NHL 2016/17 - Day 98

Eleven games on for this Saturday, beginning with two matinees. The first is in...

Winnipeg, where the Jets host the St. Louis Blues. Pheonix Copley and Ondrej Pavelec are the backups in goal. Winnipeg started in the first period with a Bryan Little power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Dustin Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele. St. Louis tied it on a Kevin Shattenkirk power play goal, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Paul Stastny and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Jets took the lead back in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his fifteenth of the season, via Byfuglien and Mathieu Perreault. Winnipeg added on in the third period with another Little power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, assisted by Wheeler and Perreault. The Jets extended the lead as Scheifele scored his twenty-first of the season, made possible by Nikolaj Ehlers and Jacob Trouba. Winnipeg padded the lead with an Ehlers power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, helped along by Nic Petan and Trouba. The Blues got one back with a Paul Stastny goal, his twelfth of the season, via Jaden Schwartz. St. Louis got closer with a Shattenkirk goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the year, coming off of Alexander Steen and Schwartz. This made it 5-3, with the three stars going to Scheifele, Ehlers, and Little, while Wheeler, Trouba, Perreault, Byfuglien, Shattenkirk, Schwartz, and Stastny.

Down in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Michael Leighton is mismatched with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. Columbus opened in the first period with a Markus Hannikainen goal, assisted by Josh Anderson and William Karlsson. The Blue Jackets added on with a Scott Hartnell goal, his twelfth of the season, via Dalton Prout and Scott Harrington. Carolina got on the board with a Sebastian Aho power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Elias Lindholm and Jaccob Slavin. The Hurricanes tied it on a Justin Faulk goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Ty Rattie. Columbus took the lead in the third period with another Hartnell goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the year, helped along by Sam Gagner and Prout. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Hartnell, Prout, and Hannikainen.

Back in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Carey Price were given the starting nods in goal. Montreal got going in the second period with an Artturi Lehkonen goal, his eleventh of the season, passed from Paul Byron. Buffalo tied it on a Brian Gionta goal, his tenth of the year, via Evander Kane. The Canadiens retook the lead with a Phillip Danault goal, his tenth of the season, courtesy of Jeff Petry and Max Pacioretty. The Sabres retied it in the third period with a Cody Franson goal, his second of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Zach Bogosian goal, assisted by O'Reilly and Kane. The three stars were O'Reilly, Kane, and Bogosian.

South to Brooklyn, where the New York Islanders host the Los Angeles Kings. Peter Budaj and Jean-Francois Berube man the nets. New York led off in the first period with a Jason Chimera goal, his ninth of the season, guided in by Stephen Gionta. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by John Tavares and Nick Leddy in the second period. Los Angeles got on the board in the third period with a Jeff Carter power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, assisted by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Kings tied it on a Doughty goal, his eighth of the year, via Andy Andreoff and Trevor Lewis. New York took the lead with a Lee power play goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the season, fueled by Leddy and Josh Bailey. The Islanders added on with a Tavares empty net goal on the power play, his nineteenth of the year, set up by Nikolay Kulemin and Thomas Hickey. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Lee, Leddy, and Tavares, while Doughty gets an honorable mention.

Over in Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Keith Kinkaid and Michal Neuvirth are between the pipes. New Jersey began in the first period with a Pavel Zacha goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Jacob Josefson and Kyle Quincey. Philadelphia tied it on a Travis Konecny goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Nick Cousins and Ivan Provorov. The Devils took the lead back in the second period with a Kyle Palmieri power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by P.A. Parenteau and Michael Cammalleri. New Jersey added on with a Miles Wood goal, his sixth of the year, via Cammalleri and Steven Santini. The Devils extended the lead in the third period as Wood scored again, his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Taylor Hall and Karl Stollery on the power play. The game ended at 4-1, with Wood, Kinkaid (35 for 36 in saves), and Cammalleri earning the three stars.

In Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs bring in the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Frederik Andersen play goal. Ottawa struck first in the first period with a Bobby Ryan goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Marc Methot and Chris Neil. Toronto tied it in the second period with a Tyler Bozak power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs took the lead in the third period with a Matt Martin goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Jake Gardiner and Kadri. The Senators tied it on a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, with assists provided by Erik Karlsson and Dion Phaneuf. In the shootout, Ryan and Tom Pyatt topped Mitchell Marner for a 3-2 Senators win. The three stars went to Ryan, Kadri, and Hoffman.

In Texas, the Dallas Stars host the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Kari Lehtonen draw the starts in goal. Washington was first to score in the first period with an unassisted Andre Burakovsky goal, his ninth of the season. Dallas tied it with an Adam Cracknell goal, his sixth of the year, via Jordie Benn and Dan Hamhuis. The Stars took the lead in the second period with a Patrick Eaves goal, his seventeenth of the season, passed from Patrik Nemeth and Curtis McKenzie. Dallas added on with a Jamie Benn power play goal, his twelfth of the year, powered by Eaves and Tyler Seguin. The Capitals got one back in the third period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Matt Niskanen and Nicklas Backstrom. Washington tied it on a T.J. Oshie power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with helpers from Niskanen and Backstrom. The Capitals won 4-3 in overtime with a Jay Beagle goal, his tenth of the campaign, helped along by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Niskanen, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Niskanen, Backstrom, and Eaves.

West to Arizona, where the Coyotes welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Mike Smith are the goalies. Arizona opened in the first period with a Tobias Rieder goal, his ninth of the season, coming off of Radim Vrbata and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes added on with a Vrbata goal, his eleventh of the year, via Martin Hanzal and Rieder. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Cedric Paquette goal, his fourth of the season, helped along by Gabriel Dumont and Michael Bournival. Arizona answered in the second period with a Michael Stone power play goal, powered by Hanzal and Vrbata. The Coyotes extended the lead as Christian Fischer scored, assisted by Jamie McGinn and Alex Burmistrov. Arizona padded the lead with a Hanzal goal, his tenth of the year, fueled by Vrbata, who got a sock trick, and Rieder. Andrei Vasilevskiy replaced Bishop in goal to start the third period. The Lightning got one back with a third period Vladislav Namestnikov goal, his sixth of the season, courtesy of Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay got closer with a Palat power play goal, his tenth of the year, with helpers from Tyler Johnson and Nikita Nesterov. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Vrbata, Hanzal, and Rieder, while Palat gets an honorable mention.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild bring in the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Minnesota started in the first period with an Erik Haula goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville and Zach Parise. Anaheim tied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his second of the year, helped along by Jared Boll and Cam Fowler. The Ducks took the lead with Fowler shorthanded goal, his tenth of the season, going in unassisted. Anaheim added on in the second period with a Corey Perry power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. The Wild got one back with a Jason Zucker goal, his thirteenth of the season, an unassisted goal. Minnesota tied it in the third period with a Haula goal, his second of the game and ninth of the year, made possible by Ryan Suter and Matt Dumba. The Wild took the lead with a Suter goal, his seventh of the season, via Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Minnesota iced it at 5-3 with a Zucker goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, fueled by Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu. The three stars were Haula, Zucker, and Suter, while Fowler gets an honorable mention.

Over in Alberta, the Calgary Flames host the Edmonton Oilers in a Battle of Alberta. Laurent Brossoit opposes Chad Johnson in goal. Edmonton led off in the first period with an Anton Slepyshev goal, his third of the season, helped along by Drake Caggiula. The Oilers added on with a Mark Letestu goal, his tenth of the year, via Zack Kassian and Oscar Klefbom. Edmonton extended the lead as Jordan Eberle scored his tenth of the season, with the help of Benoit Pouliot and Adam Larsson. Brian Elliott relieved Johnson in goal. The Oilers padded the lead in the second period on a Connor McDavid goal, his sixteenth of the year, made possible by Draisaitl and Larsson. Edmonton kept going with an Eberle goal, his second of the game and eleventh of the season, assisted by Matthew Benning and Pouliot. Calgary got on the board with a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Michael Frolik. The Oilers shot back with a Klefbom power play goal, his eighth of the season, with assists provided by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle. The Flames answered with a shorthanded and unassisted Sean Monahan goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the year. Calgary pulled closer with a Lance Bouma goal, his third of the season, guided in by T.J. Brodie and Dennis Wideman. Edmonton finished it at 7-3 with a Nugent-Hopkins empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Eberle and Larsson, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Eberle, Klefbom, and Larsson, while Nugent-Hopkins and Pouliot get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche. Spencer Martin is mismatched with Martin Jones in goal. San Jose began in the first period with a Joel Ward power play goal, his fifth of the season, powered by Joe Thornton and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Colorado tied it in the second period on a Mikhail Grigorenko goal, his fifth of the year, via Nathan MacKinnon and Cody Goloubef. The Sharks retook the lead with a Melker Karlsson goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Ryan Carpenter. The Avalanche tied it in the third period with a Francois Beauchemin goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose won 3-2 in overtime with a David Schlemko goal, his second of the campaign, helped along by Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc. The three stars went to Schlemko, Karlsson, and Ward.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 97

Six games tonight, beginning with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Darling and Tuukka Rask are in the creases. Chicago dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Marian Hossa goal, his seventeenth of the season, assisted by Tanner Kero and Vinnie Hinostroza. This made it 1-0, with the three stars going to Hossa, Darling (30 save shutout), and Rask (21 for 22 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Cam Ward man the nets. Pittsburgh began in the first period with an unassisted Trevor Daley goal, his fourth of the season. The Penguins added on in the second period with a Carl Hagelin goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Cameron Gaunce and Phil Kessel. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Conor Sheary scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Bryan Rust. The Penguins padded the lead on a Chris Kunitz goal, his fifth of the year, via Eric Fehr and Scott Wilson. Pittsburgh continued with a Kessel power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, powered by Evgeni Malkin and Justin Schultz. The Penguins struck again in the third period with a twenty-second of the year, going in unassisted. Carolina got on the board with a Viktor Stalberg shorthanded goal, his eighth of the season, set up by Ron Hainsey and Jaccob Slavin. Pittsburgh answered with a Sheary goal, his fifteenth of the year and second of the game, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Rust. This made it 7-1, the final, with the three stars going to Sheary, Kessel, and Malkin, while Rust gets an honorable mention.

Back north, the Buffalo Sabres bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek and Anders Nilsson draw the starts in goal. Detroit led off in the first period with a Frans Nielsen power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Mike Green. Buffalo tied it on a Sam Reinhart power play goal in the second period, his tenth of the year, with assists provided by Jack Eichel and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Red Wings took the lead with a Darren Helm goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Justin Abdelkader and Alexey Marchenko in the third period. The Sabres tied it again on a Ryan O'Reilly goal, his ninth of the year, assisted by Cody Franson and Justin Falk. Buffalo won 3-2 in overtime with a Kyle Okposo power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, guided in by O'Reilly and Eichel. The three stars were O'Reilly, Eichel, and Okposo.

Along to New Jersey, where the Devils host the Montreal Canadiens. Al Montoya and Keith Kinkaid are the backups in goal. New Jersey opened in the first period with a Steven Santini goal, his second of the season, courtesy of P.A. Parenteau and Taylor Hall. Montreal tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk goal, his eleventh of the year, coming on the power play from Alexander Radulov and Nathan Beaulieu. The Canadiens took the lead in the third period with a Shea Weber power play goal, his eleventh of the season, powered by Radulov and Galchenyuk. Montreal added on with a Max Pacioretty power play goal, his twenty-first of the year, helped along by Galchenyuk and Radulov, the latter earning a sock trick. The final stood at 3-1, with the three stars awarded to Galchenyuk, Radulov, and Weber.

Westward to Edmonton, where the Oilers welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Cam Talbot guard the cages. Nashville dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. Edmonton tied it on a Matt Hendricks goal, his second of the year, via Zack Kassian. The Predators retook the lead in the third period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Johansen and Matt Irwin. The Oilers tied it again with a Milan Lucic power play goal, his eleventh of the year, powered by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The tie went to a shootout, where Ellis and James Neal scored to give the Predators a 3-2 win. The three stars were Ellis, Johansen, and Neal.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo and Ryan Miller are the veteran goalies. Florida started in the second period with a Jaromir Jagr power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Jared McCann and Jonathan Marchessault. Vancouver tied it on a Henrik Sedin goal, his eleventh of the year, coming off of Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler. The Canucks took the lead in the third period with an unassisted Luca Sbisa goal, his second of the campaign. This made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Henrik Sedin, Sbisa, and Miller (34 for 35 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 96

Eight games on today, beginning in...

Brooklyn, as the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Thomas Greiss are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a John Tavares goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Anders Lee. The Islanders added on in the third period with another Tavares goal, his second of the game and eighteenth of the year, a shorthanded goal set up by Nikolay Kulemin. New York iced it at 3-0 with a Calvin de Haan empty net goal, his third of the campaign, courtesy of Greiss. The three stars were Tavares, Greiss (23 save shutout), and de Haan.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Sergei Bobrovsky man the nets. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Kyle Turris goal, his sixteenth of the season, made possible by Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot. The Senators added on with a Ryan Dzingel goal, his ninth of the year, via Chris Wideman and Derick Brassard. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars being Condon (42 save shutout), Turris, and Dzingel.

In Toronto, the Maple Leafs host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Frederik Andersen are the goalies. New York started in the first period with a Brady Skjei goal, his second of the season, via Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. Toronto tied it on a Tyler Bozak goal, his eleventh of the year, helped along by Mitchell Marner and James van Riemsdyk. The Rangers retook the lead with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Rick Nash and Skjei. New York added on in the second period with a J.T. Miller goal, his fifteenth of the year, assisted by Kevin Hayes and Adam Clendening. The Maple Leafs got one back with a shorthanded and unassisted Zach Hyman goal, his sixth of the season. The Rangers replied with a shorthanded Michael Grabner goal in the third period, his twentieth of the year, set up by Hayes and Nick Holden. New York iced it at 5-2 with a Grabner empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-first of the campaign, going in unassisted. The three stars were Grabner, Skjei, and Hayes.

Southwest to St. Louis, where the Blues bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Jake Allen guard the cages. Washington began in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his eighth of the season, assisted by Daniel Winnik and Lars Eller. The Capitals added on with a Jay Beagle goal, his ninth of the year, via Winnik and Tom Wilson. St. Louis got on the board with a second period Jaden Schwartz goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Paul Stastny and Alexander Steen. Washington replied with a T.J. Oshie goal, his sixteenth of the year, fueled by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals extended the lead as Brett Connolly scored his eighth of the season, thanks to Burakovsky. Carter Hutton replaced Allen in goal. Washington padded the lead with an unassisted Marcus Johansson goal, his fifteenth of the year. The Capitals kept going with a Justin Williams power play goal, his sixteenth of the season, powered by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Washington struck again in the third period with a Kuznetsov goal, his sixth of the year, guided in by Oshie and Ovechkin. The Blues got one back on a Steen goal, his seventh of the season, made possible by Schwartz and Carl Gunnarsson. St. Louis chipped closer with Steen's second of the game and eighth of the year, coming off of Colton Parayko and Schwartz. This only made it 7-3, with the three stars given to Oshie, Burakovsky, and Steen, while Schwartz, Winnik, Ovechkin, and Kuznetsov get the honorable mentions.

Backtracking to Minnesota, where the Wild host the Arizona Coyotes. Louis Domingue and Devan Dubnyk are in the blue paint. Minnesota struck first in the first period with an Eric Staal goal, his sixteenth of the season, helped along by Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Arizona tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his seventh of the year, via Shane Doan and Michael Stone. The Wild took the lead back with a Niederreiter power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville. Minnesota added on in the second period with a Chris Stewart goal, his tenth of the year, coming off of Pominville. The Coyotes got one back with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his third of the season, made possible by Doan and Christian Dvorak. Arizona tied it on a Jamie McGinn goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Alex Goligoski. The Wild retook the lead on a Niederreiter power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Mikael Granlund and Pominville, the latter earning a sock trick. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Niederreiter, Pominville, and Doan.

In Calgary, the Flames welcome the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Chad Johnson draw the starts in goal. Nashville was first to score in the first period with a James Neal goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Mike Fisher and Anthony Bitetto. The Predators added on in the second period with a Ryan Ellis goal, his sixth of the year, via Harry Zolnierczyk. Nashville extended the lead as Ellis scored his second of the game and seventh of the season on the power play, with the help of Mike Ribeiro and Viktor Arvidsson. The Predators padded the lead in the third period with a Filip Forsberg goal, his twelfth of the year, with a lone assist by Arvidsson. Calgary got on the board with a Kris Versteeg power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Dougie Hamilton and Sean Monahan. The Flames got closer with a Michael Frolik goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Mikael Backlund and Hamilton. Calgary pulled closer on a Monahan goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Johnny Gaudreau and Dennis Wideman. This was as close as it got, with the final standing at 4-3. The three stars were Ellis, Monahan, and Arvidsson, while Hamilton gets an honorable mention.

Out in Anaheim, the Ducks host the Colorado Avalanche. Calvin Pickard is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. Colorado dented the scoreboard in the delayed part of the second period with a Gabriel Landeskog goal, his ninth of the season, a power play goal powered by Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. Anaheim tied it in the third period with a Hampus Lindholm power play goal, hi third of the year, assisted by Rickard Rakell and Antoine Vermette. The Ducks took the lead on a Nick Ritchie goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Ondrej Kase. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Ritchie, Lindholm, and Gibson (21 for 22 in saves).

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Aaron Dell are the backups in goal. San Jose got going in the second period with a Ryan Carpenter goal, his second of the season, coming off of Paul Martin and Brent Burns. Tampa Bay tied it on a Jonathan Drouin power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Brian Boyle and Nikita Kucherov. The Sharks took the lead back with a Logan Couture goal in the third period, his fifteenth of the season, via Kevin Labanc and Joonas Donskoi. The final held at 2-1, with the three stars going to Dell (24 for 25 in saves), Couture, and Carpenter.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 138

Ten games fill today's schedule, the last day before the KHL All-Star Break. We begin with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Juha Metsola protect the nets. Vladivostok opened in the first period with a Robert Sabolic goal, coming off of Vladimir Tkachyov and Artyom Zemchyonok. Admiral iced it at 2-0 with a Sabolic empty net goal, set up by James Wright and Shaone Morrisonn. The three stars were Sabolic, Bobkov (27 save shutout), and Metsola (25 for 26 in saves).

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Kunlun Red Star Beijing. Tomi Karhunen and Pavel Francouz are the goalies. Beijing started in the first period with a Tobias Viklund goal, courtesy of Linus Videll. Kunlun Red Star Beijing added on in the second period with a Zach Yuen goal, made possible by Chad Rau. Beijing extended the lead in the third period as Damien Fleury scored, thanks to Tomi Sallinen and Yuen. Vasily Demchenko replaced Francouz in goal. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Dmitry Pestunov goal, helped along by Artyom Borodkin and Alexander Chernikov. The final stayed at 3-1, with the three stars being Yuen, Fleury, and Karhunen (19 for 20 in saves).

Along to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg brings in Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk began in the first period with a Sergei Mozyakin goal, assisted by Danis Zaripov and Alexei Bereglazov. Omsk tied it on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, passed from Furch and Evgeny Medvedev in the second period. Metallurg took the lead back with a Zaripov goal, coming off of Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. Magnitogorsk added on in the third period with a Zaripov power play goal, powered by Kovar and Bereglazov. Metallurg extended the lead as Oskar Osala scored a shorthanded empty goal, going in unassisted. Avangard got one back on a Nikolai Lemtyugov power play goal, with helpers from Yegor Martynov and Medvedev. The final held at 5-2, with the three stars going to Zaripov, Mozyakin, and Bereglazov, while Kovar and Medvedev get the honorable mentions.

In Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Vladimir Sokhatsky draw the starts in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk got going in the second period with an Evgeny Lapenkov goal, helped along by Roman Lyuduchin. Ugra added on in the third period with a Vitaly Shulakov goal, courtesy of Nikita Khlystov and Alexander Yaremchuk. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars given to Sharychenkov (22 save shutout), Lapenkov, and Shulakov.

Northwest to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Medvescak Zagreb. Michael Garnett and Jakub Kovar are in the blue paint. Zagreb led off in the first period with a Tomislav Zanoski goal, with a lone assist by Francis Pare. Medvescak added on in the third period with an Alexandre Giroux goal, via Pare. Zagreb extended the lead as Mike Glumac scored, thanks to Pare, who earned a sock trick. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Pare, Garnett (32 save shutout), and Zanoski.

Down in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik brings in Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Andrei Kareyev are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk struck first in the first period with a Richard Gynge goal, assisted by Gilbert Brule and Mikhail Zhukov. Bratislava got on the board with a Michal Hlinka goal, via Michal Sersen and Jeff Taffe. Slovan took the lead with a Nick Plastino goal in the second period, coming off of Jonathan Cheechoo and Taffe. Bratislava added on with a Pavol Skalicky goal, fueled by Patrik Lusnak. Neftekhimik got one back with a power play goal by Igor Polygalov, powered by Ivan Lekomtsev and the goalie Kareyev. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Taffe, Skalicky, and Plastino.

Moving along, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Mikhail Biryukov are the experienced goalies. Yaroslavl opened in the first period with an Andrei Loktionov goal, guided in by Dmitry Lugin. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Stanislav Yegorshev goal, via Evgeny Grachyov and Nikolai Zherdev. Lokomotiv took the lead back in the third period with a Pavel Kraskovsky goal, assisted by Mikhail Pashnin and Rushan Rafikov. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-1 with a Loktionov empty net goal, set up by Lugin. The three stars were Loktionov, Murygin (20 for 21 in saves), and Lugin.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Ben Scrivens are the masked men. Riga started in the first period with a Guntis Galvins power play goal, powered by Filipp Toluzakov. Minsk tied it in the third period with an Andrei Stepanov goal, courtesy of Roman Graborenko and Artur Gavrus. Riga took the lead back with a Miks Indrasis power play goal, with assists provided by Lauris Darzins and Galvins. Riga added on with a Toluzakov goal, made possible by Tim Sestito on the power play. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars going to Galvins, Toluzakov, and Sedlacek (14 for 15 in saves).

Southeast to Sochi, where the Leopards bring in Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Dmitry Shikin are the goalies. Moscow began in the first period with a Konstantin Glazachev power play goal, powered by Matthew Gilroy and Lukas Radil. Sochi tied it on an Alexei Pepelyayev goal, made possible by Ilya Krikunov. The Leopards took the lead in the second period on an Igor Ignatushkin goal, via Krikunov. Sochi added on with an Andrei Kostitsyn goal, guided in by Krikunov and Ignatushkin, the former earning a sock trick. The Leopards extended the lead as Igor Levitsky scored in the third period, with the help of Nikita Tochitsky and Yegor Morozov. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Krikunov, Ignatushkin, and Shikin (28 for 29 in saves).

Finally, SKA St. Petersburg hosts Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an Ilya Kovalchuk power play goal, powered by Nikita Gusev and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on with another Kovalchuk goal, with a lone assist by Yegor Yakovlev. Helsinki got on the board in the second period with a Jesse Joensuu goal, via Mika Niemi. Jokerit tied it on an Oliver Lauridsen goal, helped along by Masi Marjamaki and Roope Talaja. Helsinki took the lead with a Tommi Huhtala goal, coming off of Charles Genoway and Petteri Wirtanen. St. Petersburg retied it on an Evgeny Dadonov power play goal, assisted by Dinar Khafizullin. Jokerit retook the lead in the third period on a Huhtala goal, made possible by Marko Anttila and Wirtanen. Helsinki made it 5-3 with a Pekka Jormakka goal, fueled by Peter Regin and Topi Jaakola. The three stars were Huhtala, Kovalchuk, and Wirtanen.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 95

Five games on tonight, beginning with...

The Montreal Canadiens hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray and Carey Price are the masked men. Pittsburgh led off in the first period with an Ian Cole goal, his third of the season, made possible by Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins added on in the second period with an Eric Fehr goal, his sixth of the year, via Chris Kunitz and Scott Wilson. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Jake Guentzel scored his fourth of the season, thanks to Cameron Gaunce and Hornqvist. Montreal got on the board with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his second of the year, assisted by Alexei Emelin and Artturi Lehkonen. The Penguins got one back in the third period on an Olli Maatta goal, passed from Conor Sheary. The score stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Hornqvist, Murray (19 for 20 in saves), and Fehr.

Over in Winnipeg, the Jets welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Ondrej Pavelec are the veteran goalies. Arizona began in the first period with a Josh Jooris goal, his second of the season, passed from Lawson Crouse. Winnipeg tied it on a Josh Morrissey goal, his third of the year, helped along by Dustin Byfuglien and Mathieu Perreault. The Coyotes took the lead with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Shane Doan. The Jets tied it again in the second period on a Blake Wheeler goal, his fourteenth of the year, assisted by Perreault and Bryan Little. Winnipeg took the lead with an Andrew Copp goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Chris Thorburn and Nic Petan. The Jets added on with a Joel Armia goal, his third of the year, fueled by Shawn Matthias and Byfuglien. Winnipeg extended the lead in the third period as Jacob Trouba scored his third of the season, thanks to Drew Stafford. The Jets padded the lead on a Nikolaj Ehlers goal, his fifteenth of the year, via Paul Postma. Arizona got one back with a Jakob Chychrun goal, his second of the season, guided in by Alex Burmistrov. The three stars of the 6-3 game were Byfuglien, Perreault, and Armia.

Stateside to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask faces a lesser foe in Jared Coreau in goal. Boston started in the first period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Adam McQuaid and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins added on with a shorthanded Brandon Carlo goal, his fourth of the year, set up by Brad Marchand and Bergeron. Boston extended the lead as Vatrano scored his second of the game and fifth of the season, a power play goal, guided in by David Backes and Ryan Spooner. Petr Mrazek replaced Coreau in goal. Detroit got on the board with a Dylan Larkin goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. The Bruins replied with a Bergeron power play goal, his tenth of the season, with assists provided by Torey Krug and Marchand. The Red Wings got one back in the second period on an Xavier Ouellet goal, his second of the year, going in unassisted. Detroit got closer with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his tenth of the season, passed from Thomas Vanek and Mike Green. The Red Wings tied it on a Tatar goal, his tenth of the year, an unassisted goal. Boston took the lead back with a McQuaid goal, assisted by David Krejci. Detroit tied it on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his seventh of the campaign, via Larkin and Tatar. The tie went to a shootout, where Vanek and Frans Nielsen scored to top Marchand for a 6-5 Red Wings win. The three stars went to Tatar, Larkin, and Vanek, while Vatrano, Bergeron, McQuaid, and Marchand get the honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the Florida Panthers. James Reimer and Cam Talbot man the nets. Edmonton opened in the first period with a Zack Kassian goal, his third of the season, coming off of Connor McDavid. The Oilers added on with a Mark Letestu power play goal, his ninth of the year, powered by McDavid and Andrej Sekera. Florida got on the board with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his seventeenth of the season, via Reilly Smith and Keith Yandle. The Panthers tied it in the second period with a Michael Sgarbossa power play goal, with assists provided by Jonathan Marchessault and Aaron Ekblad. Florida took the lead in the third period with a Greg McKegg goal, his third of the year, made possible by Jaromir Jagr and Ekblad. Edmonton retied it on a Jordan Eberle goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers won 4-3 in overtime with a McDavid goal, his fifteenth of the year, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl. The three stars went to McDavid, Ekblad, and Eberle.

Finally, the Los Angeles Kings host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Peter Budaj are in the creases. San Jose struck first in the first period with a Brent Burns goal, his nineteenth of the season, assisted by Joe Thornton and Melker Karlsson. Los Angeles tied it on a Tanner Pearson goal, his fourteenth of the year, helped along by Derek Forbort and Dustin Brown. The Sharks took the lead with a Tommy Wingels goal, his fifth of the season, guided in by Micheal Haley. San Jose added on in the second period with a Joe Pavelski power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Joel Ward and Thornton. The Kings got one back with a Marian Gaborik goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Kyle Clifford and Brown. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Thornton, Brown, and Pavelski.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 137

Five games today, beginning with...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Barys Astana. Kevin Poulin and Rafael Khakimov are the uninspiring goalies. Novokuznetsk started in the first period with a Kirill Lebedev goal, passed from Andrei Karavayev. Astana tied it on a Corey Trivino goal in the second period, via Nikita Mikhailis and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys took the lead with a Roman Starchenko power play goal, powered by Mikhailis and Brendan Shinnimin. Astana added on with a Brandon Bochenski goal, coming off of Nigel Dawes. Barys extended the lead as Starchenko scored another power play goal, thanks to Mikhailis and Shinnimin, the former earning a sock trick. Metallurg got one back with a Konstantin Parkhomenko, made possible by Lebedev. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Starchenko, Mikhailis, and Shinnimin, while Lebedev gets an honorable mention.

In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg welcomes Avangard Omsk. Oleg Shilin and Ilya Samsonov are the backups in goal. Omsk opened in the first period with a Maxim Pestushko goal, via Ilya Zubov and Evgeny Medvedev. Magnitogorsk tied it on an Evgeny Timkin goal, assisted by Tomas Filippi. Avangard took the lead back in the second period on an Artur Lauta power play goal, powered by Mikhail Grigoryev and Medvedev. Metallurg tied it again on a Yaroslav Kosov goal, guided in by Grigory Dronov and Alexander Semin. Omsk regained the lead in the third period with an Ilya Mikheyev goal, with a lone assist by Medvedev on the power play. Avangard added on with an Anton Burdasov goal, helped along by Alexander Kucheryavenko. Magnitogorsk answered with a Danis Zaripov goal, made possible by Viktor Antipin and Sergei Mozyakin. Omsk iced it at 5-3 with an empty net goal by Nikolai Lemtyugov. The three stars were Medvedev, Mikheyev, and Burdasov.

Out west, Vityaz Podolsk hosts Lada Togliatti. Ilya Ezhov and Igor Saprykin are in the creases. Togliatti got going in the second period with a Georgy Belousov power play goal, powered by Yefim Gurkin. Podolsk tied it on a Maxim Afinogenov goal, assisted by Alexei Makeyev. Vityaz took the lead with an Alexei Semenov goal, coming off of Afinogenov and Alexander Nikulin on the power play in the third period. Podolsk added on with a Mario Kempe goal, passed from Jakub Jerabek and Miro Aaltonen. Vityaz extended the lead as Makeyev scored, thanks to Afinogenov and Igor Golovkov. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars being Makeyev, Afinogenov, and Semenov.

Backtracking to Kazan, where Ak Bars brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Emil Garipov are the masked men. Ufa struck first in the first period with an Alexander Loginov power play goal, powered by Kirill Kaprizov and Linus Omark. Kazan tied it on a Stefan Elliott goal, coming off of Vladimir Tkachyov on the power play. Ak Bars took the lead with a Jiri Sekac power play goal, assisted by Elliott and Justin Azevedo. Salavat Yulaev retied it on an Omark power play goal, with assists provided by Kaprizov and Sami Lepisto. Ufa took the lead with an Alexander Nesterov goal, guided in by Kaprizov, who earned a sock trick, and Anton Lazarev. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Tomas Mertl goal, helped along by Omark and Kaprizov. Kazan shot back with an Azevedo goal, fueled by Atte Ohtamaa and Alexander Svitov. Ak Bars tied it on a Tkachyov goal, made possible by Azevedo and Artyom Lukoyanov. Ufa retook the lead with a Loginov power play goal, with a lone assist from Igor Grigorenko. Kazan tied it with a Michal Jordan goal in the third period, passed from Tkachyov and Lukoyanov. Ak Bars won 6-5 in overtime with a Lukoyanov goal, via Damir Musin. The three stars were Lukoyanov, Tkachyov, and Azevedo, while Elliott, Kaprizov, Omark, and Loginov get the honorable mentions.

Finally, a Moscow Derby sees Dynamo host CSKA. Ilya Sorokin and Alexander Yeroymenko tend the twines. Dynamo dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Alexei Tereshchenko power play goal, powered by Martins Karsums and Juuso Hietanen. The three stars of the 1-0 game were Yeryomenko (44 save shutout), Tereshchenko, and Sorokin (19 for 20 in saves).

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 94

Nine games on the week's busiest night, beginning with...

The New York Rangers hosting the Dallas Stars. Antti Niemi and Henrik Lundqvist are the goalies. New York led off with a first period goal by Derek Stepan, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. Dallas tied it on a Patrick Eaves power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Stars took the lead on a Patrick Sharp goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Dallas added on with a Benn goal, his eleventh of the year, made possible by Cody Eakin and Eaves. The Stars extended the lead as Antoine Roussel scored in the second period, his seventh of the season, with a lone assist by Lauri Korpikoski. The Rangers got one back with a Mika Zibanejad goal, his sixth of the year, helped along by Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich. New York got one back with a Buchnevich goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Kevin Klein and Adam Clendening. Dallas fired back with a Sharp goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, with helpers from Devin Shore and Radek Faksa. The Stars padded the lead with an Adam Cracknell goal, his fifth of the season, via Korpikoski and Jiri Hudler. Dallas struck again with an Eakin goal, guided in by Eaves and Benn. Magnus Hellberg replaced Lundqvist at the start of the third period. The Rangers chipped back in the third period with a Kreider power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Stepan and Zuccarello. New York got closer with a Stepan goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, made possible by Ryan McDonagh and Zuccarello, the latter earning a sock trick. The Rangers edged closer with a Zibanejad goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, passed from Nash and Buchnevich. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi at this point. This made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars going to Sharp, Eaves, and Benn, while Eakin, Faksa, Korpikoski, Nash, Buchnevich, Zuccarello, Stepan, Kreider, and Zibanejad get the honorable mentions.

Over in Columbus, the Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Sergei Bobrovsky are the solid goalies. Carolina began in the first period with a Sebastian Aho goal, his eleventh of the season, helped along by Teuvo Teravainen and Lee Stempniak. Columbus tied it on a Boone Jenner goal, his ninth of the year, via Cam Atkinson and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Brandon Dubinsky goal, his fourth of the season, assisted by Murray. Columbus added on in the second period with a Dubinsky goal, his second of the game and fifth of the year, passed from Jenner and Atkinson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead as Lukas Sedlak scored his fifth of the campaign, thanks to Sam Gagner and Scott Hartnell. Ward was replaced by Alex Nedelijkovic. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars being Dubinsky, Jennfer, and Murray, while Atkinson gets an honorable mention.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner and Frederik Andersen man the nets. Buffalo started in the first period with an unassisted Kyle Okposo goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Sabres added on with an Evander Kane goal, his twelfth of the year, via Brian Gionta and Jake McCabe. Toronto got on the board in the second period with a Leo Komarov goal, his eighth of the season, fueled by Nazem Kadri and William Nylander. The Maple Leafs tied it on a Matt Martin goal, his third of the year, going in unassisted. Toronto took the lead with an Auston Matthews goal, his twenty-second of the season, courtesy of Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. The Maple Leafs added on with a third period power play goal by James van Riesmdyk, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Mitchell Marner and Nikita Zaitsev. Buffalo got one back with a William Carrier goal, his fourth of the season, made possible by Zemgus Girgensons and Gionta. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars going to van Riemsdyk, Matthews, and Gionta.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Mike Condon and Carter Hutton are the backups in goal. Ottawa opened in the first period with a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal, his fifth of the season, passed from Tom Pyatt and Erik Karlsson. St. Louis tied it on a Paul Stastny goal, his eleventh of the year, via Jay Bouwmeester and Alexander Steen. The Senators took the lead with a Mike Hoffman power play goal in the second period, his thirteenth of the season, powered by Kyle Turris and Dion Phaneuf. Ottawa added on with a Bobby Ryan goal, his ninth of the year, helped along by Ryan Dzingel and Turris. The Blues pulled back with a Kevin Shattenkirk goal, his ninth of the season, made possible by Vladimir Tarasenko and Dmitrij Jaskin. St. Louis tied it in the third period with a Steen power play goal, his sixth of the year, with assists provided by Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. The Senators pulled ahead again with a Mark Stone goal, his fourteenth of the season, going in unassisted. Ottawa extended the lead as Hoffman scored his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, thanks to Pageau and Pyatt on the power play. The Senators padded the lead with an empty net goal by Stone, his second of the game and fifteenth of the season, set up by Derick Brassard and Zack Smith. The Blues got one back on a Patrik Berglund goal, his eleventh of the year, with helpers from Joel Edmundson and David Perron. This made it 6-4, the final, with the three stars being Hoffman, Stone, and Shattenkirk, while Steen, Turris, and Pyatt get the honorable mentions.

North to Minnesota, where the Wild welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Devan Dubnyk play goal. Minnesota struck first in the first period with a Jared Spurgeon power play goal, his sixth of the season, powered by Nino Niederreiter and Mikko Koivu. The Wild added on in the second period with a Jason Zucker goal, his twelfth of the year, made possible by Mikael Granlund and Koivu. New Jersey got on the board with a Pavel Zacha power play goal, his third of the season, with assists provided by Kyle Palmieri and Karl Stollery. The Devils tied it in the third period with an Adam Henrique goal, his eleventh of the year, guided in by Taylor Hall and P.A. Parenteau. Minnesota took the lead back with an Erik Haula goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Charlie Coyle and Spurgeon. New Jersey tied it on a Palmieri goal, his tenth of the year, assisted by Michael Cammalleri and Damon Severson. The Devils took the lead with a Beau Bennett goal, his third of the campaign, coming off of Blake Coleman and Miles Wood. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars being Palmieri, Spurgeon, and Koivu.

Over in Alberta, the Calgary Flames bring in the Florida Panthers. Roberto Luongo faces a lesser foe in Chad Johnson in goal. Florida was first to score in the first period with a Vincent Trocheck goal, his fifteenth of the season, assisted by Jared McCann and Aaron Ekblad. Calgary tied it on a Kris Versteeg goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Sean Monahan and Mark Giordano. The Panthers took the lead back with a Trocheck goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the season, passed from McCann and Jason Demers. The Flames retied it in the second period with a Giordano power play goal, his sixth of the year, powered by Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund. Calgary took the lead with a Backlund power play goal, his thirteenth of the season, coming off of Matthew Tkachuk and Giordano. The Flames added on with another Backlund goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, with assists provided by Tkachuk and Frolik. Calgary iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Monahan empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Dennis Wideman. The three stars were Giordano, Backlund, and Trocheck, while Monahan, Tkachuk, Frolik, and McCann get the honorable mentions. 

Down to Colorado, where the Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Semyon Varlamov protect the nets. Chicago drew first blood in the first period with a Nick Schmaltz goal, his second of the season, going in unassisted. Colorado tied it on a Matt Duchene power play goal, his fourteenth of the year, powered by Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie. The Blackhawks retook the lead with a Brent Seabrook goal, his third of the season, coming off of Dennis Rasmussen and Schmaltz. The Avalanche tied it on a second period with a Blake Comeau goal, his seventh of the year, assisted by MacKinnon and Mikhail Grigorenko. Colorado took the lead with a Matt Nieto goal, with a lone assist by Gabriel Landeskog. Chicago tied it on a Tanner Kero goal, his second of the season, made possible by Trevor van Riemsdyk and Marian Hossa. The Avalanche regained the lead with a Duchene goal, his second of the game and fifteenth of the year, passed from Barrie and Francois Beauchemin. The Blackhawks tied it in the third period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his fifth of the season, going in unassisted. Chicago took the lead with another Hinostroza goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, via Kero and Hossa. The Blackhawks iced it at 6-4 with a Kero empty net goal, his second of the game and third of the campaign, set up by Jonathan Toews and Hossa, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Hinostroza, Kero, and Hossa, while Schmaltz, Duchene, MacKinnon, and Barrie get the honorable mentions.

Northwest to Vancouver, where the Canucks welcome the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Ryan Miller are the veteran goalies. Vancouver dented the scoreboard in the third period with a Henrik Sedin goal, his tenth of the season, coming off of Luca Sbisa and Loui Eriksson. This was the only goal in a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Miller (30 save shutout), Sedin, and Rinne (25 for 26 in saves).

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and John Gibson guard the cages. Tampa Bay got going in the second period with a Valtteri Filppula goal, his seventh of the season, assisted by Nikita Nesterov and Anton Stralman. Anaheim tied it on a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his sixth of the year, going in unassisted. The Ducks won 2-1 in overtime with a Rickard Rakell goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, a power play goal with a lone assist by Ryan Kesler. The three stars were Rakell, Getzlaf, and Gibson (27 for 28 in saves).

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 136

Just three games on today, a light schedule beginning with...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Ivan Lisutin and Pavel Francouz man the nets. Yekaterinburg won 1-0 with a Stanislav Chistov goal in overtime, going in unassisted. The three stars were Chistov, Lisutin (42 save shutout), and Francouz (36 for 37 in saves).

In Moscow, Spartak welcomes Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Markus Svensson are the goalies. Bratislava opened in the first period with an Igor Musatov goal, via Nick Plastino and Ziga Jeglic. Slovan added on in the second period with another Musatov goal, helped along by Plastino and Kyle Chipchura. Bratislava extended the lead as Tomas Kundratek scored, thanks to Jonathan Cheechoo on the power play. This made it 3-0, the final, with the three stars going to Musatov, Brust (23 save shutout), and Plastino.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Michael Garnett are in the creases. Zagreb started in the first period with a Colby Genoway power play goal, powered by Mark Katic and Francis Pare. Medvescak added on with another Genoway power play goal, made possible by Pare and Jakub Krejcik. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Kirill Voronin scored a power play goal, with the help of Derek Smith and Lukas Lessio. Medvescak padded the lead in the third period on a Jiri Smejkal goal, assisted by Lessio and Mike Glumac. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a Pavel Valentenko goal, helped along by Andrei Alexeyev and Evgeny Lapenkov. This made it 4-1, the final, with the three stars going to Genoway, Pare, and Lessio.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 93

Seven games on for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, with five of them played as matinees. We begin with...

The Boston Bruins hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Tuukka Rask man the nets. New York got going in the second period with a Nikolay Kulemin goal, his sixth of the season, via Casey Cizikas and Jason Chimera. The Islanders added on with a Josh Bailey goal, his sixth of the year, coming off of Anders Lee and Adam Pelech. New York extended the lead as Kulemin scored his second of the game and seventh of the season, thanks to Cizikas. Zane McIntyre replaced Rask for the third period. The Islanders padded the lead in the third period with a shorthanded Chimera goal, his eighth of the year, going in unassisted. The game ended at 4-0, with the three stars going to Kulemin, Chimera, and Greiss (32 save shutout), while Cizikas gets an honorable mention.

Over in Buffalo, the Sabres welcome the Dallas Stars. Kari Lehtonen and Robin Lehner draw the starts in goal. Buffalo started with an unassisted Tyler Ennis goal, his second of the season. The Sabres added on with a Jake McCabe power play goal, going in unassisted. Dallas got on the board with a Radek Faksa goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Jiri Hudler. Buffalo replied in the third period with a Jack Eichel power play goal, his ninth of the season, powered by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres iced it at 4-1 with an Eichel empty net goal, his second of the game and tenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were Eichel, Lehner (31 for 32 in saves), and McCabe.

West to Detroit, where the Red Wings bring in the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price faces a lesser foe in Jared Coreau in goal. Detroit dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Thomas Vanek goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Danny DeKeyser and Frans Nielsen. This held up for a 1-0 win, with the three stars being Vanek, Coreau (18 save shutout), and Price (19 for 20 in saves).

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ben Bishop and Peter Budaj are called on to start in goal. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Kyle Clifford goal, his third of the season, going in unassisted. Tampa Bay tied it on a Tyler Johnson goal, his thirteenth of the year, passed from Jonathan Drouin and Luke Witkowski. The Lightning took the lead in the second period with a Brian Boyle goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Valtteri Filppula and Nikita Kucherov. The scoring stopped here, with the final at 2-1, and the three stars were awarded to Bishop (31 for 32 in saves), Boyle, and Johnson.

Up in San Jose, the Sharks welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Michael Hutchinson and Martin jones are in the creases. San Jose led off in the first period with a shorthanded Joel Ward goal, his fourth of the season, set up by Justin Braun. The Sharks added on in the second period with a Timo Meier goal, his second of the year, via Chris Tierney and Ward. San Jose extended the lead as Brent Burns scored a power play goal, his eighteenth of the season, powered by Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. The Sharks padded the lead in the third period on a Tierney goal, his fourth of the year, helped along by Meier and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Winnipeg got on the board with a Josh Morrissey goal, his second of the season, coming off of Mark Scheifele. The Jets got closer with a Scheifele goal, his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. San Jose shot back with an empty net goal by Joe Thornton, his third of the campaign, an unassisted goal. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars given to Ward, Meier, and Tierney, while Scheifele gets an honorable mention.

Back east, the Pittsburgh Penguins bring in the Washington Capitals at the usual time. Braden Holtby and Matt Murray guard the cages. Washington began in the first period with an Andre Burakovsky goal, his seventh of the season, helped along by Daniel Winnik. The Capitals added on with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin. Washington extended the lead as Justin Williams scored his fifteenth of the season in the second period, passed from Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson. Pittsburgh got on the board with an Evgeni Malkin goal, his nineteenth of the year, via Trevor Daley and Justin Schultz. The Penguins got closer with a Conor Sheary goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Sidney Crosby and Daley. Pittsburgh tied it as Nick Bonino scored his seventh of the year, thanks to Schultz and Phil Kessel. The Penguins took the lead with a Bryan Rust goal, his eleventh of the season, coming off of Daley, who got a sock trick, and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh padded the lead with a Malkin goal, his twentieth of the year and second of the game, fueled by Jake Guentzel and Schultz, the latter earning a sock trick. Philipp Grubauer replaced Holtby in goal. The Capitals chipped back with a Brett Connolly goal, his seventh of the season, guided in by Taylor Chorney and Burakovsky. Washington retied it on a shorthanded Lars Eller goal, his fifth of the year, set up by Nate Schmidt and Oshie. The Penguins regained the lead as Malkin completed his hat trick on his twenty-first of the season, a power play goal with helpers from Patric Hornqvist and Crosby. Pittsburgh struck again with a Crosby goal in the third period, his twenty-seventh of the year, with assists provided by Sheary and Rust. The Capitals got one back on an Oshie power play goal, his fifteenth of the season, dished from Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen. Washington tied the game with another Eller goal, his second of the game and sixth of the year, courtesy of Dmitry Orlov and Niskanen. The Penguins won 8-7 in overtime on a Sheary goal, his second of the game and thirteenth of the campaign, from Crosby, who got a sock trick, and Schultz. The three stars were Malkin, Sheary, and Crosby, while Schultz, Daley, Rust, Oshie, Ovechkin, Eller, Burakovsky, and Niskanen get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Edmonton Oilers host the Arizona Coyotes. Mike Smith and Cam Talbot are the masked men. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal, his ninth of the season, courtesy of Jordan Eberle and Adam Larsson. The Oilers added on in the second period with a Jujhar Khaira goal, made possible by Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian. Edmonton extended the lead as Leon Draisaitl scored his seventeenth of the year, thanks to Connor McDavid. Arizona got on the board with a Radim Vrbata power play goal, his tenth of the season, powered by Alex Burmistrov. This was as close as it got, with the final at 3-1, and the three stars were Khaira, Talbot (19 for 20 in saves), and Draisaitl.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 135

Six games on the slate today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Ryan Zapolski and Juha Metsola are the goalies. Helsinki got going with a Brian O'Neill goal in the second period, made possible by Charles Genoway. Jokerit added on with a Peter Regin power play goal, powered by Genoway. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Teemu Ramstedt goal, assisted by Kristian Kuusela and Yury Nazarov. Amur tied it in the third period with a Nikita Kamalov goal, via Kirill Kapustin. Khabarovsk took the lead with a Vladislav Ushenin power play goal, with a lone assist by Vyacheslav Ushenin. This made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Vladislav Ushenin, Kamalov, and Genoway.

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Ben Scrivens and Maxim Tretyak are in the blue paint. Minsk led off in the first period with an Aaron Palushaj goal, coming off of Matt Ellison and Evgeny Lisovets. Dinamo added on with an Alexander Kitarov goal, guided in by Andrei Stepanov and Artyom Volkov. Nikita Serebryakov replaced Tretyak in goal. Minsk extended the lead as Marc-Andre Gragnani scored, thanks to Alexander Materukhin and Sergei Drozd. Vladivostok got on the board with a Mikhail Plotnikov goal, going in unassisted. Dinamo replied in the second period with a Stepanov goal, made possible by Volkov and Kitarov. Admiral pulled back on an unassisted Dmitry Sayustov power play goal. Minsk countered with an Andrei Stas goal, helped along by Drozd. Vladivostok got one back with a Pavel Makarenko goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The final remained at 5-3, with the three stars going to Stepanov, Kitarov, and Volkov, while Drozd gets an honorable mention.

In China, Kunlun Red Star Beijing brings in Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Tomi Karhunen draw the starts in goal. Riga began in the first period with an Oskars Cibulskis power play goal, powered by Filipp Toluzakov. Dinamo added on with a Georgs Golovkovs goal, passed from Roberts Lipsbergs and Edgars Kulda. Riga extended the lead as Gints Meija scored, thanks to Mikelis Redlihs and Kristaps Zile. Beijing got on the board with a Martin Bakos power play goal in the third period, via Tomi Sallinen. Kunlun Red Star pulled closer with a Tuukka Mantyla power play goal, assisted by Joonas Jarvinen and Linus Videll. Beijing tied it as Chad Rau scored, with the help of Bakos. In the shootout, Bakos was topped by Meija, Lauris Darzins, and Toluzakov. The three stars of the 4-3 Dinamo win were Toluzakov, Bakos, and Meija.

Out in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Andrei Gavrilov and Kevin Poulin man the nets. Ufa opened in the first period with a Tomas Mertl power play goal, powered by Sami Lepisto and Alexander Loginov. Astana tied it on a second period Nigel Dawes goal, fueled by Brandon Bochenski and Kevin Dallman. Barys took the lead with a Kirll Panyukov goal, via Alexander Lipin. Astana added on with a Dawes goal, coming off of Dustin Boyd and Bochenski. Salavat Yulaev pulled back with a Maxim Mayorov power play goal, courtesy of Denis Kulyash. Ufa tied it with an Alexander Nesterov goal, helped along by Evgeny Korotkov. Barys won 4-3 in overtime on a Dallman goal, made possible by Dawes and Bochenski, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were awarded to Dawes, Dallman, and Bochenski.

Up in Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv welcomes Lada Togliatti. Edgars Masalskis and Alexander Sudnitsin are in the creases. Yaroslavl started in the first period with a Petri Kontiola goal, via Brandon Kozun and Maxime Talbot. Togliatti tied it on a Nikita Filatov goal, helped along by Andrei Ivanov. Lokomotiv pulled back ahead with an unassisted Alexander Kadeikin goal. Lada tied it again with an Anton Shenfeld goal, coming off of Georgy Belousov and Alexei Mastryukov. Yaroslavl took the lead back in the second period with a Pavel Koledov goal, courtesy of Yegor Averin. Lokomotiv iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Andrei Loktionov, set up by Averin. The three stars were Koledov, Averin, and Kadeikin.

Finally, in Moscow, Dynamo brings in Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Kazan struck first in the first period with a Mikhail Sidorov goal, assisted by Mikhail Varnakov. Ak Bars added on with a Mikhail Glukhov goal in the third period, passed from Andrei Popov. Moscow got on the board with a Martins Karsums goal, via Konstantin Gorovikov and Maxim Karpov. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Glukhov, Garipov (34 for 35 in saves), and Sidorov.

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NHL 2016/17 - Day 92

Just four games today, beginning with...

The Washington Capitals hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Steve Mason and Philipp Grubauer are the goalies. Washington dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Andre Burakovsky power play goal, his sixth of the season, going in unassisted. The Capitals added on in the third period with a Justin Williams goal, his thirteenth of the year, helped along by Marcus Johansson and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Washington extended the lead as Matt Niskanen scored his third of the season, thanks to Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals padded the lead with a Niskanen goal, his second of the game and fourth of the year, via Tom Wilson and Jay Beagle. Washington chased Mason with a Williams goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the campaign, passed from Backstrom and Brooks Orpik. Michal Neuvirth finished the game, which ended at 5-0. The three stars were awarded to Williams, Niskanen, and Backstrom, while Grubauer (24 save shutout) gets an honorable mention.

At the usual time, the Chicago Blackhawks welcome the Minnesota Wild. Devan Dubnyk and Corey Crawford tend the twines. Chicago struck first in the first period with a Patrick Kane goal, his thirteenth of the season, via Artem Anisimov and Artemi Panarin. The Blackhawks added on in the second period with another Kane goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, assisted by Anisimov. Minnesota got on the board with a Nino Niederreiter power play goal, his twelfth of the season, powered by Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin. The Wild tied it on a Chris Stewart goal, his ninth of the year, coming off of Jordan Schroeder and Ryan Suter. Minnesota took the lead in the third period with a Jason Pominville goal, his ninth of the campaign, with a lone assist by Marco Scandella. The final held at 3-2, with the three stars going to Kane, Anisimov, and Pominville.

Over in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Vancouver drew first blood in the second period with a Loui Eriksson goal, his tenth of the season, helped along by Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin. New Jersey tied it on a Kyle Quincey goal, his third of the year, made possible by Damon Severson and Beau Bennett. The Devils won 2-1 in overtime with a Taylor Hall goal, his eleventh of the campaign, with a lone assist by Travis Zajac. The three stars were Schneider (20 for 21 in saves), Hall, and Quincey.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the St. Louis Blues. Carter Hutton is mismatched with John Gibson in goal. St. Louis was first to score in the second period with a Patrik Berglund goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Robby Fabbri and David Perron. Anaheim tied it on a Rickard Rakell goal, his eighteenth of the year, passed from Ryan Getzlaf and Korbinian Holzer. The Blues won 2-1 in overtime with Berglund's second of the game and tenth of the campaign, fueled by Jaden Schwartz. The three stars were Berglund, Hutton (21 for 22 in saves), and Rakell.

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KHL 2016/17 - Day 134

Five games for today, beginning with...

Traktor Chelyabinsk hosting Spartak Moscow. Markus Svensson and Pavel Francouz are in the creases. Chelyabinsk started in the first period with a Jiri Novotny goal, via Artyom Borodkin and Maxim Yakutsenya. Moscow tied it in the second period with a Lukas Radil goal, passed from Tim Stapleton and Ryan Stoa. Traktor retook the lead with a Nikolai Belov goal, coming off of Alexander Shinin. Chelyabinsk added on with an Artyom Penkovsky goal, going in unassisted. Spartak got one back in the third period with a Denis Tolpeko power play goal, powered by Maxim Potapov and Sergei Shmelyov. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars going to Penkovsky, Belov, and Novotny.

Along to Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ilya Samsonov draw the starts in goal. Nizhny Novgorod opened in the first period with a Grigory Zheldakov goal, assisted by Kaspars Daugavins and Bobby Butler. Magnitogorsk tied it with a Tommi Santala power play goal, powered by Tomas Filippi. Torpedo retook the lead with a Brandon McMillan goal in the second period, via Vladimir Galuzin and Maxim Osipov. Metallurg retied it with a Danis Zaripov goal, with a lone assist by Chris Lee. Metallurg won 3-2 in overtime with a Lee goal, made possible by Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar. The three stars were Lee, Zaripov, and Santala.

Up in Cherepovets, Severstal hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Rafael Khakimov and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Cherepovets got going in the second period with a Denis Yezhov goal, assisted by Maxim Trunyov and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal added on in the third period with a Clay Wilson goal, guided in by Arseny Khatsei and Alexei Ugarov. Cherepovets iced it at 3-0 with a Khatsei empty net goal, set up by Sergei Monakhov. The three stars went to Kovar (16 save shutout), Khatsei, and Yezhov.

Over in St. Petersburg, SKA brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Ivan Nalimov and Mikko Koskinen protect the nets. St. Petersburg led off in the first period with an unassisted Evgeny Dadonov goal. Novosibirsk tied it in the second period with a Konstantin Okulov goal, helped along by Adam Polasek and Yegor Milovzorov. Sibir took the lead with a Joonas Kemppainen goal, via Evgeny Artyukhin. SKA tied it again with a Viktor Tikhonov goal, courtesy of Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk. St. Petersburg retook the lead with a Nikita Gusev goal, with a lone assist by Vadim Shipachyov. SKA added on in the third period with an Ilya Kablukov power play goal, powered by Kovalchuk and Anton Belov. St. Petersburg extended the lead as Shipachyov scored a power play goal, thanks to Dadonov and Gusev. SKA padded the lead with a Dadonov goal, his second of the game, made possible by Gusev and Shipachyov. This produced the 6-2 final, with the three stars given to Dadonov, Gusev, and Shipachyov, while Kovalchuk gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Alexander Sharychenkov and Barry Brust man the nets. Bratislava began in the first period with a Ziga Jeglic power play goal, powered by Jonathan Cheechoo and Michal Sersen. Slovan added on with a Cheechoo power play goal in the second period, coming off of Jeff Taffe and Jeglic. Bratislava extended the lead in the third period as Igor Musatov scored, thanks to Tomas Surovy and Kyle Chipchura. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Andrei Alexeyev goal, via Kirill Belyayev and Evgeny Kulik. Ugra got closer with an Anton Korolyov goal, passed from Evgeny Lapenkov and Kulik. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Cheechoo, Jeglic, and Kulik.

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