Saturday, November 21, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 46

Eleven games on for today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Tuukka Rask draw the starts. Boston dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Zdeno Chara goal, his third of the season, via Zach Trotman and Matt Beleskey. The Bruins added on with a Brad Marchand empty net goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Loui Eriksson and Patrice Bergeron. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Chara, Rask (22 save shutout), and Reimer (35 for 36 in saves).

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Craig Anderson are the inconsistent goalies. Ottawa was first to score in the first period on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Cody Ceci and Mike Hoffman. The Senators added on in the second period on a Hoffman goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Bobby Ryan. Ottawa extended the lead as Milan Michalek scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Zack Smith and Curtis Lazar. The Senators padded the lead in the third period on a Kyle Turris power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Ryan and Erik Karlsson. This produced the 4-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Hoffman, Anderson (36 save shutout), and Ryan.

Back stateside, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the blue paint. San Jose struck first in the first period on a Brent Burns goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Joel Ward and Patrick Marleau. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a Phil Kessel power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The Sharks took the lead on a Burns goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Marleau. San Jose iced it at 3-1 in the third period on a Martin goal, made possible by Joonas Donskoi. The three stars were given to Burns, Martin, and Jones (38 for 39 in saves), while Marleau gets an honorable mention.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Ben Bishop are the good goalies. Tampa Bay got going in the second period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixth of the season, via Andrej Sustr and Joel Vermin. The Lightning added on with a Steven Stamkos goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead on another Stamkos goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, assisted by Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov on the power play. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period on a Brian Boyle goal, his fourth of the year, with a lone helper by J.T. Brown. Tampa Bay finished it at 5-0 on a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal, powered by Kucherov and Stamkos. The three stars were awarded to Stamkos, Kucherov, and Bishop (30 save shutout).

Back north, the Washington Capitals welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Washington led off in the first period on a Justin Williams goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Jason Chimera and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Capitals added on with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nicklas Backstrom and Taylor Chorney. Washington extended the lead as John Carlson scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. The Capitals padded the lead with an unassisted Nate Schmidt goal. Calvin Pickard took over for Berra in goal. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Cody McLeod goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Blake Comeau and Carl Soderberg. The Avalanche got closer with a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. Washington fired back in the third period with a Kuznetsov power play goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Chimera and Matt Niskanen. The Capitals kept going on a Dmitry Orlov goal, helped along by Chimera, who got a sock trick, and Jay Beagle. Colorado got one back on an Andreas Martinsen goal, with helpers from Zach Redmond and Mikhail Grigorenko. Washington finished it at 7-3 with a Karl Alzner goal, his second of the campaign, with assists provided by T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin. The three stars were handed to Kuznetsov, Chimera, and Ovechkin.

Returning to Florida, we have the Panthers bringing in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo tend the twines. New York began in the first period on a Rick Nash goal, his third of the season, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello. Florida tied it in the second period on a Nick Bjugstad goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Brandon Pirri and Jussi Jokinen. The Rangers took the lead back as Nash scored his second of the game and fourth of the campaign, helped along by Zuccarello and Marc Staal. The Panthers tied it again with a Jokinen power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Pirri and Reilly Smith. New York took the lead again in the third period on a Zuccarello goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Derek Stepan. The Rangers added on with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Oscar Lindberg and J.T. Miller. Florida answered with an Aleksander Barkov power play goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers tied it with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Barkov and Ekblad. New York won 5-4 in overtime on Nash's fifth of the campaign, completing his hat trick with the help of Derick Brassard and Dan Boyle on the power play. The three stars went to Nash, Zuccarello, and Jokinen, while Barkov, Ekblad, and Pirri get the honorable mentions.

Way north to Winnipeg, with the Jets hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Anders Lindback and Ondrej Pavelec are the unproven goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Arizona tied it with a Shane Doan goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Mikkel Boedker and Antoine Vermette. The Coyotes took the lead on a Connor Murphy power play goal, powered by Michael Stone and Anthony Duclair. The Jets retied it in the second period on a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Andrew Copp. Pavelec came out injured, with Michael Hutchinson replacing him for the third period. Winnipeg took the lead on a third period shorthanded goal by Chris Thorburn, his third of the year, set up by Drew Stafford and Adam Pardy. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Thorburn, Byfuglien, and Scheifele.

Southward again to Dallas, with the Stars welcoming the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Antti Niemi are between the pipes. Dallas opened in the first period on an Antoine Roussel goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by John Klingberg and Cody Eakin. The Stars added on in the third period on a Jamie Benn goal, his thirteenth of the year, courtesy of Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin on the power play. Dallas extended the lead as Benn scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, thanks to Seguin and Patrick Sharp. This held up for a 3-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Benn, Niemi (22 save shutout), and Seguin.

Backtracking to St. Louis, with the Blues bringing in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Jake Allen guard the cages. Detroit drew first blood in the first period on a Pavel Datsyuk goal, assisted by Brad Richards and Teemu Pulkkinen. St. Louis tied it on a Kyle Brodziak goal, his second of the season, via Kevin Shattenkirk and Joel Edmundson. The Blues took the lead back with a Jori Lehtera goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Jay Bouwmeester and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Red Wings retied it on a Luke Glendening goal, guided in by Darren Helm and Brendan Smith. Detroit took the lead in the second period on a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader. St. Louis tied it again in the third period as Tarasenko scored his thirteenth of the year, with the help of Shattenkirk. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime on a Pulkkinen power play goal, his sixth of the campaign, powered by Richards and Tomas Tatar. The three stars were given to Pulkkinen, Tarasenko, and Richards, while Shattenkirk gets an honorable mention.

Further to the north, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period on a Ryan Suter power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Thomas Vanek. The Wild added on in the second period with a Granlund goal, his third of the year, via Christian Folin and Jason Pominville. Minnesota extended the lead as Jonas Brodin scored, with the help of Suter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild iced it at 4-0 in the third period on a Vanek power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, assisted by Pominville and Suter. The three stars were named as Dubnyk (23 save shutout), Suter, and Granlund, while Vanek and Pominville get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Ryan Miller occupy the creases. Chicago began in the first period on a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Marian Hossa and Trevor Daley. Vancouver tied it on a Henrik Sedin power play goal, his sixth of the year, via Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Canucks took the lead with a Jannik Hansen goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Henrik Sedin and Matt Bartkowski. The Blackhawks retied it on a Ryan Garbutt goal, made possible by Toews. Vancouver reclaimed the lead in the second period on a Daniel Sedin power play goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone helper by Henrik Sedin. Chicago tied it in the third period on an Artem Anisimov goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Daley and Patrick Kane. The Canucks took the lead again on Daniel Sedin's second of the game and ninth of the year, assisted by Henrik Sedin, who got a sock trick, and Edler. Vancouver added on with another Daniel Sedin goal to complete his hat trick, his tenth of the season, guided in by Henrik Sedin and Hansen. The Canucks iced it at 6-3 with a power play empty net goal by Alexandre Burrows, his fifth of the year, set up by Dan Hamhuis and Bo Horvat. The three stars were Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, and Toews, while Hansen, Edler, and Daley get the honorable mentions.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 79

Eight more games for today, with the first in...

Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosting Lada Togliatti. Ivan Kasutin and Ilya Samsonov are in goal. Togliatti got going in the second period on an Alexander Streltsov goal, via Yefim Gurkin and Stanislav Bocharov. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Tomas Filippi goal, courtesy of Rafael Batyrshin. Metallurg took the lead in the third period on an Oskar Osala goal, made possible by Sergei Tereshchenko and Bogdan Potekhin. Lada tied it again on an Anton Krysanov goal, assisted by Dmitry Vorobyov and Alexei Mastryukov. Metallurg won 3-2 in the shootout with goals by Danis Zaripov and Sergei Mozyakin, topping an Igor Magogin tally from Lada. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Osala, and Filippi.

Up in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Jusssi Rynnas and Niklas Svedberg are in the creases, but Emil Garipov came on for Rynnas after two and a half minutes. Ufa opened in the first period on a Linus Omark power play goal, powered by Andreas Engqvist. Salavat Yulaev added on with an Engqvist power play goal, with a lone assist by Igor Grigorenko. Ufa extended the lead on a second period shorthanded goal by Anton Lazarev, set up by the goalie Svedberg and Sergei Soin. Kazan got on the board on an Artyom Lukoyanov goal, via Andrei Chibisov and Vladimir Tkachyov. Ak Bars got closer with a Tkachyov goal, passed from Oscar Moller and Nikolai Belov. Salavat Yulaev shot back in the third period on an Enver Lisin goal, with a lone helper from Teemu Hartikainen. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Engqvist, Tkachyov, and Lazarev.

Southwest to Sochi, where the Leopards host Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Konstantin Barulin are the solid goalies. Sochi led off on a shorthanded Denis Kazionov goal, set up by Sergei Kuznetsov. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Anatoly Golyshev goal, coming off of Alexei Simakov and Petr Koukal. The Leopards took the lead back with a Ben Maxwell power play goal, powered by Clay Wilson and Mikhail Anisin. Sochi added on in the second period on an Andre Petersson power play goal, with helpers from Anisin and Maxwell. The Leopards extended the lead in the third period as Andrei Kostitsyn scored a power play goal, with the help of Ziyat Paigin and Petersson. Avtomobilist got one back on a Golyshev goal, his second of the game, fueled by Alexander Torchenyuk and Nikolai Timashov. Yekaterinburg pulled closer with an Eero Elo power play goal, helped along by Torchenyuk and Golyshev. Sochi shot back on a Petersson goal, his second of the game, with a lone assist from Renat Mamashev. Avtomobilist answered with a Koukal goal, guided in by Alexander Pankov and Nikita Tryamkin. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Tryamkin goal, dished from Tommi Kivisto. Avtomobilist won 6-5 in overtime on a Timashov power play goal, courtesy of Koukal and Elo. The three stars went to Timashov, Tryamkin, and Golyshev, while Koukal, Maxwell, Anisin, Petersson, Torchenyuk, and Elo get the honorable mentions.

Up in Moscow, CSKA brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Ilya Sorokin are in the blue paint. Moscow started in the first period on an Alexander Radulov power play goal, powered by Nikita Zaitsev. Zagreb tied it on a Jesse Saarinen goal in the second period, helped along by the goalie Taylor and Blake Parlett. CSKA took the lead back on a Sergei Andronov goal, assisted by Radulov. Moscow added on in the third period on a Jan Mursak goal, coming off of Radulov and Dmitry Kugryshev. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Radulov, Sorokin (19 for 20 in saves), and Andronov.

Staying in the city, Spartak Moscow hosts Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Atte Engren are the masked men. Omsk began in the first period on a Denis Parshin goal, via Michal Kempny and Ilya Zubov. Moscow tied it on a Sergei Leshchenko goal, courtesy of Sergei Shmelyov and Matthew Gilroy. Spartak took the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Evgeny Bodrov in the second period. Moscow added on in the third period with a Maxim Potapov goal, assisted by Charles Genoway and Bodrov. This held for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Bodrov, Engren (25 for 26 in saves), and Potapov.

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Barys Astana. Pavel Poluektov and Henrik Karlsson man the nets. Helsinki dented the scoreboard in the third period on an Atte Ohtamaa goal, guided in by Brandon Kozun and Jesse Joensuu. Jokerit iced it at 2-0 on an Ohtamaa empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Karlsson (24 save shutout), Ohtamaa, and Poluektov (40 for 41 in saves).

Back in Russia, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Sergei Magarilov draw the starts in goal. Bratislava struck first in the first period on a Michel Miklik goal, via Marek Viedensky. Slovan added on with a second period Tomas Starosta goal, made possible by Cam Barker and Ladislav Nagy on the power play. Cherepovets got on the board in the third period with an Andrei Shefer goal, passed from Denis Vikharev and Eduard Gimatov. The final stood at 2-1, with the three stars being Garnett (28 for 29 in saves), Starosta, and Miklik.

Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Georgy Gelashvili and Vitaly Kolesnik are between the pipes. Yaroslavl was first to score in the first period on a Petri Kontiola power play goal, powered by Staffan Kronwall and Denis Mosalyov. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on a Pavel Varfolomeyev goal, assisted by Andrei Ivanov. Lokomotiv retook the lead on a Daniil Apalkov goal in the third period, guided in by Kronwall and Ilya Gorokhov. Yaroslavl added on with an empty net goal by Emil Galimov, set up by Jiri Novotny and Vladislav Gavrikov. The final remained at 3-1, with the three stars being Kronwall, Apalkov, and Kolesnik (21 for 22 in saves).

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Friday, November 20, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 45

Six games for today, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. James Reimer and Cam Ward are the overrated goalies. Carolina dented the scoreboard on a third period Brad Malone goal, guided in by Justin Faulk and Kris Versteeg. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his second of the campaign, assisted by Leo Komarov and James van Riemsdyk on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Peter Holland and Joffrey Lupul lifted the Maple Leafs to a 2-1 win over Riley Nash and the Hurricanes. The three stars went to Reimer (33 for 34 in saves), Ward (24 for 25 in saves), and Kadri.

Up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Columbus opened in the first period on a Gregory Campbell goal, his second of the season, via Kerby Rychel and Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Ryan Johansen goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray. Columbus extended the lead as Jenner scored his tenth of the season in the second period, thanks to Johansen and Brandon Saad. The Blue Jackets wrapped it up at 4-0 in the third period on a Scott Hartnell empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Cam Atkinson and Nick Foligno. The three stars were Bobrovsky (39 save shutout), Jenner, and Johansen.

Further north to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jhonas Enroth is mismatched with Petr Mrazek in goal. Detroit started in the first period on a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Justin Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg. Los Angeles retied it on a Jeff Carter shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Anze Kopitar and Alec Martinez. The Red Wings retook the lead on an unassisted Mike Green goal in the second period. Detroit added on with a Dylan Larkin goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Abdelkader and Zetterberg. The Kings pulled back on a Carter goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, fueled by Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Carter, Abdelkader, and Zetterberg.

East to Brooklyn, with the New York Islanders hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and former creasemate Jaroslav Halak tend the twines. Montreal led off in the first period on a Jeff Petry goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Brian Flynn and Alexander Semin. New York tied it with a Brock Nelson goal, his seventh of the year, made possible by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Canadiens retook the lead on a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by David Desharnais. Montreal added on with a Nathan Beaulieu goal, his second of the year, passed from Alex Galchenyuk and Devante Smith-Pelly. Thomas Greiss took over for Halak in goal in the second period. The Islanders pulled back on a Travis Hamonic goal, via Frans Nielsen and Anders Lee. The Canadiens shot back on a Petry goal, his second of the game and third of the season, coming off of Beaulieu and Dale Weise. New York chipped back with a Nelson goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighth of the year, assisted by Josh Bailey. Montreal iced it at 5-3 on a Brendan Gallagher empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Tomas Plekanec. The three stars went to Petry, Nelson, and Beaulieu.

Out west, the Calgary Flames welcome the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Karri Ramo are the middling goalies. Calgary began in the first period on a Sean Monahan goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Kris Russell and Johnny Gaudreau. Chicago tied it with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. The Flames won 2-1 in overtime on an unassisted Gaudreau goal, his fifth of the campaign. The three stars belonged to Gaudreau, Monahan, and Ramo (18 for 19 in saves).

Finally, in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Anders Nilsson are the backups in goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the first period on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Taylor Hall and Brandon Davidson. New Jersey tied it on a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his seventh of the year, coming in the second period from David Schlemko and Travis Zajac. The Oilers took the lead back on an Oscar Klefbom goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Teddy Purcell and Draisaitl. Edmonton added on with a Jordan Eberle power play goal in the third period, his third of the year, powered by Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers extended the lead as Mark Letestu scored his second of the season, an unassisted goal. Edmonton padded the lead on a Hall empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Draisaitl. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Draisaitl, Hall, and Nilsson (19 for 20 in saves).

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 78

Only five games for today's schedule, beginning with two rematches from yesterday. The first is in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Vladislav Podyapolsky is mismatched with Ivan Nalimov in goal. Vladivostok began in the first period on a power play goal by Alexander Kuznetsov, powered by Oskars Bartulis and Jonathon Blum. Admiral added on in the third period with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, with a lone helper from Kuznetsov. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Kuznetsov, Nalimov (16 save shutout), and Podshendyalov.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk for a second straight day. Nikita Bespalov and Juha Metsola draw the starts. Novosibirsk was first to score in the first period on a Tomas Vincour goal, going in unassisted. Khabarovsk tied it with a Vladislav Ushenin goal in the second period, coming off of Vyacheslav Ushenin and Oleg Li on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Vincour and Konstantin Okulov scored for Sibir to give them a 2-1 win over a lone tally from Amur's Akim Aliu. The three stars were Vincour, Bespalov (31 for 32 in saves), and Metsola (23 for 24 in saves).

Out west, Traktor Chelyabinsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Pavel Francouz are set to start in goal. Chelyabinsk struck first in the first period on a Vyacheslav Osnovin goal, courtesy of Maxim Yakutsenya and Konstantin Klimontov. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Jeff Taffe power play goal in the second period, powered by Dmitry Ogurtsov. The tie went to a shootout, where Yakutsenya's lone tally gave Traktor the 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Yakutsenya, Francouz (36 for 37 in saves), and Sudnitsin (24 for 25 in saves).

Moving along to Moscow, where Dynamo brings in Dinamo Minsk. Kevin Lalande and Alexander Yeryomenko are in the creases. Moscow led off in the first period on a Denis Kokarev goal, assisted by Denis Barantsev and Alexander Osipov on the power play. Dynamo added on in the second period as Martins Karsums scored, thanks to Maxim Karpov and Alexei Tsvetkov. Moscow extended the lead on a Kokarev goal, his second of the game, helped along by Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo padded the lead with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, with a lone helper by Mat Robinson. This held up for a 4-0 win, with the three stars being Kokarev, Yeryomenko (20 save shutout), and Karsums.

Finally, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Nizhny Novgorod drew first blood on an unassisted Vladimir Galuzin goal in the first period. Podolsk tied it on an Alexander Nikulin power play goal, powered by Dmitry Tsyganov and Dmitry Korstomitin. Torpedo retook the lead on a Yury Sergiyenko goal, fueled by Vyacheslav Kulyomin and Galuzin. Vityaz tied it in the second period on a Dmitry Shitikov power play goal, passed from Nikita Vyglazov and Teemu Eronen. Podolsk took the lead on a Vyglazov goal, assisted by Denis Yezhov and Stanislav Kandzyuba. Nizhny Novgorod tied it again with a Kaspars Daugavins goal, made possible by Alexei Sopin. The tie went to a shootout, where three Galuzin tallies and an extra from Daugavins sent Torpedo to a 4-3 win over two Vyglazov goals with the third Vityaz score from Mario Kempe. The three stars were Galuzin, Vyglazov, and Daugavins.

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 44

Nine games on for today, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk faces a lesser foe in Jonas Gustavsson in goal. Boston was first to score in the first period on a Brad Marchand goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Brett Connolly. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Jason Zucker goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Mikko Koivu and Nino Niederreiter. The Bruins retook the lead on a Loui Eriksson goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of David Krejci and Adam McQuaid. Boston added on with another Eriksson goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, coming on the power play from Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. The Wild got one back with a Jordan Schroeder goal, via Ryan Suter and Ryan Carter. The Bruins answered in the third period on Eriksson's third of the game and ninth of the season, made possible by Krejci and Matt Beleskey. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars being Eriksson, Krejci, and Marchand.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Steve Mason are the masked men. San Jose won 1-0 in overtime on a Melker Karlsson goal, his third of the season, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Paul Martin. The three stars were handed to Jones (34 save shutout), Karlsson, and Mason (20 for 21 in saves).

Across Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra and Marc-Andre Fleury are in the creases. Colorado led off in the first period with a Matt Duchene power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jarome Iginla and Tyson Barrie. Pittsburgh tied it in the second period on a David Perron goal, his third of the year, guided in by Ian Cole and Beau Bennett. The Penguins took the lead with an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Kris Letang and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh added on with a Chris Kunitz goal, his third of the year, with a lone helper by Nick Bonino. The Avalanche got one back with a third period goal by Barrie, helped along by Iginla. The Penguins replied on a Sidney Crosby goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Pascal Dupuis and Cole. Colorado countered with a Duchene goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, assisted by Gabriel Landeskog and Mikhail Grigorenko. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Duchene, Barrie, and Cole, while Iginla gets an honorable mention.

Back to DC, with the Washington Capitals hosting the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Philipp Grubauer receive the starting nods. Dallas struck first in the first period on a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by John Klingberg and Jamie Benn. Washington tied it on a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Taylor Chorney and Dmitry Orlov. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Cody Eakin goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Klingberg and Valeri Nichuschkin. The Capitals retied it on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Dallas shot back on a Jason Spezza goal, his eighth of the campaign, going in unassisted. This made it 3-2, with the three stars given to Lehtonen (33 for 35 in saves), Backstrom, and Klingberg.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Mike Condon are set to start. Arizona began in the first period on a Martin Hanzal goal, his fourth of the season, with a lone assist by Anthony Duclair. The Coyotes added on with a Shane Doan goal, his fifth of the year, via Tobias Rieder and the goalie Smith. Arizona extended the lead in the second period as Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his fourth of the season on the power play, going in unassisted. Montreal got on the board with a Max Pacioretty goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens got closer in the third period on a Dale Weise goal, his ninth of the campaign, coming off of Andrei Markov and Pacioretty. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Pacioretty, Ekman-Larsson, and Smith (31 for 33 in saves).

West to Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Craig Anderson will be in goal. Ottawa got going in the second period on an Erik Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Milan Michalek. The Senators added on with another Eriksson goal, his fifth of the year and second of the game, via Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris. Ottawa iced it at 3-0 on a Turris empty net power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Karlsson. The three stars belonged to Karlsson, Anderson (25 save shutout), and Turris.

Down in Tampa Bay, the Lightning host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Tampa Bay opened in the first period on an Alex Killorn goal, his third of the season, helped along by Valtteri Filppula. New York tied it in the third period as Dominic Moore scored his second of the year, an unassisted goal. The Lightning took the lead on a shorthanded Filppula goal, his second of the campaign, set up by J.T. Brown. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Filppula, Bishop (20 for 21 in saves), and Killorn.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Cam Fowler power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with an Andrew Cogliano shorthanded goal in the third period, his second of the year, set up by Shawn Horcoff. Florida got on the board with an Aleksandar Barkov goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jaromir Jagr. Anaheim iced it at 3-1 with a Jakob Silfverberg empty net goal, set up by Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen. The three stars went to Cogliano, Andersen (23 for 24 in saves), and Getzlaf.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark is mismatched with Jake Allen in goal. St. Louis started on a first period goal by Kevin Shattenkirk, his second of the season, a power play goal powered by Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. Buffalo tied it in the second period on a Sam Reinhart goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. The Blues took the lead back on a Tarasenko goal, his twelfth of the season, coming on the power play from Steen and David Backes. The Sabres tied it again on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Brian Gionta and Matt Moulson. St. Louis won 3-2 with a lone tally by Steen in the shootout. The three stars went to Steen, Tarasenko, and Allen (32 for 34 in saves).

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 77

Ten games are on the schedule today, beginning with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Ivan Nalimov are in goal. Vladivostok struck first in the first period on an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, passed from Konstantin Makarov and Ivan Glazkov. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Robert Kousal goal, via Maxim Kazakov in the third period. Admiral regained the lead on a Dmitry Sayustov goal, assisted by Jonathon Blum. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sayustov, Nalimov (18 for 19 in saves), and Podshendyalov.

Up in Khabarovsk, Amur welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Alexander Pechursky draw the starts. Novosibirsk got going in the second period with a Damir Zhafyarov goal, coming off of Andrej Meszaros. Sibir added on with a shorthanded goal from Oleg Gubin, set up by Maxim Shalunov. Novosibirsk iced it at 3-0 on a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Tomas Vincour in the third period, going into the empty net. The three stars were Salak (30 save shutout), Zhafyarov, and Gubin.

Westward to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Lada Togliatti. Ivan Kasutin and Niklas Svedberg are in the blue paint. Ufa began with a first period power play goal by Dmitry Makarov, powered by Alexander Loginov and Linus Omark. Togliatti tied it on a Tobias Viklund goal, guided in by Igor Magogin and Yefim Gurkin on the power play. Salavat Yulaev retook the lead in the second period on an Andreas Engqvist power play goal, via Loginov and Sami Lepisto. Ufa added on with a Lepisto power play goal, with a lone assist by Omark. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead in the third period as Maxim Goncharov scored, thanks to Omark and Igor Grigorenko. Ufa padded the lead on a Sergei Soin goal, helped along by Anton Lazarev and Denis Bodrov. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Lepisto, Loginov, and Omark.

Down to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Vasily Koshechkin protect the nets. Magnitogorsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on a power play goal by Wojtek Wolski, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Kazan tied it in the third period with a shorthanded Mikhail Varnakov goal, set up by Fyodor Malykhin. The tie went to the shootout, where Malykhin's two tallies topped one from Wolski for a 2-1 Ak Bars win. The three stars went to Malykhin, Garipov (32 for 33 in saves), and Wolski.

Out west, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vitaly Kolesnik are between the pipes. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period on an Anatoly Golyshev goal, assisted by Alexei Simakov. Avtomobilist added on with another Golyshev, with another lone assist from Simakov. Yekaterinburg chased Kolesnik with a Petr Koukal goal, fueled by Tommi Kivisto and Nikita Tryamkin. Alexei Murygin took over in goal. Yaroslavl got on the board with an Alexander Polunin goal, via Yegor Korshkov. Lokomotiv got closer with a Denis Mosalyov goal, guided in by Daniil Apalkov and Ilya Lyubushkin. Yaroslavl tied it on an Apalkov power play goal, powered by Petri Kontiola and Ilya Gorokhov. Avtomobilist regained the lead in the second period on an Eero Elo power play goal, with a lone helper by Simakov, who got a sock trick. Lokomotiv retied it as Sergei Konkov scored, with the help of Staffan Kronwall and Kontiola. Yaroslavl took the lead on a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, passed from Korshkov and Polunin. Lokomotiv extended the lead in the third period as Mosalyov scored again, thanks to Kontiola, who got a sock trick. Yaroslavl iced it on a shorthanded empty net goal from Mosalyov to complete his hat trick, making it 7-4 with the unassisted goal. The three stars went to Mosalyov, Golyshev, and Kontiola, while Simakov, Polunin, Korshkov, and Apalkov get the honorable mentions.

Into Moscow, where CSKA brings in Slovan Bratislava. Michael Garnett and Stanislav Galimov tend the twines. Bratislava got started in the second period on a Marek Viedensky goal, assisted by David Skokan. Slovan capped it at 2-0 with a third period empty net goal by Francis Pare, set up by Tomas Surovy. The three stars went to Garnett (45 save shutout), Viedensky, and Pare.

South to Sochi, with the Leopards hosting Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Konstantin Barulin receive the starting nods. Khanty-Mansiysk drew first blood in the second period with an Igor Bortnikov power play goal, powered by Kirill Rasskazov and Oleg Pogorishny. Sochi tied it on a Sergei Bernatsky goal, via Andre Petersson and Denis Kazionov. The Leopards took the lead in the third period on a Ziyat Paigin goal, with a lone assist from Kazionov. Sochi added on with an Ilya Krikunov goal, courtesy of Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kuznetsov. The Leopards extended the lead as Mikhail Anisin scored a power play goal, with a lone assist by Paigin. Sochi finished it at 5-1 with a Kostitsyn power play goal, powered by Igor Ignatushkin and Petersson. The three stars were handed to Paigin, Kostitsyn, and Barulin (26 for 27 in saves), while Kazionov and Petersson get the honorable mentions.

Back north to Cherepovets, with Severstal welcoming Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Sergei Magarilov are the goalies. Cherepovets opened in the first period on an Andrei Shefer goal, guided in by Vadim Kudako and Maxim Trunyov. Severstal added on with an unassisted Pavel Buchnevich goal in the second period. Cherepovets extended the lead in the third period on a Buchnevich goal, assisted by Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal padded the lead as Buchnevich completed his natural hat trick, with the help of Kagarlitsky and Yury Trubachyov. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars being Buchnevich, Magarilov (22 save shutout), and Kagarlitsky.

Further north to Helsinki, with Jokerit bringing in Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Henrik Karlsson man the nets. Helsinki was first to score in the first period on a Brandon Kozun goal, fueled by Philip Larsen and Peter Regin. Omsk tied it on an Ilya Mikheyev goal in the second period, guided in by Alexander Popov and Evgeny Kulik. Avangard took the lead as Denis Kulyash scored, thanks to Ilya Zubov and Popov on the power play. Jokerit tied it in the third period with a Regin power play goal, powered by Kozun. Omsk won 3-2 in overtime with a Martin Erat goal, via Alexander Perezhogin and Yury Alexandrov. The three stars were Popov, Kozun, and Regin.

Finally, SKA St. Petersburg hosts Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. St. Petersburg started in the first period with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Anton Burdasov. SKA added on with an Alexander Barabanov goal, coming off of Joakim Lindstrom and Jarno Koskiranta. Astana got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Maxim Khudyakov goal. St. Petersburg answered in the second period on an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, with a lone assist by Kovalchuk. SKA extended the lead as Kovalchuk scored, thanks to Shipachyov and Evgeny Dadonov on the power play. St. Petersburg padded the lead in the third period with a Koskiranta goal, passed from Barabanov and Lindstrom. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars named as Kovalchuk, Koskiranta, and Shipachyov, while Barabanov and Lindstrom get the honorable mentions.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 43

Three games for today, beginning in...

Winnipeg, as the Jets host the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Miller and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Mark Scheifele power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Mathieu Perreault and Blake Wheeler. Vancouver tied it on a Daniel Sedin power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Henrik Sedin. The Jets took the lead back with a Drew Stafford goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Toby Enstrom and Tyler Myers. Winnipeg added on in the third period as Scheifele scored his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Perreault and Stafford. The Jets iced it at 4-1 on a Stafford empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, set up by Scheifele and Perreault, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Scheifele, Stafford, and Perreault.

Over to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Petr Mrazek guard the cages. Detroit began in the first period with a Dylan Larkin goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Pavel Datsyuk. Washington tied it on a Justin Williams power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime on an Evgeny Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the campaign, coming off of Niskanen and Karl Alzner. The three stars went to Kuznetsov, Holtby (25 for 26 in saves), and Niskanen.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Anders Nilsson are in the creases. Chicago got going in the second period on a Duncan Keith goal, his second of the season, fueled by Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin on the power play. The Blackhawks added on with a Panarin goal, his seventh of the year, via Artem Anisimov and Kane. Edmonton got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his second of the season, made possible by Brandon Davidson. The Oilers tied it on a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Darnell Nurse and Teddy Purcell in the third period. Chicago took the lead back on an Andrew Shaw goal, his second of the season, guided in by Tanner Kero and Marcus Kruger. Edmonton retied it on a Leon Draisaitl goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Taylor Hall and Purcell. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime on a Marian Hossa goal, assisted by Brent Seabrook and Panarin. The three stars belonged to Panarin, Kane, and Purcell.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 42

Eight games grace the schedule today, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Tuukka Rask are the starting goalies. San Jose led off in the first period with a Joe Pavelski goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Melker Karlsson and Brent Burns. Boston tied it on a Tyler Randell goal, his third of the year, via Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins took the lead on a Brad Marchand goal, his sixth of the season, coming on the power play from Zdeno Chara and Brett Connolly. The Sharks retied it with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his third of the year, assisted by Paul Martin and Tommy Wingels. Boston regained the lead in the second period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from David Krejci and Seidenberg. San Jose tied it again as Karlsson scored his second of the year, thanks to Joe Thornton and Pavelski. The Sharks took the lead on a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Burns. San Jose added on with a Thornton power play goal, his third of the year, guided in by Pavelski and Burns, the latter getting a sock trick. The Bruins got one back in the third period on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his seventh of the season, with helpers from Ryan Spooner and Krejci. The Sharks held on for a 5-4 win, with the three stars handed to Pavelski, Burns, and Thornton, while Karlsson, Krejci, and Seidenberg get the honorable mentions.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi faces a lesser foe in Linus Ullmark in goal. Dallas started in the first period on a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his second of the season, coming off of Antoine Roussel and Cody Eakin. The Stars added on in the third period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his second of the year, via Mattias Janmark and Jason Spezza. Buffalo got on the board with a Ryan O'Reilly power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Cody Franson and Tyler Ennis. Dallas won 3-1 with a Tyler Seguin empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Jamie Benn and Goligoski. The three stars were Goligoski, Niemi (24 for 25 in saves), and Nichushkin.

Down to Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Steve Mason are the experienced goalies. Philadelphia began in the first period on a Shayne Gostisbehere power play goal, powered by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Los Angeles tied it on a Jamie McBain goal, coming on the power play from Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson. The Flyers took the lead in the third period as Giroux scored his sixth of the season, thanks to Voracek and Michael Del Zotto. The Kings retied it on a Milan Lucic goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin. Los Angeles won 3-2 in the shootout with an Anze Kopitar tally. The three stars were Giroux, Voracek, and Lucic.

Westward to Columbus, with the Blue Jackets bringing in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Sergei Bobrovsky are in the creases. St. Louis was first to score in the first period on a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, made possible by Magnus Paajarvi and Dmitrij Jaskin. Columbus tied it on a Cody Goloubef goal, assisted by Kerby Rychel and Gregory Campbell. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a Brandon Saad goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Ryan Murray and Cam Atkinson. Columbus iced it at 3-1 with a Saad empty net goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year in the third period, set up by Ryan Johansen. The three stars belonged to Saad, Bobrovsky (19 for 20 in saves), and Elliott (35 for 37 in saves).

Backtracking to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Pittsburgh opened in the first period on a David Perron goal, his second of the season, via Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Minnesota tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his second of the year, made possible by Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. The Penguins retook the lead on a Beau Bennett power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. Pittsburgh added on in the second period with a Malkin goal, his fifth of the year, coming on the power play with the help of Letang. The Penguins extended the lead as Malkin scored his second of the game and sixth of the season, thanks to Phil Kessel and Adam Clendening. The Wild answered with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his third of the year, helped along by Matt Dumba and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota got closer in the third period on a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his fourth of the season, with helpers from Granlund and Ryan Suter. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Malkin, Letang, and Granlund.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Reto Berra and James Reimer are the unexpectedly good goalies. Toronto struck first in the first period with a Leo Komarov shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, set up by Shawn Matthias. The Maple Leafs added on with a P.A. Parenteau power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Peter Holland and Tyler Bozak. Toronto extended the lead in the second period as Bozak scored his third of the season on the power play, with assists provided by Brad Boyes and Holland. Colorado got on the board with an Erik Johnson goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. The Maple Leafs fired back in the third period on a Parenteau power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season, via Holland, who got a sock trick, and Bozak. Toronto wrapped it up at 5-1 on a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Matt Hunwick and Morgan Rielly. The three stars were awarded to Parenteau, Holland, and Bozak.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the Anaheim Ducks. Frederik Andersen and Pekka Rinne are the reliable goalies. Nashville drew first blood with a Shea Weber power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Mike Ribeiro. Anaheim tied it with a Rickard Rakell goal, his third of the year, via Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. The Predators retook the lead on a James Neal goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Nashville added on in the second period with a Miikka Salomaki goal, passed from Mattias Ekholm. Anton Khudobin relieved Andersen in goal. The Ducks got one back in the third period as Mike Santorelli scored his third of the year, thanks to Kevin Bieksa and Patrick Maroon. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Salomaki, Neal, and Rinne (38 for 40 in saves).

Finally, the Calgary Flames bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Karri Ramo are called on to start. Calgary got started on a T.J. Brodie goal, his second of the season, fueled by Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The Flames added on with a Matt Stajan goal, via David Jones and Joe Colborne. New Jersey got on the board with a Bobby Farnham goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Stephen Gionta and Brian O'Neill in the second period. Calgary shot back on a Jones goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Colborne and Stajan. The Devils answered on a Jordin Tootoo power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Lee Stempniak and Mike Cammalleri. This was as close as it got, with the final at 3-2. The three stars were Jones, Stajan, and Colborne.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 76

Eight games are up for today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Juha Metsola are in goal. Novokuznetsk struck first in the first period on an Evgeny Orlov goal, passed from Ignat Zemchenko. Khabarovsk tied it in the second period with a Nikolai Skladnichenko goal, via Denis Tolpeko. Metallurg took the lead back on a Maxim Kazakov goal, coming off of Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Stoa. Novokuznetsk added on with a Stoa power play goal in the third period, powered by Roman Manukhov. Amur pulled back on a Vyacheslav Ushenin goal, assisted by Artyom Zub and Vladislav Ushenin. Khabarovsk retied it with an unassisted goal by Kirill Maslov. Metallurg took the lead back on a Kaprizov goal, going in unassisted. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Kaprizov, Stoa, and Kazakov.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Ivan Nalimov are given the starting nods. Vladivostok opened with a power play goal by Oskars Bartulis in the first period, powered by Konstantin Makarov and Artyom Podshendyalov. Admiral added on with a second period Makarov goal, via Alexander Kuznetsov. Novosibirsk got on the board with an Artyom Voroshilo goal, courtesy of Calle Ridderwall and Tomas Vincour. Vladivostok answered with a Makarov goal in the third period, made possible by Ivan Glazkov and Nikita Lisov. Sibir shot back with a Stepan Sannikov goal, assisted by Igor Fefelov and Sergei Shumakov. Admiral iced it at on an empty net goal by Yegor Dugin, set up by Dmitry Sayustov. This made it 4-2, with the three stars being Makarov, Bartulis, and Sannikov.

West to Chelyabinsk, with Traktor hosting Lada Togliatti. Ivan Kasutin and Pavel Francouz draw the starts. Togliatti started on a first period power play goal by Igor Magogin, powered by Tobias Viklund and Martin Zatovic. Chelyabinsk tied it with a second period goal from Dmitry Pestunov, courtesy of Deron Quint and Stanislav Chistov. Traktor took the lead as Yegor Martynov scored, thanks to Anton Glinkin and Alexander Rybakov. Lada retied it in the third period on a Viklund power play goal, with a lone assist by Magogin. Traktor won 3-2 with a Glinkin tally in the shootout. The three stars were Glinkin, Viklund, and Magogin.

Back to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Niklas Svedberg are between the pipes. Yaroslavl got going in the second period on a Daniil Apalkov goal, fueled by Petri Kontiola. Lokomotiv added on with an Alexander Polunin goal, passed from Yegor Korshkov. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Patrik Hersley scored a power play goal, powered by Staffan Kronwall and Apalkov. Ufa got on the board in the third period with an Igor Grigorenko power play goal, made possible by Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark. Lokomotiv shot back with a shorthanded Apalkov goal, with a lone assist by Jiri Novotny. Salavat Yulaev tied it with an Omark power play goal, guided in by Andreas Engqvist and Alexander Loginov. This only made it 4-2, with the three stars handed to Apalkov, Omark, and Hersley.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Sochi was first to score in the first period on a Ziyat Paigin goal, assisted by Clay Wilson and Denis Kazionov. Magnitogorsk tied it on an Oskar Osala goal, fueled by Danis Zaripov and Tomas Filippi. The Leopards took the lead back with a Denis Kazionov goal in the second period, coming off of Max Warn and Dmitry Kazionov. Metallurg retied it with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, with a lone assist by Zaripov. Magnitogorsk took the lead on a Zaripov goal in the third period, via Yaroslav Khabarov and Bogdan Potekhin. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars given to Zaripov, Denis Kazionov, and Koshechkin (29 for 31 in saves).

Up in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Jussi Rynnas and Alexander Sudnitsin protect the nets. Nizhnekamsk led off in the first period with an Alexander Kitarov goal, fueled by Danil Romantsev. Kazan tied it in the second period with a power play goal by Fyodor Malykhin, powered by Oscar Moller and Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars took the lead in the third period on an Azevedo power play goal, assisted by Mikhail Varnakov and Malykhin. Neftekhimik tied it again with a Jeff Taffe power play goal, coming off of Andrei Sergeyev and Dan Sexton. In the shootout, Malykhin was topped by Yegor Milovzorov and Sexton as Neftekhimik took the 3-2 win. The three stars went to Malykhin, Azevedo and Sexton.

Into Moscow, where Spartak hosts Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Evgeny Ivannikov are the masked men. Astana began in the first period on a Kevin Dallman goal, guided in by Brandon Bochenski and Mike Lundin. Barys added on with a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal, assisted by Roman Savchenko and Maxim Khudyakov. Astana extended the lead in the second period as Konstantin Romanov scored, with the help of Maxim Semyonov and Roman Starchenko. Moscow got on the board with an Alexander Mereskin goal, via Konstantin Glazachev. Barys replied in the third period with a Khudyakov goal, with a lone helper by Krasnoslobodtsev. Spartak fired back on a Gleb Klimenko goal, passed from Charles Genoway and Evgeny Bodrov. Astana finished it at 5-2 with an unassisted goal by Martin St. Pierre. The three stars went to Khudyakov, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Romanov.

Finally, SKA St. Petersburg brings in Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Ilya Ezhov occupy the creases. Omsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Sergei Shirokov goal, assisted by Vladimir Sobotka and Martin Erat. St. Petersburg tied it with an Anton Burdasov goal, guided in by Vyacheslav Voynov and Alexander Barabanov. Avangard took the lead on a Denis Kulyash goal, fueled by Denis Parshin and Ilya Zubov. Omsk added on with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, via Ilya Mikheyev. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars going to Furch (34 for 35 in saves), Kulyash, and Perezhogin.

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Monday, November 16, 2015

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 41

Six games on for today, all being completed fairly early. The first is in...

Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Anaheim Ducks. Anton Khudobin faces his former team and replacement as backup, Eddie Lack, in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period on a Shawn Horcoff goal, his third of the season, via Carl Hagelin and Andrew Cogliano. Carolina tied it in the second period on a Noah Hanifin goal, fueled by Joakim Nordstrom and Justin Faulk. The Ducks retook the lead on a Sami Vatanen goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Getzlaf and Hagelin. Anaheim added on with a Hagelin goal in the third period, his second of the campaign, with a lone helper by Horcoff. The Ducks iced it at 4-1 with a Getzlaf empty net goal, set up by Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. The three stars went to Hagelin, Horcoff, and Khudobin (24 for 25 in saves), while Getzlaf gets an honorable mention.

Up in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Anders Lindback is mismatched with Jaroslav Halak in goal. New York led off in the first period on a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders added on in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his sixth of the year, via Casey Cizikas and Okposo. New York extended the lead as Tavares scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Okposo, who got a sock trick, and Nelson. The Islanders padded the lead on a Steve Bernier goal, passed from Johnny Boychuk and Nielsen. Arizona got on the board with a Martin Hanzal goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Anthony Duclair and Max Domi. The Coyotes pulled closer on a Mikkel Boedker power play goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. New York finished it at 5-2 with a Tavares empty net goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Tavares, Okposo, and Nelson, while Nielsen gets an honorable mention.

North to Montreal, where the Canadiens bring in the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Mike Condon are the backups in goal. Vancouver started in the first period on an Adam Cracknell goal, his third of the season, guided in by Derek Dorsett and Matt Bartkowski. The Canucks added on with a Jared McCann power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Henrik Sedin and Radim Vrbata. Vancouver extended the lead in the second period as Daniel Sedin scored a power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Yannick Weber and Alexander Edler. Montreal got on the board with a shorthanded Lars Eller goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Tom Gilbert. The Canadiens pulled closer on a Max Pacioretty goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Brendan Gallagher. Montreal tied it on a Tomas Fleischmann goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, helped along by Nathan Beaulieu and Jeff Petry. The Canadiens completed the comeback with an overtime goal by David Desharnais, his sixth of the campaign, via P.K. Subban and Fleischmann. The three stars in the 4-3 game belonged to Fleishcmann, Desharnais, and Eller.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Craig Anderson are the veteran goalies. Detroit began in the first period on a Dylan Larkin goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Danny DeKeyser. The Red Wings added on with a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Mike Green. Ottawa got on the board with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. Detroit replied on a second period goal by Riley Sheahan, his third of the year, passed from Luke Glendening and Green. The Senators countered in the third period with a Chris Wideman goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa tied it with a Bobby Ryan goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Hoffman and Cody Ceci. The Red Wings won 4-3 in overtime on a Tomas Tatar goal, his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Nyquist. The three stars were Nyquist, Green, and Hoffman.

Back south to Florida, with the Panthers welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Roberto Luongo are between the pipes. Florida dented the scoreboard late in the third period on an Aaron Ekblad goal, his fourth of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir Jagr. The final remained at 1-0, with the three stars being Luongo (39 save shutout), Ekblad, and Vasilevskiy (18 for 19 in saves).

Finally, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jake Allen are the young goalies. St. Louis drew first blood in the first period on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Colton Parayko and David Backes. The Blues added on with a Backes goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Kevin Shattenkirk and Tarasenko on the power play. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Dustin Byfuglien goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Alex Burmistrov. The Jets tied it on a Bryan Little goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Mathieu Perreault and Anthony Peluso. St. Louis regained the lead on a Backes goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, via Alexander Steen and Shattenkirk. This produced the eventual 3-2 final score, with the three stars awarded to Backes, Tarasenko, and Shattenkirk.

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2015/16 KHL Season - Day 75

Six games on for the day beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Dinamo Riga. Joacim Eriksson and Jakub Kovar receive the starting nods. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period on a Vitaly Popov goal, passed from Nikolai Timashov. Riga tied it with a Tim Sestito power play goal in the second period, powered by Steven Seigo and Guntis Galvins. Avtomobilist took the lead back on an Eero Elo goal in the third period, coming off of Timashov. Dinamo tied it as Tomas Kundratek scored, thanks to Mikelis Redlihs. The tie went to a shootout, where Kaspars Saulietis had the only goal, giving Riga a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Timashov, Kundratek, and Saulietis.

Along to Khanty-Mansiysk, with Yugra welcoming Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Georgy Gelashvili are in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period on a Vitaly Sitnikov goal, via Andrei Antonov and Grigory Zheldakov. Helsinki tied it on a Philip Larsen goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun in the second period. Jokerit pulled ahead with a Juhamatti Aaltonen goal, courtesy of Jesper Jensen and Larsen. Yugra retied it on an unassisted goal by Oleg Pogorishny in the third period. Helsinki retook the lead with another Aaltonen goal, made possible by Topi Jaakola. Jokerit iced it at 4-2 with a Jaakola empty net goal, set up by Atte Ohtamaa. The three stars went to Aaltonen, Larsen, and Jaakola.

West to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Mikhail Biryukov protect the nets. Moscow was first to score in the first period on a Konstantin Volkov goal, guided in by Mat Robinson and Dmitry Vishnevsky. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the second period with an Alexander Budkin goal, fueled by Carter Ashton. Torpedo pulled ahead on a Vyacheslav Kulyomin goal, coming off of Alexander Frolov. Dynamo retied it in the third period as Martins Karsums scored, with the help of Alexei Tsvetkov and Maxim Karpov. In the shootout, two tallies from Maxim Pestushko put Dynamo at a 3-2 win after Sergei Kostitsyn had just one tally for Torpedo. The three stars went to Pestushko, Karsums, and Volkov.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Dmitry Milchakov are the masked men. Minsk drew first blood in the first period on an Andrei Stepanov power play goal, powered by Alexei Kalyuzhny. Dinamo added on with a Matt Ellison goal, via Ryan Vesce and Jonathan Cheechoo. Minsk extended the lead as Paul Szczechura scored in the second period, thanks to Nick Bailen. Podolsk got on the board with a Denis Abdullin goal, assisted by Teemu Eronen. Vityaz got closer in the third period on an Alexander Nikulin goal, guided in by Dmitry Kostromitin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars handed to Szczechura, Ellison, and Stepanov.

In Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb welcomes CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Danny Taylor are in the creases. The goalies dazzled in this game, which ended 1-0 for Zagreb with an overtime goal by Patrick Bjorkstrand, set up by Gilbert Brule and Blake Parlett. The three stars went to Bjorkstrand, Taylor (39 save shutout), and Sorokin (15 for 16 in saves).

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Sergei Magarilov and Barry Brust are between the pipes. Cherepovets started in the first period on an Ondrej Nemec goal, courtesy of Nikolai Stasenko and Dmitry Kagarlitsky on the power play. Bratislava tied it on a Michel Miklik goal, coming off of Cam Barker. Severstal regained the lead with a Vadim Berdnikov goal, helped along by Nemec. Slovan tied it again on a Marek Viedensky goal, passed from Lubomir Visnovsky. Cherepovets reclaimed the lead in the second period on a Kagarlitsky goal, with a lone assist by Pavel Buchnevich. Bratislava tied it on a power play goal by Patrik Lusnak, powered by Barker and Pavol Skalicky. Slovan pulled ahead on a Rok Ticar goal, fueled by Visnovsky. Severstal tied it again on a third period shorthanded goal by Sergei Monakhov, set up by Evgeny Kovyrshin. Bratislava won 5-4 with a Visnovsky power play goal, with a lone helper from Tomas Starosta. The three stars were awarded to Visnovsky, Barker, and Kagarlitsky, while Nemec gets the honorable mention.

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Sunday, November 15, 2015

KHL Day 74/NHL Day 40 2015-16

Seven games across the two leagues today. The first five are KHL, beginning in...

Novokuznetsk, as Metallurg hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Andrei Kareyev are the goalies. Novosibirsk struck first in the first period on a Calle Ridderwall goal, via Konstantin Okulov and Tomas Vincour. Novokuznetsk tied it in the second period on a Ryan Stoa power play goal, powered by Cade Fairchild. Metallurg took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Maxim Kazakov, with a lone assist by Roman Manukhov. Novokuznetsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Grigory Glebov, set up by Alexander Romanov. The three stars went to Kareyev (27 for 28 in saves), Kazakov, and Stoa.

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Pavel Francouz are set to start. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period on a power play goal by Vyacheslav Osnovin, powered by Maxim Yakutsenya and Konstantin Klimontov. Kazan tied it on an Oscar Moller goal, via Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars took the lead in the third period on a Fyodor Malykhin goal, passed from Mikhail Glukhov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Malykhin, Garipov (25 for 26 in saves), Moller.

Down in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Vasily Koshechkin guard the cages. Yaroslavl started on a first period Jiri Novotny goal, assisted by Pavel Koledov and Denis Mosalyov. Magnitogorsk tied it on an unassisted Wojtek Wolski goal. Metallurg took the lead on a Jan Kovar power play goal in the second period, powered by Wolski and Danis Zaripov. Magnitogorsk added on with a Sergei Tereshchenko goal, guided in by Tomas Filippi and Bogdan Potekhin on the power play. Metallurg extended the lead as Oskar Osala scored, thanks to Zaripov and Tereshchenko. This made it 4-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Wolski, Zaripov, and Tereshchenko.

Westward to Moscow, where Spartak hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Atte Engren are the masked men. Sochi was first to score in the first period on a Ben Maxwell goal, coming off of Andre Petersson. Moscow tied it on a Konstantin Glazachev goal in the second period, made possible by Alexander Mereskin and Lukas Radil. The Leopards took the lead on a Maxwell power play goal, powered by Sergei Kuznetsov. Spartak tied it again in the third period with a Sergei Shmelyov goal, assisted by Vyacheslav Leshchenko. Sochi took the lead on a Mikhail Anisin goal, fueled by Pyotr Schastlivy and Sergei Bernatsky. The final stood at 3-2, with the three stars going to Maxwell, Anisin, and Shmelyov.

The Russian games end with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk bringing in Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Alexander Sudnitsin are in the creases. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period on an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, fueled by Jeff Taffe and Dan Sexton. Togliatti tied it on a Stanislav Romanov goal, going in unassisted. Lada took the lead with a Dmitry Vorobov goal, made possible by Igor Magogin and Alexander Bumagin. Togliatti added on with an unassisted Alexander Streltsov goal in the second period. Lada extended the lead as Anton Shenfeld scored in the third period, with the help of Yefim Gurkin and Georgy Belousov. Ivan Lisutin replaced Sudnitsin in goal. Neftekhimik got one back on an Andrei Sergeyev goal, via Sexton. Togliatti finished it at 5-2 on a Belousov empty net goal, set up by Shenfeld. The three stars were Shenfeld, Belousov, and Sexton.

In the NHL, the New York Rangers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier faces a lesser foe in Antti Raanta in goal. Toronto began in the first period on a Peter Holland goal, his third of the season, courtesy of Bryan Froese. New York tied it on a Ryan McDonagh goal, his third of the year, via Mats Zuccarello and Dan Girardi in the second period. The Rangers took the lead on a Derek Stepan goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider and Marc Staal. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Joffrey Lupul goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Froese and Dion Phaneuf. New York retook the lead in the third period on a Derick Brassard goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Zuccarello and Kevin Klein. Toronto tied it again with a Phaneuf goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Tyler Bozak. The Rangers won 4-3 on a Zuccarello goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by McDonagh. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Zuccarello, McDonagh, and Phaneuf, while Froese gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames. Karri Ramo and Scott Darling are the mediocre goalies. Calgary dented the scoreboard with a David Jones goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Joe Colborne and Kris Russell. Chicago tied it on a Patrick Kane goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks took the lead with a Marian Hossa goal, his second of the season, with a lone helper from Duncan Keith. Chicago added on with an Artemi Panarin goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Kane and Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks iced it on a Jonathan Toews empty net goal, his sixth of the campaign, set up by Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The three stars of the 4-1 game were Kane, Hossa, and Darling (25 for 26 in saves).

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