Pacific Division Final: 3) San Jose Sharks VS. 4) Nashville Predators

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Martin Jones for San Jose. Nashville got going in the second period with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. San Jose tied it in the third period with a Tomas Hertl power play goal, his second of the playoffs, assisted by Joel Ward and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks took the lead on a Ward goal, made possible by Joonas Donskoi and Brent Burns. San Jose added on with a Logan Couture power play goal, his second of the postseason, with assists provided by Joe Pavelski and Burns. The Predators got one back with a Johansen goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Roman Josi and Colin Wilson. The Sharks fired back with an unassisted empty net goal by Couture, his second of the game and third of the postseason. San Jose iced it at 5-2 with a Tommy Wingels empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Couture, Ward, and Johansen, while Burns gets an honorable mention. The Sharks hold a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Martin Jones for San Jose. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Logan Couture power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns. Nashville tied it on a third period Mattias Ekholm goal, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Colin Wilson and Roman Josi. The Sharks took the lead with a Pavelski goal, his sixth of the postseason, coming off of Matt Nieto and Joe Thornton. San Jose added on with a Thornton empty net goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Couture and Pavelski. The Predators replied with a Ryan Johansen goal, his third of the postseason, fueled by Josi and Mike Fisher. This only made it 3-2, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Thornton, and Couture, while Josi gets an honorable mention. The Sharks head east with a 2-0 series lead in their luggage.

Game 3: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Pekka Rinne for Nashville. San Jose started in the first period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his second of the postseason, courtesy of Tomas Hertl and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Nashville tied it in the second period with a James Neal power play goal, his third of the playoffs, powered by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen. The Predators took the lead with an unassisted Shea Weber goal, his third of the postseason. Nashville added on in the third period with a Colin Wilson goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Ryan Ellis and Mike Fisher. The Predators extended the lead as Filip Forsberg scored a power play goal, his second of the postseason, with the help of Roman Josi and Weber. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Weber, Rinne (26 for 27 in saves), and Wilson. The Sharks still have a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Pekka Rinne for Nashville. Nashville opened in the first period with a Colin Wilson goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis. San Jose tied it on a Brent Burns goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Logan Couture and Paul Martin. The Predators retook the lead on a Mike Fisher goal, his third of the postseason, made possible by James Neal and Roman Josi. The Sharks tied it in the second period on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his third of the playoffs, via Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Martin. San Jose took the lead with a power play goal by Burns in the third period, his second of the game and fourth of the postseason, powered by Couture and Joe Thornton. Nashville tied it on a Neal goal, his fourth of the playoffs, helped along by Ellis and Wilson. The Predators won it 4-3 in triple overtime with Fisher's second of the game and fourth of the postseason, fueled by Ekholm and Wilson. The three stars were awarded to Fisher, Wilson, and Neal, while Ellis, Ekholm, Burns, Martin, and Couture get the honorable mentions. The series heads west again tied at 2.

Game 5: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Martin Jones for San Jose. San Jose led off in the first period with a Patrick Marleau goal, his third of the postseason, made possible by Joonas Donskoi. Nashville tied it on a Mike Fisher goal, his fifth of the playoffs, via James Neal and Colin Wilson. The Sharks took the lead back with a Joe Pavelski goal, his seventh of the postseason, helped along by Joe Thornton and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose added on in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his fifth of the playoffs, fueled by Donskoi and Justin Braun. The Sharks extended the lead as Pavelski scored his second of the game and eighth of the postseason, a power play goal powered by Marleau and Thornton. San Jose iced it at 5-1 with a Melker Karlsson goal, his second of the playoffs, thanks to Chris Tierney and Braun. The three stars went to Pavelski, Marleau, and Thornton, while Donskoi and Braun get the honorable mentions. San Jose heads back east leading the series 3-2.

Game 6: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. In goal: Martin Jones for San Jose and Pekka Rinne for Nashville. San Jose began in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tomas Hertl. The Sharks added on with another Tierney goal, his second of the game and third of the playoffs, passed from Matt Nieto and Brent Burns. Nashville got on the board with a Roman Josi goal, going in unassisted. The Predators tied it on a second period goal by Ryan Johansen, his fourth of the postseason, coming on the power play from Ryan Ellis. San Jose took the lead back in the third period on a Logan Couture power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, powered by Burns and Joe Thornton. Nashville tied it on a Colin Wilson goal, his fifth of the postseason, helped along by James Neal and Mike Ribeiro. The Predators won it 4-3 in overtime on a Viktor Arvidsson goal, assisted by Miikka Salomaki and the goalie Rinne. The three stars were Arvidsson, Burns, and Wilson. The series heads back to California one more time, currently tied at 3. 

Game 7: SAP Center, San Jose, California. In goal: Pekka Rinne for Nashville and Martin Jones for San Jose. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his ninth of the postseason, powered by Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Joel Ward goal, his second of the playoffs, via Melker Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. San Jose extended the lead in the second period as Logan Couture scored an unassisted goal, his seventh of the postseason. The Sharks padded the lead with a Thornton power play goal in the third period, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Couture. San Jose kept going with a Marleau goal, his fourth of the postseason, helped along by Couture and Joonas Donskoi. This made it 5-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Couture, Marleau, and Thornton. The Sharks won the series 4-3, and will play the St. Louis Blues for the Western Conference Final.

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MLS Midweek: May 11, 2016

Five games fill an odd Wednesday slate. We begin with...

The Philadelphia Union hosting the Los Angeles Galaxy. Dan Kennedy and Andre Blake are the overrated goalies. Philadelphia began with a fourth minute goal by Vincent Nogueira. Los Angeles tied it on a fifteenth minute Robbie Rogers goal, via Giovani dos Santos and Robbie Keane. The Galaxy took the lead on a Mike Magee goal in the forty-seventh minute, passed from Steven Gerrard and dos Santos. The Union tied it again with a Keegan Rosenberry goal in the sixty-third minute. Los Angeles had yellow cards given to Rogers for a seventieth minute foul and Kennedy for time wasting in the eighty-second minute. The final held at 2-2, with Rosenberry the man of the match for his equalizer.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids welcome Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Zac MacMath are in goal. Colorado had a thirty-third minute yellow card given to Dominique Badji for a foul. Kansas City saw yellow cards given to Ike Opara in the fifty-sixth minute, Lawrence Olum in the fifty-ninth minute, and Dominic Dwyer in the sixty-first minute, all for fouls. In the seventy-fifth minute, Axel Sjoberg of the Rapids had a yellow card for his foul. Sporting went down to ten men in the seventy-sixth minute as Opara took his second yellow card for a foul, earning an ejection. Colorado quickly got going with a seventy-eighth minute Dillon Serna goal. This stood for a 1-0 win, with Serna the man of the match for breaking the deadlock.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas hosts the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Chris Seitz protect the nets. Portland opened in the third minute on a Diego Valeri goal, courtesy of Lucas Melano. In the forty-fifth minute, Melano took a yellow card for his foul for the Timbers. In the forty-eighth minute, Walker Zimmerman of Dallas had a yellow card for a foul. Dallas tied it on a fifty-fifth minute goal by Ryan Hollingshead. Dallas took the lead in the fifty-seventh minute as Zimmerman scored, thanks to Mauro Diaz. In the seventy-seventh minute, Fabian Castillo saw a yellow card for not retreating. Portland's Valeri had a yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for dissent. The final held at 2-1, with the man of the match being Zimmerman for his winner.

Northwest to Vancouver, as the Whitecaps FC bring in the Chicago Fire. Matt Lampson and David Ousted are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver led off in the thirty-sixth minute with a Blas Perez goal, assisted by Christian Bolanos and Pedro Morales. Chicago tied it on a sixty-second minute goal by Kennedy Igboananike, passed from Arturo Alvarez and Joey Calistri. The Whitecaps took a yellow card for a Kendal Waston foul in the eighty-second minute. Vancouver regained the lead with an eighty-ninth minute goal by Perez, helped along by Kekuta Manneh. The Whitecaps won 2-1, with Perez the man of the match for his brace.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes host the Houston Dynamo. Tyler Deric and David Bingham are between the posts. San Jose started in the third minute with an Alberto Quintero goal, assisted by Chris Wondolowski and Simon Dawkins. Alex of Houston had a yellow card for a twenty-first minute foul. The Dynamo tied it in the forty-third minute with a Ricardo Clark goal. The Earthquakes reclaimed the lead on a fiftieth minute Anibal Godoy goal, passed from Quintero. San Jose added on with Quintero's second of the game in the seventieth minute, made possible by Wondolowski. Marvell Wynne of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-third minute. Houston lost their keeper after all of their substitutions in the seventy-ninth minute, as Deric was shown a red card for denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Jalila Anibaba replaced him in goal. The game ended 3-1, with Quintero the man of the match for his brace with an assist.

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Central Division Final: 1) Dallas Stars VS. 2) St. Louis Blues

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Brian Elliott for St. Louis and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. Dallas got going in the second period with an Antoine Roussel goal, his second of the postseason, made possible by Radek Faksa and John Klingberg. St. Louis tied it with a third period goal by Kevin Shattenkirk, his second of the playoffs, via Colton Parayko and Patrik Berglund. The Stars retook the lead on a Faksa goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Ales Hemsky and Alex Goligoski. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Faksa, Lehtonen (31 for 32 in saves), and Elliott (40 for 42 in saves). The Stars have a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Brian Elliott for St. Louis and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. Dallas struck first in the first period with an Alex Goligoski goal, his third of the postseason, via Jamie Benn and Cody Eakin. St. Louis tied it on a Patrik Berglund goal, his second of the playoffs, coming off of Robby Fabbri and David Backes. The Blues took the lead with a Joel Edmundson goal, assisted by Troy Brouwer and Scottie Upshall. St. Louis added on with a Brouwer power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Fabbri. Antti Niemi replaced Lehtonen for the second period. The Stars got one back with a third period goal by Mattias Janmark, with helpers from Eakin and Colton Sceviour. Dallas tied it with a Benn goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by Eakin and Kris Russell. The game went to overtime, where Backes scored his third of the postseason on the power play, thanks to Alexander Steen and Shattenkirk for a 4-3 win. The three stars were Backes, Eakin, and Benn, while Shattenkirk, Fabbri, and Brouwer get the honorable mentions. The series heads north tied at 1.

Game 3: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri. In goal: Antti Niemi for Dallas and Brian Elliott for St. Louis. Dallas opened in the first period with a Colton Sceviour goal, his second of the postseason, via Jason Spezza and Johnny Oduya. St. Louis tied it on an Alexander Steen goal, his second of the playoffs, fueled by Paul Stastny and Troy Brouwer. The Blues took the lead with a David Backes power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Kevin Shattenkirk and Vladimir Tarasenko. St. Louis chased Niemi in the second period with a Brouwer goal, his third of the playoffs, helped along by Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo. Kari Lehtonen came on in relief. The Blues added on with a Tarasenko goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Patrik Berglund and Robby Fabbri. St. Louis extended the lead as Steen scored his second of the game and third of the playoffs on the power play, thanks to Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues padded the lead on a Backes shorthanded goal, his second of the game and fifth of the postseason, set up by Carl Gunnarsson. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Steen, Backes, and Tarasenko, while Brouwer gets an honorable mention. The Blues now lead the series 2-1.

Game 4: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri. In goal: Kari Lehtonen for Dallas and Brian Elliott for St. Louis. St. Louis started in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his sixth of the postseason, assisted by Jaden Schwartz and Carl Gunnarsson. Dallas tied it on a Radek Faksa goal in the second period, his third of the playoffs, going in unassisted. The Stars took the lead on a Patrick Sharp power play goal, his fourth of the postseason, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. The Blues retied it with a Paul Stastny power play goal, with helpers from Tarasenko and Alexander Steen. Dallas won 3-2 in overtime with a Cody Eakin goal, via Sharp and Benn. The three stars went to Sharp, Tarasenko, and Benn. The series is tied at 2 as it returns to Dallas.

Game 5: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Brian Elliott for St. Louis and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. St. Louis led off in the first period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his second of the postseason, via Kevin Shattenkirk. Dallas tied it on an Alex Goligoski goal, his fourth of the playoffs, coming off of Vernon Fiddler and Jason Spezza. The Blues took the lead in the second period with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, assisted by Jay Bouwmeester and Scottie Upshall. St. Louis added on in the third period with a Troy Brouwer goal, his fourth of the postseason, guided in by Paul Stastny and Fabbri. The Blues extended the lead as Stastny scored an empty net goal, his second of the playoffs, set up by Jaden Schwartz and David Backes. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Elliot (27 for 28 in saves), Fabbri, and Stastny. The Blues are up 3-2 in the series and can advance with a win in the next game.

Game 6: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri. In goal: Kari Lehtonen for Dallas and Brian Elliott for St. Louis. Dallas began in the first period with a Mattias Janmark goal, his second of the postseason, via Valeri Nichushkin. The Stars added on with a Vernon Fiddler goal, assisted by Colton Sceviour and Kris Russell. Dallas extended the lead as Jason Spezza scored a power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Sceviour and Jamie Benn. Jake Allen relieved Elliott in goal. St. Louis got on the board with an Alexander Steen goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Robert Bortuzzo and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues got closer on a Patrik Berglund goal, his third of the playoffs, guided in by Jori Lehtera and David Backes. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Lehtonen (35 for 37 in saves), Sceviour, and Spezza. The series is tied at 3 as it heads to Texas one more time. 

Game 7: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas. In goal: Brian Elliott for St. Louis and Kari Lehtonen for Dallas. St. Louis was first to score with a Robby Fabbri goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Paul Stastny on the power play. The Blues added on with a Stastny goal, his third of the playoffs, via Brouwer and Fabbri. St. Louis extended the lead as Patrik Berglund scored his fourth of the postseason, thanks to Jori Lehtera and David Backes. Antti Niemi replaced Elliott for the second period. The Blues padded the lead with a Backes goal, his sixth of the playoffs, assisted by Berglund and Colton Parayko. St. Louis kept going with a Brouwer goal, his fifth of the postseason, courtesy of Fabbri and Stastny. Dallas got on the board with a Patrick Eaves goal in the third period, his third of the playoffs, made possible by Alex Goligoski and Johnny Oduya. The Blues iced it at 6-1 with a Vladimir Tarasenko empty net goal, his seventh of the postseason, set up by Jaden Schwartz and Kevin Shattenkirk. The three stars were Stastny, Fabbri, and Brouwer, while Backes and Berglund get the honorable mentions. The Blues win the series 4-3 and advance to the Western Conference Final. 

Premier League Make-up Games, May 10 and 11, 2016

Four games flesh out the gaps in the Premier League schedule ahead of Championship Weekend. We begin with Tuesday's...

West Ham United hosting Manchester United. David de Gea and Darren Randolph man the nets. West Ham United began in the tenth minute with a Diafra Sakho goal, assisted by Manuel Lanzini. Manchester United tied it with a fifty-first minute Anthony Martial goal, passed from Juan Mata. In the fifty-eighth minute, Martial received a yellow card for his foul. West Ham United's Andy Carroll received a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-ninth minute. In the seventieth minute, Antonio Valencia of Manchester United had a yellow card for dissent. Manchester United took the lead in the seventy-second minute on a Martial goal, via Marcus Rashford. In the seventy-fifth minute, Ander Herrera of Manchester United took a yellow card for a foul. West Ham United tied it again in the seventy-sixth minute on a Michail Antonio goal, assisted by Dimitri Payet. West Ham United gained the lead in the eighty-first minute with a Winston Reid goal, helped along by Payet. This made it 3-2, the final.

On Wednesday, the first of three games sees Norwich City welcome Watford. Heurelho Gomes and John Ruddy protect the nets. Watford led off with an eleventh minute Troy Deeney goal. Norwich City tied it on a fifteenth minute goal by Nathan Redmond, via Steven Naismith. Norwich City took the lead with a Dieumerci Mbokani goal in the eighteenth minute. Norwich City added on with a Craig Cathcart own goal in the thirty-seventh minute. Almne Abdi of Watford had a yellow card for his foul in the forty-third minute. Norwich City had a yellow card for a forty-eighth minute Ryan Bennett foul. Watford pulled back with a fifty-first minute Odion Ighalo goal, assisted by Deeney. Norwich City shot back as Mbokani scored again, thanks to Redmond. Watford had yellow cards for Ben Watson in the sixty-seventh minute and Nathan Ake at the eighty-two minute mark, both for fouls. In the eighty-fourth minute, Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe had a yellow card for his foul. The game ended 4-2 for Norwich City.

Next up, Sunderland brings in Everton. Joel Robles and Vito Mannone draw the starts in goal. Sunderland opened with a thirty-eighth minute free kick goal by Patrick van Aanholt. In the forty-second minute, Lamine Kone of Sunderland added on with his goal, assisted by Yann M'Vila. Sunderland extended the lead as Kone scored again in the fifty-fifth minute. In the sixty-seventh minute, Lee Cattermole of Sunderland had a yellow card for his foul. Sunderland won 3-0, assuring their stay in the Premier League.

Finally, Liverpool hosts Chelsea. Asmir Begovic and Simon Mignolet guard the woodwork. Chelsea started in the thirty-second minute with an Eden Hazard goal, via Baba Rahman. Emre Can of Liverpool had a yellow card for a foul in the forty-fourth minute. Liverpool saw yellow cards for Kolo Toure in the forty-eighth minute and James Milner in the seventy-third minute, both for fouls. In the eighty-seventh minute, Chelsea' Cesar Azpilicueta had a yellow card for his foul. Liverpool tied it in stoppage time on a Christian Benteke goal. The game ended at 1-1.

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Metropolitan Division Final: 1) Washington Capitals VS. 2) Pittsburgh Penguins

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Braden Holtby for Washington. Washington led off in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, assisted by Jason Chimera and John Carlson. Pittsburgh tied it on a Ben Lovejoy goal, passed from Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin in the second period. The Penguins took the lead with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his third of the postseason, via Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang. The Capitals retied it with a T.J. Oshie goal, his second of the playoffs, going in unassisted. Washington took the lead in the third period with another Oshie goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, made possible by Alex Ovechkin. Pittsburgh tied it with a Bonino goal, coming off of Hagelin and Phil Kessel. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with an Oshie goal, completing his hat trick on his fourth of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. The three stars went to Oshie, Bonino, and Hagelin. The Capitals have a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Braden Holtby for Washington. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Nick Bonino. Washington tied it on a third period on a Marcus Johansson goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the power play. The Penguins took the lead back with an Eric Fehr goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Kunitz. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars named as Murray (23 for 24 in saves), Fehr, and Hagelin. The series heads west tied at 1.

Game 3: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Braden Holtby for Washington and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh began in the first period with a Patric Hornqvist goal, his fourth of the postseason, via Trevor Daley and Conor Sheary. The Penguins added on with a Tom Kuhnhackl goal, his second of the playoffs, guided in by Matt Cullen and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh extended the lead in the second period as Carl Hagelin scored his third of the postseason, with the help of Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel. Washington got on the board in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin goal, his fourth of the playoffs, fueled by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals pulled closer on a Justin Williams goal, assisted by Ovechkin and John Carlson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Murray (47 for 49 in saves), Ovechkin, and Hagelin. The Penguins hold a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Braden Holtby for Washington and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. Washington started in the first period with a Jay Beagle goal, his third of the postseason, coming off of Tom Wilson and Taylor Chorney. Pittsburgh tied it on a Trevor Daley goal, made possible by Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins took the lead in the second period with a Matt Cullen goal, his third of the playoffs, via Tom Kuhnhackl and Brian Dumoulin. The Capitals retied it on a John Carlson goal, his fourth of the postseason, helped along by Justin Williams. Pittsburgh won 3-2 in overtime on a Hornqvist goal, his fifth of the playoffs, assisted by Conor Sheary and Dumoulin. The three stars were handed to Hornqvist, Dumoulin, and Murray (34 for 36 in saves). The Penguins are on the brink of advancing with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia. In goal: Matt Murray for Pittsburgh and Braden Holtby for Washington. Washington opened in the first period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his fifth of the postseason, powered by Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. Pittsburgh tied it on a Chris Kunitz power play goal, assisted by Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby. The Capitals took the lead back with an Oshie power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by Ovechkin and John Carlson. Washington added on with a Justin Williams goal, his second of the postseason, going in unassisted. This made it 3-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Oshie, Ovechkin, and Holtby (30 for 31 in saves). The series still has the Penguins ahead 3-2.

Game 6: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In goal: Braden Holtby for Washington and Matt Murray for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh struck first in the first period with a Phil Kessel goal, his fourth of the postseason, coming off of Brian Dumoulin and Carl Hagelin. The Penguins added on with a second period Kessel power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs, powered by Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Hagelin scored his fourth of the postseason on the power play, thanks to Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley. Washington got on the board with a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, helped along by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals got closer with a Justin Williams goal, his third of the postseason, assisted by Backstrom in the third period. Washington tied it on a John Carlson power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, via Ovechkin and Williams. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime with a Nick Bonino goal, his second of the postseason, fueled by Hagelin and Kessel. The three stars were Kessel, Hagelin, and Ovechkin, while Williams and Backstrom get the honorable mentions. The Penguins took the series 4-2, and will face the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Eastern Conference Final and a trip to the Stanley Cup.

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NWSL Week 4

We're back for the fourth week of the season, with four Saturday games and a single game on Mother's Day, with special sponsorship by Coppertone for the NWSL this weekend. The first game is...

The Washington Spirit hosting the Portland Thorns. Adrianna Franch and Stephanie Labbe protect the nets. Watch the game here. Portland had a shot in the third minute from Meleana Shim, blocked by Megan Oyster of Washington. The Spirit had their first true chance with Crystal Dunn up the left wing, crossing in directly at Thorns keeper Franch. Alyssa Kleiner earned a corner for Washington in the ninth minute, and Diana Matheson's service was headed by Ali Krieger but saved by Franch. The Spirit kept up good pressure through Dunn, but Emily Menges proved strong in defense as another corner kick comes up, with Franch snagging Matheson's service this time. Washington had another shot in the fourteenth minute by Cali Farquharson, but it was wide right. The corner produced a high and wide Shelina Zadorsky shot. Tobin Heath of Portland drew a foul by Oyster on the left side of the box in the seventeenth minute, earning Oyster a yellow card and the Thorns get a free kick. Heath served it in, but Kleiner knocked it out for a corner, and eventually Joanna Lohman knocked it out to the sideline. On the counterattack, Krieger's cross was defended by Menges as the game is wide open through about 20 minutes. In the twenty-fourth minute, Heath had a half-chance for Portland. In the twenty-fifth minute, Emily Sonnett fouled Dunn outside the box in a very similar situation to the foul by Oyster, and Sonnett earned a yellow card for it. Matheson's service was sent back across for a shot by Tori Huster, but Franch tipped it over the bar. The corner saw Krieger head Matheson's service out of bounds as the Spirit get another wave of attack. On a thirtieth minute attack from the Thorns, Labbe came off her line strong, blocking Heath, Allie Long, and then ushering Meghan Klingenberg's chip attempt over the bar. Lindsey Horan was swarming around the box, and Kleiner cleanly knocked the ball away in what could have been called for a foul. A pair of Portland corner kicks, Dagny Brynjarsdottir had a chance go wide and Oyster made a clearance on the second service before there was a foul to give the Spirit possession. In the thirty-fifth minute, Krieger had a cross into Dunn that went past Franch, but Dunn was called offside and the game remains scoreless. Washington charged again, with Krieger serving in to Farquharson, who missed on a shot, and then Dunn deflected it off a Thorn for a corner kick. Lohman tried to volley the ball in, but Brynjarsdottir cleared it for Portland. In the fortieth minute, Franch did well to challenge Farquharson, who shot wide left to give the Thorns a goal kick. In the forty-fourth minute, Dunn kept the traffic going toward Franch's net, but she shot high as the half winds down with a bit less action. Heath had a late corner cleared by Estefania Banini. The first half ended with no score. Playing well for the Thorns are GK Franch, CB Menges, and LW Heath, while the Spirit have seen strong efforts from CB Oyster, RB Krieger, LB Kleiner, LW Matheson, DCM Huster, and striker Dunn. In the forty-eighth minute, Nadia Nadim had her first real look for Portland, getting stopped by Labbe on the right side of the goal. The Thorns had some pressure with Brynjarsdottir, Long, and Heath all taking touches before the Spirit could clear. Shim and Labbe had a collision in the fifty-third minute as Portland has seen the better of the attacks in the early stages of the second half. In the fifty-ninth minute, Heath took a yellow card for interfering with Krieger's free kick. When she did get the kick off, Franch plucked it up to relieve the pressure for Portland. In the sixty-second minute, Heath crossed in after Long dummied, and Oyster cleared it out for a corner kick. Labbe punched the Heath service out, and Banini moved it along further. In the sixty-fifth minute, Lohman and Nadim collided, with Lohman drawing the foul. Long got sandwiched between Labbe and Zadorsky in the sixty-seventh minute as she charged up the center toward goal, and she stayed down awhile, but there was no call on the play. After a Spirit corner kick, they buzzed around Franch's net, ending with Matheson shooting straight at Franch. Cheyna Williams fed Dunn with a pass in the seventy-third minute, but Franch palmed it aside for a Spirit corner kick. In the seventy-sixth minute, Heath's free kick was cleared by Williams for a corner kick, cleared out by the Spirit again. On another attack by Long, Oyster came up big for the defensive stop. Portland has applied some pressure late in the half as they look to break the deadlock. In the eighty-eighth minute, Heath did her best Rob Gronkowski, spiking the ball after fouling Oyster. This drew her second yellow card of the game, and the Thorns are down to ten women. Despite the disadvantage, Horan managed a shot in the ninetieth minute after a block initially by Zadorsky. In stoppage time, Matheson cramped up but came back into play to finish the game. The Spirit created a flurry in stoppage time, mostly through sub Christine Nairn, ending with a shot that went wide. Dunn had a shot about three minutes into added time, but it went off the left post after beating Franch. A minute later, Horan took a yellow card for a handball. Nairn's free kick found Huster, but nothing happened with it. Hayley Raso pushed Krieger down on the wing without a call. Nairn took a shot high on the next Washington attack. The game ended 0-0, with Dunn the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match. The players named at halftime stayed strong in the second half without much else from the other players, aside from maybe CBs Sonnett and Zadorsky and DM Long.

Along to Boston, where the Breakers welcome the Chicago Red Stars. Alyssa Naeher faces her former team and Abby Smith in goal. Watch the game here. Chicago earned a corner kick in the third minute with pressure from Arin Gilliland. The service from Danielle Colaprico went short to Vanessa DiBernardo, but nothing came of it. Boston had some services from Stephanie McCaffrey and Mollie Pathman from the left side in the fifth minute, but Sam Johnson came up strong to start the counter through Jen Hoy for the Red Stars. Christen Press challenged the Breakers keeper Smith with a shot, and they're holding the zone now. Chicago's Hoy received a yellow card for a foul on Boston defensive midfielder on McCall Zerboni in the eighth minute. The Red Stars saw Julie Johnston break up three crosses by the Breakers. Chicago has had some pressure early in the first half, with Gilliland and Alyssa Mautz earning a throw in in the Breakers defensive third. Smith took care of the throw. Boston had a great chance as Kyah Simon set up McCaffrey for a narrow angle shot that just crossed the face of goal in the fifteenth minute. Red Stars keeper Naeher blocked headers from Julie King and Simon, and then Engen crossed one in before it was cleared. DiBernardo and Colaprico did the defensive work to keep out what should have been a goal. Kassey Kallman went deep for Simon in the sixteenth minute, but Naeher snatched it up. Gilliland found Sofia Huerta with a pass, but they had to go out wide and Smith distributed from the cross. Chicago had a shot from the top of the box in the twentieth minute by Huerta, stopped by Smith after it bounced off the post. Boston made a foray forward in the twenty-second minute, ending when Louise Schillgard was taken down legally in the box. On the other end, Hoy just barely shot wide in the twenty-third minute, earning a corner kick with Smith getting fingertips on it. Gilliland had the final cross on that attack, and Smith picked it up to send Boston forward. Smith had to make a huge save against Hoy when Kallman failed to break up a through ball from the Red Stars back line. Smith took a bad step and was hurt on the play, and Libby Stout was forced to replace Smith in goal. Boston had a decent attempt in the thirty-eighth minute, as Angela Salem set up Schillgard, who knocked it off a Red Star to create a corner kick. Kristie Mewis' service was punched out by Naeher. In the thirty-ninth minute, Johnston fouled Mewis as they battled for a King cross in the penalty area, but Mewis took her own penalty kick and hit the post before it rebounded off Naeher's arm, good for a save to keep it scoreless. In the forty-second minute, Salem and Mautz tangled, with Mautz called for the foul on a somewhat dangerous play. Chicago had a big counterattack in the forty-fifth minute on a Casey Short cross, cleared out for a corner. The service was knocked over the bar by the Red Stars. The teams went into halftime tied at 0. Impressing for the Red Stars are GK Naeher, RB Gilliland, CB Johnston, DMs Colaprico and DiBernardo, and LF Hoy. On the Boston side, RB King, LB Pathman, AM Mewis, and RF Simon have done pretty well so far. The Breakers had early pressure in the second half, with Sam Johnson turning the ball out for a corner kick. Mewis sent one in for Zerboni and Kallman, but they couldn't connect. In the fiftieth minute, Mewis sent in a cross, which King sent wide as the Breakers have done well to keep the ball so far. McCaffrey also found Simon on the next foray forward, but the shot from Simon was off target. Chicago had a shot in the fifty-third minute, tipped away by Stout. The Red Stars got things going in the scoring department with a sixtieth minute goal by Press. The Breakers had a bad clearance on a DiBernardo corner kick, and Press struck it to the top left corner to give Chicago the 1-0 lead. Boston looked to have a good chance as Simon strung a pass to Schillgard, but the latter was offside. On the other end, in the sixty-fourth minute Huerta had a shot go wide. Boston has had trouble breaking the Chicago defensive shell after the goal, creating a battle in the midfield. Mewis had an attempt in the seventy-second minute, blocked by Casey Short. Huerta was called offside on the counterattack, after Whitney Engen fell down, setting the line accidentally. Johnston had to clear one off the line in the seventy-fourth minute after Schillgard sent one into a mob of players, where Katie Schoepfer shot it in. In the eighty-third minute, Press had another shot toward Stout's right, but the keeper turned this one out for a corner kick this time. Colaprico's service was deflected out for another corner, and nothing came of the second offering. Mewis nearly had a golden chance in stoppage time, but Mewis was smothered by Naeher and her defenders to preserve the score. The Red Stars held on for a 1-0 win. Julie Johnston earned the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match honors, providing solid defense and a clear off the line to help the win. In addition to the players mentioned at halftime, striker Press did really well in the second half.

In New Jersey, Sky Blue FC hosts the Western New York Flash. Sabrina D'Angelo and Caroline Stanley guard the nets. Here's the game. In the second minute, Western New York's Adriana Leon had a good foray forward broken up by Sky Blue's Kelley O'Hara. In the fourth minute, the Flash's Abby Dahlkemper had to shove Natasha Kai of Sky Blue on her run, and this earned Dahlkemper a yellow card for the foul. Sarah Killion's free kick was caught by Flash keeper D'Angelo. O'Hara had a brilliant cross into the box in the eighth minute, where Kai headed it wide right despite being very open. Sky Blue has had the better of the play in the first ten minutes. Jaelene Hinkle of Western New York did have a questionable non-foul against O'Hara, throwing a hip that knocked the Sky Blue star down. Maya Hayes fed a pass toward O'Hara in the twelfth minute, and while D'Angelo bobbled the ball, she was able to recover with no added danger. The Flash had their first good work when Elizabeth Eddy beat Erin Simon, but the cross was cleared by Erica Skroski. On the other end, Eddy shut down Taylor Lytle as Sky Blue made a counterattack in the sixteenth minute. In the eighteenth minute, Killion found O'Hara, who ran toward goal and shot at D'Angelo. The keeper again struggled to handle the ball, but covered before Sky Blue could do anything. In the twentieth minute, Hayes had a run forward, getting around Flash defender Abby Erceg but with a heavy touch that D'Angelo sent to the sideline. Samantha Mewis had a shot in the twenty-first minute, a low shot grabbed easily by Stanley in the Sky Blue six-yard box. Christie Rampone had a rare bad pass, picked off by Alanna Kennedy, who sent it to Leon, but the service in was sent away. Taylor Smith of Western New York eventually got it and shot high over Stanley's goal. Sky Blue broke down on defense after Dahlkemper's free kick resulting from Nikki Stanton's foul on Jeon Ga-eul, with Smith and Jessica McDonald both getting shots, and Leon got tangled up, allowing Stanley to cover it with help from Rampone to shield her. Eddy once again got around Simon on the Flash's right attacking flank, showing a bit of a mismatch to favor Western New York. The Flash had a corner kick that saw Rampone clear for Sky Blue, and while they got numbers forward, they didn't produce a shot. Mewis had a shot going back the other way that went over the bar. In the thirty-first minute, Leon hit the post as Simon fell down in defense, keeping Western New York's pressure high. In the thirty-third minute, Hayes earned a free kick, taken by Rampone short as they move up the field. The Flash held off the pressure, including a Raquel Rodriguez shot that went over the bar as Sky Blue has shifted the pressure away from their goal and toward D'Angelo. In the thirty-fifth minute, Hayes scored on a pass from Rodriguez, giving Sky Blue the 1-0 lead. Western New York had Kennedy take a shot in the thirty-eighth minute, but Stanley took care of it. In the fortieth minute, Sky Blue saw Lytle shoot one deflected back at her by Dahlkemper, and then Stanton shot one over the bar. In the forty-first minute, Stanton took a yellow card for her foul against Mewis at the top of the penalty area. The Flash's free kick was taken by Mewis, but it went over the goal. Sky Blue had a counter with O'Hara passing to Hayes, but her shot was blocked by Hinkle. Sky Blue went into halftime up 1-0. Impressing for the Flash are RB Eddy, CB Dahlkemper, DM Mewis, and RF Leon, while Sky Blue have seen great efforts from GK Stanley, RB O'Hara, CB Rampone, DM Killion, and forwards Hayes and Kai. In the fifty-first minute, Sky Blue saw Kai called offside in the first real offensive attack of the second half. On the other side, McDonald sent a pass to Ga-eul at the top of the six-yard box, but she didn't get a clean kick and Stanley covered it. The Flash had some pressure around the fifty-fifth minute, but they haven't had any good crosses on the possession. A free kick in the fifty-eighth minute found McDonald but went wide of Stanley's net. Hayes had a good cross for Sky Blue in the fifty-ninth minute, headed away by Dahlkemper. On the ensuing throw in, Rodriguez took a low shot saved by D'Angelo. On the next Sky Blue attack, Hayes laid off for O'Hara, who shot just wide left from the right side of the box. Eddy had a shot for Western New York that went straight at Stanley in the sixty-third minute. Hinkle managed a shot at Stanley in the sixty-fifth minute. In the sixty-seventh minute, Sky Blue's Rodriguez took a shot saved by D'Angelo. In the sixty-ninth minute, Kai took a hard shot at D'Angelo, and then nearly trickled the ball in, but Dahlkemper saved her keeper with the clearance. In the seventy-first minute, Skroski committed a handball in the box, and Western New York's Hinkle took and made the penalty kick to tie the game. Stanley also received a yellow card for arguing with the referee's judgement on the call. O'Hara tried a cross for Sky Blue in the seventy-fourth minute, but Dahlkemper came up big again with the clearance. In the seventy-fifth minute, Hinkle again pushed O'Hara down without being called for a foul, as she toes the line between physical and reckless. A McDonald long throw in the eighty-first minute found substitute Makenzy Doniak, but she couldn't get enough power on it to challenge Stanley. Kelly Conheeney of Sky Blue challenged D'Angelo with a long shot on the counter attack. D'Angelo had to come far out to clear a through ball from Sky Blue, and it bounced to McDonald, who shot high over Stanley's goal. Western New York had a lot of pressure, with Hinkle crossing in, Stanley dropping the service and falling down, and Mewis pounding in the rebound in the eighty-sixth minute to put the Flash up 2-1. Sky Blue had three straight corners, with the second producing Danielle Schulmann's header tipped over by D'Angelo, while the third did nothing. In stoppage time, Kristen Hamilton of the Flash took a yellow card for her foul. O'Hara had a shot immediately after, but it went off target. Mewis fouled Schulmann to give Sky Blue one last chance in the very final seconds of the game, taken and shot high by O'Hara. The final held at 2-1 for Western New York, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Samantha Mewis, the defensive midfielder. Also playing well in the second half was LB Hinkle for the Flash, and DM Stanton for Sky Blue, in addition to the players mentioned at half time.

The last game on Saturday has FC Kansas City bringing in the Houston Dash (while the men's teams from the same cities tangle down in Houston). Lydia Williams and Nicole Barnhart are the gloved women. Houston's Rachel Daly very quickly had a shot go high in the first minute after kickoff, receiving the pass from Chioma Ubogagu. Kansas City didn't get a lot of possession early, but one foray forward saw Heather O'Reilly stuffed by the Dash's Allysha Chapman. Becca Moros again turned over the ball to the Blues, but O'Reilly's cross to Erika Tymrak didn't produce a shot. Another cross from Brittany Taylor caught Mandy Laddish offside. The Blues kept going in the ninth minute as Shea Groom crossed into Laddish, who popped the shot very high. In the eleventh minute, O'Reilly flicked one in to Groom, who also shot over the bar. Chapman beat O'Reilly on a Houston attack, but Taylor got the ball to Becky Sauerbrunn for the clear in the thirteenth minute. An O'Reilly ball over the top in the fourteenth minute was handled by Ellie Brush to keep it away from Groom. The game has been pretty open-ended in the first 15 minutes. The Blues had another chance as Jen Buczkowski crossed into Groom, whose header was snatched by Williams. Groom continued to be a pain in the neck for Williams, deflecting a cross from Laddish on goal. In the twenty-first minute, Laddish took a shot tipped over by Williams for a corner kick. O'Reilly's service for the Blues was easily cleared. In the twenty-fourth minute, Daly played in Chapman, and Barnhart made a kick save to create a corner kick. The Blues had a shot from Buczkowski in the twenty-sixth minute after a serve in from Amanda Frisbie. The true chances have dried up a bit around the half hour mark as the teams bounce around the midfield. Yael Averbuch had a chance broken up by a good slide as Houston has proven very strong defensively. As Groom received a pass, Brush knocked her down cleanly to break up the Kansas City attack. In the thirty-sixth minute, Laddish forced Williams to make a massive, diving save. Tymrak was fouled at the top of the penalty area by Amber Brooks, giving Kansas City a dangerous free kick chance. Averbuch bounced the free kick off the wall and shot the rebound wide without any true threat to Williams. Going the other way in the fortieth minute, Daly took a shot on a rebound from Ubogagu that went high over the Blues net. Laddish embarrassed the Houston defense, beating both Moros and Brush, but shooting narrowly wide of the left post in the forty-second minute. In first half stoppage time, Daly took a yellow card for her foul on Tymrak. The game went to halftime scoreless. Playing well for the Dash are GK Williams, LB Chapman, CB Brush, CF Daly, and LF Ubogagu, while the Blues have seen RB Taylor, RW O'Reilly, DM Buczkowski, AM Laddish, and striker Groom all play very well so far. Houston attacked in the forty-sixth minute as Denise O'Sullivan crossed to Ubogagu, parried out to Brooks by Barnhart, with a foul called to alleviate the pressure. The second half saw a bit of passing around without any true crosses or shots to create dangerous play. Houston tried an attack in the fifty-fifth minute as Daly got by Sauerbrunn but failed to fool Averbuch. In the fifty-eighth minute, O'Reilly ran to the end line and then at Williams, who turned her away in the Blues' best chance so far this half. Averbuch served one in to Groom in the sixty-third minute as Kansas City has taken a bit more possession after the hour mark. In the sixty-fifth minute, Daly took a shot after breaking free from Sauerbrunn and Averbuch, earning a corner as Barnhart tipped it aside. On the corner, Moros got a shot from outside the box that went over the bar. In the sixty-eighth minute, Houston dented the scoreboard on an O'Sullivan goal, set up by a bicycle kick by Ubogagu who shot it to the left side with Barnhart unable to react. Kealia Ohai had the original service into Ubogagu on the play. In the seventieth minute, Daly passed one to Ubogagu from the top of the box, and she slotted it home to make it 2-0 Dash in quick succession. O'Sullivan had what would be the secondary assist. Houston continued to look dangerous, with Ubogagu getting blocked by Barnhart, and then Andressa fired a shot that got knocked out by Frisbie. Houston's Brush redirected the service from the short corner kick right at Barnhart with good pace. In the seventy-sixth minute, Andressa cracked another shot on goal toward Barnhart. Andressa nearly found Ohai on another foray forward for the Dash, but Sauerbrunn broke the play up. Sauerbrunn showed some offense steel for a run forward, where Brush fouled her just outside the box. Averbuch's shot on the kick was deflected out for a corner kick by O'Reilly. Taylor and Groom each had shots in the eighty-sixth minute, and one deflected off a Houston player's hands. Averbuch came up for the penalty kick, and buried it in the eighty-seventh minute, making it a 2-1 game. Taylor had a shot in stoppage time, but wide left, as Houston has done pretty well in killing the game. Houston sealed it for a 2-1 win, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being Ubogagu for her role in both goals. Also impressing alongside the first half mentions were the Dash's sub O'Sullivan and LW Andressa, while Kansas City saw a decent performance from CBs Averbuch and Sauerbrunn despite them being responsible for the defensive lapses.

On Sunday, the week ended with the Orlando Pride hosting the Seattle Reign. Hope Solo faces her national team backup Ashlyn Harris in goal. The game can be found here. Seattle had chances from Elli Reed and Keelin Winters disrupted by Laura Alleway and Kaylyn Kyle in defense. The Pride saw a chance by Jasmyne Spencer die with a heavy touch, allowing Solo to pick it up. Josee Belanger did well to block a Reign cross from Manon Melis in the fifth minute. Merritt Mathias made a nice run toward goal, deflecting her shot off Alleway and Harris, as well as the Pride's post to earn a corner kick. Lauren Barnes served into Rachel Corsie, but the header was caught by Harris in the ninth minute to allow Orlando to break out. Sam Witteman had a shot in the tenth minute, but went wide of Solo's net. In the eleven minute, Alex Morgan tracked down a ball into space, serving into Sarah Hagen who headed it past Solo for a 1-0 Pride lead on a strong goal. Spencer and Hagen connected for a decent chance in the fourteenth minute, but it deflected off of a Seattle defender for a corner kick. Beverly Yanez defended it, and Kristen Edmonds tried from the other side on another corner kick that was cleared by Reed. Mathias was called offside for a sixteenth minute try for Seattle. Mathias was caught offside again on a Carson Pickett pass in the seventeenth minute. Melis earned the Reign a corner in the twentieth minute with her right wing run. Kim Little has had trouble connecting with the forwards so far. Spencer earned a corner off of Corsie in the twenty-sixth minute. Edmonds had the service, but it was punched away by Solo. In the thirtieth minute, Kyle had a pretty hard foul on Yanez at midfield, giving Seattle a free kick. Seattle built out the back on the right side, but they ended up with nothing when Melis and Fletcher miscommunicated, giving the Pride a throw-in. In the thirty-ninth minute, Kyle was fouled hard by Winters, in what could be seen as a make-up for what happened to Yanez earlier. Edmonds had a corner kick in to Monica in the fortieth minute, but it rolled out for a Solo goal kick. Reed made a good run up the left wing, and Monica proved strong in defense, keying an Orlando counter. Barnes had a corner in the forty-fifth minute, but Winters couldn't get it on target, and Harris watched it go out harmlessly. Witteman, Edmonds, and Spencer all connected for a good play after Witteman dispossessed Barnes, but Spencer's shot went into the arms of Solo. The Pride lead 1-0 at halftime. The best efforts have come from RW Witteman, LW Spencer, ACM Edmonds, and forward Hagen for Orlando, while Seattle's CB Barnes, AM Yanez, and CF Mathias have been decent. Orlando's Morgan took Barnes off the ball, but Barnes disrupted her run up the left wing to create two straight corner kicks from Edmonds that didn't produce a shot. In the forty-ninth minute, Steph Catley tried a long cross to Kyle, but Solo picked it up. Corsie had no choice to foul Edmonds in the fifty-first minute, giving the Pride an odd angle free kick. Solo punched it straight to Spencer, who shot it high. Orlando continued to press early in the second half, with Morgan earning a corner kick off Fletcher. Solo had to cover a deflected ball in the box to prevent a goal. In the fifty-sixth minute, Little fed one in to Yanez, but the latter was offside as Seattle continues to try a north-south style of play. Catley had the best of Melis in the fifty-ninth minute when Melis tried to use footwork to get around her. In the sixty-first minute, Alleway broke up a combination that saw Little charging forward as the Reign have gained some attacking possession. In the sixty-fifth minute, Mathias just lost control of a ball in the box before she could shoot. In the sixty-ninth minute, Corsie fouled Fletcher just outside the top of the box, and the free kick taken by Lianne Sanderson, who deflected it off the wall for a corner kick, and nothing came from it. In the seventy-first minute, Sanderson served to Morgan, who was saved by Solo, and then Spencer and Morgan nearly connected before it was cleared away. In the seventy-fourth minute, Catley took a through ball and shot off the bar. Witteman had a big play, beating multiple Reign defenders to set up Morgan for a shot that Solo just saved. Witteman tried again to pass to Morgan after Catley's long ball, and Solo's punch to Spencer created a high shot in the eightieth minute. Seattle had a big chance in the eighty-third minute, with Yanez taking a long shot that Harris palmed off her bar, and then Michelle Cruz shot on the rebound and crashed into Harris. In the eighty-sixth minute, Morgan took a shot when she got around Cruz, and the shot took Solo out of the play, allowing Sanderson to bash home the rebound, and make it 2-0 for Orlando. Havana Solaun had a decent bit of footwork but couldn't get through all of the Pride. In stoppage time, Solaun passed to Reed, who shot straight at Harris. The game ended 2-0, with the Outsider Sports Woman of the Match being RW Witteman, who grew into the game. Also impressing for Orlando in the second half were LB Catley, striker Morgan, ACM Sanderson, and DCM Kyle, while the Reign had DCM Winters play well.

Outsider Sports Best XI - Week 4
GK Alyssa Naeher
RB Elizabeth Eddy
CB Julie Johnston
CB Abby Dahlkemper
LB Allysha Chapman
DCM Kaylyn Kyle
RW Samantha Witteman
LW Samantha Mewis
RF Chioma Ubogagu
CF Crystal Dunn
LF Rachel Daly

Major League Soccer 2016 - Week 10

MLS is back for nine games this weekend. The first is a Friday game...

As Orlando City SC hosts the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Joe Bendik are in goal. Aurelien Collin of New York had a yellow card for a foul in the eighteenth minute. The Red Bulls led off in the nineteenth minute with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, passed from Sacha Kljestan and Sal Zizzo. Orlando City's Rafael Ramos and Kaka had yellow cards for dissent in the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth minutes, respectively. New York had a yellow card given to Ronald Zubar for his fifty-eighth minute foul. Orlando City saw a yellow card go to David Mateos for a foul in the fifty-ninth minute. In the sixty-first minute, Lloyd Sam of the Red Bulls took a yellow card for dangerous play. Brek Shea of Orlando City received a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute foul. Orlando City tied it on a Kevin Molino goal in the sixty-seventh minute, courtesy of Cyle Larin and Darwin Ceren. Orlando City went down to ten men in the eighty-fifth minute when Cristian Higuita's foul brought out a straight red card. New York's Kemar Lawrence took a yellow card for an eighty-seventh minute foul. The game ended 1-1, with the man of the match being Molino for the equalizer.

The first of Saturday's six games has the Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcoming the Portland Timbers in a Cascadia Cup clash. Jake Gleeson and David Ousted are the keepers. Vancouver's Pedro Morales had a yellow card for an eleventh minute foul, and teammate Kendall Waston took a yellow card for his foul in the sixteenth minute. Portland began in the thirty-fourth minute with a Nat Borchers goal, set up by Darlington Nagbe and Fanendo Adi. The Whitecaps tied it on a sixtieth minute Masato Kudo goal. In the sixty-sixth minute, Vancouver gained the lead on a Christian Bolanos goal, via Kudo. The Whitecaps' Blas Perez took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. The Timbers had a yellow card given to Nagbe for his seventieth minute foul. Diego Chara of Portland had a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. Vancouver won 2-1, with the man of the match being Kudo for his goal and assist.

Along to Columbus, where the Crew SC bring in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Steve Clark man the nets. Columbus opened in the sixteenth minute with a Kei Kamara goal, assisted by Justin Meram and Corey Ashe. Montreal tied it in the twenty-sixth minute on an Ignacio Piatti goal, set up by Didier Drogba. In first half stoppage time, the Crew retook the lead with a Kamara goal, coming off of Michael Parkhurst. Columbus added on with a forty-eighth minute Federico Higuain goal. The Crew extended the lead as Higuain scored a penalty kick goal in the fifty-third minute. The Impact pulled back with a fifty-seventh minute Drogba penalty kick goal. Montreal edged closer on a Piatti goal in the fifty-eighth minute, passed from Dominic Oduro. In the eighty-second minute, Lucas Ontivero of the Impact and Waylon Francis of Columbus took yellow cards for their argument. In stoppage time, Montreal tied it with an Oduro goal, fueled by Drogba and Ambroise Oyongo. The final stood at 4-4, with the man of the match being Oduro for his assist and equalizing goal.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC hosts FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Clint Irwin play goal. Toronto had a yellow card for a fourteenth minute foul by Marco Delgado. Toronto started in the twenty-eighth minute with a Tsubasa Endoh goal, courtesy of Sebastian Giovinco. Dallas had a yellow card given to Victor Ulloa for his thirty-ninth minute foul. Toronto's Michael Bradley took a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul. Toronto had yellow cards for Steven Beitashour in the seventy-fourth minute for time wasting and Will Johnson's eighty-seventh minute foul. Toronto's Jozy Altidore took a yellow card for a handball in stoppage time, but it didn't matter, with Toronto winning 1-0. The man of the match was Endoh for his winner.

Stateside, the Houston Dynamo welcome Sporting Kansas City (while the corresponding women's teams play in KC tonight). Tim Melia and Tyler Deric are in the six-yard boxes. Houston's Alex received a yellow card for a fifth minute foul. The Dynamo struck first in the thirtieth minute on a Giles Barnes goal, set up by Erick Torres. Houston added on in first half stoppage time with an Andrew Wenger goal, passed from Cristian Maidana and Barnes. The Dynamo saw a yellow card for Jalil Anibaba in the fifty-third minute for a foul. Kansas City had a yellow card given to Roger Espinoza in the sixty-second minute for his foul. Houston's Ricardo Clark had a yellow card for a foul in second half stoppage time. The game ended 2-0, with the man of the match being Barnes with his goal and assist.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids bring in Real Salt Lake for a Rocky Mountain Derby. Nick Rimando and Zac MacMath are in goal. Mekeil Williams of Colorado had a yellow card for persistent infringement in the fifteenth minute. Sunny of Salt Lake took a yellow card for his twenty-ninth minute foul. The Rapids were first to score in the forty-seventh minute on a Jermaine Jones goal, via Kevin Doyle and Luis Solignac. Colorado's Jones had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-third minute. In the seventy-ninth minute, Tony Beltran had a yellow card for Real for a foul. The Rapids had yellow cards for Shkelzen Gashi in the eighty-first minute and MacMath in stoppage time for time wasting. Colorado won 1-0, with MacMath the man of the match for his five-save clean sheet.

Saturday ends with the Seattle Sounders FC hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. David Bingham and Stefan Frei tend the nets. Seattle drew first blood in the twenty-sixth minute with a Clint Dempsey goal, assisted by Erik Friberg and Jordan Morris. The Sounders saw Osvaldo Alonso take a yellow card for a forty-third minute foul. Seattle added on in the eighty-ninth minute with a Morris goal, set up by Alonso. This made it 2-0, the final, with the man of the match being Morris for his powerful strike and work to set up the first goal.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Galaxy welcome the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Brian Rowe are set to start in goal. Los Angeles got going in the thirteenth minute on a Robbie Keane goal, passed from Gyasi Zardes. The Galaxy added on with a Giovani Dos Santos goal in the twenty-fourth minute. Los Angeles extended the lead as Keane scored in first half stoppage time, thanks to Zardes and Dos Santos. New England had a yellow card for a Je-Vaughn Watson foul in the fifty-eighth minute. The Revolution got on the board with a sixty-seventh minute goal by Kelyn Rowe, coming off of Gershon Koffie. New England got closer with a Juan Agudelo goal in the seventieth minute, set up by Femi Hollinger-Janzen. In stoppage time, A.J. DeLaGarza of the Galaxy had a yellow card for time wasting. Two minutes later, Steven Gerrard scored to make it 4-2, with the help of Mike Magee. Los Angeles won by this margin, with Keane named man of the match.

Finally, DC United bring in New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Travis Worra are between the posts. Luciano Acosta of DC had a yellow card for a third minute foul. United's Jared Jeffrey received a yellow card for his forty-seventh minute foul. New York City dented the scoreboard in the forty-ninth minute on a David Villa goal, assisted by Thomas McNamara and Khiry Shelton. New York City added on with a Shelton goal, via Ronald Matarrita. New York City had yellow cards for Frederic Brillant in the fifty-ninth minute for a foul, Saunders in the seventy-eighth minute for time wasting, and Federico Bravo in the seventy-ninth minute for an argument. Julian Buescher of DC took a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time. The final stood at 2-0 for New York City, and Shelton was the man of the match.

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Atlantic Division Final: 2) Tampa Bay Lightning VS. 4) New York Islanders

As usual, this post covers the entire series in the first round of this year's NHL playoffs.

Game 1: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. In goal: Thomas Greiss for New York and Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay started in the first period with an Ondrej Palat goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Jonathan Drouin and Vladislav Namestnikov. New York tied it with a Travis Hamonic goal, passed from Alan Quine and John Tavares. The Islanders took the lead with a Shane Prince goal, his second of the playoffs, courtesy of Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson. New York added on with another Prince goal, his second of the game and third of the postseason, assisted by Strome and Nelson. The Islanders extended the lead in the second period as Tavares scored his sixth of the playoffs on the power play, powered by Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. Andrei Vasilevskiy took over for Bishop in goal. The Lightning got one back with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixth of the postseason, with helpers from Matthew Carle and Victor Hedman. Tampa Bay got closer with a Valtteri Filppula goal, helped along by Alex Killorn and Jason Garrison. New York iced it with a Cal Clutterbuck empty net goal, set up by Casey Cizikas and Calvin de Haan. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars being Tavares, Prince, and Strome, while Nelson gets an honorable mention. The Islanders have a 1-0 series lead early on.

Game 2: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. In goal: Thomas Greiss for New York and Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his third of the postseason, made possible by Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. The Lightning added on with a Jonathan Drouin goal, via Valtteri Filppula. New York got on the board with a Nikolay Kulemin power play goal, powered by Thomas Hickey and Alan Quine. Tampa Bay shot back with a Hedman power play goal, with helpers by Johnson and Drouin. The Lightning iced it at 4-1 with a Johnson empty net goal, his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs, set up by Jason Garrison. The three stars were awarded to Johnson, Drouin, and Hedman. The series heads north tied at 1.

Game 3: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York. In goal: Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay and Thomas Greiss for New York. New York led off in the first period with a Josh Bailey goal, assisted by Nikolay Kulemin and Travis Hamonic. Tampa Bay tied it with a Ryan Callahan power play goal, powered by Alex Killorn and Valtteri Filppula. The Lightning took the lead with a Victor Hedman goal in the second period, his second of the postseason, with a lone assist from Tyler Johnson. The Islanders tied it on a Nick Leddy goal, made possible by Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. New York regained the lead on a Bailey power play goal in the third period, his second of the game with helpers from Thomas Hickey and Shane Prince. Tampa Bay tied it on a Vladislav Namestnikov goal, guided in by Filppula and Killorn. The Islanders pulled ahead with a Clutterbuck goal, his second of the postseason, coming off of Cizikas. The Lightning tied it as Nikita Kucherov scored his seventh of the playoffs, thanks to Jonathan Drouin and Hedman. Tampa Bay won 5-4 in overtime with a Brian Boyle goal, his second of the postseason, helped along by Hedman, who got a sock trick, and Callahan. The three stars went to Hedman, Bailey, and Callahan, while Filppula, Killorn, Clutterbuck, and Cizikas get the honorable mentions. The Lightning have a 2-1 series lead now.

Game 4: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York. In goal: Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay and Thomas Greiss for New York. New York began in the first period with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his second of the postseason, powered by Nikolay Kulemin and Frans Nielsen. Tampa Bay tied it in the third period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his eighth of the playoffs, assisted by Tyler Johnson. The Lightning won 2-1 in overtime with a Jason Garrison goal, passed from Andrej Sustr and Ondrej Palat. The three stars were Bishop (27 for 28 in saves), Garrison, and Kucherov. The Lightning head home with a chance to advance, holding a 3-1 series lead. 

Game 5: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida. In goal: Thomas Greiss for New York and Ben Bishop for Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay struck first in the first period with a Victor Hedman goal, his third of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Lightning added on with a Brian Boyle goal, his third of the playoffs, assisted by Matthew Carle and Cedric Paquette. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Hedman scored his fourth of the postseason and second of the game, a power play goal, powered by Jonathan Drouin and Tyler Johnson. The Lightning padded the lead in the third period on a Nikita Kucherov goal, his ninth of the playoffs, with a lone assist by Alex Killorn. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars going to Hedman, Bishop (28 save shutout), and Boyle. The Lightning won the series 4-1, and will await either the Capitals or Penguins for the Eastern Conference Final.

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2015/16 Premier League Week 37

It's a full slate on the second to last weekend of the season. The games begin with seven on Saturday, the first being...

Norwich City hosting Manchester United. David de Gea and John Ruddy are in goal. Manchester United dented the scoreboard with a seventy-second minute goal by Juan Mata, assisted by Wayne Rooney. In stoppage time, Gary O'Neil of Norwich City had a yellow card for his foul. The game ended 1-0 for Manchester United.

Next up, Aston Villa welcomes Newcastle United. Karl Darlow and Mark Bunn are the goalies. Aston Villa saw Ciaran Clark take a yellow card for a fifty-ninth minute foul. In stoppage time, Newcastle United's Paul Dummett took a yellow card for his foul. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Moving along, Bournemouth brings in West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Artur Boruc man the nets. West Bromwich Albion began in the sixteenth minute with a Salomon Rondon goal, set up by Jonny Evans. Bournemouth had a forty-second minute yellow card given to Tommy Elphick for his foul. In the sixty-second minute, Claudio Yacob of West Bromwich Albion took a yellow card for his time wasting. Harry Arter of Bournemouth had a yellow card for a seventieth minute foul. Bournemouth tied it in the eighty-second minute on a Matt Ritchie goal. This stood for a 1-1 draw.

In London, Crystal Palace hosts Stoke City. Jakob Haugaard and Wayne Hennessey are set to start in goal. Stoke City had yellow cards go to Glenn Whelan in the third minute and Erik Pieters in the twenty-first minute, both for fouls. Stoke City led off in the twenty-sixth minute with a Charlie Adam goal, passed from Marko Arnautovic. In the thirty-third minute, Crystal Palace saw a yellow card for James McArthur's foul. Crystal Palace tied it on a forty-seventh minute goal from Dwight Gayle, via Yannick Bolasie. In the sixty-eighth minute, Gayle scored again to put Crystal Palace ahead. In the eighty-seventh minute, Stephen Ireland of Stoke City received a yellow card for his foul. In stoppage time, Papa Souare of Crystal Palace took a yellow card for time wasting. The final favored Crystal Palace 2-1.

Continuing along, Sunderland welcomes Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Vito Mannone guard the woodwork. Gary Cahill of Chelsea took a yellow card for a first minute foul. Chelsea opened in the fourteenth minute on a Diego Costa goal. In the forty-first minute, Sunderland tied it on a Wahbi Khazri goal. Chelsea regained the lead in first half stoppage time with a Nemanja Matic goal, courtesy of Cesar Azpilicueta. Lee Cattermole of Sunderland had a yellow card for his fifty-second minute foul. Sunderland tied it again in the sixty-seventh minute with a Fabio Borini goal, assisted by Patrick van Aanholt. Jermain Defoe put Sunderland ahead with a seventieth minute goal. Chelsea's John Terry took a yellow card for his eighty-seventh minute foul, while Younes Kaboul of Sunderland had a yellow card for dissent. In the eighty-eighth minute, Sebastian Larsson of Sunderland committed a foul and took a yellow card. In second half stoppage time, Terry of Chelsea had a second yellow card for a foul, earning his ejection. Sunderland won 3-2.

Along to West Ham United bringing in Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Darren Randolph protect the nets. Swansea City started in the twenty-fifth minute with a Wayne Routledge goal, coming off of Kyle Naughton. Swansea City added on in the thirty-first minute with an Andre Ayew goal, via Stephen Kingsley. Swansea City extended the lead as Ki Sung-Yueng scored in the fifty-first minute, thanks to Modou Barrow. In the sixty-eighth minute, West Ham United got on the board when Kingsley committed an own goal. West Ham United had yellow cards for Diafra Sakho in the seventy-second minute, Winston Reid in the eighty-first minute, and Angelo Ogbonna in the eighty-fifth minute, all for fouls. Swansea City iced it at 4-1 with a stoppage time goal by Bafetimbi Gomis, set up by Ayew.

Saturday ends with Leicester City hosting Everton. Joel Robles and Kasper Schmeichel are the gloved men. Leicester struck first in the fifth minute with a Jamie Vardy goal, set up by Andy King. Leicester City added on with a thirty-third minute King goal. Matthew Pennington of Everton had a yellow card for his foul in the forty-fourth minute. Everton's Tom Cleverley took a yellow card for a forty-ninth minute foul. Leicester City extended the lead as Vardy scored a penalty kick goal in the sixty-fifth minute. In the seventy-first minute, Darren Gibson of Everton had a yellow card for a foul. Everton got on the board with an eighty-eighth minute goal by Kevin Mirallas, courtesy of Gibson. This made it a 3-1 final for Leicester City.

On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur welcomes Southampton. Fraser Forster and Hugo Lloris are the keepers. Tottenham Hotspur was first to score in the sixteenth minute with a Son Heung-Min goal, via Erik Lamela. Southampton tied it on a thirty-first minute goal by Steven Davis, guided in by Dusan Tadic. In the fiftieth minute, Sadio Mane of Southampton had a yellow card for a foul. Southampton took the lead with a seventy-second minute goal by Davis, passed from Tadic. Southampton saw yellow cards for Oriol Romeu in the seventy-fourth minute and Shane Long in the eighty-third minute, both for fouls. The final held at 2-1 for Southampton.

Up to Liverpool bringing in Watford. Heurelho Gomes and Simon Mignolet are the gloved men. Liverpool got going in the thirty-fifth minute on a Joe Allen goal, courtesy of Christian Benteke. Watford had a yellow card for a foul by Miguel Britos in the fifty-ninth minute. Jon Flanagan of Liverpool received a yellow card for his sixty-third minute foul. Steven Berghuis of Watford took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-third minute. Liverpool added on with a seventy-sixth minute goal from Roberto Firmino, passed from Sheyi Ojo. Liverpool won 2-0.

Finally, Manchester City hosts Arsenal. Petr Cech and Joe Hart are the top-tier goalies. Manchester City drew first blood in the eighth minute on a Sergio Aguero goal, coming off of Fernandinho. Arsenal tied it in the tenth minute on an Olivier Giroud goal, courtesy of Mohamed Elneny. Manchester City retook the lead with a Kevin De Bruyne goal in the fifty-first minute. In the sixty-eighth minute, Alexis Sanchez retied it for Arsenal, with the help of Giroud. Arsenal's Gabriel Paulista had a yellow card for a seventy-first minute foul. Manchester City's Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho had yellow cards for stoppage time fouls. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

There's some midweek games upcoming, and then Championship Sunday on 5/15 to close out this season. Follow me on Twitter @OutsiderSports0.