Saturday, August 27, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 6

There's nine games filling the schedule today, beginning with...

Admiral Vladivostok hosting Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri faces a lesser foe in Nikita Serebryakov in goal. Podolsk started in the first period with an Alexei Makeyev goal, guided in by Jakub Jerabek and Ilya Davydov. Vladivostok tied it on an Ilya Ivanov goal, with a lone assist by Ivan Glazkov. Admiral took the lead with an Alexander Kuznetsov goal, assisted by Andrei Sigaryov and Vladimir Tkachyov. Vladivostok added on with a power play goal by Dmitry Lugin, powered by Jonathon Blum and Tkachyov. Admiral extended the lead as Tkachyov scored a power play goal, with the help of Blum in the second period. Vityaz pulled back with an Alexei Kopeikin goal in the third period, made possible by Miro Aaltonen. Podolsk got closer on a Maxim Afinogenov goal, passed from Makeyev and Roman Horak. Vladivostok shot back with a Dmitry Sayustov goal, helped along by Robert Sabolic. Vityaz chipped back on a Kopeikin goal, his second of the game, with helpers from Jerabek and Aaltonen. The game ended at 5-4, with the three stars going to Tkachyov, Kopeikin, and Makeyev, while Blum, Jerabek, and Aaltonen get the honorable mentions.

West to Novosibirsk, with Sibir welcoming Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Alexei Krasikov are in the creases. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Vitaly Menshikov goal, courtesy of Yury Sergiyenko and Damir Zhafyarov. Sibir added on with a second period goal by Maxim Shalunov, coming off of Sergiyenko. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Krasikov (31 save shutout), Sergiyenko, and Menshikov.

Nearby, Metallurg Novokuznetsk brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Mikhail Biryukov are the goalies. Yekaterinburg began in the first period with a Maxim Rasseikin goal, fueled by Timur Shingareyev and Alexander Romanov. Avtomobilist added on with a Rok Ticar goal, passed from Andrei Alexeyev. Yekaterinburg extended the lead on an unassisted Ticar goal, his second of the game. Avtomobilist padded the lead with a power play goal by Evgeny Chesalin, powered by Dmitry Megalinsky. Yekaterinburg kept going as Dmitry Monya scored on the power play, thanks to Nikolai Timashov and Alexander Torchenyuk. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a Fyodor Polishchuk goal, made possible by Kirill Semyonov. Metallurg pulled closer in the third period on a Stanislav Butuzov goal, via Ivan Yemets and Alexei Vasilchenko. This only made it 5-2, with the three stars given to Ticar, Chesalin, and Rasseikin.

Westward to Omsk, with Avangard hosting Barys Astana. Vitaly Kolesnik and Dominik Furch are the experienced goalies. Omsk got going in the second period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, via Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with a Denis Parshin goal, courtesy of Andrei Kuteikin. Omsk extended the lead in the third period as Nikolai Lemtyugov scored, thanks to Parshin and Jonas Ahnelov. Astana got on the board with a Brandon Bochenski goal, passed from Ivan Kuchin and Nigel Dawes. This only made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Parshin, Lemtyugov, and Furch (21 for 22 in saves).

Further along, Severstal Cherepovets welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. Chelyabinsk opened in the first period with a Semyon Afonasyevsky goal, assisted by Artyom Penkovsky. Cherepovets tied it on an unassisted goal from Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Traktor took the lead back in the second period with an Alexander Sharov goal, helped along by Nikolau Glukhov and Igor Mirnov. Chelaybinsk added on with an Alexei Kruchinin goal in the third period, courtesy of Paul Szczechura. Traktor extended the lead as Kruchinin scored again, with the help of Maxim Yakutsenya and Sharov. Severstal got one back with an Adam Masuhr power play goal, powered by Andrei Shefer. Chelyabinsk replied with a Yakutsenya goal, coming off of Szczechura. Traktor padded the lead with a Yury Petrov goal, made possible by Alexander Chernikov. Chelyabinsk iced it at 7-2 with a Kirill Koltsov goal, via Yakutsenya and Szczechura. The three stars went to Yakutsenya, Kruchinin, and Szczechura, while Sharov gets an honorable mention.

Into Moscow, where CSKA bring in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Ilya Sorokin are between the pipes. Moscow struck first in the first period with an Igor Ozhiganov power play goal, powered by Jan Mursak and Greg Scott. Ufa tied it on an Andreas Engqvist power play goal, assisted by Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark. CSKA took the lead back with a Sergei Andronov goal in the second period, helped along by Mikhail Naumenkov. Moscow added on with a Nikita Pivtsakin goal, coming off of Andronov and Ivan Kashtanov. This produced the 3-1 final score, with the three stars handed to Andronov, Sorokin (17 for 18 in saves), and Pivtsakin.

Staying in the city, Spartak Moscow hosts Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Markus Svensson will guard the cages. Riga was first to score in the first period with a Guntis Galvins goal, assisted by Tim Sestito and Colton Gillies. Dinamo added on with a Justin Shugg goal, guided in by Pyotr Schastlivy. Moscow got on the board in the second period Ryan Stoa goal, with a lone assist by Matthew Gilroy. Spartak tied it on an Alexander Vasilyev goal, going in unassisted. Riga took the lead back on a Mikelis Redlihs goal, passed from Schastlivy and Patrick Mullen. Moscow retied it on a Dmitry Kalinin goal in the third period, helped along by Stoa and Giilroy. Spartak pulled ahead with a Kalinin goal, his second of the game, set up by Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Gilroy, who got a sock trick. This stood for a 4-3 win, with Kalinin, Gilroy, and Stoa the three stars, and Schastlivy took an honorable mention.

Out to St. Petersburg, where SKA welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. Magnitogorsk drew first blood with a Jan Kovar goal in the first period, coming off of Sergei Mozyakin and Chris Lee. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with an Anton Belov goal, passed from Yegor Yakovlev and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Metallurg took the lead back with a Mozyakin goal, helped along by Danis Zaripov. SKA tied it in the third period on an Alexander Barabanov goal, courtesy of Koskinen and Maxim Chudinov. St. Petersburg took the lead with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, guided in by Vadim Shipachyov and Vyacheslav Voynov. SKA added on with a Barabanov goal, made possible by Sergei Shirokov and Voynov. This stood for a 4-2 win, with the three stars named as Barabanov, Mozyakin, and Voynov.

Finally, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Ilya Proskuryakov man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kaspars Daugavins goal, assisted by Vladimir Galuzin. Helsinki tied it on a Jesse Joensuu power play goal, powered by Pekka Jormakka and Sakari Salminen. Torpedo took the lead back with a Galuzin power play goal, coming off of Daugavins and Fredrik Pettersson. Nizhny Novgorod iced it at 3-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Galuzin, going in unassisted. The three stars were Galuzin, Daugavins, and Proskuryakov (19 for 20 in saves).

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Friday, August 26, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 5

Just three games on today, beginning in the far east again, as...

Amur Khabarovsk host Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Alexander Pechursky are in the blue paint. Moscow began in the first period with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, assisted by Ansel Galimov and Mat Robinson. Dynamo added on with a Juuso Hietanen goal, passed from Maxim Solovyov and Bryukvin in the second period. Moscow extended the lead in the third period as Alexei Sopin scored, thanks to Alexander Rybakov and Semyon Kokuyov. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Kirill Kapustin goal, courtesy of Alexei Byvaltsev. Amur got closer with a Maxim Kondratyev goal, made possible by Kristian Kuusela and Tomas Zohorna. This only got them to 3-2, where they'd fall, and the three stars went to Bryukvin, Sopin, and Hietanen.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Ivan Nalimov protect the nets. Yaroslavl led off in the first period with a Stanislav Chistov goal, coming off of Andrei Loktionov and Maxime Talbot. Lokomotiv added on with a Denis Mosalyov goal, passed from Vladislav Kartayev. Vladivostok got on the board in the second period with a Kirill Voronin goal, fueled by Pavel Makarenko and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Admiral tied it on an unassisted Vladimir Tkachyov goal. Vladivostok took the lead with a power play goal by Robert Sabolic, powered by Alexander Gorshkov. Yaroslavl retied it on a Christov goal, his second of the game, guided in by Yegor Averin and Loktionov. In the shootout, Chistov had the only tally for a 4-3 Lokomotiv win. The three stars belonged to Chistov, Loktionov, and Mosalyov.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Stanislav Galimov are the masked men. Zagreb struck first in the first period with an unassisted Derek Smith power play goal. Medvescak added on with a Brandon McMillan goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Tomas Mertl. Zagreb extended the lead as Bobby Butler scored, with the help of Gilbert Brule. Kazan got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Justin Azevedo in the third period, set up by Jiri Sekac. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars going to Taylor (40 for 41 in saves), McMillan, and Azevedo.

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 4

Ten games are on today as the schedule fills out a bit more. We begin with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson and Alexei Krasikov man the nets. Novosibirsk opened in the first period with an Evgeny Artyukhin goal, assisted by Dmitry Lukin and Sergei Shumakov. Sibir added on in the second period with a Maxim Shalunov goal, passed from Adam Polasek and Shumakov. Astana got on the board with a Nigel Dawes goal, courtesy of Cam Barker and Maxim Semyonov. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars going to Shumakov, Shalunov, and Krasikov (31 for 32 in saves).

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Mikhail Biryukov are the goalies. Khanty-Mansiysk got going in the second period with an Anton Kuryanov goal, fueled by Konstantin Panov and Grigory Zheldakov on the power play. Ugra added on with a Pavel Varfolomeyev goal, guided in by Denis Gorbunov and Oleg Pogorishny. Khanty-Mansiysk extended the lead as Panov scored a power play goal, thanks to Kuryanov and Igor Bortnikov. Ugra padded the lead with a shorthanded goal by Alexander Akmaldinov, set up by Kuryanov. Khanty-
Mansiysk continued with a Pavel Medvedev goal, coming off of Konstantin Mayorov and Bortnikov. Ugra kept going in the third period on Varfolomeyev's second goal of the game, a power play goal powered by Pogorishny. Novokuznetsk got on the board with a shorthanded and unassisted goal from Roman Blagoi. Khanty-Mansiysk replied with a Medvedev goal, with assists by Vitaly Shulakov and Artyom Bulyansky. This made it a 7-1 final, with the three stars belonging to Kuryanov, Varfolomeyev, and Medvedev, while Panov, Pogorishny, and Bortnikov get the honorable mentions.

To the west, Avangard Omsk brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Dominik Furch are in the blue paint. Omsk started in the first period with an Alexander Kucheryavenko goal, assisted by Danil Faizullin. Avangard added on with an Alexei Gluhkov goal in the second period, made possible by Pavel Makhanovsky. Yekaterinburg got on the board with an unassisted Rok Ticar goal in the third period. Omsk shot back with an Alexander Perezhogin goal, passed from Evgeny Medvedev and Maxim Pestushko. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars handed to Gluhkov, Furch (13 for 14 in saves), and Perezhogin.

Next up, Lada Togliatti hosts Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Ilya Ezhov draw the starts in goal. Togliatti led off in the first period with a Stanislav Bocharov goal, via Kristaps Sotnieks and Anton Shenfeld. Lada added on with a Rafael Akhmetov goal, courtesy of Alexander Streltsov and Dmitry Sinitsyn. Togliatti extended the lead in the third period as Anton Krysanov scored, thanks to Nikita Filatov. Bratislava got on the board with a Jeff Taffe goal on the power play, powered by Ziga Jeglic and Vaclav Nedorost. Slovan pulled closer on a Jonathan Cheechoo goal, guided in by Nick Plastino. Lada shot back with a power play goal by Alexander Bumagin, coming off of Filatov. Togliatti iced it at 5-2 with a Mikael Johansson power play goal, with a lone assist from Filatov. The three stars went to Filatov (sock trick of three assists), Krysanov, and Bumagin.

North to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Jakub Kovar protect the nets. Cherepovets began in the first period with a Maxim Trunyov goal, assisted by Daniil Vovchenko and Andrei Shefer. Magnitogorsk tied it on a Vladislav Kaletnik penalty shot goal after he was tripped by Adam Masuhr. Severstal took the lead with a Pavel Chernov goal in the second period, helped along by Shefer and Masuhr on the power play. Metallurg tied it in the third period on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, with a lone helper from Viktor Antipin. The tie went to a shootout, where Vovchenko and Trunyov topped Jan Kovar to kill Severstal the 3-2 win. The three stars were Trunyov, Vovchenko, and Shefer.

Out to St. Petersburg, with SKA bringing in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Mikko Koskinen tend the twines. St. Petersburg struck first in the first period with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, coming off of Vyacheslav Voynov and Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA added on with a Voynov goal, helped along by Sergei Plotnikov and Datsyuk. St. Petersburg extended the lead in the second period on a Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA padded the lead as Kovalchuk scored again, thanks to Anton Belov and Plotnikov. St. Petersburg got another one on a Plotnikov goal, with a lone assist from Kovalchuk. SKA continued in the third period when Kovalchuk finished his hat trick, with the help of Datsyuk. Ufa got on the board with a Teemu Hartikainen goal, courtesy of Andreas Engqvist and Linus Omark. St. Petersburg finished it at 7-1 with a Nikita Gusev goal, helped along by Shipachyov and Dinar Khafizullin. The three stars were Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, and Voynov, while Plotnikov and Shipachyov get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Nizhny Novgorod for Torpedo hosting Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Ilya Proskuryakov are between the pipes. Nizhny Novgorod dented the scoreboard with a Dmitry Semin goal in the second period, passed from Kaspars Daugavins and Ivan Vishnevsky. Torpedo added on with a Daugavins power play goal in the third period, powered by Maxim Osipov. The game ended at 2-0, with the three stars going to Daugavins, Proskuryakov (23 save shutout), and Semin.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars welcomes Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Ivan Lisutin and Emil Garipov are the masked men. Kazan drew first blood in the third period on a power play goal by Vladimir Tkachyov, powered by Justin Azevedo and Artyom Lukoyanov. Nizhnekamsk tied it with an Igor Polygalov goal, made possible by Dan Sexton and Nikita Shchitov. In the shootout, Sergei Konkov scored once and Richard Gynge tallied twice for Neftekhimik to lift them to a 2-1 win over Tkachyov and Fyodor Malykhin of Ak Bars. The three stars went to Polygalov, Gynge, and Lisutin (34 for 35 in saves).

To the far south, the Sochi Leopards bring in Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski is mismatched with Konstantin Barulin in goal. Sochi was first to score on an Andre Petersson power play goal, powered by Ben Maxwell and Eric O'Dell in the first period. The Leopards added on with a power play goal by Petersson, his second of the game, with assists from Andrei Kostitsyn and Oscar Fantenberg. Helsinki got on the board with a Charles Genoway goal, via Topi Jaakola and Peter Regin. Jokerit tied it in the second period with a Pekka Jormakka goal, coming off of Genoway and Sakari Salminen. Sochi took the lead back in the third period with an unassisted Petersson goal, finishing his hat trick. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Petersson, Barulin (36 for 38 in saves), and Genoway.

Finally, CSKA Moscow hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Viktor Fasth are in goal. Moscow cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Jan Mursak power play goal, powered by Igor Ozhiganov and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on with an Ozhiganov power play goal, assisted by Denisov and Ivan Telegin. Moscow extended the lead as Stephane Da Costa scored power play goal, with the help of Bogdan Kiselevich and Alexander Popov in the third period. The game ended at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Ozhiganov, Fasth (18 save shutout), and Denisov.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

MLS Midweek 8/24/16

There are six games on this Wednesday, helping to rebalance the schedule a bit. We begin with...

Orlando City SC hosting Toronto FC. Alex Bono and Joe Bendik get the starts in goal. Toronto led off in the seventh minute with a Tosaint Ricketts goal, assisted by Sebastian Giovinco. Marco Delgado of Toronto had a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-second minute. Orlando City tied it in the fifty-sixth minute on a Cyle Larin goal, made possible by Luke Boden. Seb Hines of Orlando City received a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul, as did teammate David Mateos in the eighty-second minute. Toronto took the lead in the eighty-sixth minute on a Jozy Altidore goal, coming off of Giovinco. The game ended at 2-1, with the man of the match being Giovinco for his two assists.

Up in Columbus, the Crew SC welcome the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Steve Clark protect the nets. Philadelphia got going in the sixtieth minute with a Fabian Herbers goal. Columbus tied it in the seventy-third minute on an Adam Jahn goal. The Union retook the lead in the seventy-fourth minute as Keegan Rosenberry scored, thanks to Tranquillo Barnetta. Philadelphia's Alejandro Bedoya received a yellow card for a seventy-eighth minute foul. The game ended at 2-1, with Rosenberry's quick response winner earning him the man of the match title.

Into Canada, where the Montreal Impact bring in DC United. Bill Hamid and Evan Bush are in the six-yard boxes. Steve Birnbaum of DC had a yellow card for an eighth minute foul. Bush, the Montreal keeper, took a yellow card for dissent in the thirty-sixth minute. United began in the thirty-ninth minute with a Lamar Neagle penalty kick goal. DC saw yellow cards for Marcelo Sarvas in the sixty-third minute and Kennedy Igboananike in the sixty-seventh minute, both for fouls. The Impact tied it on a Hassoun Camara goal in the seventy-seventh minute, assisted by Marco Donadel. United went down to ten men in the eighty-ninth minute as Kofi Opare took a straight red card for his foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Camara the man of the match for his equalizer.

Back stateside, the Chicago Fire host the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clement Diop is mismatched with Sean Johnson in goal. Los Angeles opened in the thirty-first minute on a Gyasi Zardes goal. Chicago tied it with a thirty-fourth minute goal by Arturo Alvarez. Jelle Van Damme of the Galaxy had a yellow card for his thirty-eighth minute foul, and it led to the Fire's go-ahead goal on a thirty-ninth minute David Accam penalty kick goal. Los Angeles retied it on a sixty-ninth minute Giovani dos Santos goal, coming off of Alan Gordon and Sebastian Lletget. The Galaxy saw yellow cards for Lletget in the seventy-first minute and Baggio Husidic in the seventy-sixth minute, both for fouls. Accam took a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time. The game ended at 2-2, with dos Santos the man of the match for his equalizer.

In Texas, the Houston Dynamo welcome the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Joe Willis are between the posts. Cristian Roldan of Seattle had a yellow card for his fiftieth minute foul. Houston dented the scoreboard in the seventy-fifth minute on an Andrew Wenger goal, passed from Ricardo Clark and Will Bruin. The Sounders tied it in stoppage time with a Nicolas Lodeiro goal, assisted by Joevin Jones and Andreas Ivanschitz. The game ended at 1-1, with Lodeiro the man of the match for the late equalizer.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in the New England Revolution. Brad Knighton and David Bingham are in goal. San Jose's Anibal Godoy had a yellow card for a twenty-fifth minute foul. The Earthquakes saw yellow cards assessed to Darwin Ceren in the fifty-fourth minute and Simon Dawkins in the seventy-fifth minute, both for fouls. New England's Gershon Koffie and Teal Bunbury took yellow cards for fouls in the eighty-second and eighty-seventh minutes, respectively. The game ended 0-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for his three-save clean sheet.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 3

Only two games today, both in the far east, with the first one being...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Alexander Pechursky protect the nets. Yaroslavl got going in the second period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun and Yegor Korshkov. The game ended 1-0, with the three stars going to Murygin (22 save shutout), Kraskovsky, and Pechursky (27 for 28 in saves).

The other game sees Admiral Vladivostok hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Ivan Nalimov are the goalies. Moscow began with a first period power play goal by Konstantin Gorovikov, powered by Artyom Podshendyalov. Vladivostok tied it in the second period on a Yegor Yakovlev goal, courtesy of Kirill Voronin and Samvel Mnatsyan. Dynamo took the lead back on a Daniil Tarasov goal, passed from Martins Karsums and Denis Barantsev. Admiral tied it again with an Alexander Gorshkov goal, made possible by Robert Sabolic and Sergei Ilyin. Moscow took the lead back in the third period with a Semyon Kokuyov goal, coming off of Alexei Sopin. Admiral retied it with an Artyom Zemchyonok goal, going in unassisted. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Tarasov and Alexander Rybakov gave Dynamo a 4-3 win with their tallies. The three stars were Tarasov, Kokuyov, and Gorovikov.

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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 2

Today's schedule features nine games as the KHL gets more fully started. The games begin in...

Novosibirsk, as Sibir hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Alexei Krasikov man the nets. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period with an Alexander Torchenyuk goal, assisted by Dmitry Monya and Anatoly Golyshev. Novosibirsk tied it with a Joonas Kemppainen goal, via Vladislav Naumov. Avtomobilist took the lead back on a Torchenyuk goal, courtesy of Pavel Turbin and Nikolai Timashov. Yekaterinburg added on with a power play goal by Petr Koukal, powered by Jan Buchtele. Avtomobilist extended the lead as Monya scored a power play goal, thanks to Torchenyuk and Timashov. Sibir pulled back with an Artyom Voroshilo goal, fueled by Adam Polasek and Vitaly Menshikov. Novosibirsk got closer with an Evgeny Artyukhin goal, guided in by Kemppainen and Ivan Vereshchagin. Yekaterinburg iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Buchtele, set up by Koukal and Niclas Andersen. The three stars went to Torchenyuk, Kemppainen, and Koukal, while Monya, Buchtele, and Timashov get the honorable mentions.

Nearby in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Barys Astana. Vitaly Kolesnik and Mikhail Biryukov receive the starting nods in goal. Novokuznetsk opened with a shorthanded goal in the first period from Kirill Lebedev, set up by Fyodor Polishchuk and Alexei Vasilchenko. Metallurg added on with an Ignat Zemchenko goal, made possible by Lebedev. Astana got on the board in the second period with a Cam Barker goal, fueled by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Barys tied it with an Ivan Kuchin goal, with a lone assist by Nursultan Belgibayev. Novokuznetsk retook the lead with a Kirill Semyonov goal, helped along by Denis Vikharev and Viktor Postnikov in the third period. Metallurg finished it at 4-2 with a shorthanded goal by Alexander Komaristy, with a lone helper from Polishchuk. The three stars were Lebedev, Polishchuk, and Semyonov.

Next up, Traktor Chelyabinsk brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Vasily Demchenko draw the starts. Chelyabinsk started with a Paul Szczechura goal, assisted by Maxim Yakutsenya and Alexei Kruchinin in the first period. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov and Nikita Gusev. Traktor won 2-1 in overtime with a Kirill Koltsov goal, coming off of Yury Petrov and Alexander Chernikov. The three stars went to Koltsov, Demchenko (32 for 33 in saves), and Szczechura.

Continuing along, Avangard Omsk hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Dominik Furch are in the blue paint. Omsk got going in the second period with a Jonas Ahnelov goal, made possible by Alexei Glukhov and Denis Parshin. This was the only goal, with Avangard winning 1-0. The three stars belonged to Furch (14 save shutout), Ahnelov, and Fokin (19 for 20 in saves).

Up to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Niklas Svedberg are between the pipes. Ufa was first to score in the first period on an unassisted goal by Alexander Loginov. Salavat Yulaev added on in the second period Stepan Khripunov goal, via Sami Lepisto. Cherepovets got on the board with a Vitaly Sitnikov goal, guided in by Adam Masuhr. Ufa replied in the third period with a Konstantin Korneyev goal, made possible by Linus Omark and Andreas Engqvist. Severstal got one back with an unassisted goal by Evgeny Mons. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars handed to Korneyev, Khripunov, and Loginov.

Over to Lada Togliatti bringing in Medvescak Zagreb. Danny Taylor and Ilya Ezhov are in the creases. Zagreb led off with a Mark Katic goal in the first period, going in unassisted. Togliatti tied it on a Georgy Belousov power play goal, powered by Yefim Gurkin and Sergei Demagin. Lada took the lead with a second period power play goal by Viktor Komarov, passed from Taylor Aronson and Belousov. Medvescak tied it in the third period with a Gilbert Brule goal, courtesy of Jakub Krejcik and Katic. Zagreb took the lead with a Derek Smith goal, made possible by Colby Genoway. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars going to Katic, Belousov, and Smith.

In Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Slovan Bratislava. Justin Pogge and Emil Garipov play goal. Kazan dented the scoreboard with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, assisted by Rafael Batyrshin and Fyodor Malykhin in the second period. Ak Bars added on with a shorthanded Jiri Sekac goal, set up by Justin Azevedo. Bratislava got on the board with an Ivan Svarny power play goal, powered by Ziga Jeglic and Marek Viedensky. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars going to Sekac, Varnakov, and Garipov (24 for 25 in saves).

Down to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Konstantin Barulin guard the cages. Sochi began with a power play goal by Ilya Krikunov, powered by Oscar Fantenberg and Andre Petersson. The Leopards added on with another Krikunov power play goal, assisted by Petersson and Andrei Kostitsyn. Sochi extended the lead as Igor Ignatushkin scored, thanks to Renat Mamashev and Krikunov. Riga got on the board in the second period with a Colton Gillies goal, passed from Justin Shugg and Krisjanis Redlihs. The game ended at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Krikunov, Petersson, and Barulin (31 for 32 in saves).

Finally, Spartak Moscow brings in Jokerit Helsinki. Riku Helenius and Markus Svensson are the masked men. Moscow drew first blood in the second period on a Ryan Stoa power play goal, powered by Dmitry Kalinin and Matthew Gilroy. Helsinki tied it on a Oliver Lauridsen goal, coming off of Pekka Jormakka and Michael Keranen in the third period. Jokerit took the lead with a Peter Regin goal, assisted by Charles Genoway and Masi Marjamaki. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Regin, Lauridsen, and Helenius (30 for 31 in saves).

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Monday, August 22, 2016

KHL 2016/17 - Day 1

It's the first day of the newest season of Russian hockey. This is the ninth year for the KHL, and the beginning of my fifth year of covering it. I wasn't sure I'd do this, but I've got the motivation to go with it. With no further delay, Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosts CSKA Moscow in a rematch of last year's Gagarin Cup finals. Viktor Fasth of Moscow and Vasily Koshechkin of Magnitogorsk man the nets. Moscow opened with a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, assisted by Bud Holloway and Bogdan Kiselevich. Magnitogorsk tied it on an Oskar Osala goal, via Evgeny Timkin. Metallurg took the lead with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, coming off of Chris Lee and Andrei Bereglazov. Magnitogorsk added on with a second period goal by Sergei Tereshchenko on the power play, powered by Bereglazov and Osala. CSKA got one back with a Kugryshev goal, with a lone assist by Konstantin Alexeyev. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars awarded to Osala, Bereglazov, and Kugryshev.

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Sunday, August 21, 2016

Major League Soccer 2016 Week 24

There's a full slate this weekend, beginning with a single Saturday game from...

San Jose, as the Earthquakes host the Houston Dynamo. Joe Willis and David Bingham are in goal. Houston led off in the sixth minute with a Ricardo Clark goal. Jalil Anibaba of the Dynamo took a yellow card for an eighteenth minute foul. San Jose's Jordan Stewart had a yellow card for his forty-eighth minute foul. Houston added on in the fiftieth minute with a David Horst goal, coming off of Cristian Maidana. In the fifty-fourth minute, the Earthquakes got on the board with a Victor Bernardez goal, assisted by Alberto Quintero. Dynamo keeper Willis argued against the goal, and earned a yellow card for dissent. Bernardez took a yellow card for San Jose for his fifty-fifth minute foul. Houston saw a yellow card given to Boniek Garcia in the eighty-sixth minute for a foul. The game ended 2-1 for the Dynamo, with Horst's winner making him the man of the match.

On Saturday, the first of seven games has New York City FC welcoming the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clement Diop is mismatched with Josh Saunders in goal. New York City was first to score in the sixth minute with a David Villa goal. Los Angeles saw a yellow card for a foul by A.J. DeLaGarza in stoppage time. The game ended at 1-0, with the man of the match being Villa for his winner.

In Philadelphia, the Union bring in Toronto FC. Alex Bono and Andre Blake man the nets. Toronto began in the eighteenth minute on a Sebastian Giovinco goal, assisted by Marco Delgado. Philadelphia tied it on a Ken Tribbett goal, via Tranquillo Barnetta in the twenty-fourth minute. Toronto retook the lead in the thirtieth minute as Drew Moor scored, thanks to Michael Bradley. Moor had a yellow card for a foul in the fortieth minute, and his Toronto teammate Justin Morrow got booked for time wasting in the forty-second minute. Toronto added on with a forty-fourth minute Jozy Altidore goal, passed from Will Johnson. Toronto's Johnson took a yellow card for a forty-fifth minute foul. In the fifty-eighth minute, Bradley of Toronto had a yellow card for his foul. The Union saw yellow cards given to Barnetta for dissent in the sixty-seventh minute and Joshua Yaro for a seventy-third minute foul. The game ended 3-1, with the man of the match being Moor for his winning goal.

Crossing into Canada, the Montreal Impact host the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Evan Bush are the veterans in goal. Chicago struck first in the fifteenth minute on a Luis Solignac goal, assisted by David Accam. Solignac took a yellow card for a thirty-first minute foul for the Fire. Laurent Ciman of Montreal had a yellow card for his forty-fourth minute foul. Didier Drogba of the Impact received a yellow card in the seventy-first minute for dissent. Chicago added on with an Accam goal in the seventy-third minute, made possible by Arturo Alvarez and Michael de Leeuw. The Fire extended the lead as Matt Polster scored, thanks to Alvarez. The game ended at 3-0, with Accam the man of the match for his goal and assist.

Back stateside, the New England Revolution welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Brad Knighton are in the six-yard boxes. Columbus opened in the eighth minute on an Ethan Finlay goal, set up by Justin Meram and Hector Jimenez. New England saw yellow cards for a twenty-sixth minute London Woodberry foul and dissent from Teal Bunbury in the thirty-fifth minute. The Crew added on with a forty-ninth minute goal by Federico Higuain, assisted by Ola Kamara. Columbus' Mohammed Saeid took a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-second minute. The Revolution's Kei Kamara had a yellow card for an eighty-sixth minute. The game ended at 2-0, with the man of the match being Clark for his five-save clean sheet.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids bring in Orlando City SC. Joe Bendik and Tim Howard play goal. Colorado's Kevin Doyle and Orlando City's Jose Aja each took yellow cards for fouls in the forty-third minute. Orlando City saw two more yellow cards in the game, for a sixty-sixth minute David Mateos foul and time wasting by Brek Shea in the seventy-ninth minute. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Howard for his two-save clean sheet.

Backtracking to Kansas City, where Sporting hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted faces a lesser foe in Alec Kann in goal. Kansas City had yellow cards for Kevin Ellis in the tenth minute and Matt Besler in the sixteenth minute, both for fouls. Sporting got going with a thirty-ninth minute Jacob Peterson goal, passed from Nuno Coelho and Benny Feilhaber. Kansas City added on with a sixty-fourth minute penalty kick goal from Feilhaber. Sporting's Dominic Dwyer had a seventy-seventh minute yellow card for a foul. The game ended at 2-0, and Feilhaber was the man of the match for his role in all the scoring.

Saturday ends with Real Salt Lake welcoming FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Nick Rimando are the gloved men. Salt Lake saw a yellow card for a Tony Beltran foul in the forty-third minute. Real's Luke Mulholland had a yellow card for a fifty-seventh minute foul. Salt Lake dented the scoreboard on a seventy-eighth minute goal by Jamison Olave. Dallas had yellow cards given to Aubrey David in the eighty-first minute and Maynor Figueroa in the eighty-third minute, for a foul and dangerous play, respectively. Real's Joao Plata had a yellow card for a stoppage time foul. The game ended at 1-0, with Olave the man of the match for his winner. 

On Sunday, DC United bring in the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Bill Hamid protect the nets. DC had a yellow card for a foul by Luciano Acosta in the thirty-sixth minute for a foul. New York started with a thirty-eighth minute Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, assisted by Mike Grella and Alex Muyl. Marcelo Sarvas of United took a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-second minute. The Red Bulls added on with a sixty-fourth minute goal by Felipe, courtesy of Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan. DC got on the board with a Sarvas penalty kick goal in the seventieth minute. United tied it on a seventy-third minute Patrick Mullins goal, passed from Steve Birnbaum and Taylor Kemp. The game ended at 2-2, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host the Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson and Stefan Frei guard the woodwork. Seattle saw yellow cards for an Andreas Ivanschitz foul in the thirty-seventh minute and a dive from Joevin Jones in the fortieth minute. Portland's Diego Chara received a yellow card for a forty-second minute foul. The Sounders drew first blood in the sixty-first minute on a Clint Dempsey penalty kick goal. Seattle added on with an eightieth minute Dempsey goal, coming off of Cristian Roldan. The Sounders extended the lead as Roldan scored in the eighty-third minute, thanks to Brad Evans and Nicolas Lodeiro. Lodeiro also took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-fourth minute before the play restarted. In stoppage time, the Timbers got on the board with a Fanendo Adi goal, made possible by Alvas Powell. The game ended 3-1, with Dempsey the man of the match for his brace.

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