NHL 2016/17 - Day 52

Twelve more games fill the schedule today, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Robin Lehner protect the nets. Boston led off in the first period with a David Krejci goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Brandon Carlo and David Backes. The Bruins added on with a Patrice Bergeron goal, his fourth of the year, via David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Buffalo got on the board with an Evander Kane goal, passed from Sam Reinhart. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Rask (35 for 36 in saves), Bergeron, and Krejci.

Over in Manhattan, the New York Rangers welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Michael Leighton and Henrik Lundqvist are set to start in goal. New York opened in the first period with a Derek Stepan goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello. Carolina tied it on a Viktor Stalberg goal, his seventh of the year, courtesy of Brock McGinn and Derek Ryan in the second period. The Rangers retook the lead in the third period with a Michael Grabner goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Brady Skjei and Jesper Fast. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Victor Rask goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin. New York regained the lead on a Chris Kreider goal, his fifth of the season, via Stepan and Dan Girardi. The Rangers added on with another Kreider goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, helped along by Zuccarello and Stepan. The three stars of the 4-2 game were Stepan, Kreider, and Zuccarello.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Steve Mason are in goal. Chicago began in the first period with an Artemi Panarin goal, his ninth of the season, via Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with an Ivan Provorov goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Nick Cousins and Chris VandeVelde. The Flyers took the lead on another Provorov goal, his second of the game and third of the season, assisted by Michael Raffl. Philadelphia added on with a Brayden Schenn goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Travis Konecny. This made it 3-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Provorov, Mason (26 for 27 in saves), and Schenn.

Down in Nashville, the Predators host the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Pekka Rinne draw the starts. Nashville started in the first period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his fourth of the season, guided in by Matt Irwin and Mike Ribeiro. New Jersey tied it with a Taylor Hall goal, his sixth of the year, with a lone assist by Kyle Quincey. The Predators retook the lead with a P.K. Subban goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Colin Wilson. Nashville added on in the second period with a Fiala goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Craig Smith and Ribeiro. The Predators extended the lead as Roman Josi scored his third of the season, with the help of Mattias Ekholm and Calle Jarnkrok. The Devils got one back in the third period on a Michael Cammalleri goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Andy Greene and Travis Zajac. New Jersey got closer with a Greene goal, his third of the season, with helpers from Vernon Fiddler and Nick Lappin. The Devils tied it on an Adam Henrique power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Zajac and Hall. New Jersey won 5-4 in overtime with another Cammalleri goal, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, dished from Hall. The three stars were Cammalleri, Hall, and Fiala, while Greene, Zajac, and Ribeiro get the honorable mentions.

At the usual times, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Mike Condon are in the creases. Ottawa struck first in the first period with an Erik Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, via Ryan Dzingel and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators added on with a Derick Brassard goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Chris Wideman and Mike Hoffman. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Condon (24 save shutout), Karlsson, and Brassard.

Down in Pittsburgh, the Penguins bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau is mismatched with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Henrik Zetterberg goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Anthony Mantha and Tomas Tatar. The Red Wings added on with a Frans Nielsen goal, his sixth of the year, via Riley Sheahan and Danny DeKeyser. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Phil Kessel goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin. Detroit fired back with a Dylan Larkin goal, his eighth of the year, made possible by Thomas Vanek and Mike Green. The Penguins replied with a Nick Bonino goal in the third period, his third of the season, guided in by Ian Cole and Bryan Rust. Pittsburgh tied it as Justin Schultz scored his second of the year, thanks to Cole and Malkin. The Penguins took the lead on a Kessel goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, assisted by Hagelin and Kris Letang. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Matt Cullen, his fifth of the year, set up by Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The three stars were Kessel, Malkin, and Cole, while Hagelin gets an honorable mention.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a shorthanded Chris Thorburn goal, his second of the season, set up by Blake Wheeler. St. Louis tied it in the second period with an Alexander Steen goal, his third of the year, assisted by Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. The Blues took the lead with a Dmitrij Jaskin goal, helped along by Carl Gunnarsson and Pietrangelo. The Jets tied it on a Patrik Laine goal, his sixteenth of the season, via Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. Winnipeg won 3-2 in overtime with a Little goal, his second of the year, made possible by Laine and Dustin Byfuglien. The three stars went to Little, Laine and Pietrangelo.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop tend the twines. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Nikita Kucherov power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Victor Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. Washington tied it in the third period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by John Carlson and Marcus Johansson on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Brayden Point and Brian Boyle topped Evgeny Kuznetsov to give the Lightning a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Boyle, Bishop (34 for 35 in saves), and Holtby (32 for 33 in saves).

Way northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Ryan Miller are given the starting nods in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Daniel Sedin goal, his seventh of the season, via Luca Sbisa and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks added on in the second period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Alexandre Burrows and Nikita Tryamkin. Toronto got on the board with a James van Riemsdyk power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Tyler Bozak and Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs tied it in the third period with an Auston Matthews goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Zach Hyman and Martin Marincin. The tie went to a shootout, where Markus Granlund and Bo Horvat topped a lone tally from Mitchell Marner as the Canucks won 3-2. The three stars were Miller (38 for 40 in saves), Baertschi, and Daniel Sedin.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Curtis McElhinney and Mike Smith are set to start in goal. Columbus led off in the first period with a Boone Jenner goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Jack Johnson and David Savard. Arizona tied it in the second period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony DeAngelo on the power play. The Coyotes took the lead with a Shane Doan goal, his third of the season, coming off of Michael Stone. The Blue Jackets retied it in the third period on an Alexander Wennberg goal, his sixth of the year, via Brandon Saad and Nick Foligno. The tie went to a shootout, where Cam Atkinson and Sam Gagner won the game with their tallies for the Blue Jackets, making it a 3-2 final. The three stars went to Wennberg, Jenner, and Smith (59 for 61 in saves).

Backtracking to Denver, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Semyon Varlamov are the veteran goalies. Dallas began in the first period with a Curtis McKenzie goal, his second of the season, guided in by Devin Shore. The Stars added on in the second period with a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza. Dallas extended the lead in the third period as Patrick Eaves scored an empty net goal, his tenth of the campaign, set up by Seguin. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Seguin, Lehtonen (23 save shutout), and McKenzie.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Cam Talbot are the young goalies. Edmonton dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Drake Caggiula power play goal, powered by Patrick Maroon and Jordan Eberle. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Kesler power play goal, his ninth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Getzlaf and Cam Fowler. The Oilers retook the lead with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his fourth of the year, passed from Oscar Klefbom and Eberle. The Ducks tied it again in the third period with a Rickard Rakell goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Leon Draisaitl goal, his tenth of the year, via Andrej Sekera and Eberle. The three stars went to Eberle, Draisaitl, and Getzlaf.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 98

Seven games on, beginning early in the day in the Far East. First up...

Amur Khabarovsk hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Juha Metsola guard the cages. Khabarovsk got going in the second period on a Tomas Zohorna goal, via Vitaly Atyushov and the goalie Metsola. St. Petersburg retied it on a Sergei Shirokov goal, passed from Roman Rukavishnikov and Ilya Kablukov. SKA took the lead in the third period with a Shirokov power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Yegor Yakovlev. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Shirokov, Shestyorkin (33 for 34 in saves), and Zohorna.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Vladivostok led off in the first period with a Robert Sabolic power play goal, powered by James Wisniewski and Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. Moscow tied it in the second period with a Valery Nichushkin goal, coming off of Andrei Svetlakov. CSKA took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Kirill Petrov, helped along by Bogdan Kiselevich and Artyom Blazhiyevsky. Admiral retied it with a James Wright goal, with a lone assist by Krasnoslobodtsev. Moscow won 3-2 with another Nichushkin goal, passed from Mikhail Naumenkov and Ivan Telegin. The three stars were Nichushkin, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Petrov.

In China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing brings in Severstal Cherepovets to Shanghai. Jakub Kovar and Tomi Karhunen are in the creases. Beijing began in the first period with an Oleg Yashin goal, assisted by Zach Yuen. Kunlun Red Star added on in the third period with a Martin Bakos goal, guided in by Tomas Marcinko and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The final held from here at 2-0, with the three stars going to Karhunen (22 save shutout), Yashin, and Bakos.

Back in Russia, Lada Togliatti hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ilya Ezhov man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod dented the scoreboard on a Dmitry Semin power play goal, powered by Kaspars Daugavins and Alexander Frolov. Togliatti tied it on a Stanislav Bocharov power play goal, with a lone assist by Georgy Belousov. The tie went to a shootout, where Daugavins' lone tally gave Torpedo the 2-1 win. The three stars went to Daugavins, Proskuryakov (16 for 17 in saves), and Ezhov (30 for 31 in saves).

Over in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik brings in the Sochi Leopards. Dmitry Shikin and Ville Kolppanen draw the starts in goal. Nizhnekamsk opened in the first period with a Dmitry Ogurtsov goal, passed from Sergei Konkov. Konstantin Barulin replaced Shikin in goal. Neftekhimik added on with a Richard Gynge goal, via Dan Sexton. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the second period as Gilbert Brule scored a power play goal, thanks to Andrei Sergeyev and Sexton. Sochi got on the board with an Oscar Fantenberg power play goal, powered by Mikhail Mamkin and Ben Maxwell. Neftekhimik replied on a Brule power play goal in the third period, with a lone helper from Sergeyev. Nizhnekamsk iced it at 5-1 with a Gennady Stolyarov goal, helped along by Yegor Milovzorov. The three stars were given to Brule, Sexton, and Sergeyev.

In Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Justin Pogge are set to start in goal. Omsk started in the first period on a Mikhail Yunkov goal, assisted by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Ivan Fishchenko. Bratislava tied it on a Jeff Taffe power play goal, powered by Radek Smolenak and Andrej Meszaros. Avangard took the lead in the second period with an Anton Burdasov goal, guided in by Alexander Kucheryavenko. Slovan retied it on a Kyle Chipchura goal, fueled by Ziga Jeglic and Patrik Lusnak. Omsk regained the lead in the third period with a Vladimir Sobotka goal, via Yegor Martynov. Slovan answered on another Taffe goal, passed from Nick Plastino. Avangard countered with a power play goal by Alexander Perezhogin, made possible by Sobotka and Alexander Osipov. Omsk finished it at 5-3 with a Pyotr Khokhryakov goal, with a lone helper from Burdasov. The three stars went to Sobotka, Burdasov, and Taffe.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov is mismatched with Stanislav Galimov in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period with an unassisted Lukas Radil goal. Kazan tied it on a power play goal by Andrei Popov, powered by Anton Glinkin and Fyodor Malykhin. Ak Bars took the lead with a Malykhin power play goal in the second period, helped along by Glinkin and Stefan Elliott. Kazan added on with a Stepan Zakharchuk goal, fueled by Artyom Lukoyanov. Spartak got one back in the third period with a Vyacheslav Leshchenko goal, via Alexei Kirillov and Artyom Voronin. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Malykhin, Glinkin, and Zakharchuk.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 51

Just two games tonight, beginning with...

The Calgary Flames welcoming the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Chad Johnson are the goalies. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Chris Stewart goal, his third of the season, passed from Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. Calgary tied it on a Kris Versteeg goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Jyrki Jokipakka and Sean Monahan. The Flames took the lead with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Giordano. The Wild tied it in the third period on a Mikko Koivu goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Jason Zucker and Spurgeon. The tie went to a shootout, where Monahan and Versteeg topped Jason Pominville for a 3-2 Flames win. The three stars were Versteeg, Spurgeon, and Monahan.

The other game sees the San Jose Sharks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Martin Jones tend the twines. San Jose began in the first period with a Brent Burns power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. The Sharks added on with a Pavelski goal, his eighth of the year, via Thornton. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an Artturi Lehkonen power play goal, his third of the campaign, with assists provided by Andrew Shaw and Alex Galchenyuk. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars given to Pavelski, Thornton, and Jones (31 for 32 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 97

Six games on today, beginning with...

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosting Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Alexei Murygin man the nets. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period with an Alexander Torchenyuk power play goal, powered by Alexei Mikhnov and Alexei Vasilevsky. Yaroslavl tied it on a Yegor Korshkov goal, guided in by Mikhail Pashnin and Rushan Rafikov. Avtomobilist took the lead back with a Torchenyuk goal in the second period, passed from Andrei Alexeyev and Denis Mingaleyev. Lokomotiv tied it on a Vladislav Kartayev goal, coming off of Nikita Cherepanov and Alexander Kadeikin. Yaroslavl took the lead in the third period with a Stanislav Chistov goal, made possible by Andrei Loktionov. Yekaterinburg retied it on a Mingaleyev goal, helped along by Alexeyev. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Loktionov goal, assisted by Brandon Kozun and Maxime Talbot. Yaroslavl iced it at 5-3 with a Petri Kontiola empty net goal, set up by Talbot and Cherepanov. The three stars were Loktionov, Torchenyuk, and Mingaleyev, while Alexeyev, Talbot, and Cherepanov get the honorable mentions.

Southwest to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes Barys Astana. Henrik Karlsson faces a lesser foe in Igor Saprykin in goal. Podolsk started in the first period with an Alexander Nikulin goal, assisted by Maxim Afinogenov. Astana tied it in the second period with a Kevin Dallman power play goal, powered by Brandon Bochenski. Vityaz retook the lead with an Afinogenov power play goal in the third period, coming off of Nikulin and Igor Golovkov. Podolsk added on with an Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi goal, helped along by Alexei Semenov and Golovkov. Vityaz extended the lead as Mario Kempe scored, thanks to Semenov and Alexei Kopeikin. Barys got one back with a Martin St. Pierre goal, with a lone assist by Bochenski. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Afinogenov, Nikulin, and Golovkov, while Semenov and Bochenski receive honorable mentions.

Over in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Ben Scrivens are in the blue paint. Ufa opened in the first period with an Evgeny Bodrov goal, helped along by Denis Parshin and Stanislav Gareyev. Minsk tied it on an Alexander Materukhin power play goal in the third period, powered by Matt Ellison and Rob Klinkhammer. Dinamo took the lead with an Evgeny Lisovets goal, assisted by Materukhin. Salavat Yulaev retied it on an Evgeny Korotkov goal, passed from Stepan Khripunov and Maxim Mayorov. In the shootout, Mayorov won it with the lone tally for Ufa for a 3-2 result. The three stars were Mayorov, Materukhin, and Korotkov.

Next up, Slovan Bratislava hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Barry Brust are set to start in goal. Bratislava began in the first period with an unassisted Andrej Meszaros power play goal. Novokuznetsk tied it on an Ignat Zemchenko penalty shot goal after Igor Musatov hooked him. Metallurg took the lead with a Nikita Yazkov goal, made possible by Vladislav Arbuzov and Fyodor Polishchuk. Slovan retied it on a Tomas Kundratek power play goal, powered by Radek Smolenak. Novokuznetsk regained the lead with a Polishchuk goal, assisted by Arbuzov and Denis Vikharev. Bratislava retied it with a third period goal from Kyle Chipchura, helped along by Ziga Jeglic. Metallurg pulled ahead again with a shorthanded goal by Alexei Razumov, set up by Nikita Lyamkin. Slovan tied it once more with a Michal Hlinka goal, passed from Boris Sadecky and Lukas Vopelka. Evgeny Solovyov had the only shootout tally, lifting Metallurg to the 5-4 win. The three stars were given to Polishchuk, Arbuzov, and Razumov.

Back in Russia, Dynamo Moscow welcomes Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov faces his former teammate and mentor, Alexander Yeryomenko, in goal. Moscow struck first in the first period with a Mat Robinson goal, fueled by Alexei Tsvetkov and Artyom Fyodorov. Dynamo added on in the second period with a Martins Karsums power play goal, powered by Daniil Tarasov and Alexei Tereshchenko. Moscow extended the lead on a Robinson power play goal, helped along by Fyodorov and Tsvetkov. Dynamo padded the lead as Juuso Hietanen scored a power play goal, with the help of Ilya Nikulin and Artyom Podshendyalov. Moscow continued with Tarasov's second goal of the game, guided in by Karsums and Tereshchenko. Dynamo iced it at 6-0 with a Fyodorov power play goal, with a lone assist by Tsvetkov. The three stars were Robinson, Fyodorov, and Tsvetkov (sock trick), while Tarasov, Karsums, Tereshchenko, and Yeryomenko (17 save shutout) receive the honorable mentions.

Finally Dinamo Riga brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Janis Kalnins draw the starts in goal. Riga was first to score with an unassisted goal by Oskars Cibulskis in the first period. Magnitogorsk tied it in the second period on a Tomas Filippi goal, via Oskar Osala. Metallurg took the lead with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Danis Zaripov and Viktor Antipin. Dinamo tied it with a Miks Indrasis goal, courtesy of Lauris Darzins. Riga took the lead with an Indrasis power play goal, his second of the game, made possible by Maris Bicevskis and Darzins. Magnitogorsk retied it in the third period on a Zaripov goal, guided in by Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. In the shootout, Gints Meija had the only tally for Dinamo to win 4-3. The three stars were Indrasis, Zaripov, and Mozyakin, while Darzins gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 50

Twelve games on tonight, beginning in...

Boston, as the Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward faces one of his former backups, Anton Khudobin, in goal. Carolina got going in the second period on a Noah Hanifin power play goal, his second of the season, powered by Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan. Boston tied it in the third period on a Torey Krug goal, his second of the year, via David Pastrnak and David Krejci. The tie went to a shootout, where Ryan Spooner and Pastrnak lifted the Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Hurricanes' lone tally from Jaccob Slavin. The three stars went to Pastrnak, Khudobin (29 for 30 in saves), and Ward (34 for 35 in saves).

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Anders Nilsson goal. Buffalo started in the first period with a Johan Larsson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Jake McCabe and Brian Gionta. New York tied it on a Ryan McDonagh power play goal, powered by Derek Stepan. The Rangers took the lead in the second period on a Rick Nash power play goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Jimmy Vesey and Adam Clendening. The Sabres retied it on a Gionta goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Marcus Foligno. New York retook the lead on a Marc Staal goal, his second of the year, coming off of Jesper Fast and Chris Kreider. Buffalo tied it on a Jack Eichel power play goal in the third period, his second of the season, via Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres went ahead on Eichel's second of the game and third of the year, helped along by Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane. This made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars awarded to Eichel, Gionta, and Larsson.

In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Marc-Andre Fleury are the veterans in goal. Pittsburgh opened in the first period with an Ian Cole goal, his second of the season, coming off of Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz. Dallas tied it on a Devin Shore goal, his second of the year, via Patrick Eaves and Stephen Johns. The Penguins retook the lead on a Patric Hornqvist goal in the second period, his sixth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Kessel. The Stars tied it again on a Tyler Seguin power play goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. Pittsburgh pulled ahead on a Sidney Crosby goal, his sixteenth of the season, assisted by Conor Sheary and Hornqvist. The Penguins added on in the third period with a Sheary goal, his sixth of the year, fueled by Crosby and Schultz. Pittsburgh extended the lead on an empty net goal by Eric Fehr, his third of the season, set up by Tom Kuhnhackl and Kris Letang. The Penguins iced it at 6-2 as Nick Bonino scored his second of the year, thanks to Scott Wilson and Cole. The three stars went to Sheary, Crosby, and Cole, while Hornqvist and Schultz get the honorable mentions.

Back east, the Washington Capitals host the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak and Braden Holtby protect the nets. New York dented the scoreboard in the third period on a Shane Prince goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Casey Cizikas. The Islanders added on with a Brock Nelson goal, his sixth of the year, via John Tavares and Josh Bailey. New York extended the lead as Jason Chimera scored his third of the campaign, thanks to Andrew Ladd. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars given to Halak (38 save shutout), Prince, and Nelson.

Northwest to Detroit, where the Red Wings welcome the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Petr Mrazek are in the creases. Detroit led off in the first period with an unassisted Henrik Zetterberg goal, his fourth of the season. Florida tied it on a Jason Demers goal, his third of the year, coming off of Keith Yandle and Reilly Smith. The Panthers won 2-1 in overtime on an Aleksander Barkov goal, his third of the campaign, with a lone helper by Jonathan Marchessault. The three stars went to Luongo (20 for 21 in saves), Barkov, and Demers.

In Ottawa, the Senators bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Mike Condon are set to start in goal. Ottawa began in the first period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Mark Stone and Kyle Turris. The Senators added on in the second period with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Dion Phaneuf and Turris. Philadelphia got on the board with a Claude Giroux goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist from Jakub Voracek. The Flyers tied it with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his third of the year, passed from Mark Streit and Matt Read. Philadelphia won 3-2 in overtime on a Giroux goal, his second of the game and seventh of the campaign, assisted by Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere. The three stars were handed to Giroux, Turris, and Voracek.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Allen play goal. St. Louis struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his eleventh of the season, with a lone assist by Colton Parayko.. The Blues added on with a Tarasenko power play goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, powered by Alexander Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Cedric Paquette goal, his second of the season, via Jonathan Drouin and Joel Vermin. St. Louis replied on a Shattenkirk power play goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Steen and Robby Fabbri. The Blues extended the lead in the second period as Shattenkirk scored again, his second of the game and sixth of the season, made possible by Steen, who got a sock trick, and Tarasenko. The Lightning got one back with a Tyler Johnson goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay edged closer in the third period with a Kucherov power play goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Victor Hedman and Brian Boyle. St. Louis responded with a Tarasenko goal to complete his hat trick on his thirteenth of the campaign, guided in by Fabbri and Shattenkirk. The Lightning pulled back with a Paquette goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers provided by Drouin and Vermin. The final stayed at 5-4, with the three stars being Tarasenko, Shattenkirk, and Steen, while Kucherov, Paquette, Fabbri, Drouin, and Vermin get the honorable mentions.

Into Canada again, with the Winnipeg Jets welcoming the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Winnipeg was first to score in the first period with a Bryan Little goal, coming off of Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford. Edmonton tied it on a Mark Letestu goal, his third of the season, via Leon Draisaitl and Andrej Sekera on the power play. The Jets retook the lead on a Patrik Laine power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Toby Enstrom and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Oilers tied it again in the second period on a Draisaitl goal, his eighth of the season, a power play goal made possible by Milan Lucic and Connor McDavid. Edmonton took the lead on a Letestu power play goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with assists provided by Lucic and McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Patrick Maroon goal, his seventh of the season, fueled by Zack Kassian and Letestu. Winnipeg countered in the third period on Laine's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, a power play goal courtesy of Dustin Byfuglien and Wheeler. Edmonton shot back on a Draisaitl goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, helped along by McDavid, who earned a sock trick, and Adam Larsson. The Oilers iced it at 6-3 as Benoit Pouliot scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Sekera and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The three stars went to Letestu, Draisaitl, and McDavid, while Laine, Lucic, Sekera, and Wheeler get the honorable mentions.

Stateside once more for the Chicago Blackhawks bringing in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Corey Crawford tend the twines. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Travis Zajac goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Kyle Palmieri and Damon Severson. Chicago tied it in the second period with a Marcus Kruger goal, his second of the year, passed from Dennis Rasmussen and Brent Seabrook. The Devils retook the lead on a Zajac power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by Palmieri. The Blackhawks tied it again with an Artem Anisimov goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Duncan Keith and Seabrook. Chicago took the lead on an unassisted Niklas Hjalmarsson goal, his third of the year. New Jersey retied it in the third period with a Zajac goal, completing his hat trick on his eighth of the season, via Michael Cammalleri. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime on a Marian Hossa goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Patrick Kane and Keith. The three stars were Keith, Zajac, and Seabrook, while Palmieri gets an honorable mention.

Out west, the Colorado Avalanche host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Semyon Varlamov are the Russian goalies. Columbus started in the first period with a Brandon Saad goal, his seventh of the season, coming off of Scott Hartnell and Jack Johnson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Nick Foligno goal, his ninth of the year, via Saad and Seth Jones. Colorado got on the board in the second period with a Blake Comeau power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Erik Johnson and Francois Beauchemin. The Avalanche tied it on a Samuel Henley goal, with a lone assist from Tyson Barrie. Columbus took the lead back in the third period with a Boone Jenner goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Cam Atkinson. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Saad, Jenner, and Foligno.

Down in Arizona, the Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Mike Smith receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona began in the first period with a Martin Hanzal power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Radim Vrbata and Michael Stone. Los Angeles tied it on a Dwight King goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The Coyotes retook the lead with a Hanzal power play goal, his second of the game and fifth of the season, with assists provided by Stone and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Kings tied it on a second period goal by Jordan Nolan, fueled by Kyle Clifford and Nick Shore. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period on another Nolan goal, his second of the game, going in unassisted. Arizona retied it on a Tobias Rieder goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Alex Goligoski and Jordan Martinook. The Kings retook the lead with a Trevor Lewis goal, his third of the campaign, assisted by Marian Gaborik and Kopitar. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Nolan, Hanzal, and Kopitar, while Stone gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Ryan Miller are between the pipes. Anaheim got going in the second period on a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks added on with an Ondrej Kase goal, passed from Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie. Vancouver got on the board in the third period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his sixth of the year, via Loui Eriksson. Anaheim replied on an Andrew Cogliano goal, his sixth of the campaign, helped along by Shea Theodore. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Gibson (27 for 28 in saves), Kase, and Cogliano.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 96

Eight games on today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Juha Metsola guard the cages. Khabarovsk opened in the first period with a Vladislav Ushenin goal, with a lone assist by Vyacheslav Litovchenko. Moscow tied it in the second period on a Kirill Petrov power play goal, powered by Alexander Popov and Vyacheslav Osnovin. CSKA took the lead on an Osnovin power play goal in the third period, helped along by Popov and Petrov. The three stars of the 2-1 game were Osnovin, Petrov, and Sorokin (20 for 21 in saves), while Popov gets an honorable mention.

South to Vladivostok, where Admiral welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Vladivostok got going in the second period with a Dmitry Lugin goal, helped along by Viktor Alexandrov. Cherepovets tied it on a Denis Yezhov power play goal, powered by Clay Wilson and Igor Magogin. Admiral retook the lead on a Sergei Barbashev goal, assisted by Pavel Makarenko. The game ended at 2-1, with the three stars being Barbashev, Lugin, and Nalimov (19 for 20 in saves).

Down in China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing hosts SKA St. Petersburg in Shanghai. Igor Shestyorkin and Andrei Makarov are the masked men. Beijing started in the first period with a Tomi Sallinen goal, via Joonas Jarvinen and Tommi Taimi. St. Petersburg tied it on a Sergei Plotnikov goal, guided in by Ilya Kovalchuk and Andrei Zubarev. SKA took the lead with an Evgeny Dadonov goal, coming off of Nikita Gusev and Dinar Khafizullin in the second period. St. Petersburg added on with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, made possible by Viktor Tikhonov and Yegor Rykov. Kunlun Red Star got one back on a Damien Fleury goal, passed from Sean Collins. SKA replied with a Dadonov goal in the third period, his second of the game, powered by Maxim Chudinov and Vadim Shipachyov on the power play. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Dadonov finished his hat trick with the help of Shipachyov. Beijing answered with a Tuukka Mantyla goal, with assists provided by Linus Videll and Chad Rau on the power play. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Dadonov, Shipachyov, Koskiranta.

Out west, Lada Togliatti brings in Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov and Ilya Ezhov are in the blue paint. Togliatti dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Nikita Filatov power play goal, powered by Taylor Aronson. Lada added on with a Viktor Komarov goal, going in unassisted. Togliatti extended the lead as Alexander Streltsov scored, thanks to Stanislav Bocharov and Vasily Streltsov. Moscow got on the board with a Ryan Stoa power play goal in the third period, made possible by Matthew Gilroy and Lukas Radil. The final held from here at 3-1, with the three stars being Komarov, Ezhov (22 for 23 in saves), and Alexander Streltsov.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ivan Lisutin are set to start in goal. Nizhny Novgorod led off in the first period with a Brandon McMillan power play goal, powered by Carter Ashton and Nikolai Zherdev. Nizhnekamsk tied it on an Igor Polygalov power play goal, with assists provided by Konstantin Makarov and Gennady Stolyarov. Torpedo replied on an Ashton goal, made possible by Sam Lofquist and Evgeny Grachyov. Neftekhimik retied it on a Richard Gynge power play goal, coming off of Kirill Lyamin. Nizhny Novgorod took the lead again with a John Norman goal, passed from Lofquist and Ashton. Nizhnekamsk tied it once again with a Dan Sexton power play goal, guided in by Lyamin and Gilbert Brule. Torpedo pulled ahead in the second period with McMillan's second of the game, fueled by Ashton and Zherdev on the power play. Nizhny Novgorod added on with an Alexander Frolov goal, assisted by Kaspars Daugavins and Kirill Vorobyov. Ville Kolppanen replaced Lisutin in goal. Neftekhimik got one back in the third period on a Yegor Milovzorov goal, with helpers from Stolyarov and Polygalov. Nizhnekamsk tied it late with an unassisted goal by Milovzorov. Neftekhimik won 6-5 in overtime with a Lyamin goal, set up by Polygalov. The three stars went to Polygalov, Lyamin, and Milovzorov, while Stolyarov, McMillan, Ashton, Lofquist, and Zherdev receive the honorable mentions.

Into Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Ryan Zapolski are between the pipes. Chelyabinsk began in the first period with a Dmitry Pestunov power play goal, powered by Paul Szczechura. Helsinki tied it in the third period with a Ville Lajunen power play goal, fueled by Joey Hishon and Topi Jaakola. Jokerit won 2-1 in overtime on a Rasmus Rissanen goal, helped along by Joonas Jalvanti and Sakari Salminen. The three stars were Rissanen, Lajunen, and Zapolski (21 for 22 in saves).

Back in Russia, Ak Bars Kazan hosts the Sochi Leopards. Dmitry Shikin and Emil Garipov draw the starts in goal. Kazan struck first in the first period with a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, assisted by Artyom Lukoyanov and Andrei Chibisov. Sochi tied it on an Alexander Mereskin goal, via Denis Tolpeko and Sergei Kuznetsov on the power play. The Leopards took the lead in the second period with a Yegor Morozov goal, with a lone assist by Kuznetsov. Sochi added on in the third period with an Andrei Kostitsyn empty net goal to ice the game at 3-1, set up by Ilya Krikunov. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Morozov, and Shikin (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Michael Garnett are given the starting nods in goal. Omsk was first to score in the first period with a Yegor Martynov goal, guided in by Vladimir Sobotka and David Booth. Avangard added on with a Booth goal, passed from Sobotka and Anton Burdasov. Omsk extended the lead as Booth scored again, thanks to Valentin Pyanov. Garnett was relieved by Drew MacIntyre in goal. Zagreb got on the board with a Terry Galiardi power play goal in the second period, powered by Colby Genoway and Jakub Krejcik. Avangard answered in the third period with a Mikhail Yunkov goal, made possible by Pyanov and Jonas Ahnelov. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Booth, Sobotka, and Pyanov.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 49

Just three games on tonight, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Thomas Greiss are in goal. New York opened in the first period on a Johnny Boychuk goal, his third of the season, coming off of Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson. The Islanders added on in the second period with a Jason Chimera goal, his second of the year, via Scott Mayfield and Anthony Beauvillier. New York extended the lead as Casey Cizikas scored his third of the season, with the help of Mayfield and Andrew Ladd. Pittsburgh got on the board in the third period on a Conor Sheary goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. The Penguins got closer with a Justin Schultz goal, assisted by Ian Cole. Pittsburgh tied it on an Evgeni Malkin goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Brian Dumoulin and Crosby. The Islanders regained the lead with an Anders Lee goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Thomas Hickey and Boychuk. New York iced it at 5-3 with a Nikolay Kulemin empty net goal, his second of the campaign, set up by Cizikas. The three stars were Boychuk, Cizikas, and Mayfield, while Crosby gets an honorable mention.

Over west to Calgary, where the Flames welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jhonas Enroth and Chad Johnson are the former Buffalo Sabres in goal. Calgary started with a Freddie Hamilton goal in the first period, made possible by Micheal Ferland and Deryk Engelland. The Flames added on with a Kris Versteeg goal, his third of the season, via Sean Monahan and Troy Brouwer. Calgary extended the lead as Matt Stajan scored his second of the year, passed from Michael Frolik and Alex Chiasson. The final held at 3-0, with the three stars going to Johnson (39 save shutout), Hamilton, and Versteeg.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Peter Budaj are in the creases. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Kevin Labanc goal, his second of the season, passed from Logan Couture and Joel Ward. The Sharks added on with a Couture goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Joonas Donskoi and Ward. San Jose extended the lead as Ryan Carpenter scored, thanks to Mikkel Boedker. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Dustin Brown power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Marian Gaborik and Nic Dowd. The Sharks iced it at 4-1 with a Couture empty net goal in the third period, his second of the game and ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Couture, Ward, and Jones (26 for 27 in saves).

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MLS Conference Finals - Leg 2

These games will determine which two teams play for MLS Cup this year. The first is on Sunday...

With the Colorado Rapids looking to come back from a 2-1 deficit against the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Zac MacMath are the keepers. Seattle saw a fourteenth minute yellow card for Roman Torres delaying the restart of play. The Sounders got going in the fifty-sixth minute with a Jordan Morris goal, coming off of Nelson Valdez. Colorado's Marc Burch had a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute. The game ended 1-0, with Morris the man of the match as the Sounders advanced on a 3-1 aggregate score.

For the Eastern Conference, Toronto FC hosts Montreal Impact on Wednesday. Evan Bush and Clint Irwin are the goalies. Laurent Ciman of Montreal had a yellow card for an eighth minute foul. The Impact started with a Dominic Oduro goal in the twenty-fourth minute, via Matteo Mancosu. Toronto tied the game with an Armando Cooper goal in the thirty-seventh minute. Toronto tied the aggregate series and went ahead in the game with a forty-fifth minute Jozy Altidore goal, set up by Sebastian Giovinco. Montreal retook the series lead by tying the game with a fifty-third minute goal from Ignacio Piatti, helped along by Johan Venegas. Toronto put everything level with a sixty-eighth minute goal by Nick Hagglund, made possible by Justin Morrow. In the eighty-second minute, Hassoun Camara took a yellow card for a foul for the Impact. With the series tied at 5 on aggregate, the game went to extra time. Toronto poured on in the game with a ninety-eighth minute Benoit Cheyrou goal, passed from Steven Beitashour. Toronto made it 7-5 in aggregate with a 100th minute Tosaint Ricketts goal, via Altidore. This was how it all ended, with the man of the this match being Altidore as Toronto is set to host the Seattle Sounders FC in the MLS Cup final.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 95

Six games on for today, beginning with...

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosting Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Alexei Murygin are the masked men. Yaroslavl dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Petri Kontiola goal, passed from Maxime Talbot and Rushan Rafikov. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Murygin (19 save shutout), Kontiola, and Sharychenkov (26 for 27 in saves).

Along to Podolsk, where Vityaz welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Vladimir Sokhatsky and Harri Sateri are the goalies. Podolsk started in the first period with a Roman Horak power play goal, powered by Jakub Jerabek and Alexei Kopeikin. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Nikolai Timashov goal, going in unassisted. Vityaz retook the lead with a Mario Kempe power play goal, coming off of Miro Aaltonen and Jerabek. Podolsk added on with an Aaltonen power play goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Jerabek, who earned a sock trick. Avtomobilist got one back on a Dmitry Megalinsky power play goal, with assists from Alexander Torchenyuk and Alexei Mikhnov. This only made it 3-2, the eventual final, with the three stars being Aaltonen, Jerabek, and Kempe.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor and Barry Brust are the North American goalies. Novosibirsk opened in the first period with a Konstantin Okulov goal, assisted by Maxim Shalunov. Sibir added on with an Okulov goal, guided in by Alexei Glukhov and Vitaly Menshikov. Bratislava got on the board in the second period with a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, powered by the goalie Brust. Novosibirsk shot back with an Okulov power play goal to complete his hat trick, with the help of Glukhov. Sibir extended the lead as Zach Boychuk scored, thanks to Shalunov. Slovan got one back in the third period on a Radek Smolenak goal, with a lone assist by Cheechoo. Novosibirsk iced it at 5-2 with a Fyodor Belyakov goal, made possible by Boychuk and Stepan Sannikov. The three stars were Okulov, Boychuk, and Glukhov, while Cheechoo and Shalunov get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia, Dynamo Moscow hosts Barys Astana. Kevin Poulin and Alexander Yeryomenko draw the starts in goal. Moscow got going on a Martins Karsums goal, fueled by Ilya Nikulin. Dynamo added on with an unassisted goal by Juuso Hietanen. Moscow iced it at 3-0 with an Artyom Fyodorov goal, passed from Alexei Tsvetkov. The three stars went to Yeryomenko (31 save shutout), Karsums, and Hietanen.

In Riga, Dinamo welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Gavrilov and Jakub Sedlacek are in the creases. Ufa led off in the first period with an unassisted Denis Kulyash goal. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Kirill Kaprizov goal, coming off of Evgeny Korotkov in the second period. Ufa extended the lead as Anton Lazarev scored in the third period, thanks to Evgeny Bodrov and Sami Lepisto. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars belonging to Gavrilov (25 save shutout), Kulyash, and Kaprizov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Drew MacIntyre are set to start in goal. Novokuznetsk began in the first period with a Timur Fatkullin goal, helped along by Ignat Zemchenko. Metallurg added on in the second period with an Andrei Taratukhin goal, via Denis Vikharev and Alexei Vasilchenko. Michael Garnett replaced MacIntyre for the third period. Zagreb got on the board with a Goran Bezina goal, assisted by Colby Genoway and Terry Galiardi. Novokuznetsk shot back with an Alexander Komaristy goal, fueled by Zemchenko. Medvescak got one back with an Edwin Hedberg penalty shot goal after Kareyev displaced the net. The game ended 3-2, with the three stars going to Zemchenko, Komaristy, and Taratukhin.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 48

There's twelve games on tonight in a busy NHL. We begin with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Henrik Lundqvist are the veterans in goal. Carolina led off in the first period with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Matt Tennyson and Joakim Nordstrom. The Hurricanes added on with another Stalberg goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, coming off of Jay McClement. New York got on the board in the second period on a Nick Holden goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Rangers tied it in the third period on an unassisted Rick Nash goal, his tenth of the year. New York took the lead with a Jimmy Vesey power play goal, his eighth of the campaign, powered by Nash and Brady Skjei. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Nash, Vesey, and Stalberg.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky are the Russian goalies. Columbus opened in the first period with a William Karlsson goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Josh Anderson and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets added on with an Alexander Wennberg goal, his fifth of the year, made possible by Seth Jones in the second period. Columbus extended the lead as Anderson scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Scott Hartnell and Markus Nutivaara. The Blue Jackets padded the lead in the third period on a Hartnell goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of David Savard and Anderson. Columbus struck again with a Sam Gagner goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his fifth of the year, helped along by Brayden Point and Andrej Sustr. This only made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars handed to Anderson, Hartnell, and Bobrovsky (26 for 27 in saves).

Up in Detroit, the Red Wings bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Petr Mrazek are in the blue paint. Dallas started in the first period with an Esa Lindell goal, his second of the season, via Tyler Seguin. Detroit tied it on a Dylan Larkin power play goal, his seventh of the year, powered by Mike Green and Frans Nielsen. The Red Wings took the lead in the second period on an Anthony Mantha power play goal, his third of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. Detroit iced it at 3-1 in the third period with an empty net goal by Steve Ott, his second of the year, set up by Thomas Vanek. The three stars were Mrazek (34 for 35 in saves), Mantha, and Larkin.

Into Ontario, where the Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner faces his former team and Craig Anderson in goal. Buffalo began in the first period with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres added on with an Eichel power play goal, via Ryan O'Reilly and Ristolainen. Ottawa got on the board with a Mike Hoffman goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Mark Borowiecki and Derick Brassard. Buffalo replied with an O'Reilly goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Josh Gorges and Cody Franson. The Senators chipped back with a Mark Stone power play goal in the second period, his seventh of the year, helped along by Kyle Turris and Hoffman. The Sabres responded on a Sam Reinhart goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Evander Kane. Ottawa countered with a Hoffman goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, fueled by Erik Karlsson and Stone. Buffalo answered on an O'Reilly power play goal in the third period, his second of the game and sixth of the season, with assists provided by Reinhart and Okposo. The Senators fired back with a Hoffman power play goal to complete his hat trick on his seventh of the year, with helpers from Dion Phaneuf and Karlsson. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars given to O'Reilly, Hoffman, and Eichel, while Stone, Okposo, Reinhart, Ristolainen, and Karlsson receive the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Steve Mason are the masked men. Philadelphia struck first in the first period with a Michael Del Zotto goal, his second of the season, coming off of Wayne Simmonds and Travis Konecny. The Flyers added on with a Claude Giroux power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn. Boston got on the board in the third period with a David Krejci goal, his third of the season, passed from Torey Krug. The Bruins tied it on a Brad Marchand goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by Krug and Brandon Carlo. The tie went to a shootout, where Voracek and Marchand exchanged goals before Shayne Gostisbehere won it for the Flyers by a 3-2 score. The three stars were given to Mason (45 for 47 in saves), Voracek, and Marchand.

Into Canada again, where the Winnipeg Jets bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Connor Hellebuyck are the young goalies. Winnipeg got going in the second period on a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirteenth of the season, guided in by Dustin Byfuglien and Nikolaj Ehlers. The Jets added on with a Blake Wheeler goal, his eighth of the year, via Andrew Copp and Jacob Trouba. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a Miles Wood goal, made possible by Adam Henrique. Winnipeg answered with a Patrik Laine goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Scheifele and Ben Chiarot. The Devils got one back on a Nick Lappin goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Damon Severson. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Scheifele, Laine, and Wood.

South to Chicago, where the Blackhawks host the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago was first to score in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his seventh of the season, passed from Dennis Rasmussen and Marcus Kruger. Florida tied it in the third period with a Jaromir Jagr goal, his fourth of the year, a power play goal powered by Jonathan Marchessault and Aaron Ekblad. The tie went to a shootout, where Artemi Panarin and Panik scored to make it a 2-1 Blackhawks win. The three stars were Crawford (38 for 39 in saves), Panik, and Luongo (32 for 33 in saves).

Northwest to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot are set to start in goal. Toronto led off in the first period with an Auston Matthews goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by William Nylander and Nikita Zaitsev. The Maple Leafs added on in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Tyler Bozak and Mitchell Marner. Edmonton got on the board with an Andrej Sekera goal, his third of the season, made possible by Kris Russell and Connor McDavid. Toronto replied with a Nazem Kadri goal, his tenth of the year, via Leo Komarov. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Zach Hyman scored his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Oilers got one back in the third period with a McDavid goal, his eleventh of the year, assisted by Milan Lucic. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to McDavid, Kadri, and Hyman.

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne faces a lesser foe in Calvin Pickard in goal. Nashville began in the first period with a Mike Fisher goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Austin Watson and Anthony Bitetto. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen goal, his third of the year, passed from Rene Bourque and Fedor Tyutin. The Predators retook the lead in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen. Nashville added on with a Kevin Fiala goal, his third of the year, guided in by Roman Josi and Mike Ribeiro. The Avalanche got one back with a Bourque goal, his eighth of the season, made possible by Nikita Zadorov and Rantanen. The Predators shot back on a Johansen goal in the third period, his fifth of the year, going in unassisted. Nashville extended the lead as Watson scored, thanks to Josi and Frederick Gaudreau. Colorado chipped back on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his third of the campaign, with helpers from Tyson Barrie and Matt Duchene. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Watson, Bourque, and Rantanen, while Josi gets an honorable mention.

In California, the San Jose Sharks host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Martin Jones receive the starting nods in goal. Arizona dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Max Domi goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Radim Vrbata and Luke Schenn. San Jose tied it with a Chris Tierney goal, his second of the year, via Mikkel Boedker and Justin Braun. The Sharks won 2-1 in overtime with a Brent Burns power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The three stars were Jones (18 for 19 in saves), Burns, and Tierney.

Up to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Kuemper and Ryan Miller are the sub-par goalies. Minnesota opened in the first period with a Jason Pominville goal, his fourth of the season, via Nino Niederreiter and Marco Scandella. The Wild added on in the second period with another Pominville goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, courtesy of Erik Haula and Jason Zucker. Vancouver got on the board with a Brandon Sutter power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Troy Stecher and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks tied it on a Ben Hutton power play goal, his third of the year, with assists provided by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver took the lead in the third period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Michael Chaput and Hutton. The Canucks extended the lead as Bo Horvat scored his eighth of the year, with the help of Luca Sbisa and Sutter. Minnesota pulled back with a Zucker goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild tied it on a Haula goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Vancouver won 5-4 with a Sven Baertschi goal, his third of the campaign, made possible by Stecher and Alexandre Burrows. The three stars went to Sutter, Hutton, and Pominville, while Zucker, Haula, Henrik Sedin, and Stecher get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and John Gibson guard the cages. Anaheim started in the first period with a Rickard Rakell power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Ryan Kesler and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks added on in the second period with a Cam Fowler goal, his seventh of the year, via Jakob Silfverberg and Kesler. Montreal got on the board in the third period with an Andrew Shaw goal, his fifth of the campaign, assisted by Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Gibson (39 for 40 in saves), Kesler, and Price (36 for 38 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 94

Five games on for a slightly light day for the KHL. We begin with...

Lada Togliatti hosting the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Ilya Ezhov are in goal. Togliatti opened in the first period on a Maxim Rybin power play goal, powered by Yefim Gurkin and Stanislav Bocharov. Lada added on with a Nikita Filatov goal, guided in by Andrei Ivanov. Barulin was ejected after this goal, forcing Dmitry Shikin into the net. Sochi got on the board with an Igor Ignatushkin power play goal in the second period, assisted by Mikhail Mamkin and Oscar Fantenberg. Togliatti replied with a Viktor Komarov goal, via Filatov. The Leopards answered on an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, fueled by Fantenberg. Lada iced it at 4-2 with a Filatov empty net goal, his second of the game going in unassisted. The three stars went to Filatov, Fantenberg, and Komarov.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk welcomes Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Ville Kolppanen man the nets. Nizhnekamsk started in the first period with a Pavel Poryadin goal, fueled by Pavel Kulikov. Moscow tied it on an Artyom Voronin goal, helped along by Matthew Gilroy. Neftekhimik retook the lead on a Bogdan Yakimov goal, coming off of Pavel Zdunov. Spartak tied it again in the third period with an Igor Mirnov goal, courtesy of Gilroy. Nizhnekams took the lead again with a Kulikov goal, made possible by Podyadin and Sergei Konkov. Moscow retied it with a Voronin goal, passed from Vladislav Provolnev. Spartak won 4-3 with a Mirnov power play goal, powered by Vadim Berdnikov and Alexei Bondarev. The three stars were Mirnov, Voronin, and Kulikov, while Gilroy and Poryadin get the honorable mentions.

To Kazan, where Ak Bars hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Emil Garipov are in the creases. Kazan led off in the first period with a Justin Azevedo goal, helped along by Atte Ohtamaa and Jiri Sekac. Ak Bars added on in the second period with an Andrei Popov goal, guided in by Mikhail Sidorov and Stepan Zakharchuk. Kazan extended the lead as Anton Glinkin scored, with the help of Michal Jordan and Albert Yarullin. Ak Bars padded the lead on a Sekac goal, passed from Azevedo and Alexander Svitov. Kazan kept going on an unassisted Mikhail Glukhov goal, going in unassisted. The final held at 5-0 after Ilya Proskuryakov replaced Kasutin in goal, and the three stars went to Azevedo, Sekac, and Garipov (28 save shutout).

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Ben Scrivens are set to start in goal. Chelyabinsk began in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted goal by Alexander Chernikov. Traktor added on in the second period on an Alexei Kruchinin goal, via Paul Szczechura and Kirill Koltsov. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars being Francouz (34 save shutout), Chernikov, and Kruchinin.

Finally, Jokerit Helsinki hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Ilya Samsonov and Riku Helenius are the backups in goal. Magnitogorsk struck first in the first period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Helsinki tied it on a Jesse Joensuu goal, via Peter Regin and Pekka Jormakka in the third period. Metallurg regained the lead with an Ilya Berestennikov goal, assisted by Evgeny Timkin. Jokerit tied it again with a Jesper Jensen goal, courtesy of Tommi Huhtala. Helsinki took the lead with a Jensen goal, passed from Sakari Salminen and Huhtala. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Jensen, Huhtala, and Joensuu.

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2016/17 Hockey - KHL Day 93/NHL Day 47

It's a small day for both leagues, so we'll do today's blogging in one post. In the first of four KHL games...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the goalies. Vladivostok opened in the first period with an unassisted goal by Alexander Gorshkov. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Artyom Gareyev goal in the second period, fueled by Tommi Kivisto and Petr Koukal. Avtomobilist took the lead on a Rok Ticar goal, helped along by Konstantin Volkov. Admiral retied it in the third period on a Robert Sabolic power play goal, going in unassisted. The tie went to a shootout, where Mikhail Grigoryev of Admiral was matched by Koukal, and then Jan Buchtele lifted Avtomobilist to the 3-2 win. The three stars were Koukal, Gareyev, and Buchtele.

Along to Khanty-Mansiysk, where Ugra welcomes Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Vladislav Fokin are the backups in goal. Beijing started in the first period with an Alexei Ponikarovsky goal, assisted by Brett Bellemore and Tobias Viklund. Kunlun Red Star added on in the second period with a Martin Bakos goal, going in unassisted. Beijing extended the lead in the third period with a Chad Rau goal, also unassisted. Georgy Boyarshinov replaced Fokin in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Anton Kuryanov goal, passed from Alexander Ugolnikov and Konstantin Sokolov. Ugra pulled closer with an unassisted Roman Lyuduchin power play goal. Kunlun Red Star iced it at 4-2 with a Zach Yuen goal, helped along by Bellemore. The three stars went to Bellemore, Rau, and Yuen.

Next up, a Moscow derby, with CSKA bringing in Dynamo. Alexander Yeryomenko and Ilya Sorokin tend the twines. CSKA got going in the second period on a power play goal by Maxim Mamin, powered by Semyon Koshelev and Mikhail Naumenkov. Dynamo tied it on a Mat Robinson power play goal, with a lone assist by Andrei Kuteikin. Dynamo took the lead in the third period with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, helped along by Juuso Hietanen and Denis Kokarev. CSKA tied it again with a Valery Nichushkin goal, fueled by Bogdan Kiselevich and Igor Ozhiganov. The tie went to a shootout, where Alexei Tsvetkov secured a 3-2 Dynamo win. The three stars were Yeryomenko (42 for 44 in saves), Podshendyalov, and Robinson.

Ending the KHL part of the post, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Danny Taylor faces his former team and Drew MacIntyre in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with a Zach Boychuk power play goal, powered by Maxim Shalunov and Stepan Sannikov. Sibir iced it at 2-0 with a Sannikov goal, passed from Vitaly Menshikov in the third period. The three stars went to Sannikov, Taylor (25 save shutout), and Boychuk.

In the NHL, the New York Islanders welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Thomas Greiss are the goalies. New York began in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Josh Bailey. Calgary tied it on a Sean Monahan goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Kris Versteeg and Deryk Engelland in the third period. The Islanders won 2-1 in overtime with a Thomas Hickey goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Tavares and Shane Prince. The three stars were Tavares, Hickey, and Greiss (25 for 26 in saves).

Finally, the St. Louis Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Jake Allen occupy the creases. St. Louis struck first in the third period with a Robby Fabbri goal, his fifth of the season, via Robert Bortuzzo and Jori Lehtera. The Blues added on in the second period with an Alex Pietrangelo power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Patrik Berglund and Colton Parayko. Dallas got on the board with a Jamie Oleksiak goal, his second of the season, assisted by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Stars tied it in the third period with a Benn goal, his seventh of the year, guided in by Julius Honka and Jason Spezza on the power play. St. Louis retook the lead with a David Perron goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester. Dallas tied it on an Oleksiak goal, his second of the game and third of the year, with helpers from Honka and Benn. The Blues won 4-3 in overtime on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Lehtera and Kevin Shattenkirk. The three stars were Oleksiak, Benn, and Lehtera, while Honka gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 46

Just six games on today, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Tuukka Rask tend the twines. Boston got going in the second period with a Dominic Moore goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Colin Miller and Ryan Spooner. The Bruins added on with a David Backes power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Patrice Bergeron and Torey Krug. Boston extended the lead as Jimmy Hayes scored, thanks to David Krejci and Tim Schaller. The Bruins padded the lead on a David Pastrnak goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Krug and Brad Marchand. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Victor Hedman goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Nikita Nesterov and Brayden Point. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Rask (30 for 31 in saves), Krug, and Backes.

Northwest to Winnipeg, where the Jets welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Winnipeg dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, made possible by Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot. The Jets added on with a Mark Scheifele empty net goal, his twelfth of the season, set up by Blake Wheeler and Trouba. Winnipeg extended the lead as Adam Lowry scored his sixth of the year, going unassisted into the empty net. The three stars of the 3-0 game were Hellebuyck (42 save shutout), Trouba, and Stafford.

Over in Edmonton, the Oilers bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Cam Talbot are in the creases. Arizona led off in the first period with a Radim Vrbata goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Milan Lucic goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Coyotes took the lead back with a Jamie McGinn goal, his fourth of the campaign, helped along by Anthony Duclair and Christian Dvorak. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Smith (41 for 42 in saves), McGinn, and Vrbata.

Back east, the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Michael Leighton are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his tenth of the season, guided in by Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov on the power play. The Panthers added on with an Aaron Ekblad goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Barkov. Carolina got on the board in the second period with a Viktor Stalberg goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Matt Tennyson and Andrej Nestrasil. The Hurricanes tied it on a Jeff Skinner goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Victor Rask and the goalie Leighton. Carolina took the lead with a Derek Ryan power play goal, powered by Skinner. This produced the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars going to Skinner, Barkov, and Leighton (31 for 33 in saves).

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Antti Raanta are the goalies. Ottawa opened in the second period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his third of the season, coming off of Tom Pyatt and Zack Smith. The Senators added on with a Mark Stone power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Mike Hoffman. This made it 2-0, the eventual final, with the three stars belonging to Anderson (33 save shutout), Pageau, and Stone.

Finally, the Philadelphia Flyers bring in the Calgary Flames. Chad Johnson and Anthony Stolarz occupy the blue paint. Calgary started in the first period with a shorthanded T.J. Brodie goal, set up by Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett. Philadelphia tied it on a Michael Raffl goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jakub Voracek and Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers took the lead in the second period on a Voracek power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds. Philadelphia added on with a Chris VandeVelde goal, his fourth of the season, via Roman Lyubimov. The Flyers extended the lead as Simmonds scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Nick Cousins. The Flames got one back in the third period on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano. Philadelphia shot back on a Lyubimov goal, his second of the year, with helpers from Michael Del Zotto and VandeVelde. Calgary replied with a shorthanded Alex Chiasson goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Hamilton and Brodie. The final stood at 5-3, with the three stars going to Lyubimov, VandeVelde, and Simmonds, while Voracek, Brodie, and Hamilton get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 92

Just four games today, beginning with...

Barys Astana hosting Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Henrik Karlsson man the nets. Astana started in the first period with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, powered by Martin St. Pierre. Khabarovsk tied it in the third period with a Teemu Ramstedt goal, passed from Maxim Kondratyev and Kristian Kuusela. Barys won 2-1 in overtime on a Vladimir Markelov goal, assisted by Maxim Khudyakov and Alexander Lipin. The three stars were Markelov, Karlsson (30 for 31 in saves), and Dawes.

Up in Russia, Traktor Chelyabinsk welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Vasily Demchenko guard the cages. Chelyabinsk got going with an unassisted Derek Roy power play goal in the second period. Traktor added on with an Alexander Chernikov goal, guided in by Dmitry Pestunov and Konstantin Klimontov. Podolsk got on the board with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, fueled by Alexander Nikulin and Stanislav Romanov. Vityaz tied it on an Afinogenov goal, his second of the game, via Nikulin and Alexei Makeyev. Chelyabinsk retook the lead on an Alexei Kruchinin goal, with a lone assist by Pestunov. This produced the eventual 3-2 final, with the three stars being Afinogenov, Pestunov, and Nikulin.

East to Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Andrei Gavrilov are in the creases. Yaroslavl dented the scoreboard with a Petri Kontiola goal in the second period, helped along by Maxime Talbot and Brandon Kozun. Lokomotiv added on with a Kozun goal, coming off of Kontiola and Talbot. Ufa got on the board with a Denis Parshin goal, passed from Teemu Hartikainen. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kozun, Kontiola, and Talbot.

Finally, Severstal Cherepovets hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Jakub Kovar are the masked men. St. Petersburg opened in the first period with a Yegor Yakovlev goal, assisted by Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk on the power play. SKA added on with a Jarno Koskiranta goal, courtesy of Alexander Barabanov and Sergei Shirokov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Shirokov scored a power play goal, with the help of Datsyuk and Yakovlev. Roman Smiryagin replaced Kovar in goal. Cherepovets got on the board with a Maxim Trunyov goal, helped along by Daniil Vovchenko and Yury Trubachyov. Severstal got closer with an Evgeny Mons goal in the second period, going in unassisted. SKA replied with a Vadim Shipachyov goal in the third period, made possible by Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov. Cherepovets chipped back on a Trubachyov goal, coming off of Vovchenko and Trunyov. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars given to Shirokov, Yakovlev, and Datsyuk, while Trubachyov, Trunyov, and Vovchenko receive the honorable mentions.

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