2015-16 NHL Season - Day 156

Eleven games on a big day for hockey. We begin with the first of three matinees in...

Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Steve Mason man the nets. Philadelphia got going in the second period with a Radko Gudas goal, his fourth of the season, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh tied it on a Trevor Daley goal, his fifth of the year, passed from Nick Bonino and Eric Fehr. The Penguins took the lead with a Carl Hagelin goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Bonino. Pittsburgh added on with a Chris Kunitz goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins iced it at 4-1 with a Kris Letang empty net goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, set up by Kunitz and Crosby in the third period. The three stars went to Bonino, Kunitz, and Crosby.

Over in Minnesota, the Wild welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Devan Dubnyk are the goalies. Minnesota dented the scoreboard with a David Jones goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. Carolina tied it on a Chris Terry goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Noah Hanifin and Brett Pesce. The Wild regained the lead in the third period with a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jordan Staal goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Elias Lindholm and Joakim Nordstrom. In the shootout, Coyle and Zach Parise lifted Minnesota 3-2 over Riley nash of Carolina. The three stars went to Coyle, Zucker, and Jones.

West to San Jose, where the Sharks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Jones are in the creases. San Jose drew first blood in the second period with a Joel Ward power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Joonas Donskoi and Tomas Hertl. New York tied it on a Dan Boyle goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Derick Brassard and Marc Staal. The Sharks retook the lead on a Joe Thornton goal in the third period, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Hertl and Joe Pavelski. San Jose added on with a Ward goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, via Patrick Marleau and Paul Martin. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Pavelski goal, his thirty-third of the campaign, with a lone assist by Hertl, who got a sock trick. The three stars went to Ward, Hertl, and Pavelski.

At the usual times, the Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Andrew Hammond are the backups in goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a shorthanded Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his seventeenth of the season, set up by Mark Stone. The Senators added on with a Curtis Lazar shorthanded goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Dion Phaneuf and Zack Smith. Ottawa extended the lead as Marc Methot scored his fifth of the season in the third period, thanks to Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci. The Senators padded the lead on a shorthanded and unassisted Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the year. Ottawa capped it at 5-0 with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his seventeenth of the campaign, helped along by Hoffman. The three stars belonged to Hammond (30 save shutout), Hoffman, and Pageau.

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Chad Johnson and Garret Sparks are in the blue paint. Buffalo was first to score in the first period with a Brian Gionta goal, his tenth of the season, with a lone assist by Marcus Foligno. Toronto tied it on a William Nylander goal in the second period, his third of the year, assisted by P.A. Parenteau and Milan Michalek. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Connor Carrick goal, his second of the season, passed from Jake Gardiner and Nylander. Toronto added on with a Martin Marincin goal, coming off of Parenteau and Nikita Soshnikov. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with a Michalek goal, his seventh of the year, via Colin Greening and Morgan Rielly. The three stars were handed to Nylander, Michalek, and Parenteau.

Down in Florida, the Panthers bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Roberto Luongo protect the nets. Florida led off in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Jiri Hudler. Detroit tied it on a Tomas Tatar power play goal, his twentieth of the year, powered by Brad Richards and Mike Green. The Panthers retook the lead with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-second of the season, coming off of Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith. Florida added on with a Teddy Purcell goal, his thirteenth of the year, via Bjugstad. The Red Wings pulled back on a Pavel Datsyuk power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Gustav Nyquist. Detroit tied it with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings pulled ahead as Luke Glendening scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Larkin and Kronwall. Detroit finished it at 5-3 with a Datsyuk empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, set up by Abdelkader. The three stars were awarded to Datsyuk, Larkin, and Bjugstad, while Kronwall and Abdelkader get the honorable mentions.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, powered by Alexander Wennberg and Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets added on with a Seth Jones goal, his third of the year, via Brandon Dubinsky and Scott Hartnell. Columbus extended the lead in the second period as Jenner scored his twenty-fifth of the season, thanks to Dalton Prout. Yann Danis replaced Kinkaid in goal. New Jersey got on the board with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Damon Severson and Travis Zajac. The Devils got closer with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, helped along by Palmieri on the power play. New Jersey tied it in the third period with another Palmieri goal, his second of the game and twenty-seventh of the year, guided in by Zajac. The Blue Jackets retook the lead with an Oliver Bjorkstrand goal, fueled by Wennberg and Matt Calvert. Columbus padded the lead with a William Karlsson goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Gregory Campbell and Michael Chaput. The Blue Jackets wrapped it up at 6-3 with a Bjorkstrand goal, his second of the game, with a lone helper from Calvert. The three stars belonged to Bjorkstrand, Palmieri, and Jenner, while Wennberg, Calvert, and Zajac get the honorable mentions.

South again to Dallas, with the Stars welcoming the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Dallas got going in the second period with a Cody Eakin goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Patrick Sharp and Patrik Nemeth. The Stars added on with a Patrick Eaves goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted in the third period. Dallas extended the lead as Ales Hemsky scored an empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, set up by Antoine Roussel and Johnny Oduya. The three stars were given to Lehtonen (27 save shutout), Eakin, and Eaves in the 3-0 win.

Northwest to Vancouver, with the Canucks bringing in the St. Louis Blues. Brian Elliott and Ryan Miller occupy the creases. St. Louis dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Troy Brouwer power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Robby Fabbri and Paul Stastny. The Blues added on with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal in the third period, his thirty-fourth of the year, guided in by Jaden Schwartz and Jori Lehtera. St. Louis iced it at 3-0 with an empty net goal by Schwartz, his seventh of the campaign, set up by Stastny and Kevin Shattenkirk. The three stars went to Elliott (19 save shutout), Miller (47 for 49 in saves), and Schwartz, while Stastny gets an honorable mention.

Heading south, the Arizona Coyotes host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Louis Domingue are given the starting nods in goal. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. The Lightning won it 2-0 with a third period empty net goal by Nikita Kucherov, his twenty-seventh of the year, set up by Steven Stamkos. The three stars were handed to Bishop (31 save shutout), Palat, and Domingue (32 for 33 in saves).

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Quick guard the cages. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his thirteenth of the season, helped along by Luke Schenn and Vincent Lecavalier. The Kings added on in the second period with an Alec Martinez goal, his ninth of the year, via Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. Boston got on the board with a Tyler Randell goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. This only made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Martinez, Pearson, and Quick (27 for 28 in saves).

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 155

Six games on the schedule today, beginning in…

Buffalo, as the Sabres host the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Chad Johnson are the goalies. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Sam Reinhart power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Zemgus Girgensons and Rasmus Ristolainen. Ottawa tied it on an Alex Chiasson goal, his sixth of the year, via Mike Hoffman and Mika Zibanejad. The Sabres retook the lead with the sixth of the season by Nicolas Deslauriers, assisted by Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane. Buffalo added on in the second period with a Zach Bogosian goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Reinhart and Jack Eichel. This would eventually produce a 3-1 final, with the three stars being Reinhart, Johnson (24 for 25 in saves), and Deslauriers.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Nashville Predators. Carter Hutton is mismatched with Braden Holtby in goal. Nashville got going in the second period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, powered by Roman Josi and Shea Weber. Washington tied it on a Daniel Winnik goal, his fifth of the year, via Evgeny Kuznetsov and the goalie Holtby. The Capitals took the lead on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twenty-second of the season, with a lone assist by Kuznetsov. Washington added on with a Winnik goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, made possible by Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals extended the lead in the third period as Andre Burakovsky scored his fifteenth of the campaign, with a lone helper from Kuznetsov, giving him a sock trick. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Kuznetsov, Winnik, and Holtby (20 for 21 in saves).

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Ondrej Pavelec are the mediocre goalies. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirty-ninth of the season, assisted by Michal Rozsival. The Blackhawks added on with a Marian Hossa goal, his twelfth of the year, guided in by Artem Anisimov. Chicago extended the lead in the third period as Andrew Ladd scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Jonathan Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks padded the lead with a Tomas Fleischmann goal, his thirteenth of the year, fueled by Teuvo Teravainen. This made it a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Kane, Darling (28 save shutout), and Ladd.

Into Alberta, where the Calgary Flames host the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Joni Ortio are the goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Matt Stajan goal, his fifth of the season, courtesy of Jyrki Jokipakka and T.J. Brodie. Colorado tied it on an Erik Johnson goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Mikkel Boedker and Nathan MacKinnon. The Flames took the lead back in the second period with a Mark Giordano shorthanded goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, set up by Josh Jooris and Lance Bouma. Calgary added on with a shorthanded Freddie Hamilton goal, with a lone assist by Bouma. The Avalanche got one back with a Tyson Barrie goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Mikhail Grigorenko and Jarome Iginla. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Carl Soderberg goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Shawn Matthias and Chris Bigras. The tie went to a shootout, where Boedker scored the only tally for a 4-3 Avalanche win. The three stars were handed to Boedker, Bouma, and Hamilton.

Staying in the province, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot play goal. Edmonton drew first blood in the second period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-second of the season, passed from Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on in the third period with a Matt Hendricks goal, his fourth of the year, assisted by Jordan Oesterle and Iiro Pakarinen. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars going to Talbot (40 save shutout), Eberle, and Hendricks.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson and Frederik Andersen are in the blue paint. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his eighteenth of the season, courtesy of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks added on with a Ryan Kesler goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim extended the lead in the third period as Hampus Lindholm scored his ninth of the season, with the help of Getzlaf. The Ducks iced it at 4-0 with a Rickard Rakell goal, his nineteenth of the year, coming off of David Perron and Lindholm. The three stars were Andersen (38 save shutout), Lindholm, and Getzlaf.

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 154

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

New Jersey, where the Devils host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Keith Kinkaid are the alliterative goalies. New Jersey quickly opened in the first period with a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Tyler Kennedy and Travis Zajac. The Devils added on with a Mike Sislo goal, going in unassisted. Minnesota got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jared Spurgeon. New Jersey answered with a Reid Boucher goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Kyle Palmieri and Jon Merrill. The Devils extended the lead in the second period as Smith-Pelly scored his second of the game and twelfth of the year, thanks to Kennedy. The Wild pulled back on a Spurgeon power play goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. New Jersey responded with an Adam Henrique goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, via Joseph Blandisi. The Devils padded the lead with Sislo's second of the game, with helpers from Blandisi and Damon Severson. Minnesota answered with a Justin Fontaine goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by David Jones and Erik Haula. New Jersey shot back on a Henrique goal, his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, passed from Smith-Pelly and Kennedy, the latter getting a sock trick. The Wild roared back on a Koivu goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise. The final stood from here at 7-4, with the three stars going to Sislo, Smith-Pelly, and Henrique, while Koivu, Spurgeon, Blandisi, and Kennedy get the honorable mentions.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Matt Murray are the backups in goal. Carolina started with a first period Phillip Di Giuseppe goal, his seventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Hurricanes added on with a Riley Nash goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jeff Skinner and Chris Terry. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirtieth of the season, an unassisted goal. The Penguins tied it in the second period with a Phil Kessel goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Carl Hagelin and Ian Cole. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Crosby goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, assisted by Cole and Hagelin. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a third period goal by Nick Bonino, his fifth of the year, passed from Kessel and Hagelin, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were Crosby, Hagelin, and Kessel, while Cole gets an honorable mention.

A bit more west, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a Luke Glendening goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Riley Sheahan and Andreas Anthansiou. The Red Wings added on in the third period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Justin Abdelkader and Dylan Larkin. Detroit extended the lead as Darren Helm scored his eleventh of the season, an unassisted goal. Columbus got on the board with an Alexander Wennberg power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars given to Zetterberg, Howard (27 for 28 in saves), and Helm.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Bernier are in the blue paint. Florida got going in the second period with an unassisted Jussi Jokinen power play goal, his fourteenth of the season. The Panthers added on with another Jokinen goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto got on the board with a Morgan Rielly goal, his eighth of the season, via Michael Grabner and Nikita Soshnikov. Florida answered in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Brian Campbell. The Panthers iced it at 4-1 with a Teddy Purcell empty net goal, his twelfth of the campaign, with helpers from Nick Bjgustad and Jiri Hudler. The three stars belonged to Jokinen, Luongo (32 for 33 in saves), and Jagr.

Back stateside, the Nashville Predators host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Pekka Rinne are called on to start in goal. Nashville led off in the first period with a James Neal, his twenty-seventh of the season, assisted by Calle Jarnkrok. New York tied it in the second period with a Ryan Pulock goal, via John Tavares. The Predators retook the lead with a Ryan Ellis goal, his eighth of the year, fueled by Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm on the power play. Nashville added on with a Johansen goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Neal and Anthony Bitetto. The Islanders got one back in the third period with a Brock Nelson goal, his twenty-third of the year, guided in by Thomas Hickey. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with an Austin Watson goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Mike Fisher and Roman Josi. The three stars went to Neal, Johansen, and Ellis.

Down in Dallas, the Stars welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Kari Lehtonen are between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, made possible by Alex Killorn and Andrej Sustr. Dallas tied it with a Jason Spezza goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, coming off of Valeri Nichushkin. The Lightning retook the lead in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirty-second of the season, a power play goal powered by Kucherov and Anton Stralman. The Stars pulled back with a Jamie Benn goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, via Cody Eakin. Tampa Bay shot back with a Stamkos goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, helped along by Killorn and Victor Hedman. Dallas tied it in the third period with a Stephen Johns goal, courtesy of Eakin and Benn. The Stars gained the lead with a Benn goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the year, with helpers from Eakin, who got a sock trick, and Tyler Seguin. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Benn, Stamkos, and Eakin, while Kucherov and Killorn get the honorable mentions.

West to Arizona, with the Coyotes hosting the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Mike Smith occupy the creases. Arizona was first to score in the first period with a Michael Stone goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Alex Tanguay. San Jose tied it in the second period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his seventeenth of the year, helped along by Paul Martin and Joe Thornton. The Coyotes took the lead in the third period with a Shane Doan goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, courtesy of Klas Dahlbeck and Max Domi. Arizona iced it at 3-1 with an Antoine Vermette empty net goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Stone and Kevin Connauton. The three stars went to Stone, Smith (27 for 28 in saves), and Doan.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick tend the twines. New York drew first blood with an unassisted J.T. Miller goal, his nineteenth of the season. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown goal, his eleventh of the year, passed from Jeff Carter and Luke Schenn. The Rangers took the lead with a Dan Boyle goal in the second period, his seventh of the season, assisted by Viktor Stalberg. New York added on with a third period goal by Kevin Hayes, his twelfth of the year, courtesy of Kevin Klein and Miller. The Kings shot back with a Kyle Clifford goal, his second of the season, made possible by Carter and Brown. Los Angeles tied it with an Anze Kopitar goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Milan Lucic and Drew Doughty. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Koptiar goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, with helpers from Jake Muzzin and Carter, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Kopitar, Carter, and Brown, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

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2015/16 KHL Western Conference Semifinals: 5) Dynamo Moscow VS. 6) SKA St. Petersburg

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

Game 1: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, fueled by Nikita Gusev and Andrei Kuteikin on the power play. Moscow tied it on an Andrei Mironov goal, passed from Maxim Karpov. SKA took the lead back with another Dadonov power play goal, powered by Vadim Shipachyov and Maxim Chudinov. Dynamo tied it again as Daniil Tarasov scored a power play goal, with the help of Alexander Osipov and Denis Kokarev. St. Petersburg gained the lead in the third period with a Gusev goal, helped along by Shipachyov and Dadonov. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Dadonov, Gusev, and Shipachyov. SKA owns a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Maxim Karpov goal, with a lone assist by Mat Robinson. Dynamo added on with an Ilya Shipov power play goal, powered by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Ivan Igumnov. St. Petersburg got on the board in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov. Moscow replied with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, assisted by Maxim Pestushko and Alexei Tereshchenko. SKA got one back with an unassisted goal by Ilya Kablukov. St. Petersburg tied it as Shipachyov scored a power play goal, thanks to Gusev and Maxim Chudinov. Deep in the first overtime, Alexander Osipov scored a power play goal with assists from Denis Kokarev and Konstantin Gorovikov. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Osipov, Shipachyov, and Gusev. The series heads west to St. Petersburg tied at 1.

Game 3: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg. Moscow began in the first period with an Ivan Igumnov shorthanded goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo added on with a Maxim Pestushko goal, assisted by Vladimir Bryukvin and Alexei Tereshchenko in the second period. Moscow extended the lead as Konstantin Gorovikov scored a power play goal, thanks to Alexander Osipov. Dynamo padded the lead in the third period on a Daniil Tarasov goal, an unassisted goal. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Yeryomenko (34 save shutout), Igumnov, and Pestushko. Dynamo takes a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg was first to score in the first period with a Vadim Shipachyov goal, assisted by Maxim Chudinov and Nikita Gusev. SKA added on with an Evgeny Dadonov goal in the second period, coming off of Gusev and Shipachyov on the power play. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Shipachyov scored his second of the game, with the help of Gusev, who got a sock trick. SKA padded the lead with a Shipachyov power play goal in the third period, powered by Chudinov and Gusev. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Shipachyov, Gusev, and Chudinov, while Koskinen (25 save shutout) gets an honorable mention. The series is tied at 2 when it returns to Moscow.

Game 5: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg and Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Dinar Khafizullin power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Moscow tied it on an unassisted goal by Konstantin Gorovikov. SKA took the lead back with a Steve Moses goal, assisted by Nikita Gusev and Shipachyov. St. Petersburg added on with a Gusev goal in the third period, helped along by Shipachyov, who got a sock trick, and Khafizullin on the power play. SKA extended the lead as Jarno Koskiranta power play goal, with a lone helper by Moses. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Moses, Khafizullin, and Gusev, while Shipachyov gets an honorable mention. SKA heads home with a 3-2 series lead now. 

Game 6: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko for Moscow and Mikko Koskinen for St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg dented the scoreboard with a Nikita Gusev power play goal in the second period, powered by Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on with an Anton Belov goal, assisted by Steve Moses and Joakim Lindstrom. This stood for a 2-0 final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (31 save shutout), Gusev, and Belov. SKA will face CSKA Moscow in the Western Conference Final after their 4-2 series win. 

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 153

Six games to be played today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Ben Scrivens and Robin Lehner are the masked men. Buffalo led off in the first period with a Zach Bogosian power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. Montreal tied it with a second period goal by Greg Pateryn, assisted by Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens took the lead with an Andrei Markov power play goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty. The Sabres retied it on a Marcus Foligno shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, set up by David Legwand and Mark Pysyk in the third period. Montreal won 3-2 in overtime with a Paul Byron goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Byron, Markov, and Scrivens (41 for 43 in saves).

West to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Philadelphia Flyers. Michal Neuvirth and Scott Darling are the backups in goal. Chicago began in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Marian Hossa, his eleventh of the season, set up by Artem Anisimov and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Philadelphia tied it with a Ryan White power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Andrew MacDonald and Sean Couturier. The Blackhawks took the lead back with a Jonathan Toews goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, with a lone assist by Patrick Kane in the second period. The Flyers retied it as Brayden Schenn scored his twenty-fourth of the year, thanks to Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia took the lead in the third period with a Radko Gudas goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Couturier and Michael Raffl. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Gudas, Couturier, and Schenn.

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Cam Talbot are the goalies. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, coming on the power play from Patrick Maroon and Nail Yakupov. The Oilers added on with a Taylor Hall goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Iiro Pakarinen and Jordan Oesterle. St. Louis got on the board with a David Backes goal, his eighteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko. The Blues tied it in the second period with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Joel Edmundson and Jori Lehtera. Edmonton took the lead back with a power play goal by Mark Letestu, his eighth of the season, powered by Andrej Sekera and Connor McDavid. The Oilers extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his eighteenth of the year on the power play, with assists provided by McDavid and Letestu. Edmonton padded the lead with a Nugent-Hopkins goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, fueled by Maroon and Yakupov. St. Louis pulled back with a Patrik Berglund power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, guided in by Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues got closer on Backes' second of the game and nineteenth of the season, with helpers from Alex Pietrangelo and Dmitrij Jaskin. The Oilers iced it at 6-4 with an empty net goal by Letestu, his second of the game and ninth of the year, set up by Matt Hendricks and Oesterle. The three stars went to Nugent-Hopkins, Letestu, and Backes, while Maroon, Yakupov, Oesterle, Schwartz, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Staying in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Winnipeg Jets. Ondrej Pavelec and Joni Ortio are the poor goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Joe Colborne goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund. The Flames added on with a Frolik goal, his fifteenth of the year, passed from Backlund and Colborne. Calgary extended the lead as Sean Monahan scored his twenty-fourth of the season, with the help of Mark Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau. Winnipeg got on the board in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, his nineteenth of the year, made possible by Blake Wheeler. The Flames iced it at 4-1 with Giordano power play goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, powered by Frolik. The three stars went to Frolik, Colborne, and Giordano, while Backlund gets an honorable mention.

Into British Columbia, where the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov and Ryan Miller are the overrated goalies. Vancouver started in the first period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Daniel Sedin and Nikita Tryamkin. Colorado tied it on a Mikkel Boedker goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Jarome Iginla and Matt Duchene. The Avalanche took the lead in the third period with a Boedker goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, made possible by Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado added on with an Andreas Martinsen goal, his fourth of the year, via Shawn Matthias. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Boedker, Varlamov (28 for 29 in saves), and Martinsen.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New York Rangers. Antti Raanta and John Gibson draw the starts in goal. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Jamie McGinn goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Corey Perry. New York tied it with a second period goal by Kevin Klein, his seventh of the year, via Tanner Glass and Dominic Moore. The Rangers took the lead with Klein's second of the game and eighth of the campaign in the third period, coming off of J.T. Miller and Eric Staal. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Klein, Raanta (22 for 23 in saves), and McGinn.

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2015/16 KHL Eastern Conference Semifinals: 2) Metallurg Magnitogorsk VS 3) Sibir Novosibirsk

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

Game 1: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk and Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with an Alexander Semin goal, via Wojtek Wolski and Alexei Bereglazov on the power play. Metallurg added on with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Novosibirsk got on the board in the second period with an Andrej Meszaros goal, coming off of Viktor Bobrov. Magnitogorsk iced it at 3-1 with an empty net goal by Semin, his second of the game, set up by Wolski. The three stars belonged to Semin, Koshechkin (30 for 31 in saves), and Wolski. Metallurg is up 1-0 in the series.

Game 2: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk and Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Sergei Shumakov goal, with a lone assist by Stepan Sannikov. Sibir added on with a David Ullstrom power play goal in the second period, powered by Andrej Meszaros and Maxim Ignatovich. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Tomas Vincour scored a power play goal, thanks to Ullstrom and Meszaros. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the third period with a Danis Zaripov power play goal, assisted by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. This only made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars belonging to Ullstrom, Salak (27 for 28 in saves), and Meszaros. The action heads east with the series tied at 1.

Game 3: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk and Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period with a Viktor Antipin power play goal, powered by Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on in the second period with a Kovar goal, via Sergei Mozyakin. Novosibirsk got on the board with a Maxim Ignatovich goal, fueled by Calle Ridderwall on the power play. Magnitogorsk replied with a Kovar power play goal, his second of the game, helped along by Antipin and Mozyakin. Metallurg extended the lead as Bogdan Potekhin scored, thanks to Alexei Kaigorodov and Yaroslav Kosov. Magnitogorsk padded the lead in the third period with a Mozyakin goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Kovar. The final stood at 5-1, with the three stars being Kovar, Mozyakin, and Antipin. The series now favors Metallurg 2-1.

Game 4: Ice Sports Palace Sibir, Novosibirsk, Russia. In goal: Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk and Alexander Salak for Novosibirsk. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period with a Danis Zaripov goal, courtesy of Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Metallurg added on with a Tomas Filippi goal in the second period, helped along by Alexander Semin and Bogdan Potekhin. Novosibirsk got on the board with an Oleg Gubin goal, coming off of Sergei Shumakov. Sibir tied it on a Sergei Gimayev goal in the third period, assisted by Gubin. Magnitogorsk retook the lead with a Wojtek Wolski goal, guided in by Alexei Bereglazov and Filippi. Novosibirsk tied it again as Calle Ridderwall scored an unassisted goal with his own net empty. This forced overtime, where Metallurg won 4-3 very quickly on a Mozyakin goal that went in unassisted. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Filippi, and Gubin. Metallurg heads home with a 3-1 series lead. 

Game 5: Arena Metallurg, Magnitogorsk, Russia. In goal: Nikita Bespalov for Novosibirsk and Vasily Koshechkin for Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Chris Lee power play goal, powered by Viktor Antipin and Danis Zaripov. Metallurg added on with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Jan Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. Novosibirsk got on the board in the third period with a Maxim Shalunov goal, helped along by Sergei Shumakov and Vitaly Menshikov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Mozyakin, Koshechkin (29 for 30 in saves), and Lee. Metallurg takes the series 4-1, and advances to the Eastern Conference Final.

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 152

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

Pittsburgh, as the Penguins host the New York Islanders. Jean-Francois Berube and Marc-Andre Fleury are the masked men. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Chris Kunitz goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by Brian Dumoulin and Sidney Crosby. New York tied it on a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Anders Lee and Frans Nielsen. In the shootout, the Penguins won with a lone tally from Kris Letang for the 2-1 final. The three stars were Fleury (25 for 26 in saves), Berube (33 for 34 in saves), and Letang.

Over in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Eddie Lack and Braden Holtby man the nets. Washington got going in the second period with a Justin Williams goal, his twenty-first of the season, coming off of Jason Chimera. Carolina tied it on an unassisted goal by Jordan Staal, his eighteenth of the year. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his forty-second of the campaign, set up by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The three stars belonged to Ovechkin, Holtby (25 for 26 in saves), and Williams.

Up in Montreal, the Canadiens host the Florida Panthers. Al Montoya and Mike Condon are in the blue paint. Florida led off in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Brian Campbell and Reilly Smith. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Teddy Purcell. Florida extended the lead as Jiri Hudler scored his thirteenth of the season, thanks to Trocheck. Montreal got on the board with an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Max Pacioretty and Mark Barberio. The Panthers replied in the third period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, guided in by Jonathan Huberdeau and Jagr. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars given to Trocheck, Montoya (27 for 28 in saves), and Bjugstad.

West to Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Craig Anderson are the average goalies. Minnesota was first to score in the first period with a Nino Niederreiter goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Justin Fontaine and Erik Haula. Ottawa tied it on a Mike Hoffman goal in the second period, his twenty-sixth of the year, guided in by Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad. The Wild took the lead back with a Ryan Carter goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle in the third period. The Senators tied it again with a Zibanejad goal, his sixteenth of the year, via Mark Stone and Karlsson. Ottawa won 3-2 in overtime on a Karlsson goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, assisted by Chris Wideman and Bobby Ryan. The three stars were awarded to Karlsson, Zibanejad, and Hoffman.

Back in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Steve Mason are between the pipes. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Michael Raffl goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Mark Streit and Nick Schultz. The Flyers added on with a Wayne Simmonds goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, helped along by Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux. Detroit got on the board in the second period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Riley Sheahan and Gustav Nyquist. Philadelphia replied with Raffl's second of the game and twelfth of the year, with assists provided by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde. The Red Wings pulled back with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone assist from Tomas Tatar. The Flyers shot back with a Shayne Gostisbehere goal, his sixteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit chipped back in the third period with a Tatar goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, fueled by Datsyuk and Green. The final was 4-3 for the Flyers, and the three stars went to Raffl, Datsyuk, and Tatar.

In Canada again, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jonathan Bernier are the mediocre goalies. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Connor Carrick goal, via Peter Holland and Colin Greening. Tampa Bay tied it on a third period Brian Boyle goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Anton Stralman. The Maple Leafs retook the lead with a Ben Smith goal, made possible by Michael Grabner and Milan Michalek. Toronto added on with an empty net goal by Zach Hyman, his third of the year, set up by Smith and Martin Marincin. The Maple Leafs iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by P.A. Parenteau, his seventeenth of the campaign, assisted by Hyman and Marincin. The three stars went to Smith, Hyman, and Marincin.

Down in Dallas, the Stars host the Los Angeles Kings. Jhonas Enroth and Kari Lehtonen are set to start in goal. Los Angeles began in the first period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Rob Scuderi and Anze Kopitar. The Kings added on with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, via Nick Shore. Dallas got on the board with an unassisted Alex Goligoski goal, his fifth of the season. Los Angeles shot back with a Kopitar goal, his twenty-second of the year, made possible by Milan Lucic and Scuderi. The Kings chased Lehtonen in the second period with a Dustin Brown goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Kyle Clifford and Jeff Carter. Antti Niemi came on in relief. The Stars got one back with a Cody Eakin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles extended the lead as Trevor Lewis scored his seventh of the campaign, thanks to Vincent Lecavalier. This made it 5-2, the eventual final, with the three stars handed to Kopitar, Scuderi, and Brown.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a former rival in James Reimer in goal. San Jose started in the first period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Joonas Donskoi and Logan Couture. Boston tied it on a David Krejci goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of David Pastrnak and Torey Krug. The Bruins took the lead with a shorthanded Loui Eriksson goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, set up by Krejci. The Sharks tied it again in the second period with a Brent Burns goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, passed from Tomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. San Jose gained the lead with a third period Donskoi power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Joel Ward and Burns. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Donskoi, Burns, and Krejci.

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2015/16 KHL Western Conference Semifinals: 1) CSKA Moscow VS. 7) Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

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

Game 1: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Proskuryakov for Nizhny Novgorod and Ilya Sorokin for Moscow. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period with a Linus Videll power play goal, powered by Nikolai Zherdev. Moscow tied it with an Alexander Radulov power play goal, coming off of Geoff Platt. Torpedo took the lead in the second period with a Yury Sergiyenko goal, guided in by Stanislav Yegorshev. This help up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Sergiyenko, Proskuryakov (28 for 29 in saves), and Videll. Torpedo has a surprising 1-0 lead in the series.

Game 2: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Ilya Proskuryakov for Nizhny Novgorod and Ilya Sorokin for Moscow. Moscow led off in the first period with an Ivan Telegin goal, made possible by Denis Denisov and Alexander Radulov on the power play. CSKA added on with a Geoff Platt power play goal, powered by Kirill Petrov and Igor Ozhiganov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board in the second period with a Stanislav Yegorshev power play goal, assisted by Vladimir Galuzin and Evgeny Mozer. Moscow replied with an Ozhiganov goal, with a lone assist from Platt. CSKA extended the lead as Platt scored his second of the game on the power play, with the help of Nikita Zaitsev and Roman Lyubimov. Mikhail Biryukov replaced Proskuryakov in goal. Moscow padded the lead with a Vladimir Zharkov goal, helped along by Zaitsev and Antti Pihlstrom. The three stars of the 5-1 game were Platt, Ozhiganov, and Zaitsev. The series is now tied at 1 as it heads east to Nizhny Novgorod.

Game 3: Trade Union Sport Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for Moscow and Ilya Proskuryakov for Nizhny Novgorod. Moscow began in the first period with a Stephane Da Costa power play goal, powered by Denis Denisov and Igor Ozhiganov. CSKA added on with a third period Denisov goal, with a lone assist by Vladimir Zharkov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with an Alexander Budkin goal, fueled by Alexei Pepelyayev and Vladimir Galuzin. Moscow iced it on an unassisted shorthanded empty net goal by Evgeny Korotkov for a 3-1 win. The three stars belonged to Denisov, Sorokin (16 for 17 in saves), and Da Costa. CSKA now leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: Trade Union Sport Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In goal: Ilya Sorokin for Moscow and Ilya Proskuryakov for Nizhny Novgorod. Moscow started in the first period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, via Alexander Kutuzov and Alexander Radulov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Sergei Kostitsyn power play goal in the second period, powered by Vladimir Galuzin and Nikolai Zherdev. CSKA took the lead back with an Igor Ozhiganov power play goal, made possible by Kutuzov and Radulov. Moscow added on with a Kirill Petrov goal, coming off of Vladimir Zharkov and Artyom Sergeyev. CSKA extended the lead as Roman Lyubimov scored, thanks to Nikita Zaitsev. Torpedo pulled back in the third period with a Kostitsyn goal, assisted by Maxim Osipov. Nizhny Novgorod got closer with an unassisted Alexander Frolov goal. Moscow iced it at 5-3 with a Zharkov empty net goal, set up by Denis Denisov and Evgeny Korotkov. The three stars were Kutuzov, Kostitsyn, and Radulov, while Zharkov gets an honorable mention. CSKA owns a 3-1 series lead with a chance to advance at home in two days. 

Game 5: CSKA Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikhail Biryukov for Nizhny Novgorod and Ilya Sorokin for Moscow. Nizhny Novgorod struck first in the first period with a Vyacheslav Kulyomin goal, assisted by Yury Sergiyenko and Daniil Ilyin. Moscow tied it with a Simon Hjalmarsson goal, coming off of Mikhail Yunkov and Mikhail Naumenkov. CSKA took the lead in the third period on a Roman Lyubimov goal, passed from Kirill Petrov and Nikita Pivtsakin. Moscow added on with a shorthanded goal by Hjalmarsson, his second of the game, set up by Yunkov. Torpedo got one back with a Kaspars Daugavins power play goal, powered by Maxim Osipov and Artyom Alyayev. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Hjalmarsson, Yunkov, and Sorokin (22 for 24 in saves). CSKA advances to the Western Conference Final with their 4-1 series win.

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2015-16 NHL Season - Day 151

Six games today, beginning in...

New York, as the Islanders host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. Florida began in the first period with an Aleksander Barkov goal, his twenty-second of the season, guided in by Alex Petrovic and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Panthers added on in the second period with a Nick Bjugstad power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Barkov and Huberdeau. New York got on the board in the third period with a Kyle Okposo goal, his eighteenth of the season, helped along by Frans Nielsen and Travis Hamonic. The Islanders tied it on a Josh Bailey goal, his twelfth of the year, assisted by John Tavares and Casey Cizikas. New York took the lead with an unassisted Cal Clutterbuck goal, his thirteenth of the campaign. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Barkov, Clutterbuck, and Huberdeau.

West to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Los Angeles started in the first period with a Kris Versteeg goal, his twelfth of the season, via Brayden McNabb and Luke Schenn. The Kings added on with a Milan Lucic goal, his seventeenth of the year, courtesy of Versteeg and Anze Kopitar. Los Angeles extended the lead in the second period as Vincent Lecavalier scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Trevor Lewis and Tanner Pearson. The Kings padded the lead in the third period with a Dustin Brown goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Los Angeles iced it at 5-0 with a Tyler Toffoli goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Schenn. The three stars were Quick (32 save shutout), Schenn, and Versteeg.

Northwest to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Joni Ortio are the young goalies. Calgary opened in the first period with a Joe Colborne goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Lance Bouma and Dougie Hamilton. St. Louis tied it with a Scottie Upshall goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Colton Parayko and Ryan Reaves. The Blues took the lead on a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Robby Fabbri. The Flames tied it again with a shorthanded goal by Michael Frolik, his twelfth of the year, set up by Mikael Backlund. Calgary took the lead in the second period with a Sean Monahan goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Mark Giordano power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, powered by Gaudreau and Hamilton. Anders Nilsson relieved Allen in goal. Calgary extended the lead as Monahan scored his second of the game and twenty-third of the season, thanks to Hamilton, who got a sock trick, and Jyrki Jokipakka. St. Louis got on the board with a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal in the third period, his thirteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jaden Schwartz and Jori Lehtera. The Blues pulled closer with a Stastny goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, with helpers from Magnus Paajarvi and Brouwer. The Flames countered with a Frolik goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, coming shorthanded with a lone assist by Giordano. Calgary iced it at 7-4 with a Frolik empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fourteenth of the campaign, made possible by Monahan and Gaudreau, the latter getting a sock trick. The three stars went to Frolik, Monahan, and Stastny, while Gaudreau, Hamilton, Giordano, and Brouwer receive the honorable mentions.

Staying in Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Laurent Brossoit in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Jordan Eberle goal, his twenty-first of the season, courtesy of Connor McDavid. Nashville tied it with a James Neal goal, his twenty-fourth of the year, passed from Anthony Bitetto and Ryan Johansen. The Oilers retook the lead with an Iiro Pakarinen goal in the second period, his fifth of the season, helped along by Leon Draisaitl and Mark Fayne. The Predators tied it as Neal scored his second of the game and twenty-fifth of the year, thanks to Shea Weber and Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville took the lead in the third period with a Neal goal, completing his hat trick on his twenty-sixth of the season, assisted by Mattias Ekholm and Jarnkrok. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Neal, Jarnkrok, and Rinne (28 for 30 in saves).

To the west, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Jacob Markstrom are the backups in goal. Winnipeg struck first in the first period with a Marko Dano goal, his third of the season, helped along by Tyler Myers and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets added on with a Myers goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Winnipeg extended the lead as Alex Burmistrov scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Perreault and Dano in the second period. The Jets padded the lead with a Mark Scheifele goal, his twenty-third of the year, via Blake Wheeler and Toby Enstrom. Winnipeg kept going with a Dano goal, his second of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Burmistrov and Ben Chiarot. Vancouver got on the board with a Jared McCann goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Dan Hamhuis and Christopher Tanev. The Canucks pulled closer with a Jake Virtanen goal, his seventh of the campaign, an unassisted goal. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars given to Dano, Burmistrov, and Myers, while Perreault gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Anaheim got going in the second period with an Andrew Cogliano goal, his eighth of the season, coming off of Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. New Jersey tied it on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Tyler Kennedy and John Moore. The Ducks took the lead back with a Kesler goal, his fifteenth of the season, passed from Josh Manson and Cogliano. Anaheim added on with a Silfverberg goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Manson and Clayton Stoner. The Ducks extended the lead as Silfverberg scored his second of the game and eleventh of the season, with the help of Kesler and Cogliano. Anaheim padded the lead in the third period with a Corey Perry goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, guided in by Korbinian Holzer and Rickard Rakell. The Ducks kept going with a Nick Ritchie goal, with helpers from Holzer and Shawn Horcoff. Yann Danis replaced Kinkaid in goal. Anaheim continued on a Silfverberg goal, completing his hat trick with his twelfth of the season, with assists from Hampus Lindholm and Simon Despres. This made it a 7-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Silfverberg, Kesler, and Cogliano, while Holzer and Manson get the honorable mentions.

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2015/16 Premier League Week 30

It's a week decimated by scheduling conflicts, so only five games will be played. The first three are on Saturday, beginning with...

Norwich City hosting Manchester City. Joe Hart and John Ruddy are given the starts in goal. In the twelfth minute, Ryan Bennett had a yellow card for his foul. Nicolas Otamendi of Manchester City received a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-sixth minute. Norwich City saw yellow cards for Gary O'Neil in the fiftieth minute and Jonny Howson in the seventy-fourth minute, both for fouls. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Down to Bournemouth welcoming Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Artur Boruc are the goalies. Bournemouth saw a yellow card go to Dan Gosling for his thirty-fourth minute foul. In the thirty-seventh minute, Bournemouth led off with a Max Gradel goal. Swansea City tied it in the thirty-ninth minute on a Modou Barrow goal, passed from Leroy Fer. Bournemouth reclaimed the lead in the fiftieth minute with a Joshua King goal, set up by Gradel. Swansea City tied it again in the sixty-second minute with a Gylfi Sigurdsson goal. Bournemouth pulled ahead with a seventy-eighth minute goal by Steve cook via Matt Ritchie. This one stood for a 3-2 win.

Along to Stoke City hosting Southampton. Fraser Forster and Jack Butland are the gloved men. Southampton began in the eleventh minute with a Graziano Pelle goal, made possible by Steven Davis. In the thirtieth minute, Southampton added on with a Pelle goal, set up by Dusan Tadic. In the forty-seventh minute, Jordy Clasie of Southampton took a yellow card for a foul. Stoke City got on the board in the fifty-second minute with a Marko Arnautovic goal, passed from Ibrahim Afellay. In the fifty-fifth minute, Erik Pieters of Stoke City had a yellow card for his foul. Southampton went down to ten men as Sadio Mane took a straight red card in stoppage time, and teammate Davis took a yellow card for his foul two minutes later. Southampton held on for a 2-1 win.

On Sunday, Aston Villa brought in Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Brad Guzan are the keepers. Tottenham Hotspur started with a forty-fifth minute Harry Kane goal, set up by Dele Alli. Tottenham Hotspur added on with another Kane goal in the forty-eighth minute, courtesy of Alli. This stood for a 2-0 win. 

Finally, Monday sees Leicester City host Newcastle United. Robert Elliot and Kasper Schmeichel are the gloved men. Leicester City opened in the twenty-fifth minute with a Shinji Okazaki goal, assisted by Jamie Vardy. The game ended without any further significant action, as Leicester City continues their march toward the title with this 1-0 win. 

2015-16 NHL Season - Day 150

Three games spread out quite a bit today, beginning with two matinees, the first in...

New York City, as the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist guard the cages. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his eighteenth of the season, a power play goal from Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. New York tied it on a Chris Kreider goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein. The Penguins retook the lead with a Conor Sheary goal in the second period, his fourth of the season, via Justin Schultz. The Rangers tied it again on a Derick Brassard power play goal, his twenty-fifth of the year, powered by Keith Yandle and Stepan. Pittsburgh pulled ahead with a Sheary goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, helped along by Tom Kuhnhackl and Eric Fehr. New York tied it again as Ryan McDonagh scored his ninth of the year, guided in by Jesper Fast and J.T. Miller. The Penguins gained the lead with a Matt Cullen goal, his eleventh of the season, courtesy of Dominik Simon and Brian Dumoulin. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a Crosby empty net goal, his twenty-ninth of the year, set up by Kuhnhackl and Bryan Rust. The three stars went to Sheary, Crosby, and Kuhnhackl, while Stepan gets an honorable mention.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Steven Stamkos goal, his thirtieth of the season, passed from Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with a Vladislav Namestnikov goal in the third period, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Tyler Johnson. Tampa Bay extended the lead as Stamkos scored his second of the game and thirty-first of the season, a shorthanded goal set up by Ondrej Palat. The Lightning padded the lead as Palat scored a shorthanded goal, his twelfth of the year, thanks to Stamkos. This made it 4-0, the final, with the three stars going to Stamkos, Palat, and Bishop (37 save shutout).

Finally, the Detroit Red Wings bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Toronto dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Michael Grabner goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by P.A. Parenteau. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Bernier (38 save shutout), Grabner, and Mrazek (26 for 27 in saves).

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Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 2

It's another full week, beginning the normal pattern with a Friday game from...

Florida, as Orlando City SC hosts the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and Joe Bendik get the starts in goal. Orlando City struck first with a Cyle Larin goal in the fourth minute, set up by Kevin Molino. Chicago tied it on a fourteenth minute David Accam goal, via John Goossens. In the twenty-eighth minute, Matt Polster of the Fire had a yellow card for a foul. Chicago went to ten men in the thirty-second minute as Michael Harrington took a straight red card for his foul. In the sixty-second minute, Cristian Higuita of Orlando City received a yellow card for a foul. The Fire had a yellow card given to Joao Meira in the seventy-first minute for a foul. Orlando City saw Servando Carrasco get booked on a yellow card for a seventy-fifth minute foul. Chicago received a yellow card for an eighty-third minute Accam foul. Orlando City's Brek Shea had a yellow card for his foul in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Lampson for going four for five in saves.

On Saturday, the New England Revolution welcome DC United. Travis Worra is mismatched with Bobby Shuttleworth in goal. In the twenty-sixth minute, Gershon Koffie of New England had a yellow card for a foul. DC had a yellow card for a foul by Luciano Acosta in first half stoppage time. United had yellow cards given to Sean Franklin in the fifty-sixth minute for dangerous play, Nick DeLeon in the sixty-fourth minute for a foul, and Marcelo Sarvas in the eighty-seventh minute for his foul. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Up in Montreal, the Impact bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Evan Bush are the goalies. Dax McCarty of New York had a yellow card for his thirty-sixth minute foul. Montreal saw a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul by Victor Cabrera. The Impact got going in the fifty-eighth minute with a Dominic Oduro goal, set up by Johan Venegas and Ignacio Piatti. Montreal added on with a Piatti goal in the seventy-first minute, helped along by Donny Toia. The Impact extended the lead in stoppage time as Anthony Jackson-Hamel scored, thanks to Harry Shipp and Eric Alexander. This made it 3-0, the final, with the man of the match being Oduro.

Out west, Real Salt Lake hosts the Seattle Sounders FC. Tyler Miller and Nick Rimando are in the six-yard boxes. Erik Friberg of Seattle had a yellow card for his thirteenth minute foul. The Sounders were first to score with an Osvaldo Alonso goal in the twenty-eighth minute. Seattle saw yellow cards for Zach Scott in the thirty-fifth minute and Joevin Jones in the thirty-eighth minute, both for fouls. Salt Lake tied it on a forty-third minute goal by Sunny, via Joao Plata. In the seventy-third minute, Kyle Beckerman took a yellow card for his foul for Real. Salt Lake took the lead in the eighty-sixth minute on a Jamison Olave goal, passed from Juan Manuel Martinez and Plata. The Sounders had a yellow card given to Clint Dempsey for an eighty-eighth minute foul. Salt Lake won 2-1, with the man of the match being Olave.

Nearby, the Colorado Rapids welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy. Brian Rowe and Zach MacMath are the unimpressive goalies. In the forty-third minute, Los Angeles took a yellow card for a Steven Gerrard foul. Colorado saw a yellow card go to Marc Burch for a forty-fifth minute foul. The Galaxy had yellow cards for fouls by Daniel Steres in the fiftieth minute, Jelle Van Damme in the seventy-second minute, and Emmanuel Boateng in the eighty-second minute. The Rapids had a pair of yellow cards for Jared Watts' eighty-ninth minute dissent and a stoppage time foul from Kevin Doyle. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a Marco Pappa goal. This made it a 1-0 win, with the man of the match being Pappa for the timely strike.

To the east, the Columbus Crew SC brings in the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Steve Clark receive the starting nods in goal. Philadelphia led off in first half stoppage time with a Chris Pontius goal. The Union took yellow cards for fouls by Fabinho in the fifty-sixth minute and Brian Carroll in the sixty-fifth minute. Philadelphia added on with a seventy-first minute Pontius goal. Columbus got on the board with a Kei Kamara goal in the eighty-seventh minute, via Mohammed Saeid. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the man of the match being Pontius for his brace.

In the south, a Texas Derby with the Houston Dynamo hosting FC Dallas is up. Jesse Gonzalez and Joe Willis man the nets. Houston began in the sixth minute with a David Horst goal, assisted by Andrew Wenger. In the thirteenth minute, Dallas' Matt Hedges put the ball in his own net to add to the Dynamo lead. Atiba Harris of Dallas took a yellow card for a twenty-first minute foul. Houston extended the lead as Ricardo Clark scored in the twenty-third minute, thanks to Wenger. The Dynamo padded the lead with a Wenger goal. In the thirty-second minute, Raul Rodriguez of Houston had a yellow card, followed by Dallas' Carlos Gruezo a minute later and the Dynamo's Wenger a minute after that, all of the bookings being for fouls. Dallas had a forty-third minute yellow card for a Maynor Figueroa foul. In the eightieth minute, Houston took a yellow card for a Boniek Garcia foul. The Dynamo capped it at 5-0 with an eighty-fifth minute Will Bruin goal, set up by Leonel Miranda.

Wrapping up the big day, Sporting Kansas City welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Tim Melia are the gloved men. Kansas City opened in the fifth minute with a Dominic Dwyer goal. Vancouver had yellow cards for Octavio Rivero in the thirty-sixth minute and Kendall Waston in the thirty-eighth minute, both for fouls. Sporting added on in the forty-first minute with a Dwyer goal, set up by Chance Myers and Graham Zusi. In first half stoppage time, the Whitecaps lost a man as Jordan Smith's foul drew a straight red card. Jordi Quintilla of Kansas City took a yellow card for a fifty-first minute foul. Vancouver got on the board with a seventieth minute Pedro Morales penalty kick goal. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Dwyer named man of the match.

On Sunday, the first of two games has New York City FC bringing in Toronto FC. Clint Irwin and Josh Saunders will be between the posts. In the twenty-fourth minute, New York City's David Villa scored on a penalty kick goal to start the scoring. New York City added on with a twenty-eighth minute goal from Villa, courtesy of Mix Diskerud. Toronto got on the board with a Damien Perquis goal in first half stoppage time, via Sebastian Giovinco. Federico Bravo of New York City took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the fifty-second minute. Toronto tied it in the seventy-sixth minute with a Giovinco goal, assisted by Will Johnson. In the eighty-ninth minute, Mikey Lopez of New York City got booked on a yellow card for a foul. Ashtone Morgan of Toronto had a yellow card for his foul in the ninetieth minute. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Villa the man of the match for his brace.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Portland Timbers. Adam Larsen Kwarasey and David Bingham protect the nets. San Jose drew first blood in the thirtieth minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal, via Anibal Godoy and Kip Colvey. The Earthquakes added on with a first half stoppage time goal by Quincy Amarikwa. San Jose saw a yellow card for a Victor Bernardez foul in the sixty-fourth minute. Portland got on the board with an eighty-ninth minute goal from Jack McInerney, courtesy of Nat Borchers and Jermaine Taylor. The Earthquakes' goalie Bingham took a yellow card in second half stoppage time for time wasting. The final was 2-1 for San Jose, with the man of the match being Amarikwa for the winner.

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