the honorable mentions.

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NHL January 5th, 2015

One game tonight, as the Winnipeg Jets host the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Michael Hutchinson are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler. The Sharks retook the lead in the second period on a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the season, via Joe Pavelski and Burns. The Jets tied it again in the third period on Jay Harrison's second of the year, passed from Adam Lowry and Michael Frolik on the power play. San Jose gained the lead with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Couture and Pavelski. This was good for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Burns, Couture, and Pavelski.

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KHL January 5th, 2015

Ten games make for a busy day, beginning in...

Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Leland Irving and Rafael Khakimov are set to start in goal. Ufa started with a Dmitry Semin goal in the first period, made possible by Kirill Koltsov and Dmitry Makarov. Novokuznetsk tied it with a Mark Skutar goal, assisted by Ilya Musin and Dmitry Maltsev. Salavat Yulaev took the lead back on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, passed from Ilkka Heikkinen. Ufa added on with an Alexander Kutazov goal, guided in by Ivan Lekomtsev and Evgeny Skachkov. Andrei Kareyev replaced Khakimov. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead as Anton Slepyshev scored in the second period, thanks to Arturs Kulda and Hartikainen. Metallurg pulled back on a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, coming off of Maltsev and Alexander Romanov. Novokuznetsk got closer on a Musin goal, via Kirill Kaprizov and Anton Kapotov. Metallurg tied it on an unassisted Ryan Stoa power play goal. Novokuznetsk gained the lead with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Romanov. This was good for a 5-4 win, with the three stars going to Romanov, Musin, and Hartikainen, while Maltsev gets the honorable mention.

Over in Novosibirsk, Sibir welcomes Avangard Omsk. Konstantin Barulin and Alexander Salak guard the cages. Novosibirsk opened in the first period on a Sergei Shumakov goal, passed from Sergei Gimayev and Oleg Gubin. Eduard Reizvikh replaced Barulin in the second period. Sibir added on with a David Ullstrom second period goal, assisted by Maxim Shalunov. Novosibirsk extended the lead on a Jonas Enlund goal, fueled by Dmitry Kugryshev and Maxim Ignatovich. Sibir padded the lead on a third period Ignatovich goal, with assists provided by Jarno Koskiranta and Enlund. This made it a 4-0 final, with the three stars going to Salak (32 save shutout), Enlund, and Ignatovich.

Out in Chelyabinsk, Traktor brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Barry Brust and Michael Garnett are the goalies. Khanty-Mansiysk struck first in the first period on an Andrei Chibisov goal, fueled by Andrei Sergeyev. Chelyabinsk tied it on an Andrei Popov goal, via Dmitry Pestunov and Yegor Martynov. Traktor took the lead in the second period with a Pestunov goal, with a lone assist by Anton Glinkin. Yugra tied it in the third period as Ben Maxwell scored, with the help of Lukas Kaspar. Chelyabinsk retook the lead on a Semyon Kokuyov goal, going in unassisted. Traktor added on with a Francis Pare goal, helped along by Stanislav Chistov and Deron Quint. Chelyabinsk finished it at 5-2 with a Konstantin Panov goal, guided in by Chistov and Pare. The three stars went to Pestunov, Pare, and Chistov.

Backtracking to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ville Kolppanen and Alexei Murygin are the backups making spot starts. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with an unassisted goal by Dan Sexton. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on an Evgeny Biryukov goal, guided in by Tim Stapleton. Neftekhimik took the lead back in the third period as Georgijs Pujacs scored, thanks to Teemu Eronen and Matt Anderson. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Mikhail Zhukov, set up by Maxim Berezin. The three stars belonged to Kolppanen (41 for 42 in saves), Pujacs, and Sexton.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Tomas Popperle are the masked men. Sochi was first to score with a first period Cory Emmerton goal, made possible by Andre Petersson and Clay Wilson. The Leopards added on with an Igor Ignatushkin goal, via Ryan Whitney and Andrei Kostitsyn. Sochi extended the lead in the second period with an Artyom Kryukov goal, passed from Timofei Shishkanov and Nikita Shchitov. Podolsk got on the board with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin goal, helped along by Robert Kousal and Anton Korolyov. Vityaz pulled closer on a Maxim Afinogenov goal, coming off of Kousal and Alexei Makeyev. The Leopards shot back with a power play goal by Evgeny Lapenkov, powered by Pavel Koledov and Wilson. Sochi padded the lead with a shorthanded Max Warn goal in the third period, set up by Whitney. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Whitney, Wilson, and Kryukov.

Into Moscow for an intra-city rivalry game, as CSKA Moscow brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Sharychenkov and Kevin Lalande are between the pipes. CSKA dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, assisted by Simon Hjalmarsson and Denis Denisov. This was all they needed to win 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Lalande (17 save shutout), Prokhorkin, and Sharychenkov (41 for 42 in saves).

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Lada Togliatti. Jeff Glass and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan began in the first period on an Oscar Moller goal, fueled by Igor Mirnov and Sheldon Brookbank. Ak Bars added on with a third period Mikhail Varnakov goal, guided in by Justin Azevedo and Sergei Kostitsyn. Kazan extended the lead on a Stepan Zakahrchuk goal, with a lone assist by Petr Vrana. This produced the 3-0 final, with the three stars handed to Nilsson (28 save shutout), Moller, and Varnakov.

Northeast to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Vitaly Kolesnik and Jakub Stepanek draw the starts. Cherepovets got going in the first period with an Evgeny Mons goal, guided in by Vadim Berdnikov and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Yaroslavl tied it on a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Andrei Loktionov. In the shootout, Staffan Kronwall scored twice and Kontiola added another for Lokomotiv, topping tallies by Marek Kvapil and Andres Thuresson for Severstal to claim a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Kolesnik (32 for 33 in saves), Kronwall, and Kontiola.

Back toward Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi brings in Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Atte Engren receive the starting nods. Mytishchi opened in the first period on an Evgeny Bodrov goal, fueled by Albert Yarullin and Nikita Soshnikov. Minsk tied it on a Matt Ellison goal in the second period, coming off of Nick Bailen and Evgeny Nogachyov. Atlant took the lead back on a Yarullin goal, passed from Sergei Shmelyov on the power play. Dinamo retied it as Ryan Vesce scored, thanks to Ellison and Charles Linglet. Minsk took the lead on a power play goal by Jonathan Cheechoo, powered by Linglet and Ellison. Dinamo added on in the third period with an Alexei Kalyuzhny power play goal, helped along by Paul Szczechura and Dmitry Meleshko. This was good for a 4-2 win, with the three stars going to Ellison, Linglet, and Yarullin.

Finally, Jokerit Helsinki hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Henrik Karlsson are in the blue paint. St. Petersburg started with an Alexander Kadeikin goal, courtesy of Evgeny Ketov in the first period. Helsinki tied it on a Linus Omark goal,with a lone helper by Ville Lajunen. SKA took the lead back in the second period on a Patrick Thoresen power play goal, powered by Andrei Kuteikin and Dmitry Kalinin. St. Petersburg added on with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, guided in by Artemy Panarin. This held up for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Koskinen (32 for 33 in saves), Thoresen, and Dadonov.

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Hockey January 4th, 2015

Eight games across two leagues today, beginning with just one game in the KHL, as...

Medvescak Zagreb hosts Slovan Bratislava. Jaroslav Janus and Mark Owuya are the goalies. Bratislava opened in the first period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, courtesy of Rok Ticar. Slovan added on with an Andrej Stastny goal, coming off of Tomas Surovy. Bratislava extended the lead in the second period on a Matt Murley power play goal, powered by Michal Vondrka and Cam Barker. Slovan padded the lead on a Murley goal, passed from Martin Stajnoch and Barker. Calvin Heeter replaced Owuya in goal. Zagreb got on the board with a Bill Thomas goal, with assists by Patrick Bjorkstrand and Mark Flood. Medvescak pulled closer on a Mike Glumac goal, made possible by Nathan Perkovich and Mathieu Carle. Zagreb edged closer on an Andrew Murray goal, helped along by Glumac. Medvescak tied it on a third period goal by Edwin Hedberg, via Thomas and Bjorkstrand. Zagreb took the lead on a Pascal Pelletier goal, pushed through by Martin St. Pierre. This was good for an epic 5-4 comeback win, with the three stars going to Glumac, Thomas, and Murley, while Barker and Bjorkstrand are given honorable mentions.

Way west to Raleigh, where the NHL action begins with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Boston Bruins in a matinee. Tuukka Rask faces his former backup Anton Khudobin in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Patrick Dwyer goal, his third of the season, assisted by Jay McClement and Brad Malone. Boston tied it on a second period Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighth of the year, via Brad Marchand and Dougie Hamilton. The Hurricanes won 2-1 with a shootout goal by Eric Staal. The three stars went to Rask (35 for 36 in saves), Khudobin (19 for 20 in saves), and Dwyer.

Up to DC, where the Washington Capitals welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Braden Holtby are in the blue paint. Washington got going in the second period on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his nineteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Willie Mitchell and Jussi Jokinen. The Panthers took the lead as Dylan Olsen scored his second of the season, via Shane O'Brien and Nick Bjugstad. The Capitals retied it with a Brooks Laich goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by John Carlson and Brooks Orpik. Washington took the lead as Karl Alzner scored his third of the season, thanks to Eric Fehr. The Capitals added on with a third period goal by Andre Burakovsky, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Ovechkin and Jack Hillen. Florida got one back on a Bjugstad goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, helped along by Aaron Ekblad and Dave Bolland. This produced the 4-3 final, with the three stars going to Ovechkin, Bjugstad, and Burakovsky.

North to Ottawa, where the Senators bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner are the former teammates in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Clarke MacArthur and Cody Ceci. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period on a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Matthew Carle. The Senators retook the lead as Mark Stone scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Turris and Erik Karlsson. The Lightning tied it again with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Nikita Kucherov and Anton Stralman. Tampa Bay took the lead on a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Alex Killorn and Hedman. The Lightning added on with Johnson's second of the game and fifteenth of the year in the third period, made possible by Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Johnson, Hedman, and Turris, while Kucherov gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Dallas began in the first period with a Jamie Benn goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Tyler Seguin. Chicago tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his tenth of the year, via Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The Stars replied with a Jordie Benn goal in the second period, with assists provided by Erik Cole and Ales Hemsky. The Blackhawks retied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his nineteenth of the season, made possible by Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Dallas pulled ahead again on a Cole goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by John Klingberg and Alex Goligoski. Chicago tied it as Bryan Bickell scored his sixth of the season, a power play goal powered by Brad Richards and Marian Hossa. The Stars again edged ahead on a Cole goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, coming in the third period from Goligoski and Jason Spezza. The Blackhawks got another equalizer on a Richards goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Hossa and Duncan Keith. Chicago won 5-4 in overtime on a Sharp goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Keith. The three stars were Sharp, Cole, and Richards, while Goligoski, Hossa, and Keith get the honorable mentions.

Out to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Semyon Varlamov are the mediocre goalies. Colorado struck first with an unassisted Jarome Iginla goal, his tenth of the season. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Dubinsky goal, via Cody Goloubef and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets took the lead on another Dubinsky goal in the second period, his second of the game, helped along by Matt Calvert and Goloubef. The Avalanche tied it again with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his eighth of the year, via Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie. Columbus took the lead back on a Ryan Johansen goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. Colorado retied it on a Cody McLeod goal, his third of the year, guided in by Daniel Briere and Brad Stuart. The Blue Jackets regained the lead on a third period goal by David Savard, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Foligno and Hartnell. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Dubinsky, Foligno, and Hartnell.

Into California, where the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Frederik Andersen in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Matt Beleskey goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville tied it in the second period as Mattias Ekholm scored his third of the year, thanks to Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. The Ducks regained the lead on a Corey Perry goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Rene Bourque and Ryan Getzlaf. The Predators tied it again with a Seth Jones power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Ryan Ellis and Ribeiro. Nashville took the lead on a Craig Smith power play goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Ellis and Ribeiro, the latter getting a sock trick. Anaheim tied it on a third period goal by Francois Beauchemin, his second of the year, with assists provided by Nate Thompson and Hampus Lindholm. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler's tallies topped a lone tally by Smith to give the Ducks a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Ribeiro, Smith, and Ellis.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Ben Scrivens draw the starts in goal. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the first period with a Matt Hendricks goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Rob Klinkhammer. The Oilers added on in the second period on a Jordan Eberle goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Taylor Hall and Andrew Ference. New York got on the board with a Johnny Boychuk goal, his fourth of the season, a power play goal powered by Nick Leddy and John Tavares. Edmonton answered with a Derek Roy goal in the third period, his second of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers extended the lead on a Hendricks empty net goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, an unassisted goal. Edmonton padded the lead with a Matt Fraser goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nikita Nikitin and Anton Lander. New York got one back with a Brock Nelson power play goal, his fifteenth of the campaign, with assists from Boychuk and Tavares. The three stars of the 5-2 game were Hendricks, Boychuk, and Tavares.

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