Saturday, February 27, 2016

2015/16 KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals: 1) CSKA Moscow VS. 8) Slovan Bratislava

As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Barry Brust for Bratislava and Ilya Sorokin for Moscow. Moscow got going in the second period with a Kirill Petrov goal, with a lone assist by Gennady Stolyarov. CSKA added on with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Alexander Radulov and Stephane Da Costa. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Sorokin (24 save shutout), Petrov, and Platt.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Barry Brust for Bratislava and Ilya Sorokin for Moscow. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Vaclav Nedorost goal, via Lukas Kaspar and Cam Barker on the power play. Slovan added on with a Tomas Starosta goal, fueled by Tomas Surovy in the second period. Moscow got on the board with a Kirill Petrov goal in the third period, going in unassisted. CSKA tied it with a Stephane Da Costa goal, assisted by Ivan Telegin and Alexander Radulov. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, coming off of Sergei Andronov. The three stars went to Pihlstrom, Da Costa, and Petrov. CSKA leaves home for Slovakia with a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: Ondrej Nepela Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for Moscow and Barry Brust for Bratislava. Bratislava dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Marek Viedensky goal, assisted by Vaclav Nedorost and Lukas Kaspar. Moscow tied it on a third period goal by Kirill Petrov, made possible by Alexander Radulov and Bogdan Kiselevich. CSKA took the lead with a Stephane Da Costa goal, helped along by Kiselevich and Geoff Platt on the power play. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Sorokin (25 for 26 in saves), Kiselevich, and Da Costa. CSKA has a chance to sweep as they carry a 3-0 series lead.

Game 4: Ondrej Nepela Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for Moscow and Barry Brust for Bratislava. Bratislava started in the first period with a Tomas Surovy goal, going in unassisted. Moscow tied it on a third period Alexander Radulov goal, fueled by Andrei Svetlakov and Bogdan Kiselevich. CSKA took the lead with a Stephane Da Costa goal, courtesy of Radulov and Simon Hjalmarsson. Moscow iced it at 3-1 with a Nikita Zaitsev empty net goal, set up by Radulov and Svetlakov. The three stars were Radulov, Sorokin (16 for 17 in saves), and Svetlakov. CSKA is through to the Western Conference Semifinals on a 4-0 series sweep, awaiting the lowest seeded remaining team for their next series.

2015/16 KHL Western Conference Quarterfinals: 4) Sochi Leopards VS. 5) Dynamo Moscow

As is standard procedure for the playoffs, this post will cover the entire series.

Game 1: Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Konstantin Barulin for Sochi. Moscow led off in the first period with a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, powered by Denis Barantsev and Konstantin Gorovikov. Dynamo added on with a Dmitry Vishnevsky goal, going in unassisted. Moscow extended the lead in the second period as Vishnevsky scored a power play goal, with the help of Ilya Shipov and Ivan Igumnov. Dynamo padded the lead with a third period Shipov goal, assisted by Artyom Fyodorov and Maxim Karpov. Sochi got on the board with a Yegor Morozov goal, passed from Renat Mamashev and Ivan Glazkov. This only made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vishnevsky, Shipov, and Yeryomenko (31 for 32 in saves).

Game 2: Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Konstantin Barulin for Sochi. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Daniil Tarasov goal, made possible by Alexander Osipov and Gleb Koryagin. Sochi tied it on a Denis Kazionov goal, fueled by Janne Jalasvaara and Dmitry Kazionov. Dynamo took the lead in the second period with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, helped along by Alexei Tereshchenko. Moscow added on with an unassisted Max Karpov goal in the third period. The Leopards took one back with an Andre Petersson goal, helped along by Mikhail Anisin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Karpov, Bryukvin, and Tarasov. Dynamo heads home with a 2-0 series lead after an impressive trip.

Game 3: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Sochi and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. Moscow began in the first period with an Ilya Shipov goal, coming off of Maxim Karpov. Dynamo added on with a third period Ansel Galimov power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Artyom Fyodorov. Moscow extended the lead as Galimov scored his second of the game, thanks to Tsvetkov and Fyodorov. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars going to Galimov, Yeryomenko (23 save shutout), and Tsvetkov, while Fyodorov gets an honorable mention. Dynamo is on the verge of a sweep with their 3-0 series lead. 

Game 4: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Konstantin Barulin for Sochi and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. Moscow won 1-0 in the second overtime on an Alexei Tereshchenko power play goal, powered by Denis Kokarev and Andrei Mironov. The three stars went to Yeryomenko (44 save shutout), Tereshchenko, and Barulin (36 for 37 in saves). Dynamo gets the sweep and awaits their opponent for the Western Conference Semifinals.

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Friday, February 26, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 134

Five games on for today, beginning with the...

Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Cam Ward are the goalies. Boston led off in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-third of the season, passed from Brett Connolly. The Bruins added on with a Matt Beleskey goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Torey Krug. Carolina got on the board in the third period with a Noah Hanifin power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Riley Nash and Elias Lindholm. Boston answered with a Beleskey goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Ryan Spooner. The Bruins iced it at 4-1 with a Brad Marchand empty net goal, his thirty-second of the campaign, set up by Bergeron and Adam McQuaid. The three stars went to Rask (39 for 40 in saves), Beleskey, and Bergeron.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Cory Schneider tend the twines. Tampa Bay began in the first period with an Alex Killorn goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan. The Lightning added on in the second period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Stamkos scored his twenty-seventh of the season, thanks to Anton Stralman and Callahan. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period on a Matthew Carle goal, his second of the year, assisted by Palat and Andrej Sustr. The final held at 4-0, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Palat, and Bishop (21 save shutout), while Callahan gets an honorable mention.

Along to DC, where the Washington Capitals host the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Mikko Koivu power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Ryan Suter and Jason Pominville. Washington tied it on a Brooks Orpik goal in the second period, his third of the year, guided in by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Wild retook the lead on a Nino Niederreiter goal, his twelfth of the season, passed from Suter and Pominville. The Capitals tied it again in the third period on an Ovechkin power play goal, his fortieth of the year, with helpers from Matt Niskanen and Backstrom. Washington pulled ahead with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his seventh of the campaign, helped along by Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Holtby (30 for 32 in saves), while Suter and Pominville get the honorable mentions.

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Anaheim dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from David Perron and Cam Fowler. Edmonton tied it with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twentieth of the year, via Benoit Pouliot and the goalie Talbot. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime with a Rickard Rakell goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, assisted by Sami Vatanen and Getzlaf. The three stars went to Andersen (17 for 18 in saves), Getzlaf, and Rakell.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. San Jose was first to score in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Matt Nieto. Buffalo tied it in the second period with a Johan Larsson goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Brian Gionta. The Sabres took the lead in the third period with a Zach Bogosian goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Zemgus Girgensons and Sam Reinhart. Buffalo iced it at 3-1 with an Evander Kane empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Bogosian. The three stars were Bogosian, Johnson (24 for 25 in saves), and Larsson.

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Thursday, February 25, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 133

Ten games make up a busy night of action, beginning in...

Philadelphia, where the Flyers host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Michal Neuvirth are the goalies. Philadelphia led off in the first period with a Sam Gagner goal, his fourth of the season, via Brayden Schenn. Minnesota tied it on a power play goal by Thomas Vanek in the second period, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Jared Spurgeon and Mike Reilly. The Flyers took the lead back with a Mark Streit power play goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Matt Read and Jakub Voracek. The Wild tied it again with a Mikael Granlund goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Vanek and Chris Porter. Philadelphia retook the lead in the third period with a Pierre-Edouard Bellemare goal, his fourth of the campaign, with assists provided by Chris VandeVelde and Ryan White. This made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Vanek, Bellemare, and Streit.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Joonas Korpisalo are between the pipes. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Nick Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Matt Calvert. The Blue Jackets added on with another Foligno goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, passed from Calvert and William Karlsson. Columbus extended the lead as Brandon Saad scored his twenty-third of the season, with the help of Calvert, who got a natural sock trick, and Karlsson. Keith Kinkaid relieved Schneider for the second period. New Jersey got on the board with a second period Reid Boucher goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Travis Zajac and Damon Severson. The Blue Jackets replied with a Foligno goal, completing his hat trick with his ninth of the season, made possible by David Savard and Karlsson, the latter getting a sock trick. Columbus padded the lead with a Brandon Dubinsky power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Foligno and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets iced it at 6-1 with a Rene Bourque goal in the third period, his third of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Foligno, Calvert, and Karlsson.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jonathan Bernier are the overrated goalies. Toronto opened in the first period with a Brad Boyes power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Colin Greening and Morgan Rielly. Carolina tied it on a John-Michael Liles goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Eric Staal. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Josh Leivo goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, fueled by P.A. Parenteau and Viktor Loov. Toronto iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Parenteau goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner. The three stars belonged to Parenteau, Bernier (30 for 31 in saves), and Leivo.

South to Florida, where the Panthers host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Roberto Luongo man the nets. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Jordan Martinook and Connor Murphy. Florida tied it on a Vincent Trocheck goal, his eighteenth of the year, via Brian Campbell and Derek MacKenzie. The Panthers took the lead on an Aleksander Barkov goal in the second period, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Nick Bjugstad and Dmitry Kulikov on the power play. Florida added on with a Barkov goal in the third period, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, made possible by Jaromir Jagr and Jussi Jokinen. The Coyotes got one back with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, powered by Antoine Vermette and Doan. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars being Barkov, Doan, and Luongo (22 for 24 in saves).

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford guard the cages. Chicago got going in the second period with a Brent Seabrook goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jiri Sekac and Erik Gustafsson. Nashville tied it on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the year, with a lone assist by Mike Fisher. The Predators took the lead in the third period with a Calle Jarnkrok goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Fisher. Nashville iced it at 3-1 with a Miikka Salomaki empty net goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Ryan Ellis. The three stars were handed to Rinne (38 for 39 in saves), Fisher, and Jarnkrok.

Backtracking to St. Louis, the Blues bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jake Allen tend the twines. New York started in the first period with a Tanner Glass goal, his second of the season, passed from Dan Girardi. St. Louis tied it in the second period on a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Paul Stastny and Jay Bouwmeester. The Rangers won 2-1 in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his twelfth of the campaign, assisted by Oscar Lindberg and Kevin Hayes. The three stars were given to Lundqvist (35 for 36 in saves), Kreider, and Glass.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Antti Niemi draw the starts in goal. Winnipeg began with a Blake Wheeler goal in the first period, his seventeenth of the season, coming off of Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Toby Enstrom goal, his second of the year, via Dustin Byfuglien and Scheifele. Winnipeg extended the lead as Joel Armia scored his third of the campaign, with the help of Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers. Dallas got on the board in the second period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Jamie Benn and Patrick Sharp. The Stars got closer with a Tyler Seguin goal, his thirty-second of the year, passed from Valeri Nichushkin and Sharp on the power play. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Spezza goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, with helpers from Sharp, who got a sock trick, and John Klingberg. The Jets replied with a Scheifele goal, his fifteenth of the season, fueled by Ehlers and Enstrom. Winnipeg padded the lead with an Armia goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, guided in by Adam Lowry and Chris Thorburn. The Jets capped it at 6-3 with a Trouba goal, his fifth of the campaign, dished from Scheifele and Armia. The three stars were named as Scheifele, Armia, and Spezza, while Ehlers, Enstrom, Trouba, and Sharp get the honorable mentions.

Way north to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Joni Ortio are in the blue paint. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Jiri Hudler goal, his tenth of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. New York tied it on a third period goal by Thomas Hickey, his third of the year, courtesy of Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders won 2-1 in overtime with a Josh Bailey goal, his eleventh of the campaign, fueled by John Tavares and Travis Hamonic. The three stars went to Bailey, Halak (31 for 32 in saves), and Ortio (32 for 34 in saves).

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Ryan Miller protect the nets. Vancouver was first to score in the first period with an Emerson Etem goal, his second of the season, passed from Linden Vey and Matt Bartkowski. Ottawa tied it with a Mike Hoffman goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, coming off of Dion Phaneuf and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators took the lead with a Mark Stone shorthanded goal in the second period, his twentieth of the season, set up by Phaneuf and Pageau. The Canucks tied it on a Bartkowski goal, his fourth of the year, via Markus Granlund and Derek Dorsett. Ottawa retook the lead with a Bobby Ryan goal, his twenty-first of the season, with a lone assist by Marc Methot. Vancouver tied it with a Bartkowski goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, assisted by Jake Virtanen and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks took the lead on a Virtanen power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Jared McCann. Vancouver iced it at 5-3 with an Etem empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with a lone helper by Vey. The three stars went to Bartkowski, Virtanen, and Etem, while Vey, Phaneuf, and Pageau get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Zack Kassian goal, his third of the season, via Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl. Los Angeles tied it in the third period with a Jeff Carter goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Toffoli and Dwight King. The Kings took the lead with a King goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Carter and Toffoli. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Quick (26 for 27 in saves), King, and Carter, while Toffoli gets an honorable mention.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 132

Four games for today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Mike Condon is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Montreal struck first in the first period with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his fifteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Dale Weise. The Canadiens added on with a Brendan Gallagher power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. Montreal extended the lead in the second period as Tomas Fleischmann scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Mark Barberio and Victor Bartley. Philipp Grubauer relieved Holtby in goal. Washington got on the board with a Jason Chimera goal, his seventeenth of the year, via Marcus Johansson and Brooks Orpik. The Canadiens replied with another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, helped along by Lars Eller and Markov. The Capitals pulled back in the third period with a Dmitry Orlov goal, his sixth of the year, assisted by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington edged closer with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Stanislav Galiev and Nate Schmidt. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars going to Galchenyuk, Markov, and Condon (33 for 36 in saves).

Up in Boston, the Bruins welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Tuukka Rask guard the cages. Boston led off in the first period with a David Pastrnak penalty shot goal, his seventh of the season, coming after Derrick Pouliot got called for hooking. The Bruins added on with another Pastrnak goal in the second period, his second of the game and eighth of the year. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, his second of the season, courtesy of Oskar Sundqvist and Trevor Daley. Boston replied in the third period with a Jimmy Hayes goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Ryan Spooner and Adam McQuaid. The Bruins extended the lead as Landon Ferraro scored his fourth of the season, with the help of Dennis Seidenberg. Boston padded the lead with a Brad Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the year, with helpers from Torey Krug and Patrice Bergeron. The final stayed at 5-1, with the three stars going to Pastrnak, Rask (41 for 42 in saves), and Hayes.

Out in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Nick Spaling goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it on a Shawn Matthias goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Carl Soderberg and Francois Beauchemin. The Sharks retook the lead on a Brent Burns goal in the third period, his twentieth of the season, coming off of Tomas Hertl and Paul Martin. The Avalanche tied it with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog. Colorado gained the lead with a Landeskog goal, his fifteenth of the season, made possible by Andrew Bodnarchuk and Nathan MacKinnon. San Jose tied it with a Joel Ward goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. The Avalanche won 4-3 with tallies by MacKinnon and Matt Duchene in the shootout. The three stars went to Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Iginla.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Frederik Andersen are the underrated goalies. Anaheim got going in the second period with a Sami Vatanen power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Getzlaf and Hampus Lindholm. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Andersen (26 save shutout), Vatanen, and Lehner (28 for 29 in saves).

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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 131

Nine games on today to appease the hockey cravings. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Cam Ward are the goalies. Philadelphia was first to score in the first period with a Scott Laughton goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Read and Radko Gudas. Carolina tied it with a Joakim Nordstrom goal in the second period, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes took the lead with a Jordan Staal goal, his sixteenth of the season, passed from Brett Pesce and Andrej Nestrasil. Carolina added on with a third period Eric Staal goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Jay McClement and Elias Lindholm. The three stars of the 3-1 game were Ward (36 for 37 in saves), Jordan Staal, and Nordstrom.

Up in New Jersey, the Devils welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider tend the twines. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Tyler Kennedy goal, his second of the season, via Damon Severson and Sergey Kalinin. New York tied it on a Kevin Hayes goal, his eleventh of the year, courtesy of Viktor Stalberg. The Rangers took the lead with a Dominic Moore goal, his sixth of the season, fueled by Keith Yandle and Marek Hrivik. The Devils retied it in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-third of the year, a power play goal powered by Joseph Blandisi and Jacob Josefson. New Jersey took the lead with a Lee Stempniak goal, his sixteenth of the season, guided in by Blandisi and Adam Larsson. The Devils added on in the third period with a Kalinin goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Andy Greene and Adam Henrique. New Jersey extended the lead as Larsson scored his third of the campaign, an empty net goal going in unassisted. The three stars went to Kalinin, Larsson, and Blandisi.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek are given the starting nods in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Brandon Dubinsky and David Savard. Detroit tied it in the second period with a Riley Sheahan shorthanded goal, his eighth of the year, set up by Alexey Marchenko. In the shootout, the Red Wings took the game 2-1 with Sheahan and Andreas Athanasiou shootout tallies. The three stars belonged to Sheahan, Mrazek (28 for 29 in saves), and McElhinney (27 for 28 in saves).

South to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the inexperienced goalies. Tampa Bay began in the first period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, fueled by Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn. The Lightning added on in the second period with a shorthanded penalty shot goal by Cedric Paquette, his fourth of the year, coming after a Shane Doan hook. Arizona got on the board in the third period with a Jordan Martinook goal, his eighth of the campaign, made possible by Michael Stone and Doan. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Vasilevskiy (29 for 30 in saves), Paquette, and Domingue (34 for 36 in saves).

Back north, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton and James Reimer make the starts in goal. Nashville started in the first period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Mike Ribeiro and Roman Josi. The Predators added on with a Forsberg goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-second of the year, via Craig Smith. Nashville extended the lead as Forsberg finished a natural hat trick on his twenty-third of the season, thanks to Josi and Ryan Ellis. Toronto got on the board with a third period goal by Josh Leivo, his third of the year, a power play goal with helpers from Nazem Kadri and Peter Holland. The Maple Leafs got closer with a Morgan Rielly goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Holland and Kadri. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Forsberg, Josi, and Holland, while Kadri gets an honorable mention.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets bring in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi faces a lesser foe in Ondrej Pavelec in goal. Dallas struck first in the first period with a Jason Spezza power play goal, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. Winnipeg tied it in the second period with an Alex Burmistrov goal, his sixth of the year, via Drew Stafford and Ben Chiarot. The Stars took the lead back with a Valeri Nichushkin goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Mattias Janmark. The Jets tied it again with a shorthanded Andrew Ladd goal, his seventeenth of the year, set up by Dustin Byfuglien and Joel Armia. Dallas took the lead again with a Colton Sceviour goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Klingberg. The Stars added on with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, with assists provided by Patrick Sharp and Klingberg, the latter getting a sock trick. Winnipeg pulled back with a Mark Scheifele goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Toby Enstrom and Blake Wheeler. Dallas iced it at 5-3 with a Benn empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Klingberg, Benn, and Sceviour.

Down in Minnesota, the Wild host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. New York drew first blood in the first period with a Matt Martin goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Steve Bernier and Casey Cizikas. The Islanders added on with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Anders Lee. Minnesota got on the board in the second period with a Chris Porter goal, his fourth of the season, via Mikael Granlund and Marco Scandella. New York replied with a third period Tavares power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Lee and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Nielsen, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were handed to Nielsen, Tavares, and Lee.

Back in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Cam Talbot are in the blue paint. Ottawa cracked the scoresheet with a first period Nick Paul goal, coming off of Chris Wideman and Curtis Lazar. The Senators added on with a Zack Smith power play goal in the second period, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad. Edmonton got on the board with a Jordan Eberle goal, his nineteenth of the year, assisted by Brandon Davidson and Connor McDavid. Ottawa replied in the third period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Smith. The Senators iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal from Stone, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The three stars went to Smith, Anderson (31 for 32 in saves), and Stone.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Calgary Flames. Joni Ortio is mismatched with Jonathan Quick in goal. Los Angeles got going in the second period with a Luke Schenn goal, his fourth of the season, via Tanner Pearson and Trevor Lewis. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his eighteenth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. The Kings took the lead back with an Anze Kopitar power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, with helpers from Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin. The game ended in a 2-1 final, with the three stars being Kopitar, Quick (22 for 23 in saves), and Schenn.

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Monday, February 22, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 130

Four games for today, and they should end pretty early as a set. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jonas Gustavsson man the nets. Columbus struck first in the first period with a Boone Jenner power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Cam Atkinson and Ryan Murray. Boston tied it on a Loui Eriksson goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Torey Krug and David Pastrnak. The Blue Jackets took the lead back in the second period with another Jenner goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the season, via Seth Jones and Brandon Dubinsky. The Bruins tied it as Matt Beleskey scored his tenth of the year, thanks to Joe Morrow and Jimmy Hayes. Columbus gained the lead with a William Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. The Blue Jackets added on with a Scott Hartnell power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Murray and Alexander Wennberg. Boston pulled back in the third period with a Beleskey goal in the third period, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with helpers from Kevan Miller and Morrow. Columbus countered with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-second of the year, assisted by Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg. The Bruins got closer again with Eriksson's second of the game and twenty-third of the season, driven in by David Krejci and Pastrnak. The Blue Jackets iced it at 6-4 with a Dalton Prout empty net goal, his second of the year, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Jenner, Eriksson, and Beleskey, while Hartnell, Wennberg, Murray, Morrow, and Pastrnak get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Arizona got going in the second period with a Kevin Connauton goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Tobias Rieder and Viktor Tikhonov. Washington tied it on an Evgeny Kuznetsov power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, powered by Alex Ovechkin and Andre Burakovsky. The Capitals took the lead with an Ovechkin goal in the third period, his thirty-ninth of the season, fueled by Justin Williams and Kuznetsov. Washington added on with a Mike Richards goal, guided in by Tom Wilson and Jason Chimera. The Coyotes got one back with a Connor Murphy goal, his fifth of the year, via Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jordan Martinook. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Richards.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. Nashville opened in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from James Neal and Colin Wilson. Montreal tied it with a Brendan Gallagher goal, his sixteenth of the year, assisted by Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec. The Predators won 2-1 in the shootout with a lone tally by Craig Smith. The three stars went to Rinne (28 for 29 in saves), Condon (29 for 30 in saves), and Smith.

Finally, the St. Louis Blues host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Brian Elliott protect the nets. San Jose started in the first period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. The Sharks added on with a Hertl power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose extended the lead as Logan Couture scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Thornton and Brent Burns on the power play. Jake Allen replaced Elliott in goal. St. Louis got on the board with a David Backes power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues got closer with a Tarasenko power play goal in the second period, his twenty-ninth of the season, with assists provided by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jori Lehtera. The Sharks answered with a Couture goal, his second of the game and eighth of the year, helped along by Melker Karlsson and Vlasic. San Jose padded the lead with a Thornton goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis chipped back with a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his third of the year, with helpers from Tarasenko and Lehtera. The Sharks iced it at 6-3 with a Thornton empty net goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Couture. The three stars went to Couture, Thornton, and Tarasenko, while Hertl, Lehtera, and Vlasic get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, February 21, 2016

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 129

It's officially Hockey Day in America, and we're playing six games in the NHL to celebrate. We begin with the first of two matinees in...

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner are the reliable goalies. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Trevor Daley and Sidney Crosby. Buffalo tied it on a Zach Bogosian power play goal, his second of the year, powered by Mark Pysyk and Brian Gionta. The Penguins retook the lead in the second period with a Scott Wilson goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kris Letang and Derrick Pouliot. Pittsburgh added on with a Phil Kessel goal, his nineteenth of the year, with a lone helper by Letang. The Penguins extended the lead in the third period as Matt Cullen scored a shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Carl Hagelin and Letang, the latter getting a sock trick. The Sabres got one back with a Gionta power play goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Bogosian and Matt Moulson. Buffalo got closer with a Bogosian goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, helped along by Rasmus Ristolainen. This only made it 4-3, with the three stars handed to Bogosian, Letang, and Gionta.

In the first of two Stadium Series games this year, the Minnesota Wild welcome the Chicago Blackhawks outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Corey Crawford and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Matt Dumba goal, his ninth of the season, via Ryan Carter and Justin Fontaine. The Wild added on with a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Jason Pominville and Mike Reilly. Minnesota extended the lead with a Nino Niederreiter goal in the second period, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Erik Haula and Pominville. The Wild padded the lead as Pominville scored his ninth of the year, thanks to Niederreiter and Haula. Scott Darling replaced Crawford for the third period. Minnesota kept going in the third period with a Carter goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Marco Scandella and Jarret Stoll. Chicago got on the board with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, assisted by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Jonathan Toews. The Wild iced it at 6-1 with a Haula empty net goal, his seventh of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Pominville, Haula, and Neiderreiter, while Carter gets an honorable mention.

At the usual times, the Carolina Hurricanes bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Cam Ward are the goalies. Carolina led off in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Joakim Nordstrom, his seventh of the season, set up by Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin. Tampa Bay tied it in the second period with a J.T. Brown goal, his eighth of the year, via Cedric Paquette and Andrej Sustr. The Lightning took the lead on a Ryan Callahan goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Steven Stamkos and Nikita Nesterov. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Michal Jordan goal, passed from Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask. Tampa Bay gained the lead again with a third period Stamkos power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Marchessault. The Lightning iced it at 4-2 with a Callahan empty net goal, his eighth of the year, with a lone assist from Paquette. The three stars were Stamkos, Callahan, and Paquette.

Up in New York, the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. New York won 1-0 in overtime with a Kevin Klein goal, his fifth of the campaign, fueled by Kevin Hayes and Chris Kreider. The three stars went to Klein, Lundqvist (22 save shutout), and Howard (29 for 30 in saves).

Out west, the Anaheim Ducks welcome the Calgary Flames. Jonas Hiller faces his former team and John Gibson in goal. Anaheim opened in the first period with a Patrick Maroon power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his twelfth of the year, via Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. Calgary got on the board with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler. Anaheim shot back with a third period goal by Ryan Getzlaf, his eighth of the year, guided in by David Perron and Mike Santorelli. The Ducks extended the lead as Kesler scored his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Anaheim padded the lead with a Kevin Bieksa power play goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Lindholm and Kesler. The Flames got one back with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Deryk Engelland and Brandon Bollig. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars going to Kesler, Lindholm, and Getzlaf.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ryan Miller are the masked men. Vancouver started in the first period with an Adam Cracknell goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Emerson Etem and Derek Dorsett. The Canucks added on with a Jannik Hansen goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver extended the lead with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Henrik Sedin and Ben Hutton. The Canucks padded the lead as Hansen scored his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, with helpers from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, the latter getting a sock trick. Vancouver kept going with an empty net goal by Christopher Tanev, his fourth of the season, set up by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin, the latter getting a sock trick. Colorado got on the board with a Matt Duchene goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, helped along by Jarome Iginla and Mikhail Grigorenko. The three stars were handed to Hansen, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin in the 5-1 game.

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