Sunday, January 3, 2016

2015-16 KHL Day 111/NHL Day 85

Only five hockey games on today, with one KHL and four NHL. We begin in...

Kazakhstan, as Barys Astana hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Pavel Poluektov are in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk opened in the first period with a Denis Gorbunov power play goal, powered by Konstantin Panov and Igor Bortnikov. Astana tied it on a Mike Lundin goal, going in unassisted. Yugra took the lead on an Evgeny Orlov goal in the second period, via Kirill Rasskazov and Evgeny Lapenkov. Barys tied it on a Dustin Boyd goal in the third period, passed from Brandon Bochenski and Lundin. Astana won 3-2 in the shootout with a Roman Starchenko tally. The three stars went to Lundin, Boyd, and Starchenko.

Around the world, the New York Islanders welcome the Dallas Stars in the lead-off NHL game. Kari Lehtonen and Thomas Greiss draw the starts. Dallas started in the first period on a Vernon Fiddler goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Radek Faksa and Travis Moen. New York tied it on an Anders Lee power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Kyle Okposo and Marek Zidlicky. The Stars retook the lead with a Patrick Sharp goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Alex Goligoski and John Klingberg. The Islanders tied it with an Okposo goal, his ninth of the year, guided in by Frans Nielsen and Thomas Hickey. New York took the lead in the second period with an Okposo power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, passed from Lee and Nick Leddy. The Islanders added on with a Mikhail Grabovski goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. New York extended the lead as Cal Clutterbuck scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Travis Hamonic and Leddy. Dallas got one back in the third period on an unassisted Valeri Nichushkin goal, his fifth of the year. The Islanders padded their lead with a shorthanded Clutterbuck goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, set up by Casey Cizikas. The Stars replied with a Nichushkin power play goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, with helpers from Colton Sceviour and Jason Spezza. Dallas got closer with a Spezza goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, helped along by Sceviour and Goligoski. This made it a 6-5 final, with the three stars being Okposo, Clutterbuck, and Nichushkin, while Lee, Spezza, Sceviour, Goligoski, and Leddy get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Al Montoya are in the creases. Florida struck first with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his twelfth of the season, coming off of Dmitry Kulikov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Minnesota tied it in the second period on a Jason Zucker goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. The Panthers retook the lead with Jagr's second goal of the game and thirteenth of the year, via Brandon Pirri and Kulikov. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Jagr, Montoya (39 for 40 in saves), and Kulikov.

Northwest to Chicago, as the Blackhawks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Corey Crawford protect the nets. Chicago got going in the second period with a Duncan Keith goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Jonathan Toews and Andrew Desjardins. The Blackhawks added on in the third period with an Artem Anisimov goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Michal Rozsival and Patrick Kane. Chicago iced it at 3-0 with a Desjardins empty net goal, his fifth of the campaign, set up by Phillip Danault. The three stars were Crawford (26 save shutout), Desjardins, and Keith.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and John Gibson are the goalies. Anaheim was first to score in the first period on a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Ducks added on with a Kevin Bieksa power play goal, powered by Sami Vatanen and Mike Santorelli. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his fourteenth of the year, coming off of Rakell and the goalie Gibson. Winnipeg got on the board with a Tyler Myers goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little. The Ducks replied with a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Chris Stewart and Bieksa. This produced the eventual 4-1 final, with the three stars handed to Bieksa, Rakell, and Gibson (19 for 20 in saves).

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