NHL 2016/17 - Day 84

Twelve games for today, including three matinees. They begin with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Robin Lehner man the nets. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fourteenth of the season, coming off of Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele. Buffalo tied it on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Sam Reinhart. The Jets retook the lead in the second period with a Drew Stafford goal, his third of the season, a power play goal powered by Blake Wheeler and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg added on with a Joel Armia goal, his second of the year, via Adam Lowry and Josh Morrissey. The Sabres got one back with a Marcus Foligno goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Cody Franson. Buffalo tied it with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Matt Moulson. The Sabres took the lead on a Brian Gionta goal, his eighth of the campaign, guided in by O'Reilly. The three stars were O'Reilly, Gionta, and Girgensons in the 4-3 Sabres win.

Down in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Michal Neuvirth are the goalies. Tampa Bay opened in the first period with a Nikita Kucherov goal, his sixteenth of the season, coming off of Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Nesterov. Philadelphia tied it in the second period with a Travis Konecny goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Jakub Voracek and Andrew MacDonald. The Flyers took the lead on a Sean Couturier goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Ivan Provorov and Voracek. Philadelphia added on with a Michael Raffl goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and Nick Schultz. The Lightning got one back on an Alex Killorn goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nesterov and Jonathan Drouin. The Flyers replied with a Radko Gudas goal, his second of the year, with a lone helper by Brayden Schenn. This stood for a 4-2 with, with the three stars going to Voracek, Nesterov, and Raffl.

Out in Los Angeles, the Kings bring in the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Peter Budaj are in goal. Minnesota led off in the first period with a Mikko Koivu goal, his twelfth of the season, going in unassisted. The Wild added on with a Charlie Coyle goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jason Pominville. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Jeff Carter goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Jake Muzzin. The Kings tied it with a Marian Gaborik goal, his second of the year, courtesy of Carter and Drew Doughty. Los Angeles took the lead in the third period with a Muzzin power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Doughty and Carter. Minnesota tied it on a power play goal by Zach Parise, his eighth of the year, coming off of Eric Staal and Koivu. The Kings won 4-3 in overtime with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Alec Martinez and Anze Kopitar. The three stars went to Carter, Muzzin, and Doughty, while Koivu gets an honorable mention.

Back east at the usual time, the New Jersey Devils host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Cory Schneider are given the starting nods in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Miles Wood goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Travis Zajac and Steven Santini. Edmonton tied it in the third period on a Matthew Benning goal, via Andrej Sekera and Anton Lander. The Oilers won 2-1 in overtime with a Mark Letestu power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Oscar Klefbom and Connor McDavid. The three stars were Talbot (19 for 20 in saves), Letestu, and Benning.

Up in Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Mike Condon are in the creases. Washington struck first in the first period with a T.J. Oshie goal, his thirteenth of the season, assisted by Nicklas Backstrom and Nate Schmidt. This was the only goal in the game, a 1-0 final, with the three stars given to Holtby (30 save shutout), Oshie, and Condon (19 for 20 in saves).

Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Frederik Andersen protect the nets. Montreal was first to score in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Alexander Radulov and Shea Weber. The Canadiens added on with a Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eighth of the year, courtesy of Tomas Plekanec and Jeff Petry. Toronto got on the board with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Nazem Kadri goal, his sixteenth of the year, a power play goal coming off of Marner and van Riemsdyk. Montreal retook the lead with a Nikita Scherbak power play goal, with assists provided by Petry and Phillip Danault. The Canadiens extended the lead in the second period as Radulov scored his tenth of the season, thanks to Weber and Nathan Beaulieu. Toronto pulled back on a van Riemsdyk goal, his fourteenth of the year, fueled by Marner, who got a sock trick, and Nikita Zaitsev. Montreal responded in the third period with a Michael McCarron goal, with a lone assist by Daniel Carr. The three stars of the 5-3 game were Radulov, van Riemsdyk, and Marner, while Petry and Weber get the honorable mentions.

Down in Florida, the Panthers host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and James Reimer are called on to start. Boston opened in the first period with a shorthanded and unassisted Brad Marchand goal, his eleventh of the season. The Bruins added on with a David Backes goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, passed from David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. Boston extended the lead as Marchand scored his second of the game and twelfth of the season, thanks to Torey Krug and David Pastrnak on the power play. The Bruins padded the lead with a third period Riley Nash goal, his second of the year, with a lone assist by Kevan Miller. The game ended at 4-0, with the three stars handed to Marchand, Rask (25 save shutout), and Backes.

Back north, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist faces a lesser foe in Curtis McElhinney in goal. Columbus started in the first period with a Markus Nutivaara goal, his second of the season, made possible by Josh Anderson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Sam Gagner and Nick Foligno. New York got on the board with an Oscar Lindberg goal, helped along by Michael Grabner and Nick Holden. Columbus shot back with a Scott Hartnell goal, his tenth of the season, via Gagner. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Lukas Sedlak scored his fourth of the year, with the help of Hartnell and Jack Johnson. The Rangers pulled back with a Grabner goal, his seventeenth of the season, going in unassisted. New York got closer in the third period with an Adam Clendening power play goal, assisted by J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers tied it on another Clendening goal, his second of the game, fueled by Lindberg and Jesper Fast. New York won 5-4 with a Grabner goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars belonged to Grabner, Clendening, and Lindberg, while Gagner and Hartnell get the honorable mentions.

Out to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Carter Hutton occupy the creases. Dallas led off in the first period with a Lauri Korpikoski goal, his fifth of the season, made possible by Jordie Benn. St. Louis tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his eighth of the year, via Brad Hunt and Hutton. The Blues took the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Stastny and Alexander Steen. The Stars tied it in the second period on a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Jason Spezza and John Klingberg. St. Louis retook the lead with a Stastny goal, his second of the game and ninth of the season, courtesy of Steen and Kevin Shattenkirk. Antti Niemi replaced Lehtonen in goal. Dallas retied it on a Klingberg goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Korpikoski and Radek Faksa. The Blues took the lead in the third period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his seventh of the campaign, assisted by Shattenkirk and Kyle Brodziak. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars going to Stastny, Steen, and Shattenkirk, while Klingberg and Korpikoski get the honorable mentions.

In Arizona, the Coyotes host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Louis Domingue are the little-known goalies. New York got going in the second period with an Alan Quine goal, his third of the season, assisted by Johnny Boychuk. Arizona tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Connor Murphy and Peter Holland. The tie went to a shootout, where Anthony Duclair and Radim Vrbata lifted the Coyotes to a 2-1 win. The three stars were Domingue (27 for 28 in saves), Perlini, and Greiss (24 for 25 in saves).

Up in Calgary, the Flames welcome the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Chad Johnson are set to play goal. Calgary began in the first period with an Alex Chiasson goal, his seventh of the season, via Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Flames added on with a Matt Stajan goal, his fourth of the year, made possible by Garnet Hathaway and Dougie Hamilton. Vancouver got on the board in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Alexander Edler and Troy Stecher. Calgary replied in the third period with a Michael Frolik goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk and Jyrki Jokipakka. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars being Stajan, Johnson (28 for 29 in saves), and Frolik.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Martin Jones get the starts in goal. Detroit struck first in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou. San Jose tied it on a Joonas Donskoi goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Tommy Wingels and Mirco Mueller. The Sharks took the lead with a Mueller goal, via Dylan DeMelo and Joel Ward. San Jose added on with a Patrick Marleau goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Ward and Paul Martin. The Sharks extended the lead in the third period as Joe Pavelski scored his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Brent Burns and Timo Meier. San Jose padded the lead with a Mikkel Boedker goal, his third of the season, guided in by Burns and Martin. The Red Wings answered with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. The Sharks countered on Pavelski's second of the game and fifteenth of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and DeMelo. Detroit replied with an Athanasiou goal, his seventh of the year, with helpers from Xavier Ouellet and Vanek. This only made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Pavelski, Mueller, and DeMelo, while Athanasiou, Vanek, Ward, Burns, and Martin get the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 126

Nine games on for today, as the schedule slows down a bit from the heavy oscillation. We begin with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Vityaz Podolsk. Igor Saprykin and Danny Taylor are the backups in goal. Novosibirsk led off in the first period with an unassisted Konstantin Okulov goal. Podolsk tied it on a Roman Horak goal, made possible by Maxim Afinogenov. Vityaz took the lead with an Alexander Pankov power play goal, powered by Igor Golovkov and Alexei Makeyev. Sibir tied it on a Zach Boychuk goal, via Georgy Misharin and Konstantin Alexeyev in the second period. Novosibirsk retook the lead in the third period with Okulov's second goal of the game, helped along by Yegor Milovzorov and Vladislav Naumov. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Okulov, Boychuk, and Taylor (30 for 32 in saves).

Over in Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko faces a lesser foe in Rafael Khakimov in goal. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Juuso Hietanen power play goal, powered by Lukas Kaspar and Alexei Tereshchenko. Dynamo added on with an Ansel Galimov goal, guided in by Yeryomenko and Artyom Fyodorov. Moscow iced it at 3-0 with a Martins Karsums goal, passed from Kaspar and Tereshchenko. The three stars were Yeryomenko (24 save shutout), Kaspar, and Tereshchenko.

West to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Dominik Furch tend the twines. Omsk started in the first period with an unassisted Nikolai Lemtyugov power play goal. Yaroslavl tied it on a Vladislav Gavrikov power play goal, powered by Andrei Loktionov and Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv took the lead with a Denis Mosalyov goal, going in unassisted. Avangard retied it on a Lemtyugov goal, his second of the game, made possible by Yegor Martynov and Evgeny Medvedev. Omsk took the lead with an Ilya Mikheyev power play goal in the second period, assisted by Maxim Pestushko and Ilya Zubov. The final held from here at 3-2, with the three stars going to Lemtyugov, Mikheyev, and Furch (27 for 29 in saves).

Further west to Togliatti, where Lada hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Ilya Ezhov man the nets. Togliatti began in the first period with a Stanislav Bocharov power play goal, powered by Maxim Rybin and Viktor Komarov. Lada added on with an Alexei Mastryukov goal, courtesy of Semyon Valuisky and Vasily Streltsov. Ufa got on the board with an Alexander Loginov power play goal, with assists provided by Linus Omark. Togliatti replied in the second period with a Sergei Demagin goal, with a lone assist by Rafael Akhmetov. Salavat Yulaev shot back with a Tomas mertl goal, via Omark and Teemu Hartikainen. Lada iced it at 4-2 in the third period with an Anton Shenfeld power play goal, guided in by Andrei Ivanov. The three stars went to Demagin, Omark, and Shenfeld.

Along to Nizhnekamsk, where Neftekhimik welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Andrei Kareyev are in the creases. Nizhnekamsk got going in the second period with a Richard Gynge goal, made possible by Andrei Sergeyev. This was all they needed to win 1-0, with the three stars awarded to Kareyev (26 save shutout), Gynge, and Francouz (30 for 31 in saves).

Next up, Ak Bars Kazan brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Emil Garipov guard the cages. Magnitogorsk drew first blood in the second period with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee. Metallurg added on with a Jan Kovar power play goal, with a lone assist from Mozyakin. The game held from here at 2-0, with the three stars handed to Mozyakin, Koshechkin (24 save shutout), and Kovar.

Out in Minsk, Dinamo hosts CSKA Moscow. Viktor Fasth and Ben Scrivens are the former NHL goalies in goal. Minsk opened in the first period with an Alexander Pavlovich power play goal, powered by Alexander Materukhin and Andrei Stepanov. Moscow tied it in the second period with a Kirill Petrov power play goal, fueled by Alexander Popov and Andrei Svetlakov. CSKA took the lead with an Ivan Telegin goal, courtesy of Vyacheslav Osnovin. Moscow added on in the third period with a Maxim Mamin goal, passed from Svetlakov and Andrei Kuzmenko. This produced the 3-1 final, with the three stars being Fasth (16 for 17 in saves), Svetlakov, and Telegin.

Up in Helsinki, Jokerit welcomes Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ryan Zapolski are between the pipes. Cherepovets struck first in the first period with a Sergei Monakhov goal, passed from Clay Wilson and Denis Yezhov. Helsinki tied it in the second period on a Pekka Jormakka goal, coming off of Ville Lajunen and Mika Niemi. Severstal took the lead back in the third period with a Maxim Trunyov goal, helped along by Yury Trubachyov. Cherepovets added on with an Alexander Yevseyenkov power play goal, powered by Trubachyov and Nikolai Stasenko. Severstal extended the lead as Dmitry Kagarlitsky scored, thanks to Arseny Khatsei. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars given to Trubachyov, Kovar (32 for 33 in saves), and Trunyov.

Finally, Dinamo Riga brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Igor Shestyorkin and Jakub Sedlacek are the masked men. St. Petersburg was first to score in the second period with a Vyacheslav Voynov power play goal, powered by Sergei Shirokov and Ilya Kovalchuk. SKA added on with an Evgeny Ketov goal, passed from Viktor Tikhonov and Patrik Hersley. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Maxim Chudinov scored, thanks to Vadim Shipachyov. SKA padded the lead on a Shipachyov goal, helped along by Nikita Gusev and Evgeny Dadonov. St. Petersburg struck again in the third period with another Ketov goal, via Nikolai Prokhorkin and Yegor Yakovlev. Riga got on the board with a Nikolajs Jelisejevs goal, assisted by Georgs Golovkovs and Edgars Kulda. SKA iced it at 6-1 with a Tikhonov goal, made possible by Prokhorkin and Ketov. The three stars were Ketov, Tikhonov, and Shipachyov, while Prokhorkin gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 83

Six games going on tonight, with the first in...

New Jersey, as the Devils host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Cory Schneider are in the blue paint. Toronto led off in the first period with a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, powered by Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The Maple Leafs added on with a Connor Brown shorthanded goal, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto extended the lead as Auston Matthews scored his twenty-first of the season on the power play, with the help of Zach Hyman and Jake Gardiner. The Maple Leafs padded the lead on a Bozak goal, his eighth of the year, via van Riemsdyk and Kadri on the power play. New Jersey got on the board in the third period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his twelfth of the campaign, fueled by Adam Henrique and Damon Severson. The Devils got closer with a Jon Merrill goal, coming off of Miles Wood and Devante Smith-Pelly. This only made it a 4-2 game, with the three stars being Bozak, Kadri, and van Riemsdyk.

Down in Florida, the Panthers welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and James Reimer are the backups in goal. Florida began in the first period with a Greg McKegg goal, his second of the season, passed from Derek MacKenzie and Paul Thompson. Nashville tied it in the third period with a Craig Smith goal, his seventh of the year, via Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period on a Jonathan Marchessault goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Vincent Trocheck and Jaromir Jagr. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Marchessault, Reimer (26 for 27 in saves), and McKegg.

Northwest to Chicago, where the Blackhawks bring in the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Scott Darling man the nets. Chicago opened in the first period with a Jonathan Toews goal, his seventh of the season, via Marian Hossa and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Blackhawks added on with an Artemi Panarin power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. Carolina got on the board with a Victor Rask goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Ty Rattie and Jeff Skinner. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Panarin, Darling (39 for 40 in saves), and Toews.

West to Colorado, as the Avalanche host the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Calvin Pickard are the goalies. Colorado started in the first period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his seventh of the season, courtesy of Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. New York tied it in the second period on a Johnny Boychuk power play goal, his fifth of the year, powered by Nick Leddy and Ryan Strome. The Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime on a MacKinnon power play goal, his tenth of the campaign, made possible by Jarome Iginla and Tyson Barrie. The three stars were MacKinnon, Pickard (35 for 36 in saves), and Greiss (37 for 39 in saves).

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Calgary Flames. Brian Elliott and Ryan Miller are the experienced goalies. Calgary struck first in the first period with a Michael Frolik goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. Vancouver tied it on a Michael Chaput goal, with a lone assist by Jack Skille. The Canucks took the lead with a Loui Eriksson goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Markus Granlund and Alexander Edler. Vancouver added on in the second period with a Granlund power play goal, his eighth of the season, powered by Bo Horvat and Jayson Megna. The Canucks extended the lead as Granlund scored his second of the game and ninth of the year in the third period, thanks to Nikita Tryamkin. The Flames got one back with a power play goal by Frolik, his second of the game and ninth of the campaign, with helpers from Backlund and Mark Giordano. This produced the 4-2 final, with the three stars being Granlund, Frolik, and Backlund.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim was first to score in the first period with a Joseph Cramarossa goal, his third of the season, via Corey Perry and Josh Manson. Arizona tied it in the second period on a Martin Hanzal goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder. The Ducks retook the lead with a Chris Wagner goal, his third of the season, with a lone assist by Logan Shaw. The Coyotes tied it on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal in the third period, his eighth of the year, powered by Jamie McGinn and Duclair. Anaheim won 3-2 with an Ondrej Kase goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted in overtime. The three stars were Duclair, Kase, and Wagner.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 125

Four games for today, beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Vladimir Sokhatsky are given the starting nods in goal. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with an unassisted Bobby Butler goal. Yekaterinburg tied it in the third period with a Nikita Shchitov goal, passed from Alexei Mikhnov. Torpedo won 2-1 in the shootout with tallies from Vladimir Galuzin and Butler. The three stars were Butler, Biryukov (29 for 30 in saves), and Sokhatsky (31 for 32 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Henrik Karlsson tend the twines. Sochi led off in the first period with an Ivan Zakharchuk goal, going in unassisted. The Leopards added on with an Alexei Pepelyayev goal in the second period, assisted by Andrei Kostitsyn and Igor Ignatushkin. Sochi extended the lead in the third period with a Kostitsyn power play goal, powered by Pepelyayev and Ilya Krikunov. The Leopards iced it with a shorthanded and unassisted empty net goal by Yury Alexandrov. The three stars of the 4-0 game were Barulin (33 save shutout), Pepelyayev, and Kostitsyn.

Back north, Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Spartak Moscow. Nikita Bespalov and Alexander Sharychenkov man the nets. Moscow began in the first period with a Dmitry Kalinin goal, guided in by Igor Mirnov. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it on an Anton Korolyov goal, helped along by Anton Kuryanov. Ugra took the lead with an Alexander Makarov goal, fueled by Pavel Varfolomeyev and Denis Gorbunov. Khanty-Mansiysk added on with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, with a lone assist by Andrei Alexeyev. Markus Svensson replaced Bespalov at the start of the second period. Spartak got one back in the third period with a Maxim Potapov goal, via Viktor Bobrov. Ugra shot back on an Alexeyev goal, passed from Lapenkov and Alexander Akmaldinov. Khanty-Mansiysk finished it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Roman Lyuduchin, set up by Korolyov. The three stars were Alexeyev, Lapenkov, and Korolyov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Nikita Serebryakov is mismatched with Michael Garnett in goal. Zagreb struck first in the first period with a Kirill Voronin goal, coming off of Samson Mahbod and Mark Katic. Vladivostok tied it on a Maxim Kazakov goal, courtesy of Pavel Makarenko and Artyom Zemchyonok. Admiral took the lead in the second period with a Zemchyonok goal, assisted by James Wright and Alexander Gorshkov. Vladivostok added on in the third period with a Gorshkov goal, via Jonathon Blum. Admiral iced it at 4-1 with a Kazakov empty net goal, set up by Makarenko and Damir Zhafyarov. The three stars were Zemchyonok, Gorshkov, and Kazakov, while Makarenko gets an honorable mention.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 82

Seven games on for today again, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Tuukka Rask protect the nets. Edmonton led off in the first period with a Patrick Maroon goal, his twelfth of the season, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Boston tied it on a Colin Miller goal, his third of the year, via Austin Czarnik and Torey Krug. The Bruins took the lead in the second period on a Patrice Bergeron goal, his eighth of the season, helped along by David Pastrnak and Kevan Miller. The Oilers tied it again on a Maroon goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, assisted by Eric Gryba and McDavid. Edmonton took the lead in the third period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his eighth of the season, with a lone assist by Matthew Benning. The Oilers added on with a Maroon goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted as he completed his hat trick. Boston got one back with a David Krejci power play goal, his ninth of the campaign, powered by Bergeron and Brad Marchand. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars handed to Maroon, Bergeron, and McDavid.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Braden Holtby tend the twines. Washington opened in the first period with a Daniel Winnik goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Jay Beagle and Nate Schmidt. The Capitals added on with a John Carlson goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Marcus Johansson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington extended the lead in the second period as Schmidt scored, with the help of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals padded the lead on an Andre Burakovsky goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Carlson. Washington continued in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Kuznetsov. This produced the 5-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Schmidt, Carlson, and Holtby (29 save shutout), while Kuznetsov gets an honorable mention.

Further south, the Tampa Bay Lightning bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the masked men. Nashville started in the first period with a Mike Fisher power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm. The Predators added on in the second period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his ninth of the year, fueled by Kevin Fiala and Johansen. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Tyler Johnson power play goal, his twelfth of the season, with helpers from Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn. Nashville shot back with a Colton Sissons goal, his third of the year, helped along by Fisher. The Predators extended the lead as Ryan Ellis scored his fifth of the season, thanks to Colin Wilson and Viktor Arvidsson. Nashville padded the lead on a shorthanded Sissons goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, set up by Calle Jarnkrok. The Predators kept going with another Sissons goal, completing his hat trick on his fifth of the campaign, with helpers from Jarnkrok and Anthony Bitetto. The game ended at 6-1, with the three stars being Sissons, Fisher, and Rinne (27 for 28 in saves), while Johansen and Jarnkrok get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to St. Louis, where the Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Jake Allen man the nets. Carolina began in the first period with a Derek Ryan goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Brock McGinn and Jordan Staal. St. Louis tied it on a Joel Edmundson goal in the second period, helped along by Alexander Steen and Paul Stastny. The Blues took the lead back with a Vladimir Tarasenko power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Robby Fabbri and Jori Lehtera. The Hurricanes tied it again with a Jay McClement goal, his third of the season, coming off of Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. Carolina took the lead in the third period with a Jeff Skinner power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Noah Hanifin and Victor Rask. The Hurricanes iced it at 4-2 with a Ryan empty net goal, his second of the game and sixth of the campaign, set up by Staal and McGinn. The three stars were Ryan, McGinn, and Staal.

Continuing to Chicago, where the Blackhawks welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson and Corey Crawford are in the creases. Buffalo struck first in the first period with an unassisted Marcus Foligno goal, his sixth of the season. Chicago tied it on a Ryan Hartman goal, his seventh of the year, going in unassisted. The Sabres retook the lead with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Blackhawks tied it on an Artem Anisimov goal, his seventeenth of the year, passed from Michal Kempny and Patrick Kane. Buffalo took the lead in the third period on a Jack Eichel power play goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by O'Reilly and Okposo. Chicago retied it on an Anisimov goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, via Kane and Duncan Keith. The Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime on Kane's twelfth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Kane, Anisimov, and Okposo, while O'Reilly gets an honorable mention.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jared Coreau and Jeff Zatkoff make the starts in goal. Detroit was first to score in the first period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou. The Red Wings added on with an Athanasiou goal, his sixth of the year, made possible by Anthony Mantha. Detroit extended the lead as Vanek scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Athanasiou and Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings padded the lead on a third period Mantha goal, his tenth of the year, via Tomas Tatar and Nick Jensen. This stood for a 4-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Vanek, Athanasiou, and Mantha, while Coreau (34 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Martin Jones guard the cages. San Jose got going in the second period with a Joonas Donskoi goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Kevin Labanc and Brenden Dillon. The Sharks added on with a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Brent Burns and Logan Couture. Minnesota got on the board with an Eric Staal power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. The Wild tied it on a Zach Parise goal, his seventh of the year, helped along by Nino Niederreiter and Staal. San Jose took the lead back with a Joel Ward goal, his third of the season, via Burns and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks extended the lead as Marleau scored his eleventh of the year, thanks to Ward and Chris Tierney. Minnesota pulled back with a Staal goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, with a lone assist by Parise. The Wild tied it on a Mikko Koivu goal, his tenth of the year, guided in by Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker. Minnesota took the lead on another Koivu goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the campaign, with helpers from Granlund and Zucker. The final held at 5-4, with the three stars going to Koivu, Staal, and Parise, while Ward, Marleau, Granlund, Zucker, and Burns earn the honorable mentions.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 124

There's eleven games on today's schedule, beginning with...

Sibir Novosibirsk hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Ivan Nalimov play goal. Novosibirsk started in the first period with a Maxim Ignatovich power play goal, powered by Yegor Milovzorov and Vladislav Naumov. Moscow tied it on an Ilya Nikulin power play goal, with a lone assist by Alexei Tereshchenko. Dynamo took the lead with a Denis Kokarev goal, made possible by Artyom Podshendyalov. Moscow added on in the second period with a Vladimir Bryukvin goal, assisted by Maxim Karpov. Alexei Krasikov replaced Nalimov in goal. Dynamo extended the lead as Lukas Kaspar scored, thanks to Andrei Kuteikin and Tereshchenko. Sibir got one back with a Georgy Misharin goal, helped along by Konstantin Okulov and Milovzorov. Moscow iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Mat Robinson empty net goal, set up by Konstantin Gorovikov and Yakov Rylov. The three stars went to Bryukvin, Tereshchenko, and Milovzorov.

In Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin faces a lesser foe in Rafael Khakimov in goal. Yaroslavl got going in the second period with a Petri Kontiola power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Staffan Kronwall. Novokuznetsk tied it on a Kirill Lebedev goal, guided in by Alexander Komaristy. Lokomotiv retook the lead on another Kontiola power play goal, assisted by Jakub Nakladal and Kronwall. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars being Kontiola, Kronwall, and Murygin (26 for 27 in saves).

Over in Omsk, Avangard brings in Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Dominik Furch protect the nets. Podolsk opened in the first period with a Miro Aaltonen power play goal, powered by Roman Horak and Alexei Kopeikin. Vityaz added on with an Alexander Nikulin goal, coming off of Maxim Afinogenov and Alexei Makeyev. Omsk got on the board in the second period with an unassisted David Booth goal. Avangard tied it with a Maxim Pestushko goal, helped along by Ilya Zubov and Ilya Mikheyev. Omsk took the lead in the third period with a Vitaly Menshikov power play goal, with assists provided by Nikolai Lemtyugov and Vladimir Sobotka. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars given to Menshikov, Pestushko, and Booth.

Further west, Lada Togliatti hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Pavel Francouz and Ilya Ezhov are set to start in goal. Chelyabinsk led off in the first period with an Artyom Penkovsky goal, passed from Danil Gubarev and Alexander Sharov. Traktor added on with a Paul Szczechura power play goal in the second period, powered by Alexei Petrov. Chelyabinsk extended the lead as Konstantin Klimontov scored an empty net goal in the third period, set up by Szczechura. The three stars belonged to Francouz (26 save shutout), Szczechura, and Penkovsky.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk welcomes Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Andrei Kareyev are the masked men. Magnitogorsk stole a 1-0 win as Jan Kovar dented the scoreboard late in the third period on a power play goal set up by Sergei Mozyakin. The three stars belonged to Kovar, Koshechkin (32 save shutout), and Kareyev (37 for 38 in saves).

Way west to Bratislava, where Slovan brings in Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Justin Pogge receive the starting nods in goal. Bratislava struck first in the second period on a Jonathan Cheechoo power play goal, made possible by Jeff Taffe and Michal Hlinka. Beijing tied it in the third period with a Tomas Marcinko power play goal, powered by Martin Bakos and Joonas Jarvinen. Kunlun Red Star won 2-1 in overtime on a Tuukka Mantyla power play goal, assisted by Chad Rau and Jonas Enlund. The three stars went to Mantyla, Karhunen (20 for 21 in saves), Marcinko.

In Finland, Jokerit Helsinki hosts St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Ryan Zapolski are in the blue paint. St. Petersburg began in the first period with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, coming off of Vyacheslav Voynov and Sergei Shirokov. Helsinki tied it on a Pekka Jormakka goal, via Mika Niemi and Tomi Maki. Jokerit took the lead in the second period with a Peter Regin goal, fueled by Brian O'Neill and Charles Genoway. SKA retied it on a shorthanded Patrik Hersley goal, set up by Roman Rukavishnikov and Sergei Plotnikov. Helsinki took the lead in the third period with an Antti Pihlstrom goal, assisted by Jesper Jensen and Marko Anttila. This stood for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Pihlstrom, Zapolski (33 for 35 in saves), and Regin.

Back in Russia, Ak Bars Kazan welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Emil Garipov guard the cages. Kazan opened in the first period with an Alexander Svitov goal, made possible by Stepan Zakharchuk. Ufa tied it on an Enver Lisin goal in the third period, passed from Evgeny Bodrov and Stepan Khripunov. Salavat Yulaev won 2-1 in the shootout with a Linus Omark tally. The three stars were Omark, Svedberg (32 for 33 in saves), and Lisin.

West again to Belarus, where Dinamo Minsk brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Ben Scrivens tend the twines. Cherepovets got going in the second period with an Alexander Avtsin goal, helped along by Clay Wilson and Alexei Ugarov. Minsk tied it on an Andrei Stepanov goal, coming off of Aaron Palushaj and Dmitry Korobov. Severtal won 2-1 in the shootout with a Maxim Trunyov goal. The three stars went to Kovar (38 for 39 in saves), Avtsin, and Trunyov.

In Latvia, Dinamo Riga hosts CSKA Moscow. Ilya Sorokin and Janis Kalnins are the goalies. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Kirill Petrov goal, passed from Alexander Popov and Ivan Telegin. CSKA iced it at 2-0 with a Vladimir Zharkov shorthanded empty net goal, going in unassisted. The three stars were Sorokin (20 save shutout), Petrov, and Zharkov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Drew MacIntyre occupy the creases. Khabarovsk started in the first period with a Yury Nazarov goal, passed from Vitaly Popov. Zagreb tied it in the third period on an Alexandre Bolduc goal, via Mark Katic and Lukas Lessio. Medvescak won 2-1 with an unassisted Lessio goal at the last second. The three stars were Lessio, MacIntyre (29 for 30 in saves), and Bolduc.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 81

Six games on today, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Roberto Luongo are the masked men. Winnipeg got going in the second period with a Shawn Matthias goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Paul Postma and Adam Lowry. The Jets added on with a Patrik Laine goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Bryan Little. Florida got on the board with a Greg McKegg goal, assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Aaron Ekblad. Winnipeg retook the lead with a third period goal by Nikolaj Ehlers, his thirteenth of the season, via Little. The Jets extended the lead as Mark Scheifele scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Jacob Trouba and Laine. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Laine, Hellebuyck (31 for 32 in saves), and Little.

West to Texas, where the Dallas Stars welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya and Kari Lehtonen are in the creases. Montreal led off in the first period with a Nathan Beaulieu goal, his second of the season, coming off of Phillip Danault. Dallas tied it on a Tyler Seguin goal, his fourteenth of the year, made possible by Stephen Johns and Patrick Sharp. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a John Klingberg power play goal, his fourth of the season, powered by Cody Eakin and Jason Spezza. The Canadiens tied it on a third period Alexander Radulov power play goal, his ninth of the year, with helpers from Beaulieu and Shea Weber. Montreal took the lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Beaulieu and Weber. Dallas tied it on an Esa Lindell goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Klingberg. The Canadiens won 4-3 in overtime with a Pacioretty goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the campaign, passed from Jeff Petry and Danault. The three stars were Beaulieu, Pacioretty, and Weber, while Klingberg and Danault get the honorable mentions.

Northeast to Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Mason man the nets. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kevin Hayes goal, his twelfth of the season, helped along by Michael Grabner and Brady Skjei. The Rangers added on in the third period with a Chris Kreider goal, his sixteenth of the year, coming off of Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. New York extended the lead as Grabner scored his fifteenth of the season, with the help of J.T. Miller and Dan Girardi. Philadelphia got on the board with a Jakub Voracek power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Rangers answered with a Hayes goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the season, via Miller. The Flyers pulled back on Voracek's second of the game and thirteenth of the year, guided in by Michael Del Zotto and Michael Raffl. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Grabner empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Hayes, Grabner, and Voracek, while Miller gets an honorable mention.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard and Brian Elliott draw the starts in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Sean Monahan and Alex Chiasson. The Flames added on in the second period with a Mikael Backlund power play goal, his twelfth of the year, via Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Chiasson scored his sixth of the season, with the help of T.J. Brodie and Monahan. The Flames padded the lead with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his tenth of the year, coming on the power play from Giordano and Brodie. Colorado got on the board with a Patrick Wiercioch goal, his third of the campaign, helped along by Jarome Iginla. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Chiasson, Giordano, and Monahan, while Brodie gets an honorable mention.

In British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ryan Miller are the veterans in goal. Vancouver opened in the first period with a Sven Baertschi goal, his eleventh of the season, going in unassisted. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Brandon Sutter penalty shot goal, his tenth of the year. Vancouver extended the lead as Bo Horvat scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Alexandre Burrows and Christopher Tanev. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars belonging to Miller (22 save shutout), Baertschi, and Sutter.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and John Gibson are set to start in goal. Anaheim started in the first period with a Nick Ritchie goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Antoine Vermette and Ondrej Kase. The Ducks added on with a Kase goal, his third of the year, via Vermette and Kevin Bieksa in the third period. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gibson (23 save shutout), Kase, and Vermette.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 123

Only three games on today's schedule, beginning with...

Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk hosting Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Alexander Sharychenkov are set to start in goal. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the second period with a Vladimir Galuzin goal, coming off of Alexei Potapov. Torpedo iced it at 2-0 with a Dmitry Semin shorthanded and unassisted empty net goal in the third period. The three stars were Proskuryakov (17 save shutout), Galuzin, and Semin.

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana welcomes Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Kevin Poulin man the nets. Astana opened in the first period with a Corey Trivino goal, passed from Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys added on with a Nigel Dawes power play goal in the second period, powered by Brandon Bochenski and Martin St. Pierre. Astana iced it at 3-0 in the third period with a Dustin Boyd empty net goal, set up by Dawes. The three stars were Dawes, Poulin (38 save shutout), and Trivino.

Finally, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Ivan Lisutin are the goalies. Sochi started in the first period with an Alexei Pepelyayev goal, assisted by Andre Petersson and Andrei Kostitsyn. The Leopards added on with an unassisted Ben Maxwell goal. Sochi extended the lead in the second period as Kostitsyn scored, thanks to Ilya Krikunov. The Leopards padded the lead on an Eric O'Dell goal, going in unassisted. Vladimir Sokhatsky replaced Lisutin in goal. Sochi continued with a Yegor Morozov goal, helped along by Igor Levitsky. Yekaterinburg got on the board in the third period with a Stanislav Chistov goal, with a lone assist by Dmitry Monya. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars being Kostitsyn, Maxwell, and Barulin (15 for 16 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 80

Seven games on tonight as the New Year gets going in earnest. We begin with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Cam Ward are the veteran goalies. New Jersey got going in the second period on an Adam Henrique goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Michael Cammalleri and Damon Severson. The Devils added on in the third period with a Cammalleri goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Henrique and Kyle Palmieri. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eighth of the season, via Ron Hainsey and Teuvo Teravainen. New Jersey iced it at 3-1 with a Palmieri empty net goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Cammalleri, Henrique, and Schneider (29 for 30 in saves), while Palmieri gets an honorable mention.

Up in New York, the Rangers welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Anders Nilsson is mismatched with Henrik Lundqvist in goal. Buffalo opened in the first period with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by William Carrier and Brian Gionta. The Sabres added on with an Evander Kane goal, his ninth of the year, via Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo. Buffalo extended the lead as Justin Bailey scored an unassisted goal in the second period. New York got on the board with a Nick Holden goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by J.T. Miller and Oscar Lindberg. The Sabres replied in the third period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his eighth of the year, powered by Reinhart and Matt Moulson. This stood for a 4-1 win, with the three stars being Reinhart, Nilsson (23 for 24 in saves), and Bailey.

Backtracking to DC, where the Washington Capitals bring in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen and Braden Holtby are the masked men. Washington began in the first period with a Justin Williams power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Toronto tied it on a Nazem Kadri power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by James van Riemsdyk and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs took the lead on a Connor Brown goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews. The Capitals tied it on a T.J. Oshie goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Williams. Toronto took the lead back with a Frederik Gauthier goal, his second of the season, coming off of Connor Carrick. The Maple Leafs added on with a second period goal by Leo Komarov, his seventh of the year, coming on the power play from Matthews and William Nylander. Washington pulled back on a Kuznetsov goal in the third period, his fourth of the season, passed from Marcus Johansson and Williams. The Capitals tied it on an Orlov goal, his second of the year, guided in by Matt Niskanen and Lars Eller. Toronto retook the lead with a Marner goal, his tenth of the season, with helpers from vam Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. Washington tied it again with a John Carlson goal, his fourth of the year, dished from Johansson and Kuznetsov. The Capitals won 6-5 in overtime on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, via Carlson and Kuznetsov, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Kuznetsov, Williams, and Carlson, while Johansson, Orlov, Marner, Matthews, and van Riemsdyk get the honorable mentions.

West to Columbus, where the Blue Jackets host the Edmonton Oilers. Cam Talbot and Sergei Bobrovsky protect the nets. Columbus led off in the first period with a Cam Atkinson power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Zach Werenski and Alexander Wennberg. Edmonton tied it on a second period goal by Oscar Klefbom, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Patrick Maroon and Justin Eberle. The Blue Jackets retook the lead on a William Karlsson power play goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Brandon Saad and Seth Jones. Columbus added on in the third period with a Nick Foligno goal, his thirteenth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars belonging to Bobrovsky (21 for 22 in saves), Karlsson, and Foligno.

Down in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the young goalies. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his sixteenth of the season, a power play goal powered by Patrik Laine and Toby Enstrom. Tampa Bay tied it on a Matthew Peca goal, via Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Killorn in the second period. The Jets retook the lead with a Nikolaj Ehlers penalty shot goal, his eleventh of the year. Winnipeg added on with a Jacob Trouba goal, his second of the season, made possible by Mathieu Perreault and Blake Wheeler. The Jets extended the lead as Dustin Byfuglien scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Josh Morrissey and Wheeler. The Lightning got one back with an Ondrej Palat goal in the third period, his seventh of the season, assisted by Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov. Winnipeg shot back with an Ehlers goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the year, coming off of Laine and Trouba. Tampa Bay answered with a Kucherov power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with helpers from Johnson and Victor Hedman. The Lightning got closer with another Kucherov power play goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Hedman and Jonathan Drouin. The Jets iced it at 6-4 with a Laine empty net goal, his twentieth of the campaign, set up by Scheifele and Ehlers. The three stars went to Ehlers, Laine, and Kucherov, while Trouba, Scheifele, Wheeler, Johnson, and Hedman get the honorable mentions.

Back north to Nashville, where the Predators bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Pekka Rinne guard the cages. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kevin Fiala goal, his sixth of the season, assisted by Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. Montreal tied it on a Shea Weber goal, his tenth of the year, courtesy of Alexander Radulov and Torrey Mitchell in the third period. The Canadiens won 2-1 in overtime with a Max Pacioretty goal, his sixteenth of the campaign, helped along by Radulov and Nathan Beaulieu. The three stars were Price (22 for 23 in saves), Radulov, and Pacioretty.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Los Angeles Kings for a Battle of California. Peter Budaj and Martin Jones are in the blue paint. San Jose drew first blood in the second period with a Logan Couture goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Kevin Labanc and Paul Martin. Los Angeles tied it on a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, powered by Jake Muzzin and Anze Kopitar. The Kings won 2-1 in overtime with a Tanner Pearson goal, his tenth of the campaign, via Carter. The three stars were Carter, Budaj (26 for 27 in saves), and Pearson.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 122

After the New Year's break, the KHL returns in full force with ten games today. We begin in...

Novosibirsk, where Sibir hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexander Sudnitsin and Ivan Nalimov are given the starting nods in goal. Novosibirsk opened with a Zach Boychuk goal, made possible by Konstantin Alexeyev. Yaroslavl tied it on a Jakub Nakladal power play goal, powered by Brandon Kozun and Maxime Talbot in the second period. Sibir took the lead with an unassisted Evgeny Artyukhin power play goal. Lokomotiv retied it on a Staffan Kronwall power play goal, fueled by Kozun and Petri Kontiola. The tie went to the shootout, where Sergei Shumakov scored to give Sibir the 3-2 win. The three stars were Artyukhin, Boychuk, and Kozun. 

In Novokuznetsk, Metallurg welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri faces a lesser foe in Vladislav Podyapolsky in goal. Podolsk started in the first period with a Roman Horak goal, assisted by Nikita Vyglazov. Vityaz added on with an Alexei Kopeikin power play goal, powered by Horak. Podolsk extended the lead as Alexei Makeyev scored, thanks to Maxim Afinogenov and Alexei Semenov. Rafael Khakimov replaced Podyapolsky in goal. Novokuznetsk got on the board in the second period with an Igor Skorokhodov goal, helped along by Kirill Semyonov and Denis Vikharev. Metallurg got closer with a Semyonov goal, passed from Mark Skutar and Vikharev. Vityaz replied with a Mario Kempe goal, guided in by Kopeikin. Novokuznetsk chipped back on a Vikharev goal, coming off of Skorokhodov and Skutar. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to Horak, Kopeikin, and Vikharev, while Semyonov, Skorokhodov, and Skutar get the honorable mentions.

Out to Omsk, where Avangard brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Dominik Furch are in the blue paint. Moscow got going in the second period with a Maxim Karpov goal, courtesy of Juuso Hietanen and Denis Kokarev. Dynamo added on with a Kokarev power play goal, powered by Dmitry Vishnevsky. Omsk got on the board with a Nikolai Lemtyugov goal, helped along by Vladimir Sobotka and Evgeny Medvedev in the third period. Moscow shot back with a Karpov power play goal, with helpers from Hietanen and Alexei Tereshchenko. Avangard pulled back on a Sobotka goal, assisted by Lemtyugov and Ilya Mikheyev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars awarded to Karpov, Kokarev, and Hietanen, while Sobotka and Lemtyugov get the honorable mentions.

Over in Togliatti, Lada hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Edgars Masalskis draw the starts in goal. Togliatti led off in the first period with a Vasily Streltsov goal, assisted by Alexander Streltsov. Lada added on in the second period with an Andrei Ivanov goal, via Viktor Komarov. Magnitogorsk got on the board with an Alexander Semin goal, going in unassisted. Metallurg tied it on a Chris Lee goal, passed from Jan Kovar and Evgeny Biryukov. Magnitogorsk retook the lead with another Semin goal, helped along by Alexei Bereglazov and Tommi Santala. Metallurg extended the lead as Vladislav Kaletnik scored a power play goal, with the help of Oskar Osala and Santala. The three stars went to Semin, Santala, and Kaletnik.

Next up, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk welcomes Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Andrei Kareyev play goal. The game was scoreless into the shootout, where a pair of goals by Igor Bortnikov and Sergei Konkov of Neftekhimik lifted them to a 1-0 win over two goals by Linus Omark and one from Stepan Khripunov. The three stars went to Kareyev (61 save shutout), Bortnikov, and Konkov, while Svedberg (33 save "shutout") and Omark get the honorable mentions.

West to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko and Stanislav Galimov guard the cages. Kazan began in the first period with a Jiri Sekac goal, assisted by Alexander Svitov and Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars added on with a Stepan Zakharchuk goal, via Roman Abrosimov and Sekac. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Nikolai Belov power play goal, powered by Kirill Koltsov and Jiri Novotny. Traktor tied it on a shorthanded and unassisted Maxim Yakutsenya goal. Kazan retook the lead in the second period on a Vladimir Tkachyov goal, going in unassisted. Ak Bars extended the lead as Azevedo scored a power play goal, thanks to Vasily Tokranov and Tkachyov. Chelyabinsk pulled back on a Koltsov goal, helped along by Dmitry Pestunov. Kazan replied in the third period with a Fyodor Malykhin goal, passed from Mikhail Varnakov and Dmitry Obukhov. This made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars given to Azevedo, Tkachyov, and Koltsov, while Sekac gets an honorable mention.

In St. Petersburg, SKA hosts Dinamo Minsk. Mikko Koskinen and Ben Scrivens are the goalies. Minsk struck first in the first period with a Fredrik Pettersson goal, made possible by Rob Klinkhammer. Dinamo added on in the second period with an Aaron Palushaj goal, helped along by Alexander Kitarov and Roman Graborenko. Minsk extended the lead as Pettersson scored a power play goal, powered by Palushaj. Dinamo padded the lead with an unassisted Andrei Stepanov goal. Minsk continued with a Sergei Drozd goal, passed from Alexander Kulakov. St. Petersburg got on the board with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, coming off of Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA got closer in the third period with a Pavel Datsyuk goal, via Roman Rukavishnikov. St. Petersburg pulled closer with a Dadonov goal, with a lone assist by Shipachyov. SKA chipped closer with a Yegor Yakovlev goal, via Patrik Hersley and Shipachyov. This only made it 5-4, with the three stars given to Pettersson, Palushaj, and Shipachyov, while Dadonov gets an honorable mention.

Out in Slovakia, Slovan Bratislava welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Barry Brust are between the pipes. Bratislava dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Michal Sersen goal, via Jeff Taffe. Slovan added on with a Marek Daloga goal, passed from Tomas Surovy adn Kyle Chipchura. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars awarded to Brust (23 save shutout), Sersen, and Daloga.

To Latvia, where Dinamo Riga brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Kovar and Janis Kalnins are the masked men. Riga was first to score in the first period with a Roberts Lipsbergs goal, assisted by Oskars Cibulskis and Edgars Kulda. Dinamo added on with a Krisjanis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Pyotr Schastlivy. Riga extended the lead as Gunars Skvorcovs scored a power play goal, with the help of Schastlivy and Redlihs. Roman Smiryagin replaced Kovar in goal. Dinamo padded the lead in the second period on a Cibulskis power play goal, coming off of Lauris Darzins and Maris Bicevskis. Riga continued with an Uvis Balinskis power play goal, helped along by Darzins and Miks Indrasis.  Cherepovets got on the board in the third period with a Dmitry Kagarlitsky power play goal, courtesy of Clay Wilson and Adam Masuhr. Severstal got closer with a Maxim Trunyov goal, made possible by Arseny Khatsei. This only made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars being Cibulskis, Redlihs, and Darzins, while Schastlivy gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Drew MacIntyre occupy the creases. Zagreb drew first blood in the third period with a Francis Pare goal, via Colby Genoway. This stood for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being MacIntyre (29 save shutout), Pare, and Karhunen (32 for 33 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 79

It's another day with just three games, beginning with another marquee event for the league, the...

Winter Classic as Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where the Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks outdoors. Corey Crawford and Jake Allen tend the twines. Chicago opened in the first period with a Michal Kempny goal, his second of the season, via Artemi Panarin and Duncan Keith. St. Louis tied it on a Patrik Berglund goal, his sixth of the year, courtesy of Jay Bouwmeester and Alexander Steen. The Blues took the lead with a Vladimir Tarasenko goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Robby Fabbri. St. Louis added on with another Tarasenko goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, helped along by Jori Lehtera and Fabbri. The Blues iced it at 4-1 with a Steen empty net goal, his fourth of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Tarasenko, Steen, and Fabbri.

At the usual time, the New Jersey Devils welcome the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Cory Schneider guard the cages. New Jersey started in the first period with a P.A. Parenteau goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Taylor Hall and Steven Santini. The Devils added on in the third period with a Sergey Kalinin goal, his second of the year, coming off of Miles Wood and Jon Merrill. New Jersey iced it at 3-0 with a Hall empty net goal, his ninth of the campaign, set up by Kalinin. The three stars were Kalinin, Hall, and Schneider (22 save shutout).

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with Ryan Miller in goal. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Bo Horvat goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Ben Hutton and Anton Rodin. Colorado tied it on a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Nikita Zadorov. The Canucks retook the lead with a Sven Baertschi goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Brandon Sutter and Henrik Sedin. The Avalanche retied it on a Tyson Barrie goal in the third period, his third of the year, via Francois Beauchemin and Gabriel Landeskog. Vancouver took the lead again on a Baertschi power play goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, helped along by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. The game ended at 3-2, with the three stars belonging to Baertschi, Henrik Sedin, and Horvat.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 78

Three games on today, headlined by the outdoor spectacle in...

Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field. Jared Coreau and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. Detroit got going in the second period with an Anthony Mantha goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar. Toronto tied it on a Leo Komarov goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jake Gardiner and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs took the lead with a power play goal by Mitchell Marner, his ninth of the season, powered by Morgan Rielly and James van Riemsdyk. Toronto added on with a Connor Brown power play goal, his seventh of the year, with assists provided by Zach Hyman and Connor Carrick. The Maple Leafs extended the lead as Auston Matthews scored his nineteenth of the season, with the help of Brown and Hyman. The Red Wings got one back with a Jonathan Ericsson goal, helped along by Mantha and Xavier Ouellet. Detroit pulled closer on a Tatar goal, his ninth of the year, made possible by Zetterberg. The Red Wings tied it on Mantha's second of the game and ninth of the season, via Zetterberg, who got a sock trick, and Thomas Vanek. Toronto won 5-4 in overtime with Matthews' second of the game and twentieth of the year, guided in by Gardiner and Brown. The three stars went to Matthews, Mantha, and Brown, while Gardiner, Hyman, Zetterberg, and Tatar get the honorable mentions.

Down in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Braden Holtby man the nets. Ottawa dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Kyle Turris goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Ryan Dzingel and Marc Methot. Washington tied it with a Karl Alzner goal, his third of the year, via T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams. The Capitals took the lead in the third period on a Taylor Chorney goal, passed from Brooks Orpik and Tom Wilson. The three stars were Holtby (23 for 24 in saves), Chorney, and Alzner.

West to California, where the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and John Gibson are the masked men. Anaheim struck first in the first period with a Ryan Kesler goal, his thirteenth of the season, fueled by Korbinian Holzer and Ryan Getzlaf. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Wayne Simmonds. The Ducks took the lead back with a Kesler goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, helped along by Jakob Silfverberg. Anaheim added on in the second period when Kesler finished his hat trick on his fifteenth of the year, passed from Andrew Cogliano and Sami Vatanen. The Flyers got one back with a Sean Couturier goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. Philadelphia tied it on a Brayden Schenn power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere. In the shootout, Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry tallied to top Jakub Voracek, giving the Ducks a 4-3 win. The three stars were Kesler, Gibson (51 for 54 in saves), and Rakell.

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