NHL 2016/17 - Day 77

Eleven games will be all that's left to send 2016 off in the NHL. We begin with two matinees, the first in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Tuukka Rask man the nets. Boston began in the first period on a Frank Vatrano goal, his second of the season, helped along by Zdeno Chara. The Bruins added on in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Ryan Spooner and Brad Marchand. Boston extended the lead as Tim Schaller scored his fifth of the season, with the help of Torey Krug and Austin Czarnik. Buffalo got on the board with a Jack Eichel goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars going to Bergeron, Rask (25 for 26 in saves), and Schaller.

Down in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Washington Capitals. Philipp Grubauer and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. Washington led off in the first period with a Brett Connolly goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Andre Burakovsky and Brooks Orpik. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Orpik and Daniel Winnik. New Jersey got on the board in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. Washington replied with a T.J. Oshie goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals extended the lead as Ovechkin scored his seventeenth of the season, thanks to Matt Niskanen and Oshie. Washington padded the lead with a Justin Williams goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov. The Devils got one back in the third period on a Beau Bennett goal, his second of the season, with assists provided by Ben Lovejoy and Jon Merrill. The Capitals answered with a Marcus Johansson goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The game ended at 6-2, with the three stars being Oshie, Ovechkin, and Williams, while Orpik and Niskanen get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Brandon Dubinsky. The Blue Jackets added on with a Jack Johnson goal, his second of the year, via Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg. Columbus extended the lead as Atkinson scored his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, thanks to Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara. Minnesota got on the board with a Mikael Granlund power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu. The Blue Jackets responded with a Seth Jones goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Saad and Nick Foligno. The Wild pulled back in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Granlund and Spurgeon. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Atkinson, Saad, and Granlund, while Spurgeon gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury guard the cages. Montreal started in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Paul Byron and Shea Weber. Pittsburgh tied it on a Patric Hornqvist goal in the second period, his ninth of the year, helped along by Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin. The Penguins took the lead with a Phil Kessel goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Hagelin and Olli Maatta. The Canadiens retied it on a Byron goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Jeff Petry. Montreal took the lead in the third period with a Brian Flynn goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Daniel Carr. Pittsburgh tied it on a Conor Sheary goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Justin Schultz and Kris Letang. The Penguins won 4-3 on a Malkin power play goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Kessel and Letang. The three stars went to Malkin, Kessel, and Letang, while Hagelin and Byron earn the honorable mentions.

South to Tampa Bay, where the Lightning welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his tenth of the season, a power play goal via Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Alex Killorn scored his twelfth of the season, with the help of Matthew Peca and Hedman. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jaccob Slavin and Teuvo Teravainen. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars being Vasilevskiy (26 for 27 in saves), Kucherov, and Hedman.

Way north in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Connor Hellebuyck receive the starting nods in goal. New York was first to score in the first period on a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a John Tavares goal, his eleventh of the year, via Josh Bailey. New York extended the lead in the second period as Shane Prince scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. The Islanders padded the lead with a Strome goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone helper from Johnny Boychuk. Michael Hutchinson replaced Hellebuyck. Winnipeg got on the board with a Shawn Matthias shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Jacob Trouba and Adam Lowry. New York replied in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Bailey and Tavares. The Islanders continued with an Andrew Ladd power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Nelson and Cal Clutterbuck. The Jets shot back with a Nikolaj Ehlers power play goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars going to Strome, Tavares, and Bailey, while Nelson gets an honorable mention.

Back south, the Dallas Stars host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Antti Niemi are given the green light to play goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Seth Griffith. The Panthers added on with a Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his third of the year, powered by Trocheck and Reilly Smith. Florida extended the lead as Jagr scored his seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Jonathan Marchessault and Keith Yandle. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi in goal. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Jagr, Trocheck, and Reimer (35 for 36 in saves).

In Denver, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Colorado began in the first period with a Cody McLeod goal, assisted by Tyson Barrie and Mikhail Grigorenko. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. The Rangers took the lead with a Kreider power play goal, his fourteenth of the year and second of the game, powered by Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. The Avalanche tied it on a Blake Comeau goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Francois Beauchemin and Rene Bourque. New York took the lead back in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on with a Kreider power play goal, completing his hat trick with his fifteenth of the season, helped along by Stepan and Brandon Pirri. New York extended the lead in the third period as Miller scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, made possible by Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast. The Rangers padded the lead on a Jimmy Vesey goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Michael Grabner and Kevin Hayes. The final stood at 6-2, with the three stars going to Kreider, Miller, and Stepan, while Zuccarello gets an honorable mention.

Into Alberta, where the Calgary Flames bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Brian Elliott play goal. Calgary started in the first period with a Michael Frolik power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Dougie Hamilton. The Flames added on with a Dennis Wideman goal, his third of the year, via T.J. Brodie and Kris Versteeg. Calgary extended the lead as Lance Bouma scored his second of the season, with the help of Matt Stajan. The Flames padded the lead on a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Mark Giordano and Frolik. Arizona got on the board in the second period with a Brendan Perlini goal, his third of the season, assisted by Shane Doan and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes got closer in the third period with a Martin Hanzal goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Jordan Martinook. The final stuck at 4-2, with the three stars handed to Frolik, Bouma, and Backlund.

Also in the province, the Edmonton Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Vancouver got going in the second period with an Alexandre Burrows goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. Edmonton tied it on a Drake Caggiula goal, his second of the year, coming off of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matthew Benning. The Canucks retook the lead in the third period on a Baertschi goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Horvat and Alexander Edler. The Oilers tied it on a Connor McDavid power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic. In the shootout, Horvat had the lone tally for the Canucks to win 3-2. The three stars went to Horvat, Baertschi, and Markstrom (40 for 42 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Peter Budaj draw the starts in goal. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Alec Martinez. The Kings added on in the second period with a Drew Doughty power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nic Dowd and Martinez. San Jose got on the board with a Brent Burns power play goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, with assists provided by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Los Angeles answered with a Jeff Carter goal, his twentieth of the year, passed from Pearson and Jake Muzzin. The Sharks pulled back with a Kevin Labanc goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Mikkel Boedker and Brenden Dillon. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars belonging to Pearson, Carter, and Martinez.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 76

Just four games on for New Year's Eve Eve, beginning with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Cam Ward man the nets. Chicago led off in the first period with a Michal Kempny goal, via Jonathan Toews and Ryan Hartman. Carolina tied it with an Elias Lindholm goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina added on in the third period with an unassisted Jay McClement goal, his second of the season. The Blackhawks got one back with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Toews and Kempny. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars being Kempny, Toews, and McClement.

West to St. Louis, where the Blues welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Jake Allen in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Yannick Weber goal, fueled by Craig Smith and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators added on with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Ribeiro and Ryan Johansen. Nashville extended the lead as Viktor Arvidsson scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Matt Irwin and Mike Fisher. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Colin Wilson power play goal, his sixth of the season, with assists provided by Forsberg and Ryan Ellis. The game ended at 4-0, with the three stars going to Saros (25 save shutout), Forsberg, and Ribeiro.

Out in California, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Aaron Dell are the goalies. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Kevin Labanc and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Anthony Stolarz replaced Mason in goal for the start of the second period. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Justin Braun goal, his second of the year, helped along by Joe Pavelski and Marleau. The final held at 2-0, with the three stars awarded to Dell (21 save shutout), Marleau, and Braun.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ryan Miller draw the starts in goal. Anaheim began in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf shorthanded goal, his fifth of the season, set up by Joseph Cramarossa and Josh Manson. The Ducks added on with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his second of the year, assisted by Corey Perry and Cam Fowler. Vancouver got on the board with a power play goal by Ben Hutton, his fifth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Markus Granlund. The Canucks tied it in the third period on a Jack Skille goal, his fourth of the year, via Sven Baertschi and Alexander Edler. Vancouver won 3-2 in overtime with a Henrik Sedin goal, his ninth of the campaign, made possible by Loui Eriksson. The three stars went to Sedin, Skille, and Hutton.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 75

Twelve games on for today, beginning in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Marcus Foligno goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Jack Eichel and Matt Moulson. The Sabres added on with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Moulson and Sam Reinhart. Boston got on the board in the second period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Brad Marchand and Torey Krug. The Bruins tied it with a David Krejci power play goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist by Frank Vatrano. Boston took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Krejci and Vatrano. The Bruins iced it at 4-2 with a Spooner empty net goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Krejci, Spooner, and Vatrano, while Moulson gets an honorable mention.

In DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. New Jersey got going in the second period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Washington tied it in the third period with a shorthanded Daniel Winnik goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Jay Beagle and John Carlson. In the shootout, the Devils saw Michael Cammalleri and Jacob Josefson score to take the win 2-1. The three stars went to Kinkaid (43 for 44 in saves), Cammalleri, and Holtby (26 for 27 in saves).

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Antoine Bibeau and Andrei Vasilevskiy are in the blue paint. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his eighteenth of the season, via Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Tyler Bozak goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of James van Riemsdyk and Nikita Zaitsev. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brian Boyle goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Jonathan Drouin and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning tied it on an Ondrej Palat goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Nikita Kucherov. Toronto won 3-2 in overtime with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, with helpers from William Nylander and Matthews. The three stars were Matthews, Kadri, and Bozak.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens. Backups Al Montoya and James Reimer play goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Jason Demers goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jussi Jokinen and Jonathan Marchessault. Montreal tied it in the second period with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Alexander Radulov and Nathan Beaulieu. The Panthers retook the lead on a Vincent Trocheck power play goal, his tenth of the season, via Keith Yandle. The Canadiens tied it in the third period with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Phillip Danault. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Danault goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Pacioretty. The three stars went to Danault, Pacioretty, and Gallagher.

Up in Ottawa, the Senators welcome the Detroit Red Wings on Daniel Alfredsson night. Jared Coreau and Mike Condon are the little-known goalies. Detroit started in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Brendan Smith and Frans Nielsen. Ottawa tied it on a Derick Brassard goal, his eighth of the year, guided in by Mike Hoffman. The Senators took the lead in the second period with a Mark Stone goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Brassard. The Red Wings tied it on a Tomas Tatar goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Henrik Zetterberg and Nick Jensen. Detroit won 3-2 in overtime on an Anthony Mantha goal, his seventh of the campaign, coming off of Niklas Kronwall. The three stars were Brassard, Mantha, and Tatar. 

Down in Nashville, the Predators bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Chicago struck first in the first period with an Artem Anisimov power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Duncan Keith and Artemi Panarin. Nashville tied it on a Filip Forsberg goal, his seventh of the year, via Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead in the third period with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Johansen. The Blackhawks retied it on a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. Chicago took the lead with a Kane goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Kane, Toews, and Johansen. 

Back in Canada, the Winnipeg Jets host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Michael Hutchinson are in the creases. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his third of the season, via Jacob Trouba and Adam Lowry. Columbus tied it on a Brandon Saad goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Nick Foligno. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Foligno goal, his twelfth of the season, a power play goal powered by Zach Werenski and Sam Gagner. Columbus added on in the second period with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Foligno. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the third period as Wennberg scored a power play goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, with the help of Werenski and Seth Jones. The Jets got one back with a Bryan Little power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Drew Stafford and Blake Wheeler. Columbus replied with a Lukas Sedlak goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Jack Johnson. Winnipeg countered with a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his third of the year, made possible by Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien. The final held from here at 5-3, with the three stars given to Foligno, Wennberg, and Werenski, while Wheeler gets an honorable mention.

Across the border, the Minnesota Wild welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Marco Scandella goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mikael Granlund and Christian Folin. New York tied it on Jason Chimera goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Andrew Ladd and Thomas Hickey. The Islanders took the lead with a second period Nick Leddy power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by John Tavares and Josh Bailey. The Wild tied it on a Chris Stewart goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter. Minnesota took the lead with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Suter. The Wild added on with a Jordan Schroeder goal, his second of the year, fueled by Jonas Brodin and Zach Parise. New York got one back in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Shane Prince and Johnny Boychuk. The Islanders tied it on another Nelson goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Calvin de Haan and Dennis Seidenberg. Minnesota took the lead back with an Erik Haula goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. The Wild iced it at 6-4 with a Granlund empty net goal, his ninth of the year, set up by Eric Staal and Koivu. The three stars were given to Granlund, Nelson, and Suter, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

South to Texas, where the Dallas Stars bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Kari Lehtonen play goal. Dallas began in the first period with a Devin Shore goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Lauri Korpikoski and Patrick Eaves. The Stars added on with a Tyler Seguin goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Mikko Rantanen and Tyson Barrie. Dallas replied in the second period with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his fourth of the year, via Seguin and Benn. The Avalanche got one back in the third period with a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Barrie and Duchene. The Stars iced it at 4-2 with a Seguin empty net goal, his thirteenth of the year, set up by Spezza. The three stars were Seguin, Benn, and Spezza, while Duchene and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Chad Johnson receive the starting nods in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with a Mikael Backlund goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Deryk Engelland. Anaheim tied it in the second period with an Antoine Vermette power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Corey Perry and Kevin Bieksa. The Ducks took the lead in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Ryan Kesler and Korbinian Holzer. Anaheim added on with a power play goal by Rickard Rakell, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Vermette and Kesler. The final held at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Vermette, Kesler and Gibson (31 for 32 in saves).

Also in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Cam Talbot are between the pipes. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Maroon power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Jordan Eberle and Matthew Benning. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Nick Shore goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. The Oilers took the lead back with an Eric Gryba goal, passed from Eberle and Milan Lucic. Edmonton won 3-1 with an empty net goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Leon Draisaitl. The three stars were Eberle, Gryba, and Talbot (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, the Arizona Coyotes bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Mike Smith are all padded up in goal. New York started in the first period with a Matt Puempel power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Jimmy Vesey. The Rangers added on with a Nick Holden power play goal, his seventh of the year, via J.T. Miller and Jimmy Hayes. Arizona got on the board with a Christian Dvorak goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Connor Murphy and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. New York replied in the second period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Holden and Mats Zuccarello. The Coyotes pulled back with an Anthony Duclair goal, his third of the season, passed from Lawson Crouse and Jakob Chychrun. Arizona tied it on a Tobias Rieder power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, coming off of Radim Vrbata and Martin Hanzal. The Rangers retook the lead on another Puempel power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, with helpers from Ryan McDonagh and Hayes. New York extended the lead with a Miller empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Hayes, who got a sock trick, and Jesper Fast. The Rangers finished it at 6-3 with a Puempel power play goal, completing his hat trick on his fifth of the campaign, made possible by Brandon Pirri and Marek Hrivik. The three stars were awarded to Puempel, Hayes, and Miller.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 121

Five games on for the last KHL game day of the calendar year. We begin in...

China, with Kunlun Red Star Beijing hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Tomi Karhunen are the goalies. Beijing started in the first period with a Sean Collins power play goal, powered by Chad Rau. Vladivostok tied it on a Yegor Yakovlev goal, passed from Mikhail Plotnikov and Alexander Gorshkov. Admiral took the lead with a Maxim Kazakov goal, assisted by Damir Zhafyarov and Pavel Makarenko. Vladivostok added on in the third period with a James Wright goal, made possible by Vladimir Tkachyov and Robert Sabolic. Admiral extended the lead as Sabolic scored, thanks to Tkachyov. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sabolic, Bobkov (37 for 38 in saves), and Tkachyov.

In Russia, Salavat Yulaev Ufa welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Andrei Gavrilov receive the starting nods in goal. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with an Oskar Osala power play goal, powered by Tommi Santala and Tomas Filippi. Metallurg added on with an Osala power play goal, coming off of Alexei Bereglazov and Santala. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period on a Jan Kovar goal, going in unassisted. Ufa got on the board with a Linus Omark power play goal, helped along by Tomas Mertl. Salavat Yulaev got closer with an unassisted Denis Kulyash goal. Ufa tied it in the third period on a Teemu Hartikainen power play goal, via Sami Lepisto. Metallurg answered with a Santala goal, passed from Evgeny Biryukov and Alexander Semin. Magnitogorsk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Evgeny Timkin, set up by Filippi. The three stars were Osala, Santala, and Filippi.

West to St. Petersburg, where SKA hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Igor Shestyorkin tend the twines. Yaroslavl led off in the first period with a Petri Kontiola goal, with a lone assist by Staffan Kronwall. Lokomotiv added on in the second period with a Brandon Kozun goal, via Maxime Talbot. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal in the third period, coming off of Alexander Barabanov and Vyacheslav Voynov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Murygin (46 for 47 in saves), Kozun, and Kontiola.

Backtracking to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Stanislav Galimov are in the creases. Cherepovets began in the first period with an Arseny Khatsei goal, going in unassisted. Severstal added on with an Anton Sizov goal, guided in by Adam Masuhr and Vladislav Kodola. Kazan tied it in the second period on a Vasily Tokranov power play goal, powered by Justin Azevedo and Jiri Sekac. Ak Bars tied it on a Sekac goal, made possible by Alexander Svitov and Tokranov. Kazan took the lead with a Stefan Elliott goal, assisted by Tokranov and Azevedo. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Sekac, Tokranov, and Azevedo.

Finally, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Andrei Kareyev and Igor Saprykin are between the pipes. Podolsk got going in the second period with a Maxim Afinogenov power play goal, powered by Igor Golovkov and Alexander Nikulin. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Richard Gynge goal, via Nikita Kvartalnov and Gilbert Brule. Neftekhimik took the lead on an Igor Polygalov goal, fueled by Igor Bortnikov and Gennady Stolyarov. Nizhnekamsk added on in the third period with a Brule power play goal, guided in by Kirill Lyamin and Gynge. Neftekhimik extended the lead as Polygalov scored again, thanks to Bortnikov. Vityaz got one back with an Alexei Makeyev goal, passed from Afinogenov and Alexei Semenov. Nizhnekamsk finished it at 5-2 with a Bortnikov goal, with a lone assist by Stolyarov. The the three stars were Polygalov, Gynge, and Brule, while Bortnikov, Stolyarov, and Afinogenov earned honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 74

Just five games on for today, beginning with...

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Matt Murray draw the starts in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with an Elias Lindholm goal, his third of the season, assisted by Noah Hanifin and Ryan Murphy. The Penguins tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Justin Schultz and Conor Sheary in the second period. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Murray at the start of the third period. The Penguins tied it in the third period on a Chris Kunitz goal, his third of the year, helped along by Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Carl Hagelin goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Patric Hornqvist and Trevor Daley. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars being Hagelin, Kunitz, and Crosby.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Roberto Luongo man the nets. Toronto began in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on with a William Nylander power play goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, powered by Matthews and Jake Gardiner. Florida got on the board in the third period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Keith Yandle and Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers tied it on a Trocheck goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Jakub Kindl and Marchessault. Toronto won 3-2 in the shootout, where Mitchell Marner scored the only goal. The three stars went to Matthews, Marchessault, and Trocheck.

Staying in the state, the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy guard the cages. Montreal opened in the first period with an Alexander Radulov goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Paul Byron. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. The Canadiens took the lead with a Shea Weber power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Byron and Max Pacioretty. Montreal added on with a Chris Terry goal in the second period, his second of the year, helped along by Daniel Carr and Michael McCarron. The Lightning got one back with a Victor Hedman goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kucherov. Tampa Bay tied it with a Palat goal, his fifth of the year, with assists provided by Hedman and Brayden Point. The Lightning won 4-3 in overtime with a Johnson goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Jason Garrison and the goalie Vasilevskiy. The three stars went to Johnson, Palat, and Hedman, while Kucherov and Byron get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Carter Hutton are given the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia started in the first period with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Travis Konecny and Brayden Schenn. St. Louis tied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues took the lead with a Robby Fabbri power play goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Colton Parayko. The Flyers tied it on a second period Nick Cousins goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Ivan Provorov and Konecny. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Schenn power play goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Shayne Gostisbehere and Simmonds. St. Louis retied it on a David Perron goal, his tenth of the year, with a lone assist by Parayko. The Blues took the lead with a Scottie Upshall goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Joel Edmundson and Alex Pietrangelo. St. Louis added on with a Fabbri goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, made possible by Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Blues iced it at 6-3 with a Fabbri empty net goal, his eleventh of the campaign giving him a hat trick, set up by Jaskin and Paul Stastny. The three stars were Fabbri, Schenn, and Simmonds, while Konecny, Jaskin, and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. Vancouver struck first in the first period with a Loui Eriksson power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Troy Stecher. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eighth of the season, via Jeff Carter. The final stayed at 2-1, with the three stars going to Miller (36 for 37 in saves), Sedin, and Eriksson.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 120

Four games on for today, beginning with...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Sibir Novosibirsk. Ivan Nalimov and Vladislav Podyapolsky are the goalies. Novosibirsk got going in the third period with a Konstantin Okulov goal, going in unassisted. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Okulov, Nalimov (15 save shutout), and Podyapolsky (34 for 35 in saves).

Out to Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Henrik Karlsson are the masked men. Omsk led off in the first period with an Ilya Zubov goal, assisted by Maxim Pestushko. Astana tied it on a Kirill Panyukov goal in the third period, helped along by Roman Savchenko and Brendan Shinnimin. Barys took the lead with a Martin St. Pierre goal, via Shinnimin and Savchenko. Astana iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Konstantin Pushkaryov, set up by Ivan Kuchin. The three stars were Karlsson (14 for 15 in saves), Shinnimin, and Savchenko.

In Moscow, CSKA brings in cross-town rivals Dynamo. Alexander Zalivin and Viktor Fasth man the nets. CSKA began in the first period with an Andrei Kuzmenko goal, passed from Vladimir Zharkov and Andrei Svetlakov. Dynamo tied it on a Martins Karsums power play goal, powered by Alexei Tereshchenko and Dmitry Vishnevsky. CSKA retook the lead in the second period on an Artyom Blazhiyevsky goal, via Dmitry Kugryshev and Maxim Mamin. Dynamo retied it with a Yakov Rylov goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo retook the lead in the third period on a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, with assists provided by Vishnevsky and Lukas Kaspar. CSKA tied it on a Svetlakov goal, assisted by Geoff Platt and Mamin. CSKA took the lead with another Svetlakov goal, coming off of Blazhiyevsky and Kuzmenko. CSKA iced it at 5-3 with a Bogdan Kiselevich power play goal, fueled by Ivan Telegin and Nikita Pivtsakin. The three stars went to Svetlakov, Blazhiyevsky, and Kuzmenko, while Mamin and Vishnevsky get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Sochi Leopards host Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Konstantin Barulin are in the creases. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Lukas Radil power play goal, powered by Tim Stapleton. Spartak added on with a Vsevolod Sorokin goal, assisted by Denis Tolpeko. Moscow extended the lead as Ryan Stoa scored a power play goal, thanks to Matthew Gilroy. Spartak padded the lead with an Igor Mirnov goal, helped along by Alexander Vasilyev and Maxim Potapov. Dmitry Shikin replaced Barulin in goal. Sochi got on the board with an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, via Mikhail Mamkin and Eric O'Dell. The game ended 4-1, with the three stars belonging to Svensson (40 for 41 in saves), Sorokin, and Stoa.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 73

After the three days off for Christmas, the NHL is back. We begin with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Antti Raanta are the backups in goal. Ottawa started in the first period with a Mark Borowiecki goal, assisted by Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with a Zack Smith goal, his eighth of the season, courtesy of Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone. New York got on the board with a Nick Holden goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Hayes. Ottawa replied with a Cody Ceci goal, passed from Hoffman and Pageau. The Rangers countered with a Derek Stepan goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Chris Kreider and McDonagh in the second period. New York tied it on a Stepan power play goal, his second of the and ninth of the year, powered by Mats Zuccarello and McDonagh, who earned a sock trick. The Rangers took the lead in the third period on a Holden goal, his second of the game and sixth of the season via Brady Skjei and Matt Puempel. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars belonging to Holden, Stepan, and McDonagh, while Hoffman and Pageau get the honorable mentions.

Across town in Brooklyn, the New York Islanders welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak protect the nets. New York opened in the first period with a Cal Clutterbuck goal, his third of the season, made possible by Nikolay Kulemin and Ryan Strome. Washington tied it on a Justin Williams goal, his eighth of the year, via Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov. The Islanders took the lead in the second period with an Andrew Ladd goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Thomas Hickey and Alan Quine. The Capitals tied it again in the third period on an Ovechkin goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. New York took the lead back on a Ladd goal, his second of the game and seventh of the season, passed from Quine and Hickey. The Jets added on with an unassisted Anders Lee goal, his thirteenth of the year. Washington pulled back with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Jay Beagle and Matt Niskanen. The final held at 4-3, with the three stars going to Ladd, Ovechkin, and Williams, while Hickey and Quine get the honorable mentions.

Out to New Jersey, where the Devils bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Cory Schneider are the masked men. New Jersey led off in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his ninth of the season, passed from Taylor Hall. Pittsburgh retied it on an Evgeni Malkin power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. The Devils took the lead with an Adam Henrique power play goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. The Penguins tied it again with a Crosby goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, with a lone assist by Conor Sheary. Pittsburgh tied it on a Justin Schultz goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Malkin and Crosby. The Penguins added on with a Carl Hagelin goal in the third period, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Chad Ruhwedel. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Bryan Rust, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Nick Bonino and Hagelin. The three stars belonged to Crosby, Malkin, and Hagelin.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky tend the twines. Columbus began in the first period with a Scott Hartnell goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Lukas Sedlak and Sam Gagner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Seth Jones goal, his sixth of the year, via Hartnell and Brandon Saad. Columbus extended the lead as Matt Calvert scored his fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Josh Anderson. Boston got on the board with a David Backes goal, his ninth of the year, courtesy of David Krejci. The Bruins got closer with an Austin Czarnik goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by Riley Nash and Torey Krug. Boston tied it on a Krejci goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, guided in by Ryan Spooner and Backes. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with a Nick Foligno power play goal in the third period, his eleventh of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars being Hartnell, Backes, and Krejci.

In Detroit, the Red Wings welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Buffalo struck first in the first period with an Evander Kane goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Brian Gionta and Zach Bogosian. The Sabres added on with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Rasmus Ristolainen and Jack Eichel. Detroit got on the board in the second period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his seventh of the season, via Steve Ott and Anthony Mantha. Buffalo retook the lead with an Eichel goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Marcus Foligno. The Red Wings pulled back on a Drew Miller goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it in the third period with an unassisted Thomas Vanek power play goal, his sixth of the year. The Sabres regained the lead on a Kane goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, courtesy of Gionta and Dmitry Kulikov. The game ended at 4-3, with the three stars going to Kane, Gionta, and Eichel.

Down to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Pekka Rinne are between the pipes. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Zach Parise power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Matt Dumba and Charlie Coyle. Nashville tied it in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his sixth of the year, via Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. The Wild retook the lead with a Chris Stewart goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Eric Staal and Jordan Schroeder. The Predators tied it again on a Reid Boucher goal, coming off of Austin Watson and Calle Jarnkrok. Minnesota won 3-2 in overtime with a Jared Spurgeon goal, his third of the year, passed from Schroeder and Coyle. The three stars went to Coyle, Schroeder, and Dubnyk (28 for 30 in saves).

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Corey Crawford play in the blue paint. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Bryan Little and Jacob Trouba. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Trouba and Nikolaj Ehlers. Chicago got on the board in the second period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his fifteenth of the season, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. Winnipeg answered in the third period with a Drew Stafford goal, his second of the year, coming off of Nic Petan and Marko Dano. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Scheifele, Trouba, and Hellebuyck (33 for 34 in saves).

Westward to Colorado, where the Avalanche welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Colorado started in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. Calgary tied it on a second period Mikael Backlund goal, his eighth of the year, via Matthew Tkachuk and Dennis Wideman. The Flames took the lead with a Sam Bennett goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Deryk Engelland and Backlund. Calgary added on with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Wideman and T.J. Brodie. The Avalanche got one back on a Jarome Iginla goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Cody Goloubef. The Flames countered with a Backlund goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, helped along by Dougie Hamilton and Michael Frolik. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Gaudreau scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Kris Versteeg and Matt Stajan. Colorado replied with a Landeskog goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with assists provided by MacKinnon and Goloubef. The Flames responded with a Versteeg power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Brodie and Gaudreau. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gaudreau, Backlund, and Versteeg, while Landeskog, Brodie, Wideman, MacKinnon, and Goloubef get the honorable mentions.

South to Arizona, where the Coyotes bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Mike Smith are the veteran goalies. Dallas got going in the second period with a shorthanded Jason Spezza goal, his seventh of the season, set up by Jordie Benn. Arizona tied it on an Anthony Duclair goal, his second of the year, helped along by Martin Hanzal and Tobias Rieder. The Stars took the lead back with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and Spezza. Dallas added on with a John Klingberg empty net goal, his third of the year, set up by the goalie Lehtonen. The Coyotes got one back on a Radim Vrbata penalty shot goal, his ninth of the campaign. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars being Spezza, Lehtonen (35 for 37 in saves), and Jamie Benn.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the San Jose Sharks in a Battle of California. Martin Jones and John Gibson play goal. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Paul Martin goal, his third of the season, assisted by Logan Couture and Mikkel Boedker. Anaheim tied it in the second period with an Ondrej Kase goal, his second of the year, via Nick Ritchie and Antoine Vermette. The Sharks took the lead back with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Joel Ward and Brent Burns. The Ducks tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his tenth of the year, passed from Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Burns goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The three stars were Burns, Karlsson, and Martin.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 119

Just four games on for today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Edgars Masalskis get the starts in goal. Togliatti opened with an unassisted Denis Zernov goal. Lada added on with a Viktor Komarov goal, passed from Nikita Filatov. Ufa got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted Igor Grigorenko goal. Togliatti replied with a Vasily Streltsov power play goal, powered by Alexander Mokshantsev. Lada extended the lead on a shorthanded Streltsov goal, set up by Stanislav Bocharov. Andrei Gavrilov replaced Svedberg in goal. Togliatti padded the lead in the second period as Filatov scored a power play goal, thanks to Andrei Ivanov and Anton Shenfeld. Lada continued in the third period on a Maxim Rybin power play goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Belousov. Salavat Yulaev got one back with a Dmitry Maltsev goal, coming off of Stanislav Gareyev. Ufa pulled closer with an Enver Lisin power play goal, guided in by Evgeny Bodrov. Salavat Yulaev drew closer with a Dmitry Makarov goal, made possible by Konstantin Korneyev. The game ended at 6-4, with the three stars going to Streltsov, Filatov, and Rybin.

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Andrei Kareyev are in the blue paint. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with a Dmitry Ogurtsov goal, passed from Pavel Poryadin and Igor Bortnikov. Neftekhimik added on with a Bortnikov goal, assisted by Andrei Pervyshin and Igor Polygalov. Cherepovets got on the board with a Maxim Trunyov goal, fueled by Daniil Vovchenko. Severstal tied it in the second period on a Vovchenko goal, with a lone helper by Nikolai Stasenko. Nizhnekamsk retook the lead with a Richard Gynge goal, coming off of Andrei Sergeyev and Gennady Stolyarov. Cherepovets tied it in the third period with a Yury Trubachyov goal, helped along by Vovchenko. Neftekhimik took the lead with an Ogurtsov goal, his second of the game, via Sergeyev and Stolyarov. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Ogurtsov, Vovchenko, and Bortnikov, while Sergeyev and Stolyarov get the honorable mentions.

Up in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Ryan Zapolski are the goalies. Helsinki led off in the first period with a Pekka Jormakka power play goal, powered by Peter Regin and Brian O'Neill. Riga tied it on a Maris Bicevskis goal, assisted by Lauris Darzins. Dinamo took the lead on a Bicevskis power play goal, made possible by Darzins and Uvis Balinskis. Jokerit tied it in the second period with a Jesse Joensuu goal, via Antti Pihlstrom and Rasmus Rissanen. Riga won 3-2 in overtime with a Tim Sestito goal, coming off of Ralfs Freibergs and Mikelis Redlihs. The three stars were Bicevskis, Darzins, and Sestito.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Emil Garipov tend the twines. St. Petersburg began in the first period with an unassisted Evgeny Dadonov goal. Kazan tied it on a Fyodor Malykhin goal, helped along by Dmitry Obukhov and Atte Ohtamaa. Ak Bars took the lead with a Mikhail Glukhov goal, via Stepan Zakharchuk and Ziyat Paigin. SKA tied it on a Vadim Shipachyov goal, courtesy of Nikita Gusev. St. Petersburg took the lead in the second period with a Shipachyov goal, assisted by Patrik Hersley and Anton Belov. Kazan tied it on an unassisted goal by Jiri Sekac in the third period. Ak Bars won 4-3 as Malykhin scored twice to top one Gusev goal in the shootout. The three stars were Malykhin, Shipachyov, and Gusev.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 118

Six games grace a moderate schedule today. We begin in...

Vladivostok, as Admiral hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Igor Bobkov are the goalies. Vladivostok opened in the first period with a James Wright goal, passed from Ivan Gavrilenko. Khabarovsk tied it on an Anton Krysanov goal, via Igor Rudenkov. Amur took the lead in the third period with another Krysanov goal, guided in by Oleg Li and Vladislav Ushenin. Admiral retied it on a Dmitry Sayustov goal, helped along by Oskars Bartulis. Khabarovsk pulled ahead with a Rudenkov goal, assisted by Krysanov and Dmitry Lyutov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Krysanov, Rudenkov, and Metsola (29 for 31 in saves).

West to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Ugra welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Alexander Sharychenkov man the nets. Novosibirsk started in the first period with an unassisted Evgeny Artyukhin goal. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on an Alexander Ugolnikov goal in the second period, fueled by Konstantin Panov and Nikita Khlystov on the power play. Ugra took the lead with a Roman Lyuduchin goal, with a lone assist by Panov. Sibir tied it in the third period with a Joonas Kemppainen goal, courtesy of Vadim Khlopotov and Maxim Igantovich. Khanty-Mansiysk retook the lead on a power play goal by Alexander Makarov, going in unassisted. The game remained at 3-2, with the three stars going to Panov, Makarov, and Lyuduchin.

In Moscow, CSKA brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexander Sudnitsin and Viktor Fasth are the masked men. Yaroslavl got going in the second period with an Artyom Ilyenko goal, fueled by Alexander Kadeikin and Andrei Loktionov. Moscow tied it on an Andrei Yermakov goal passed from Bogdan Kiselevich and Kirill Petrov. Lokomotiv took the lead back with a Brandon Kozun goal, with a lone assist by Petri Kontiola. CSKA tied it again in the third period on a Maxim Mamin goal, assisted by Vyacheslav Osnovin and Mikhail Naumenkov. In the shootout, Lokomotiv won with tallies by Kozun and Loktionov for a 3-2 victory. The three stars went to Kozun, Loktionov, and Ilyenko.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Mikhail Biryukov are in the creases. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Roman Horak power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Jakub Jerabek. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Dmitry Semin goal, fueled by Brandon McMillan. Torpedo took the lead with a Nikolai Zherdev goal, via Kirill Rasskazov. Vityaz retook the lead on a Nikita Vyglazov goal, helped along by Horak and Artyom Chernov. Nizhny Novgorod took the lead again in the third period on a John Norman goal, via Dmitry Shulenin and Evgeny Grachyov. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars going to Horak, Norman, and Zherdev.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov and Barry Brust draw the starts in goal. Bratislava drew first blood in the second period with a Tomas Surovy goal, going in unassisted. Slovan added on with a Jeff Taffe goal, made possible by Jonathan Cheechoo. Bratislava extended the lead as Tomas Kundratek scored a power play goal, thanks to Taffe and Cheechoo. Slovan padded the lead with another Surovy goal, helped along by Andrej Stastny. Moscow got on the board in the third period with an Alexander Vasilyev goal, assisted by Igor Mirnov. Spartak pulled closer with a Yaroslav Dyblenko goal, via Lukas Radil and Tim Stapleton. Moscow chipped away at the deficit with a Ryan Stoa goal, fueled by Radil and Alexei Bondarev. Spartak tied it on an Artyom Voronin goal, passed from Sergei Shmelyov and Vyacheslav Leshchenko. In the shootout, Ziga Jeglic and Surovy scored for a 5-4 Slovan win. The three stars were Surovy, Taffe, and Cheechoo, while Radil gets an honorable mention.

Finally, in Finland, Jokerit Helsinki brings in Dinamo Riga. Janis Kalnins and Ryan Zapolski are set to start in goal. Helsinki struck first in the first period with a Sakari Salminen goal, with a lone assist by Antti Pihlstrom. Jokerit added on with a Brian O'Neill goal, coming off of Peter Regin and Tommi Huhtala. Helsinki extended the lead in the second period as Huhtala scored, thanks to Regin and Topi Jaakola. The final held from here at 3-0, with the three stars given to Huhtala, Zapolski (17 save shutout), and Regin.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 117

Another four games are on for KHL Christmas action, beginning with...

Avangard Omsk hosting Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Dominik Furch are given the starting nods in goal. Omsk dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal, passed from David Booth. Avangard added on with a Maxim Pestushko goal, guided in by Mikhail Yunkov. Omsk extended the lead in the third period as Ilya Mikheyev scored, thanks to Pestushko and Yunkov. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Nikolai Belov goal, fueled by Alexander Shinin. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars going to Pestushko, Yunkov, and Mikheyev.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Kevin Poulin man the nets. Astana struck first in the first period with a Nigel Dawes goal, with a lone assist by Dustin Boyd. Barys added on with a Dawes power play goal, his second of the game, powered by Martin St. Pierre and Kevin Dallman. Astana extended the lead as Nikita Ivanov scored, with the help of Maxim Khudyakov. Artyom Zagidulin replaced Koshechkin in goal. Barys padded the lead with another Dawes power play goal, coming off of St. Pierre. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, helped along by Danis Zaripov and Chris Lee. Metallurg got closer with a Tomas Filippi power play goal, with helpers from Alexei Bereglazov and Oskar Osala. Magnitogorsk pulled closer in the third period with an unassisted Evgeny Timkin goal. Astana iced it at 5-3 with a Boyd empty net goal, set up by Konstantin Pushkaryov. The three stars were Dawes, St. Pierre, and Boyd.

Back in Russia, Lada Togliatti brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ilya Ezhov are set to start in goal. Cherepovets started in the first period with a Maxim Trunyov goal, helped along by Daniil Vovchenko and Yury Trubachyov. Severstal added on with a Trubachyov goal, courtesy of Adam Masuhr. Cherepovets extended the lead with a shorthanded Pavel Chernov goal, set up by Nikolai Stasenko and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Edgars Masalskis replaced Ezhov in goal at the start of the second period. Togliatti got on the board with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, coming off of Georgy Belousov. Lada got closer with a Belousov goal, passed from Yefim Gurkin and Denis Zernov. Togliatti tied it on a Dmitry Kostromitin goal in the third period, with a lone helper from Kristaps Sotnieks. Severstal retook the lead with a Vojtech Polak goal, assisted by Denis Yezhov and Chernov. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Chernov, Trubachyov, and Belousov.

Finally, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Ivan Kasutin draw the starts. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period on a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. SKA added on in the second period with a Shipachyov goal, fueled by Evgeny Dadonov and Gusev. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Vyacheslav Voynov scored in the third period on the power play, thanks to Sergei Plotnikov and Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA padded the lead with a Gusev power play goal, with a lone assist by Kovalchuk. The three stars of the 4-0 game belonged to Gusev, Shipachyov, and Kovalchuk.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 116

Four games today, beginning with...

Kunlun Red Star Beijing hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Tomi Karhunen are the Finnish goalies. The game didn't have a goal until the shootout, where Tomas Zohorna, Vyacheslav Ushenin, and Alexei Byvaltsev lifted Amur over Kunlun Red Star's Damien Fleury for a 1-0 win. The three stars were Metsola (34 save shutout), Karhunen (30 save shutout), and Ushenin.

Way west to Moscow, where Spartak welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Markus Svensson are in the creases. Podolsk opened in the first period with an Alexei Kopeikin power play goal, powered by Mario Kempe and Miro Aaltonen. Vityaz added on with a Roman Horak power play goal, assisted by Jakub Jerabek and Aaltonen. Podolsk extended the lead as Alexander Pankov scored, thanks to Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi. Moscow got on the board with a Yaroslav Dyblenko goal in the second period, fueled by Vadim Berdnikov and Tim Stapleton. Vityaz replied with a Nikita Vyglazov goal, passed from Artyom Chernov. Spartak countered with a Sergei Shmelyov goal in the third period, via Vyacheslav Leshchenko. Podolsk iced it at 5-2 with a Horak empty net goal, his second of the game, set up by Chernov. The three stars went to Horak, Pankov, and Chernov.

Over in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexander Sudnitsin is mismatched with Ilya Proskuryakov in goal. Nizhny Novgorod led off with a Carter Ashton goal in the first period, helped along by Evgeny Grachyov. Yaroslavl tied it on a Staffan Kronwall power play goal, powered by Jakub Nakladal and Andrei Loktionov. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Vladislav Kartayev goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Mikhail Biryukov replaced Proskuryakov in goal. Yaroslavl added on with a Maxime Talbot goal, assisted by Nakladal and Kronwall. This stood for a 3-1 final, with the three stars belonging to Kronwall, Nakladal, and Sudnitsin (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, the Sochi Leopards host Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Konstantin Barulin are set to start in goal. Sochi began in the first period with an Evgeny Skachkov goal, assisted by Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards added on with an Andre Petersson power play goal, powered by Kostitsyn and Igor Ignatushkin. Moscow got on the board with an Artyom Fyodorov goal, passed from Lukas Kaspar. Dynamo tied it with a Maxim Karpov goal in the second period, guided in by Ilya Nikulin and Martins Karsums. Sochi retook the lead with a Mikhail Mamkin goal, coming off of Kostitsyn, who earned a sock trick, and Ignatushkin. The Leopards extended the lead as Renat Mamashev scored a power play goal, with the help of Eric O'Dell and Ben Maxwell. Sochi padded the lead with an unassisted Pavel Padakin goal in the third period. Moscow pulled back with a Denis Kokarev goal, via Artyom Podshendyalov. This only made it 5-3, with the three stars being Kostitsyn, Ignatushkin, and Mamkin.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 72

Twelve games on for the last day before the holiday break. We begin with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Thomas Greiss are the lesser-known goalies. New York led off in the first period with an Anthony Beauvillier goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Travis Hamonic and Shane Prince. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Ryan Strome goal, his fifth of the year, via Cal Clutterbuck and Dennis Seidenberg. New York extended the lead as John Tavares scored his tenth of the campaign, a power play goal powered by Strome and Josh Bailey. The Islanders padded the lead as Andrew Ladd scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Jason Chimera and Hamonic. New York kept going with a Calvin de Haan goal, his second of the year, helped along by Alan Quine and Seidenberg. Buffalo got on the board with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his third of the campaign, guided in by Zach Bogosian and Sam Reinhart. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars going to Strome, Hamonic, and Seidenberg.

Across town, the New York Rangers welcome the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Henrik Lundqvist are set to start in goal. New York began in the first period with a Chris Kreider goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. Minnesota tied it on a Mikael Granlund goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Jason Zucker and Mikko Koivu. The Wild took the lead in the second period with a Koivu goal, his ninth of the season, via Zucker. Minnesota added on with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Charlie Coyle and Eric Staal. The Rangers pulled one back with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his second of the season, helped along by Stepan and Kreider. The Wild chased Lundqvist with a Marco Scandella goal, assisted by Coyle and Koivu. Minnesota extended the lead as Zucker scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Granlund. The Wild padded the lead with a Matt Dumba power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Coyle, who got a sock trick, and Staal. New York answered with a Stepan goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Zuccarello and Kevin Klein. The Rangers got closer in the third period with a Kreider goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, guided in by Zuccarello, who got a sock trick, and McDonagh. Minnesota finished it at 7-4 with a Coyle empty net goal, his twelfth of the year, set up by Niederreiter. The three stars went to Koivu, Zucker, and Coyle, while Granlund, Niederreiter, Staal, Kreider, Stepan, Zuccarello, and McDonagh receive the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Justin Schultz and Phil Kessel. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Eric Fehr goal, his fourth of the year, going in unassisted. New Jersey got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his sixth of the season, via John Moore and Taylor Hall. Pittsburgh answered with a Chad Ruhwedel goal, passed from Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Patric Hornqvist scored his eighth of the year, thanks to Malkin. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Fehr, Ruhwedel, and Malkin.

Back east, the Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Braden Holtby protect the nets. Washington started in the first period with a John Carlson goal, his second of the season, coming off of Karl Alzner and Tom Wilson. The Capitals added on with a Carlson goal, his second of the game and third of the year, via Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Alex Ovechkin scored his fifteenth of the season, thanks to Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals padded the lead on a third period Johansson goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Backstrom. Kristers Gudlevskis replaced Vasilevskiy. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars given to Carlson, Johansson, and Holtby (23 save shutout), while Backstrom gets an honorable mention.

In Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Sam Gagner power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets added on in the second period with a Brandon Saad goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Foligno and Alexander Wennberg. Montreal got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Petry goal, his eighth of the campaign, assisted by Chris Terry and Mark Barberio. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Foligno, Bobrovsky (36 for 37 in saves), and Saad.

Down in Carolina, the Hurricanes bring in the Boston Bruins. Anton Khudobin and Cam Ward are in the blue paint. Boston was first to score in the first period with a Ryan Spooner goal, his fifth of the season, via Torey Krug and David Krejci. The Bruins added on in the second period with a Brad Marchand power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Spooner and Krug. Carolina got on the board with a Jordan Staal shorthanded goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes tied it on a Justin Faulk goal in the third period, his seventh of the year, fueled by Elias Lindholm and Staal. Carolina won 3-2 in overtime with a Teuvo Teravainen goal, his ninth of the campaign, helped along by Lindholm and Faulk. The three stars were Staal, Faulk, and Lindholm, while Spooner and Krug get the honorable mentions.

Further south, the Florida Panthers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Roberto Luongo are given the starting nods in goal. Florida opened in the first period with a Reilly Smith power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jason Demers and Jussi Jokinen. Detroit tied it on an Anthony Mantha goal in the second period, his sixth of the year, guided in by Henrik Zetterberg. The Panthers retook the lead with a Demers goal, his sixth of the season, via Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. Florida added on with a Derek MacKenzie goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Michael Matheson and Paul Thompson. The Red Wings pulled back with a Drew Miller goal in the third period, his third of the season, helped along by Andreas Athanasiou and Dylan Larkin. Detroit tied it again with a Frans Nielsen goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek. In the shootout, Vanek and Nielsen topped Barkov for a 4-3 Red Wings. The three stars were Nielsen, Vanek, and Demers, while Barkov gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Corey Crawford in goal. Chicago got going in the second period with a Jonathan Toews power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Artemi Panarin and Duncan Keith. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his fifth of the year, fueled by Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime with a MacKinnon goal, his ninth of the campaign, assisted by Barrie. The three stars were MacKinnon, Barrie, and Pickard (37 for 38 in saves).

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Los Angeles Kings. Jeff Zatkoff and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Tanner Pearson. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. The Stars took the lead in the third period with a Radek Faksa goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Brett Ritchie and Curtis McKenzie. The Kings retied it on another Carter goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, helped along by Devin Setoguchi and Derek Forbort. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with an Esa Lindell goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Jamie Benn and Lauri Korpikoski. The three stars went to Carter, Lindell, and Faksa.

In Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Brian Elliott are the backups in goal. Vancouver led off in the first period with a Nikita Tryamkin goal, assisted by Jack Skille and Brendan Gaunce. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Mikael Backlund and Dougie Hamilton. The Flames took the lead on a shorthanded Giordano goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, set up by Michael Frolik and Matt Stajan. Calgary added on with a Backlund goal, his seventh of the season, coming off Hamilton and Frolik. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with a Matthew Tkachuk empty net goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Backlund and T.J. Brodie. The three stars were awarded to Giordano, Backlund, and Hamilton, while Frolik gets an honorable mention.

South to Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Mike Smith are the goalies. Toronto began in the first period with a Connor Brown goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a Leo Komarov power play goal, his fourth of the year, powered by Jake Gardiner and Brown. Arizona got on the board with a Shane Doan goal, his fourth of the season, via Connor Murphy and Peter Holland. Toronto replied in the third period with a Komarov goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, going in unassisted. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as William Nylander scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Morgan Rielly and Frederik Gauthier. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars being Komarov, Brown, and Andersen (30 for 31 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Brent Burns and Joe Thornton. Edmonton tied it with a Connor McDavid goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Andrej Sekera in the third period. The Sharks retook the lead on a Kevin Labanc goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Logan Couture and Pavelski. The Oilers retied it on a Patrick Maroon goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of McDavid and Eric Gryba. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a Labanc goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, helped along by Couture and Burns. The three stars were handed to Labanc, Pavelski, and McDavid, while Couture and Burns get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 115

Eight games grace the schedule on the day before Christmas weekend. We begin with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Igor Bobkov are in goal. Vladivostok got going in the second period with a Maxim Kazakov goal, passed from Pavel Makarenko and Artyom Zemchyonok. Admiral added on with a Dmitry Sayustov goal, guided in by Oskars Bartulis and Vladimir Tkachyov. Vladivostok extended the lead as Tkachyov scored, thanks to Sayustov and Robert Sabolic. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board in the third period with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, fueled by Andrei Alexeyev. Admiral iced it at 4-1 with a Makarenko goal, via Bartulis and Zemchyonok. The three stars were Sayustov, Tkachyov, and Makarenko, while Bartulis and Zemchyonok get the honorable mentions.

West to Novosibirsk, where Sibir welcomes Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Danny Taylor are the North American goalies. Novosibirsk dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Vladislav Naumov power play goal, powered by Yegor Milovzorov. Sibir added on with an Adam Polasek goal, assisted by Maxim Shalunov and Stepan Sannikov on the power play. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Vladimir Pervushin scored, thanks to Alexei Glukhov. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars being Taylor (37 save shutout), Naumov, and Polasek.

Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg hosts Dinamo Riga. Janis Kalnins and Andrei Kareyev are in the creases. Riga started in the first period with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, assisted by Uvis Balinskis and Roberts Lipsbergs. Dinamo added on with a Krisjanis Redlihs goal in the second period, helped along by Pyotr Schastlivy. Riga extended the lead as Gints Meija scored a power play goal, thanks to Krisjanis Redlihs. Vladislav Podyapolsky replaced Kareyev in goal. Dinamo padded the lead on a Miks Indrasis power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins and Oskars Cibulskis. Riga kept going with a Mikelis Redlihs goal, his second of the game, courtesy of Ralfs Freibergs. Dinamo continued with an Edgars Kulda goal, going in unassisted. This stood for a 6-0 win, with the three stars going to Mikelis Redlihs, Krisjanis Redlihs, and Kalnins (24 save shutout).

In Omsk, Avangard brings in Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Dominik Furch are between the pipes. Minsk led off in the first period with an Alexander Pavlovich power play goal, powered by Alexander Materukhin and Marc-Andre Gragnani. This proved to be it for the scoring, with the final holding at 1-0. The three stars were awarded to Scrivens (35 save shutout), Pavlovich, and Furch (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Henrik Karlsson draw the starts in goal. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period with a Paul Szczechura goal, coming off of Maxim Yakutsenya and Alexei Kruchinin. Traktor added on with a Szczechura power play goal in the second period, powered by Kruchinin and Alexei Petrov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Petrov scored a power play goal with the help of Kruchinin, who got a sock trick in the process. Astana got on the board in the third period with a Cam Barker power play goal, with a lone assist by Corey Trivino. Barys got closer on a Nigel Dawes power play goal, passed from Kevin Dallman. Traktor answered with a Kruchinin goal, helped along by Yakutsenya. Astana pulled back on another Dawes goal, made possible by Maxim Semyonov and Dustin Boyd. The final stayed at 4-3, with the three stars given to Kruchinin, Szczechura, and Petrov, while Dawes and Yakutsenya get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, Lada Togliatti welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Ilya Ezhov are the veteran goalies. Togliatti began in the first period with a Nikita Filatov goal, via Andrei Ivanov and Yefim Gurkin. St. Petersburg tied it on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, helped along by Ilya Kovalchuk and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA took the lead with a Nikita Gusev power play goal, powered by Dadonov and Shipachyov. Lada tied it in the third period with a Taylor Aronson power play goal, coming off of Sergei Demagin. St. Petersburg won 3-2 in overtime with a Shipachyov power play goal, assisted by Vyacheslav Voynov and Gusev. The three stars were Shipachyov, Gusev, and Dadonov.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Justin Pogge man the nets. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with an Alexander Semin goal, fueled by Oskar Osala. Metallurg added on with another Semin goal, coming off of Chris Lee. Bratislava got on the board with a Jeff Taffe goal, passed from Jonathan Cheechoo and Michal Hlinka. Slovan tied it in the second period on a Ziga Jeglic goal, via Ivan Svarny and Nick Plastino on the power play. Magnitogorsk retook the lead with a Tomas Filippi goal, going in unassisted. Metallurg extended the lead as Danis Zaripov scored in the third period, with the help of Jan Kovar. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars going to Semin, Filippi, and Zaripov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Gavrilov and Michael Garnett are given the starting nods in goal. Zagreb drew first blood in the second period with a Lukas Lessio goal, courtesy of Derek Smith and Thomas Larkin. Medvescak added on with a Colby Genoway goal, made possible by Tomas Mertl and Mike Glumac. Ufa got on the board with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, guided in by Maxim Goncharov and Enver Lisin. Salavat Yulaev tied it on a Denis Parshin goal, with a lone assist by Evgeny Korotkov. In the shootout, Medvescak won 3-2 with a Lessio tally. The three stars were Lessio, Genoway, and Garnett (26 for 28 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 71

Ten games on for today, beginning in...

New Jersey, where the Devils welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Cory Schneider protect the nets. New Jersey opened in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Michael Cammalleri and Damon Severson. The Devils added on with a Miles Wood goal, his fourth of the year, via Adam Henrique. Anthony Stolarz replaced Mason in goal. New Jersey extended the lead as Henrique scored in the second period, his eighth of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Parenteau. The Devils padded the lead on a third period Kyle Palmieri power play goal, assisted by Andy Greene and John Moore. This made it 4-0, with the three stars going to Parenteau, Henrique, and Schneider (16 save shutout).

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Robin Lehner are in the creases. Carolina started in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Jaccob Slavin and Noah Hanifin. The Hurricanes added on with a Justin Faulk goal, his sixth of the year, via Lee Stempniak. Buffalo got on the board in the third period with a Johan Larsson goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Sam Reinhart and Marcus Foligno. Carolina iced it at 3-1 with a Sebastian Aho empty net goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Victor Rask and Brett Pesce. The three stars were Faulk, Skinner, and Ward (22 for 23 in saves).

West to Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets bring in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with a Sidney Crosby goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Ian Cole and Conor Sheary. Columbus tied it on a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Nick Foligno and Alexander Wennberg. The Blue Jackets took the lead in the second period with a William Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Sam Gagner and Josh Anderson. Columbus added on with a Scott Hartnell goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Hartnell scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, via Gagner and Jack Johnson. Columbus padded the lead with a Brandon Saad goal, his twelfth of the year, fueled by Wennberg. The Blue Jackets kept going with a Boone Jenner goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Brandon Dubinsky and Seth Jones. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Murray in goal. Columbus iced it at 7-1 with a Hartnell goal to complete his hat trick with his eighth of the year, passed from Dubinsky and Saad. The three stars belonged to Hartnell, Saad, and Wennberg, while Dubinsky and Gagner get the honorable mentions.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Carey Price tend the twines. Montreal got going in the second period with a Max Pacioretty shorthanded goal, his fourteenth of the season, set up by Phillip Danault and Shea Weber. Minnesota tied it on an unassisted Jordan Schroeder goal. The Canadiens took the lead with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his seventh of the year, coming off of Brian Flynn and Tomas Plekanec. The Wild retied it on a Jared Spurgeon goal, his second of the season, via Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund. Minnesota took the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Eric Staal goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Granlund and Ryan Suter. The Wild iced it at 4-2 with a Zucker empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Staal, Zucker, and Schroeder.

Over in Ontario, the Ottawa Senators host the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Mike Condon draw the starts in goal. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Kyle Turris. Anaheim tied it on a Jakob Silfverberg power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Corey Perry and Antoine Vermette. The Senators won 2-1 in overtime with a Mike Hoffman goal, his tenth of the campaign, coming on the power play from Dion Phaneuf. The three stars went to Hoffman, Condon (24 for 25 in saves), and Dzingel.

Down to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Andrei Vasilevskiy are between the pipes. St. Louis began in the first period with a David Perron goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blues added on with a Wade Megan goal, guided in by Ryan Reaves and Joel Edmundson. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Brian Boyle power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. The Lightning tied it with a Michael Bournival goal, passed from Jason Garrison and J.T. Brown. Tampa Bay took the lead in the third period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the season, via Anton Stralman and Hedman. The Lightning extended the lead as Drouin scored, his ninth of the year, thanks to Valtteri Filppula and Stralman. Tampa Bay iced it at 5-2 with a Drouin empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the campaign, set up by Hedman, who got a sock trick, and Filppula. The three stars were Drouin, Hedman, and Stralman, while Filppula got an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and James Reimer are set to start in goal. Boston drew first blood in the second period with a Frank Vatrano goal, fueled by Torey Krug. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Krug and Ryan Spooner. Florida got on the board in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Michael Matheson. Boston iced it at 3-1 with a David Backes empty net goal, his eighth of the campaign, set up by Brad Marchand. The three stars were handed to Bergeron, Krug, and Rask (29 for 30 in saves).

Northwest to Nashville, where the Predators host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Pekka Rinne are in the blue paint. Los Angeles struck first in the first period with a Nick Shore goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings added on with a third period Nic Dowd goal, his fourth of the year, via Trevor Lewis and Tanner Pearson. Los Angeles extended the lead as Jeff Carter scored his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. The Kings padded the lead on a Devin Setoguchi goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars being Shore, Budaj (28 save shutout), and Dowd.

Over in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Semyon Varlamov are the masked men. Toronto was first to score in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Nikita Zaitsev. The Maple Leafs added on with a Connor Brown power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by William Nylander and Jake Gardiner. Toronto extended the lead as Nazem Kadri scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Roman Polak and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a van Riemsdyk goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto kept going with a Frederik Gauthier goal, assisted by Mitchell Marner and Gardiner. Calvin Pickard replaced Varlamov in goal. The Maple Leafs capped it at 6-0 in the third period with another Kadri power play goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, helped along by Marner and Zaitsev. The three stars of the 6-0 game were Kadri, Andersen (38 save shutout), and van Riemsdyk, while Gardiner, Zaitsev, and Marner get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Vancouver cracked the scoresheet in the first period with a Markus Granlund goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Loui Eriksson. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with a Patrik Laine goal, his nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. The Jets took the lead in the third period with an Ehlers goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Winnipeg added on with another Ehlers goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, via Nic Petan and Toby Enstrom on the power play. The Jets extended the lead as Bryan Little scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Mathieu Perreault and Blake Wheeler. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Ehlers, Hutchinson (22 for 23 in saves), and Little.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 114

Four games on today as Russia celebrates 70 years of professional hockey. The first game is in...

Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik hosts CSKA Moscow. Viktor Fasth and Ville Kolppanen are in the creases. Moscow started in the first period with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kugryshev and Greg Scott. Nizhnekamsk tied it on a Pavel Poryadin goal, passed from Richard Gynge and Gilbert Brule. CSKA retook the lead with a Kirill Petrov power play goal, assisted by Alexander Popov and Bogdan Kiselevich. Moscow added on with another Petrov power play goal, coming off of Popov and Andrei Svetlakov. This was the eventual 3-1 final, with the three stars awarded to Petrov, Fasth (42 for 43 in saves), and Popov.

In Moscow, Spartak welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Markus Svensson are the goalies. Yaroslavl led off in the first period with a Petri Kontiola power play goal, powered by Staffan Kronwall. Moscow tied it in the second period with an Igor Mirnov power play goal, via Alexei Bondarev. Spartak took the lead with a Ryan Stoa goal, helped along by Konstantin Glazachev and Lukas Radil. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Stoa, Mirnov, and Svensson (38 for 39 in saves).

Out in Nizhny Novgorod brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ilya Proskuryakov tend the twines. Moscow opened in the first period with an Alexei Tsvetkov goal, with a lone assist by Ilya Nikulin. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Carter Ashton goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo won 2-1 in overtime with a Martins Karsums goal, guided in by Juuso Hietanen on the power play. The three stars were Karsums, Yeryomenko (25 for 26 in saves), and Tsvetkov.

Finally, the Sochi Leopards host Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Dmitry Shikin play goal. Podolsk began in the first period with a Roman Horak power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Jakub Jerabek. Vityaz added on with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, guided in by Alexei Makeyev. Podolsk extended the lead as Alexander Pankov scored, thanks to Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi and Denis Abdullin. Vityaz padded the lead on a Mario Kempe power play goal, fueled by Miro Aaltonen and Jerabek. Sochi got on the board in the second period with an Andrei Kostitsyn power play goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Pepelyayev. The Leopards pulled closer with a third period Renat Mamashev power play goal, with helpers from Ilya Krikunov and Pavel Padakin. Podolsk iced it at 5-2 with an unassisted Afinogenov empty net goal. The three stars went to Pankov, Jerabek, and Afinogenov.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 70

Only two games on for tonight, beginning in...

Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Steve Mason are the goalies. Washington opened in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his third of the season, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller. Philadelphia tied it on a Michael Raffl goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, passed from Radko Gudas and Jakub Voracek. The Capitals retook the lead with an Eller goal, his third of the season, guided in by John Carlson and Burakovsky. The Flyers tied it again with an unassisted Claude Giroux goal, his tenth of the year. The tie went to a shootout, where T.J. Oshie's tally for Washington was topped by Voracek and Wayne Simmonds as the Flyers won 3-2. The three stars went to Mason (36 for 38 in saves), Burakovsky, and Eller.

The other game has the Arizona Coyotes hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Mike Smith are between the pipes. Edmonton started in the first period with a Mark Letestu goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Zack Kassian and Matt Hendricks. The Oilers added on with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his tenth of the year, powered by Letestu and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton extended the lead in the second period as Hendricks scored, thanks to Letestu and Kassian. Arizona got on the board with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his seventh of the season, with assists provided by Radim Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes got closer with a third period goal by Ekman-Larsson, his seventh of the year, via Vrbata and Peter Holland. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars going to Letestu, Hendricks, and Ekman-Larsson, while Kassian and Vrbata get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 113

Seven games on for the Russian league today, beginning in the east with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov faces a lesser foe in Ilya Andryukhov in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with an Artyom Bulyansky goal, passed from Oleg Pogorishny. Ugra added on with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal in the second period, guided in by Anton Kuryanov and Pavel Varfolomeyev. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Denis Orlovich-Grudkov goal, coming off of Anton Krysanov and Dmitry Kirillov. Khanty-Mansiysk shot back with a Bulyansky goal, made possible by Sergei Kuptsov. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Bulyansky, Sharychenkov (36 for 37 in saves), and Lapenkov.

Down to Vladivostok, where Admiral welcomes Barys Astana. Kevin Poulin and Igor Bobkov receive the starts in goal. Astana led off in the first period with a Konstantin Pushkaryov power play goal, powered by Kirill Panyukov and Yegor Shalapov. Barys added on with a Roman Starchenko goal in the second period, assisted by Cam Barker and Martin St. Pierre. Vladivostok got on the board with a Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev goal in the third period, via Robert Sabolic and Mikhail Grigoryev on the power play. Astana shot back with a Dustin Boyd goal, fueled by Brandon Bochenski and Maxim Semyonov. Barys extended the lead as Boyd scored again, thanks to Nikita Ivanov and Corey Trivino. The final held at 4-1, with the three stars going to Boyd, Poulin (30 for 31 in saves), and Starchenko.

West to Novosibirsk, where Sibir brings in Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Alexei Krasikov man the nets. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Maxim Shalunov goal, coming off of Zach Boychuk. Minsk tied it in the second period on an Alexander Pavlovich goal, helped along by Marc-Andre Gragnani and Matt Ellison. Dinamo took the lead with an Andrei Stepanov goal, passed from Roman Graborenko and Kirill Gotovets. Minsk added on with a Dmitry Korobov goal, assisted by Stepanov and Danila Karaban. Danny Taylor replaced Krasikov in goal. The scoring stopped here at 3-1, with the three stars handed to Stepanov, Scrivens (41 for 42 in saves), and Korobov.

Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Andrei Kareyev are the mediocre goalies. Novokuznetsk began in the first period with an Evgeny Solovyov power play goal, powered by Artyom Mikheyev and Alexander Komaristy. Metallurg added on with an Alexander Titov goal, made possible by Konstantin Parkhomenko and Dmitry Akishin. Novokuznetsk extended the lead as Alexei Vasilchenko scored a power play goal, with the help of Fyodor Polishchuk and Alexei Razumov. Helsinki got on the board in the third period with an unassisted goal by Tommi Huhtala. Jokerit got closer with a Jesse Joensuu goal, assisted by Joey Hishon and Sakari Salminen. Helsinki tied it with a Ville Lajunen power play goal, with a lone assist by Peter Regin. Jokerit won 4-3 with a Brian O'Neill power play goal, guided in by Regin and Joensuu. The three stars went to Regin, Joensuu, and O'Neill.

Out in Omsk, Avangard brings in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Dominik Furch are the masked men. Omsk struck first in the first period with an Anton Burdasov goal, assisted by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Nikita Nikitin. Avangard added on with a Yegor Martynov goal, passed from Vladimir Sobotka. Omsk extended the lead as Ilya Mikheyev scored, with the help of Martynov. Sedlacek was pulled for Janis Kalnins. Riga got on the board with a Maris Bicevskis goal, coming off of Lauris Darzins. Dinamo got closer with a Gints Meija goal, fueled by Uvis Balinskis. Avangard replied in the second period with a Burdasov goal, his second of the game, via Lemtyugov. Omsk padded the lead on a Valentin Pyanov goal, guided in by Erik Gustafsson and Niktia Lisov. Avangard kept going with an unassisted Ivan Fishchenko goal. Omsk continued in the third period with a Lemtyugov goal, helped along by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Gustafsson. Oleg Shilin replaced an injured Furch. Avangard struck again as Lemtyugov scored his second of the game, thanks to Martynov and Kucheryavenko. Omsk got another on a Kucheryavenko goal, made possible by Burdasov and Lemtyugov, the latter earning a sock trick. Riga pulled one back with a Pyotr Schastlivy goal, with a lone assist provided by Mikelis Redlihs. The game ended at 9-3, with the three stars awarded to Lemtyugov, Burdasov, and Kucheryavenko, while Martynov and Gustafsson get the honorable mentions.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Barry Brust are set to start in goal. Bratislava got going in the second period with a Michal Hlinka goal, via Lukas Vopelka. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Brust (31 save shutout), Hlinka, and Francouz (26 for 27 in saves).

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Drew MacIntyre are in the creases. Zagreb was first to score with a Francis Pare goal, courtesy of Samson Mahbod. Medvescak added on with a Bobby Butler power play goal, powered by Pare. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Alexandre Bolduc scored, with the help of Mike Glumac. Koshechkin was pulled for Artyom Zagidulin. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Denis Platonov goal, guided in by Dmitry Kazionov. Metallurg got closer with another Platnov goal, helped along by Kazionov and Evgeny Biryukov. Medvescak replied with a Terry Galiardi goal in the third period, assisted by Butler and Mark Katic. Zagreb padded the lead with a power play goal by Lukas Lessio, with a lone assist from Alexandre Giroux. Magnitogorsk pulled back with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, with assists provided by Alexander Semin and Jan Kovar. Medvescak iced it at 6-3 with a shorthanded and unassisted Glumac empty net goal. The three stars were Pare, Butler, and Platonov, while Glumac and Kazionov get the honorable mentions.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 69

Twelve games are on the slate for today, beginning in...

Boston, where the Bruins host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Tuukka Rask draw the starts in goal. New York led off in the first period with an Anders Lee goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Islanders added on with a Thomas Hickey goal, his third of the year, via Josh Bailey and Lee. New York extended the lead in the second period as Nikolay Kulemin scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Johnny Boychuk. Anton Khudobin replaced Rask in goal. Boston got on the board in the third period with an Anton Blidh goal, passed from Brandon Carlo and the goalie Khudobin. The Bruins got one back with a Dominic Moore goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Zdeno Chara and Jimmy Hayes. The Islanders iced it at 4-2 with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the campaign, powered by Bailey and Nick Leddy. The three stars were awarded to Lee, Greiss (48 for 50 in saves), and Bailey.

Over in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Cory Schneider in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a James Neal goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on with another Neal goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Roman Josi and Arvidsson. Nashville extended the lead as Ekholm scored in the second period, with the help of Craig Smith. The Predators padded the lead in the third period on a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Josi and Ryan Johansen. Nashville kept going with a shorthanded Johansen goal, his seventh of the year, set up by Arvidsson, who got a sock trick, and Ryan Ellis. New Jersey got on the board with a Sergey Kalinin goal, guided in by Andy Greene and Damon Severson. The game ended at 5-1, with the three stars going to Neal, Arvidsson, and Johansen, while Ekholm and Josi get the honorable mentions.

West to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and Matt Murray are in the blue paint. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Sidney Crosby power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, powered by Ian Cole and Justin Schultz. New York tied it on a Matt Puempel goal, his second of the year, coming off of Marek Hrivik and Nick Holden.The Penguins retook the lead in the second period on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his fourteenth of the season, passed from Chris Kunitz and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh added on with a Kessel power play goal, his eleventh of the year, with assists provided by Malkin and Brian Dumoulin. The Rangers got one back on a Michael Grabner goal, his fourteenth of the season, helped along by Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. The Penguins shot back with a Schultz goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Malkin. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Bryan Rust scored his ninth of the season, thanks to Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead on a Patric Hornqvist power play goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Nick Bonino and Kunitz. Pittsburgh iced it at 7-2 with a Bonino goal, his sixth of the campaign, with helpers from Rust and Cole. The three stars went to Malkin, Schultz, and Kessel, while Bonino, Crosby, Rust, Kunitz, and Cole receive the honorable mentions.

In Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Curtis McElhinney are called on to start in goal. Columbus got going in the second period with a Cam Atkinson goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty. The Blue Jackets retook the lead in the third period on an Atkinson goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, via Dubinsky and David Savard. The Kings tied it on an unassisted Carter goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year. The tie went to a shootout, where Atkinson and Sam Gagner beat Carter for a 3-2 Blue Jackets win. The three stars were awarded to Atkinson, Carter, and Dubinsky.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price guard the cages. Anaheim opened in the first period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his ninth of the season, going in unassisted. Montreal tied it with a Paul Byron goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Jeff Petry and Torrey Mitchell. The Canadiens took the lead in the second period with a Tomas Plekanec goal, his third of the season, coming on the power play from Byron and Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal added on in the third period with a Petry goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Canadiens extended the lead as Max Pacioretty scored a power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Petry. Montreal finished it at 5-1 with a Chris Terry goal, via Michael McCarron and Nathan Beaulieu. The three stars were given to Petry, Byron, and Price (12 for 13 in saves).

South to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Ben Bishop are between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Brian Boyle goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Anton Stralman and Jonathan Drouin. Andrei Vasilevskiy had to replaced an injured Bishop in the first period. Howard came out injured in the second period, replaced by Petr Mrazek. The Lightning added on in the second period with a Drouin power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Brayden Point scored his third of the season on the power play, thanks to Johnson and Hedman. The Lightning padded the lead with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Killorn and Point. Detroit got on the board in the third period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his fifth of the campaign, helped along by Nick Jensen and Henrik Zetterberg. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars going to Drouin, Point, and Johnson, while Killorn gets an honorable mention.

Staying in the state, the Florida Panthers host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Roberto Luongo are set to start in goal. Florida was first to score in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Jaromir Jagr and Jason Demers. The Panthers added on with a Keith Yandle power play goal in the second period, his second of the year, powered by Barkov and Jagr. Buffalo got on the board with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reilly. The Sabres tied it with an Evander Kane goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Brian Gionta and Cody Franson. Buffalo took the lead in the third period with a Ristolainen goal, his third of the season, via Reinhart. Florida tied it again with a Nick Bjugstad goal, guided in by Barkov and Jagr, the latter earning a sock trick. The tie went to a shootout, where Vincent Trocheck and Barkov tallied goals for a 4-3 Panthers win. The three stars were Jagr, Barkov, and Ristolainen, while Reinhart gets an honorable mention.

Northwest to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Devan Dubnyk are in the creases. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Charlie Coyle power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Eric Staal and Matt Dumba. The Wild added on with a Mikko Koivu goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, coming off of Dumba and Mikael Granlund. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Dubnyk (18 save shutout), Dumba, and Coyle.

Backtracking to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Scott Darling are the goalies in place of inactive regulars. Ottawa began in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Kyle Turris. Chicago tied it on an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. The Senators took the lead back with a Derick Brassard goal, his seventh of the season, via Chris Wideman and Ryan. Ottawa added on with a Tom Pyatt goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zack Smith. The Blackhawks shot back with a Tyler Motte goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Vinnie Hinostroza and Ryan Hartman. The Senators shot back with a Dion Phaneuf power play goal, his fifth of the year, with helpers from Turris and Erik Karlsson. Chicago answered in the third period with a Richard Panik goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Kane and Duncan Keith. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars belonging to Ryan, Turris, and Kane.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Antti Niemi are the masked men. Dallas opened in the first period with a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. St. Louis tied it with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by Paul Stastny and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Stars took the lead back in the second period on a Spezza goal, his sixth of the season, guided in by Jiri Hudler and Esa Lindell. The Blues tied it on a Patrik Berglund goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Jay Bouwmeester and Robby Fabbri. St. Louis won 3-2 in overtime on a David Perron goal, his eighth of the campaign, with a lone assist from Schwartz. The three stars were Schwartz, Spezza, and Perron.

In Canada again, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Jacob Markstrom are the young goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Blake Wheeler power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien. Vancouver tied it in the second period with a Jannik Hansen goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Henrik Sedin and Alex Biega. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with another Hansen goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver added on with a Sven Baertschi goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Canucks finished it at 4-1 with a Bo Horvat empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Luca Sbisa. The three stars belonged to Hansen, Markstrom (31 for 32 in saves), and Henrik Sedin.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Martin Jones protect the nets. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his ninth of the season, fueled by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Paul Martin goal, his second of the year, via Thornton and Joe Pavelski. San Jose extended the lead as Jonoas Donskoi scored his third of the season, thanks to Tommy Wingels and Pavelski. The Sharks padded the lead on another Donskoi goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, going in unassisted. Calgary got on the board with a Sam Bennett goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Matthew Tkachuk and Dennis Wideman. The game ended at 4-1, with the three stars given to Donskoi, Thornton, and Pavelski.

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